Kerry Siggins Podcast

Guest: Ron Carson is living his life by design, but he wasn’t always this way. Ron is the Founder and CEO of Carson Group, which serves financial advisors and investors through its businesses, including Carson Wealth, Carson Coaching, and Carson Partners. Founded in 1983, Carson Wealth has grown to become one of the largest wealth management firms in the country, offering portfolio management and wealth planning services to high-net-worth clients. Established in 1993, Carson Coaching has grown to become one of the leading advisor coaching programs in the country, empowering advisors to overcome key business challenges through personalized coaching, proven strategies, marketing services and a passionate community of thousands of advisors. Carson Partners empowers advisors to improve client service, efficiently run their practice, grow their business and build a legacy through a turnkey integrated partnership. All three organizations are headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska but serve a broad base of advisors and investors across the U.S. and Canada.
Expanding his impact beyond the chair of CEO, Ron is actively involved in charitable giving. His mission is to “do the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people.” He and his wife, Jeanie, co-founded the Dreamweaver Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling end-of-life dreams for seniors with terminal illness. He also founded the American Charitable Foundation – a foundation for the more efficient disposition of charitable assets. He has led the charge at Carson Group for providing more than 600,000 meals to children in Kenya through work with No Hungry Children.
Episode in a Tweet: Most of society, unfortunately, is on an unconscious journey to arrive at death safely, meaning that we get in a rut. Don’t do this. Live your life by design.
Background: I met Ron at a CEO Coaching International CEO Summit last year, and he inspired me with his story of changing his mindset to break free of limiting beliefs and living life from a place of fear. He is a remarkable human committed to helping others and making an impact.
During this episode, Ron and I talk about how his life changed when he changed his thinking, quit drinking and expanded his mind through the use of medicinal psychedelic therapy. He shares how his life changed when he quit drinking and started trusting others to help him grow his business. We talk about how labels can define us negatively and why you should blueprint your life so that you can live your life by design, not default. We talk about how we have more capacity to give and be compassionate when we work on improving and understanding ourselves.
My favorite part of the interviews is when he talks about why people live life trying to die safely. Powerful stuff. This episode is not your average leadership talk; it’s spiritual, engaging and life-changing. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
How to find Ron:
www.carsongroup.com
www.carsonwealth.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roncarson1
https://twitter.com/rchusker?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Links from the show
The Second Mountain by David Brooks
How to Change your Mind by Michale Pollan
What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain and Health Podcast with Andrew Huberman PhD
Blueprint Guide
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During this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, we talk about why it’s important to ask for help at work, including how it helps you save time, increases productivity, and provides learning and skill development opportunities.
It’s rarely easy to ask for help at work. Some see asking for help as a sign of weakness. “I should be able to handle everything independently,” they think. Or maybe they are worried about being judged or viewed negatively by their colleagues or manager. Some people may feel uncomfortable revealing they don’t know what to do next or are over their heads. And let’s face it, some workplace cultures may not promote or support asking for help, and it can be hard to find someone willing to offer help – which is unfortunate.
I also share ideas on overcoming your fear of asking for help at work, such as identifying the root cause of your fear, reframing your thinking, and practicing asking for help by starting small. Most importantly, I share why you must clearly communicate your needs when you find the right person to ask for help. Communicating clearly isn’t always easy, especially if you are resistant to asking for help. If you struggle with this, write what you need and why. Be specific and honest.
I also address asking for too much help. Don’t be that person!
And finally, I share my thoughts on the statement, “don’t bring me problems; bring me solutions.” This statement shuts people down and discourages them from coming to you when they are stuck. Your job as a manager is to help your employees solve problems and work through issues. So stop saying this!
Question of the Week
What do you do if you have an employee who isn’t being open about personal issues impacting their performance? Listen in to hear how I would handle this situation which includes having open, honest and direct conversations while making it safe for the person to open up to you.
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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!

Matt Tenney is an expert on developing highly effective leaders. He is the author of the highly acclaimed book Serve To Be Great: Leadership Lessons from a Prison, a Monastery, and a Boardroom. Over the last nine years, Matt has delivered keynotes and training programs that help improve employee engagement and retention to hundreds of clients, including companies like Salesforce, T. Rowe Price, Roche, Marriott, Keller Williams, L’ Oreal, and many others. Matt is an active CEO working to build the best workplace culture in the world, hoping to inspire you to do the same.
Background: Matt Tenney helps leaders to achieve better business outcomes while simultaneously becoming happier, kinder, more generous, and more compassionate. He is passionate about inspiring people to become servant leaders. He focuses on applying mindfulness training to improve business acumen, increase emotional intelligence, enhance creativity and innovation, improve the ability to manage change, and develop extraordinary leadership presence.
During this episode, Matt and I discuss building strong, resilient cultures by focusing on people first. He shares his 4-step process for being a leader who inspires high levels of engagement, including giving and receiving feedback – something near and dear to me. Matt provides statistics on why the most critical engagement enhancements come through teaching managers how to listen to and develop their teams. As we all know, people usually quit managers, not companies.
My favorite quote from the episode is, “The primary job of a leader is to inspire greatness.” I couldn’t agree more. To be a great leader, you must build great teams.
I know you’ll love this episode. I will ask all the managers at StoneAge to listen to it as it’s filled with actionable tips and solid advice. Let me know what you think!
How to Find Matt:
Website: https://www.matttenney.com/engagement-and-retention-help/
Article on the 14 Leadership Skills: https://businessleadershiptoday.com/what-are-leadership-skills-examples/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matttenney/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattTenneyServes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/matttenney1
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!

Transparent leadership matters. Why? Because it helps to build trust and create a positive work culture. When leaders are transparent, they are open and honest about their actions and decisions, which helps to foster transparency among team members and throughout the organization.
In this week's episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, we talk about transparent leadership and I share tips on being more transparent and avoiding common pitfalls.
When there is more transparency among team members, they tend to have better communication, collaboration, decision-making, and a greater sense of accountability and responsibility. Additionally, transparency can help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts and create a more positive and inclusive work environment.
So how can leaders be more transparent?
There are several ways that leaders can be more transparent in the workplace:
Communicate openly and honestly: Leaders should be open and honest about their actions and decisions and communicate clearly and transparently with team members.
Practice transparency in decision-making: Leaders should be transparent about how decisions are made and involve team members in the decision-making process whenever possible.
Share information: Leaders should be open and transparent about relevant information to the team or organization and ensure that team members have access to the information they need to do their jobs effectively.
Be approachable: Leaders should be open to feedback and suggestions from team members and be willing to listen to and address any concerns or questions that team members may have.
Set an example: Leaders should model transparent behavior and encourage transparency throughout the organization by being open and honest in their actions and communication.
What are some pitfalls leaders make when being transparent?
Over-sharing: Leaders need to be open and honest, but it's also important to be mindful of what information is appropriate to share. There may be some confidential or sensitive information, and leaders need to be careful not to over-share or disclose information that could harm the organization or individuals.
Being too vague: Leaders should be transparent and open, but they must be clear and specific in their communication. If leaders are too vague or ambiguous in their messaging, it can lead to confusion and mistrust.
Not following through: If leaders make promises to be transparent, they need to follow through on those promises. If they fail to do so, it can erode trust and undermine their credibility.
Question of the Week
"Have you ever changed your mind as a leader? How do you do it without losing face?"
Absolutely! I think the willingness to change your mind is one of the most important attributes of a leader. We must continually challenge our thinking and seek the best information to develop accurate assessments and opinions. More accurate beliefs lead to good decisions. And making good decisions is what leadership is all about.
If you want to read a great book on the power of changing your mind, check out Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World. And listen to the whole episode to learn more!
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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!

Guest: Wanda Toro Turini, also known as Dr. Wanda or THE Nerdy Girl Entrepreneur, is a dynamic entrepreneur, inventor and the host of the Rock-It Fuel Podcast. As Founder of Bull's Eye Innovations (BEI), Wanda's mission is to incubate innovative ideas and transform them into profitable and sustainable businesses. Wanda's most recent focus is launching Ketchwords.com, powered by her proprietary texting platform, ecoFiles. Ketchwords enable experts to finally connect with "Anonymous Fans" that are sitting in their audiences and nurture them into happy Clients.
Background: During this episode, Wanda shares how she has evolved as an entrepreneur, learning to let go of the need to do everything. You can't scale if the business revolves around you! She gives great advice on planning your year with your significant other, both personally and professionally. We talk about the need for boundaries and why it's important to say no more often.
Wanda also shares the story of how she came up with the idea of Ketchwords. She first used Ketchwords to connect with all of those Anonymous Fans in her audiences. She used her marketing skills to master the tool and massively boost the ROI of every appearance.
Wanda sings in a rock and soul band in her spare time and is an acclaimed actress in NY/NJ children's and musical theater productions. She is a powerhouse and mother of two who took a unique and tumultuous journey to get to where she is today. She loves to share the solutions she creates and the stories of her challenges with the desire to inspire people NEVER to say never.
How to Find Wanda:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanda.turini
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wandatoroturini/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandaturini/
Rock-It Fuel Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockitfuelpodcast
Rock-It Fuel Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockitfuelpodcast/
Website: www.ketchwords.com
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!

During this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I discuss what to do when an employee opens up about mental health.
As a people leader, you will occasionally have to help people work through emotional trauma, personal situations and past baggage. And let’s face it, with mental health being such a significant issue in today’s society, we can’t expect our employees, teammates, and colleagues to leave their personal lives at home. How we behave at work is influenced by happenings at home and our mental health, and we want to show up as our whole selves. And while engaging in these talks might be difficult and uncomfortable, I have found that you can help your employees by leaning into these conversations.
During the episode, I share how I mentally prepare for emotional conversations on mental health and personal issues. You should also familiarize yourself with options the employee might have, such as paid time off, the use of an Employee Assistance Program, etc. I also talk about the power of asking questions and why I think it’s important to understand their situation so you know how to help. Most people want to be understood, even if it’s embarrassing to admit what’s happening. I also discuss the importance of boundaries and how to ensure you don’t play the role of a therapist.
Mental health crises are going to be part of the ongoing norm. It’s a major issue in our society right now, and we as leaders cannot stick our heads on the ground and say, “It’s not my problem; they just need to deal with it outside of the workplace.” People spend most of their time at work and need support from their leadership and companies to endure tough times. Everybody can use a little bit of help from time to time, and sometimes that little bit of help is all they need to move through it and come out the other side stronger.
Question of the Week
This week’s question came from Justin Skinner, who hosts The Professional Failure podcast. He asked me, “What do you do when you find yourself really angry, upset, or annoyed about a situation? He appreciated my answer, so I thought I should share it with you!
The number one thing I do when I am getting annoyed at a situation or somebody or angry or upset is to stop and tell myself three different possible stories about what’s actually happening rather than assume that my judgment or assessment is true. We humans are so good at thinking that we know why people are doing the things they do, and we are so sure that we understand a situation, and often, we are wrong. Have a listen to find out more!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
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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!

Guest: Emma Giles emulates self-aware, authentic leadership. Emma is one of the founders of SoWork, a product that helps digital-first teams do great work, no matter when they work or where they work from.
Emma leads product development and works directly with SoWork customers who are leaders of organizations trying to navigate the digital-first work shift. Prior to founding SoWork, she dropped out of a PhD from Harvard/MIT in computational neuroscience to build a business, spent a year at Khan Academy creating free medical content for medical students, and scaled data initiatives for the WHO.
Emma has a unique perspective on how the landscape of work is evolving, what leaders and their teams are struggling with, and how to solve the most pressing challenges with technology. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband (also a SoWork co-founder), where she spends time hiking and running ultramarathon.
Episode in a Tweet: Leadership is such a privilege because you get to sit in all these interesting seats and then use your perspective to help your team run with the ball and succeed.
Background: I love this 100th episode of Reflect Forward: Conversations on Leadership, where Emma Giles and I talk about empathic leadership. Emma is incredibly thoughtful and has developed self-awareness as few leaders have. During the interview, Emma shares how her time as a crisis counselor and a scientist shaped her views on leadership and helped her navigate the curve balls of founding a start-up throws at you. Emma talks about how she has developed deep self-awareness and how she models empathetic leadership within SoWork.
Emma calls herself a raging generalist, which resonates deeply with me. We talk about generalists' impact on a team and company and how we've both learned to embrace our generalist natures. Emma cares deeply about working with humans, bringing them together to solve complex problems innovatively, and navigating an early-stage start-up's immense strains and pains without killing themselves or each other. I know you'll love this interview as must as I do! Have a listen and let me know what you think!
How to find Emma:
Company
https://www.sowork.com/
Link to Emma's virtual office; stop by and say hi:
https://invite.sowork.com/join/LORXIqKyza04v9Gp64u9?
user=slKoXZJsG6UGpK3uEU48d6hVwHy2&room=soworkofficewinter
Social Media
https://twitter.com/Emma_K_Giles
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmakgiles/
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!

We should never underestimate the importance of reflection and introspection. Self-reflection is a powerful tool for personal growth and development. When done often, you create a much more intentional and powerful life. But many of us only do it annually, as we approach the new year and think about what went well and what didn’t…in essence, Reflecting Forward. 😊
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward, I discuss how I came up with the name of my podcast, Reflect Forward, and why frequent self-reflection can help you to better understand yourself and your thoughts and feelings, which can lead to improved self-awareness and self-esteem. Frequent reflection and introspection can also help you to identify areas in your life where you may want to make changes or improvements. This can be especially helpful if you are feeling stuck or unfulfilled in some aspect of your life. Additionally, self-reflection can help you to better understand other people and improve your relationships with them.
I share my plan to journal during the new year, capturing my journey on the path to grow StoneAge to a billion-dollar company and why you, too, should develop a practice of frequent reflection and introspection.
Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from a new manager who said, “I just hired someone and it’s not working. What do you do when it’s obvious that the person you just hired is not the right person for the job?”
Great question. I know the feeling and it’s not a good one. During the episode I share the steps you need to take to handle the situation such as evaluating your onboarding process, letting your manager know, and having a direct conversation with the struggling employee. Have a listen and let me know what you think!
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Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes

Do you involve employees in strategic planning? Most people think that strategy is a leader's responsibility and not everyone else’s. An employee once told me, “CEOs do strategy; we do the everyday work.” This mindset couldn’t be further from the truth, but it’s prevalent.
When you involve employees in strategic planning, good things happen. First, people begin to understand that strategy is something they do every day and execute it in their daily tasks and project work. Second, they become more engaged in the process because they can ask questions and have a voice.
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I share how we involved our employees in strategic planning this year and the results. Hint: outstanding. We tried something new so every employee could weigh in before we finalized the strategic plan and the feedback was fantastic. We received some excellent ideas to integrate, and everyone appreciated being part of the process.
I also offer tips on thinking and going about strategic planning and ways to involve your employees throughout the process. Vision, buy-in, feedback, discipline, and focus are critical when developing a strategy.
You can follow these tips, even if you aren’t a CEO and your executive leadership doesn’t involve employees in the strategic planning process. Nothing stops you from reviewing company strategy with your team members, getting their opinions and feedback, and engaging them in the process from a team perspective. Great leaders know how to get the best out of their teams and how you lead your team matters. Even if it’s different than how executive management leads, don’t be afraid to try this process. Your employees will appreciate the effort.
Question of the Week
This week's question comes from a friend who asked, “What are you reading now?” I wanted to share this question because I am reading a different type of book. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis is a fascinating look at why the world, especially the United States, was so ill-prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic. I’ve learned much about how public health departments and the CDC work. The stories are well told and it’s very insightful. I highly recommend it.
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Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
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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!

Gustavo Razzetti is the CEO and founder of Fearless Culture, a culture design consultancy that helps teams do the best work of their lives. For more than 20 years, Razzetti has helped leaders from Fortune 500s, startups, nonprofits, and everything in between on every continent but Antarctica.
Gustavo is also the creator of the Culture Design Canvas, a framework that thousands of teams and organizations worldwide use to map, assess, and design their culture. In addition to his consulting work with clients, Gustavo regularly speaks with leaders and teams about culture change, teamwork, and hybrid workplaces. His coaching and tools have helped countless executives and teams develop work environments where people collaborate to accelerate individual and collective performance.
A prolific writer and author of four books on culture change, Gustavo’s insights have been featured in The New York Times, Psychology Today, Forbes, BBC, and Fortune, among others.
Background: Most organizations don’t lack ideas, talent or resources; instead, they lack a conducive culture where employees are encouraged to collaborate, take the initiative and experiment beyond perceived limitations. Imagine what your company could achieve with your teams optimized to bring their best effort and ideas to the table. Helping build these kinds of cultures is what Gustavo Razzetti is all about.
During our conversation, Gustavo and I discuss how to improve your workplace culture by creating safe spaces for people to speak up. We talk about why leaders need to develop self-awareness and seek honest feedback from their teams. Gustavo shares his thoughts on fairness in the workplace, especially in hybrid and remote work situations. And finally, he shares why he wrote his latest book, Remote, Not Distant, as a roadmap for leaders to build a culture that thrives in a hybrid workplace.
You will take away all kinds of insights in his fun and dynamic interview. Please listen and let me know what you think!
How to find Gustavo:
https://www.fearlessculture.design/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavorazzetti/
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!