Kerry Siggins Podcast

Who doesn’t hate pointless meetings with awful agendas and no clear purpose? I know I do. And if you’re like us at StoneAge, you have too many meetings. We work hard to ensure our meetings are an effective and good use of everyone’s time – even if we still are in too many meetings.
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I talk about how I think about my meetings and set up agendas that drive the outcome I am looking for from the meeting.
Here are some things to consider when setting the agenda.
What is the purpose of the meeting? What do you want to accomplish? Specifically state this on the agenda
What topics do you need to cover? What information or context do you need to provide before the meeting so everyone is prepared?
What questions can you ask that will help people prepare for the meeting? Put these questions on this agenda. Pro tip: don’t have too many questions; doing so bogs people down and prolongs the meeting.
Who should be at the meeting? My rule is no more than ten people. If you have more than ten attended, it’s almost impossible for everyone to contribute. If people attend only to get information, you don’t have an effective communication process.
Finally, think about how long the meeting needs to be. Don’t schedule it for an hour if 45 minutes is enough to get through the agenda. Discussions tend to take the allotted time, whether they need to or not. And avoid the temptation to assign time allotments to each agenda item; this rigidity can stifle ideation and dialog. Instead, make sure you don’t have too many agenda items.
Question of the Week:
This week’s question comes from someone who heard me share my story on stage, and he asked, “How do you find the courage to share your story in front of so many people?”
Simple answer. I’ve learned that when you share your story with vulnerability, you inspire people to share their stories and potentially change their lives. And when you talk about your flaws, it makes it safe for people to admit theirs.
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!

Guest: Lisa Morton understands the power of a values-based company. Lisa is the CEO and founder of Roland Dransfield, one of Manchester, England's most established communications agencies. For the last 24 years, Lisa has worked to forge meaningful, lasting business relationships that create both business growth and social impact alongside her team of award-winning strategists, journalists, creatives, digital, and social media specialists. Now with a London office and a partnership with an LA-based agency, of which the founder is a former Roland Dransfield team member, Lisa is continuing to expand Roland Dransfield and explore new paths for growth.
Lisa's commitment to purpose-driven work is exemplified by Roland Dransfield's "We Built This City" podcast. This podcast series hears from Mancunians, born, bred and adopted, who put their heart into Greater Manchester. The podcast has been nominated for Best Business Podcast by the prestigious British Podcast Awards. It celebrates stories of determination, loyalty, and diversity across culture, arts, politics, sport, music and business.
Episode in a Tweet: When you focus your team and company on values, you can get through almost anything. Values give you and your team a clear sense of purpose and something to rally around.
Background: Twenty-five years ago, it became apparent to Lisa that the only way to work somewhere with suitable goals and values as an enterprise was to start it herself. Almost immediately, her talent for creating relationships became apparent when Manchester suffered a devastating bombing. Lisa got involved heavily in rebuilding the city center and, over the years, has played a large part in helping to regenerate neglected parts of the city center to create the new key "pillar" neighborhoods that make up the city. As a result, Lisa has been at the forefront of the response to crises in her community. Her commitment to social impact in the business community has driven her to help others do the same.
During this inspiring episode, Lisa shares how rebuilding Manchester helped her understand the power of values and how shared values bring people together. Lisa shares how her company transformed when they got really clear on their values. Called the Roland Dransfield Way, fifteen principles help Lisa and her team holds themselves accountable for building an exceptional company built on purposeful relationships. My favorite is "plant trees you'll never see," which describes the goal of leaving things in a better place out of respect for those how to follow you. There is no doubt Lisa is building a values-based company that is loved by everyone who works for her.
I know you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Have a listen and let me know what you think!
How to find Lisa
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamortonrdpr/
https://www.rdpr.co.uk/
https://www.rdpr.co.uk/we-built-this-city-podcast/
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!

Leadership comes with great responsibility. And if you want to be a transformational leader, you must embody your values, walking the walk, not just talking the talk. That’s why it’s important for you to understand your values.
Research backs the idea that great leaders set a powerful example. As written the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, researchers wanted to determine how much a leader’s opinions, beliefs, and behaviors could influence their followers. According to the study, “Leaders, whose behavior is visible to followers, are in a particularly powerful position to influence their followers’ beliefs.”
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I share how I once modified my values because I felt shame that “Family” wasn’t at the top. “How can I be a good mother if it’s not my top value?” I questioned myself. But as I matured, I realized that the only way to live an authentic life is to understand your values and make sure that they are indeed yours.
I encourage you to perform the values exercise I outline in the podcast and force yourself to narrow your top values down to three and then one. And then develop a plan for living those values as deeply and fully as possible.
Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from a new employee in a management role who asked me, “KP, do you ever feel guilty delegating?”
The short answer is no because I delegate the right types of activities. We all have a role to play and if I am performing jobs that my team can do, then I am not focused on the big picture, which is the role of the CEO.
Delegating is also how I develop my team; I ask them to take on more significant roles or to run a project to learn new skills and stretch themselves. Delegating also shows your employees that you trust and believe in them.
When you don’t set proper expectations or follow up, delegation can go wrong. The person you are delegating to should understand the desired outcome and the expected deliverables. You need to check in regularly so they can ask clarifying questions or so you can course correct along away.
Check out the full episode for details.
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!

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!

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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