Kerry Siggins Podcast

What I Learned from Selling Golf Balls Back to Golfers w/ Dr. Kizzy Parks

Guest: Kizzy Parks is the Founder of GovCon Winners and KPC, Inc. As a kid, she would clean golf balls located in an alley behind a friend's house and resell them through a fence to golfers, and then used the money to buy candy bars.
Kizzy always knew she’d become an entrepreneur. She also knew she wanted to earn an advanced degree in psychology. Her entrepreneurial spirit meshed well with her inquisitive nature and after earning a Ph. D, she founded KCP, Inc. a consulting firm focused on serving the needs of Federal agencies that now manages over $50M in government contracts. KCP was so successful at navigating the complex world of government contract that Kizzy started GovCon Winners, a firm that helps service-based small business owners learn how to win profitable federal government contracts and grow their bottom line.
Episode in a Tweet: How hustling as a kid led this entrepreneur to create her own business navigating the world of government contracting and creating a machine that helps others.
Quick Background: Kizzy is and always has been a hustler, which I greatly appreciate. From selling golf balls back to golfers as a kid, to taking on government contracts that track pigs, she has a unique way of showing up and adding value. She is passionate about the world of government contracting and has proven to be very successful at navigating its complexity and bureaucracy. After being burned by a former employee, she hired a coach who helped her look deep inside, make changes in her leadership style, and grow her company to new heights. Lizzy explains the world of government contracting, tells great stories about selling golf balls back to gophers, and shares how she got out of her own way.
You can find Kizzy here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kizzy/
https://www.kpcinc.com/
https://www.govconwinners.com/

Advice From A CEO: A Story About Truth, Manipulation, and Questioning Your Thoughts

In this week's episode of Advice From a CEO on Reflect Forward, I share a story about an email exchange between two BMX moms that made me reflect on my own advice about speaking up, keeping it real, and being invested in relationships and outcomes with people I don't know. And I helped my son learn a profound lesson on why it's important to own your actions, and not manipulate people.
Then I dive into not believing everything you think, Have you ever stopped to question your thoughts? Where did this thought come from? Why do I think this way? Is this thought even true?
It’s a powerful moment when you wake up and realize that the way you think might not be the truth. In fact, it’s probably not THE truth.
Questioning your thoughts is extremely powerful and brings more accurate self-awareness. Yes, it can create discomfort, especially when challenging your belief systems, but eye-opening and life-changing. Not believing that your thoughts are true, that your way is the only way, can lead you to new perspectives, new ways of thinking, to stretch yourself, and most importantly as a leader, to making better decisions. Not believing everything you think allows you to make room for other people’s ideas and solutions. It cultivates tolerance, acceptance, and compromise. It helps you be a better person, parent, and leader.
The question of the episode comes from someone on LinkedIn, and he says, “Kerry, it seems like you are living your purpose. You are so fortunate, and I want to be living my purpose through my work, too. How did you figure this out?
Great question.
For me, purpose comes from a combination of things: being of service to others, trying new things, stretching myself around my strengths and weaknesses, and being good at what I do. In my opinion, this is how you bring value to the world.
Purpose isn’t something that suddenly appears -at least not for most; it’s something that evolves. It’s deeply personal and can’t be handed to you. I found mine through learning what I didn’t want to do, almost killing myself due to addiction, taking risks, joining a company where the culture was a good fit, and working my ass off—and continuously iterating.
Looking back through years of journaling, one thread has always been there: my desire - my purpose, is to be an impactful leader who helps people create more meaningful lives themselves.
If you want to find purpose in what you do, I suggest doing these things:
Try new things so you can learn what you like and don’t like. Take some risks so you can expand your boundaries, build a tribe of people who support and believe in you, never stop learning and expanding your thinking and worldview, don’t be afraid to change, and finally, work hard. Mastery leads to purpose.
Listen to the entire episode for insights and actionable takeaways.

How To Be An Extraordinary Leader w/Daphna Horowitz

Guest: Daphna Horowitz is a sought-after CEO Coach and trusted business advisor who works with clients around the globe to create the extraordinary and build future leaders in their business. Working as an actuary in a large consulting firm, she learned the importance of developing a leadership mindset that takes you from an expert top-performer to an extraordinary leader. She has a deep understanding of what it takes to lead a business and teams in a complex, ever-changing environment and provides a practical approach to leadership.
She is the author of "Courage to Lead" and "Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders," both essential reading for leaders and aspiring leaders.
When she's not helping leaders master their mindset and elevate their business, she's doing what she loves most - hosting her podcast, Leadership Live, writing articles for various publications, and raising three kids with her loving husband.
Episode in a Tweet: Create powerful habits to shrink your leadership gaps, overcome imposter syndrome, and become an extraordinary leader.
Quick Background: Daphna Horowitz is passionate about helping leaders perform at their very best. She believes there is a leader inside each of us, and to find that inner leader, we must believe in ourselves and get over the things that hold us back. She believes that by developing consistent habits such as creating your "why," ending procrastination, and shifting your mindset to focus on positivity.
In her book, "Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders," Daphna offers 52 lessons, one for each week of the year, that will help launch you on a path to become extraordinary. In the podcast, Daphna shares her story of switching careers, climbing mountains, and following her passion for leadership development. She also describes an exercise of creating a personal user manual to give to your employees, so they better understand how you tick. I loved this so much that I plan to have my team write their user manuals to develop deeper relationships and have more compassion for each other.
Where you can find Daphna:
Website: https://daphnahorowitz.com/
Podcast: https://daphnahorowitz.com/podcastlive/
Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders: https://daphnahorowitz.com/weekly-habits-sample
Courage to Lead: https://daphnahorowitz.com/resources/#courage-to-lead

Advice From a CEO: How to Amplify Your Message

I began speaking and writing about employee ownership and being the kind of leader who inspires ownership thinking. I am passionate about creating a company that gives back to its employees and the world. I believe that leaders need to take a stand and amplify their message of good. My ‘message of good’ is simple: create meaningful, dignified jobs that allow people to work with purpose. Compensate them well, offer flexibility, and share in the success of the company. Be a leader who is worth following.
I started my blog in 2015 after a long trail run on a cool fall day. I was pondering my purpose and thinking about how to become a better speaker. I remembered a line out of a random book I had read about going back to what you loved to do as an adolescent. I loved to write but stopped when I went to engineering school. It was crystal clear to me at that moment - start writing again. To amplify my message, I have to have a message. To speak on my message, I have to be known for being a thought leader. I needed to get busy. As soon as I got home from the run, I say in front of my computer and researched blogging websites. By the end of the weekend, I had built my own website using a simple drop and drag website builder and I was up and writing. The more I wrote, the more people noticed. I was asked to write for industry publications and then speak at various events. Now you are listening to this podcast. This is how you amplify your message. Millions may not know me of people, but I am impacting those I reach, and that's what matters. I believe in my heart that as I keep practicing, putting my words of equity, dignity, and strong leadership out into the world, my message will continue to be amplified.
Listen in to see how to put it into practice.
Question of the Episode
This question comes from a Reflect Forward listener. “Kerry, I often find myself getting frustrated and annoyed over call things. What can I do to stop myself from always getting upset?
I love this question! I love riding my Peloton spin bike. I’m addicted to it. Not only are the classes challenging, but I am also inspired by the instructors’ moving stories and thought-provoking comments. A recent ride on the Peloton taught me a new acronym that I can’t stop telling others about…and applying to my daily life with diligence. W.A.I.T: Why Am I Trippin’?
I like to think of myself as a positive, optimistic person, but I often find myself getting frustrated, or annoyed…and sometimes even angry. I am good at letting things go quickly, but I probably let unimportant things get to me too much if I'm honest with myself.
Listen to find out more about W.A.I.T

How to Solve Your People Problem w/ Brett Cooper

Guest: Brett is the visionary President of Integris Performance Advisors, a professional development firm he co-founded to help leaders create healthier organizations and dynamic, inclusive cultures. Brett is a frequent speaker on topics related to Team Dynamics, Leadership, and Operational Excellence. He is also the co-author of “Solving the People Problem: Essential Skills You Need to Lead and Succeed in Today’s Workplace.”
Outside of his role at Integris, Brett dedicates time to serving others in need. He is a volunteer coordinator for the East Bay Stand Down and Stand Down on the Delta, two non-profit organizations serving the needs of San Francisco’s homeless Veteran population. He is also a board member for Partners in Sustainable Learning, whose mission is to bring early childhood education to marginalized communities in the developing world (current projects are underway in Nepal).
Episode in a Tweet: The key to optimizing relationships is understanding yourself and others better. Build healthy teams and organizations through the unique combination of emotional intelligence (EQ) and the DISC Profile.
Quick Background: In this episode, Brett and I talk about improving engagement throughout your organization by focusing on relationship development. The best way to build a relationship is through connection and a deeper understanding of one another.
In Solving the People Problem, Brett and his business partner Evans Kerrigan walk you through every aspect of DISC-EQ, the language you need to understand and capitalize on the personality differences of the people around you, with practical advice in six critical areas:
• Decision making
• Communicating with others
• Handling conflict
• Working with your team
• Selling and serving customers
• Being a leader
During this episode, Brett does an excellent job describing what the DISC Profile means and how to use it when hiring people and building teams. We discuss the importance of being authentic in the way you show up while developing your ability to flex and modify your style based on who you are working with. We also talk about how to stop talking when you are the loudest person in the room and how introverts can speak up when they feel uncomfortable.
Brett also offered Reflect Forward listeners the opportunity to get a personalized DISC-EQ report. Visit his website here: https://solvingthepeopleproblem.com/disc-eq/
Enter the Access Code: Reflect Forward. The assessment takes a few minutes, and they will email you a copy. I enjoyed the report; it was spot on and gave me actionable ways to improve.
You can find Brett here:
https://integrispa.com/speaker/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettmcooper/
https://solvingthepeopleproblem.com/

Advice From A CEO: Motivating Your Employees

"Management is nothing more than motivating other people," said Lee Iacocca, who served as CEO of Chrysler Corp. in the 1980s. Sounds easy, right? Hardly. There is nothing easy about managing others. Lee is correct, though; great managers have an uncanny ability to tap into the motivations of others and use persuasive communication techniques to influence winning outcomes and high performance. Unfortunately, too many managers have no idea how to motivate their teams effectively. So, where do well-intentioned but ineffective managers go wrong?
Mistake 1: Telling employees how to do their work.
Mistake 2: Talking too much, listening too little.
Mistake 3: Not holding regular tag-ups.
Mistake 4: Failing to share the “why.”
Mistake 5: Not recognizing contributions.
Mistake 6: Failing to deal with issues in the workplace.
Mistake 7: Not creating growth opportunities.
By avoiding these mistakes, you will increase motivation within your team, and everyone will reap the benefits. With motivated and engaged employees who contribute real value to the organization, you’ll be more likely to achieve your goals and be successful.
Question of the episode
This question comes from a Reflect Forward listener who asked, “Kerry, what do you think are the biggest problems with leadership today?”
Great question. There are so many it’s hard to choose from. But if I had to pick one, I would say it’s a lack of clear and honest communication. Many of the problems we face in life, leadership, and politics all come down to how we are communicating as leaders.

How to Disrupt Yourself to Master Change and Grow Faster w/ Whitney Johnson

Guest: Whitney Johnson is the CEO of WLJ Advisors and one of the 50 leading business thinkers in the world, as named by Thinkers50. She is an expert in helping high-growth organizations develop high-growth individuals. Whitney is an award-winning author, world-class keynote speaker, frequent lecturer for Harvard Business School's Corporate Learning, and an executive coach and advisor to CEOs. She is a popular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, has 1.7 million followers on LinkedIn, and was selected as a Top Voice in 2018. Her course on Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship has been viewed more than 1 million times. In 2019, she was ranked #3 on the Global Gurus' Top 30 Organizational Culture Professionals. In 2017, she was selected from more than 16,000 candidates as a "Top 15 Coach" by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith.
Episode in a Tweet: Dare to disrupt yourself by mastering change, speeding up your learning curve, and creating a better life.
Quick Background: I met Whitney at a YPO Colorado event, where she led us through her Personal Disruption Framework. I enjoyed the course so much that I asked if she would come on Reflect Forward. Whitney is an inspiring speaker and an incredible human being. She and I talk about how to disrupt yourself in significant ways, like changing careers or moving to a new city, and in small ways like practicing a new hobby just a few minutes a day. We discuss the power of making lists and how focusing on your top priorities can shift your life and be more successful. We also talk about how individuals can make changes in their thinking, actions, and commitments to fix some of the world's biggest problems.
At the end of the show, she shares her top piece of advice for leaders looking to be exceptional at what they do. She says, "Own your strengths. When you lean into what you do well, you can make a significant contribution within your sphere of influence. When you own your superpowers, you start to create powerful change."
If you like this interview, make sure to check out her Disrupt Yourself podcast and her popular weekly newsletter, which you can find on her website. I get a lot out of her newsletter and think it's one of the best out there.
https://whitneyjohnson.com/newsletter/

Advice From a CEO: How to Handle an Emotional Employee

Human beings are messy, emotional creatures. We all feel anxiety, anger, fear, and defensiveness at points in our lives and often, we give in to these strong emotions. It gets even messier when we have emotional outbursts in the workplace, which can happen quite often.
At some point in your management career, you will have to handle a situation where an employee is angry or upset. How you deal with this emotional outburst is crucial to maintaining a positive working environment and, if done right, can positively change the trajectory of the employee's experience. But let's face it, it can be overwhelming to work through an emotionally charged situation with an employee and it's easy to make things worse. The stakes are high, and a negative interaction could cause the employee to feel unheard or uncared about, decreasing overall satisfaction and could result in the person leaving the company.
Appropriately connecting and communicating with an upset employee is essential to turn the situation around effectively.
Listen to hear my tips on what to do, and more importantly, what not to do.
The question of the episode comes via LinkedIn. "Kerry, I have an employee whom I need to give tough feedback to, but he is a single thread. If he takes it the wrong way and leaves, I am screwed, and the company is screwed. What should I do?"
Great question, and I have been there – more times than I want to admit.
Everyone needs feedback to improve, and withholding feedback from this person keeps them from performing better and making improvements. So they deserve to hear the feedback. Check out the episode for more tips!

Who Says Lawyers Aren’t Great Leaders w/ Phil Weiser

Guest: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser was sworn in as the State’s 39th Attorney General on January 8, 2019. As the State’s chief legal officer, Phil is committed to protecting the people of Colorado and building an innovative and collaborative organization that will address a range of statewide challenges.
Phil has dedicated his life to the law, justice, and public service. Before running for office, Weiser served as the Hatfield Professor of Law and Dean of the University of Colorado Law School. He founded the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. Phil also served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations and as a law clerk to Justices Byron R. White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the United States Supreme Court.
Episode in a Tweet: When we build alignment around values and people have an opportunity to be heard, we can impact positive change in politics, business, and life.
Quick Background: I met Phil through my good friend and attorney, Todd Seelman. Todd is an avid Reflect Forward listener and told me I had to have Phil on the show. I never thought much about attorneys as leaders, but once I met Phil, I began to understand just how powerful leaders they can be. Phil is a big believer that empathy is the most important competency for lawyers to possess. The best attorneys can connect with their clients and the opposition to find a mutually agreeable resolution in conflict.
Phil’s grandmother and mother are also survivors of the Holocaust, and their stories of hope and belief shaped Phil’s life views. His mother was born in a Nazi concentration camp and is believed to be one of its youngest survivors. Phil thinks that he is where he is today because of the compassion of the U.S. and its welcoming of refugees as Europe was liberated. He is a product of the American Dream and holds firm in his commitment to making this dream possible for many others.
Phil is also is dedicated to creating fair competition in business through sound antitrust policy (he breaks down the Google and Facebook anti-competition issues in simple terms in the show), improving our criminal justice system, and protecting our air and water.
I love Phil’s thoughts on leadership and life, and I hope you enjoy this podcast.

Advice From A CEO: Don’t Be Afraid To Speak Up

I have been giving talks to corporate leadership teams, including my own, on how to make it safe for people on their teams to speak up. Leaders are often in a position of power, and it's hard for employees to speak their minds in fear of the fallout.
In one of my recent leadership talks, a person asked me, "How do you go about speaking up if you truly are scared of the outcome."
This is a tricky question to answer. But it's such a good question. The reason it's hard to answer is that it depends on the situation. I wanted to answer the question carefully; I didn't know this woman's situation, and I didn't want to give her bad advice. Listen to find out my tips.
Ok, the question of the episode comes from a listener of Reflect Forward and he asks, "Kerry, I know you use an executive coach. Do you also get coaches for your employees?"
YES! YES! YES! Many of my employees have coaches and it's the best investment I have made in terms of people development. I hire coaches to help high performers gain new insights about themselves and others and help them build new skills. I hire coaches to help high-potential employees who are struggling. I hire coaches for employees at all levels of the organization, not just the executive level.
I also use my executive coach for team coaching, which has been tremendous in helping us create a disciplined management system and has dramatically improved our ability to execute our strategy. Overall, the investment I've made in coaching has paid dividends. I think all leaders who are looking to be exceptional should hire a coach. And all leaders looking to develop exceptionally high-performing teams should use coaches to help develop their teams.