From the Corner Office

This week’s guest is Chris Tomasso, CEO of First Watch. A word many people use to describe Chris’ management style is “authentic.” From eating lunch in the break room to delivering Gatorade to stores in preparation for their busiest day, Chris tries to lead by example. Chris joins us to speak about leading through the pandemic as a new CEO, taking First Watch public, recognizing outstanding employees and the lessons he learned from an important mentor — the company’s co-founder, Ken Pendery.
3 Takeaways:
(03:07) “Treat people with respect”
(13:45) Authenticity and being kind will go a long way
(14:23) Lead by example
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introducing Chris Tomasso
(01:50) Navigating the pandemic as a new CEO
(03:55) Some of the benefits First Watch provided during the pandemic
(05:13) How did you keep the bottom line in consideration during this time?
(06:43) Learning from examples
(08:33) How Chris grew with First Watch
(11:50) What Chris learned from First Watch co-founder Ken Pendery about leadership
(13:22) Leading with authenticity
(15:30) Writing handwritten notes
(18:05) Leading First Watch through an IPO
(20:20) Why is culture so important to First Watch?
(21:48) Hot seat questions
Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more.
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This week’s guest is Audrey McGuckin, CEO of the McGuckin Group. Audrey grew up in a mining village in Scotland, where she started her career working in a sand quarry. She took some risks, seized opportunities and grew her career quickly, rising to become chief talent office at St. Pete tech giant Jabil.  
Now at the helm of the McGuckin Group, Audrey and her team collaborate with organizations worldwide. They offer expertise in talent strategy, leadership development, DEI initiatives, culture cultivation, and much more. A conversation with Audrey reveals both her practical and provocative insights into leadership and building and maintaining successful teams.  
Relevant Links:
Women On Their Way Summit - August 24
McGunkin Group Website
3 Takeaways:
(5:05) Your mindset can be more important than the “steps” you should take to succeed.
(10:20) Ask for what you need.
(11:40) Empathy is the #1 aspect of leadership that is in high demand and short supply. 
Timestamps:
00:55 - Growing up in Scotland, working at a factory, and leadership philosophy
03:30 - How do you find leaders in your organization?
05:05 - The importance of self efficacy, strong internal locus of control, and abundance mentality
08:18 - Mentoring, Audrey’s mistakes and turning them into a superpower
11:30 - Leading with empathy
13:55 - Introducing Women On Their Way
15:55 - Managers, give women the same feedback as men
17:00 - Help women dream bigger
18:45 - Audrey’s book, “Reclaim the Fire in Your Belly”
20:30 - Giving honest feedback
21:55 - Lead with care, candor, and curiosity
24:45 - Hot seat questions
Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more.
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Join us as we extend a warm welcome to OfficeMax Founder, Michael Feuer, on the inaugural episode of the Business Observer's From the Corner Office Podcast. Prepare for an engaging conversation as Michael delves into the essence of effective leadership, shares invaluable lessons from his tenure at OfficeMax, and recounts a bold encounter when he cold called none other than Jack Welch, one of America's most esteemed business executives, in pursuit of an investment.
3 Takeaways:
(16:05) "More 'we' and less 'me'"
(21:00) "Everyone in this world has something to prove"
(29:20) "Some people fall in love with ideas, I fall in love with success"
Timestamps:
01:10 - Michael Feuer introduces himself
02:13 - Michael is an “opportunist”
03:30 - Michael’s childhood
04:13 - How Michael got started
05:16 - Seize the opportunity… and be lucky
05:55 - “I’m America's worst employee”
06:30 - To be a CEO…
07:50 - “Do things you understand and know” - Starting OfficeMax
09:40 - Understanding your customer
11:29 - “You need to stand for something”
13:10 - Cold calling Jack Welch
16:15 - What makes a good leader?
18:35 - Finding leaders at OfficeMax
19:18 - You have to take ownership of everything you do
20:45 - Dig deep when interviewing people
21:40 - Following up with clients
25:20 - You can't bore people
26:45 - I try to give people memorable lessons
27:30 - Mistakes you made while running OfficeMax?
30:35 - Hot Seat Questions
31:30 - Taking customer complaints
 
To learn more about Michael Feuer, read the written article here.
Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more.
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Welcome to the Business Observer's From the Corner Office podcast. Join us every week for exclusive interviews with accomplished business leaders, where we delve into their unique experiences and insights. Gain valuable lessons from their expertise that you can apply to your own business.
 
For more information visit: www.businessobserverfl.com/