#51 - You Are Not Alone: The WiSE Origin Story with Shannon Hempel

Today's episode features an enlightening conversation with our distinguished guest, Adriana Romero. Together, we dive deep into the intricacies of Sales Enablement, the journey from understanding a product to illuminating its real-world impact on customers and the team behind it.In this rich discussion, Adriana shares her wealth of knowledge, from the critical role of communication in enabling sales teams, to her personal mantra of letting go of full control and encouraging trust within organizations. We also explore her transformative advice to her younger self, urging an openness to mistakes and new experiences.With anecdotes on her own shift from Salesforce to OpenText, Adriana brings to light the common principles of productivity irrespective of audience differences. You'll gain insights into fostering a learning culture, not only for individuals but also for front-line managers—a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of sales organizations.Join us for a session that's as much about embracing our human elements in sales as it is about the systematic approaches to enablement.Adriana Romero's LinkedInAndrew's LinkedIn

In today's enriching episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with the insightful Alex Zikakis, an Enablement Leader at Seismic. Alex brings to the table a fascinating comparison between nurturing skills in our children through Lego building and fostering strategic thinking within the competitive corporate landscape. We'll unpack the idea of coaching, whether it's for parents, guardians, or frontline leaders, delving into the art of enabling individuals for success both in the playroom and the boardroom.Alex and I will explore the challenges posed by remote work, market conditions, and the constant need for adaptability. We discuss the importance of shifting from short-term achievements to embracing a mindset tailored for long-term growth, and we'll tackle the practicalities of developing a competency model that hones key skills for remarkable performance.So whether you're a parent teaching resilience through colorful bricks, a manager guiding a team, or simply an avid learner looking for your next insight—you're in the right place. Andrew's LinkedInAlex Zikakis LinkedIn

In this gripping second part of our conversation with Brandon Fluharty, we dive deeper into the journey of self-mastery and the high stakes of performance.If you tuned in last time, you know Brandon is not just an expert in transforming professional performance; he's a beacon for those seeking to harmonize their work with their deeper purpose. Today, we'll continue to explore the essential practices that Brandon attributes to his incredible success, including the disciplined protection of time, energy, and attention, and how these contribute to daily wins.With valuable insights into his upcoming book, "Purposeful Performance," Brandon isn’t just theorizing; he’s living proof that a good personal operating system can make all the difference. So buckle up for a thought-provoking ride—and remember, if you're looking to make sustainable changes in your life, start by being patient with yourself and celebrating those small, purposeful victories.Andrew's LinkedInBrand Fluharty LinkedIn

In this episode, we have a special guest, Brandon Fluharty, a former Revenue Generator with years of experience in sales and the Founder of Be Focused. Live Great. This captivating conversation with Brandon is split into two parts because of the wealth of insights he shares.In part one, Brandon talks about his journey into sales and the valuable lessons he learned along the way. He discusses the importance of embracing natural human interaction over traditional sales tactics and the shift from a labor-based to a knowledge-based economy. We learn about his perspective on creating value and the concept of being a revenue creator beyond just sales professionals.Join us in part one of this insightful conversation with Brandon Fluharty as we uncover the transformational lessons and experiences that have shaped his approach to sales, learning, and personal development.Andrew's LinkedInBrand Fluharty LinkedIn

Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your headphones, because the Learning Culture Podcast is back in action for Season 2! 🌟✨

Decisions that impact your success are often made without you. Having a personal brand means owning the narrative of what others say about you when you're not around.This week's Learning Nugget comes from a conversation about owning and honing personal brands with Andrea Wojnicki.Andrea is a communication coach, Consumer Psychology expert, and self-proclaimed obsessive over understanding "why you said what you just said."This obsession has driven her career. She worked in marketing at Kraft Foods before earning a Doctorate of Business Administration in Marketing at Harvard Business School (her dissertation was on word-of-mouth!).Fueled by deliberate practice and her insatiable desire to understand, Andrea created Talk about Talk, a learning platform to help executives boost their confidence and improve their communication skills.Whether you run your own business or play a vital role on a team, it's important to be in control of your narrative.Please sit back, relax, and enjoy my episode with Andrea Wojnicki.Andrea Wojnicki LinkedInAndrew Barry LinkedIn

Welcome back to the Learning Culture Podcast!This week’s Learning Nugget comes from a conversation with Karthik Puvvada. KP is a no-code builder, community leader, writer, podcast host, angel investor, and growth advisor for startups.He has become the famed “Build In Public” expert across the internet, publishing resource after incredible resource on the topic to help founders and creators leverage this framework and build an audience on the internet.The Build In Public Podcast features ambitious founders and creators chatting with KP about all things build-in-public.The Build In Public Hub is his media site to inspire and teach founders and creators to join the movement.Our conversation gets to the heart of KP's inspiration and expertise.There isn’t anybody out there that I’ve met who understands and can talk about these ideas so eloquently. KP packages his years of experience into digestible lessons for those exploring the world of building in public.Please sit back, relax, and enjoy my episode with KP.KP LinkedInAndrew LinkedIn

Welcome back to the Learning Culture Podcast!This week’s Learning Nugget comes from a conversation with Jeff Gothelf. This is a memorable snippet that captures the importance of storytelling as an essential leadership trait.Jeff is the co-creator of the methodology for Lean UX, and he’s the author of the award-winning book of the same name (among many others). His work has informed the way thousands of companies approach software and product design.Our conversation revolved around his book, Forever Employable, which chronicles Jeff’s transition from employee → agency owner → independent operator. Jeff applied his storytelling skills at every step of his journey toward thought leadership and the lessons from our conversation show how we can do the same. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this Learning Nugget with Jeff Gothelf.Jeff LinkedInAndrew LinkedIn

Welcome back to the Learning Culture Podcast! This week's Learning Nugget comes from a conversation with Scott Jeffrey Miller.Scott is an entrepreneur and a Senior Advisor of Thought Leadership for Franklin Covey, a world leader in consulting and training.His recent years have been dedicated to defining what it means to be recognized as a Thought Leader (hint: it takes more than just declaring yourself one).He's also a best-selling author and the host of the Franklin Covey-sponsored podcast called On Leadership with Scott Miller - a place from which Scott has been able to mine the wisdom of renowned business titans, authors, and thought leaders.Master Mentors is Scott's book detailing 30 of those conversations, a key insight for each of them, and prompts to apply them in your own pursuit of mastery.This conversation is an exploration of how Scott refined all the different transformational insights he has heard in his years interviewing these incredible personalities.Tune in to learn about:How to earn the title of Thought LeaderWhy you should focus on your Smallest Viable MarketThe importance of tough questionsDistilling transformational insights and sharing themI guarantee there is something in this episode for you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this Learning Nugget episode with Scott Jeffrey Miller.Scott's LinkedIn Scott’s WebsiteAndrew Barry LinkedIn

This week's Learning Nugget comes from an episode with Stephanie Dua.It's all about developing a bias toward action, nurturing latent passions for learning, and creating professional environments for humans to thrive.Stephanie is the Co-Founder and President of Begin, an early-learning company with products like HOMER, the only learning program proven to increase reading scores with just 15 minutes a day.Beyond her expertise in learning, education, and entrepreneurship, she has an extensive background in public service:Former CEO of NYC Dept. of Education's fund for public schoolsWorked in various non-profit roles with the Carnegie Corporation, Robin Hood FoundationSenior advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationShe’s also a wife and a mother. So much of our conversation (and her inspiration for HOMER) draws on Stephanie’s career experiences, her upbringing, and her everyday life.Tune in to learn about:Stephanie's decision-making confidence and how to hone your own.How to use headwinds and obstacles as inspiration.Effective time management and the unsustainability of sprinting.The qualities of a successful public servantIntegrating "work" and "life," not "balancing."Sit back, relax, and enjoy this Learning Nugget episode with Stephanie Dua!Stephanie's LinkedInAndrew's LinkedIn