What if the key to success isn’t about what you achieve, but how much you give back? In this week’s episode of Outside Insights, I sat down with Mike Smith, a public servant whose inspiring journey proves that leadership is rooted in service. Currently serving in Delaware’s House of Representatives for the 22nd district, Mike’s approach resonated w…

Check out the full blog here! In life, there are assets and liabilities. An asset is a resource that brings value to others and a liability, on the other hand, is a responsibility or obligation. When it comes to your job, the question is simple: would you rather be an asset or a liability? We all strive to be assets! But let’s acknowledge that no o…

On the latest episode of Outside Insights, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sheila Bravo, president and CEO of DANA (Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement). Sheila’s career journey—from corporate marketing with brands like Vlasic Pickles and Godiva to nonprofit leadership—is all about adaptability, purpose, and lifelong learning. Her story…

Our daily choices craft your life’s story — what will today’s chapter be? I have a long list of goals, life ambitions, projects, and tasks I want to accomplish. I bet you do too. No matter the goals someone has already achieved, it’s human nature to crave more — to want to be better. That’s why everyone I speak with has at least one goal or idea th…

I believe the best ideas come from listening to people who see things differently. If everyone at the table thinks the same way, you’re not innovating—you’re just reinforcing the status quo. The spirit of this idea was a prominent topic in the latest episode of Outside Insights all about effective change management. I had the pleasure of sitting do…

I officially started my business 23 years ago — the morning of September 11, 2001. Of course, history and our lives changed forever that day. It was certainly a challenging start for the business, but challenges have been a constant companion throughout my journey. Today, I’m known as the guy who started a business from one dollar and scaled it to …

Imagine transforming recycled tires into a thriving footwear business, then pivoting to reduce homelessness and run for governor. Sounds impossible, right? Not for Matt Meyer, this week’s Outside Insights guest. I had the privilege of speaking with Meyer to explore his approach to leadership, the impactful initiatives he's been part of, and his vis…

Let’s face it: life is a series of decisions. From something as simple as what we eat for breakfast to major career moves, we make thousands of choices each day (between 33,000–35,000!). Some are automatic, handled by our subconscious to keep us sane, while others require careful consideration and come with their fair share of anxiety. Reflecting o…

In the latest episode of Outside Insights, I had the pleasure of interviewing the dynamic duo, Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, tech leaders, co-founders of Lifecycle Insights and co-authors of “Lead It Like Lasso“. During our conversation, we dove into their unique approach to leadership, drawing inspiration from none other than the TV character…

If you’ve been part of the Outside Insights community for a while, you’re familiar with the concept of closing your gaps. For those of you that are new — welcome! Our goal here is to take steps every day to live a more intentional and authentic life, and closing our gaps is key. The “gap” represents the space between where you are now and where you…

In the world of social entrepreneurship, few stories are as compelling and full of teachable moments as Scott Beale’s story. Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting Scott on our Outside Insights podcast, where he shared his personal journey from an aspiring changemaker to a global leader in fostering youth leadership and international volunteerism…

I’ve started several businesses, bootstrapped them, and grown them to mid-market size. I coach entrepreneurs and leaders to help them achieve the life and business they desire. My day job is with Placers, where we’ve been placing thousands of people for over 50 years. I spend my days and nights helping individuals close their personal and professio…

As most of you know, a key tenet of the Outside Insights way is breaking away from the grind to take care of one's physical and mental wellbeing. I was very honored to have the opportunity to talk with Dr. Tricia Thompson for the latest episode of Outside Insights learn about her journey in the medical field and some critical wakeup calls everyone …

Here’s the thing — quitting shouldn’t be a bad word. But why does it often feel like it is? At Placers, we champion values like results-driven performance and relentless hustle, epitomized by Winston Churchill’s wartime call to “never, ever, ever give up.” This motto resonated so deeply with me that it found its way onto t-shirts for the high schoo…

Hello, In this week’s episode of Outside Insights, I was joined by Mac Macleod, the co-founder of Carvertise, a successful media company revolutionizing ride-share advertising. Mac and I go way back to the start up days of Carvertise as I worked closely with his co-founder, and previous podcast guest, Greg in local not- for-profit work with Junior …

In case you missed it, Placers President Chris Burkhard shared his Outside Insights vlog on our 2024 theme: "Our Theme Is To Be" Despite loss, he urged us to "embrace change & find opportunity in every moment." Key Quotes: "Be present, supportive & our best selves to honor our colleague's legacy." "This year is about being over doing...moving forwa…

I’m a Delawarian through and through and perhaps one of my favorite characteristics of our little state is the big impact that local nonprofits have on our communities. I’ve been honored to speak with many leaders from these non-profits and am thankful that I can further their message through the Outside Insights platform. Recently, I had the chanc…

In life, we encounter a diverse cast of characters. Among the cast that surrounds us, there are characters that particularly stand out, such as energy vampires — individuals who, knowingly or unknowingly, sap our vitality and leave us feeling drained. These individuals aren’t confined to our social circles; they can also reside within us, manifesti…

In this insightful episode of the Outside Insights podcast, I sat down with John Ratliff, the entrepreneurial force behind Align 5 and CEO of Scaling Up Coaches. During the episode, John and I discuss the multifaceted journey of entrepreneurship and the significance of mental health and creativity in the entrepreneurial realm. I have known John for…

I’m going to share a little secret about your job and career. It’s a simple truth: You, and only you, are responsible for managing your career. This wasn’t always the case. Our grandparents lived in a world where careers were often linear and lifelong, with a single organization rewarding decades of loyalty with a gold watch as a symbol of their ap…

In this episode of Outside Insights, I chat with Pat Callihan, CEO of the national nonprofit Tech Impact. During our discussion, Pat shares how his organization is creating meaningful change through technology and workforce development programs. I'm inspired by Pat's commitment to leveraging technology for greater social impact through workforce de…

Welcome to 2024! We are trying something new on the Outside Insights Podcast with some solo podcast and thought leadership in addition to the interviews we have shared have been part of what Outside Insights is and the community around it. Thank you for tuning in to the Outside Insights Podcast! We appreciate your support and look forward to bringi…

In this episode of Outside Insights, I chat with Chris Bystriansky, an author, attorney, real estate investor, coach, speaker, and endurance athlete. Yeah - some people really can do it all. During our discussion, Chris shares his journey from a challenging childhood to pursuing higher education and then eventually finding himself climbing the corp…

We’re officially kicking off the 2023 holiday season this week! With that in mind, I wanted to bring you some fun, lighter content to be consumed while recovering from too much tryptophan and your leftover turkey. Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings and to recognize our abundance and it is my hope that you spend this long weekend with you…

As many of you know, I’m a proud Delawarian. There’s nothing I enjoy more than watching our local businesses thrive. When a business’s core mission is helping other Delawarians thrive, well, I’m sold. In this episode of Outside Insights, I sit down with Desa Burton, Executive Director of Zip Code Wilmington, a nonprofit coding bootcamp. Zip Code Wi…

In this episode Outside Insights, I sat down with Nick Wilkinson, Founder and CEO of Wilkinson Advisory services. Prior to launching his own consulting firm, Wilkinson built a successful career spanning various industries and has collected multiple hats over the years, including CEO, entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker – more on that later. Nick an…

Most people have a few, or a dozen, financial mistakes they look back on and really regret. For many, becoming financial savvy is learned through trial and error and living with a few regrets from your younger years is all part of the process. Isn’t it ridiculous credit card companies send applications to 18 year old kids before they even graduate …

We’re going to start this one with a question: How was success defined for you when you were 18? For many, the definition of success was likely narrowly defined as “study hard and make it into a great university”. Many of us today can agree that this definition is limiting. Thankfully, in recent years more and more job descriptions are shifting the…

I’m blessed to have many people in my circle that inspire me and push me to become a better version of myself every day just through their example. Some of these people are close to me, like my wife or my father. Others, I’ve met throughout the seasons of life and am honored to have them in my network - cheering one another on as we reach new miles…

Get ready to join Chris Burkhard as he hosts a conversation with Steven Pivnik, a total boss in both business and endurance sports. They dive into Steven's journey, where his love for adventure, hustling, and being financially independent all come together. Steven's background as an endurance athlete paved the way for his entrepreneurial pursuits. …

Servant leader Rob Eppes said he believes that an entrepreneurial soul is something most business owners are born with; Outside Insights Podcast Host Chris Burkhard laughed and agreed during this week’s episode. An upbringing that “points to the horizon,” looks to “what can be” and asks, “How can we make it better?” nurtures an entrepreneurial spir…

Entrepreneurs solve the right problem. What is the right problem? It’s a problem that leads to building a method to make money. Gain clarity on lessons of entrepreneurship by listening to this week’s podcast featuring University of Delaware’s Senior Instructor of Entrepreneurship Vince DiFelice. When he and Placers President Chris Burkhard exchange…

Have fun listening to Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic mascot and author of “The Power of Fun,” and Placers President Chris Burkhard as they remove the stigma from fun in the workplace. Sharing positivity in life and in the workplace “turns off negative brain biases,” explained Dave during this hour-long podcast that takes a deep dive in…

On the perpetual journey to entrepreneurial leadership and growth, the ability to be nimble is key. Success doesn’t come overnight, but keep the grind going and take the licks. That’s entrepreneurship. On this week’s podcast, Rob Herrera, architect, real estate developer, entrepreneur, and founder of The Mill, and Placers President Chris Burkhard, …

There is a balance shift between employers who are used to being in control of the workplace dynamic and employees who gained control of it during the pandemic. It’s headlining news and it’s the through-line of this week’s episode of Outside Insights between Placers’ President Chris Burkhard and Placers’ Founder and seriel entrepreneur Alan Burkhar…

Is your company culture by chance or is it by design? The BEST companies in the world understand just how important their culture is and how much impact it has. They don’t leave culture to chance. Instead, they’re purposeful, intentional, and systematic in the creation and development of their culture. Culture: chance or design? It’s the resounding…

You’ll glean valuable information and smile too when listening to lifelong friends, colleagues, and authors Eric Herronkohl and Chris Burkhard during this week's episode of Outside Insights Podcast as they discuss: staying in front of workplace challenges finding “A Players” developing personally and professionally gaining congruence between person…

Culture driven is the philosophy of a planned way of thinking that guides your professional and personal life, according to Alan and Chris Burkhard, authors of “Opposite The Crowd.” In their new book, the Burkhards deep dive into creating the culture-driven life you want, with no limitations, where risk is rewarded and where the results are game ch…

In present, professional networking spaces, “careful, cautious, methodical relationship building” is the through-line of purposeful networking, said Megan Roudebush, founder, keepwith, an enterprise platform that helps the world network and build relationships better. In this week’s Outside Insights Podcast, Megan explained that sustainable network…

Author Ed Wallace, in this week's Outside Insights Podcast, shares a personal, family story that illustrates it's not always formal training and education that shifts career-changing moments to meaningful work. Worthy intentions with a conscience create profound thought leadership strategies that facilitate workplace processes. Ed Wallace's book, "…

Great leaders will allow their team to fail—or at least risk failure. Now that I have your attention, let me explain. Instead of determining the paths of others, perhaps the best thing to do is let people make their own choices. This empowering philosophy is tough, but giving choices to those in more junior roles that creates critical development o…

Hello, This next Outside Insights podcast is one that I am very excited for our community to listen and learn from. For this episode, I sat down with Todd Bavol, CEO of Integrity Staffing, a firm that has won Clearly Rated’s Best of Staffing Award for five consecutive years. I am proud to call Todd a friend. Todd is someone who has quite literally …

A culturally driven work environment starts with a mindset that bonds life thinking with career thinking. This is a concept that serial entrepreneur and Outside Insights regular, Alan Burkhard, discussed during our latest podcast chat - the last in his 12-part leadership series. I summarize our discussion on culture-driven mindsets below. Be sure t…

Let’s face it, the general concept of “selling” has developed a bad rap over the years. We all hate to be sold to. If I asked you to picture a salesperson right now, what image would come to mind? Most people likely have the same exaggerated caricature of a person pop up. In recent years, the selling landscape has significantly changed as customer …

Greg Star is part of a dynamic team and co-founder of Carvertise, a nine-year young advertising business that offers a unique channel: ads on cars. Greg, along with his partner Mac, have been a shining example of hard work, trial and error, sheer will and grit. Greg and Mac simply get stuff done. They experiment, learn fast, scale and then fail, le…

Welcome to the latest episode of Outside Insights Podcast # 17. I recently interviewed a mentor, a friend, a customer and an exceptional leader, Fran DiNuzzo. Fran is an executive who has built his career around growing people and companies. I was honored that Fran took a break between is CEO responsibilities and Board of Advisor work to share his …

Yes, there is a “right way” to think…that “right way” just depends on the individual. In Outside Insights, we often talk about defining your guiding values and understanding what your personal culture is. Society has guidelines for how we should act, the workplace has rules that we abide by to get paid, etc. But your personal values – those are eve…

When asked about Apple’s “overnight success”, Steve Jobs explained that it was 18 years in the making. Sometimes we make success look too easy and the real gold is in the lessons learned and the many mistakes we make on our way to reaching success. A decade and a half ago Rob Gilfillan and I found ourselves in a peer advisory group with many other …

There is one truth for all entrepreneurs – success depends on who you have in your corner. There are the well-known characters: your co-pilots in business, dedicated team, and cheerleaders at home who make up your personal army. Then, there are the characters who get less fanfare but whose role isn’t any less critical: the vendors that you partner …

Change agents have learned to embrace change, to plan for uncertainties and to recognize opportunities within challenges. They prefer to make something happen rather than to react when something happens to them. While we’re working towards this level of adaptability, most of us can’t say that we’re change agents - yet. In my humble opinion, the gre…