Craig Provost
Design Thinking Habits for Growth-Oriented CEOs
Design Thinking
Over the last 40 years, Design Thinking has emerged as a powerful tool for innovation, driving growth for companies both large and small. Fortune 500 giants like Apple, Patagonia, and IBM have leveraged Design Thinking to gain deep insights into their customers and markets. This approach enables them to consistently create products and services that resonate deeply and are highly desirable. By adopting Design Thinking, you can foster a dynamic dialogue between your brand and customers, leading to increased engagement and loyalty. Studies consistently show that companies utilizing Design Thinking outperform competitors in revenue growth.
Workshop
In this hands-on workshop, you will:
- Learn the core principles of Design Thinking
- Dive into three essential customer understanding habits
- Practice applying Design Thinking with fellow CEOs
Key Takeaways:
- In just 120 minutes, you’ll grasp the pillars of Design Thinking and acquire strategies to embed it into your business culture.
- Tools provided include:Customer Personas | Empathy Mapping | Customer Journey Mapping
- By fostering a Design Thinking culture, expect to see enhanced employee engagement and a deeper understanding of your customers, allowing you to create more desirable products and services more efficiently.
Bio
Craig Provost is an experienced design thinker, facilitator & business strategist, who creatively guides leadership teams towards unlocking new value for their customers & employees. Craig is a designer of award winning products like the Gillette Fusion Razor. He has facilitated 100s of strategy & ideations sessions with a wide range of start-ups, established companies & non-profits. His energetic sessions create a safe dynamic environment where all types of personalities can feel empowered to share perspectives while also building on one another's ideas.
Contact
email: craigprovost@gmail.com
website: https://www.craigprovost.com/
Craig Provost
John Broons
Navigating the maze of family business dynamics
Running a business can be challenging, adding in the complexity of running or working in a family business adds another layer of complexity. John will share his insights gained from four decades working in, owning and advising family businesses where he will explore the key ingredients required to ensure your family thrive in business.
What are the key ingredients required to ensure your family thrive in business? Listen to John share his insights gained from four decades working in, owning and advising family businesses.
In this presentation John will share his proven 3 ingredients that will ensure your family members in business together thrive. John will delve into the areas of trust, education and communication – where are you currently at and what is required to improve your family business dynamics.
Top Takeaways
- Why family business dynamics are complex
- A new perspective when looking at your family in business
- New family business models to consider
- Understanding that you might be the family's business
- A list of the necessary and effective documentation
- What is required to ensure your family business thrives
Bio
John Broons, Family Business Advisor, is a globally awarded family business expert. One of only three people in Australia to hold the coveted title of Fellow of Family Firm Institute (Boston, USA), John has dedicated his working career to answering the question: how do I guide and support families in business to a place where they’re thriving?
Not only has John spent the last 40+ years answering this question, but he’s also been there and done it. Early in his career, John successfully bought and sold his own family business while maintaining close and connected relationships with his own family.
John immerses himself within the family businesses he works with to gain a detailed understanding of the unique issues and challenges the family and the business face – then he works with each member of the family to connect with, engage and inspire them, working alongside them to find solutions that work.
Through his experience, John has developed a proven methodology and a structured process to get results every time, no matter the complexity.
Using his Thriving Family Business© method, developed from decades of wisdom and insights gained from working with family businesses, John consults globally, always with the aim of working with families to create a thriving family business.
John’s unique interpersonal skills have seen him become sought after as a highly valued advisor, coach and mentor. Clients commend him for his impartiality, trust, practicality, commerciality and commitment to creating uniquely tailored approaches resulting in maximum benefit.
John’s expertise, knowledge and experience working with family businesses and business advisors both across Australia and internationally, has resulted in these family businesses not only surviving, but thriving!
Contact:
John Broons
Family Business Advisor
+61 (0) 433 131 070
John Broons
Brette Simon
Avoiding the 10% Valuation Haircut—Workshop by Brette Simon
Business owners often wonder how to get their house in order before a business sale or capital raise. In Brette Simon’s workshop she will speak directly to business owners on how to maximize the value of their businesses by having their house in order—in particular in preparation for a capital raise or exit transaction. Brette’s talk applies equally well to companies who aren’t ready to sell or aren’t interested in selling, as these are all best practices, they should follow to ensure their company is well-insulated from issues with shareholders, creditors, vendors, employees, etc.
The workshop touches on areas that entrepreneurs often overlook, but can be critical- be it tax, IP, labor and employment, immigration, employee benefits, contracts, corporate structure, etc. In sharing “war stories” to keep it interesting, Brette shares what can go wrong when you don’t focus on the details.
Top Takeaways
Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:
- Immediately implement practical strategies to maximize their business’ valuation, so they are ready when buyers/investors come out to "kick the tires" as part of their due diligence.
- Come into work every day looking at the business from the perspective of a buyer. That is, to ask themselves, "how can they make it more sale-ready?" Investors/buyers will be thrilled to find such a professionally-run, cleanly-structured business that they will pay a “full” price.
- Even without immediate plans to raise institutional capital or sell the company, this course will help executives/owners build a stronger company that is well-protected against various potential legal and business issues.
Materials
Bio
Brette advises her clients on capital raising, strategic alliances, and exit transactions in various industries, including media, health care, software, and branded consumer products (including food and beverage). Brette has been practicing in the field of corporate law since 1994, and was previously a corporate partner at Bryan Cave, Jones Day and Sheppard Mullin. She also practiced at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and O’Melveny & Myers. Brette ranked first in her graduating class and graduated Order of the Coif from UCLA School of Law, where she was editor of the UCLA Law Review. She received her undergraduate degree in quantitative economics from the University of California at San Diego, where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in three years. She has spoken at numerous industry conferences as well as to several chapters of the Entrepreneurs Organization and Vistage. Brette has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career, including recognition as one of the top 13 dealmakers in the U.S. for the middle market by "The Deal," and being selected as a winner of the inaugural "40 Under 40" award by The M&A Advisor.
Contact Information
Brette Simon
(213) 344-7976
Brette Simon, Simon Counsel
Donna Gliha
Smart Searches in Finding Suitable Talent
The Sales Group Global is an inspired team of talented salespeople looking to help likeable business owners drive revenue for their organizations. Serving clients across all North America, they achieve success for their companies by maximizing their ROI through specialized services in:
- Permanent Sales Placement
- Part-Time Business Development Support
- Fractional / Part-Time Sales Leadership
The Sales Group has developed a strong network of sales and Business Development Representatives (BDR) professionals in the US and Canada. The company aims to align their tailored services with the overall goals and values of each individual client they work with.
What to expect during the Zoom Presentation
Donna Gliha and Alyssa Huizenga will join members and their HR representatives to discuss how they use their database, outreach practices and principles to identify and target top talent for organizations looking to grow their internal teams. They will discuss the challenges in finding suitable talent and suggest some possible solutions to these roadblocks.
The company's specialty is in sales recruitment and placements as well as outsourced sales support through part-time BDR services and fractional sales leadership.
Contact Information
Donna Gliha, CEO The Sales Group Global
Ami Kassar
Zoom Workshop by Ami Kassar
Most business owners say they're investing back into their business. However, I find many struggle to tell me exactly how they are doing that. If you don't know how much you're investing or how those investments are doing, you can't make intentional plans for the future. Goals should not be abstract milestones we hope to pray to reach one day. There has to be a plan, steps, and a timeline in place to ensure those goals are met. Hold yourself accountable with your investments and make informed decisions about next steps.
Here is how the workshop will help you do that:
- Roadmap—We will create a roadmap for your future growth by analyzing what investments you've made in your business in the last 12 months.
- Investment—Which investments were a success, and how are you tracking those investments?
- Future—What does that tell you about where you should be investing your profits in the next 12 months?
- Funding—Understanding financing options and alternatives to fund growth.
Bio
Ami Kassar, founder and CEO of MultiFunding and author of The Growth Dilemma, has earned a national reputation as a thought leader in business finance.
An in-demand speaker and trusted advisor to growth-focused business leaders, Ami has helped thousands of business owners achieve ambitious growth goals through creative and personalized funding solutions. His work has helped create tens of thousands of jobs.
For more than 20 years, Ami has challenged executivesto think differently about how they capitalize growth. Regularly featured in national media including The New York Times, Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Forbes and Fox Business News, Ami also writes a weekly column for Inc. Magazine. He has advised the White House, the Federal Reserve Bank and the Treasury Department on credit markets.
Ami regularly speaks at corporate, academic and industry events on topics including entrepreneurship and access to capital. Thought-provoking, highly interactive and based on real-time updates to funding options, his presentations address the cash-flow dilemmas entrepreneurs face on a daily basis.
Prior to founding MultiFunding, Ami spent a decade in various senior roles at Advanta Corporation, one of the nation’s largest issuers of credit cards to small business owners. He served as chief innovation officer and developed innovative approaches for this specific market. In that role, Ami founded ideablob, one of the nation’s leading online, small business communities. He also hosted nationwide Bloblive events where entrepreneurs shared and debated their ideas. Additionally, Ami developed Biz Equity, an initiative that helps small business owners develop future valuations.
Ami’s research reports have played critical roles in the national debate regarding SBA lending. He also developed Banking Grades, now powered by Entrepreneur Media—a free tool that helps discover which banks are currently offering small businesses loans.
Nationally recognized for his innovative approach to lending, Ami received the Small Business Influencer Award in 2013, 2014 and 2015, as well as the Small Business Advocate Award in 2012. He earned his MBA from the University of Southern California and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Brandeis University. Ami currently lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife, two children and his Corgi-Spaniel.
Ami Kassar, MultiFunding
Dave Gieselman
First Get Calm, Then Get Clear: The Biggest Mistake We Make When Attempting to Manage Stress
"First Get Calm, Then Get Clear" modernizes stress management strategies by applying a neuroscience-based approach. With three decades as a chef in some of the toughest kitchens in Los Angeles, Dave has mastered the art of staying cool under pressure. His approach and strategies shorten the path from overwhelming stress to strategic clarity with the precision and calm of an elite performer.
At the heart of the talk is a deep dive into the autonomic nervous system, revealing how our natural stress responses can be retrained. Dave introduces practical breathwork techniques, backed by neuroscience, that empower individuals to instantly shift from the chaos of the sympathetic 'fight or flight' state to the focused calm of the parasympathetic response.
This session isn't about how to manage stress; it's about redefining it. Attendees learn to approach anxiety and stress with the mindset of an extreme athlete or a SEAL team member—seeing these intense moments not as threats, but as opportunities for heightened focus and performance, turning high-pressure situations into platforms for demonstrating confidence and leadership.
Beyond immediate strategies, Dave also offers insights into long-term practices for sustaining a calm and resilient state. This holistic approach ensures that individuals can consistently leverage their physiology for success, giving them a practical toolkit for transforming their approach to stress, anxiety, and challenge.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding Stress Responses: Learn the neuroscience behind 'fight or flight' and how to recognize your body's stress signals.
- Immediate Shift Techniques: Master practical breathwork techniques to swiftly shift from a sympathetic to a parasympathetic state.
- Mental Clarity Under Pressure: Gain strategies to maintain clear, focused decision-making even in high-stress situations.
- Long-Term Resilience: Explore sustainable practices like meditation and journaling for maintaining a balanced and resilient nervous system.
- Actionable Daily Routines: Implement daily routines and strategies to operate from a place of calm and clarity consistently.
Bio
Dave is a former professional chef who has taken his experience in some of the most intense kitchens in Los Angeles and transitioned into an engaging, high-energy speaker, coach, and consultant. He works with individuals, groups, and organizations of all kinds, utilizing a neuroscience-backed approach and harnessing the power of Breathwork and Flow State to help his clients navigate stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.
With decades in high-performance environments, Dave brings clarity to purpose and passion, enabling individuals, groups, and organizations to step into their next evolution confidently. His unique blend of precision, creativity, and high-energy engagement doesn't just inspire change – it empowers lasting transformation.
Unlike traditional business and executive coaches, who fine-tune systems and processes, Dave specializes in optimizing leaders and team members themselves, using neuroscience-backed peak-performance principles to help them clarify their purpose and mission, improve communication, and increase performance. When individuals are clear, they perform their best, and everything else falls into place.
Contact
Email daveg@become-limitless.com
website www.become-limitless.com
phone 1-626-825-0779
Dave Gieselman
Hannah Huelin-Meek
Bridging the Gap: Navigating Multi-Generational Dynamics in Virtual and In-Office Workplaces
Description
There are currently five generations active in the global workforce, each with its own defining characteristics, values, and attitudes shaped by the events of their time. In both virtual and in-office settings, the nuances of a multi-generational workforce manifest in distinct values, communication styles, and expectations across Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z.
Participants will learn practical strategies for communication, leadership, and engagement that are tailored to diverse generational preferences, whether working remotely or in person. We’ll discuss how to create an inclusive employee experience that fosters collaboration and attracts talent across the generational spectrum, with a focus on understanding inter-age dynamics. Ultimately, this session aims to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate and leverage generational diversity in any work environment.
Top Takeaways
- Understand Generational Values: Gain insight into the distinct values, communication styles, and expectations of Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, and how these impact workplace interactions.
- Tailor Communication Strategies: Learn how to adapt your communication approach to resonate with different generations, enhancing clarity and engagement in both virtual and in-person settings.
- Leverage Generational Strengths: Explore how to capitalize on the unique strengths of each generation to drive innovation, problem-solving, and overall team performance.
- Enhance Employee Experience: Learn strategies for designing an employee experience that appeals to all generations, attracting and retaining talent across the age spectrum.
- Bridge the Virtual-In-Office Gap: Discover how to manage and harmonize the dynamics of virtual and in-office work, ensuring consistent collaboration and engagement across generational lines.
Bio
Hannah is a seasoned People leader with over 20 years of experience in Human Resources. She began her career with one of the world’s largest non-profits before launching her own non-profit and HR consulting firm. Known for her ability to lead complex initiatives in dynamic environments, Hannah takes a holistic, solution-centered approach to HR, focusing on streamlining processes, optimizing resources, and fostering collaboration.
As the founder of Plan HR, Hannah offers tailored, creative solutions that go beyond traditional HR practices, emphasizing AI, social responsibility, and tangible business outcomes. Committed to giving back, she has integrated pro-bono services for select non-profits into Plan HR’s mission and continues to prioritize philanthropic efforts.
Contact
email: hannah@plan-hr.com
website: www.plan-hr.com
Hannah Huelin-Meek