Strategy and Leadership Podcast

The Power of Differentiation With Barry LaBov

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0! https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit [https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit] If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team. https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution [https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution]  In markets that feel more crowded and noisy every quarter, many organizations quietly slide into commodity status and do not even realize it. In this episode, we explore how to uncover the hidden magic in your business before you price and simplify your way out of what makes you great. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Barry LaBov, founder of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training, long-time agency leader, former rock musician, and author of The Power of Differentiation. Together they dig into what real differentiation looks like in practice, why it usually already exists inside your organization, and how to communicate it in a way that energizes customers and employees alike. Barry shares stories from premium brands and industrial firms, from whisky and trucks to copper and rail, that all discovered unique value in places they had been taking for granted. He explains why leaders often erase their own competitive advantage in the name of efficiency, and offers practical questions you can use to avoid the commodity trap and keep the features and experiences your customers truly love. You will also hear Barry and Anthony talk about the human side of differentiation. They explore how to involve employees early, why listening to customers reveals more than any internal workshop, and how leaders can use vulnerability and clear communication to avoid the void of misinformation inside their organizations. In this episode, you will learn: * Why almost every organization has real differentiation, but it is not fully using it * How to find the invisible strengths in your products, services, and customer experience * The risks of decontenting and cost-cutting that quietly erode brand love * Questions to ask customers and employees to reveal what you should never change * How to connect differentiation, culture, and leadership transparency Connect with Barry LaBov Website: https://www.barrylabov.com/ [https://www.barrylabov.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-labov-6965241/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-labov-6965241/] About the Host Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604 [http://linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604] About SME Strategy SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results. Learn more: smestrategy.net [http://smestrategy.net] Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com [http://www.rednyne.com]

From Startup Chaos to Operational Scalability with Sam Goodner

When companies begin to scale, founders often become the bottleneck without realizing it. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Sam Goodner, serial entrepreneur, former Swiss Army officer, and author of Like Clockwork Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision. Sam has spent more than 25 years scaling technology and consulting companies, leading teams through rapid multi-year growth, and building systems that create clarity, repeatability, and disciplined execution. His Swiss Army background brings a practical lens to leadership, communication, and operational structure. In this conversation, Sam explains why many founders plateau at three to four million in revenue, how to decentralize decision-making, and why sales must be the first part of the business to become repeatable. He shares the simple daily huddle that transformed alignment inside his organizations, how to build an executive team that actually owns decisions, and the question every leader must answer to uncover their unfair advantage. ► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator [https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator] ► Learn more about our courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution [https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution] In this episode, you will learn: ☑️ Why founders become the bottleneck during early scale ☑️ How to create systems that are repeatable and trainable ☑️ Why sales must be operationalized before anything else ☑️ How daily huddles strengthen communication and accountability ☑️ How to build executive swim lanes that drive ownership ☑️ How to identify what you are best at in the world This episode is for: ▶️ Founders scaling beyond the early stage ▶️ CEOs managing complex or fast-growing operations ▶️ Leaders who want stronger execution and alignment ▶️ Teams developing systems, structure, and clarity About the Guest Sam Goodner is a serial entrepreneur, executive leader, and former officer in the Swiss Mountain Grenadiers. He has spent decades scaling organizations, developing executive teams, and designing operational systems that support sustained growth. Sam is the author of Like Clockwork Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision, a practical guide for leaders who want their company to function with discipline and alignment. Learn more: samgoodner.com [https://samgoodner.com] Connect with Sam: linkedin.com/in/samgoodner [http://linkedin.com/in/samgoodner] About the Host Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results. Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604 [http://linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604] About SME Strategy SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results. Learn more: smestrategy.net [http://smestrategy.net] Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com [http://www.rednyne.com]

The Power of Local Partnerships: The Strategy Big Investors Ignore with Andy Weiner

In every industry, there are strategies that quietly outperform the conventional wisdom. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Andy Weiner, Founder and President of RockStep Capital, one of the most innovative retail real estate investment firms in the United States. Andy’s career spans more than 40 years across retail operations, commercial real estate, and shopping center redevelopment. Before launching RockStep Capital, he served as Vice President of Operations for Weiner’s Stores, a regional chain that grew to 159 locations across Texas and Louisiana. Today, RockStep Capital owns and operates nearly 10 million square feet of shopping centers across 11 states, specializing in the revitalization of enclosed malls and open air retail in secondary and tertiary markets. In this conversation, Andy explains why RockStep invests in “hometowns” under a million people, how local partnerships reduce risk and unlock value, and why big institutional players routinely overlook the most resilient markets. He shares the strategic pillars behind RockStep’s long term success, including his 25 RockSteps culture system, a set of behavioral principles used by all 100 employees to build trust, accountability, and high performance. Andy also outlines how retail has evolved in the age of Amazon, why strong operators continue to grow, and why the best opportunities exist where most investors never think to look. ► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator [https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator] ► Learn more about our courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution [https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution] In this episode, you will learn: ☑️ Why local partnerships give investors and leaders a strategic advantage ☑️ How secondary and tertiary markets outperform expectations ☑️ Why retail is far from dead, despite the Amazon narrative ☑️ How the 25 RockSteps culture system builds high performing teams ☑️ Why most deals fail and what separates elite operators ☑️ How community based strategy reduces risk and increases long term value This episode is for: ▶️ CEOs and executives leading growth and transformation ▶️ Investors and operators seeking overlooked opportunities ▶️ Leaders building culture, accountability, and alignment ▶️ Teams navigating disruption in retail, real estate, and local markets About the Guest Andy Weiner is the Founder and President of RockStep Capital, a national retail real estate investment company specializing in acquiring and revitalizing shopping centers in high potential secondary and tertiary markets. With more than four decades of experience across retail operations and real estate, he is recognized for pioneering a community based investment model driven by strong local partnerships. Andy is the creator of the 25 RockSteps, a behavioral culture framework used across RockStep’s 100 employee team to build trust, resolve conflict, and create a high performance environment. Learn more: rockstep.com [https://rockstep.com/] Connect with Andy: linkedin.com/in/andy-weiner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-weiner] About the Host Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results. Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604 [linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604] About SME Strategy SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results. Learn more: smestrategy.net [https://www.smestrategy.net/] Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com [http://www.rednyne.com]

The Last 8 Percent: How Leaders Step Into the Toughest Moments with Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry

Most leaders can handle the easy 92 percent of their day. It is the remaining 8 percent that defines them. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry, one of the world’s leading authorities on pressure, performance, and the neuroscience of leadership. JP is the New York Times bestselling author of Performing Under Pressure and co-founder of the Institute for Health and Human Potential. For more than 25 years, he has coached and trained elite performers and teams across NASA, the CIA, the US Army and Navy, the Olympics, the NBA, the NFL, and global Fortune 100 companies, including Google, Goldman Sachs, Coca-Cola, BMW, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson. His research on leadership behavior and culture has appeared in Harvard Business Review and media outlets worldwide. In this conversation, JP explains the Last 8 Percent, the small but critical set of difficult moments that disproportionately shape organizational culture, execution, and long-term success. He shares insights from neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and his upcoming book, The Last 8 Percent, outlining why leaders know what they should do but often avoid doing it. JP describes how his Last 8 Percent Culture System has helped organizations transform performance, including an example where Blue Cross Idaho saved tens of millions of dollars in the first six months of implementation. ► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator [ https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator]► Learn more about our courses: ⁠ https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠ [ https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution] In this episode, you will learn: ☑️ Why the toughest conversations have the biggest impact on results ☑️ The neuroscience behind pressure and avoidance ☑️ How leaders use the Last 8 Percent to close the gap between intent and action ☑️ Why high-performing cultures require both courage and connection ☑️ Tools to improve accountability and decision-making under stress ☑️ What elite athletes, special forces, and executives all have in common This episode is for: ▶️ CEOs and executives navigating complex decisions ▶️ Leaders working to build healthier, more courageous cultures ▶️ Teams striving for better performance under pressure ▶️ Anyone looking to strengthen resilience, clarity, and emotional intelligence About the Guest Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry is a thought leader, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author known for helping organizations turn pressure into a competitive advantage. He is the co-founder and President of the Institute for Health and Human Potential, one of Profit Magazine’s fastest growing companies, and a highly rated lecturer for Kellogg School of Management’s Executive Education Program. His Last 8 Percent framework is used by elite performers and major organizations worldwide to create measurable performance and financial gains. His upcoming book, The Last 8 Percent, explores how leaders can build cultures of courage, accountability, and connection. Learn more: jppawliw-fry.com [https://www.jppawliw-fry.com/] Connect with JP: linkedin.com/in/jppawliwfry [http://linkedin.com/in/jppawliwfry] About the Host Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results. Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604 [https://linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604] About SME Strategy SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results. Learn more: smestrategy.net [http://smestrategy.net] Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com [http://www.rednyne.com]

Stop Trying to Grow Your Way Out of a Bad Business with Ben Hansen

Growth is exciting until it starts costing you more than it is making you. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Ben Hansen, five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and founder of Profit Doctor, about why scaling too fast without fixing your profit problems is a recipe for burnout. After building an eight figure company with more than 100 employees, Ben learned firsthand that more revenue does not always mean more success. Through his Profit Doctor programs, he now helps CEOs and business owners cure what he calls “Profititis,” when your top line keeps growing but your bottom line stays flat. In this conversation, Ben shares practical ways to increase margins, cash, and distributions in just 90 days, often without adding more workload or pressure. He also explains why most companies are following the wrong playbook, chasing growth like tech startups instead of optimizing for profitability like sustainable businesses. ► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator ► Learn more about our training program for managers: ⁠ https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠ [https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution] In this episode, you will learn: ☑️ Why growing faster is not always growing smarter ☑️ How to diagnose and fix Profititis before it burns you out ☑️ The 50 20 Rule, a simple shortcut to higher profits ☑️ Why cutting the worst 20 percent of your work can unlock growth ☑️ How to think like private equity and make more by doing less This episode is for: ▶️ Business owners scaling between 2 million and 50 million in revenue ▶️ Leaders who feel stuck despite record sales ▶️ Founders chasing growth but losing energy or focus ▶️ Anyone ready to run a healthier and more profitable business About the Guest Ben Hansen is a five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and the founder of Profit Doctor, where he helps companies boost profitability without working harder. A former CEO of a fast growing marketing analytics firm, Ben now coaches leaders across North America to fix hidden leaks in their business models and achieve measurable profit gains within 12 weeks. Learn more: profitdoctor.com [https://profitdoctor.com] Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benhansen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhansen/] About the Host Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide. Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604] About SME Strategy SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results. Learn more: smestrategy.net [https://www.smestrategy.net] Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions [https://www.rednyne.com]