5 Minutes with Andy

How Healthy is Your Organization?

Andy sits down with Ashley Costello, Head of Virtual’s Technology Consortia and Standards Practice, to talk about the Five Disciplines of Healthy Consortia —Virtual’s new framework and advisory program that helps leadership teams evaluate organizational effectiveness, identify improvement opportunities, and build actionable growth plans.   Andy and Ashley cover: * Why many leaders struggle to clearly assess their organization’s performance— and how the Five Disciplines can help. * What the framework is and how it works. * How boards and consortia leaders can use it to evaluate and strengthen their organizations.

The Formula for Great Events

From global conferences to high-stakes board meetings, Virtual has supported more than 1200 events across 35 countries — often without anyone knowing they are there. And that’s by design. In this episode, Andy shares what it takes to deliver great events — and how Virtual helps drive success for its clients. He covers: * Why events are back — and bigger than ever. * The three essential elements for event success. * Virtual’s approach to planning and executing events that exceed expectations.

The Quiet Moments

From a hospital nursery to the hallways of Virtual, Andy explores how every role contributes to something bigger — and why it’s a leader’s job to help people see that connection. Andy Shares: * The number one thing that keeps employees engaged — and why leaders must lean into it. * A quiet moment that helped him see the impact of Virtual’s work in a new light. * How leaders can help every team member understand the value of their contributions.

Sharing the Mic

In this episode of 5 Minutes With Andy, Virtual, Inc. CEO Andy Freed explains why the best leaders don’t just talk — they make space for others to join the conversation. Drawing on a theme from his upcoming book, Lead Like The Boss, Andy shows how sharing the mic turns passive listening into active participation — whether it’s a one-on-one, a board meeting, or a conference. Andy covers: * When to stop talking — and start listening. * Agenda shifts that change the dynamic — and the outcome. * How to spark engagement in the first minute — and keep it going.

The Setlist

In this episode of 5 Minutes With Andy, CEO Andy Freed previews a core leadership lesson from his book Lead Like the Boss: The Bruce Springsteen Framework for Elevating Your Leadership [https://leadliketheboss.com/]—revealing what leaders can learn about communication from Bruce Springsteen’s most important concert instrument. Andy discusses: * How the “think, feel, do” process sets the stage for effective communication. * Why putting yourself in your audience’s shoes is key to making your message resonate. * Ways to create moments that your audience will remember—and act on.