Better Experiences by Design™

Being a good communicator may seem straightforward, but according to research from Leadership IQ, 93% of leaders think they are great at it, and only 11% of their employees agree. That’s because effective communication is a set of learned skills that requires incredible self-awareness, continuous development, and an improvement mindset.

Our guest, Lena Sisco, is a former Navy Intelligence Officer who is blowing up the international speaking stage as a Body Language and Communications Expert. In this episode, she shares powerful tips on how to communicate with confidence and clarity to propel growth for your team and company.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Tips for being an effective communicator that include putting emotions aside
• Ways to combat all-or-nothing thinking and confirmation bias
• Why providing feedback can help you become a better communicator and leader
• How increasing your self-awareness can lead to becoming a more trustworthy individual

Lena is a former Navy Intelligence Officer, a Marine Corps certified interrogator who served in the Global War on Terror, and the CEO and Founder of The Congruency Group. In 2024, she was voted the top 11th body language expert in the world. Lena is also an international keynote speaker and Former TEDx speaker. Since 2003, she has been training the Department of Defense, government agencies, special forces, and private sector in interviewing and interrogation, statement analysis, change leadership, and more.

Ways to contact Lena:

• Website: https://www.thecongruencygroup.com/
• Email: [email protected]

Does your business development team seem to be constantly chasing prospects? Join us as Drew McLellan, one of the top ten bloggers every entrepreneur should follow according to the Wall Street Journal, guides us on the power of building new business through a thought leadership strategy that will keep prospects and clients interested and always coming back for more.
"The way we have to sell today is to be a subject matter expert that freely and generously teaches their expertise and helps people be better at their job."

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The five core elements of running a business better – leveraging strengths, growing a team, attracting and retaining clients, implementing efficient systems, and financial management for sustained growth.
• How modern business development has shifted away from selling and morphed into attracting clients through thought leadership.
• Why narrowing your focus can lead to greater success and profitability.
• The ways that AI can enhance business operations and efficiency.
• The importance of teaching and knowledge sharing to stay sharp.

Drew McLellan has over 30 years of advertising experience and founded McLellan Marketing Group in 1995 after working at Y&R. He also runs the Agency Management Institute (AMI), which provides training, consulting, and peer networks for small to mid-sized agencies. AMI's mission is to help agency owners increase their revenue, attract better clients and employees, reduce risks, and enjoy the benefits of ownership.

Ways to contact Drew:

• Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan/
• Podcast: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/agency-owner-podcast/

Join host Susan Quinn as she sits down with Elise Foster, co-author of “The Multiplier Effect,” for an engaging conversation about transformative leadership. Discover how some leaders inspire and elevate their teams while others unintentionally hold them back. Elise shares her unique journey from engineering to executive coaching and reveals powerful strategies for cultivating curiosity, intentionality, and self-awareness. Tune in to learn how you can become a multiplier and create a thriving, growth-oriented culture within your organization.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The ways in which multipliers enhance intelligence among their teams and in turn inspire remarkable growth and innovation.
• How to create an environment where struggling and learning from mistakes is not only accepted but encouraged.
• Which types of questions can foster collaboration and growth.
• How to use "balcony moments" to step back and gain perspective on your actions and their impact on your team.

Elise Foster began her career as an engineer, managing high-profile global projects. Realizing she wanted to solve different problems, she transitioned to leadership coaching and co-authored “The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools.” With over 15 years of experience in engineering and organizational development at companies like Cummins, Inc. and Harvard University, Elise delivers dynamic workshops and keynotes, helping leaders unlock their potential. She holds degrees in Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University. Elise enjoys travel, running, and volunteering.

Ways to contact Elise:

• Website: https://elisefoster.com/
• Email: [email protected]

In this insightful episode, host Susan Quinn sits down with marketing strategist and research expert Susan Baier, Founder and CEO of Audience Audit, who shares her unique approach to understanding your audience. Through attitudinal segmentation, she gets to the core of what’s most important and how organizations can use this information to better serve their clients.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The power of research in demonstrating your firm’s thought leadership.
• The significance of attitudinal research in thought leadership and marketing.
• How to gather feedback and, in turn, better serve your audience.
• Real-world success stories of businesses transformed through audience insights.
• Practical strategies for creating cornerstone content that resonates.
• The pitfalls of making assumptions and the power of asking questions.

Susan Baier is the Founder and CEO of Audience Audit, a research company specializing in segmentation research. Her superpower is her combination of strategic marketing and research expertise that allows each to inform the other on behalf of clients. Susan honed her expertise over 30 years in audience-based marketing strategy on both the agency-side and client-side of market research, strategic planning, and product and brand management.

Ways to contact Susan Baier:

• Website: audienceaudit.com
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbaieraz/

Items referenced:

• Book recommendation: https://pamelaslim.com/the-widest-net/
• Predictive ROI research: https://predictiveroi.com/the-roi-of-thought-leadership-series/

Attracting new talent and keeping them engaged in your organization is no easy feat—and Benesch, an Engineering News-Record Top 100 U.S. Design Firm, has created a culture with single-digit turnover rates. Part of this success lies with their premier Leadership Development program.

In today’s episode, guest Kevin Fitzpatrick, President and CEO of Benesch, shares insights into the creation of their educational program which is proving to be a powerful return on investment for the firm.