Mistake you learned the most from: Taking on a client who was not a fit for the financial opportunity. It sapped more resources in time, resources and energy within the scope and expectations of our agreement. In the end, neither of us were happy. Work with people in business, in life that brings you energy and value; not take away from it.”
What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in the next two to five years: “The biggest challenge/opportunity has and still will be scaling customer-centricity. This will require building and selecting leaders who are resilient, agile, inspiring and people-focused.”
First job after college: “A high school substitute teacher and basketball coach. Truly enjoyed the kids, some I still keep in touch with. It is heartwarming when they reach back out and share with me the impact they had from our experience.”
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently: “Would have sought mentors and paid experts from the get-go. Many costly mistakes could have been avoided and accelerated success and the learning process.”
Movie or book that inspired you the most, and why?: “This was a challenging one. If I had to pick one: ‘The Winner Within’ by Pat Riley has inspired me the most because it was my first book that pushed me to believe and drive me toward action. This book was the catalyst to start a lifetime of learning and self-improvement and thinking about how to inspire a team and personalize caring. Whether it was having colored towels for his player to giving his staff Tag Heuer watches for Christmas, this is the book that started elevating my thinking to become the winner within.”