Amy Franko helps organizations transform sales culture, ignite sales growth, and build high-impact leaders through her strategic selling programs. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Sales Voice, Amy is the leading expert in modern sales strategies—including in-demand sales training programs, sales strategy, and as a sales keynote speaker and leadership keynote speaker. She guides growth-oriented organizations to significantly improve their results through B2B sales strategy and sales team skill development.
In this episode we find out more about Amy, and
why she credits coming from a large family with her success in sales
what does “modern selling” mean?
what are the misconceptions of today’s selling situations?
what are her observations about women in sales?
what has she learned from her successes and failure?
and finally, her 3 pieces of advice (you will love #!)
Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
I wanted to write a book for what I would call the everyday, average, ordinary person, of which I am one who wanted to learn or discover if they could live a life that would leave an impact on the world. And I wholeheartedly believe every individual, every impact, every person can have an impact on the world around them. I wanted to bring others onto a journey where they could discover the steps that they could take to affirm themselves and recognize that an everyday, average, ordinary life are truly individuals who can change the course of the universe. And I truly believe that.
What did you learn when you wrote this book?
I began to realize what I was writing down in the book was who I am. I have found my purpose. That drives me. It’s the thing that leads me through life. I begin my purpose from this vantage point. All people of value, all people have hope. There’s always hope at the end.
Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
The millennial generation has been subjected to a lot of criticism – they are perceived as selfish, entitled and demanding, not to mention addicted to technology.
Are these stereotypes true? Certainly not for everyone.
But there are certain tendencies and habits associated with the millennial generation that are more prevalent than in the other generations currently in the workforce. However, bashing any one group of people does more harm than it does it good.
My guest is Danielle Godby, a Retirement Planner at Golden Reserve.
Danielle talks about her generation’s focus on their job search. What’s a priority to them?
When I talk to my friends, it’s a lot about feeling fulfilled by the work that they do, being able to go home at night and know that they helped someone do something better or they can feel better about their contributions to their own community.
Does money come into play?
It’s not necessarily about how much money you can make, which, honestly, it’s quite surprising given all the student loan debt that is saddling my generation. But that’s really not the dialogue that I hear. It’s a lot more about feeling good about what they do and feeling appreciated in what they do.
Among your colleagues and your peers, do you find that they value other job attributes like learning and advancement more than they do income?
There are a few different things that I hear come up in conversation and they’re surprising to me. You would think income would be front and center of the conversation, given that we were taught our whole lives to prepare for college. But what I hear is they want to make an impact. They want to feel good about what they do. They want to have the flexibility to work from home if they need it or to take mental health days to have a work-life balance.
What can business owners do to motivate them to stay?
I think it’s very basic. If you pull it back to the bare bones, it’s just building a relationship with someone that’s strong, and consistent. You want something that lasts. So you have to invest in that relationship.
Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
My guest is Rachel Winder, Executive Director at the Ohio Women’s Coalition.
What is the Ohio Women’s Coalition?
“The Ohio Women’s Coalition is a diverse, non-partisan alliance of women in business, women leaders, women business owners, and men that support the mission across Ohio who are coming together to improve the economic position for all women in our state. The OWC was created to amplify the voice of women in Ohio and to help draw attention to the unique challenges that women encounter, especially underserved women of color and women who live in underserved areas of the state, to gain access to economic opportunities in order to achieve financial stability and prosperity.”
In a very short time, the OWC continues to increase the awareness of women small business owners, and help them find funding and support that is usually elusive to them. Rachel goes in-depth about the exciting initiatives the OWC has accomplished, and what is on the horizon.
Here’s an overview of what we talk about…
Accomplishments on behalf of Women-Owned Businesses in Ohio
• Created a statutory definition of “microbusiness” in the Ohio Revised Code (2016)
• Created a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) program in the State of Ohio (2020)
• Successfully advocated for $10 million in state-backed women-owned business loans at 3% interest rate (2021)
• Successfully advocated for $10 million in state-backed women and minority-owned business microloans at 0% interest rate (2021)
Results
• As of May 2022, $2,297,012 in Women’s Business Enterprise Loans have been approved for 11 companies, and $1,490,511 Ohio Micro-Loans have been approved for 39 companies. Nearly $3 million remains available in both loan programs with an additional $5 million available next fiscal year for each program.
• There are nearly as many WBE’s certified in Ohio as MBE’s, which is a program that was established more than 40 years ago. The OWC is committed to equality and lifting everybody up!
• The State of Ohio is literally making room for Ohio women-owned businesses. Recently, members of the Minority Development Financing Advisory Board voluntarily stepped away in recognition of the lack of women-owned businesses represented. Because of our advocacy, the work of this Board has been mostly focused on women-owned business loans, and they recognized women-owned businesses were not represented equally on the Board.
• For the first time in Ohio history, in 2022, each state agency is being asked to predict how many contracts will be going to women-owned businesses during the next fiscal year.
WHEN: June 24, 2022, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel
Gain insights and connections with your Columbus professionals during this full-day event featuring:
Networking opportunities to make friends, business contacts, and build relationships to grow your career and business!
More than 300 professionals in attendance
Customize your day with choices from 15 breakout speakers
A powerful breakfast speaker
A luncheon keynote
More than 30 exhibitors
Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
Sheryl, as the mentee, was in really, really bad shape as a business owner and reached out and said, I need a mentor. And she met Merry Korn, who’s a very successful businesswoman. She has used common sense practices, good advisors, all that kind of stuff. But Merry was not in Sheryl’s industry. Merry was a little intimidated by it, but she became a great mentor because business is business.
The key thing about their relationship that made it successful from the beginning, there was a connection. They had a great connection to the point that Sheryl, who didn’t know Merry, could be transparent, be open, and then she could actually listen and as she says, “be obedient” to and accountable to what Merry was telling her. Those were key elements of a good mentor relationship.
They also didn’t put a timetable on the relationship. They are still going strong. It’s not just about getting together. It’s not just getting coffee together. It’s just not talking. It’s about developing success. And in the case of Sheryl and Merry, Sheryl really became a completely different person as a business owner and a person. And Merry really loved the mentor role and was energized by being there with her. And there will probably be, I would say, business friends and lifetime friends.
This is why Sheryl thinks the mentoring was so impactful.
It was impactful because it actually pushed me to believe in myself. It was like it unleashed my potential that I didn’t even recognize.
We find out what Sheryl was hoping in the beginning that the mentoring would accomplish.
In the beginning, I was just hoping to break even because I was in a different mindset at the time. So initially I was thinking, if I can just break even, I’ll walk away and be done with business. But after being in the program, that changed it. I mean, it just changed everything and it just ended up being so much more.
And what did Merry want the mentoring relationship to accomplish?
One of the things I always said to Sheryl is, Sheryl, whatever happens between us, I know you’re going to be successful. And my big ask is to pay it forward. Her success as a minority woman business owner is she’s literally one in a million. It’s that rare. So my big ask of Sheryl is to pass it forward.
This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social, and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
This is my last podcast of 2021. It is hard to believe that another year is behind us, 2022 is really upon us. So today I want to celebrate this last year. How do you celebrate in today’s world? Today’s world is consuming and overwhelming and really more negative than positive. So, how do you celebrate? First, you make the choice to celebrate and second it take times and daily effort. What you will find in celebrating, you will see that “today’s world” is not all negative. Be consumed in the positive. Take time to think and ponder on it. It takes effort. Be overwhelmed or grateful for the good.Celebrating this past year, end it with a bang. Enjoy the Christmas season. Don’t fill it up with “stuff” but enjoy, sometimes it is just the simple stuff. Just don’t miss out. Live it up, eat, drink and be merry as well as reflect, renew, and restore your soul. Ring out New Years by being with the people you love, throw a party. Sit back and look over the past year and be grateful for the good, the bad and the ugly.A recap of 2021.Business was good, relationships are strong, family is going well, health is awesome. We have learned to navigate through the continual pandemic. Covid is not over but we are fighting it and seeing better numbers. Schools are back in session. Businesses continue at home or in the office. Recreation and fun was done at capacity over the summer. Government is still working – LOL We survived an election and saw people really engaged – my own district had so many people running and town hall meetings were full. Love seeing the debate and passion. A challenge for you. Celebrate 2021 by choosing to be consumed and overwhelmed in the good and end it with New Year’s on your terms. Bring back what you are missing and make sure it is part of 2022. Thanks for listening and being part of my podcast and my life.
This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
When I think of emotions, I think of passion and drivers. It’s that ‘why’ of something. So, in this episode, I want to talk about when we keep emotions out of something, especially a difficult conversation. Why do we want to do that? With me is Jen Grant. She is the CEO at Appify. She has spent the last 15 years building companies from the ground-up and taking multiple companies to over a billion dollar valuation. Recently, Jen was recognized as one of the Top 100 Princeton Technology leaders in 2021 as well as a Woman of Influence in Silicon Valley from the SVBJ.
When someone says something, you disagree with, ask them to “tell me more” and look for the gold — the thing they say that you CAN agree with. More often than not, you realize that you do actually agree with some of what they are saying and finding that point of connection is all you need to collaborate and move forward together.
Why is this more of a topic for women? Jen goes deep into that. Bottom line. In a difficult situation, keep asking questions to get to the crux of the matter at hand. Keep being curious, and this will help you stop judging. Jen highly recommends this for you to read – Leaders Eat Last By Simon Sinek. This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
“Improv, in one sense, is being present in this moment with curiosity instead of judgment and being empowered to know that I have the ability to build something different if I don’t like how it is right now.”
My guest, Andrea Flack-Wetherald, loves improv. She discovered it during a particularly acute season of personal and professional transition.
She also loves mindfulness practice. Combining the fun of improv with the quiet power of mindfulness is the work she does with her clients. Her company, &Beyond, helps elevate company teams to a new level of effective production.
Mindful improv, it sounds scary to a lot of people. In this episode, you’re going to learn the difference between habits and circumstances. And you’re really going to learn that this not just changing you, but changing culture. And about the stories that we develop in our minds about people, or the company we work for, or the culture we live in.
And by the way, you’ve been improvising all your life. So this isn’t something new to learn, it’s just recognizing it’s a part of you.
This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
She walked away from being a CEO her own company. Urged on by a conversation, a comment, made to her by a fellow airplane passenger (you have to listen to the episode to find out what it was!).
But what we can tell you is that it inspired her to continue her professional journey, and discover that authenticity is unique. What can we do to change “the fake” to move the authentic needle in corporate America?
To keep moving, you need to be 50% uncomfortable.
The good news is that authenticity is contagious. We must model it when we see it, and continue to pass it along to those that follow. In her new book, You Do You(ish), she expands a very cool acronym, H.U.M.A.N.S.
Erin Hatzikostas is the friend, mom, coach, guru and boss you always wanted, all rolled into one. Erin became a corporate CEO at the age of 42 — yet she smashes open the executive mold. She is most regarded for her Midwestern-inspired, unpretentious, witty, and authentic style of leadership. She is a career coach, speaker (TEDx 2020!), podcast co-host, author, MBA, runner, wife, mom of two, and someone who is not afraid to dance in public.
This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
But it’s the same stuff right now. It’s just a new year.
In the past, a new year generally meant new beginnings.
You reset.
It was this big sigh of relief.
But I think right now, it’s different.
In my reading over the holidays, I came across something. I decided to have my first life statement.
And I even went so far as to get a customized wall hanging of this statement. It’s in a big frame in my home office, where I spend about half of my time now. It’s a focal point when you walk in.
Being strong speaks of strength, but being courageous speaks to having a will to do more.
Last year was hard and exhausting. It seemed like everything was exhausting. But being strong portrays that you are confident. And you’re resilient. It’s an instinct that just kicks during all of those circumstances.
So I look at being strong. It speaks of strength. But being courageous speaks to having a will to do more and overcome.
The reality of 2021 is, nothing is different. That’s why this episode is titled as it is.
It’s just a different day.
This episode explores more about my 2021 life statement.
This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.