Hot Mess Hotline
Podcast conversations and straight-forward advice for
ambitious mid-level leaders who think like entrepreneurs
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When You Lose Your Job and It’s Your Whole Identity with Steve Spiro
What do you do when you lose your job and it’s your whole identity? Steve Spiro has been there and has some words of advice! Almost every successful leader I know has been fired from a job and/or had a crisis of conscious. They often go hand-in-hand because we over invest our happiness in the role we play at work, the title, the salary, the perks.
During this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline, Steve shares with us the power of mentorship, foresight, and what to rely on instead of your job for your identity. I also share what I went through when I lost my identity.
Case Study: Consulting Company CEO
Tom Ambler is the president and CEO of a growing IT consulting and software company. After working with many executive coaching companies in the past, Tom and his team were excited to find an all-in-one coaching service that offered both team and individual coaching as well as workshops to get hands-on practice with the concepts they were learning.
Case Study: IT Director
Mark Chyba, IT director and mid-level leader, was met with unexpected organic growth within his company and quickly realized that the way they were operating was inefficient. They were not utilizing teamwork and it was hindering their success as a team.
Case Study: CEO Mastermind Facilitator
Calvin Ellison Jr., mastermind facilitator, consultant, and executive coach, relies on Stefanie Krievins & Co. when he needs to refer clients who are looking for personalized and transformative executive coaching.
Case Study: Growing Small Business’ Leadership Team
Armando and Rachel of Creative Works partnered with Stefanie Krievins & Co. to turn their amazing leadership team into a more cohesive unit that operated with long-term planning instead of always being in crisis mode.
Case Study: Accounting Director
Andre is a director at a large accounting firm. During our coaching, he was on track to becoming partner and knew that he needed to become a better leader to be successful with the responsibilities he had been given. Since coaching, and in part because of coaching, he is now a partner!
Don’t Do What You’re Good At with Gary Hobbs
You’ve probably spent your entire life believing that you should do what you’re good at. Surely, if you’re a natural at something, then it’s your life’s calling, right? But what if you’ve been wrong all along? Gary Hobbs, electrical engineer turned entrepreneur, believes it’s the challenges you face, doing what you love, and doing what you’re GREAT at will drive your success.
In this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline, you will hear how important it is to weigh the risks of doing what you’re good at when you’re feeling unfulfilled. Can you find freedom by facing challenges and being fulfilled by chasing your passion? Gary took a leap that changed the course of his career.
Powerful Leaders Define Success for Themselves First with Karen Mangia
There’s a balance in leadership success between being nimble and controlling the right kind of controllables. Karen Mangia is that leader who has found personal and professional success because she decided to prioritize — and control — what that looks like on a daily basis for her.
You’ll hear in this interview how Karen was letting other people’s definitions of contribution, meaning, and boundaries drive her. And it wrecked her body, mind, and spirit. Lucky for us she found her way out and even used the pandemic as her reset time. She has changed her relationship with her career and invites you to do the same.
How to Build a High Performing Team with Sean Murray and Doug Beal
High-performing teams are built when individuals go through challenges together. Sean Murray and Doug Beal bring us the real-life story of a gold metal Olympic team from the 80s who could barely work together in the beginning.
In today’s Hot Mess Hotline episode you’ll learn that you actually don’t need the smartest, most talented, highly skilled players for your business team to be high performing.
Rules to Live By for Good Leaders and Bad Leaders with Chris Clews
Chris Clews, speaker and author, bring us rules to live by for good and bad leaders straight from the 80s! Again! He has such a valuable perspective to share (and we have laugh so much when we’re together), I just had to have him back.
This time we’re talking about Road House and other 80s favorites. Plus if you’re thinking about pivoting your career or there’s a creative idea you keep thinking and dreaming about, Chris has some great advice on how to take action on it.
Your Team’s Long Term Growth Plan Needs You in the Details with Tony Newcome
Tony Newcome, CTO at ActiveCampaign, creates long-term growth plans with his team and has everyone working in the details, including himself. It’s been instrumental to ActiveCampaign’s success and certainly his track record as an award-winning technology leader. In this episode listen for Tony’s leadership perspective and how he keeps cultures going in hyper growth mode while also staying focused. He believes the best in people and it shows through in everything he does and every conversation he has.
Project Management Problems Always Have People Solutions with Charlie Garcia
Charlie Garcia, president of C. Garcia and Associates, has learned that every project management problem really needs a people-focused solution. He grew up in the construction industry and learned early on to take responsibility for what’s broken AND what’s going right. In this episode, you’ll hear Charlie describe a problem completely caused by other people but making him look bad. Like losing millions of dollars bad.
Leaders Don’t Judge with Joe Topinka
Joe Topinka, founder of CIO Mentor, shares his experiences learning that leaders don’t judge and how to really lead by example through a tough moment in his career. A new CEO came in and he was removed from the executive leadership team. An average leader will let their ego take over. An exceptional leader will take another route. Another great episode of the Hot Mess Hotline right here.
How to Lead Through a Crisis with Whynde Kuehn
Whynde Kuehne, founder and managing director of S2E Transformation Inc., teaches us how to lead through a crisis from her firsthand experience. She was having a normal, fabulous day when she receives a call from the big boss saying her boss was out immediately and she’s now in charge of a 100-person team. In a matter of days she came up with a way forward for the entire team. Listen in for her advice on leading through a hot mess.
Leadership Lessons from the 80s with Chris Clews
Chris Clews, speaker and author, brings us the top leadership lessons from the 80s in this Hot Mess Hotline episode. Combining his marketing leadership experience and love of Gen X culture, he’s written a books series, “What 80s Pop Culture Teaches Us About Today’s Workplace.” He travels the country sharing what we can all learn from our childhood favorites: movies that play on Saturday afternoon reruns and music originally released on vinyl.
The Ultimate Humble Leadership Style: When Your Leader Eats Last You’ll Never Know About It with David Fischer
David Fischer, chief revenue officer at Gregory & Appel Insurance, has always sought out challenges. As a marine, he learned the ultimate humble leadership style: leaders eat last. Throughout his career and he has worked hard to earn trust and deliver results. Hard work is rewarded with increasingly complex challenges, however. He learned that through a hot mess he encountered 2 weeks in to a new gig that required him to ask for help in a completely new way.
What to Do When Hard Work Doesn’t Pay Off with Blair Milo
Blair Milo, founding director at the Center for Talent and Opportunity, knows how to step up to a challenge. But she also knows that you can’t accomplish the impossible by yourself. In this episode, listen to Blair’s experience as a mayor and how she led a long-tenured team through transformative change. Innovation has a downside and she learned that here.
5 Steps to Take After Being Fired with Emil Ekiyor
Emil Ekiyor, CEO of Innopower, learned some tough lessons after being fired and before finding his purpose. In this episode, Emil describes his journey from doing the work he had trained and worked so hard for, being exposed to The Trap, and finding ways to creatively use all the strengths he had.
Why Mental Clarity is More Important Than a Business Plan with Jason Weddle
Jason Weddle, CEO of Hamilton, has been successful precisely because he’s willing to answer the hard questions and have the tough conversations. Even with himself. In this episode, he shares the confusion that existed in the 6 inches between his ears and describes why mental clarity is more important than the business plan at certain times.
How to Overcome Mistakes at Work with Jeff Ton
Jeff Ton has turned his successful CIO career into coaching and consulting for contemporary IT leaders. His credibility is built on the many fires he’s put out and the teams he’s led through many transformations: Y2K, cloud computing, digital transformation. In this episode, he shares how he got the opportunity to practice empathy and not just a CYA move.
Resilience Examples from IT and Consulting Leaders
IT was the must-have resource for 2020. Workplace tech advanced 10 years in 10 months. But coming out of the pandemic and re-rising of the voices for social injustice, IT leaders will need to adapt in new ways in order to serve their businesses in relevant ways. This includes being able to attract, retain, and develop future leaders who have minority identities and are looking for workplaces where they see others like them too. Listen in to this Hot Mess Hotline episode.
A Real World Emotional Intelligence Test You Only Gain Through Experience with Leslie Murphy
Leslie Murphy, CEO of the Raybourn Group International, who has used lifelong learning in the most personal way possible: to learn the most about herself. Both for the parts of her personality that help her get shit done and the parts of her that others may not appreciate. She shares several life lessons for getting ahead, staying ahead, and doing it WITH others.
Transparency is the Only Option for Leadership If You Want Trust with Wayne Patrick
Wayne Patrick is a serial tech entrepreneur who shares the hard lessons learned from 2008’s Great Recession when his world fell apart on a Monday. Sound familiar? Use his processes for transparency and problem solving to support your team and business during this economic recovery.
What Successful Leaders Do in Challenging Times with Mike Sipple Jr.
CEO Mike Sipple shares how every mid-level leader is an inspiration, including you! It might not feel that way sometimes.
Good leaders have visions that they guide their teams toward. Great leaders create plans to make that vision a reality. Inspirational leaders know that great learning still happens when the plan doesn’t go according to plan.
Critical Decision Making Skills Every Manager Needs with Aimee Kandrac
In this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline, CEO Aimee Kandrac re-lives every SAAS leader’s worst nightmare: a complete website outage and data loss; and the critical decision making skills every manager needs.
Great Adversity is a Great Business Opportunity
In this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline, CEO Kevin Berkopes talks about identifying when adversity is a business opportunity. Kevin’s company uses an innovative teaching model to make tutoring available for all children. He shares what it takes to challenge the status quo and take the heat that comes with it.
A CEO Answers the Question: How Do You Build Staff Resilience?
In this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline, Angela White tells us the story of how she led herself and her team through navigating work after the sudden death of a key team member on her team. At that moment, Angela had lost her friend and coworker, Kris, and was faced with a sudden change in her business.
Take Control of Your Career by Taking Control of What You’re Learning
In this episode, you’ll hear about Darren’s fast-tracked journey to becoming the President and CEO of the SESCO Group where he transformed a humble company and into a nationwide presence with high integrity.
He has learned that passion only goes so far and at times it can be detrimental. He has learned the pitfalls of leadership and share them here so you can avoid them too.
The Business Strategy Questions the Pandemic is Forcing Leaders to Answer
You’re not alone if 2020 caused you to look into the mirror as a leader to really evaluate why your business is successful. Listen in for even better questions to ask to move forward into 2021 and beyond.
Why Fast Business Growth Didn’t Stop in 2020 but was Redefined Instead
While last year is over and gone, there are many powerful lessons that can came from it. Even when we go through tough experiences, we can choose to take some of the good. That is exactly what the...
Your Team’s Business Resilience Will Make or Break Their Success
Only a year like 2020 could bring this kind of stress and decision fatigue for your team. It’s been a year of hard decision making. And it’s been a time of focus, re-calibration, and immense opportunity.
Too many teams and team members have tried to power through, vs. power up with resilience. Get ready for future years to require a new kind of business resilience.
Grow Your Business Resilience as a Mid-Level Leader
There is no “new normal” or “next normal” coming. If you’re waiting for this, you’ll be waiting at least 2 years. You, your team, and your business won’t last that long.
Instead we need to be doing “what works right now.” You need a mindset, tools, and actions that allow you to stretch, adapt, be creative and open minded, and continue to thrive despite the difficulties around you.
Resilience in Business Needs to be Your Superpower
The near future remains more uncertain than ever and chances are you and your team will be tried in new ways. Remember that last time you drove through dense fog where you barely see past your headlights? You slowed down, you get kept moving, you stayed alert, but gripped the wheel pretty tight.
Resilience is the mindset that will keep you progressing through the fog: to trust your headlights and the road, to keep moving, and to find the path as you travel it.
How this President and Founder used her strategic plan to change everything
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “so why is strategic planning important to a small company?” Sam Julka has your answer.
As the President and Founder of DORIS Research, Sam’s own strategic plan called for specific service areas with a focus on 1-on-1, in-person, in-depth interviews and research to work with clients on their employee culture within the context of their physical space.
How a network of trusted advisors helped this CEO pivot to a new strategic plan
As the song goes, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” and it’s never been as accurate as this year, when our strategic planning has gone out the window. Why is strategic planning...
How 1 Powerful Question Changed an Entire IT Team
In the process of solving your hot mess, sometimes you create 10 new hot messes. But sometimes, you solve them all by employing great team communication strategies, incremental change, and a can-do attitude. Along the way asking: “What CAN we do to make this work?”
How This IT Team Couldn’t Change Their Culture and Communication Until They Changed Where They Sat
Mike Loggins and I discuss how to improve communication within a team on this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline. When it came to team communication strategies, Mike had some ridiculous ambiguity on his hands.
How a Nonprofit CEO Learned to Overcome Change Management Challenges and Experience Opportunity during the Pandemic
Coming into 2020, when you thought of how to overcome change management challenges, you didn’t have the fallout of a global pandemic on your radar. If you’re Jim Morris, CEO of the Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity, you’re also facing the recent merger with another nonprofit. And this is after a nearly 8-year competitive struggle with the board and staff of an organization that you lead.
Complex Conflict This CEO Found Himself In for 8 Years
Typically when I talk with a client about how to manage conflict, it’s within an organization. On this episode of the Hot Mess Hotline, Jim Morris, the CEO of Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity, describes a complex conflict with a similar organization. Jim’s experience isn’t unique to those in the nonprofit sector, as he found himself navigating multiple internal and external groups who had a say in the problem. He spent 8 years in this hot mess of being consistently in conflict with another local organization, where the only differentiator was the counties they served. .
What is Change Management Training?
Change, and change management training, can be challenging. It can be rewarding. And it can be FUN! If you think change is hard, you’re doing it wrong. And you’re probably doing change management training wrong, too.
This post explains what is change management training, and what’s the number one secret that every mid-level leader knows about change. If you think that sounds much better than what’s currently happening with your team when you try to introduce change, this article is for you.
Don’t Cut Your Professional Development Budget
I know it can be tempting, or even seem reasonable, to make cuts in professional development following a tough year. You’ll be tasked with cutting costs, and you may not even be sure how much to budget for professional development! But this line item is not the place to cut in the short term if you want to be successful in the long run.
How to Build Trust in a Virtual Team
As a leader, it’s not up to you to keep everyone happy and motivated all the time. But it IS up to you to lead the way on creating a culture where employees motivate each other, where healthy conflict is encouraged, and where social and emotional connections are built even without physical proximity. Recently I joined Steve Johnson, Culture Disruptor and Account Executive with Motivosity, to discuss how to build trust in a virtual team.
How To Improve Communication
You already know how important team communication (and your team communication strategies) are to success. In this article, you’ll learn how to improve communication with some specific and easy tools to use.
Stefanie thinks communication is the BIGGEST factor for success! When you talk about how to improve change management, making sure that you know how to improve communication for team collaboration is absolutely critical.
An executive coaching client success story
How executive coaching impacted one leader and inspired him to change his priorities and team for success.
How to Build Trust
When I start working with a team, the issues that I hear most often are centered around how to build trust and problems rooted in communication issues. That’s why these two topics are so important...
What’s Holding Gen X Back In The Workplace
Gen X is often called the sandwich generation, and while that phrase is certainly true on the home front, it’s applicable to the workplace as well. My fellow Gen Xers are sandwiched between Baby...
Thriving in COVID-19: An Interview with Doug Miller on the Hot Mess Hotline: Listen to Episode 6 Now!
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins presents the Hot Mess Hotline, a podcast where mid-level leaders learn to think like entrepreneurs. Season 1 focuses on the effects of COVID-19 and the change curve.
Challenging the Status Quo on the Hot Mess Hotline: Listen to Episode 5 Now!
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins presents the Hot Mess Hotline, a podcast where mid-level leaders learn to think like entrepreneurs. Season 1 focuses on the effects of COVID-19 and the change curve.
Overcoming Obstacles and Setting Goals on the Hot Mess Hotline: Listen to Episode 4 Now!
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins presents the Hot Mess Hotline, a podcast where mid-level leaders learn to think like entrepreneurs. Season 1 focuses on the effects of COVID-19 and the change curve.
Creating a Vision Story on the Hot Mess Hotline: Listen to Episode 3 Now!
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins presents the Hot Mess Hotline, a podcast where mid-level leaders learn to think like entrepreneurs. Season 1 focuses on the effects of COVID-19 and the change curve.
Creating Urgency and Accountability on the Hot Mess Hotline: Listen to Episode 2 Now!
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins presents the Hot Mess Hotline, a podcast where mid-level leaders learn to think like entrepreneurs. Season 1 focuses on the effects of COVID-19 and the change curve.
Disaster Planning and the 90-Day Sprint Tool on the Hot Mess Hotline: Listen to Episode 1 Now!
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins presents the Hot Mess Hotline, a podcast where mid-level leaders learn to think like entrepreneurs. Season 1 focuses on the effects of COVID-19 and the change curve.
Hot Mess Hotline: The Trailer Episode is Live!
Executive coach and founder of the Pro Troublemaker Nation Stefanie Krievins announces a new podcast, the Hot Mess Hotline.
How To Make Sense When The World’s A Hot Mess
Executive coach and founder of the Pro Troublemaker Nation Stefanie Krievins shares her thoughts on change, the change curve, how to overcome change management challenges and shares a new resource for leaders in this video.
Your 2020 Staff Retreat: What You Need To Consider Now
Executive coach and Pro Troublemaker Nation founder Stefanie Krievins shares why businesses should plan a 2020 staff retreat and practical tips for planning teams to consider.
Re-Opening Your Doors: A Back To Work Strategy That Actually Works
Learn from Executive Coach Stefanie Krievins and other experts on readying your workplace to return after COVID-19.
How To Take Back The Meeting
Executive Coach Stefanie Krievins shares insights into what types of conflict derail meetings, and how to improve communication within a team with good leadership and easy strategies.
What Successful Teams Are Doing Now
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins of Pro Troublemaker Nation talks about how successful teams and leaders are handling uncertainty in the face of COVID-19.
There IS An “I” In “Team!”
You know it. You’ve seen it. (And if you’re a Gen-Xer, you’ve probably seen it posted above the image of a soaring eagle in some classic ‘90s office décor). Many of you have probably also seen the...
Why Time Management is a Myth (and What To Do Instead!)
Time management is a myth. Here’s why Executive Coach Stefanie Krievins of the Pro Troublemaker Nation thinks you need to let go, prioritize, and leave some room for emergencies every day!
COVID-19 and the Workplace: How To Get Shizz Done When Everything’s A Hot Mess
Executive coach Stefanie Krievins offers tips for employees working from home due to COVID-19 and talks about using this experience to prepare for the future.
Why Gen-X is Awesome for the Workplace
Gen-X workers are some of the best around. Learn how Gen-X in the workplace is awesome because of their unique childhood experiences.
What Is Coaching?
Ever asked “What is executive coaching,” or “How do I find a coach?” Stefanie Krievins tackles the topic and shares her how-I-started story!
Yes, You Need SMART Goals!
Learn how to use SMART Goals in your workplace for strategic planning objectives that are focused and clear.
How To Set Shift Goals Not Smart Goals
How to set Shift goals, not Smart goals- Say yes to a change management workplace strategy that creates meaningful and motivational goals!
New Year, New Commitments- Let’s Rock 2020!
Make a commitment in 2020 and follow through on what you say you’ll do!
Stefanie & the “Belonging Factor” Podcast!
Listen to Stefanie Krievins appear on the Belonging Factor podcast.
Go Beyond New Year’s Resolutions
Learn why I’m ditching New Year’s Resolutions in 2020 and talking about how to create better commitments in the workplace!
Gratitude & Growth- A Client Success Story!
A 2019 client case study shows how coaching can benefit the workplace.
Promise and Deliver- How To Create Accountability
Create accountability in the workplace by doing what you say you’ll do.
The Number One Question You NEED To Be Asking!
Check out this week’s video for tips on how to make sure your priorities are strong heading into 2020!
How To Maintain Productivity During The Holidays
It’s nearly November, and with that comes the realization that there are only two months left in the fourth quarter and it’s time for that final sprint to the end of the year. Typically, there are...
How To Go Beyond Communicating and Start Connecting!
Using Virtual Meeting Technology At Work Working remotely, working from home, working virtually- whatever your company calls it, having employees who work somewhere other than your physical office...
How to Deal with Multiple Bosses
Chances are if you work in an organization larger than a few people, you’re going to run into a situation where you have multiple bosses. This means you’re going to run into a situation where you...
How To Email Effectively
Email has become ingrained in our everyday work life – but it’s not always the best practice for communicating. Stefanie Krievins talks about how to use email effectively.