Authenticity and transparency are important leadership skills, says Cynthia Kay, founder of CK and Co. Media Production in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “This isn’t rocket science,” she says. “It’s being who you really are in the workplace… being willing to be open and share with employees — and that means the good, the bad and the ugly.”
In just six years Dan Ducote led Enginuity Global LLC from a four-person company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to an international organization with nearly 90 employees. He chalks up much of Enginuity’s success to creating a culture where people are passionate about what they are doing.
“You’re never successful, you’re always succeeding,” says Erick Stewart, a Battle Creek-based serial entrepreneur who wrote his first business plan at age 26, then launched Stewart Industries and grew it into a $50 million company. Today as CEO of Lagniappe Global Commodity Partners and an Entrepreneur Emeritus at the foundation, Erick is helping other business leaders grow their organizations and themselves
Founder of Utiliserve and Fireserve LLC in Bossier City, Louisiana, Zach Raley says one of his biggest leadership lessons has been identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to get the right people in the right places at the right time.
Co-owner of Brown Iron Brewhouse, Patti Eisenbraun discusses how she and her husband evolved their love for craft beer and good food into an award-winning restaurant company with two locations in Michigan — and a third in the works.
A self-described “accidental entrepreneur,” Kathie Fuce-Hobohm launched SPACE Inc. in 1995 and has grown the Michigan-based company into a national commercial interior design firm with a focus on sustainability. Kathie discusses some key lessons from her three decades as a business owner.
As co-owners of Public Sector Consultants, a nonpartisan public policy firm in Lansing, Julie Metty Bennett and Rachel Kuntzsch work with clients to solve challenges, remove obstacles and identify opportunities to move policy forward. Dan Wyant asks this dynamic duo to share what makes their partnership tick.
As CEO and co-owner of ITinspired in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rob Wise leads an innovative managed services provider that focuses on the people side of technology. Discussing his entrepreneurial journey, Rob cites passion and curiosity as key ingredients to his success.
Dan Wyant visits with Barbara Stankowski, a retired naval officer who launched AMTIS Inc. in 2007. A provider of information technology, training, leadership development and other services, AMTIS was on the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years before Stankowski sold it 2018.
In this session of “Outlook on Leadership” Dan Wyant talks with Dave Galbenski, who launched Lumen Legal, a Michigan-based legal staffing firm, in 1993 and grew it into a multimillion-dollar business before successfully selling in 2020.