Launch Youniversity

Turning Good Intentions into Reality in Your Career, Business and Life

intrapreneur

114: The Truth about Scaling Fast With Global Scaling Academy’s Chris Yeh

by Leave a Comment

Summary:

Your perspective often determines your view on successful businesses. To you, companies like Amazon, Uber, and Airbnb are monoliths that were guaranteed successful by sheer luck or the millions they secured in venture capital. You might think it’s impossible to grow your business, especially that way.

In today’s episode, Chris Yeh, cofounder of Global Scaling Academy and coauthor of Blitzscaling, introduces us to the concept of blitzscaling, a type of rapid growth pursuit, and what that could look like for your business. Today, you’ll discover the best time to start working with a startup and what’s required of leaders who want to rapidly grow their businesses as entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.

Welcome to episode 114 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Chris Yeh

Global Scaling Academy

Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies (book)

Reid Hoffman

David Kelley

Blitzscaling

Four Takeaways:

1. Determine if blitzscaling is right for your company. Identify the areas where blitzscaling can be relevant in your new or existing business. Would your company be able to sustain itself during a season of rapid growth? If so, you may want to pursue blitzscaling as a way to grow your business.

2. Adapt your leadership style. The way you lead will be determined by the size of your company. A lot of entrepreneurs don’t realize a company requires leadership versatility as it changes and grows. Be willing to change as your business changes and listen to the pulse of your employees to see what they need to thrive.


3. Be an infinite learner. Learning will (and should) take place continuously. Embrace this. The skills and experiences that once brought you success during one phase may not necessarily prepare you for the next phase in your business’s growth.

 4. Develop a strong sense of self awareness. Know your strengths and weakness. What do you enjoy? What don’t you enjoy? Get to know yourself well — do the things that fuel you, and delegate the rest. 

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

112: How to be Entrepreneurial in an Established Organization with Lasting’s Stephen Dziedzic

by Leave a Comment

The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
112: How to be Entrepreneurial in an Established Organization with Lasting’s Stephen Dziedzic
Loading
/
Summary:

Most business professionals assume building out an idea and seeing it through is reserved for those who decide to strike out on their own. But that’s not necessarily true. At Launch Youniversity, we believe and support all forms of entrepreneurship — whether inside an existing organization as an intrapreneur or outside of an organization. Today, we talk to Steven Dziedzic, the creator of Lasting, the nation’s top relationship counseling app. In this episode, Steven shares how he came to discover the path of intrapreneurship and what he’s learned along the way. You’ll also learn how to thrive as an entrepreneur and intrapreneur, how to make big decisions, and key lessons he’s learned about product development.

Welcome to episode 112 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

XO Group

B.J. Fogg

Prototype: The Third Step in the Launch Sequence

Lasting

Three Takeaways:

1. Make the leap. Whether you’re looking to introduce a new idea or concept within your current company or looking to branch out on your own, we understand the fear that surrounds doing something new. Do it anyway. You never know what awaits you on the other side. In Steven Dziedzic’s case, his next big break came when he told his current employer he was venturing off on his own.

2. Trust yourself to make the decision. Launchers often suffer from paralysis by analysis when it’s time to make a decision about their idea. Trust your gut and use data to support your decision and trust the process.

3. Speed supersedes learning. Most times, you don’t have to know why something works. Sometimes, it just does. In many cases, the most important thing to do is keep up a steady, quick pace and prototype your product or idea as you go along.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

111: Taking on More Roles and Responsibilities at Your Job

by Leave a Comment

The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
111: Taking on More Roles and Responsibilities at Your Job
Loading
/
Summary:

Stretching yourself to try new things isn’t always comfortable, but part of the formula of success is continued growth. Real growth comes from new and different experiences. So whether you are an entrepreneur or intrapreneur, give yourself the freedom and grace to risk being vulnerable.

Join Jeff and David as they encourage you to create more capacity for new opportunities.

Welcome to episode 111 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk

Mindset by Carol Dweck

LYP 106: How to Go From Good Intentions to Reality with Blake Canterbury Purposity

Purposity

Three Takeaways:

1. Assess what you can hand off.

If you have a team who you trust to take on more responsibility (and you should), see what job duties you can pass to them. Handing off your responsibilities can free you up for the new opportunities. Your success will be governed by the strength of your team.

2. Remember your boundaries still exist.

You should never allow a new role or responsibility to take away from your previous commitments, unless you can hand off tasks as previously mentioned. To help draw boundaries, block your time for specific activities whether it’s family time or work-related activities. This way you are less likely to blur the lines.

3. Focus on clarity

The first 90 days of trying something new can look murky. You are in the process of figuring it all out and don’t always have the big picture. As you walk through this phase, stay focused on clarity. Ask yourself and the team these questions: What does success look like in the short term? What does it look like in the long term? What is my/our unique contribution? You and your team will go further if everyone knows what success looks like and how they play into accomplishing those goals.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

 

105: How to Build a Great Team and Develop Leaders

by Leave a Comment

The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
105: How to Build a Great Team and Develop Leaders
Loading
/

Summary:

Anything worth accomplishing will take time, and the seasoned entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs know nothing can be accomplished without the right team around you to help lead the charge of your vision. But for many of us, whether newly inducted into a leadership role or a person who has been used to working alone, growing a team and investing in others to grow their leadership is somewhat of a challenge.

Today, we are honored to have Heather Zempel on the podcast. Once a biological engineer on Capitol Hill, the now-discipleship pastor and campus ministries director at Mark Batterson’s National Community Church talks to us about the importance of team building, what to look for when adding someone to your team, and the right ingredients to developing leadership on your team.

Welcome to episode 105 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Heather Zempel: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Carey Nieuwhof

Jon Gordon

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

Big Change, Small Groups: Four Ideas to Help You Lead Adult Small Groups

Three Takeaways:

1. Build the Best Team
Make sure these three types of people are sitting around your table: Someone who can bring something to the table through experience and expertise; someone who can bring someone else to the table (think brand evangelist); and someone who can learn something through this process. These three types of people bring experience, more voices, and innovation to any process.

2. Remember Alignment is Key
Clearly communicate your vision, expectations, and be intentional about creating the culture you want on your team. When you’re communicating well and growing together, your team will be one that lasts through the ups and downs of anything you face.

3. Develop Other Leaders
When trying to cultivate leadership in those on your team, make sure you maximize your time by continuing your own growth, whether through reading or listening to podcasts; follow another leader you admire and ask how you can help them promote their vision; focus on your own growth through accountability and intentionality.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

 

082: Leading People with Passion and Purpose

by Leave a Comment

Laura Whitaker of ESP on The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
082: Leading People with Passion and Purpose
Loading
/

Summary:

If you had been chosen to run an organization at 19-years-old, how would you have managed? Scary for most of us to think about, right? But that’s what happened to Laura Whitaker when she became the Executive Director of Extra Special People, Inc.

13 years later, Laura is still ESP’s Executive Director. Today on the podcast, she’s sitting down with Kevin and sharing her greatest lessons and advice from her years in the trenches.

Welcome to episode 82 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

ExtraSpecialPeople.com

Laura’s Blog HopeSweetHome.com

Ask us a question! 

Three Takeaways:

1. Hope Dealers + Priority Givers

As the leader of a team, company or organization… your job is to be a hope dealer and priority giver. Being a hope dealer means constantly reminding people of the vision, the why, and how it’s possible. People rally around passion. Being a priority giver means guiding your team on what they should be working on, when. If you come to work each day with a plan to provide hope and clarify priorities, you might be the best leader they’ll ever have.

2. View your organization as its own person

Leading people is hard, hard work. And finding the balance between serving your team well and serving the company well can feel like a perpetual tightrope walk. One piece of advice Laura shared was: View your organization like it’s a person. It’s a person who has the highest value of anyone on your team. So when you make decisions about the team, think: Does this positively or negatively impact our highest value person?

3. You are not your organization

You have unique value outside of who you are at work. You are more than a people leader, entrepreneur, intrapreneur, director, etc. To be the best leader you can be, you need to know that you are much more than just a leader.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!  

How to Tell Your Boss About Your Side Project

by Leave a Comment

Anxious about letting your boss know you are working on a side project? Here are four guidelines to help you know when and how to bring your boss up to date. [Read more…] about How to Tell Your Boss About Your Side Project