Talent Wins

Jason Mandel is the Founder and CEO of Mandel Family Office, a firm dedicated to providing comprehensive financial services to high-net-worth individuals and families. He is a Wall Street insider and a private financial adviser and has held senior positions at the LeFrak Organization, D.E. Shaw, and Cantor Fitzgerald. Jason has over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience in financial services and risk management. Additionally, he is the President of Caretrust Financial and the author of DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Stop Wall Street Greed and Rising Taxes From Destroying Your Wealth.

In this episode…

Talent is a cornerstone of success in business leadership, entrepreneurship, and advisory roles. How does talent influence the course of various business ventures?

From founding and growing enterprises, talent has played a pivotal role in driving Jason Mandel’s organizational growth and innovation. Jason empowers his teams to excel and achieve their goals by fostering an environment that encourages continuous learning and development. Additionally, he aligns team members' goals with organizational objectives through effective incentive structures. Through strategic talent acquisition and management, Jason believes businesses can enhance their competitive edge, drive innovation, and foster long-term growth.

In the latest episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau hosts Jason Mandel, Founder and CEO of The Mandel Family Office, to highlight the profound influence of talent on business success. Jason emphasizes the importance of nurturing talent, shares insights on aligning employees' goals through incentives, and provides a deep dive into his specialized expertise.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Jason Mandel on LinkedIn
• Contact Jason Mandel: cell phone 917-603-2365
• The Mandel Family Office
• Caretrust Financial
• DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Stop Wall Street Greed and Rising Taxes From Destroying Your Wealth by Jason Mandel

Hannah Smolinski, a Certified Public Accountant, is the Founder and CEO of Clara CFO Group. This agency, operating on a virtual CFO model, is dedicated to offering small businesses financial clarity and strategies for profit maximization. Hannah's experience at one of the world's largest accounting firms led her to create this service. She wanted to make sure small businesses could benefit from top-level financial advice.

In addition to running Clara CFO Group, Hannah has a YouTube channel with over 55,000 subscribers. She shares practical finance advice and provides valuable business resources on her channel. Her goal is to help organizations understand their financial situation better and work toward commercial success.

In this episode…

In the journey of small businesses to build exceptional teams, numerous trials and tribulations emerge, but so do remarkable successes. Despite the successes achieved in hiring and team-building endeavors, what are some prevalent struggles companies may face in talent acquisition?

Navigating the talent ecosystem presents businesses with myriad challenges, from fierce competition for top talent to the intricacies of remote hiring. Drawing from experiences, business leader Hannah Smolinski underscores the significance of aligning hiring strategies with company values and culture. Values such as integrity, collaboration, and innovation guide her hiring decisions and team-building efforts. By adopting a strategic approach and remaining steadfast in their commitment to company values, businesses can surmount these obstacles and cultivate teams that propel success and foster growth.

In the latest episode of the Talent Wins podcast with Chris Mursau, Hannah Smolinski, Founder and CEO of the Clara CFO Group, shares candid insights into the challenges companies often face when acquiring talent. From financial barriers to the significance of anticipating hiring needs and asking the right interview questions, Hannah provides valuable advice for navigating the hiring landscape.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn 
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Hannah Smolinski: LinkedIn | Email
• Clara CFO Group: Website | YouTube
• EOS

Chris Mursau is the President of Topgrading, a proven system that helps organizations build and maintain high-performing teams through hiring, development, and promotion strategies. Since 2001, Chris has been consulting and teaching organizations and individual managers how to pack their teams with A Players.

Chris has conducted over 2,500 in-depth Topgrading assessments for internal and external candidates, helped hundreds of people achieve their A potential, and trained thousands in the guaranteed methods for improving their success. His client list is broad and diverse, including Fortune 500 companies, small to medium-sized businesses, and nonprofit organizations. In April, Chris co-authored his first book, Foolproof Hiring, along with Brad Smart. The book reveals an easy-to-follow instruction course in Topgrading, a time-tested hiring methodology for recruiting A Players.

In this episode…

Topgrading is a well-established technique for recruiting and retaining high-performing teams. However, the three available editions of the book are quite comprehensive, making it challenging to absorb all of the information thoroughly. As a result, hiring teams may wonder how they can effectively use the methodology without fully implementing the system.

Over the years, Chris Mursau, a seasoned executive at Topgrading, has conducted several feedback sessions with the system’s users. During his evaluations, he determined that many users were not referencing the appropriate components of the process. Moreover, many smaller companies could not onboard needed resources, such as a human resources department or hiring program. To mitigate the improper use of Topgrading procedures, Chris conceived the idea of writing Foolproof Hiring, an abbreviated manual version. Foolproof Hiring guides readers through the process by providing a starting point and assisting them in executing Topgrading best practices.

In this episode of the Talent Wins Podcast, Rise25’s Chad Franzen once again interviews Chris Mursau to discuss Foolproof Hiring, a book he co-authored with Brad Smart. Chris reveals the inspiration for writing the book, shares five typical hiring challenges, and identifies the hiring habits that acquisition teams should avoid.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Chad Franzen on LinkedIn
• Rise25
• Foolproof Hiring: Powerful, Proven Keys to Hiring High Performers by Brad Smart and Chris Mursau

Lee Prosenjak is the Managing Director at Valentines Resort & Marina, a luxury all-suite hotel on Harbour Island, The Bahamas. He is also a Senior Partner at Hesse Partners, a forum facilitating learning and growth opportunities for executives, corporations, universities, and membership organizations. For over 20 years, Lee operated a dance studio in Denver, Colorado. He is a tenured Entrepreneurs’ Organization member and a former Master Forum Trainer.

In this episode…

Populous cities have an easier time filling positions because there is a larger pool of talent to recruit from. However, hiring managers in smaller communities may need help to attract top talent. What strategies can they implement to spearhead the process?

Business leader Lee Prosenjak shares that he continuously networks with clients, customers, and work associates in addition to sourcing talent in neighboring communities. He explains that this helps build a Rolodex of potential hires and allows him to plan out at least six months in advance to ensure all job positions are filled. Although finding talent in smaller communities can be more challenging, Lee thinks that companies should still follow a rigorous hiring process. He recommends hiring managers conduct reference checks, verify past employers, and vet work gaps. Additionally, Lee asserts that companies with reputable brands can entice candidates to apply for employment.

In this episode of the Talent Wins Podcast, Chris Mursau welcomes Lee Prosenjak to discuss recruiting top talent in small communities. Lee discusses sourcing talent as the largest employer in a small community, talent acquisition processes, and strategies for building a solid team.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Lee Prosenjak on LinkedIn
• Valentines Resort & Marina
• Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz
• Creative Quest by Questlove
• Questlove Supreme

Zach Wilcox is the Founder and CEO of Fide Freight, a family-owned domestic transportation company specializing in supply chain technology, logistics, and transportation solutions. In Zach’s role, he oversees all operations aspects, including sales, people development and training, and marketing. Before founding Fide Freight, Zach held project management, operations, and manufacturing roles across different companies. He has a business degree from Grand Valley State University.

In this episode…

To attract great talent, a company must have systems to discuss the candidates in-depth. 

To streamline the hiring process, Zach Wilcox advocates for implementing processes for documenting the hiring process, tracking applicants, and a system for exchanging data and information. Adopting structured and comprehensive hiring practices allows the acquisitions team to streamline quality candidates. Create interview sheets to document special notes about each candidate's qualifications and resumes, which hiring managers can upload into a tracking system. Zach affirms that Monday.com is reliable software to manage all applicants, giving all interviewers access to all interviews, notes, and scorecards.

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau welcomes Zach Wilcox, Founder and CEO of Fide Freight, for an informational conversation about hiring and interviewing processes. Zach discusses Fide Freight, how to amass new customers, leveraging core values to attract job candidates, and hiring strategies for acquiring top talent.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Zach Wilcox on LinkedIn
• Fide Freight
• The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
• Who by Geoff Smart
• The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann
• Monday

Scott Clawson is the Chairman and CEO of Culligan International, an 80-year-old global brand leader in water services and solutions, serving over 140 million consumers. Under his leadership, he spearheaded the acquisition of Culligan by BDT Capital Partners for $6 billion. Scott began his career at Alcoa, and since then, he’s led The GSI Group—a $700+ million global manufacturer—and RYKO Enterprises—the largest North American vehicle wash provider—as President and CEO. Scott also served as President of Danaher, an international science and technology corporation.

In this episode…

A vacant position has negative consequences for a company, especially if it remains unfilled for an extended period. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons why organizations fill jobs hastily. So, how can hiring managers ensure they make the ideal acquisitions?

Business leader and veteran CEO Scott Clawson was introduced to the Topgrading methodology several years ago during his first tenure as an executive leader. Since then, he’s adopted the hiring process as the gold standard. Scott recommends that hiring teams mandate processes such as assessments, tandem and competency interviews, scorecards, and work history references. These procedures evaluate candidates' abilities, observe body language, verify achievements, and eliminate red flags. Additionally, if candidates advance to the next stage of the hiring process, recruiters should arrange a lunch or dinner interview to gauge an aspirant's cultural compatibility with the company. The topgrading approach aims to be a foolproof interview practice that guarantees attracting, hiring, and retaining top performers.

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau chats with Scott Clawson, Chairman and CEO of Culligan International, about the significance of acquiring A-players, common hiring mistakes, and why it’s vital for a CEO to have a partnership with the CHRO.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Topgrading (How to Hire, Coach and Keep a Players) by Brad Smart
• Brad Smart on LinkedIn
• Scott Clawson on LinkedIn
• Culligan Water

Lee Benson is the CEO of Execute to Win (ETW), a consulting firm helping organizations improve results through fostering intentional leadership, strategy, execution, and culture. He has over 25 years of experience as a CEO and has founded seven companies with exits ranging from low-figure millions to over nine figures. After selling Able Aerospace Services to Textron Aviation for nine figures, Lee committed to helping leaders maximize their potential. In June 2022, he published his first book, Your Most Important Number: Increase Collaboration, Achieve Your Strategy, and Execute to Win.

In this episode…

It is unlikely that most employees can recite their company's core values. Even for those who are familiar with the values, they may not fully understand them. So, do company values contribute to an organization's success?

A company's mission statement aims to persuade customers to use its products or services and to serve as a reminder to employees. If employees do not add value to an organization, their jobs may be at risk. That’s why Lee Benson, a veteran CEO, created the MIND Methodology (Most Important Number and Drivers Methodology), a practice that focuses on behavior over value. This approach encourages employees to complete assigned tasks on time and in sequence. The MIND methodology is effective in increasing employee engagement and productivity. When employees understand and believe in their company's values, they are more likely to be motivated to do their best work.

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau sits with Lee Benson, CEO of Execute to Win (ETW), a consulting firm for high-achieving leaders, to discuss how organizations can better run a business using the MIND Methodology. Lee elaborates on the Leadership Audit Checklist, MIND Methodology, and understanding the most important number. 

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Lee Benson on LinkedIn
• Evaluate To Win (ETW)
• Your Most Important Number: Increase Collaboration, Achieve Your Strategy, and Execute to Win by Lee Benson

Dr. Price Pritchett is the Founder and CEO of Pritchett, LP, a consulting firm with 40-plus years of proven expertise in merger integration, corporate culture, and change management. He’s an authoritarian on growth strategies, and his first book, After the Merger: Managing the Shockwaves, is the cardinal book on merger and acquisition integration. Upon its successful reception, Dr. Pritchett went on to pen additional 30-plus books, which have collectively sold over 14 million copies, making him one of the best-selling business authors in the world.

Pritchett, LP’s client list consists of mainly Fortune 1000 companies, including American Airlines, Honeywell, NASA, Sony, Texas Instruments, and Wells Fargo, to name a few. As a thought leader and keynote speaker, he’s addressed executive groups such as the American Medical Association, John Deere, Mattel, and General Motors.

In this episode…

Statistics reveal that 50-70% of executives fail within the first year and a half of taking on a role. In a merger environment, that percentage increases. Mergers and acquisitions are more than pristine bookkeeping and performing due diligence. It can be a politicized process chock-full of risks, and its success rate depends on leadership competency.

Dr. Price Pritchett, author of the best-seller After the Merger: Managing the Shockwaves, warns that executive leaders are at higher risk of termination during a merger. On the contrary, a merger is more likely to fail when premier talent prematurely flees for fear of losing their job. Other factors to consider are company cultures, organizational structure, and operational costs. Though these are key responsibilities placed on department heads, Dr. Pritchett cautions that an aloof CEO reflects the company’s leadership.

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau sits with Dr. Price Pritchett, Founder and CEO of Pritchett, LP, to discuss strategies for a successful merger. Dr. Pritchett explains how premier talent plays an integral role in the success of merger integrations, why CEOs need to be more involved in the recruiting process, and M&A best practices.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Email Topgrading: info@Topgrading.com
• Dr. Price Pritchett on LinkedIn
• Pritchett, LP
• Merger Integration
• After the Merger: Managing the Shockwaves by Price Pritchett
• The Employee Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions by Price Pritchett

Brad Giles is the Founder and Managing Director of Evolution Partners, a top strategic and leadership advisory firm. As a serial entrepreneur, Brad has founded multiple fast-growth companies and supported hundreds more. He is also an author, speaker, and leadership coach with over 20 years of experience. He helps CEOs build, execute, and maintain accountability over their strategic plans.

In this episode…

Research shows that 84% of companies have an onboarding process of 14 days or less. But this hinders employees’ success since performance accelerates after 30 days of onboarding. So how can you empower top talent with the knowledge and opportunities to thrive in their roles?

Leadership expert Brad Giles advocates for a 90-day onboarding process divided into three pivotal stages. The first month should include weekly induction meetings communicating position and organizational expectations. The second phase transitions from mentoring to practical skill application to overcome the learning curve. As the new hires progress in their roles, leaders should build and nurture relationships and encourage consistent practice. This strategic system mitigates knowledge gaps and promotes productivity.

In this episode of Talent Wins, Brad Giles of Evolution Partners joins the host Chris Mursau to discuss best practices for hiring and onboarding. He explains onboarding debt, hiring strategies and tools, and the difference between onboarding, orientation, and induction. 

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Brad Giles on LinkedIn
• Made to Thrive: The Five Roles to Evolve Beyond Your Leadership Comfort Zone by Brad Giles
• Evolution Partners
• The Growth Whisperers podcast

Scott Scully is the Founder and CEO of Abstrakt Marketing Group, a B2B lead generation and business growth agency. Under his leadership, Abstrakt Marketing Group has achieved an impressive annual growth rate of 20% for the past 13 years, resulting in a current team of 550 members and a projected revenue of $78 million for the year. Over the past 30 years, Scott has started, invested in, or played a major role in several companies in the marketing and lead generation space, three of which have exceeded $12 million in annual revenue. He is also the co-host of The Grow Show, a podcast for business leaders and entrepreneurs with a growth-driven mindset.

In this episode…

Scott Scully of Abstrakt Marketing Group is proud to have a team that differentiates his company from the rest. He’s so confident in his people that Abstrakt offers guaranteed results — and clients don’t have to pay until these results are achieved. How does he develop a team of A players that take Abstrakt to the next level?

The first thing Scott does is define the traits of A players and hire based on these characteristics. Once these A players are on the team, Scott holds weekly meetings and appoints A player scores to ensure employees are on the right track. On the company side, he helps create an innovative culture that fosters employee growth, happiness, and constant development. How else does Scott attract and retain top talent?

In this episode of Talent Wins, Chris Mursau chats with Scott Scully, Founder and CEO of Abstrakt Marketing Group, about hiring and retaining a team of A players. Scott digs deep into his MAP meetings, tips for improving culture, and the value of creating opportunities for your people. He also shares advice for growth-minded CEOs who want to scale!

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn 
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Scott Scully on LinkedIn 
• Abstrakt Marketing Group
• The Grow Show: Business Growth Stories from the Frontlines

Michael Douglas is the Chief People Officer at Curative, where he’s responsible for talent acquisition, leadership training, professional development, and employee engagement and retention. Curative is the healthcare staffing arm of Doximity, the largest and fastest-growing professional medical network.

Michael, a seasoned healthcare staffing and recruiting professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry, has been with the company for nearly three years, previously holding C-Suite roles at Allied Staffing Network, Medestar, and Fidelis Partners, LLC.

In this episode…

Talent pools are constantly changing, and so are their expectations for how companies attract, hire, and retain employees. How can you adapt to the changes and ensure you’re finding the perfect candidates for your company?

The pandemic made talent acquisition challenging, especially for Michael Douglas and his team at Curative. But instead of letting tough times get the best of them, the Curative team pivoted. They revamped their work environment with a new office, implemented the Topgrading system for a consistent hiring process, took to social media to discover new candidates, and improved their culture through DEI initiatives. How did the Curative team do it, and what strategies can you take from their experience? 

In this episode of Talent Wins, Chris Mursau is joined by Michael Douglas, Chief People Officer at Curative, to talk about revamping work environments and talent acquisition processes. Michael discusses the shifting landscape of the talent pool, tips to attract and retain A players, and how to strengthen your hiring methods. Stay tuned!

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Michael Douglas on LinkedIn
• Curative
• Curative on TikTok

Shamit Khemka is the Founder and CEO of SynapseIndia, a software development outsourcing company. SynapseIndia has been in business for over two decades, offering e-commerce solutions, website and mobile app development, CMS solutions, and more. Over the last 23-plus years, the company has delivered over 10,000 projects for clients such as the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), Steve Madden, IBM, 3M, and Johnson & Johnson.

Additionally, Shamit is a member of YPO and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and is a Partner at FoodCloud. Hailing from a business family, Shamit has always been passionate about launching his own company and building expertise in executive management, business ownership, and project management.

In this episode…

In today's competitive job market, finding the right employees can be a challenge. But even with a pool of applicants, how do you choose the right candidate? Are you relying on an instinct or gut feeling to hire employees? 

Shamit Khemka was in this same position, using his interview questions to try and sift through potential employees. But ever since he discovered the Topgrading system 15 years ago, Shamit and his team can hire better candidates who fit the company culture. Instead of simply hoping to hire an A player, the Topgrading system helps ensure you hire the best of the best.

In this episode of Talent Wins, Chris Mursau is joined by Shamit Khemka, Founder and CEO of SynapseIndia, to talk about how the Topgrading methodology helped him scale his company. Shamit discusses the benefits of Topgrading, including transparency, clarity, and feedback, how Topgrading has transformed over time, and his advice for building a company of A players. 

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Shamit Khemka on LinkedIn
• SynapseIndia
• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

Chris Mursau is the President of Topgrading, a proven system that helps organizations build and maintain high-performing teams through hiring, development, and promotion strategies. Since 2001, Chris has been consulting and teaching organizations and individual managers how to pack their teams with A Players.

Chris has conducted over 2,500 in-depth Topgrading assessments for internal and external candidates, helped hundreds of people achieve their A potential, and trained thousands of people in the guaranteed methods for improving their success. His client list is broad and diverse, including Fortune 500 companies, small to medium-sized businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

In this episode…

As organizations strive to scale and achieve growth, the ability to hire the right talent is of paramount importance. So, how do you hire the right people so that you can scale quickly? What does it take to avoid toxic work environments and attract A players?

This past year, Chris Mursau dove deep into the processes and strategies of other exceptional leaders to hear how they’re building top teams and fostering a healthy culture. From principals and partners to presidents and founders, Chris highlights their insights on talent, mistakes they’ve made along the way, and how they grew their team (and company).

In this episode of Talent Wins, host Chris Mursau is interviewed by Chad Franzen of Rise25 to reflect on the past year and pull out the most interesting podcast stories. Together, they look back on the best practices for interviewing, hiring, setting team goals, and developing strong company culture. Plus, Chris gives us a glimpse of what’s to come in the new year!  

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn 
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Chad Franzen on LinkedIn 
• Rise25  
• “How To Build Strong Teams That Deliver Great Results in Challenging Situations with Bruce Cazenave”
• “Why the Interview is Key to Develop an Outstanding Business” with Chuck Cohen 
• “How To Build A Winning Team with Todd Bradley”
• “How To Hire Employees That Fit Your Company’s Culture with Todd Perlman”
• “Eliminating Toxic Leadership with David Macknin”

Bruce Cazenave is the Founder and Principal of Inflection Management LLC, a company that specializes in helping businesses survive challenging periods and mentors freshmen CEOs. Before Bruce founded Inflection Management LLC, he held multiple leadership roles at companies including Black and Decker, Timberland, Dorel Juvenile Group, Nautilus, and Bluestem Brands. Bruce takes pride in being a turnaround specialist with a proven track record of uplifting organizations and their leadership.

In this episode…

Are you a leader of an organization that’s facing tough times? Have you been able to identify the problem?

As a veteran turnaround specialist, Bruce Cazenave has experienced many crises, from bankruptcy to negative work cultures to high turnover. So, how does senior leadership rise above when it seems there is a point of no return? Bruce explains that it starts with diagnosing the situation. 

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, host Chris Mursau sits down with Bruce Cazenave, the Founder and Principal of Inflection Management LLC, to talk about building competent teams when organizations face detrimental challenges. Part of rebuilding includes integrating a thriving company culture, a rigorous hiring process, and a CEO and CHRO partnership. Plus, Bruce offers CEOs advice on how to scale a company and more. Let’s get started!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Email Topgrading: Info@topgrading.com
• Talent Wins podcast
• Bruce Cazenave on LinkedIn
• Inflection Management
• Six Sigma

Special Mentions

• Culligan Water
• Capital One
• TD Industries

Books Mentioned

• The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William N Thorndike
• That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph
• Work Stronger: Habits for More Energy, Less Stress, and Higher Performance at Work by Pete Leibman
• The Story of the Wright Brothers: A Biography Book for New Readers by Annette Whipple
• Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W Chan Kim
• The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary by Mark Sanborn

Chuck Cohen is the Managing Director of Benco Dental, the nation’s third-largest dental distributor with customers across the US. Benco was founded in 1930 by Chuck’s grandfather and now has 1,500 employees across all 50 states. They were recently recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the “Top 20 Best Places to Work in Healthcare.” Chuck is a results-oriented leader who enjoys developing and executing strategies and coaching others to grow.

In this episode…

Benco Dental is a highly successful company, achieving almost a billion dollars in sales this year and making it on the list of “Top 20 Best Places to Work in Healthcare.” How did it reach this level of success, and how can your business do the same?

It starts with the interview. Using the Topgrading system, Chuck Cohen was able to level up his interview skills, hire candidates who exceeded expectations, and shape a cohesive and skilled team. Chuck says that Topgrading isn’t just for high-level interviews and big companies — it’s for every interview at any size company.

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau talks with Chuck Cohen, Managing Director of Benco Dental, about his hiring strategies and advice for other business leaders. Chuck shares his experience using the Topgrading system, why you should invest in hiring processes before you have talent issues, and tips for winning as a team.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Chuck Cohen on LinkedIn
• Benco Dental
• Topgrading (How To Hire, Coach and Keep A Players) by Brad and Geoff Smart
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins
• Brad Smart on LinkedIn
• “Ep. 10: Kyle hires a super team” with Brad Smart on This is Small Business
• George Rable on LinkedIn

Todd Bradley is an Operating Partner at One Equity Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused on transformative combinations within the industrial, healthcare, and technology sectors in North America and Europe. Todd is also a member of the Board of Directors at Mattel, Commvault, and Spartronics.

Before One Equity Partners, Todd was the CEO of Mozido, President of TIBCO Software, Inc., and EVP at Hewlett-Packard. He also held senior management positions at GE Capital, Palm Inc., Gateway, and AC Nielsen.

In this episode…

Early in Todd Bradley’s career, he learned a very simple (yet valuable) philosophy: If you take care of your people, they will take care of your service and your customers, who, in turn, will take care of your profits.

But what are the best ways to look after your people and create a winning team? According to Todd, you must assess your weaknesses and turn them into strengths, give your team effective performance feedback, and be exceptionally honest.

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau is joined by Todd Bradley, Operating Partner at One Equity Partners, to talk about his experience creating extraordinary teams. Todd shares how he worked through challenges in his career, how talent management has changed recently, and his favorite book.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Todd Perlman is the President of BT Partners, a technology consulting company that delivers impactful solutions and services. As the President, Todd strives to establish trusted relationships with clients and is focused on going above and beyond to help them achieve their goals. 

Before joining BT Partners over 20 years ago, Todd worked in public accounting as a Controller and Operations Manager for several companies across industries. He’s also served as Committee Chair for the Illinois CPA Society and is currently a member of AICPA and APICS. Additionally, he’s a Board Member of the Information Technology Alliance.

In this episode…

When an employee leaves or is not a good fit, it can greatly disrupt your business. It takes a lot of energy to manage this issue, and even worse, it puts more pressure on the rest of your employees. So how do you retain top employees, and how do you ensure that you’re hiring the right candidates in the first place?

Todd Perlman faced the same challenges, but after some big mistakes that impacted the company, he had a wake-up call. Todd realized that he needed to trust his hiring committee, give everyone veto power, and make sure they were focusing on the culture fits. To further improve the hiring process, he included detailed culture fit interviews, made sure that each member of the committee was on board for a new hire, and confronted bad hires right away. 

In this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, Chris Mursau sits down with Todd Perlman, the President of BT Partners, to talk about the hiring process and gauging culture in an interview. Todd shares how his hiring process developed throughout the years, the book that changed his perspective, and the disadvantages of hiring C and D players. 

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Todd Perlman on LinkedIn
• BT Partners
• Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
• The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism by Hubert Joly
• Ownership Thinking: How to End Entitlement and Create a Culture of Accountability, Purpose, and Profit by Brad Hams

David Macknin is the Principal of ChicagoRisk, a company that helps businesses, nonprofits, and individuals identify evolving risks and emerging challenges. David is also the President of The Owens Group, Inc., an insurance and risk management company. Previously, he was an Expert Panelist for FilmUtah, the President of Alper Services LLC, and the Executive Vice President for JMB Insurance.

In this episode…

Great leaders are focused, flexible, and put the health and well-being of their team at the forefront of the company. As David Macknin points out, there are so many different ways to manage a company, but there’s one common denominator: your people. However, one experience showed David how not to be a leader — and why it’s so important to have a strong, valued team. 

Find out on this episode of the Talent Wins podcast, where Chris Mursau is joined by David Macknin, Principal at ChicagoRisk and President of The Owens Group, Inc. David talks about his journey managing the Alper Services team and making leadership changes, the mistakes he made and lessons he learned along the way, and the people that are inspiring him to become the best leader possible. 

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• David Macknin on LinkedIn
• ChicagoRisk
• The Owens Group, Inc.
• Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t by Verne Harnish
• Craig Groeschel

Chris Mursau is the President of Topgrading, a proven system that helps organizations build and maintain high-performing teams through hiring, development, and promotion strategies. Since 2001, Chris has been consulting and teaching organizations and individual managers how to pack their teams with A Players.

Chris has conducted over 2,500 in-depth Topgrading assessments for internal and external candidates, helped hundreds of people achieve their A potential, and trained thousands of people in the guaranteed methods for improving their success. His client list is broad and diverse, including Fortune 500 companies, small to medium-sized businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

In this episode…

The interview is one of the first steps in hiring a candidate. However, most hiring managers aren’t experts at interviewing. So, what can you do to improve the interview stage and ensure you’re hiring the perfect people for the job?

This is where the Topgrading methodology can help you. The Topgrading team has designed a powerful, long-form interview approach to help hiring managers learn from candidates’ stories, identify patterns, and get a rich data set about that person. Through this approach, companies are finding more A players without having to hire and fire candidates who aren’t the right fit. 

In this episode of the Talent Wins Podcast, host Chris Mursau is interviewed by Chad Franzen of Rise25 to talk about improving the interview process. Chris shares how he helped one company implement Topgrading and transform their business, why the Topgrading interview is so powerful, and how the long-form interview helps you seek out A players.  

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn 
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• E&I Cooperative Services
• Chad Franzen on LinkedIn 
• Rise25

Kristine Jacobson is the CEO, Founder, and Chief Marketing Strategist at Conveyance Marketing Group, a Virginia-based consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs achieve measurable success through comprehensive marketing solutions. Kristine founded the company in 2009, bringing years of experience in the marketing field. 

Before Conveyance Marketing Group, Kristine was the Vice President of Marketing for Surety and an independent consultant for various companies, including Concert Technology, Inc and Digicon. Currently, she volunteers her time as an Advisor for Loudon County Chamber of Commerce and Warriors4Wireless, a Board Member for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and an Instructor for Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Inc.

In this episode…

What are the top strategies for attracting and retaining top talent? And how should you plan to hire and strengthen your team during times of growth?

Kristine Jacobson knows these challenges all too well. Her company, Conveyance Marketing Group, grew 65% in the last year alone. Amidst bad hires, adoption of virtual tools, and the difficulties of shaping a collaborative team during a pandemic, Kristine figured out what works in attracting and retaining “A players.” The key factors include intentional culture, team-building initiatives, and living out your core values. So how can you do this, too?

In this episode of the Talent Wins Podcast, Chris Mursau is joined by Kristine Jacobson, CEO, Founder, and Chief Marketing Strategist at Conveyance Marketing Group, to talk about the best ways to hire (and keep) top talent — even when you’re a growing company. Kristine discusses the recent challenges she’s faced around hiring and recruiting, the tools she uses to improve the hiring process, and the no-fail strategies for strengthening your team through times of growth.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Chris Mursau on LinkedIn 
• Topgrading on LinkedIn
• Topgrading
• Kristine Jacobson on LinkedIn 
• Conveyance Marketing Group
• Topgrading PreScreen Snapshot
• EOS Worldwide
• The Referral of a Lifetime: Never Make a Cold Call Again! by Tim Templeton
• How to Be a Great Boss by Gino Wickman and René Boer
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath
• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman