Leadership

The Growth Hacking Agency Led By a Rocket Scientist and an Investment Banker Deviate Labs, an innovative growth hacking marketing agency , was founded by Raymond Fong and Chad Riddersen. We, at Business and Leadership, are intrigued by how unique individuals with extremely different backgrounds can work together to create an environment and company that thrives. Deviate Labs provides growth marketing services in a variety of  verticals. Their work with Dollar Shave Club and their clients on Shark Tank caught our attention. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Fong and Riddersen for an interview: What are your educational backgrounds and how do they benefit Deviate Labs today? Raymond: I acquired my undergraduate degree in engineering from Harvey Mudd College.…

When it comes to leadership, that is exactly what has lacked in the Raider organization for what seems like decades. Long in the backs of our memories, through the cobwebs, are images of the one dominant franchise. Not just in the NFL, but of all professional sports. Yes, there was a time when the Raiders were pro sports winningest team. How fortunes can change with poor leadership. Enter an old face in Jon Gruden and a new one in Mike Mayock. The tenure of former GM Reggie McKenzie was mixed. While he targeted stars through the draft of Khalil Mack, Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Gabe Jackson, he also had…

Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft, the company which created the Windows operating system. He is credited as an entrepreneur who revolutionized the computer industry. He is consistently the richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $90 billion in 2016. A Short Biography From a very young age, Gates was fascinated by computers. In the eighth grade, he already showed an unusual interest in computers and even skipped his Math class to pursue programming. He went to Harvard College after scoring 1590 out of 1600 on the SATs. However, at Harvard, rather than studying, he spent most of his time in front of computers. In…

Attorney Jeffrey Nadrich, a Solution Focused Leader in Southern California Jeffrey Nadrich, one of the most well-established and honored personal injury attorneys in the Los Angeles area, agreed to sit down with us for a discussion. Of the many topics we covered, we focused on how his leadership style evolved, and how it has helped build and shape his law firm, Nadrich and Cohen. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? In what ways does that relate to what you do now? As a child I always wanted to be a lawyer. The reason was because I grew up working class and, as a result,…

Business Leadership Interview Questions for Les Cseh / ASAP Checks It is rare in this new economy to find a leader of a company focused and loyal to not only the employees but also to the local communities. Meet Les Cseh of ASAP Checks. With a location on the beautiful St. Lawrence River in up-state New York, Cesh’s company has provided a stable and challenging work environment, while leaving a small footprint on the environment. Cseh’s company has printed millions of checks since being founded in 1996, and also owns a sister-company in Canada. Cseh believes in giving back to the local community and is a strong supporter of the local Salvation Army and food back to…

Business Leadership Interview Questions for Don Scott Schnure / 1AutomationWiz As a digital marketing professional, software designer and former video production executive Don Schnure brings a unique perspective to the online shopping cart company 1AutomationWiz.com. With offices in St. Louis Missouri and a data center in Ottawa Canada, Don’s company offers a unique work environment where over 80% of the employees can telecommute. This provides new opportunities for working mothers and the flexibility in work schedules that attracts some of the industry’s top talent. Don’s company was founded in 2001 and is responsible for millions of dollars in online transactions and thousands of online stores. We had a chance to sit down…

Desi Dobreva – The Branding Queen Desi Dobreva is a professional creative, specializing in content creation, social media, PR and helping your business reach rock star status. She can be found on a plane, writing the night away, standing up for animal rights or hugging her sloth. Business and Leadership sat down with “The Branding Queen” to talk about being an entrepreneur, growing a team, and fighting mediocrity and creating big wins for her clients’ businesses. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up and in what ways does that relate to what you do now? Words and stories have captivated me ever since I…

There are two ways leaders motivate people to do what they want—power and influence. People may give us our way—out of fear or respect—because of our power. But they might not agree with us. The goal of influence is to motivate others to want what we want. Influence is the most desirable way to effect lasting change because it produces commitment, not just compliance. Even when influence fails, it builds goodwill. Steps to influence and make friends. Present the facts. You won’t get far unless you explain the arguments supporting your view. This includes doing the necessary cost-benefit analyses. Appeal to emotions. If logic fails, present a vision of your…

Wade Lombard, The Man Behind Square Cow Movers As every great leader will share, the foundation of their leadership skills and vision was instilled in them at an early age. As was the case with Wade, his inspiration came from his father, he saw what his father built and wanted to be a part of it. Great leaders are not lazy. Wade is the true example of that statement. When you co-own a thriving, up-and-coming moving company in a booming city like Austin, Texas, the customers rarely see the owners. Instead, they see the front-line employees and those are the faces of the company. The ones the company is graded…