Be Impactful (MAG's Mind)

In our first episode of Season 2, our host Zach Weismann is joined by Fora Events Founder, Ece Kurtaraner. Zach and Ece grew up on opposite sides of the world but have had a very similar career path and work trajectory. We dive into what influences (internal and external) shaped their similar paths and desires to build and offer services that felt impactful and meaningful. Ripe with personal stories and anectotes, you'll come away with a better understanding of how you can build a business of impact for yourself. "You can work for yourself, but you don't have to work by yourself." For more about Ece's work, check out Fora Events at www.https://fora-events.com/

On our latest episode of MAG’s Mind, I had the pleasure of chatting with Cathryn Lavery, Founder & CEO of Best Self Co. BestSelf Co. was founded in 2015 by Cathryn Lavery. In four years, the company has gone from launching a single product on Kickstarter to a global business with 8-figures in revenue. Along the way, BestSelf Co. won Shopify’s Build a Business Competition in 2016 and the Build a BIGGER Business competition in 2017 – the only company to win both awards consecutively. They’ve been featured in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, MTV, Huffington Post, Forbes, Inc., and more. Best Self is solely funded through the investments made by thousands of customers who have used their products to change their lives (myself included - I’m a big fan of their journals and productivity packs).Through developing the latest productivity tools, journals and notebooks, partnering with thought leaders in the industry, and hosting events and webinars, they’ve helped people around the world discover and accomplish their goals. But as Cathryn and I discuss in this episode, success isn’t always linear… Cathryn has weathered both her fair share of successes and challenges and defines what it means to persevere. Tune in as we discuss both the amazing opportunities and challenges that come with founding and running a successful business. Cathryn shares a wealth of insights on what it’s like running a company that takes off like a rocket ship where you are holding on for dear life, the importance of finding and understanding your core values, focusing on generating true impact for your customers, and why it might be time to retire the label “female” entrepreneur…. Thanks for tuning in and for more about Best Self and their products, visit www.bestself.co! 

In this episode of MAG's Mind, our Host Zach Weismann is joined by his long-time and one of his closest friends, Corey Green. Corey is the Brand Planning Group Head at the global ad agency, The Richards Group. In addition to being life-long friends, Corey is Baptist, Zach is Jewish, they are both Texans and are both liberal. (Say that 12 times fast) In today's political and working culture, the role of religion (both rightly and wrongly) can't be ignored. Zach and Corey attempt to, through personal anecdotes, dissect what's going on - how religion shapes us, the role brands play, and how we can have very different beliefs but be the closest of friends. And share a few laughs a long the way... 

In this episode of MAG's Mind, we are joined by Flip Brown, Founder of Business Culture Consultants and MAG Member. For the last two decades, Flip has been working with businesses and organizations of all sizes to help them become more connected, more collaborative, and ultimately more successful - all through the lens of culture. Today, our culture can feel as if its in the gutter. But Flip will help us understand and gain some important context as to where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. We take a deep dive into the roll brands play and should continue to play in helping us drive to a more inclusive and equitable future. For more information on Flip's work, please visit: https://businesscultureconsultants.com/

In this episode of MAG's Mind, we are joined by Tiffany Schreane, Founder of Optilytics Media and marketing, advertising, and data & analytics guru. Did you know over 110,000 YEARS worth of videos are streamed EVERY SINGLE DAY on YouTube? Did you know Tiffany has been to 10 Earth Wind and Fire concerts? And I've been to 11 Ben Harper concerts??Why does it matter? Well brands can apparently learn A LOT from music, data, and analytics to form better, more meaningful and deeper relationships with customers and consumers. How? Tune in to find out! For more information about Optilytics Media and their work, please visit: https://www.optilyticsmedia.com/

In this episode, MAG Founder, Zach Weismann, explores the current state of the world to attempt to understand, are we in a perfect storm? We explore the areas of healthcare, environment, race, technology and culture to understand how each sector in fact puts the burden on the individual. How can we better understand and deal with this burden to in fact solve some of our most pressing challenges? Tune in to find out! 

In Episode 3 of MAG's mind, Founder Zach Weismann is joined by good friend Dimitar Vlahov who is the Sustainable Business & Brand Transformation Consultant at Sustainable Brands. Dimitar has worked at the forefront of large brand sustainability, corporate social responsibility, innovation, and social impact for the last 8 years. He has seen it all. In this episode, we discuss brand sustainability to better understand: are the brands having the impact they say they are? Is it legitimate? Are we being fooled? Especially in light of current COVID19 challenges. For more information about Dimitar and his work, visit www.sustainablebrands.com For more information about MAG, visit www.magcollective.com 

In Episode 2 of MAG's Mind, we explore what it means to be a good partner - in life, work, and even sports. What are the characteristics of a good partner? How do you define a successful partnership? And in these challenging times, we explore why we need partnerships now more than ever. We are joined by Joanne Sonenshine, Founder of Connective Impact and Founding MAG member. Joanne, a trained economist, is a Partnership Strategist, author of two books, a wife, a proud mother to two young boys, and a diehard Cleveland Browns fan. For more information about Joanne and her work, visit: www.connectiveimpact.com For more information about MAG and our work, visit: www.magcollective.com

Join host Zach Weismann, Founder of MAG Impact Collective, and Eric Martin, Managing Director of Adaptive Change Advisors and Founding MAG Member, as they explore the power that anxiety, loss, and even grief can have in times of change. Through the power of leadership, we can use these experiences to be forces for good. For more information about Eric's work in leadership, please visit: www.adaptivechangeadvisors.com For more information about MAG's work, please visit: www.magcollective.com 

In our 3rd Episode from Season 2, I'm joined by Kjell Vandevyvere, Founder of The Copy Galaxy (www.thecopygalaxy.com), father, and excellent copy writer and editor. We dive into what's been nagging us about the Creator Influencers and how we can all build our businesses in more wholesome, authentic ways. Tune in! 

This week we're joined by Author & Managing Director of ESG’s & Sustainability at Grant Thornton, John Friedman.John has spent a career working in sustainability and has an uncanny ability to break down the importance of sustainability and the ESGs in a way that’s easy for everyone to understand, while highlighting the uncomfortable truth’s we must work to address. His recent book, Managing Sustainability: First Steps to First Class is also available online. By definition: “Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. Environmental criteria consider how a company performs as a steward of nature. Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates. Governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.”Tune in for a wonderful conversation with John and you’ll come away knowing more about the ESGs and the critical importance they must play in our future. For more about John's work: Email: johnfriedmanCSR@gmail.comBook link: https://www.businessexpertpress.com/books/managing-sustainability-first-steps-to-first-class/Twitter: @johnfriedman

In our 10th episode, we are joined by Jeff Sheldon, Creator and Founder of Ugmonk. Ugmonk is an amazing design studio based out of Downingtown, PA that curates and creates amazing products ranging from t-shirts, to desk organizers, to analog productivity systems. Ugmonk is one of the most thoughtful, intentional, and tasteful brands we have ever seen and so we wanted to know more about the company, Jeff's journey, the successes, failures, and future of Ugmonk. Tune in to hear more about their journey! For more information about Ugmonk and to check out their products, visit www.ugmonk.com Thanks! 

"Companies have a responsibility to act as good humans." In this episode, we hear from a company that is, in fact, leading by example. In our final episode of 2020, we are joined by the Co-Founders of IdeaScale, Rob Hoehn and Jessica Day. IdeaScale is a global crowdsourcing innovation software company headquartered in Berkeley, CA. Rob and Jessica, in addition to being wonderful humans, have spearheaded many company initiatives on climate change, racial injustice, and political change. Join us as we discuss the opportunity for companies to lead, but also the challenges faced when taking political, environmental, and social stands.