Pioneering CEOs Of The Year 2022 | Best Business Magazine | Exeleon Magazine

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IN - FOUCS

Tricia Brouk: Helping Individuals Share Their Stories

Disrupt Yourself 5 WAYS T O B E C O M E YO U R O W N AG E N T O F DISRUPTION

Jonathan Shroyer

A VIBRANT FORCE IN ENRICHING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

IN - FOUCS

Khris Thayer: Optimizing digital relevance

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CONTENTS

12 JONATHAN SHROYER

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22 KHRIS THAYER

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28 WHITNEY JOHNSON

CEO & Founder Officium Labs

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Jonathan Shroyer A Vibrant Force in Enriching Customer Experience

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IMPACT OF EARLY YEARS Leaders are pioneers — people who are willing to explore opportunities in the unknown. They have a heart for adventure and an eye for better roles, products, and experiences. Moreover, they believe that the next big thing isn't hiding under a desk and are a itting example of innovation through active exploration.

One such leader that is leading change and stretching the boundaries in the realm of customer experience is Jonathan Shroyer. Jonathan is the former CEO and Co-founder of Of icium Labs, the future of superior customer service, and now the Chief CX Innovation Of icer of Arise, postmerger. His vision is to create a decentralized network of amazing talent and provide bi-directional value to the customer and the talent.

Jonathan believes that pioneering is a mindset of believing and hoping for something new, different, and better, and then going after it to make it happen. He highly regards pioneers like Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Nikola Tesla, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, and Mahatma Gandhi that moved the world with their pioneering actions.

Additionally, he also has a distinctive leadership style. In his own words, “When I think about the future, I think about what is needed in next 5-10 years and then reverse engineer it back to today.

This helps me imagine what the world could or should be.” His company hinges on this growth mindset as it is the catalyst that solves today's problems with tomorrow's sustainable solutions.

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During elementary school, Jonathan became enamored with maps and geography. He spent countless hours memorizing maps, statistics, highways, oceans, and everything that connects to make the planet Earth. As he understood these objects better, he began to draw, starting from his local town, then his state, then the United States.

Eventually, he hand drew the entire world. He recalls, “Drawing helped me understand how the Earth is networked together into a larger entity—and helped me realize that many of Earth's smaller geographical entities and variables are de ined by humans.”

Over the next few years, he fed his voracious appetite for understanding the known and unknown world. At a young age, he could see controllable and uncontrollable variables and often thought of the world as a workshop.

He believes when you are young, leadership is rawer and not re ined. He shares a story from his childhood to elaborate on this belief, “I was sitting in my 1stgrade class and looking out the window and seeing my sister, who was at recess, getting picked on and hit by four other boys. At that moment I did what any good leader would do, I acted. I did not ask permission, I just got up out of my seat, ran through the halls, and out to the recessed area.”

He then proceeded to protect his sister and fend off the bullies. This raw leadership instinct is more re ined today. “A great way to build and protect your people is the type of culture you create and maintain. If everyone feels safe, they will thrive in ways even they would not expect,” he adds.

MELDING PURPOSE WITH CAREER

Jonathon knew in his teen years that his purpose in life was to serve and help. As a child, he suffered abuse and tragedy and it was only a few important people, who Jonathan refers to as helpers, that helped him become the person he is today. Drawing inspiration from his past, he endeavors every day to be one of the helpers.

This mindset naturally led him to the services industry, and he considers himself to be privileged to thrive and live a more purposeful life because of it.

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Later in 2019, energized by an audacious new idea, Jonathan and his Co-founder Scott McCabe took several long walks around San Francisco. As the steps ticked by, they talked about the enormous opportunity to use CX to help companies maximize their revenue.

They discussed the vast network of CX resources and capabilities that are currently untapped and hampered by traditional resourcing models. Consequently, they recognized that it was time for a new, innovative customer experience model to help companies protect and generate value. It was time for a break from history. It was time for Officium Labs; Of icium is Latin for 'to serve or to help.'

Of icium set out to help companies deliver amazing experiences for their customers. Over the past two years, he and his team helped over 30 companies do this. “We're grateful to have such great clients to enable us to deliver over $12M in revenue during that span,” Jonathan says.

“BELIEVE IN WHAT OTHERS HAVE NOT DREAMED YET AND GO AFTER IT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.”

His irm grew to have a unique and exclusive portfolio. They started with reputed gaming brands like WB Games, Fore Labs, Rally.io, Mythica Games, EA, and Playdemic. They later expanded into different product suites to work with brands like CHEP, Wells Fargo, Amwell, Bank of America, Sunbasket. This was the irst whisper of success across all industry sectors where the end goal was to www.exeleonmagazine.com

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HOLDING THE BATON OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP As a Chief CX Of icer, Jonathan's job is to continue to be a pioneer in the customer experience area. He strives to help, imagine and create the future of service. All the efforts, time, and patience have led to the upcoming inauguration of CX Lab in April in San Francisco. Additionally, he retains responsibilities to run and manage Arise Gaming and Consulting divisions.

Jonathan wishes to do his best to ensure optimal client satisfaction. He shares, “Both companies have strong playbooks on how they manage clients and have really deep relationships with their prospective clients.” He is con ident of the new opportunities and is excited to further strengthen meaningful decade-long client relationship value.

Jonathan's irm leverages traditional marketing methodologies, social proof marketing, and the most effective method, word of mouth. He says, “Leaders tell other leaders how we have helped them and can do so for their leader peers. Additionally, we are fortunate to receive awards and industry recognition that cements our value in the industry.”

He believes that Research & Development (R&D) has been a key success to his business, but in different ways than most think. “We are not always incubating new tech. We are incubating and building what the future of service will look like. I always ask my team, how many years are we ahead of the industry. If it's less than 5 years, I call a deep think session and we start to plan what it will take and what we need to do to be 5+ years relevant at all times,” he asserts.

When Jonathon was 21, he built out a 20-year plan to become the CEO of his own company. And at 41, he founded Of icium Labs. But the path to achieving several accolades and achievements has its setbacks and breakthroughs. The journey towards success is not linear and is often painful and very hard. The presence of his supportive partner, Kristen Kator, and a son, Andersen made his journey worthwhile.

Later this year, he has an upcoming book about his life called 'Becoming Jonathan' that will be an account of his struggle, his success, and the journey in a detailed way.

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generate pro its while resonating with the brands' customer experience.

Jonathan and his team were instrumental in predicting three mega trends in their domain in 2019: Increased employee lexibility, pro itability in customer experience, and alternative payment options. Gradually, greater adaptability and adoption were noticeable across all the trends. Although the pace was faster in a few sectors due to the pandemic, the irm continued to invest and capitalize in itself.

When Jonathan and his team built the business, they were focused on the trifecta revenue model: Connect is their On-demand customer service stream, Transform is the consultative and transformational stream, and Innovate is the tools and licensing stream.

He knew storms would come, so if he easily could pivot around the triangle to what was needed at the time, he could be successful. And when COVID hit he noticed a spike in Connect and now that COVID is ramping down, he is starting to see growth in Transform again.

The irm's on-demand, fast and lexible solutions provide the bestin-class customer experience.

Jonathan shares, “We are often referred to as the AWS of Human Capital or Uber of Customer Service for our Connect business.”

Additionally, the irm also has a proven framework to deliver pro it in the customer experience through their Transform business.

“We have innovative tools that help 18

A FUTURE OF RAINBOWS AND UNICORNS Jonathan is optimistic that the future of service is all about the three core tenants of his new parent company Arise: Be There, Be Aware, Be Essential. He says, “There is nothing stronger than brand emotional af inity.” He aims to make Of icium just as important to leaders as their cup of coffee in the morning. This is a remarkable opportunity for him to further scale across sectors, brands, industries, and geographies.

He imagines a future of co-creating amazing customer experiences, like a rainbow meets a unicorn, and Arise enables him to do this. There is a grander success that awaits them with Jonathan's expertise and experience combined with Of icium's talent in segments like Gaming, Blockchain, Logistics, and Consulting.

He says, “We believe it is a win-win for both sides. Arise invented WFH 27 years ago and we get to take advantage of their history and heritage and co-create a future together.”

brands optimize costs up to 3040% in our Innovate business,” he concludes.

BEING A SELFLESS HELPER

Jonathan believes that people are the heart of every company and customers are the lifeblood. He says, “Your culture is your brain and your mentors and believers are your eyes on what can be possible. It's important to set forth and leverage all the greatness in and around you,” he suggests.

He is a big dreamer and leaps ahead con idently to achieve the impossible. He holds Nelson Mandela's 'win or learn' philosophy close to his heart and

poured his wisdom and experience into his company to make it the world's best team.

He advises young and emerging entrepreneurs to be patient with themselves and those around them. Kindness and generosity with your time and praise will never go out of style. Subsequently, it is also crucial to be thoughtful with criticism and ensure it is helpful and meaningful. “Most of all believe in what others have not dreamed yet and go after it and make it happen. That's the indomitable human spirit,” he concludes.

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“WE ARE REFERRED TO AS THE AWS OF HUMAN CAPITAL OR UBER OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR OUR CONNECT BUSINESS.”

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n in luential leader is a leader that strives to make a positive impact on people affected by seen and unseen decisions. In fact, good leaders are good listeners and inquisitive about what makes people tick, encourage people to play to their strengths and provide opportunities to strengthen their weaknesses.

Good leaders use this diagnostic approach to provide clarity and purpose through decisive and independent thought. Khris Thayer, CEO and Co-founder of OPTiZMO Technologies, is an ingenious example of an in luential leader. He implements his thought-leadership style through seeking and providing opportunities for others.

Additionally, he proactively contributes in leveling-up his team's knowledge and experience.

He says, “I make a conscious effort to empathize without sacri icing high standards in order to appease.”

FACING THE MUSIC— LIKE A REAL LEADER Khris' earliest memory as a leader is mostly centered around music.

Growing up in a small town in rural Texas, it was dif icult for him to ind creative outlets. But re lecting on his formative years made him realize the importance of manifestations through adversity.

This eventually led him to excel in his personal growth and interests.

As he tried to create an outlet for himself, he soon realized that there were other people all around him looking for the same thing: www.exeleonmagazine.com

Inspiration. They needed a catalyst and he wanted to be that for them.

Khris shares, “I listened to other young people talk as they were looking at albums at a local record shop. While they were buying albums, popular within the culture of the area, I would hear them comment about wanting to ind something new. They would complain about everything sounding the same or that their parents didn't like it. “

There were plenty of options for new music to be discovered, and Khris took this as a cue for him to lead people towards a free and open-minded perspective. He recalls, “ I walked over to a nearby demo stereo and began to play music that I found interesting.

Music not found on any of the top sellers.” He would play the most random albums and after a few weeks of doing this, he made more friends than he ever wanted.

There was a gravitational pull as he explained his reasons for creating music and inding inspiration to in luence his own writing. This was the irst time he cognizantly realized that people want to be led, but not forced into following. Khris believes that “we all want to be inspired by people who are unapologetic about what drives them.”

Inspiration is contagious and we want to follow people who are deliberate and passionate. Those same friends are still his friends now: bandmates, roadies, his unpaid marketing team, his creative consultants and production engineers, and lifelong fans of

anything that he has pursued throughout his life.

A HAPPY CHANCE WITH HIS PASSION Music has always been a means of catharsis for Khris and integral to his success and sanity. The discipline and focus required to create music, write songs, identify patterns, inspire emotion, and take people on a journey has played a positive role in his life. It also created a positive impact as it taught him about leading and in luencing people to a desired outcome.

But it was a fortunate stroke of serendipity when he was introduced to the email marketing industry. Coincidentally, around that time, his friend and CTO/ Cofounder, Grant Fern had started a think-tank passion project. This led them both to discuss business ideas, concepts, and philosophy.

After years pondering a company together, they decided to collaborate and make things happen.

He believed that the market needed a better and more reliable solution for managing the collection, storage, and distribution of email suppression lists. As a result, he and Grant decided to focus on work low automation and ef iciency. Eventually, they built a team dedicated to customer success and this was the impetus for creating OPTiZMO.

Sharing his idea about the name of the company, Khris shares “As with a lot of companies, the name

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resulted from some back-of-anapkin doodling, playing around with the word, Optimize. Eventually, Optimization-Gizmos led to the company name, OPTiZMO.”

As a CEO, Khris believes his role is to build a competent team, empower and facilitate them with the tools that they need to succeed, and then let them do what they do best. So, while he is often involved in day-to-day operations, his leadership focus is providing strategic guidance according to the circumstances.

EYES ON THE REAL PRIZE

For Khris, his people are the real assets as he treasures them dearly.

From the beginning, he had his vision set on hiring highly entrepreneurial, self-motivated people with expertise in their respective ields. “Results-driven autonomy has created an environment that supports both personal and professional growth for individual team members while inspiring camaraderie and collaboration as a team,” he adds.

Additionally, Khris is driven and passionate to ensure optimal client experience and satisfaction. His focus is simple, impactful and progressive on three key areas: providing the best data management and compliance technology; delivering world-class customer service and support; managing scale while not sacri icing service for growth.

Khris' journey has been an exciting and adventurous one and rarely, if ever, a straight path. It has been a challenging route of many ups, downs, curves, and crossroads towards success. But, he is not 24

really one for regrets, as he thinks it is dif icult to say if there is anything that he would do differently.

However, Khris always strives to improve and become better through experience and learning. “I try to remain cognizant of my responsibility to my partner and my team. I try to remain humble and open to learn from those I lead and those who lead me. I've been fortunate in that many of those, the ones I lead and who lead me, are one in the same,” he concludes.

HIS BIGGEST EXPERIENTIAL ADVICE

Adaptability, mindfulness, and gratitude are rare qualities that should warrant more attention in the context of business and leadership. Khris suggests aspiring business leaders to be adaptable to market trends and changes in the business and pivot quickly and decisively.

He also thinks it is more important to make moves and changes in the right direction than it is to be right about an initial direction or idea.

Additionally, being mindful of your actions and decisions impact those you lead. Khris repeatedly emphasizes on being responsible for outcomes and leading by example.

Gratitude is another important ingredient required to cook your delicious success story. Khris also says, “Positive outcomes are often the result of learning from negative outcomes. Be grateful for the learning opportunities, but do not focus on the negative. There is almost always a silver lining.”

Lastly, be deliberate: say what you

mean and mean it when you say it.

“Your clients, partners, and team members will respect you for it and it will, likely, earn you goodwill to get you through the moments when you misstep. Work environments may change, but these philosophies never will,” he concludes.

OPTIMIZING FOR THE FUTURE

With over 15 years of experience, Khris still has a fascination for his company and is very excited about the future. As thought leaders in the digital marketing industry, he believes his team are in a great position to anticipate the challenges of the future and rise to meet them head-on, while expanding the business offerings.

“We prepare for this with a sense of cultural readiness as we scale our team to meet the demands of our growing and ever-evolving company,” he shares. Moreover, he will also be focusing on international growth in 2022 and beyond.

A few of his other priorities are to enhance the SaaS platform, scale the infrastructure and team, while continuing to create more value through diversi ication of OPTIZMO's product and service offerings. Lastly, he is looking to expand his OPTiZMO's network of cross-platform integration partners.

“We are always innovating and incubating new business models and ideas,” he concludes.

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D i s r u p t Yo u r s e l f 5 W AY S T O B E C O M E Y O U R O W N AGENT OF DISRUPTION isruption is a bad thing, right? Well, it depends. Are you the disruptor or the disrupted? In startups, disruptors reap the massive bene its of doing things a new way.

Name any unicorn company, like Apple, Amazon, or Uber — in fact, name any great company, and behind its success is a story of disruption. But remember, companies don't disrupt, people do. People who disrupt stand to reap massive bene its for not following the status quo. Reid Hoffman in his book, The Startup of You, advises everyone to think of themselves and their career as their own startup. And Tara Parker-Pope recently wrote, we can use 'design thinking' to better ourselves through personal reinvention. I believe that it's imperative to become your own Agent of Disruption. Yes, I know, it sounds like a fun spy game. Let's play!

D

In my book, Disrupt Yourself!, I outlined seven variables for harnessing the powers of disruption. Because you can never know too much about how to ride the waves of change, below are some practical tips from entrepreneurs who have “Disrupt yourself” as one of their favorite mantras.

TRY SOMETHING NEW Gillian Morris, CEO, HitList

'Studies have shown that being in unfamiliar places helps you think creatively. Neurologically, you make new connections between unfamiliar frameworks as you move through new territory, and it can impact how you www.exeleonmagazine.com

think in your 'normal' life as well.

'I've found that travel makes me more resourceful, and keeps me calm and grounded through the inevitable ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.

Stuck in traf ic on the way to a critical meeting?

Inconvenient, but not as bad as having food poisoning in Afghanistan and discovering the nearest hospital is in territory controlled by the Taliban. Experiences like that put the rest of your problems in perspective. Being outside your comfort zone reinforces what's important.

It's said that travel is cheaper than therapy, and though it won't cure everything, I think there's a lot to be said for travel as a health bene it.'

If you're feeling stuck then try something new. It literally feels good to disrupt. When you learn you get a squirt of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you happy.

You may think you crave certainty, control, and tasks you can easily complete, but agents of disruption know that moving into terra incognita — the unexplored territory — feels better. A study done by Kennon M. Sheldon and colleagues found that self-expression and creativity may increase positive feelings leading people to act more responsibly, cooperatively, and cheerfully. Launching into the unknown, not only makes you feel good; it inspires your team too. It's restorative, both emotionally and physically. If you are feeling stuck, focus on who you want to become, not who you are. It will help you move from stuck to unstuck.

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KEEP GOOD COMPANY Anna Curran, Founder, Cookbook Create 'I surround myself with people who inspire me to live life to the fullest, dream big and go for it. Each friend has their own super power. Deborah Jackson, Founder of Plum Alley, encourages me to push the limits of big thinking and dreaming. Jessica Randazza, CMO Dannone, constantly inspires me to play and cultivate my creative side. Sloane Davidson lends her rose-colored glasses often and renews my faith in the world as a beautiful place.'

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once famously said, “You are the average of the ive people you spend the most time with.” It's true, and what's good for you is good for them. Research has shown that emotions are contagious.

As you enjoy the feel-good effects of disruption, others will too. When you share your dreams of disruption with you mentors, friends and team, you release the bonding hormone, oxytocin, which activates higher levels of trust. Sharing makes other people feel trusted and that makes them feel good, too.

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION Vanessa Quigley, Co-Founder, Chatbooks

'I had no intention of joining my husband in a start-up when the last of my seven children started school. I was going to get into yoga, local theatre, and enjoy my newfound free time. But one day I discovered that I had no printed pictures of my youngest child. All he had to show for his young life was a tattered little snapshot taken by his preschool teacher. I used to make elaborate scrapbooks when I was a younger mom, but as life got busier I quit printing pictures all together. So I went to my entrepreneur husband with an idea: could we make creating photo books as easy as taking the photos?

'My passion for my family and my desire to help people hold on to their memories — quickly, easily, and affordably — drove me to disrupt head irst into the chaotic, exciting world of a startup. Incidentally, we've disrupted the photo book industry, having sold over a million books, and attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers.'

It doesn't always follow that we are good at the things we care about, but it's an excellent place to start.

Successful agents of disruption are those who identify an unmet need that can be illed by their unique talent 30

set. Don't be dismissive of your passions — chances are that you're not the only one who cares. If you're dissatis ied with how existing products and/or services address your needs, then others have the same concerns. Your solution may be the solution everyone is looking for. Don't we all wish we'd invented Velcro?

TRAVEL THE NON-LINEAR PATH Renee DiResta, Haven

'Some people have always known what they're born to do. They specialize early and quickly acquire deep experience. Not me. My latest career move was to help start a company in an industry I'd never previously worked in: transportation logistics.

'I studied computer science, but a serendipitous interview led me to inance. As a trader from 2004–2011, I watched technology transform the market.

I left inance to pursue a hobby, tracking inef icient private market trading of startups. As I worked with dozens of founders, themes emerged. Manufacturing and distribution are still very hard; production delays are common. Teams rely on outmoded methods to meet their deadlines.

'When Haven's founders looked at the freight industry, there were many parallels to early inancial markets.

Transportation logistics was begging to be transformed from an opaque phone-and-email market, through the creation of a technologically sophisticated exchange that reduced overhead costs of time and money and improved ef iciency.

'Depth of experience is incredibly important for a company's success, and Haven has team members with decades of supply chain and freight experience. But breadth of experience helped me visualize how an innovation that transformed one industry might bene it another. Don't be afraid of a non-linear path.'

You don't have to invent something new to be an agent of disruption; you only have to be willing to reinvent yourself. Sometimes that means deploying earned skills in a new enterprise, entirely unrelated to prior experience, but susceptible to the same problems — and solutions — that you've encountered previously. Your fresh eyes and mind focused in a new situation may be able to make connections that those with long experience are too fatigued to spot. Agility and adaptability are hallmarks of disruptors. And when it EXELEON MAGA ZINE

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comes to technology, the only thing that isn't news is that we have to keep up with it.

Taylor Reynolds, the Director of Technology Policy, MIT Internet Policy Research Initiative says, “The verdict is still out on the long-term effects of technological innovation on jobs, but those who can pick up new skills and pivot themselves towards jobs that use these new technologies will be the ultimate winners in our increasingly digital economy.

INVEST IN YOURSELF Jane Barratt, Founder & CEO GoldBean

'Moving to Asia in my mid-20's was life-changing. Money and investments were topics of everyday conversation. I adopted the local habit of investing, even though I had no previous experience or real understanding.

'We're well-trained as consumers. Aggressive marketing blurs the lines between our wants and our needs.

Investing forced me to look differently at how I spent money. I still bought the shoes and bags I loved, but I started to ask who made them. Are they public companies? Worth investing in? Consumers drive the success of investors. Recognizing that fact slowed down my impulse purchasing and prioritized putting money into a trading account versus a shopping spree.

'When I moved to the U.S., I built my company to encourage people to think differently about money, and to use what they knew and did as a consumer as a starting point to invest in themselves, rather than just the shareholders of the companies they like to patronize.'

Making an investment in yourself is the most basic reason for self-disruption. A direct portfolio investment is only one possibility. When we are agents of disruption we can reap a windfall of bene its: new opportunities, career advancement, inancial advantage, personal satisfaction. Doing something new produces a different outcome, an outcome over which we have some control.

In this, agents of disruption differ from objects of disruption — the former chooses to act, while the latter is acted upon, without their input.

CONCLUSION

It may sound “evil empire”-ish, but being an agent of disruption is a very powerful positive force. When you disrupt yourself, you not only cope with the forces of disruption, you enable yourself to harness its power and unpredictability to propel you forward, and potentially those around you, too. What are you waiting for? Join the game. Disrupt yourself.

A b o u t t h e W r i t e r

Whitney Johnson is the CEO of human capital consultancy Disruption Advisors, an Inc. 5000 2020 fastest-growing private company in America. One of the 50 leading business thinkers in the world (#14) as named by Thinkers50, Whitney is an expert at helping individuals, teams and organizations become peak performers. Moreover, Whitney is an award-winning author, world-class keynote speaker, and frequent lecturer for Harvard Business School's Corporate Learning

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From ‘Nutritionist’ to Becoming CEO, My Fullling Journey Through the Nutrition Industry

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hat moment you realize everything you've been through -- every lucky break, every failure, every disappointment, every open and closed door -- has led you to exactly where you're meant to be.

That's how I feel on a daily basis.

Reminiscing on the memories of being a very picky eater growing up, I became determined to create a healthy life as a young adult. Despite my parents' best efforts to get me to eat a more diverse diet, like so many 80's kids, I grew up on chicken nuggets, ish sticks, canned green beans, and plain pasta. As a teen www.exeleonmagazine.com

athlete, I started to have an appreciation for how food fueled me and made me feel. And as I started to discover all of the amazing cuisines I was missing out on as a picky eater, I started training my palate to learn to love the foods I'd loathed like salmon, sushi, eggs, beets, anything spicy or non-Americana. This began my passion for 'palate development'.

MY BEGINNING AT STARBUCKS

In college, I pursued Pediatrics -driven by my combined appreciation for health and love of caring for babies and children. After I graduated from the University of Oregon with a Pre-Med major and

minors in Business and Chemistry, I decided to move to Seattle to pursue a Masters in Nutrition at the University of Washington. During my Masters and Registered Dietitian programs, I nannied for a wonderful family in our neighborhood, John & Karen Culver. John worked for Starbucks.

After I completed my education, John so kindly offered to send my resume to the QA/Regulatory Affairs teams at Starbucks to see if they had any need for a dietitian. And the stars were aligned for me that day as they'd just decided they needed someone to come help with Nutrition Analysis for their irst 35

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Beverage Nutrition Brochure. It was just a 3-week contractor role, but I was elated! I didn't care how mundane the work felt, I was working for one of the biggest and most respected brands. I completed the 3-weeks of work in 2 weeks.

Begged to stay. And I did.

Over the course of the next 6 years, I'd create the irst 'Nutritionist' role at Starbucks as a full-time 'Partner'.

It was the irst ride of my life.

Knowing there was so much more a dietitian could do for a company than nutrition/data analysis, I took an early opportunity to present to the then-CEO, Jim Donald, and share my thoughts on the company's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

I talked about the health bene its of tea and coffee, and the nutritional impact that a daily latte can have on a population that is largely in need of calcium and vitamin D. I talked about the sugar, sodium, trans fat, and saturated fat across the food and beverage portfolio and recommended healthier options, smaller portion sizes, and a focus on communicating to the customer how to customize their beverage to meet their needs.

LEARNING THE 'INS' AND 'OUTS'

I started my career on the Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance team -- in charge of the accuracy of every nutrition facts panel and claim on the packaging. I learned from the best regulatory and legal specialists who trained me to understand the FDA's regulatory ins and outs as well as have an appreciation for and dedication to marketing and packaging that was 'truthful and not misleading'.

Essentially, this work prepared me to 36

walk through a grocery store and see through the BS marketing that often plagued the aisles.

Over the next several years, I'd take on a strategic role in the company as Health & Wellness became one of the 4 strategic pillars of the company. I'd work alongside Marketing and Category teams to determine product priorities and with R&D chemists to reformulate existing food and beverages -- going to a Skinny Vanilla Latte taste testing was a fun 'meeting' to have on the calendar!

We made some incredible progress together as we created the irst Nutrition Guardrails (caps on calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, etc.) and Ingredient Standards (removing arti icial lavors, colors, preservatives, HFCS, and arti icial trans fat across the US and International food and beverage products.) Hundreds of products were reformulated to be better for you.

And dozens of new products were launched like wholesome smoothies, oatmeal, egg white options, and a beautiful assortment of salads and protein and veggie-packed bistro boxes. I also consulted the Strategy and M&A teams on retail assortment and potential acquisitions for the Starbucks brand.

With all of these product launches and nutrition initiatives, I started to have the opportunity to act as a spokesperson for the Health & Wellness Agenda -- doing TV, radio, and print interviews as well as numerous desksides. I found that I loved storytelling, especially on behalf of a brand I was so proud to be a part of.

ANOTHER TASK ADDED TO THE CHECKLIST Everything -- and nothing -- changed when I became a mom in 2008.

Everything changed in that my focus shifted from Frappuccinos and breakfast sandwiches to baby purees and infant cereals. And nothing changed in regard to the fact that I was always focused on creating healthy solutions for customers and was a champion for transparent, authentic brands and truthful marketing.

As a new mom, I cruised the aisle for baby food options and was fed up with what I found — many baby foods were unbalanced, lacking premium proteins and healthy fats, and misleadingly marketed. I saw a sea of uninspiring, shelf-stable, muted lavors. And rows and rows of unrecyclable pouches that don't encourage the important motor development skill of spoon-feeding.

So, I left my dream job at Starbucks to set out to create a better solution for parents.

FILLING UP THE BABY AISLE

We didn't want the next generation of babies growing up on so much applesauce. Did you know many baby food pouches have the same grams of sugar as a bowl of LUCKY CHARMS? Babies deserve better.

I was determined to solve mealtime for parents. To take the guesswork out of feeding baby balanced meals.

To offer a variety of foods, lavors, and textures without spending hours in the kitchen.

So, I put in the work. I dove into the

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research surrounding infant nutrition -- understanding the developmental milestones and important nutrients like iron + vitamin C, calcium & Vitamin D, zinc, biotin, choline, probiotics, omega 3's, healthy fats, iber, protein, etc.

I developed the Square Meal System™, the irst-ever customizable meal plan service that offers 100% Daily Nutrition. That means any 2 or 3 Square Meals per day (depending on babies' age) offer 100% of the baby's daily recommended servings of veggies, fruit, whole grains, and protein-based on USDA and AAP recommendations.

After several years of nutrition research, recipe development and baby taste testing (the best part!), developing a business plan and model, and creating our brand -- I moved to the Bay Area in 2014 with my husband and 2 kids, Nolan and Jackson who were 2 and 5 years old at the time.

Everything changed when I met Kendall.

THE PERFECT BUSINESS PARTNER

She was one of my irst friends in my new town of Orinda. We both had kindergartners and a passion for health and wellness. Together, we volunteered in our community to raise money for local children's hospitals and organizations, start a nutrition education program at our elementary school, revamp the School Lunch Program, and more. I quickly learned that Kendall was the perfect business partner for me -- a solutions-based operator and executor and a born leader. She's also insanely smart and accomplished with a Masters in Biophysics & Molecular Genetics. www.exeleonmagazine.com

Kendall started her own business by the age of 30 -- the irst private Perinatal Practice in San Francisco.

In 2017, following one of my insistent gut instincts, I asked if she would join me in launching Square Baby. To my surprise, she accepted!

We got to work reviewing and re ining all of the research and business plans and developed our go-to-market strategy. This was a turning point in my life.

In July 2018, Square Baby was born.

SOLVING THE HUNGER OF PARENTS

We created Square Baby to solve for every pain point we had when feeding our kiddos. To solve all of the fears and questions we had when irst feeding our own children. How do we know we've given him the right amount of the right foods? Is he getting enough protein, veggies, and healthy fats? When is he ready for gassier foods like beans and

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cauli lower? And how about herbs & spices? How do I help prevent food allergies? And how can I assure he'll grow up to be an adventurous eater who loves beets and sushi -- and not a picky eater who demands chicken nuggets and plain pasta?

Everything I'd learned and experienced as a young picky eater, at graduate school, and at Starbucks helped me design premium and safe products with the most optimal nutrition, a trustworthy brand with transparent packaging, and a solution for parents that was always laser-focused on the customer 38

experience.

We are so proud of what we've built with Square Baby. Our organic meals are made fresh in small batches and delivered frozen— giving you as close to 'homemade' quality & nutrition as possible. And we are the only brand that offers 100% Daily Nutrition and a comprehensive Allergen Introduction Menu.

THERE'S A LOT MORE TO COME

We are beyond excited to announce that our regional, bootstrapped brand is growing! West Coast

parents have been loving our meals and service and we quickly outgrew our Bay Area commercial kitchen.

We are scaling into a new state-ofthe-art facility and expanding nationally with our direct-toconsumer service in early 2022.

Any entrepreneur will tell you that launching and operating a startup is a crazy roller coaster - to put it mildly. But there's one thing I know for certain: I'm doing exactly what I should be. And I'm so grateful every day for the opportunity to chase this dream and make an impact on the next generation.

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TriciaBrouk

Transformational Speaker Coach Big Talk Academy

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IN - FOCUS

Helping Individuals Share Their Stories

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very individual is different and functions differently based on his/her personality. This also means that every one of us are blessed with talents and abilities that are unique and describe what or who we truly are. Gaining a complete sense of our qualities, talents, and strengths allows us to feel more con ident, purposeful, and intentional in our lives. A sense that speaks to us of clarity, inspiration, and motivation — all attained through a simple act of selfdiscovery.

The same moment of self-discovery came into the life of Tricia Brouk when she saw her sister dancing at a very young age. It was then she decided to pursue a career in classical dance. Playing on her strengths over time, she went on to become a choreographer, a director, a writer, and then helping people to share their stories in the most powerful way as a coach speaker.

In the following interview, Tricia tells us how she came across all these roles and how she climbed her ladder of success to become a transformational leader.

What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

A transformational leader is someone who inspires greatness and innovation by asking the right questions and empowering others to lead alongside them. www.exeleonmagazine.com

It is my mission to inspire greatness in my community and enable them to share their powerful stories in a way that has the most impact and also affects social change. It also means I have to model the same kind of courage, I'm asking of them. And by asking them the hard questions and requiring them to think for themselves, they become empowered to trust themselves and can fully step into the roles they are meant to be in the world.

Talk to us about your growing up years and what led you into entering the entertainment industry.

I grew up on a farm in Missouri and when I was seven years old, I saw my sister dance at a recital. I did not want to be a tap-dancing pink poodle, but I knew I wanted to be on stages. I knew at that moment in time that I was going to move to New York City and pursue a career in classical dance. I danced all over the world, Paris, Lisbon, Palermo, Vienna, and Lincoln Center in NYC. When I realized the impact I was having was limited to the number of people in the audience and the length of time I was on stage, I decided to move into choreography. The irst thing I choreographed was John Turturro's Romance and Cigarettes, where I worked with James Gandol ini, Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet. Then I began directing. Then I started writing so I could direct my own work. That organically led me to making documentary shorts because I wanted to tell the stories of amazing people who were making a big impact in the world. It was all about my lasting legacy. How can I leave a lasting legacy? By empowering others with my work.

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I put speakers onto big stages

What was the thought that led to the formation of The Big Talk?

Talk to us about The Big Talk Academy. What makes it the perfect guide for aspiring speakers?

My friend Petra Kolber, an amazing author and speaker, asked me to direct her TED Talk. I thought it would be just like a one woman show, which I had done many times. What was different was that she was a thoughtleader not an actor. And I got to spend time coaching her performance so that it would be authentic and captivating. I got to do script analysis with her for impact.

It was super inspiring. And she planted the seed. “You should do this.” I thought, “Coach speakers? That's a thing?” And that's when I Founded The Big Talk.

So many speakers “wing it”. They think they can jot down a few bullets get up on stage and command a standing ovation. In The Big Talk Academy, I teach a proven method that supports speakers in truly identifying that big idea, learn the technique to write a powerful talk, and because of my background they learn how to insert theatricality in a way that makes them a stand out performer. They learn how to perform their speech. And we also cover mindset and limiting beliefs so they can learn to pitch themselves and ask for what they deserve to be paid as speakers.

What's your mission/goal through your public speaking sessions and coaching?

It's my mission to amplify and elevate voices in order to make the world a better place. I curate thought leadership by packaging authentic stories into industryleading voices and creating media luminaries.

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What has the journey been like for Tricia Brouk over the years?

I have danced all over the world, which is a dream come true. I have always been an entrepreneur and leader. I have always wanted to make an impact and I have a relentless drive. When I hear “no”, it's for me “not yet”.

When I can't get through a door, I build my own. I have

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limited time on this earth and I have a lot to accomplish.

Obstacles (there have been many) are just part of the journey. My mantra is “Keep the story moving”.

needing support. I ensure optimal client satisfaction by always checking in. I teach effective communication, which means I need to be an effective communicator.

Looking back, what would you have done differently when starting out?

What has been the biggest roadblock during your journey?

I would not have simply trusted someone who said they could do something. I would have asked more questions and vetted them a bit longer and more deeply before hiring them to do something.

To me, a roadblock leads to amazing detours. For example, Speakers Who Dare, my speaker event in NYC was scheduled for March 24, 2020. Being able to turn that live event into a feature ilm that live streamed to over 150 countries instead of being limited to the 150 seats in the theater, was a divine detour.

What is the process followed by you when offering your coaching services? How do you ensure optimal client satisfaction?

What has been your biggest learning?

My process is setting up an onboarding and assessment, so I know the mindset of my clients, what their goals are and what area they need the most support with. Then I create a strategic blueprint of how we are going to address any limiting beliefs along with a map of how we are going to meet these goals, while mentoring and advising my speakers on how to improve in the areas

My biggest learning is how many speakers struggle with the exact same limiting belief of “nobody cares about what I have to say.” Speakers who are seasoned along with new speakers, all feel the same fear. That is why I'm so passionate about helping as many people as I can fully step into who they are meant to be in the world as speakers.

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Changed Customer Expectations Due To Digital Transformation

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he digitalization and digital transformation of many areas of life has led to a major change in customer needs and expectations. Amazon, Google, Apple and Co. have built a world in which service has a completely new standard and this is changing customers.

No matter where we look, we notice that people are more and more focused on their smartphones, when you're without a battery, you feel like half your life is switched off, and you're used to having everything instantly available.

Customers have changed with technology and companies are lagging. The gap between the trendsetters and the companies lagging is widening more and more.

In general terms, digital transformation has triggered many trends in customer expectations, creating new customer expectations that companies now have to address or fall by the wayside. www.exeleonmagazine.com

CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS RISING STEADILY Large corporations have always succeeded in raising customer expectations. Companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have exempli ied how to use service, design, and technology to meet the needs of their customers. We have developed new standards, systematically analyzed customer needs, and found ways to satisfy them with less effort or higher quality.

We've all recently become accustomed to receiving orders placed online the same day or the next, to self-service pick-up points or checkouts, to having information always at hand, and to simplify our lives with technology. Increasingly, we are also becoming accustomed to technology doing some work for us through automation and creating a whole new sense of service and quality culture.

This new focus on the customer

experience, i.e. how customers perceive something in the company, is exempli ied by the large corporations, but expectations are generally rising, which puts many smaller companies under pressure.

After all, smaller companies ind it dif icult to keep up with these changes and are unable to keep up with the corporations.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMES

Despite the limited possibilities of SMEs and the complex systems of large companies, smaller companies can also make a name for themselves. This new quality awareness on the part of customers also leads to smaller companies being able to stand out with only a few tools and few resources. Tools must be used speci ically to meet the expected service standard.

Setting up an ERP system, connecting it with the CRM system and thus sending personalized quotations is no longer a major challenge. Such technical innovations are also easy to 47

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implement for SMEs.

It is always important to place the customer at the center of consideration. This focus on customer expectations helps to rethink business models or services. It is also important to mention here: No matter which task is to be mastered, usually there are already technologies which help to convert these. Therefore, it is usually the biggest problem to start or to adapt to the company culture.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AS A NEW SUCCESS FACTOR

Customer expectations and the customer experience are the new battle ields when it comes to differentiating oneself from the competition. Gartner con irmed in a survey that 89 percent of companies already believe that the biggest challenge for companies will be the customer experience. It's about providing the best service and building the best customer experience.

One example of customer

experience is the search for information. Customers want to get information wherever, whenever, and how they want to access it. A good customer experience is built when the customer gets it ful illed and the expectations can be met.

For this, it is important to understand the customer expectations and to re lect them in a strategy. Design thinking and other models help not to lose this focus. This usually requires new organizational structures, business models, and technologies and must be implemented accordingly. These fundamental changes of companies with the help of technology are then also called digital transformation.

TECHNOLOGY BOOSTS EFFICIENCY AND IMPROVES THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Technology, of course, has triggered the change, but it is also the solution to the problems.

Technologies such as CRM, ERP, online shops, mobile apps, and much more can also lead to inding new ways to satisfy customer

needs. So it's no wonder that many CEO surveys are about building multiple channels and implementing a uni ied Omnichannel strategy, for example.

For many managers, new forms of communication are already standard, but it often fails because of the implementation of risk appetite.

However, technology cannot only be used to create new customer experiences and expand service.

Also, through the mapping of processes and structures with digital systems, ef iciency increases can be achieved, and thus also money can be saved. Especially this increase in ef iciency and reduction of costs can make it interesting for companies. Correctly implemented, however, the customer experience can also be fundamentally improved at the same time.

The goal of digital transformation is to place customer needs at the center of considerations and to use the technology that is necessary to implement this as ef iciently as possible.

About the Author Benjamin Talin is the CEO & Founder of MoreThanDigital. Serial entrepreneur since he successfully founded his irst companies at the age of 13. He has always questioned the "status quo" and is committed to innovation, disruption and new ideas. As International keynote speaker, consultant for companies and governments & states, lecturer and published digital transformation expert, Benjamin tries to advance the topics of digitalization, digital transformation, and innovation internationally.

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