Alec Hudnut | Transformational Business Leaders of 2023 | Exeleon Magazine

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Alec Hudnut

REDEFINING CONSULTING WITH EARNINGS GROWTH

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MANAGING PARTNER Vici PARTNERS

Alec Hudnut

& Vici Partners

this rapidly changing market landscape, businesses are constantly seeking innovative strategies to propel their top-line growth and boost their bottom line.

Amidst this landscape, Alec Hudnut, Managing Partner at Vici Partners, has emerged as a visionary leader, transforming the consulting industry with a refreshing approach to organizational effectiveness. With a focus on harnessing untapped potential within a company, Vici is unlocking changes within large corporations resulting in remarkable earnings growth.

Vici Partners, a boutique consulting irm renowned for its ability to help companies enhance revenue streams and reduce operational costs, is leading the charge in revolutionizing the consulting world. By prioritizing a more human-centered approach to organizational eficiency, the irm has crafted a unique business model and a critically important mission: to empower large corporations to achieve unprecedented growth and earnings.

Traditionally, consulting irms have relied on external market analysis and surface-level recommendations to drive business success. However, Vici's visionary leadership has challenged this status quo, pushing for a deep introspection within organizations. Alec recognizes that the key to unlocking sustainable growth lies within the company itself—its culture,

its people, and its processes.

EARNINGS GROWTH

Vici Partners has carved out a distinctive niche for itself in the consulting market. While most irms offer a broad spectrum of services, Vici focuses exclusively on helping clients achieve earnings growth.

Moreover, Vici stands out for its payment model that aligns its fees to the results the irm delivers. This result-driven approach enables Vici Partners to focus on tangible outcomes and builds trust among its clients.

Alec points out that the company doesn't have any junior consultants in its team. Instead, he has brought in team members with signiicant experience in running companies of different scales.

These measures have enabled Vici to drive impeccable results for its clients, typically improving their proitability by 25% within 2-3 years.

ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET

Alec's journey as a leader and entrepreneur traces back to his childhood. He recalls at the age of 11 making a unique one-page lyer. He went around his neighborhood grocery stores and noted down the prices for all the staple items. Using a mimeograph, he printed all the pricing information to create a grocery price list lyer.

We are doing consulting that the clients can measure and has a meaningful impact.

Alec remembers, “I walked up and down the back staircase in our family's NY apartment and sold the grocery price list lyer to the neighbors for $0.25. Since my grade school had paper and a mimeograph machine that the secretary let me use, the costs were zero.”

Although the venture didn't attract many customers (other than his mother's good friends), it laid the foundation for his future as a leader and a problem solver.

Since then, the Harvard Business School graduate, has accumulated more than 30 years of experience in executive level management and strategic consulting. During this time, he has worked with some great companies and irms. This includes names like Goldman,

Earnings Growth

Sachs & Co., Idealab, Green Dot Bank, Evolution Robotics, Inc., and McKinsey & Co.

Today, as the Managing Partner at Vici Partners, Alec's day-to-day role involves supporting the existing clients of the irm, bringing in new business, and continually working alongside other partners to reine the overall process of the company.

LEARNINGS ALONG THE WAY

Relecting on his journey thus far, Alec acknowledges the fortune of starting his career at some of the most established companies and irms.

Along with his partners, Alec has gathered invaluable knowledge and experience, and seeks to instill the same into his clients.

Three key perspectives underpin their approach to serving clients:

1.Ask clients to treat the company as if it was your own money. Once you do that, you will make different decisions, and they will be better for the customer, the brand, and the long-term economic success of the business.

2.When you are trying to get something done at your business, the buy-in for the idea is just as important as the quality of the business case. Spend just as much time building consensus as you do building the business case.

3.Have a beginner's mind . Imagine you were approaching the business with a clean sheet

Sometimes organizations need results quickly. Having the right tools, process & skills is key. Vici delivers real earnings growth with frontline buy-in.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Alec's journey as a leader and entrepreneur traces back to his childhood. He recalls at the age of 11 making a unique one-page flyer. He went around his neighborhood grocery stores and noted down the prices for all the staple items. Using a mimeograph, he printed all the pricing information to create a grocery price list flyer.

Alec remembers, “I walked up and down the back staircase in our family's NY apartment and sold the grocery price list flyer to the neighbors for $0.25. Since my grade school had paper and a mimeograph machine that the secretary let me use, the costs were zero.”

Although the venture didn't attract many customers (other than his mother's good friends), it

laid the foundation for his future as a leader and a problem solver.

Since then, the Harvard Business School graduate, has accumulated more than 30 years of experience in executive level management and strategic consulting. During this time, he has worked with some great companies and firms. This includes names like Goldman, Sachs & Co., Idealab, Green Dot Bank, Evolution Robotics, Inc., and McKinsey & Co.

Today, as the Managing Partner at Vici Partners, Alec's day-today role involves supporting the existing clients of the firm, bringing in new business, and continually working alongside other partners to refine the overall process of the company.

Exeleon Shorts

One Book Entrepreneurs must read – Marie Kondo, The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying-Up. And why that book? A tidy desk and tidy life equals a tidy business. Start with cleaning yourself up irst. It will help your business.

One Productivity Tool / App that you use – The iPhone Files, app. So that I can have all the documents on my desktop and phone.

One Movie / Show to Suggest –Game of Thrones. Because if you think corporate politics is any less vicious, you are wrong. There are just fewer swords and dragons.

One Quote that Motivates you the most – “Peace is every step” by Thich Nhat Hahn. What does that mean? It means no matter how upset, anxious, or stressed you are, those feelings are just a choice. Choose to be something different in the next step and you can feel something different. Try it!

One Investment Advice that you follow – The most important variable in investing is time. The longer you can hold something, the less you will be forced to sell when you don't want to. Longterm holds equal wealth.

1.of paper, not knowing anything about the product, the customers, the industry. What questions would you ask? Don't be afraid to be a beginner, we often ind that the best way to reine a process, or improve a product, or support a customer comes from asking the most basic questions.

STAYING UPDATED

As the business landscape evolves at a rapid pace, Vici Partners and Alec remain committed to providing their

clients with the most relevant and impactful advice. To him, staying updated with the latest trends and technologies is crucial.

However, he cautions against hasty application without proper groundwork. Rather than adopting the latest technologies indiscriminately, Alec advises businesses to irst simplify their processes, reine their offerings, and then judiciously apply technologies like generative AI.

RESULT-BASED CONSULTANCY

Vici Partners has served clients across diverse industries and continents, providing tailored solutions to their unique challenges.

In recent years, the irm has witnessed signiicant demand from the technology sector, assisting growth-focused companies in achieving proitable revenue growth. Additionally, they have been instrumental in helping manufacturers expand into services and solutions, offsetting rising costs that are dificult to pass on entirely.

Looking ahead, Hudnut envisions a new era of consulting where clients can measure the results generated and pay consultants based on their impact. Vici Partners is spearheading this shift, offering transparent consulting services that directly improve operating income.

Alec mentions, “Gone are the days of the fancy presentation that can't be easily implemented. Or the consultants vanishing just when the hard part begins - which is implementing the ideas.”

He continues, “We, at Vici Partners, are doing consulting that the

clients can measure and that has meaningful impact on improving operating income.”

Alec Hudnut's journey and Vici Partners' innovative consulting approach serve as an inspiration to the industry. By prioritizing tangible results, simplicity, and continuous improvement, Vici Partners has set a new standard for consulting irms.

www.vicipartners.com

Vici creates momentum.

We Embrace Excellence!

Exeleon Magazine features some of the leading players in business and shares their journey of excellence to inspire aspiring leaders across the globe.

Navigating the

Trust Terrain

Strategies for Strengthening Business Bonds

54% of businesses say partnerships drive over 20% of total company revenue, while 34% of marketers say brand partnerships are the most effective method of increasing email subscribers lists.

Indeed, strategic partnerships can be crucial for business growth, however, they're not always so easy to form. If you're working to develop a strong relationship with another company, it's important to start by building a foundation of trust. Cultivating a communicative relationship that encourages both parties to be honest, clear, and comfortable about revealing their overarching goals and expectations paves the way for a long-term and fruitful relationship.

BE HONEST

Cut out the useless corporate jargon. Instead, be upfront, clear, and honest about your business goals. Being deliberately ambiguous, vague, or unclear implies dishonesty – which is sure to tank your relationship. A strong relationship is built by establishing trust, and trust can only be established when you're willing to have open and transparent discussions.

This is particularly important when it

comes to talking about key points like proit margins, operational costs, and even potential conlicts of interest – a trustworthy partner shouldn't shy away from these topics. It can be useful to justify expenses by highlighting value and return on investment, which therefore reinforces the beneits of the partnership –relationships thrive when both parties involved understand its value. You can also demonstrate transparency and just how serious you are about the partnership by exposing a vulnerability; this can show you have a clear need for a relationship with this company.

It's also useful to highlight keyways you can align strategies. So, for instance, this usually involves deining shared aims between both businesses. Considering the “value triangle” can help here. According to the value triangle, businesses generally put their strategic focus into speed, price, and quality in order to provide a successful product or service – although it's only possible to have two qualities together at a time, and not all three. So, for example, a business either values price and speed, quality and speed, or quality and price.

Although the best way to go depends on your individual business goals (there's no

right or wrong), it helps to know whether or not your partner shares your core values here. Above all, in the beginning of your relationship, it may be tempting to assume you'll work out the iner details later on, and instead spend most of the time getting excited about the potential new possibilities on the horizon. However, the early days are the ideal time to learn about each other's foundational values, as well as uncover any differences in corporate culture or organizational structure, that can better help you prevent and overcome potential problems that may arise later down the line.

GET CLEAR ON YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Successful business partnerships are usually formed when two parties are either reaching for a shared goal, or have services or resources that can beneit each other. Partnerships can, however, deteriorate when the two parties fail to get clear on each of their expectations for the relationship. So, it's essential to determine and clarify your roles and responsibilities from the get-go. Spend as much time as needed to understand both party's expectations for the relationship, as well as which party is responsible for what. That way, there's no doubt about the outcomes you're expecting the partnership to deliver. Both parties also need to comprehend the needs of the other – don't just assume you know what your partner values. Rather, take time to ask questions about their goals and needs, as well as come up with effective ways to measure that success. By ensuring you both understand each other's needs and

goals, you can both be conident the other isn't solely working in their own self-interest.

FOLLOW THROUGH ON PROMISES

Trust isn't something that's earned overnight; it takes time and effort to build. You need to prove to your partner that in reality you're as trustworthy and reliable as you like to portray. And, actions always speak louder than words. So, be careful to follow through on your commitments and the actions you promise to take. If you fail to make good on your word, you won't show yourself to be a valuable or worthwhile partner – and the relationship will fail.

Additionally, you can further provide value by positioning yourself as a helpful resource. Think about what you can do for your partner, and not just what they can do for you. Similarly, it also helps to prove success as soon as possible with quick wins. This is a more productive route compared to putting your resources into theoretical activities that may potentially end up being a waste of time.

Business partnerships can be an effective way to grow your operations – whether it's through developing a new product or attracting new customers, for example. By taking care to build a business relationship based around trust, transparency, and open communication, you'll have an easier time creating a successful partnership that provides mutual beneits for both parties.

CREATING MULTIMEDIA THAT SPARKS SOCIAL CHANGE

Give us a brief background about you and your company - Shining Spark Entertainment.

I'm Jordan Sparks, a Black Multimedia Artist, Designer and Educator. I use various forms of Art and Media not only to entertain, but also explore how we can use creative content to inspire social change. I believe that media is a powerful tool for learning about the world and ourselves, so I want to create powerful new experiences. I also have a passion for teaching and have taught art, games and other subjects to over 10,000 people. I graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with an MA and BFA, and have worked in many places, such as the Royal Ontario Museum, Humber College, the Hand Eye Society and more.

Shining Spark Entertainment is an innovative new multimedia company I founded that focuses on creating multimedia for social change. We focus on creating diverse and impactful media projects, such as games, around various cultural and social subjects. We want to shine a light on our culture to spark social change.

What was the idea behind creating a 3D Visual Novel game about Canadian Politics?

In 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was found in contempt of parliament, which defeated his government, dissolved

parliament and triggered an election. At the time, I had no clue what any of that meant and found much of the discussion around it confusing.

Civic Story was created for people similarly confused about what's happening in the world. Politics is such a dense and inaccessible topic. I wanted to create an accessible and enjoyable way to understand it that would help people who were as lost as I was. I settled on making Civic Story a 3D visual novel because I found that the visual novel format allowed for the emphasis on storytelling, an easy style of control and the ability to convey a lot with very little in creative ways. It also allows people to slowly unfold the story at their own pace in this eccentric 3D world. As a cartoonist, I deliberately took a lot of comic inspirations for the visual style not only to make the game and subject matter more appealing, but also to honour the long political history of comics all around the world. The ultimate goal is to help Canadians learn more about politics through the game and make them realize the many ways politics affects our lives.

What was the thought behind the name – Civic Story? What is your long-term vision through this game?

Deciding on the name ' Civic Story ' was a very hard process. For almost the entire life of the project, we referred to it as "PeoPoli," which

BLACK MULTIMEDIA ARTIST, DESIGNER & EDUCATOR

JORDAN SPARKS

was a temporary name I came up with that combined “People” and “Politics”–the ultimate goal of the project. Unfortunately, I had a hard time coming up with a more permanent name, and it stuck for a long time. Civic Story was a suggestion by our Technical Artist Zed Poirier, and after a long name-choosing process, I decided it was the best name on our list.

We feel that the name Civic Story embodies what our game is: A Story about Civics. That may seem basic or obvious, but the entire goal of the project was to explicitly relate to civics and politics through storytelling because most people think both subjects are sterile, boring and unrelatable. In all cultures, people learn lessons from stories. Through a relatable tale like Civic Story, people can see some of the many ways politics affects them. That ties into our long-term vision of Civic Story becoming an accessible starting point for people to learn about politics and be inspired to vote. We want students and adults to play this and be more active in politics and their community. To do that, we are trying to reach out to schools, libraries and democratic organizations to partner with them and make Civic Story more accessible. I admit that a game about Canadian politics may not sound immediately exciting to some, but those who give our interactive political parody a chance will soon understand what we hope to accomplish.

My vision is to use our game to make a more civically engaged public, and if even one person is inspired to vote through our work then we have done our job.

What have been some of the biggest challenges for you and your team during the process of creating this game?

Every project has challenges, and Civic Story was no exception. Even though it's a very simple game, we had to deal with many technical problems, from nonsense glitches that would happen for no reason to what we called 'phantom bugs' that would occur randomly. However, no challenge was harder than just getting the project started.

People don't often consider how much it costs to make things, and games can cost a lot to make! I irst came up with the idea for around Civic Story 2012. Over the years, I would write down ideas and reine them, until I eventually developed a comprehensive design document that detailed the project. That doesn't mean I can simply make it; I can't do everything. I need a team of talented people. Of course, people won't work on this for free, so I need a lot of money I don't have. So, I need to get funding, but that isn't easy. While I'm thankful there are many grant funds and funders in Canada, they weren't conident in a video game about Canadian Politics. I kept getting told that it

was a great idea and a needed project in Canadian society, but they wouldn't fund it.

I spent many years trying and failing to get funding. However, I was very passionate about this concept and voting; I never gave up my dream. Eventually, I could inally get a small bit of funding to get started, and I immediately hit the ground running. I hired my team and made the most of everything I had. Once production started, my team overcame numerous challenges and greatly enhanced the project beyond my wildest dreams. While I came up with the original concept, everyone on my team deserves credit for evolving it into something better. I was proud to inally have the power to pay them for their valuable skills and services. For all the challenges I faced developing Civic Story , getting funding was by far the hardest.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for Shining Spark Entertainment? What are you most excited about?

I founded Shining Spark Entertainment as a trailblazer in our industry to make innovative productions that sparked social change. I most certainly want to continue that vision. I have many plans for Shining Spark Entertainment, including

making more games and multimedia productions about different cultural subjects, expanding our diverse team and capabilities and even collaborating with other studios and charities. I want Shining Spark Entertainment to explore what it truly means to make media that makes a difference.

Civic Story is only the starting point of this ambition, but we have many other goals with it as well. In addition to selling the game to the public, we want to license to schools and Civic Story institutions to make it more accessible. We could also put it on mobile and make a free French update in the future for francophone players. Civic Story has been a learning experience and has greatly emboldened my vision for the company.

We have many plans for and beyond, but Civic Story this is just the irst step on our journey to spark change. I am excited for what comes next and hope those reading this will follow us on that journey to spark change and create a better world. Please feel free to follow Shining Spark Entertainment at https://ShineSparkEnt.com as well as follow our socials and newsletter. Additionally, you can follow my work personally at https://GrindSpark.com.

Dean Hallett

President - Hallett Leadership

Empowering Transformative Leadership

In a world illed with constant change and

challenges, there are rare journeys that remind us of the power of leadership and the impact it can have on people, organizations, and even entire work cultures.

These journeys nestle into our hearts and minds; captivating us unlike anything else. They become vibrant threads that weave through the fabric of our existence, breathing life into our experiences, emotions, and aspirations.

Within these stories, we discover solace, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. And among the rich mosaic of leadership stories, one igure stands out: Dean Hallett, an LAbased transformational leader.

His unique journey delivers guideposts, encouraging us to tap into our hidden reserves of strength through creativity and to navigate the ever-changing tides of life with resilience.

As we delve into his narrative, we witness a multifaceted individual—a trainer, entrepreneur, high-performing executive, author, speaker, and more—who embodies the essence of inspiring leadership.

In fact, his journey resonates with the universal longing for purpose, growth, and meaningful connections.

BREAKING WALLS, BUILDING BRIDGES

For Dean, his introduction to coaching has been deeply transformative, exploring the why & how of what holds executives back.

As he relects on his own past, Dean acknowledges that while his childhood wasn't marked by adversity, he developed limiting beliefs that hindered his recognition of self-worth. His elder brother who bullied him instilled the belief that it was better to be seen and not heard, perhaps even better to be invisible.

With conviction, he asserts, "I constructed formidable walls and convinced myself that I could navigate life solely on the strength of my intellect. How mistaken I was!”

Fortune smiled upon him when he encountered emotional intelligence training in his early twenties. It was then that he realized the vast expanse of life he had been missing.

He reconnected with forgotten parts of himself, honing attributes that enabled him to bring out the best in those around him. The revelation of his personal power and the ability to create profound connections with people pushed him forward on his journey.

Once Dean tapped into the human connection he had been longing for, there was no turning back. While emotional intelligence training was the catalyst for self-discovery, his journey of growth has continued throughout his life.

As he ventured into the business world, he built upon his ability to connect with others, helping them

unlock their full potential. “I created work environments that were based on trust and mutual respect, which in turn allowed me to build teams that truly thrived.”

th

While at 20 Century Fox, Dean launched and led accelerated leadership initiatives, and the studio went on to achieve eight record years in a row, and nine record years in a 10-year span.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF DEAN'S COACHING

Enter Hallett Leadership —a beacon of transformation in leadership development. Led by Dean, Hallett Leadership offers

executive coaching and the highly acclaimed Accelerated Leadership Program (ALP).

Executive Coaching runs for typically six months with the focus on “expanding the executives' selfawareness and developing leadership skills for building an engaged and aligned workforce.”

Here, by challenging limiting beliefs and behaviors, Dean helps these leaders uncover the underlying sources of their potential, encouraging a meaningful shift in their approach to leadership.

The ALP Program, on the other hand, offers a nine-month

UNVEILING THE LEADERSHIP GAP

Dean believes that many companies overlook the importance of investing in leadership development until it's too late.

They assume that leadership skills either come innately or are acquired through osmosis. Surprisingly, research from Harvard Business Review reveals that the average age at which managers receive their irst leadership training is at a staggering 42 years old, while they assume managerial roles at just 30 years old. This has left most managers fumbling in the dark for over a decade!

Dean shares that when individuals are encouraged to step into leadership positions, they often succumb to the belief that they must possess all the answers and project an image of lawlessness. Consequently, they hesitate to seek input and feedback, making uninformed decisions

that stile team engagement and creativity.

Moreover, as individuals ascend to lead teams, many remain ixated on their own performance, neglecting to share vital information with their colleagues. This act of withholding casts a shadow upon the team, thus derailing collective growth.

These disruptive behaviors are relected in a Gallup Poll which found that 85% of the overall workforce is unengaged or actively disengaged, and many are actively subverting an organization's efforts. Disengagement comes at a price: the annual US economic cost for disengaged and under-engaged employees exceeds $550 billion. Moreover, turnover increases 18% to 43% in lowengagement teams.

immersive experience for a cohort of up to 25 individuals who continue performing in their existing roles.

This program takes a holistic approach to leadership development, encouraging growth in individual leadership, team leadership, and overall organizational leadership.

From authentic leadership to maximizing proitability, from promoting trust and mutual respect to driving collaboration and high performance, the ALP Program equips leaders with a rich toolkit to thrive in today's dynamic business landscape.

These transformative offerings provide individuals and organizations with the right tools and support needed to achieve exceptional levels of performance across all levels of the company.

Dean and his team have built a robust talent pipeline, shaping the most trusted leaders of tomorrow. In fact, he proudly highlights his company's success in nurturing a bench of future leaders, as well as their track record of coaching senior executives to secure their irst CEO positions.

At the heart of Hallett Leadership lies the belief that every individual, at any level of a company, has the power to create a lasting impact.

EMPOWERED LEADERSHIP, TRANSFORMED FUTURE

Dean has witnessed irsthand the powerful transformations that his coaching programs can unfold.

It is often the simplest moments that hold the greatest power. By offering feedback to address behaviors that disrupt team dynamics, relationships can undergo remarkable changes. These subtle shifts have a ripple effect, reshaping the culture of organizations as a whole.

Moreover, by investing in leadership development through Hallett Leadership, client companies embrace a culture of collaboration and alignment,

resulting in engaged, highperformance teams that drive sustainable success. A recent study by LSA Global found that highly aligned companies increase revenue 58% faster than their less aligned peers and are 72% more proitable. How much money is your company leaving on the table?

In a nutshell, Dean's offerings stand apart from the competition for two key reasons.

Firstly, the programs hold the philosophy of transformation close to their heart. It embraces the power of personal choice, empowering every individual to consciously present themselves as their best selves.

His coaching philosophy transcends supericial change, exploring core beliefs and behaviors that inluence the actions of leaders.

Secondly, his decades of experience in the trenches set Hallett

Leadership apart from other career academics and consultants.

With a successful 25-year tenure in the challenging entertainment industry, including leadership roles as CFO for two major studios, he brings real-world insights and "war stories" to the table.

This practical experience allows clients to grasp the tangible application of leadership in diverse circumstances, solidifying Hallett Leadership as a trusted partner in driving meaningful change.

THE DELICATE ART OF WORKLIFE

Dean's inluence extends far beyond coaching and leadership development.

As an entrepreneur, coach, speaker, and trainer, he leads a rich and multifaceted life driven by a deep passion for family, work, and personal pursuits.

Moreover, he has mastered the art of work-life balance, skillfully tending to each aspect with care and dedication.

By cherishing what truly matters, he inds fulillment both in the warmth of personal connections and the accomplishments of his professional journey.

THE LIMITLESS ROAD AHEAD

As Hallett Leadership sets its gaze upon the future, the path ahead shines bright with promise. Word of mouth continues to spread about the transformational work he and his team deliver.

Executives who have gone through Hallett Leadership programs consistently express the tremendous value gained, not only in their professional lives but also in their personal relationships.

With a focus on conscious leadership and the ability to inspire greatness in others, Hallett Leadership is poised to revolutionize leadership development on a global scale.

Dean's unshakable commitment to empowering leaders and creating high-performance cultures will shape the landscape of organizations for years to come.

With a future illed with limitless potential, Hallett Leadership is set to redeine the boundaries of what is possible in the world of leadership and workplace culture.

Chris

Rodgers

LEVERAGING REVENUE-DRIVEN SEO FOR BUSINESS GROWTH

Meet Chris Rogers, Founder and CEO of CSP, a leading business-centric SEO agency with a key focus on revenuedriven strategies. With an exceptional understanding of his client's unique needs, Chris has established an impressive reputation in the SEO space.

In this Interview with Exeleon Magazine, Chris Rogers talks about SEO, CSP, and his journey.

In your experience, what are some of the essential qualities a successful CEO should possess?

Drive, persistence, patience, perseverance, empathy, decisiveness, and the most important being a seasoned ability to control your thoughts and emotions to remain calm in the face of adversity and take appropriate action. If you learn to control your thinking and emotions, you can accomplish pretty much anything with continued effort and well reined and evolving goals.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader that you can remember?

I remember recruiting other kids for group adventures / misadventures as early as daycare, I would get big ideas and create something from it. I sold popcorn for the boy scouts when I was pretty young, as well as magazine subscriptions and continued in various roles in business throughout my school years.

What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the SEO and digital marketing space?

Out of college I worked for Dex Media creating and selling advertising campaigns that were mostly print, when they rolled out a PPC/SEO product I jumped at the opportunity and became a leader in the Chicago division. I geeked out on the tracking data and ability to validate the effectiveness of the program as a marketing channel and work towards a more transparent ROI.

Talk to us about CSP and what makes it stand out from the crowd as an SEO agency.

CSP is a business-centric SEO agency with a key focus on revenuedriven SEO. Our strategies are based on our clients' business goals instead of inserting them into a set SEO process to drive rankings and trafic.

By understanding our clients' businesses, their unique USP/UVP, who their customers are, and what success means to them as an organization, we can create

strategies that align with their business for more meaningful campaign success (think revenue and market penetration versus keyword rankings and trafic).

Also, our team has over 100 years of combined SEO experience and we have driven over 100M in organic revenue for our clients over the last 11 years.

What according to you are some of the biggest misconceptions or assumptions when it comes to SEO?

Technical SEO can drive performance, SEO tactics set to a schedule is a strategy, rankings, and trafic = SEO success, ranking #1 is how you win, SEO is black magic.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for CSP? What are you most excited about?

I love growing our team and growing our capabilities, we keep the bar extremely high in terms of quality of service and team members, so each stage of growth is very exciting. Ultimately, we are

growing an SEO powerhouse of talent and tech that delivers a level of strategy and execution second to none.

We don't sacriice that vision for rapid revenue growth or settle with an SEO process that sacriices true client success for internal eficiency and scalability. When our clients experience true business success from SEO we win and grow with them, and that's exactly how it should be.

FOCUS

Empowering Marginalized Communities

Antonio McBroom is the CEO of Primo

Partners, whose profound belief in the core values of passion, vision, and communication has propelled him to make an impact on his community and beyond.

In this exclusive interview, we uncover the essence of Antonio's exceptional leadership philosophy and the impact he is making in empowering marginalized communities.

In your experience, what are some of the essential qualities a successful CEO should possess?

The essential qualities of success CEOs are passion, vision, & communication.

CEO can also stand for Chief Energy/Enthusiasm/Euphoria Oficer, all of which require a high passion score and commitment to your work. Having vision and sharing it with your team; which is tied to the quality of being committed to communication. The most important communication CEOs have is their self-talk

and learning and mastering oneself is a differentiating quality between the good CEOs and the great CEOs.

What is your idea of giving back? Why is advancing entrepreneurial opportunities for marginalized communities an important subject for you?

I believe giving back is multifaceted in terms of returning back to society the gifts that have been bestowed upon you…inancial gifts, intellectual gifts, spiritual gifts. Closing the inancial achievement gap by creating growth opportunities for people like me is about legacy and lasting impact. My faith tells me to serve God and serve others. As taxing as it can be emotional, inancially, and even physically to live servant leadership, leadership is a spiritual gift that I've been blessed with and in turn am trusted to share with others.

Talk to us about Primo Partners and how it's making an impact to support Black Entrepreneurship.

ANTONIO MCBROOM

CEO, PRIMO PARTNERS

Breaking Down Knowledge & Information Gaps

Knowledge Gaps

PRIMO is a movement. We're a tribe of black entrepreneurs and leaders anchored in the southeast USA, home of Jim Crow, and we're charged to break down the knowledge gap that holds back so many people from the Black Community from reaching their highest potential. Through our 2 decades of experience and investment in world class leadership training and information, we're able to package this information to support Black entrepreneurship and leadership development in a culturally relevant way. I believe our story and journey is enlightening so many entrepreneurs of what a pinch of passion can make possible.

According to you, how can local business owners uplift the marginalized members of their communities?

Local businesses can be key in lifting up marginalized members of our community. Employment is a vehicle for mobilization; for identity validation; for impact and purpose. So, we believe in being super intentional about unconscious bias and giving everyone a fair chance and a second chance when working with our team. Also, businesses partnering with non proits and community organizations whose everyday work and purpose is serving marginalized communities can be uplifting. We do this with United Way as well as other local organizations in our communities.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for Primo Partners? What are you most excited about?

My vision is for PRIMO to leave a lifetime impact of over $10B in business excellence for marginalized communities. We'll do this through empowering our diverse team to be inancially sound personally, operating our own black owned business in a world class and including way, and through the consulting and coaching other businesses and entrepreneurs in the future. I'm most excited about the next generation of PRIMO leaders who will be the key in propelling our organization's impact to these new heights.

Art, Technology and Groceries

By Nicole Buffett

Upon irst entering the Web3 space in

early 2021, I, like so many of us, embraced the great unknown with a healthy combination of bravery and insecurity. All of us had no idea what would happen next personally, politically, or spiritually.

At this time, I realized that the agitating force of uncertainty offered an immense gift of change and transformation. We were all already out of our collective and personal comfort zone. We had entered a new territory of genuine possibility.

Being a traditional painter, I rolled up my sleeves and instead of mixing paint, I went even farther out of my comfort zone and created a twitter account. The twitter account was my proclamation to meet the world halfway--leading with the intention to connect and resist the foreboding isolation of the pandemic.

My work as a painter up until 2021 had been nature based and very much centered on organic physical materiality. As I became aware of NFT's, I immediately realized the

function and phenomena that technology could play and create in getting my work into the world. I experienced this new digital platform as a means to an end- or really the means to a beginning.

The irst phase of this era of embracing technology as a traditional painter relied upon my willingness to GROW beyond even my own highly developed identity as a traditional painter. I realized that what I found the most fascinating initially about the world of NFT's and Web3 was this new emboldened community of people investing in new concepts of how we do money.

As you can imagine, money is a subject that is brought up often in my family, however not in the typical sense - but in the spiritual sense. One thing we all realize is that where there is money, there is privilege and there is agency. There is the freedom to invest. There is the capacity to choose. There is the power to create. The irony is that agency, freedom, power, and creativity do not come from money. We cannot purchase or buy these qualities. We assign value through our money system. Money is the agreed upon external

object of value. Money allows us to act upon the value system that exists within us

As I embarked upon learning and navigating my way into the new- ish system of crypto currency, I was instantly inspired and started to meditate on the origins of our monetary systems and how they function to relect our identity as human beings.

This consideration led me to create the concept of my genesis NFT collection, The Spirit Coin. I was inspired to create a series of circular hand painted designs that captured aspects of ourselves that come from the inner source of our own being.

The Spirit Coin collection represents the equity of connection versus transaction. The second phase in this new digital era was the invitation to SHARE more. Because my work was now being seen on a computer screen, the story and the content changed and developed so that the message could be fully received by the viewers.

Each digital scan of each physical painting on paper became a special story to tell and an energy to transmit. The desire to stay connected to my own art making practice and to also share it with others motivated me to reach wholeheartedly into this new medium and embrace the illusion of constraint the screen seemed to pose. The digital space opened and expanded the storyline, the meaning and the multi-dimensional quality of my work. I started to animate my work and create sound pieces to accompany the images. The additional layers of movement and sound brought my work to an even greater life.

While completing my MFA at The San Francisco Art Institute, a professor presented us with a concept I carry with me into my practice as a professional creative to this day. He asked us to consider the extent of generosity in our work. He asked us to consider if we were allowing our audience inside of our work. Were we being generous and allowing our audience to see exactly what it is that we are creating? Or were we treating our audience like outsiders? He then proposed a simple, yet paradoxical question: Does this piece of art have joyful complexity? What is joyful complexity? Joyful complexity is the act of embracing our inherent inluence and control alongside our total surrender as to

how something turns out with a commitment to keep going until there is joy in the inished product. Joyful complexity is about the balance between what we know and the beautiful mystery that drives us to know more.

One of the most intense times of uncertainty was midway into the pandemic, none of us knowing how long it would go on and what the outcome would be or how we would collectively survive. I remember the simple act of going to the grocery store took on a new level of joy for me like never before! This was one of the most exciting parts of the day for quite some time! So, we come to our inal stage, EASE. The Web3 space catapulted my vision not because of initial necessity, constraint, or technological advancement- I have been catapulted into new levels of creative, inancial and personal fulillment because of people.

Something I let go of is the idea that I have to do it all by myself, or that I have done it all by myself. In the West, there is great emphasis on the culture of hyper individualism and validation through singular power structures. In Web3, anyone and everyone who is in the space knows that we not only need each other but we thrive when we work together. It's about celebrating community and connection. The willingness to partner and collaborate with others in business is one of the most important evolutionary acts that we can make as artists, companies, brands and businesses. Learning to trust in the dynamic exchange and opening to the cocreative force is an act of faith in our need to be together, to work together and to live together. Being together is one of our basic needs as human beings. We need each other like we need groceries.

Togetherness and groceries, like all basic needs are meant to be met. As I placed my fully loaded grocery bags into my car packed to the brim with beautiful food one recent evening, I was stunned at the depth of my good fortune. It was then at that moment of deep gratitude that I heard and realized the word groceries. I heard it just as I write it here in these three words: grow, share, ease. It is simple, powerful and true: When we grow , we create more to share and when we share, we create an ease based upon the abundance of connection.