LARISA B. MILLER

POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG)

INTERVIEW WITH: LARISA B. MILLER (LM) SHAPING THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS

PGMAG: As managing partner of Akon Global, in partnership with global superstar, Akon, and as a partner in K&L Partners, a global boutique consulting firm headquartered in Miami, Florida, you consult with public and private sector clients around the world to expand and accelerate their positions and market access, revitalize their business plans and models, and build or integrate recovery and resiliency strategies. What are your clients’ key concerns today? Interview was conducted by: (PGMAG global partner and international journalist) LM: A year ago, my answer to this would have been decidedly different than it is today, in the midst of a very disruptive and unprecedented year. Concerns today? Staying in business, keeping employees on the payroll, finding gaps in the market to help drive a way-forward, and being brave enough to pivot into this new direction.

JULES LAVALLEE

Small businesses are the backbone of our

communities, and we have a collective responsibility to support and embrace small businesses and entrepreneurs who are struggling to regain their footing during this challenging time. As a global consultant, we work with clients of all sizes on their business development, revitalization/growth strategies, sustainability plans, investment opportunities, market expansion, reputation management, and other customized services and values designed to enhance their operations. For me personally, the most rewarding feeling is having an opportunity to work one-on-one with clients, assisting in the transformation of their business, taking them from a position of vulnerability to a position of strength. These are the times when fortunes are lost, and fortunes are made. It is my personal commitment to our clients to ensure that they are equipped with the strategies, tools, and knowledge to allow them to navigate the rough waters of the present, to prepare them to be the vanguards of the future.

When businesses are enduring difficult times, either due to internal or external catalysts,

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and we have a collective responsibility to support and embrace small businesses and entrepreneurs who are struggling to regain their footing during this challenging time.

our firm has a distinctive approach to confronting these challenges and crafting customized solutions. While many Consultants look at a client’s situation from a linear standpoint (“How can I take what you already have and just tweak it to find a solution?”), we prefer to approach the challenges using an out-ofthe-box thought-process. When revitalizing business plans, innovating models, or helping a distressed business to recover and accelerate, we focus not only on ways to do it differently, but we create a unique roadmap for the company, staying with the company through integration and implementation. It’s one thing to say “this is what you should do”, but it’s quite another to formulate a strategy, assist in the implementation of that strategy, benchmarking the success along the way

It is my personal commitment to our clients to ensure that they are equipped with the strategies, tools, and knowledge to allow them to navigate the rough waters of the present, to prepare them to be the vanguards of the future.

to ensure that the client is receiving measurable impact, and then quantify the results after a designated period of time. I don’t want to simply improve or solve a problem for a client, I want to find ways to differentiate them from their competitors, carving a unique niche for them in an overcrowded market space. This not only increases their profitability, but it creates value for their stakeholders and customers, as well.

PGMAG: As a leading global Consultant, what has COVID-19 taught you about how fragile infrastructures are globally and how businesses shouldn’t be fractured by the crisis but strengthened?

LM: While this is a very disruptive time for business, disruption leads to transformation. As businesses around the world are channeling large portions of their budgets into cybersecurity and making sure their employees have access to technology and connectivity while working remotely, and as physical office space sits empty, we are embracing this as our new way-forward. Even when this pandemic stabilizes and it is safe to go back to “normal”, it will be far too costly and inefficient to put things back the way there once were. We can’t go back to normal when normal was clearly the problem. KPIs are up, overhead is down… welcome to the new norm.

We’ve allowed ourselves to get too comfortable in the somewhat erroneous belief that our government will be able to come to our rescue in times of economic downturn, natural disaster, or, clearly, pandemic. Perhaps we are learning a hard lesson about our own role and accountability throughout this time of systemic recovery. As we re-evaluate our strategies, implementing new mechanisms and policies which will transform our operations, we must establish contingencies for the fractures which have appeared – and continue to appear, in our supply chains, operations, distribution, and services. It would not be unreasonable to use the past few months as the measure by which we reshape our future, ensuring that we weigh each catalyst and consequence to formulate flexible and adaptable plans for our new enterprise models. We are living in an increasingly complex, interdependent, and globally integrated world where systems that support the operation of modern society are facing increased vulnerability and are more susceptible to largescale failure. We have the ability as business leaders and consultants to help off-set large-scale failures in the future by helping to shape recovery and resiliency plans as a central pillar of business for the future.

PGMAG: Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, we have a responsibility to support and embrace small businesses. What should small businesses be asking themselves in the wake of the COVID virus?

LM: How do we identify the gaps that I can fill? How can we shift our strategies and restructure to fill these needs? How do we differentiate ourselves in very crowded market space? All important questions to ask…all are difficult questions to answer.

First, it is important to remember that nothing is as vulnerable as entrenched success. As entrepreneurs and business leaders is critical to make sure that we don’t get so comfortable in our operations, taking our successes for granted, that we aren’t constantly looking for innovative and out-of-the-

box ways-forward. This can be difficult, especially when we are stuck in the mental cattle chute of our tried and true business models. Ask yourself this…during difficult times, when we are facing lapses in the supply chain, operations, and offtake, how do we open our perspectives to recognize new opportunities? One of the most obvious ways – and keep in mind that during stressful moments in business, sometimes what is most obvious solutions can also be the most difficult to see, we have one very valuable asset that we MUST recognize and utilize…our employees. Too often, business leaders shoulder the weight of responsibility, keeping financial and operational worries to themselves. Your employees, however, are one of your most valuable resources for “hacking” apart problems to find out-ofthe-box solutions. Make them ‘stakeholders’ of the future of the business by showing them that you have confidence in their value and respect them as a member of the team by allowing them to participate in the revision of your business blueprint. By engaging employees, leaders can view the gaps and challenges in a much more open-minded manner. An employee who feels appreciated will always perform above expectations, and in times of challenge, the value of a motivated and empowered employee is immeasurable.

PGMAG: It is not business as usual, where do you see the most need?

LM: We cannot do business as usual because business, as usual, plays a role in where we are now…struggling to regain our footing. We know that it would be smart to have a financial reserve for a rainy day. We recognize that we need to have a risk management plan. We plan to integrate a resiliency strategy “someday”. Well, COVID has been the catalyst that has forced us to see that “someday” has arrived. Knowing what we should do and having the time, ability, or resources to do it might be entirely different. This is where the value of an outside consulting firm can play a strategic role. Utilizing an outside firm can assist businesses to objectively assess operations and efficiency, and formulate a one-of-akind strategy, helping to carry businesses into this transformational future. K & L Partners is an awardwinning firm, offering clients a

it would be smart to have a financial reserve for a rainy day. We recognize that we need to have a risk management plan. We plan to integrate a resiliency strategy “someday”

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a valuable roadmap – a framework for a triple bottom line future – people, planet, and profit.

team of industry experts with several decades of aggregated experience, allowing us to innovate, revolutionize, and globalize our clients’ strategies. We don’t just want to make our clients more resilient and profitable; we want our clients to disrupt the expected way forward, setting the standard that others will be compelled to follow. PGMAG: What’s the most important thing you are working on right now, and how are you making it happen?

LM: I wear so many hats, and we are moving forward with projects on many fronts. As Akon’s partner in Akon Global, we are working on affordable housing “cities” here in the USA, providing edgy, modern, sustainable housing at an affordable pricepoint. One of the greatest shortages we have in America is the access to affordable housing options that can make homeownership attainable across the community. And what we are seeing during this time of the pandemic, where so many people are facing unemployment, is that we will

have an increased need for affordable housing solutions in the future. For too many decades, Americans had a “keep up with the Joneses” mentality, living above their means, with high mortgage payments and cash-poor bank accounts. We are being forced to realize that we can have much more if we learn to live with less – and by more, I mean we can have greater peace of mind, more flexibility, and more money in the bank if we have edgy and sexy housing options for a fraction of the prices that the “Joneses” are paying.

Additionally, Akon Global is working on Smart City, technology/data, and energy projects around the world. Moving critical development forward with a mind to sustainability is the center-point of our global future, and Akon is committed to helping build a sustainable future, therefore, we ensure that our investment and development projects are making a sustainable impact while solving some of our most critical global needs.

PGMAG: Why is sustainability critically important to businesses as we move forward in this decade?

LM: In this UN-declared Decade of Action, we must recognize that we are the stakeholders of the future. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. And yet, we are handing our children the most fractured planet in the history of mankind. The future of our health, food security, and economic viability depends on how well we integrate4 sustainability into our environment, our societies, and our global economy.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a valuable roadmap – a framework for a triple bottom line future – people, planet, and profit. If we adopt the SDGs as the blueprint for our impact, we have the power to create an equitable and viable future for the coming generations. As business owners and as individuals, if we attempt to target all 17 of the SDGs, our impact will be token and diluted, at best. However, if we select one or two of the goals where we can affect the most change, channeling our focus and effort to that goal, we will most assuredly contribute a quantifiable change. We are the last generation who has the power to save the planet, potentially reversing the catastrophic impacts of climate change. We are the stewards of the planet, and whether our planet thrives or fails is up to us. Each business and entrepreneur should make sustainability and corporate social responsibility an integral part of their business model

PGMAG: You have worked with many women and minority-owned businesses. Why are inclusion and diversity so important today?

LM: The United States has long been regarded as the melting pot of the world, uniting all nationalities, ethnicities, races, and religions. Diversity is the foundation of America and capitalism is important to the achievement of the proverbial American dream. While there are mechanisms in place to make business ownership accessible to women and minorities, too often they are left to navigate a rather complex system without guidance, mentorship, or resources. Further, once a business is operational when they need to re-evaluate strategy, formulate growth models, or look at market expansion, they are left to figure it out for themselves, since hiring a large consulting firm is usually financially unattainable. Through our

belief in and commitment to small businesses, we offer fully customized, one-on-one solutions, taking advantage of the incentive programs and grants which are available for women and minority small business owners. I fundamentally believe that consulting perspective and guidance should be accessible to everyone – not just the large companies with deep pockets.

We must begin to support one another in order to contribute to the vibrancy of our communities. It can’t be us against each other, it has to be us together for the solution.

PGMAG: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing women in business?

LM: There are advantages for women in business, such as financing programs, concessions, and incentives, making the leap into entrepreneurship and business ownership more attractive and accessible, but there are also distinct challenges which women still struggle to overcome, such as access to capital. Capitalism is the root of a strong economy and society, and the perspective that women bring to business – either as owners, leaders, or team members, contributes greatly to the overall success of a business. We tend to be more out-of-the-box in our thought processes, we have emotional creativity, and we introduce concepts for creation, operation, and diversity that enhance many business models in a unique and transformational way. While we struggle to access the same levels of respect, access to resources and we still live in a society that makes it challenging for a woman to balance work/life responsibilities, we have made great strides. We have earned our place at the board room table, and as long as women work to uplift and empower one another, there is really nothing we can’t achieve or challenge we can’t overcome.

PGMAG: How important is visibility during this time?

LM: You can’t buy what you don’t know about…you can’t patronize a business you can’t see. No matter how good you are at what you do, or how unique your service, if no one knows about you, then you are handicapping your own potential.

PGMAG: Let’s not Survive but Thrive. Expound on this idea. LM: The goal in life should never be to simply survive. Regardless of what curve balls life throws at us, there are always ways to restructure, regroup, recover, flourish, and prosper. To thrive in life, we must be resolute in our commitment, flexible enough to pivot when circumstances warrant, nurture our ability to make a decision, and the strength to remain resolute in the face of challenge.

PGMAG: You are a much sought after speaker. What are the key areas you will be discussing in the near future?

LM: Just as the events where I was scheduled to speak have changed during this unprecedented year, so too have the topics. While I remain committed to the “big picture” themes which are important to our long-term future, such as having a 2030 strategy and expanding to global markets, my immediate mandate is to make sure that small- and medium-sized businesses have the ideas and tools to help them navigate our present storm of uncertainty, finding gaps to allow them to move forward from a position of strength rather than fragility. There is a way forward for each and every business during this

difficult time, but sometimes we need someone with an outside, unbiased perspective to be able to identify these strategies. It gives me great personal satisfaction to be able to be that outside voice of perspective for small businesses.

PGMAG: What is your perspective on remote teams and the impact on ROI? Is remote the wave of the future?

LM: We are never going to go back to “normal”. Period. With corporations and companies channeling millions of dollars into technology, connectivity, and cybersecurity, ensuring that employees can work from home, and with the uncertainty of how long we will have to be socially distanced, we need to face the fact that this will very likely be the preamble to the future of business. When employee KPIs remain high, overhead costs are low, and businesses see that they can do without large corporate footprints and subsidiary offices, we will never spend the money to put it all back the way it was before. In a matter of seconds, we can connect with team members around the globe. Board meetings can be conducted without the expense of travel. We can be together if we choose, but through technology, we can be together while being apart.

PGMAG: How important is it for you to be a role model, especially for young women?

LM: Our greatest responsibility is to our youth, preparing them to step into this future equipped with the vision, tolerance, tenacity, and determination to achieve their dreams without giving a second thought to ‘possibility’. There is a quote that says, “we don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our youth”, and it is our collective mandate to share our wisdom, knowledge, and expertise with you – especially young women, who often struggle with self-esteem and gender-based challenges. I challenge everyone…mentor one person – make difference in the life of just ONE person in your whole lifetime and you will have an ancillary impact on millions, as the difference you make to just that one person will impact their descents forever.

www.phoenixglobal.co

We are never going to go back to “normal”. Period. With corporations and companies channeling millions of dollars into technology, connectivity, and cybersecurity, ensuring that employees can work from home, and with the uncertainty of how long we will have to be socially distanced, we need to face the fact that this will very likely be the preamble to the future of business.