The Fractional C-Suite Retreat
 

The Fractional C-Suite Retreat

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Joseph Frost, Co-Founder of yorCMO, hosts this exclusive retreat for executives to unwind and hear from their peers about new opportunities and innovations in the C-Suite.

Episodes

Riding The Waves Of Change - Julie Noonan - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode #50

Tuesday Nov 29, 2022

Tuesday Nov 29, 2022

Today’s guest is an executive coach, transformational change leader, speaker, consultant and futurist. She has spent her career working with companies of all sizes helping people “ride the waves of change”. Joining the show this week is Founder and CEO of Julie Noonan Consulting, Julie Noonan. On the latest installment of The Fractional C-Suite Retreat, Joe Frost Interviews Julie to learn more about reverse mentoring, creating change sponsors, and how to successfully implement change frameworks.

 

 

Takeaways:

  • Reverse mentoring pairs new employees with seasoned ones to have both parties learn from the other. This teaches newer employees valuable skills, and older employees new technologies. 
  • When focusing on teaching employees new skills it is crucial to equalize the power dynamics and move away from performance management frameworks.
  • Mentoring over zoom makes it easier to find time in an executives busy schedule to meet, and allows connections to be made across long distances. However, it removes the in person aspect, and can condense the amount of time spent together. 
  • Regardless of the framework you utilize for implementing change, the bottom line is that you are dealing with human beings who will react in different ways. Instead of herding cats, work with employees to make the change conducive for them.
  • Listen to those who speak up and highlight issues. Many projects that fail are the ones where no one wants to hear any bad news.
  • As a change sponsor, it is important to pay close attention to who you are impacting with change. Some employees may be making a 180 on their responsibilities, and they need to be understood.
  • Change sponsors need to be genuine in addressing the questions and concerns of those in the organization. 

 

 

Quote of the Show:

  • “A mentoring relationship is two ways” - Julie Noonan



Links



Shoutouts

  • Linda Ackerman Anderson



Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Foundations Of A Fractional Professional - Nancy Fox - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode #49

Tuesday Nov 22, 2022

Tuesday Nov 22, 2022

Today’s guest is a community builder and a LinkedIn and networking ninja. She is the business advisor to many fractional owners and fractional professionals that want to launch their careers and scale their business. Nancy Fox is the Founder and CEO of Fractional Connections. On this week’s episode of the Fractional C-Suite Retreat, Nancy shares her tips for entrepreneurs who want to hire a fractional professional, and the ways fractional professionals can add additional revenue streams. 



Takeaways:

  • The fractional community needs to boost the awareness of entrepreneurs. While larger businesses are more familiar with fractional professionals, entrepreneurs still have little awareness. 
  • When marketing to entrepreneurs, focus on how you can solve their pain points, rather than simply the benefits you can provide. 
  • If your clients don’t know what their pain points are, it’s your job to help them identify those problems.
  • When hiring for an inhouse executive role, the process takes time so that you can build trust and ensure the right fit. Fractional professionals get hired in a matter of weeks, companies should utilize advisors and testimonials to ensure a right fit.
  • As a fractional professional, you are growing a business, and businesses require more than one revenue stream. Having at least 3 revenue streams is a safe bet.
  • An E-book is a great way to promote yourself. An E-book leads to speaking gigs that will put you in front of potential clients. 
  • Organizations like EO are a great resource for fractional professionals looking to learn and meet others. 

 

 

Quote of the Show:

  • “No agony, no action” - Nancy Fox



Links



Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Creating Meaningful Employee Relationships - Mark Ratafia - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode #48

Tuesday Nov 15, 2022

Tuesday Nov 15, 2022

In a virtual world, how can we make connections that are more personal? Today’s guest is a trusted financial advisor with over thirty years of broad-based experience in tax, accounting, and business advisory. Mark Ratafia is the President & CEO of Beacon CPA and the guest speaker on this episode of the Fractional C-Suite Retreat. Mark joins Joe to talk about ways you can create culture in a remote environment, the hidden costs of being remote, and which areas in a company lend themselves to being outsourced.

 

 

Takeaways:

  • C-Suites need to be focused on creating organizations that attract and retain good employees.
  • In-person interactions are the foundation of company culture. Instead of trying to convince everyone to go back to working in an office, plan a yearly in-person company retreat.
  • While going fully remote and closing a physical office may seem like a good way to save on costs. Your travel and entertainment costs for the team will increase and may cancel out the amount saved.
  • While remote work has a lot of advantages, it can quickly become isolating. As a remote worker, it is important to carve out time away from your desk where you interact with other people. 
  • Managers need to learn a new style of management. In a remote environment, you need to be more structured, you can no longer browse by cubicles and ask people how they are doing.
  • When choosing what to outsource, you don’t just have to outsource things you are weak at. You might be great at marketing, but if it is taking up time that could be more valuable elsewhere, it is an area worth outsourcing. 
  • It is important to consider that when hiring a fractional professional, that person only has so much time a week to spend at your organization. 



Quote of the Show:

  • “How do we actually create human relationships that are meaningful?” - Mark Ratafia



Links:

 

 

Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Finding Your Fractional Fit - Sean Dockery - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode #47

Tuesday Nov 08, 2022

Tuesday Nov 08, 2022

Today’s guest is a fractional professional with 15 years of finance, accounting, and operational experience. He specializes in building companies' finance functions from the ground up, to enable efficient and repeatable data output. Welcome to the show, Founder and Fractional CFO at Syncopated Synergy, Sean Dockery. Sean joins Joe Frost to discuss his tips for fractional professionals, how to focus on finding value for an organization, and what companies should look for in fractional professionals. 

 

 

Takeaways:

  • The role of the c-suite has shifted. In remote-focused environments, individuals with a strong understanding of the systems in place should be running the show, the c-suite should be there for guidance.
  • When it comes to streamlining costs, don’t get rid of the accountant in the finance department, look to lower costs in the leadership team with a fractional CFO.
  • The best mentality to have as a fractional professional is to make decisions as if you were in that seat full-time. Thinking this way will lead to better strategies, and strengthen the relationship between you and your client. 
  • When starting out a fractional relationship, charge less during your setup period. Once you are fully setup and operational, you can charge a more fair rate for the work that is being done.  
  • While fractional employees have many benefits, W2 employees outside of the c-suite often have a higher sense of ownership over their roles.
  • Not every role in a department needs to be in-house or outsourced. A hybrid team of employees of both types can offer a lot of advantages.
  • Online networking groups are booming. Joining a few can introduce you to some new clients or referral partners who would be outside of your regular circles.

 

 

Quote of the Show:

  • “Do we really need that 200,000 plus dollar executive team?” - Sean Dockery



Links



Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Teaching The Students Of Sales - John Chapman - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode #46

Wednesday Nov 02, 2022

Wednesday Nov 02, 2022

Today's guest is a highly accomplished, respected executive with 30-plus years of experience leading high-level sales efforts. John Chapman is the Founder of JL Chapman Group, and Director of the East Carolina University Sales Academy. On this week’s episode, John sits down with host Joe Frost to share his sales tips, tell new sales reps what they need to expect when starting their first job, and share some of the lessons he taught to sales students at the Bryan School of Business and Economics. 



Takeaways:

  • Your sales team is more than just a revenue stream, they also need to be strategic and problem-solving.
  • Sales is an important skill set to learn in college. For any given major, 50% of first jobs out of college involve sales, for marketing students, that number is 90%.
  • Selling is all about cultivating relationships. You need to listen and learn about your customers’ problems before trying to sell them something. 
  • While prospecting was previously a responsibility of the sales team, prospecting is now the marketing department's responsibility. The sales team now has a higher focus on the need to qualify the prospects.
  • Don’t be afraid to lose fast. If a prospect isn’t the right fit, don’t spend valuable time trying to force a sale, spend that time on a new client. 
  • Entrepreneurs need sales ability. If you want investors to take an interest in your product or service, you need to be able to sell them on it. 
  • With the increase of zoom in the workplace, sales reps have more tools available to them than ever before. However, the key to successful sales still lies in the fundamentals of building relationships.

 

 

Quote of the Show:

“Don't be afraid to lose fast.” - John Chapman



Links

 

 

Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Writing Out Your Culture - Adi Klevit - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode #45

Tuesday Oct 25, 2022

Tuesday Oct 25, 2022

Today's guest is someone with 25 years of knowledge and experience as a management consultant and business executive. Adi Klevit is the host of the “Systems Simplified” podcast and the Founder and CEO of Business Success Consulting Group. Adi joins Joe to explore how marketing plays a role in hiring, how to embed your values in your company culture, and how to manage a remote team. 

 

 

Takeaways:

  • To hire the right people, you need to know how to differentiate yourself from the rest of the field. 
  • There are many ways to stand out in your job postings. Videos can be attention-grabbing and give you a chance to highlight things like your core values. 
  • Cohesive company culture is essential to a high retention rate. It’s not enough to write your core values on a doc that gets buried away, you need to live your culture and values. 
  • When defining your core values, using a single word or sentence isn’t enough. Define them in what they mean to you, give examples, and tell the story behind each value. Ask your team what each value means to them.
  • A high-performing team is one way to measure a successful culture. Strong culture leads to strong results.
  • Your employee handbook should cover rules, regulations, and policies. All companies should also have a cultural handbook that details the culture and what it means to be a part of that organization. 
  • A strong, well-defined structure is key to a successful remote organization. Meetings should be intentional and well-defined, and each attending member should know why they are attending. 

 

 

Quote of the Show:

  • “How can you be successful unless you have team members?” - Adi Klevit

 

 

Book Recommendation

 

 

Links

 

 

Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Data-Driven Marketing - Stacy Kamigaki - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode #44

Tuesday Oct 18, 2022

Tuesday Oct 18, 2022

Join us in welcoming a new yorCMO team member on this week’s episode of The Fractional C-Suite Retreat. Stacy Kamigaki is a marketing expert with over 25 years of experience, someone who strongly believes in team collaboration, and yorCMO’s newest Fractional CMO. Stacy joins host Joe Frost to explore how insights from the customer experience team can help marketing with lead gen, discuss using data to drive decisions, and explain how to apply a marketing lens to hiring.

 

 

Takeaways:

  • C-suites need to build more intelligence into their companies and leverage data to make decisions and share insights with the team. 
  • Effective usage of data can help two different departments work together more efficiently. When your marketing and finance teams can look at a situation more objectively, there is less push and pull. 
  • If marketers can use data to demonstrate the value of their programs, they will increase credibility and trust between themselves and the leadership team. 
  • While there is a focus on the buying habits of new customers, it is important to also consider the motivations of current customers who bought in the past.
  • While many would assume that marketing’s only job is to generate new leads, marketing also exists to extend client lifetime value by reducing churn.
  • Instead of focusing solely on how you can get new customers, consider how you can add new services for existing customers.
  • How you market your company and products will affect who applies to your company. 

 

 

Quote of the Show:

  • “Our service is the product.” - Stacy Kamigaki 



Links

 

 

Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Creating Cultural Moments - Neil Emeigh - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode # 43

Wednesday Oct 12, 2022

Wednesday Oct 12, 2022

Today’s guest is a business owner and powerful leader of a remote-first company who is passionate about building a well-rounded company. Neil Emeigh is the CEO of Rayobyte. On this week’s episode host Joe Frost sits down with his good friend Neil to talk about creating a culture in a remote work environment and how to best support remote employees.

 

 

Takeaways:

  • While tools and processes have caught up to a remote work style, company culture has yet to adapt fully.
  • While online calendars have made it easy to schedule meetings with coworkers, it has made it that much easier to interrupt someone’s productivity. Meetings show up on a schedule, tasks don’t.
  • In a remote business, having in-person events that workers from all over can come to is essential. In-person yearly retreats or kickoff events should be a mandatory expense on your budget. 
  • There is immense value in finding time to meet with clients in person if possible. In-person meetings often lead to stronger client relationships and better client referrals.
  • In a remote environment, support for your employees will differ in both the support provided and how you let them know they are supported. 
  • As a remote company, establishing and emphasizing your core values will help unify employees and give a clearer sense of direction for leadership. 
  • If you take a step back and delegate when leading employees, you give them space to flourish in their roles and have an increased sense of agency.

 

 

Quote of the Show:

  • “How does the team know that we really do have their back? How do we embody that connection?” - Neil Emeigh

 

 

Shoutouts:

 

 

Links

 

 

Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Starting With People - Garrick Villaume - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode # 42

Tuesday Oct 04, 2022

Tuesday Oct 04, 2022

Today's guest got his start in particle physics and now coaches businesses. He has a focus on helping businesses deliver cleaner products and greener services. Garrick Villaume is Owner and Principal at Physical Systems Inc. Garrick and Joe chat on this week’s episode about creating a people-focused business environment, and how businesses can create a better world for those to come. 

 

 

Takeaways:

  • Overtracking of actions taken by workers is ultimately going to hurt businesses.
  • The use of technology in business has as many potential benefits as it does potential consequences. When implementing technology, it is important to not let positives blind us to potential misuse.   
  • The main focus of business should be to make the world a better place for those to come. 
  • All businesses, organizations, technologies, and processes begin and end with people.
  • While many businesses may tout their values, they also need to live and act through their values.
  • When working with a global workforce, you need to make sure you communicate information in a way that can be understood.
  • It’s important to not let best hold better hostage. While you may want to do your best work, it’s crucial to not let that get in the way of implementing options that are better than what you currently have. 

 

 

Quote of the Show:

  • “I want to emphasize my view that it's all about people.” - Garrick Villaume



Links

 

 

Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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Celebrating 40 Episodes - Fractional C-Suite Retreat - Episode # 41

Tuesday Sep 20, 2022

Tuesday Sep 20, 2022

We here at the Fractional C-Suite Retreat are celebrating 40 episodes with a compilation of some moments from our most popular interviews. We appreciate those who have listened along with us and hope you’ll join us for a trip down memory lane.

 

A huge thank you to the guests below for taking part in our show! We couldn’t have done it without you!


Brian Smith - Founder and Partner at IA Business Advisors

Valerie Cobb - Co-Founder at Revenue Northstar

Luke Templin - Founder and Profit First Coach at a2 advisers

Mark Scrimenti - Fractional COO at Vivid Path

Jim Rowe - CEO/CMO at Jim Rowe Marketing

 

 

Takeaways:

  • Many C-suite members have blinders on, it’s essential to be able to become more in touch with the world.
  • A business needs to have 3 core things to survive, Finances, Operations, and Inbound.
  • While pricing appears as something that should be formulaic, in actuality it is an art form.
  • Listen to your customers, their comments and feedback will guide the growth of your company.
  • When it comes to writing and critical thinking, you need to put in time and effort to hone your skills and retain them. You can always be learning and improving.



Links

Brian Smith: 

 

Valerie Cobb:

 

Luke Templin:

 

Mark Scrimenti:

 

Jim Rowe:



Ways to Tune In

 

 

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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