Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?

I am the CEO of Strategic Leadership Advisors LLC; a certified risk management professional and have a doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Development. I have spent 15+ years in the risk management field. I specialize in educating others in leadership skills necessary for long term success. This includes the area of risk management. My goal is to simplify the concept of managing risk so that leaders, executives, small businesses can apply the skills no matter where they sit in the organization—all the way from the board room to the barber down the street. I take complex topics like risk management, make it relatable, and therefore applicable across various organizations. When clients work with me, they will benefit from experiencing an approach to risk management that is easy to understand. 

When Covid-19 hit, many companies were caught off guard, unaware that there is a strategy for dealing with unanticipated surprises. I teach companies what that strategy is so that they can reduce the impact of these events. I show companies how to get ahead of the curb by creating risk management policies, in-house manuals and helping to establish their company risk profile.

What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?

The best advice I have for others when it comes to finding success in their life is to not to follow the crowd. In this social media driven culture, it is so easy to look others and to compare yourself. I would advise others not to spend too much time measuring their success this way. Rather, success is subjective. You can make it whatever you want it to mean if the outcome is one that makes you want to get up every morning to find a way to serve others.

Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?

To me, success is a state of being. I often ask myself; how do I want to feel at the end of a day? Or how do I want to spend my day and then commit to projects or opportunities that create that state of being. I used to view success as a “metric”, but metrics are not as important as outcomes. I could feed one hungry child—maybe not a million, but does that mean the impact is not just as significant?

What’s next for you?

I am extremely excited about what is next on my list of things to do. One is the upcoming Branded Book series. We have already published our first title. We will be accepting applications from executives with the desire to become a co-author without the pressure and hassle that comes with working with a traditional publisher. I am aware of the demands of a traditional publisher as an author, having successfully secured a contract with a well-known educational publisher myself. I have won book awards and have written under the 80,000- word deadline requirement. Let me tell you, it is demanding. My new writing program for executives reduces that pressure and gets their name out there, helping them build additional credibility in their field, with access to our social media platforms.