In this episode, Casey Bickhardt, CEO of GEMCO Mixers and Advanced Powder Solutions, shares her journey from childhood values to leading two companies. She discusses the importance of hard work, accountability, and curiosity in leadership. Casey reflects on the challenges faced during economic downturns and emphasizes the significance of stakeholder engagement and core values in decision-making. Her experiences highlight how personal growth and adaptability are essential in navigating the complexities of business leadership.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Casey Bickhardt and Her Companies

02:15 Values growing up

04:43 Childhood Value • Learning from the Ground Up

06:01 Childhood Value • Process Planning and Efficiency

06:24 Childhood Value • Time Value of Money and Planning

07:49 Childhood Value • Service & Giving Back

08:17 Rules and their interpretations

09:40 Work, Values, and Differing Interpretations of Rules

10:47 Humility and Curiosity Yield Tools to Motivate Others

12:45 Curiosity and the 'Infinitely Curious'

13:23 The Family Business

16:38 Transition to CEO • Just before a CGMP Audit!

18:09 Working Two Shifts & Building Processes and Procedures from Scratch

18:59 Work Ethic + Ambition + Drive

19:33 Lessons Learned • Night Shifts, Deep Holes, Automation, and Faith

20:33 Increased responsibility increases faith

22:35 Managing Two Companies: The Journey Continues

24:14 Purchasing • Brings Insights about Processes, Parts & Manufacturing

25:29 Engineering • Leads to inquiring about engineering practices and reasoning

26:16 Cost Engineering • Informed by Hands-On APS Experience

26:48 Quality Feedback • APS Provides to Gemco

28:07 Sales • Cumulative Experiences Open Doors to Customers

31:23 Deep Experience Leads to Insightful Leadership and Orchestration

32:16 APS Challenge and Cold Call Selling

36:17 GEMCO's Core Values & Decision Making

36:52 Corporate Value • Stakeholder Awareness & Understanding Expectations

37:06 Corporate Value • Accountable

37:13 Corporate Values • Dependable

37:23 Corporate Value • Clearness and 'Speak Up' Leads to Unanimity

39:52 Corporate Value • Stakeholder-Driven Decision Process Affords Resilience

41:12 Corporate Value • Hiring Learners Who Foster Collaboration

41:58 Corporate Value • Understanding the Economics Affecting Capital Equipment Purchasing

44:25 Closing • Contact Information

45:01 Close

Links to Casey Bickhardt’s Contact and Companies

https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bickhardt-9713005/

https://okgemco.com

https://advancedpowdersolutions.com

Special Thanks

Shout out to Carrie Greene of Four Smart Girls, LLC (https://foursmartgirls.com/) for suggesting this episode's guest Casey Bickhardt.

https://workandworldview.com

keywords

Casey Bickhardt, GEMCO Mixers, Advanced Powder Solutions, leadership, values, business challenges, stakeholder engagement, economic impact, personal growth, curiosity

In this episode, Financial Coach and Tax Strategist Mike Hilmes shares his journey from a values-driven upbringing in a Catholic home to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the financial services industry. He discusses the importance of recognizing hypocrisy in values, the challenges of starting his own business, and the evolution of his services to provide a holistic approach to financial planning. Mike emphasizes the significance of client relationships, the impact of his family legacy, and the role of faith in guiding his business decisions. He critiques the industry for its reactive nature and highlights the need for proactive financial planning. Ultimately, Mike's drive to help others stems from his desire to create lasting change and empower clients to achieve their financial goals.

Chapters

00:00 Foundations of Values and Early Influences

03:24 Navigating College and Career Aspirations

05:27 The Journey to Entrepreneurship

07:11 Overcoming Doubts and Embracing Vision

08:27 Realizations About the CPA Role

09:51 The Progression of Vision Over Time

10:46 Growing Tension between Vision & Innovation and Fear & Security

13:59 The Start of Kingdom Financial

16:21 Kingdom Financial also addressing personal finances

19:01 The Drive to Help Others

22:07 Finding Purpose in Adversity

23:34 Seeing the opportunity God presents in struggles

25:13 Mike's Zone of Genius

26:04 Massive Business Growth leads to a Major Business Pivot

27:54 The Evolution of Kingdom Financial

28:51 Success Leads to Virtual CFO Line of Business

30:13 Holistic Financial Strategies for Clients

31:38 The Elephant Analogy: Understanding Financial Complexity

33:25 Proactive Financial Management: Windshield vs Rear-View

37:04 Identifying Client Pain Points

38:49 Differentiating in the Accounting Industry

39:37 Unicorn in Breadth to Serve Clients at a Higher Level

40:12 Green & Growing or Ripe & Rotten

44:07 Be a Blessing

46:45 The Drive to Serve and Help Others

52:28 Engaging with Entrepreneurial Clients

55:13 Closing

Links to Mike Hilmes' firm Kingdom Financial Strategy

https://www.kingdomfinancialstrategy....

/ kingdom-financial-llc

Special Thanks

Shout out to Anita Toth of Hidden Revenue Hunters (https://hiddenrev.com/) for the introduction to this episode's guest Mike Hilmes.

https://workandworldview.com

In this episode, Andrey Hodkevich, an architect from Sofia, Bulgaria, shares insights into his upbringing, the values instilled in him, and how they shaped his approach to architecture. He emphasizes the importance of honesty, curiosity, and the balance between creativity and constraints in architectural design. Andrey discusses the evolution of architecture in the context of the information revolution and the potential of AI to transform the field. He also explores the concept of immaterial architecture and the role of museums as cultural symbols. Throughout the discussion, he highlights the need for architects to remain adaptable and open-minded in a rapidly changing world.

Chapters

00:00 Foundations of Honesty: Early Values

03:38 The path to Architecture

07:52 Balancing Constraints: The Architect's Challenge

10:05 Ideation

14:52 Conceptualization

17:54 Architectural form or form of architecture? Immateriality

19:15 Museums as a Conceptual Device for Immaterial Buildings (shape vs state)

23:30 Functional Layers of Architecture - Considered Independently

28:45 Recomposing Layers

31:28 Balancing Client Needs and Creative Vision

31:55 A building as a character

37:21 Information Pollution and Its Impact on Architecture

40:04 The Future of Architecture in the Age of AI

52:33 Honesty in Architecture: Materiality and Function

56:04 Close

Links to Andrey's Firm Studio HORA

https://www.studio-hora.com/

https://www.instagram.com/studio_ho_ra/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ho-ra/

Special Thanks

Shout out to Pia Schuschies, Leadership Coach at (https://pia-schuschies.com/) for the introduction to this episode's guest Andrey Hodkevich. Thanks for connecting us Pia!

https://workandworldview.com