Generate Your Value
144 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratingsA conversation-style podcast discussing issues around life, leadership, and small business success. Andy McDowell from Generate Your Value LLC and Zach Levy from Primerica Financial Services are your co-hosts of the podcast bringing their own experiences and talents to the table to help you navigate the obstacles in building a successful small business while enjoying the journey in such a way that joy and happiness are always present in your life. Zach and Andy also bring you inspirational guests whose life and career stories help you to work towards your own joy, happiness, and success in life!
Andy McDowell is an engineer by trade and a creative by nature. He is the founder of the entrepreneurial and small business coaching and consulting firm, Generate Your Value, co-host of The Generate Your Value Podcast, and an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine.
Andy spent 22 years with the Boeing Company, where he always felt more like a life coach than a boss. In 2002, he began his journey into entrepreneurship within a corporation when he was asked to develop an Airspace Design Consulting business from scratch that would serve the global government market.
Andy has a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgia Tech in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State. Naturally, his aviation work took him around the world and enabled him to work on high-profile projects - such as preparing the Beijing and Sochi Airports for their respective Olympic Games.
Andy would love to have a conversation with you about how he might be able to use his strategic skills developed from his years with the Boeing Company to Generate Your Value in your personal and professional life. He has a keen sense for applying business concepts into life coaching, and life coaching concepts into business.
Zach Levy is a Georgia native, born and raised. Growing up as an athlete, he built the foundations of work ethic, team building, and leadership. Through elementary, middle and high school, he was a wrestler, yet when college came around, he was recruited to the cheer squad, where he truly learned about lifting up others. After college Zach went on to manage one of the largest health clubs in Georgia, but quickly found that the corporate fitness sales life was not what he thought it would be. He then moved on to be a district manager for good ole' Waffle House. As anyone in restaurant management knows, it was not all rainbows and butterflies. Experiencing rapid burnout, and not feeling fulfilled, Zach started searching for other avenues, and found a passion for helping others in the financial field. He currently is a financial advisor and broker, with a goal of growing business to all 50 states in the U.S. His mission is to break the status quo of the financial services industry, and help people truly understand how to win the money game.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
The Push and Pull of Life and Business
November 30, 2021 21:30 - 39 minutes - 53.6 MBAndy and Zach take us through a visualization on how fear and love play a role in pulling or pushing people, events, etc. in our life and into our business. We even have a mention of a super hero in the mix! Our younger years as young adults play a pivotal role in how our light either shines of doesn't shine in this world. Hit the subscribe button to ensure you don't miss an episode!
Reflections on the Impact of the Pandemic on Life and Business
November 16, 2021 20:00 - 42 minutes - 58.8 MBZach and Andy discuss their insights and opinions as to the impacts which the pandemic has made on business and life. Were there major changes or slight movements around the compass? Please leave your opinions on the subject on our social media pages. Hit that subscribe button to not miss an episode!!
The Great Resignation
November 09, 2021 20:00 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MBIs U.S. business having a "mid-life" crisis? The pandemic has caused many people to be introspective about what they want in their lives just like somebody having a heart attack at age 42 would do. And the verdict is that American businesses are not delivering the goods for the "new normal" that Americans want for themselves. Zach and Andy explore in this episode the data behind this mass exodus and what it says about the future for U.S. business. Subscribe to not miss an episode!
Culture From An Employee Perspective
November 02, 2021 20:30 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MBZach and Andy discuss the elements of a company's culture that are important to employees. The interesting find is that elements which have emotional value to employees are significantly more important to employees than those which have financial value. Question remains....does Leadership evaluate the strength of it's culture at the same level as employees? Subscribe to our podcast to not miss an episode!
Culture From The Leadership Perspective
October 26, 2021 21:00 - 45 minutes - 63.1 MBWith this episode, Zach and Andy take a look at the different elements of a business or corporate culture from the perspective of a leadership team. This is part one of a two part series looking at this nebulous thing called culture in which hundreds of definitions exist in the world about what it is. Next week we will look at culture from an employee perspective and the differences and similarities with the leadership perspective. Subscribe to our podcast so you don't miss an episode and if...
Leadership Case Study: Boeing 737MAX
October 19, 2021 20:00 - 36 minutes - 50.2 MBZach and Andy discuss leadership miscues relative to the development and production of Boeing's 737MAX aircraft. Boeing's 737MAX aircraft were involved in two crashes which led to loss of life and grounding of the aircraft by the FAA and other government authorities for 18 months. Recently, Boeing's Chief Technical Pilot for the 737MAX at the time of aircraft certification was indicted on six charges of fraud.
Continuous Improvement - Mindset or Strategy?
October 12, 2021 20:00 - 35 minutes - 49 MBZach and Andy discuss the work that Toyota did 20 to 30 years ago to develop a continuous improvement program called Kaizen and its implications for small businesses and for an individual's life. Question is.....is a mindset or a strategy or both? Hit the subscribe button so you don't miss an episode. Share our podcast with others so we can continue to generate more value in this world!!
The Importance of Marketing - An Interview with RevLocal
October 06, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 97.6 MBZach and Andy welcome Tracy Moore and Rob Knighton from RevLocal to the Podcast to discuss various topics regarding Marketing for Small Businesses. Topics include the importance of SEO, what is marketing, how to recognize a good marketing strategy and campaign, what to look for in a marketing organization to work with and the relationship between marketing and lead generation and sales. We hope you take a listen and hit that subscribe button to not miss an episode!
Assumptions in Business Plans
September 28, 2021 20:15 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MBYou have heard the typical phrase about when you assume something.....When making a business plan however, assumptions are an important tool a business owner uses as they "learn" their way through the business to success. When starting a business, a business plan should be made for the first 3 to 6 months, not 3 to 6 years. The shorter the better. A section in your business plan, however, should list out the assumptions that one will prove or invalidate in that 3 to 6 months. Join us as we d...
Why Are Some Entrepreneurs More Successful Than Others?
September 21, 2021 20:00 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBZach and Andy explore the possible reasons why some Entrepreneurs are more successful than others. Mindsets, Attitudes, Goals, Strategies, Culture are all aspects they explore in this episode as reasons why businesses with complexity could be the culprit for subdued business success.
How You Do One Thing, Is How You Do Everything
September 14, 2021 20:00 - 36 minutes - 50.3 MBAndy and Zach explore the meanings behind the phrase "How you do one thing is how you do everything". It relates to the How of Why, How, What of your life and your business. We explore how the culture of an organization is a huge influence on the success of an organization.
Why Business Concepts Work In Your Life
September 07, 2021 20:15 - 57 minutes - 79.2 MBZach and Andy explore why business concepts such as Product and Program Management work in you personal life as well. It comes down to needs. Needs for Businesses and needs in human life. Join us as we answer the all important word Why? when it comes to this subject.
Two Common Words With A Lot of Power In Life
August 24, 2021 20:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBZach and Andy spend time discussing the power of the words AND and OR in our lives. These two words have strong linkages to our mindsets relative to love and fear, abundance and scarcity. The more that we can have AND in our life as opposed to OR, the more likelihood of joy, happiness and success can be in our lives.
Are You A Human BEing Or A Human DOing?
August 17, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 77.3 MBAndy and Zach look at the relationship between the words Be, Do and Have in our lives. Which do we do first in life, Be or Do? Do we do certain things in order to be a certain way in life (Be) or do we try to be a certain way in life first which then drives our decision making during our "doing" in life? Joy, happiness and success occurs for us when we start with our "be" which drives our "do rather than doing in order to achieve a "be" in life. Follow our podcast journey by hitting that s...
Sales Processes - How Big Is Your Sales Funnel?
August 10, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 77.5 MBZach and Andy look at the characteristics of a good sales process, sales mindset and the relationship between sales and marketing. In our prior season we did an episode about how sales fits in the bigger picture for a business. This episode dives deeper into the role of sales and the desired outcomes from a sales process.
System of Systems in Life and Business
August 03, 2021 19:45 - 51 minutes - 71.4 MBSystems are all around us and we take for granted every day of our lives. Zach and Andy explore the complex world of systems which interact with one another to achieve complex goals and requirements within business and within life. This process of system interaction is called system of systems. System of Systems is an important concept to understand to build successful strategies in life and in business. Numerous examples are reviewed within the episode.
The Whys of Life
July 20, 2021 19:00 - 54 minutes - 74.8 MBZach and Andy explore some heavy topics in life where the word WHY takes front stage. How does the word Why play in the concepts of purpose, mindset and choice are explored. Hit that subscribe button to not miss an episode. Thanks for joining us on our podcast journey!
Top Four Reasons For A Small Business Failure
July 13, 2021 19:30 - 36 minutes - 49.9 MBZach and Andy explore the four top reasons a small business fails and how to minimize the risk of falling victim to these failure reasons.
The Challenges Of Starting A Business
May 25, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBAndy and Zach discuss the challenges that Entrepreneurs face in starting and growing a business in normal times as well as coming out of a pandemic. Follow Andy and Zach on their podcast journey to generate value in business owners lives by hitting that subscribe button on your podcast platform!
The Power of Empathy in Business
May 18, 2021 19:00 - 50 minutes - 69.4 MBZach and Andy discuss what is empathy, what it is and is not in business, the benefits of empathy in business ,why it is not more talked about and why it is difficult to implement. Follow us on our podcast journey by hitting that Subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform! Thanks for listening!
Trust - The Accelerator For Your Business
May 11, 2021 19:00 - 56 minutes - 77.1 MBZach and Andy discuss the types of trust in a business, the core elements of trust (The 7 Cs), the benefits of high trust, the enemies of trust and tips on building trust within your company. Hit that subscribe button so you don't miss an episode!
Emotional Intelligence - A Skill That Pays Dividends
April 27, 2021 19:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBZach and Andy discuss the elements of Emotional Intelligence which include Social Skills, Motivation, Empathy, Self-Awareness and Self- Management. Emotional Intelligence is a key contributor to your personal brand and your self-leadership. Join us for this important discussion and hit that subscribe button so you can follow us on our journey to generate our value in this world!
An Interview with Entrepreneur Heather Rogers - Owner of Simply Organized
April 20, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 90.5 MBZach and Andy welcome Heather Rogers to the Podcast to discuss her incredible journey to Entrepreneurship. We discuss her various jobs leading to her decision to go out on her own, her book, her business and how she managed to keep her business afloat despite a pandemic and a serious illness.
A Difficult Time in Business - Firing An Employee
April 13, 2021 19:00 - 52 minutes - 71.9 MBZach and Andy discuss the process leading up to a decision to fire an employee and tips to make the actual process of firing an employee have the best possible results for all parties. Follow our podcast to join us on our journey to generate value in business owners business and personal lives!
When Should I Start Hiring Employees?
April 06, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 83.1 MBZach, Meghan and Andy take a look at one of the scariest moments of being an entrepreneur......making that first hire. We address the main planning events needed before conducting interviews and provide some tips about the actual interview process. Please follow our journey by hitting that subscribe button so you don't miss an episode!
Product Management - A Strategic Function
March 30, 2021 19:00 - 50 minutes - 69.5 MBZach and Andy discuss what is Product Management, the difference between Product Management and Project Management and where does Product Management fit in a small business.
An Interview With Chris Lalomia of The Trusted Toolbox
March 23, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBAndy and Zach discuss with Chris his career journey from the corporate life to the entrepreneur life, his business he built in the The Trusted Toolbox, the creation of his Home Services Institute and his recently released book titled "From the Zoo to the Wild." You can reach Chris at www.thetrustedtoolbox.com, via email at [email protected] and on the Facebook, LInkedIn and Instagram platforms. Hit that subscribe button to follow Andy and Zach on their journey to generate value in ...
Business Strategy - The Lifeblood of a Business - Part 2 of 2
March 16, 2021 19:00 - 58 minutes - 80.4 MBAndy and Zach take a look at some possible major themes of a business strategy both short and long term. We also discuss some tools that can assist your effort to build a business strategy for your business. If our episodes generate value in your life and business, please hit that subscribe button to follow us on our journey to generate value in this world!
Business Strategy - The Lifeblood of a Business - Part 1 of 2
March 09, 2021 20:30 - 55 minutes - 75.7 MBIn the first of a two part series, Andy and Zach take a look at business strategy. The following topics are discussed: What is strategy and what it is not. Why is strategy important? What is different between a business plan and a business strategy? What are the key components of a business strategy? Zach and Andy invite you to follow us on our journey to create a Generate Your Value movement and subscribe to our podcast so you don't miss an episode. We appreciate your support!
Sales Is The Running Back Of Your Football Team
March 02, 2021 19:00 - 57 minutes - 79.4 MBZach, Meghan and Andy look at the analogy of a football team as it relates to your product/service, your marketing plan and your sales force. Your sales team are the running backs and wide receivers of your offensive in your effort to attract and land customers. What characteristics and qualities are needed to make good sales people is addressed. In the end, every employee is a sales person even if it is not in their job description.
Where Is Your Tribe? - A Review of Seth Godin's Book "Tribes"
February 23, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 87.6 MBAndy, Zach and Meghan review Seth Godin's book "Tribes" in which Seth talks about what is a tribe, what you need to get a tribe started, the four types of communication that exist inside a tribe and the principles a tribe must have to have success and stay in the game. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast channel so you don't miss an episode!
A Discussion of Simon Sinek's The Infinite Game
February 09, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBIn this episode, Andy, Zach and Megan discuss the concepts described in Simon Sinek's book "The Infinite Game" bringing their own thoughts and analogies to the discussion. We bring the definitions of finite and infinite games, the differences between the two, some living examples business wise of companies that play finite and infinite games and the areas that Simon says a company should concentrate on in order to play and succeed in an infinite game. Please join us in this conversation and ...
Servant Leadership - The Leadership Style That Puts People First
February 02, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 95.6 MBWe review in detail the latest leadership style that has hit the business world. Servant Leadership was developed back in 1970 by Robert Greenleaf when he published an essay "The Servant as Leader." We take a look on it's development, the major tenets of the leadership style, the tools of a servant leader and the benefits that the stakeholders receive from this type of leadership.
10 Leadership Styles You Can Draw On
January 26, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 105 MBAndy, Zach and Meghan review 10 leadership styles, their characteristics, benefits and challenges. We discuss the situations that might best be served by a particlular leadership style. We all have our "home" leadership style that we are most comfortable with, however, its important to grow your leadership muscles in other styles as you might face them in your work.
Branding for Small Businesses - Laura and David Wells from DL Creative
January 06, 2021 19:00 - 48 minutes - 66.6 MBOur guests on this episode are Laura and David Wells, Owners of DL Creative, a design firm in the Atlanta, Georgia area that helps small businesses develop an appropriate brand for their company as well as partnering with marketing companies to assist in development of marketing campaigns for small businesses as well. We discuss how Laura and David got into this business, challenges they faced in starting their business, what is a brand, how storytelling plays into a brand, how a personal b...
Abundance versus Scarcity in Life and in Business
November 10, 2020 19:00 - 35 minutes - 48.6 MBZach and Andy discuss how abundance plays in a person and a business in achieving uniqueness in this world. We desire to have an abundance mindset in our lives because it creates a uniqueness in the world that people and businesses desire. We also discuss how intellectual property concepts can protect your unique ideas in the business world.
Father and Son Share A Corporate to Entrepreneur Journey
October 27, 2020 19:00 - 55 minutes - 76.1 MBAndy interviews Scott Specker, a Five Star Painting Franchisee in the Atlanta area, about his corporate to entrepreneur journey. Joining Andy and Scott is Scott's Father, David Specker, who also had a corporate to entrepreneur transition which Scott got to witness first hand and was a role model for Scott's own transition to entrepreneur. We discuss the ups and downs of the corporate and entrepreneur world, what caused both David and Scott to make the jump to entrepreneurship and lessons lea...
Are you a Warrior or a Fighter in Life?
October 20, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 100 MBAndy, Zach and Megan continue the discussion about the most fundamental decision human beings make in life....do you make your decisions based in love or in fear. In this episode we look at how that decision shows up in people's lives in terms of behaviors, leadership styles and the consequences of the decisions. We use the analogy of a Warrior vs. Fighter and their subtle differences between the two to illustrate the points.
Love Versus Fear - The Most Fundamental Choice Of Our Lives
October 06, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 94.1 MBAs we grow up in life, we develop fears due to the hurts, pain, drama we face in our upbringing as children. Every choice we make in our life, no matter how big or small, is steeped in either love or in fear. Andy and Zach explore this issue, how it stops us from living the life we desire for ourselves in our personal life as well as in our business life as leaders. The more that we can base our decisions in love, the more value we can generate in this world.
The World of Creativity
September 29, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 82.7 MBAndy, Zach and Megan explore the role of creativity in people's lives, why a lot of people claim to not be creative and how culture plays a big role in the creativity in a business or organization. Two great books for you to explore creativity further are The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield and Creative Calling by Chase Jarvis. Thanks for subscribing to our podcast and following us on our journey to generate value in people's lives.
Self Leadership
September 15, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBAndy, Zach and Zach's wife Megan explore the mindsets, attitudes and tools to lead yourself to a life in which you are living out your Why, How and What of your life and generating value in this world.
The Why, How and What of Life and Business
September 01, 2020 19:00 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MB1) Introduce Simon Sinek’s Why, How and What structure 2) Talk in detail about each individual one 3) Engaging people with the Why in Business and Life 4) Leaders should be exploring this about each individual team member they have. 5) The only difference between a person and a business in regards to Why, How and What is scale. This is one of the key messages we want to get across in our podcast. Will be mentioned a lot. 6) Start to talk about Personal Branding…..branding be...
Host and Podcast Introductions
August 25, 2020 19:00 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MB1) A little light banter about finally getting the podcast going after a lot of discussion and introspection 2) Zach to talk about his work history and how he got to Primerica 3) Zach to talk about who Primerica is and what they do 4) Andy to talk about his previous career 5) Andy to discuss Generate Your Value LLC 6) Let’s talk about the words Generate Your Value…..read out the dictionary definition of the word value…. 7) Talk about in life we are either generating value...
Podcast Overview
August 18, 2020 22:00 - 1 minute - 2.15 MBA quick tour of the podcast by co-hosts Andy McDowell and Zach Levy to inform on our intentions to generate value in people's lives.