In Episode 124 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks leadership with two Heartland executives: Andre Nataf, Sr. Vice President of POS Distribution, and Maddie Stockwell, Sr. Director of the Heartland POS Dealer Channel. Among the topics discussed are how to navigate shared leadership responsibilities, tactics to bridge generational divides, and the importance of building a team that aligns with company values. 

“The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT VARs and software providers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org.

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Full episode transcript via Apple Podcasts:

00:00:07.041 –> 00:00:14.481
Roddy: Welcome to another episode of the Trusted Advisor Podcast and Video Series, powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association.

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Roddy: Our goal on the pod is to accelerate the success of today’s and tomorrow’s leaders in the retail IT industry.

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Roddy: I’m Jim Roddy, back with you again.

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Roddy: Thank you so much for joining us.

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Roddy: Throughout this year, we’re talking with leaders about their leadership journeys and what they’ve learned along the way.

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Roddy: And we have two special guests today who are going to discuss how they handle shared leadership responsibilities inside their organization.

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Roddy: Our first guest is Andre Nataf, the Senior Vice President of POS Distribution for Heartland, where he’s held leadership roles for nine years.

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Roddy: Prior to that, Andre was Director of Business Development at ISV Menusoft, better known by its product name Digital Dining, and he served that organization for nearly 19 years before they were acquired by Heartland.

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Roddy: Andre, always great to talk with you and welcome to The Trusted Advisor.

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Nataf: Thanks, Jim.

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Nataf: How are you?

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Roddy: I’m wonderful.

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Roddy: You and I have talked over many, many years over many conference room tables and hallways, so it’s good to have you on the pod.

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Roddy: Thank you.

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Nataf: Thank you.

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Roddy: Our second guest is colleagues with Andre.

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Roddy: Maddie Stockwell is the Senior Director of the Heartland POS Dealer Channel.

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Roddy: Maddie began her tenure at Heartland nearly nine years ago as a Dealer Business Development Manager and has been promoted four times to reach her current position as a Senior Director.

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Roddy: Maddie was also a Sales and Marketing Lead at ISV Dinerware before they too were acquired by Heartland in 2016, and earlier this year, Maddie moderated a panel discussion at RSPA’s RetailNOW 2024 Trade Show, titled, The Right People at the Right Time, How ISVs and VARs Navigate Growth Through Strategic Hiring.

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Roddy: Maddie, great to see you again.

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Roddy: Welcome to the podcast.

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Stockwell: Thanks, Jim.

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Stockwell: Excited to be here.

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Roddy: I’m glad to have you here.

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Roddy: Let’s set the context for our listeners and for our viewers.

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Roddy: Andre, if you can take this one first, when did you start working with each other at Heartland?

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Roddy: When did you start working with Maddie?

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Roddy: How did that connection all come about?

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Nataf: Yeah.

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Nataf: Maddie and I have been together about nine years.

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Nataf: As you mentioned in her bio, she was working for Jeff Riley that a lot of you know, at Dynoware doing the sales and marketing, but most importantly, doing sales demo for what back then was First Data Direct Reps who were reselling white labeled Dynoware, and also working with the dealers and ISOs with their marketing campaigns and lead generation.

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Nataf: So, I was just acquired from having been running sales revenue, biz dev for digital dining as a minority owner.

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Nataf: And the first thing that happened was Bob Carr, who back then was the founder and CEO of Heartland, had hired me back.

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Nataf: And I say back because when I ran dealerships for many years before, they were bought out by VC firm, I had been a 1099R dealership was one of the first dealerships to sell payments.

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Nataf: And so Bob and I had gotten to know each other.

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Nataf: We were a top five dealership for NCR for digital dining, of course, CCR Catapult, Mercury Payments, and many other names that people have been around remember and all of that.

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Nataf: So Bob had been acquiring a lot of companies like Dinerware, Digital Dining, PC America, Expiant, and many, many others.

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Nataf: He needed someone who knew how to organize that, how to run the sales revenue and business development.

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Nataf: So that’s why he bought Digital Dining, was really to bring me in to take that over for him.

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Nataf: Of course, global payments ended up buying Heartland six months after I came aboard.

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Nataf: But in that time, that six-month period, I was asked to meet with all the folks that were in sales revenue and business development, for all of those companies that were running as silos at that time, and having difficulties getting the rubber to meet the road.

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Nataf: So in that, I would assess talent to see, not only who had the experience and capability to be a part of what we were going to build, but to see if they could buy in to the vision and future cast of what we were trying to create and what the ask was.

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Nataf: And, you know, if they had that, do they have then that capability?

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Nataf: And Madeline was, of course, one of those people that was probably one of my better decisions from all those visits and meetings, because as we’ll get into, I’m sure later on, it’s hard, you know, and if I learned one thing, it’s that, you know, you just, there is no secret formula.

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Nataf: You just got to leverage a lot of things.

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Nataf: So that’s how Maddie and I got together.

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Nataf: She was a part of rapid fire interviews that I was doing, and luckily I saw something that was right.

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Roddy: Great.

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Roddy: So your job was after the acquisitions, breaking down silos and essentially scouting talent inside the organization.

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Nataf: Yeah.

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Nataf: To formulate a new team, right?

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Nataf: So, yeah.

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Roddy: Excellent.

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Roddy: Well, Maddie, can you fast forward us to today?

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Roddy: So what’s your role today?

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Roddy: What’s Andre’s role today?

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Roddy: How do you guys share responsibilities?

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Roddy: You know, where do you cross over?

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Stockwell: Yeah, I can definitely do that.

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Stockwell: But first, I do want to say my point of view from Andre’s office.

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Stockwell: So it’s short and sweet, but it’s hilarious.

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Stockwell: So we get an email from Andre Nataf.

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Stockwell: Never met him before in my life.

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Stockwell: No context to who this person is.

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Stockwell: It basically says two sentences, I’m your new boss.

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Stockwell: I’m coming into the office next week to find out what you do, period.

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Stockwell: And I walk into the office that he’s set up in, and I’m thinking, oh, he’s just going to want to know what I do at this company.

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Stockwell: And within about two seconds, I realized, no, this is a job interview.

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Stockwell: Okay, here we go.

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Stockwell: And that was my first introduction to Andre.

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Stockwell: But so for what we do right now, my part of the business, like you said, is the Point of Sale Dealer Channel for the US and Canada.

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Stockwell: And I have two teams that work to board new dealers in our program.

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Stockwell: They manage those existing relationships with our resellers.

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Stockwell: They assist dealers day to day with their sales, with business development.

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Stockwell: And ultimately, their goal is working together with the dealers to grow and enhance our program.

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Stockwell: And then Andre is the executive level that’s overseeing my program as well as two other parts of the business.

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Stockwell: So he also oversees our cross-sale division.

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Stockwell: So that’s for resellers that are not reselling Heartland point of sale, but Avar for another ISV.

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Stockwell: And they want to work with Heartland to refer payments or payroll, leverage our lending program or resell and refer our loyalty platform, Como, that we acquired over a year ago, which integrates with many of the different top retail and restaurant software in the industry.

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Roddy: Excellent.

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Roddy: Thank you for that.

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Roddy: And then how do you guys draw the line?

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Roddy: Like are there things that you guys share together or that you have to communicate with each other in terms of, I’m taking this, you’re taking this, or is that all clear already or is back and forth required, Maddie?

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Stockwell: Well, I think the way that Andre says it is I own my business, right?

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Stockwell: And so that line is pretty clear and that I own my part of the business, but I’m meeting with Andre every week, multiple times a week to get alignment, get clarity, get advice, and make sure that we’re aligned from the very top of the business down to my team.

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Stockwell: Great.

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Roddy: Andre, can you expand upon John Kirk, former RSPA CEO, called it like you’re the CEO of your space.

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Roddy: That kind of sounds like what you communicate to Maddie and other folks on your team.

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Roddy: Can you talk about that?

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Nataf: Yeah, sure.

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Nataf: So that’s exactly right.

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Nataf: I mean, it’s difficult to, when you have people who you’re grooming as the succession plan to take over parts of the business that you ran before, you’re really looking to make sure that you’re setting them up for success with everything that you know and have assimilated from your experience.

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Nataf: But at the same time, not tainting them with your own bias, right?

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Nataf: So the key that I find is that it’s that tricky tipping point of when are they ready to make their own mistakes and yet not go in.

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Nataf: And so I find that Madeline’s journey has been great because she’s worked every position in the program that I built.

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Nataf: And so when she took over, she already knew all the things that go in.

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Nataf: And it’s kind of like to me, having been a parent and my kids, us being empty nesters and having gone through that, you always want your kids to be much better than you were and exceed.

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Nataf: And so it’s the same thing for me in this thing as a succession plan, is you want to make sure that they’re not going to get hurt when you set them free, but you also want to give them the space to understand they’re ready and they’re going to take it further than you could take it yourself.

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Nataf: That’s how I look at it.

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Nataf: Yeah.

00:10:28.761 –> 00:10:31.761
Roddy: I always said I want to hire somebody who can kick my butt, right?

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Roddy: That they’re going to do better at this job than I couldn’t.

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Roddy: So if their ceiling is higher than mine, by all means.

00:10:37.481 –> 00:10:41.301
Roddy: Some folks I know feel threatened by that, but I was thinking it just makes your business better.

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Roddy: And if you’re good at identifying that talent and helping them develop, they’re just going to have you identify other talent, right?

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Roddy: And develop it as well.

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Roddy: So it’s a team sport.

00:10:51.281 –> 00:10:54.561
Roddy: Life’s a team game for sure.

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Roddy: So one thing is there’s something in our industry.

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Roddy: There’s obviously a lot of veteran leaders and business owners who were hiring younger people.

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Roddy: And so there’s a lot of conversation about generational divides.

00:11:06.641 –> 00:11:09.541
Roddy: And so I’m curious, Maddie, if you can take this first.

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Roddy: So has there been a generational divide between the two of you, the event to make a special effort to manage?

00:11:16.581 –> 00:11:31.441
Roddy: And just for context, for folks who don’t know from a detailed standpoint, I’m not going to give away anybody’s ages, but Andre graduated from University of Denver in 1985, and Maddie graduated from Western Washington University 24 years later in 2009.

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Roddy: So you can see where the gap is there.

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Roddy: So Maddie, can you talk about, again, is there a generational divide or some steps you’ve had to take?

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Stockwell: Yeah.

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Stockwell: I think I see a generational divide in a couple of different areas, and this isn’t specifically with Andre, it’s with Andre, but many of the folks that I work with over my career.

00:11:55.521 –> 00:12:06.461
Stockwell: I think it’s in communication styles, in how work preferences, how you go to work, how you show up to work, as well as core values can be different generationally.

00:12:08.861 –> 00:12:22.401
Stockwell: I think I saw a stat somewhere the other day that by the end of 2024, over 65 percent of the workforce is going to be made up of Millennials and Gen Z.

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Stockwell: It’s a super important topic, especially I think for businesses that want to stay competitive with their hiring practices and continue to grow their business.

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Stockwell: But when we talk about core values for the younger generation, a big one that comes up for me is culture.

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Stockwell: I personally know many of the folks in that younger generation embrace a culture of more of a coaching mindset with their leaders, and I do with my leaders as well.

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Stockwell: So a workplace where there’s clear and consistent feedback, coaching sessions, and those paths to grow are identified and very clear with their leader.

00:13:07.701 –> 00:13:18.681
Stockwell: I think something that’s outdated and something that is definitely a turn-off is that kind of command and control traditional style boss leadership.

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Stockwell: And so I think, for me, and this is something that Andre has definitely grown into over the last nine years that I’ve known him even more and more, is positioning yourself as a leader, as that mentor, and really a growth partner rather than that traditional boss.

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Stockwell: And I think when you show up that way, you’re really going to be able to unlock the full potential of those younger reports.

00:13:51.221 –> 00:13:52.121
Roddy: Thank you for that.

00:13:52.121 –> 00:13:53.101
Roddy: So it’s interesting.

00:13:53.101 –> 00:13:58.921
Roddy: So this podcast, when folks are listening to it, it’s going to be obviously later than the day we record it.

00:13:58.921 –> 00:14:01.881
Roddy: But we’re recording this on National Bosses Day.

00:14:01.881 –> 00:14:05.821
Roddy: And so I saw that on my calendar and I thought, man, you want to talk about an outdated term?

00:14:06.061 –> 00:14:09.741
Roddy: Like nobody even, I think, wants to be or maybe some people do.

00:14:09.741 –> 00:14:13.841
Roddy: But it’s not in vogue to be a boss these days.

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Roddy: You do want to be that leader, that coach, that growth partner.

00:14:17.901 –> 00:14:21.961
Roddy: You don’t want to be known as bossy by any means.

00:14:21.961 –> 00:14:22.421
Stockwell: Exactly.

00:14:22.881 –> 00:14:34.281
Stockwell: And I think part of that too is staying curious with your reports, asking questions, having the conversation, not dictating what they need to do or where they need to spend their time.

00:14:34.361 –> 00:14:40.821
Stockwell: It’s really having that conversation and having that culture where that communication is back and forth.

00:14:40.821 –> 00:14:42.881
Stockwell: It’s not a one-way conversation.

00:14:42.881 –> 00:14:43.601
Roddy: Yes.

00:14:43.601 –> 00:14:44.581
Roddy: Great.

00:14:44.581 –> 00:14:51.761
Roddy: Andre, I’m curious, if you can go back in your time machine when you were first starting to get into the work world, how important was culture to you?

00:14:51.761 –> 00:14:55.121
Roddy: Is it something you thought about, discussed?

00:14:55.121 –> 00:14:57.121
Roddy: I guess if you can talk about that.

00:14:57.981 –> 00:14:59.001
Nataf: Yeah.

00:14:59.001 –> 00:15:00.061
Nataf: Not at all.

00:15:01.201 –> 00:15:11.121
Nataf: As the answer, I know many of us who have been in the different flavors of organizations that have become RSPA to go back.

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Nataf: We were handed a cash register and shown the door, and don’t come back until it’s sold or on your way out, bring back the register.

00:15:25.201 –> 00:15:44.521
Nataf: It is different in terms of, I think Maddie did a great job of underlining the difference of that boss-employee relationship versus peer teammates and looking at how the coaching element plays in.

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Nataf: I’m fortunate that Global Payment, the parent company to Heartland and Heartland themselves, spent a lot of time on cultures and engaging people like Brene Brown to specifically tailor and orchestrate things for us as a team.

00:16:06.601 –> 00:16:18.521
Nataf: And so it’s interesting to me because you fast forward, and there isn’t that much of that generational element, because it works itself out.

00:16:18.701 –> 00:16:36.601
Nataf: Once you’re in that mode of seeing and seeking to understand perspective and respectfully rumbling and doing a lot of these things that set up a positive culture, the people who that doesn’t speak to tend to leave.

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Nataf: And yes, more of it is the older generation than the younger generation.

00:16:41.741 –> 00:16:49.661
Nataf: But what you find out is that there’s some of everyone, of all those personas in all of it.

00:16:49.661 –> 00:16:56.061
Nataf: So it really comes back to that learning mindset and being curious.

00:16:56.441 –> 00:17:06.581
Nataf: And for me, I’m lucky that that’s one of my, I guess, core traits is I cherish learning.

00:17:06.581 –> 00:17:08.661
Nataf: So I’m always trying to grow.

00:17:08.661 –> 00:17:10.901
Nataf: And that’s helped me a lot, like Maddie’s.

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Nataf: You know, said, I’m a much different leader than I entered into Heartland global ecosystem than I am today.

00:17:21.361 –> 00:17:26.461
Nataf: And that’s been a personally rewarding environment.

00:17:26.461 –> 00:17:27.161
Nataf: Madeline’s right.

00:17:27.161 –> 00:17:49.261
Nataf: Like you see the way that people respond to you as you work on yourself and as you grow and as you get better as a leader, you see that, you know, those outcomes that you wanted as a boss are even far out reach what you ever imagined you could get through the old style way of leading.

00:17:49.261 –> 00:17:49.961
Nataf: Yeah.

00:17:49.961 –> 00:17:50.221
Nataf: Yeah.

00:17:50.341 –> 00:17:58.541
Roddy: And I’m glad how you said it in terms of you have to recognize the differences when you have people who are two and a half decades apart.

00:17:58.541 –> 00:18:05.421
Roddy: But then that all blends into the background once you actually get to know and work with each other, and it becomes a working relationship.

00:18:05.421 –> 00:18:07.561
Roddy: So Maddie, I see you nodding with that.

00:18:07.641 –> 00:18:09.541
Roddy: I’m curious to get your perspective.

00:18:09.541 –> 00:18:12.601
Roddy: So it’s bothered me for many, many years.

00:18:12.601 –> 00:18:18.261
Roddy: Well, in part, when I first went into business for myself, I was only 23 and I looked way younger than 23.

00:18:18.261 –> 00:18:24.101
Roddy: And I remember knocking on the door one time on a sales call, and the guy looks me up and down and goes, school get out early today, son.

00:18:24.101 –> 00:18:29.361
Roddy: Like people were always bringing up my age and like painting with a broad brush in terms of this generation.

00:18:29.361 –> 00:18:35.481
Roddy: And so it’s bothered me when people painted Millennials with a broad brush or Gen Z with a broad brush.

00:18:35.981 –> 00:18:40.841
Roddy: I guess, can you talk about, I’d say, Maddie, can you channel my frustration with that as somebody?

00:18:40.841 –> 00:18:56.101
Roddy: I guess, can you talk about like what Andre just said in terms of, yeah, it’s something to be considered, but it’s more important to really understand the two people who are working together than the stereotypes you might have of one generation or another.

00:18:56.101 –> 00:18:56.781
Stockwell: Yeah, for sure.

00:18:56.781 –> 00:19:02.461
Stockwell: I mean, I think it’s the value that we’re bringing to the conversation, right, not what our age is.

00:19:02.461 –> 00:19:09.541
Stockwell: And I think sometimes we can be labeled a certain amount of value because of how we look or how we show up, right?

00:19:09.541 –> 00:19:19.721
Stockwell: And so, you know, I think, oh, there’s still meetings that happen all the time, right, where I walk in to a boardroom and we’re meeting somebody new for the first time.

00:19:19.721 –> 00:19:26.261
Stockwell: And I’m with, you know, three of my male employees, right, that work for me.

00:19:26.261 –> 00:19:35.281
Stockwell: And, you know, the first thing that that person in the room does is shake their hand, right, and think that I’m there, you know, as their support or admin, right, or project manager.

00:19:35.281 –> 00:19:43.721
Stockwell: And then they have to, you know, introduce me and say, hey, well, this is actually, you know, my leader and, and, you know, she’s leading the conversation today.

00:19:43.721 –> 00:19:45.201
Stockwell: You know, and it happens all the time.

00:19:45.201 –> 00:19:57.001
Stockwell: But I think, you know, like we all said, when you kind of strip all of that down, right, and you start to have those conversations, build the relationships and build the culture, you see the true value of the people.

00:19:57.001 –> 00:20:00.801
Stockwell: And you can start having those conversations that you really want to have.

00:20:01.621 –> 00:20:18.081
Stockwell: I also saw some another stat that I wanted to bring up because it kind of plays in to your frustrations, Jim, which is that like Gen Z and millennials are 25 percent more productive than their older counterparts in the business, right?

00:20:18.081 –> 00:20:23.981
Stockwell: And so when you’re looking at value, you’re definitely wanting to invest in that younger generation.

00:20:23.981 –> 00:20:24.861
Roddy: Great, Andre.

00:20:24.861 –> 00:20:30.341
Roddy: If I can ask your perspective, and I’m asking this because, again, sharing my perspective as well.

00:20:30.741 –> 00:20:35.461
Roddy: My college graduation day is closer to 1985 than 29.

00:20:35.461 –> 00:20:47.401
Roddy: The one thing I’ve seen that I guess you can apply to everybody who’s more than a decade or two decades younger is, they don’t have the same reference points that we have, right?

00:20:47.401 –> 00:20:51.801
Roddy: One that I have to remember flying to the Cleveland Airport, there was a quote there from Tammy Faye Baker.

00:20:51.801 –> 00:20:55.781
Roddy: I said something about Tammy Faye Baker and a young employee said, who’s Tammy Faye Baker?

00:20:55.781 –> 00:21:00.141
Roddy: I’m like, how do I even begin to explain everything that went into that?

00:21:00.261 –> 00:21:13.221
Roddy: I guess, can you talk about, are you mindful of that when you’re communicating with somebody who is much younger than you, that you realize, yeah, they might not even know who Ronald Reagan is or anything of that nature, right?

00:21:13.221 –> 00:21:18.941
Roddy: It might be somebody they’ve read about in a history book as opposed to somebody that we lived through and got to hear firsthand.

00:21:18.941 –> 00:21:23.961
Roddy: Can you talk about that as a point of reference and making sure your communication is effective?

00:21:23.961 –> 00:21:25.701
Nataf: Yeah.

00:21:25.701 –> 00:21:26.581
Nataf: Let me start with this.

00:21:27.101 –> 00:21:39.101
Nataf: It’s a sword that cuts both ways in the sense that I think it’s an interesting stat Maddie had because I think they’re also much more savvy to things.

00:21:39.101 –> 00:22:00.041
Nataf: I know, Jim, you take pride in having learned all those things, but generally like social media and the way to work through technology in terms of efficiencies and leverage multiple channels of, let’s face it, a lot of us had to line up at a payphone back in the day to communicate with anyone.

00:22:00.041 –> 00:22:09.861
Nataf: So today, fast forward, and we’re all getting bombarded by five, six different communication all the time 24-7, 365.

00:22:10.201 –> 00:22:18.061
Nataf: And I think the younger generation comes much better prepared for that, so that making them more efficient.

00:22:18.061 –> 00:22:24.861
Nataf: So I think it starts with valuing what they bring as well and learning from them.

00:22:24.861 –> 00:22:34.441
Nataf: But I think you have to lead by example and then set up a culture where people value what you have from those experiences and knowledge.

00:22:34.741 –> 00:23:14.761
Nataf: And I know Maddie does, and knock on wood, my teams have always made sure that that’s something that I’m looking for, is that ability for them to teach the older generation on our team and for them to be willing and wanting to learn without leaning on me to solution it, but coming for context knowing that I’ve seen that situation a hundred times or that I can at least tell them how that situation has been dealt with, where it’s worked and how it’s been dealt with, where it hasn’t worked and why those things.

00:23:14.761 –> 00:23:31.461
Nataf: So it’s important to me not only to realize that the shortcut is both ways for myself, so I don’t discount them to the story Maddie told, but understand there’s a lot of value there that exceeds and is comparable.

00:23:32.201 –> 00:23:35.941
Nataf: But making sure that I’ve got the right people that value the other way.

00:23:36.501 –> 00:23:50.821
Nataf: I’ve also been in situations where over the 9, 10 years in a Fortune 500 company where you have leaders that are younger, they’re maybe one generation down from you and discount.

00:23:50.821 –> 00:24:00.581
Nataf: I know you as in charge of our association, you see that all the time, people being pulled out of retirement who were forced into retirement.

00:24:01.261 –> 00:24:11.381
Nataf: Because they had no value and then all of a sudden, that generation understands, well, maybe they know some stuff that’s worth us bringing them back into it.

00:24:12.341 –> 00:24:21.201
Nataf: I try to make sure that at least with what I control and lead, that we give value to both sides of that.

00:24:21.201 –> 00:24:38.281
Nataf: We’re not losing the older generation as they retire, as they exit out of the business, as what they can offer, making that, it speaks to what I said earlier, making that next generation up and back stronger, because they have all that leverage.

00:24:38.281 –> 00:24:46.801
Nataf: I know some people at NCR did that for me when they had just come back from the AT&T acquisition and they were a mess.

00:24:46.801 –> 00:25:12.021
Nataf: My dealership that I had at that time grew 10 times in revenue, because some of those people saw in me a next generation up that valued their experience and what they were saying and listen, but also had at that time all the tool sets that were more modern and all the experience to go in.

00:25:12.021 –> 00:25:18.601
Nataf: So I think it’s paying it forward and just keeping that, because there always will be that.

00:25:18.601 –> 00:25:22.821
Nataf: Maddie, they will be in my shoes and someone else will be in hers, right?

00:25:23.261 –> 00:25:24.501
Roddy: Yep, exactly right.

00:25:24.501 –> 00:25:28.541
Roddy: So, well, thank you both for that healthy conversation on generational divides.

00:25:28.541 –> 00:25:34.481
Roddy: I’ve had people who have wanted exact topics on that for breakout sessions or podcasts.

00:25:34.481 –> 00:25:43.861
Roddy: I’m always like, they always turn to this broad brush painting and it’s just, but you guys, I really like the way they integrated it together and the way that you talked about and the nuances of it.

00:25:43.861 –> 00:25:45.761
Roddy: So thank you for that.

00:25:45.761 –> 00:25:51.021
Roddy: We’re going to take a quick commercial break to pause here and let our listeners and viewers know about the RSPA.

00:25:51.421 –> 00:25:56.921
Roddy: It’s North America’s largest community of retail technology VARS, software providers, vendors and distributors.

00:25:56.921 –> 00:26:02.101
Roddy: To accelerate your success through an RSPA membership, email membership at gorspa.org.

00:26:03.421 –> 00:26:06.621
Roddy: All right, there’s a quiz in here for both of you next, just so you know.

00:26:06.621 –> 00:26:11.341
Roddy: We want to thank our sponsors who support the RSPA and make this podcast and video series possible.

00:26:11.341 –> 00:26:13.461
Roddy: Our platinum sponsor is Blue Star.

00:26:13.461 –> 00:26:18.761
Roddy: Our gold sponsors are CoCard, Epson, ScanSource, and who’s the fourth one?

00:26:18.761 –> 00:26:19.441
Roddy: Anybody want to guess?

00:26:20.201 –> 00:26:21.021
Stockwell: Heartland.

00:26:21.021 –> 00:26:21.541
Roddy: It’s Heartland.

00:26:21.541 –> 00:26:22.461
Roddy: Very good.

00:26:22.461 –> 00:26:23.801
Roddy: Yeah, it’d be bad if it wasn’t.

00:26:25.401 –> 00:26:26.621
Roddy: I have to lead you right into that.

00:26:26.621 –> 00:26:28.381
Roddy: So thank you guys for your support.

00:26:28.381 –> 00:26:32.421
Roddy: Thank you again, Blue Star, CoCard, Epson, Heartland, and ScanSource for their support.

00:26:32.421 –> 00:26:38.981
Roddy: Finally, registration is now open for Inspire 2025, the Retail IT Channel’s premier leadership conference.

00:26:38.981 –> 00:26:43.101
Roddy: RSPA Inspire is set for January 26th through 29th in Curaçao.

00:26:43.101 –> 00:26:51.561
Roddy: For more information, visit gorsp.org/inspire so you can experience networking nirvana.

00:26:52.081 –> 00:26:52.941
Roddy: All right.

00:26:52.941 –> 00:26:57.101
Roddy: We talk again, the whole context of this is about working together.

00:26:57.101 –> 00:27:05.901
Roddy: Maddie, if you could take this question first, what are just some general best practices you’ve learned about working together and leading together?

00:27:05.901 –> 00:27:13.141
Roddy: What have you learned over time or what steps have you taken to make sure that you both lead harmoniously and there’s minimal conflict?

00:27:14.901 –> 00:27:15.741
Stockwell: Yeah.

00:27:15.741 –> 00:27:19.641
Stockwell: I think for me, it’s all about communication.

00:27:19.641 –> 00:27:26.341
Stockwell: I think communication is a skill that you continually need to practice.

00:27:26.341 –> 00:27:38.781
Stockwell: Because Andre and I have worked together for such a long time, we have the benefit that we have pretty open and easy communication because we’ve known each other for a long time, we have that innate trust built in.

00:27:39.481 –> 00:27:53.661
Stockwell: But there’s also the side that because we have worked together for such a long time, that we can assume the other person is on the same page, which we know is not always the same case.

00:27:53.661 –> 00:28:02.561
Stockwell: I think a big thing for me is building the time in to make sure that you are aligned, to make sure you have time for that communication.

00:28:02.561 –> 00:28:11.921
Stockwell: Weekly one-on-ones, just asking the question, not even waiting for the one-on-one, reaching out proactively to get clarification and alignment.

00:28:11.921 –> 00:28:24.601
Stockwell: Because I think as leaders in our business, our team members really either fill that alignment, or in some cases that misalignment, they would feel even more when we’re not aligned.

00:28:24.801 –> 00:28:33.301
Stockwell: So I think that alignment and communication really starts at the top with the leaders, and then trickles down to each team member and the business.

00:28:33.301 –> 00:28:37.801
Stockwell: So building time in to make sure we’re on the same page and that we are communicating.

00:28:37.801 –> 00:28:44.241
Roddy: You’re saying the quality and the quantity of the communication is hugely important.

00:28:44.241 –> 00:28:45.881
Stockwell: Yeah, exactly.

00:28:45.881 –> 00:28:46.061
Roddy: Great.

00:28:46.061 –> 00:28:48.901
Roddy: I think about the quote from the late Tony Shea of Zappos.

00:28:48.901 –> 00:28:56.081
Roddy: He said, no matter how good an organization is at communication, communication is always one of the top five areas they can get better at.

00:28:56.081 –> 00:28:58.941
Roddy: For sure, you can never communicate too much.

00:28:58.941 –> 00:29:01.161
Roddy: So Andre, I want to get your perspective.

00:29:01.161 –> 00:29:05.541
Roddy: What have you learned best practices wise about working together, leading together?

00:29:06.761 –> 00:29:14.241
Nataf: Yeah, I think much of what Maddie said is exactly how I feel about it.

00:29:14.581 –> 00:29:27.641
Nataf: I think one of the things and it was mentioned a little bit earlier, but one of Brené Brown’s things that really resonated for me was the clarity of communication.

00:29:27.641 –> 00:29:33.641
Nataf: Is it, you know, Maddie, is it, you know, clear or is it blind?

00:29:33.641 –> 00:29:37.761
Nataf: You know, is it, do you, did you understand what I just said?

00:29:37.761 –> 00:29:51.041
Nataf: And we all know, you know, historically forever people have different communications, some visual, some auditory, some combinations of that, how they take in information.

00:29:51.041 –> 00:29:55.521
Nataf: And so, you know, it’s kind of funny.

00:29:55.521 –> 00:30:04.001
Nataf: Again, in the company that Maddie and I are part of, there’s 25,000 employees worldwide.

00:30:04.021 –> 00:30:12.021
Nataf: So, you know, you have a lot of, you know, communication that has to do between the different functional departments.

00:30:12.241 –> 00:30:23.561
Nataf: And when I first got in, I know it’s similar for Maddie, and similar for most people that come in, that are entrepreneurs or working for smaller entrepreneurial companies.

00:30:23.561 –> 00:30:24.821
Nataf: You’re not used to that.

00:30:24.821 –> 00:30:32.801
Nataf: You’re used to just having a team that’s, that’s composed very similar to the way Maddie and I’s relationship is.

00:30:32.801 –> 00:30:34.501
Nataf: They’re working for a long time.

00:30:34.501 –> 00:30:37.141
Nataf: They know instinctively what the roles are.

00:30:37.141 –> 00:30:38.261
Nataf: They meet quite often.

00:30:38.261 –> 00:30:41.461
Nataf: They’re in the same community, same office, you know, whatever.

00:30:42.781 –> 00:31:07.401
Nataf: And so it’s really stopping to understand and ask the questions in a non-threatening way, you know, independent of what position you have, what position they have, what, you know, making sure that the communication is, is clear and understanding how they want to be communicated with and what their communication style is.

00:31:08.201 –> 00:31:10.281
Nataf: It’s definitely something I’ve learned.

00:31:10.281 –> 00:31:31.401
Nataf: I didn’t realize, like, you know, just from the title of being an SVP, that some people immediately, like, are very nervous of having that, you know, to Maddie’s version of the story of when they met, like, they get an email and it’s like they see the title and they’re like, oh, oh, you know.

00:31:31.401 –> 00:31:31.941
Roddy: Yes, yeah.

00:31:33.801 –> 00:31:58.641
Nataf: And so I’ve just gotten a lot better at understanding that, that those things that may become instinctively to Maddie about making sure that those communication tools are, you take the time to leverage that as opposed to just kind of assuming that they understand like, you know, it’s not personal business, but it’s not that way anymore today.

00:31:59.321 –> 00:32:05.501
Roddy: Yeah, communications about the audience, the recipient, it’s not how you want to communicate.

00:32:05.501 –> 00:32:12.681
Roddy: And then Andre, just for clarification, so, Bernay Brown, Dare to Lead, that’s the book that I’m familiar with for Bernay Brown.

00:32:12.681 –> 00:32:14.141
Roddy: That’s who you’re referencing, am I correct?

00:32:14.141 –> 00:32:15.141
Nataf: That’s correct, yes.

00:32:15.141 –> 00:32:15.561
Nataf: Okay.

00:32:15.561 –> 00:32:16.161
Nataf: Yeah.

00:32:16.161 –> 00:32:16.921
Nataf: Got it.

00:32:16.921 –> 00:32:36.601
Nataf: Yeah, she has a whole consultative wing of her enterprise, and she has a lot of books and workshops, and we’ve, like I said, done a lot of company-wide work with her organization.

00:32:37.421 –> 00:32:39.341
Roddy: Yeah, she’s a good one to follow, that’s for sure.

00:32:39.341 –> 00:32:41.001
Roddy: So, and that ties in my next question.

00:32:41.001 –> 00:32:48.821
Roddy: If we can almost zoom out, and if you can each talk about, and Andre first, what are some of your guiding philosophies as a leader, right?

00:32:49.181 –> 00:32:57.301
Roddy: What are some principles or guidelines that are always top of mind for you, beyond what we just talked about in terms of communication?

00:32:57.301 –> 00:32:57.661
Nataf: Yeah.

00:32:57.921 –> 00:33:24.301
Nataf: I think the first thing for me of leading, and I’ve had the privilege of leading in most of the business roles I’ve held or businesses I’ve owned, but is understanding what the mission, the core mission is that you’re trying to accomplish.

00:33:24.301 –> 00:33:32.001
Nataf: Whether you’re part of a company or you are the company, is what is the mission that you’re trying to do?

00:33:32.401 –> 00:33:54.021
Nataf: How are those aligned with the values of your customers, your target addressable market that you’re trying to reach, and of the people that you’re bringing in to the organization, or they’re already there in the organization, and trying to make sure that we have a sense of purpose in what we do?

00:33:54.021 –> 00:34:03.441
Nataf: I think that’s another modern thing is that there is no line between personal and business anymore.

00:34:03.441 –> 00:34:08.881
Nataf: Your core values really need to transcend both of those things.

00:34:09.121 –> 00:34:13.241
Nataf: And, you know, obviously, everybody has different values.

00:34:13.241 –> 00:34:41.081
Nataf: So, you know, starting with common core values and making sure that you’re able to, any new hires you bring in to the company, any new clients you bring in to the company, that everybody understands clearly what you’re trying to accomplish, the values that you’re doing this with, and what the overall outcome is.

00:34:41.081 –> 00:34:47.921
Nataf: You know, NCR used to have that great tagline because every transaction counts, you know?

00:34:48.461 –> 00:35:12.161
Nataf: And I always thought that was now reflecting, but I always thought at the time it was great, but now it’s like more than great, it was ahead of their time because it really talked about what are they doing and why are they doing it, and how does that relate to their employees, to the company, to the customers themselves, right?

00:35:12.161 –> 00:35:20.781
Nataf: So I think that’s, for me, that’s a core principle of leading, is making sure that we start with that and understanding.

00:35:20.781 –> 00:35:32.061
Nataf: The second principle I have is really staying, staying fluid with both your teams that you’re leading, but also the customer.

00:35:32.061 –> 00:35:48.721
Nataf: Because I think that, I was just talking to this about it, with another leader that leads our higher education groups, so a peer of mine sits under our leader, that’s responsible for sales and revenue for the Americas.

00:35:49.121 –> 00:36:03.781
Nataf: And he has a lot of experience in his areas, and we’re collaborating on the notes, but he was saying that he’s really, he was asking my opinion because he said, he’s feeling more and more like an administrator.

00:36:03.781 –> 00:36:05.501
Nataf: He’s on so many calls.

00:36:05.501 –> 00:36:10.901
Nataf: And he goes, I know that people joke with you that you travel a lot.

00:36:10.901 –> 00:36:13.901
Nataf: You know, like you’re the constant traveler.

00:36:14.401 –> 00:36:17.601
Nataf: And he goes, why are you traveling so much?

00:36:17.601 –> 00:36:36.141
Nataf: And I said, because that’s always been a core belief of mine that, although I trust Maddie 100 percent, that what she’s telling me is 100 percent her interpretation of what’s going on, I may have a different interpretation of what’s going on.

00:36:36.141 –> 00:36:57.141
Nataf: And I need to constantly, in order to lead, make sure that I’ve got her perspective and also what the other perspective might be from our customers that are our dealers and partners, and also their customers.

00:36:58.021 –> 00:37:02.041
Nataf: What are they looking for according to those dealers and partners?

00:37:02.041 –> 00:37:09.661
Nataf: So that’s two of the main core values that I’ve led.

00:37:09.661 –> 00:37:22.861
Nataf: We’ve talked about some of the other ones in terms of how communication and how to make sure that you’re giving them the space and the opportunity to lead.

00:37:22.861 –> 00:37:29.021
Nataf: But those two things at the top, I think, are things we haven’t talked about that for me are really important.

00:37:29.021 –> 00:37:29.321
Roddy: Got it.

00:37:29.321 –> 00:37:35.201
Roddy: Make it sure the alignment with values and the mission and then fluid with your team and your customers.

00:37:35.201 –> 00:37:40.101
Roddy: Maddie, what are principle or two that are always top of mind for you?

00:37:41.261 –> 00:37:45.481
Stockwell: Yeah, for me as a leader, I always want to listen first.

00:37:45.481 –> 00:37:50.521
Stockwell: So that’s something that I always keep very top of mind when I’m working with my teams.

00:37:51.441 –> 00:38:02.601
Stockwell: And I think what that allows for is it creates a space where my team members, they feel heard, they feel respected.

00:38:02.601 –> 00:38:16.861
Stockwell: And it allows for a culture where everyone feels free to participate, collaborate, and they feel like they can actually make a difference, going back to some of those core values.

00:38:16.861 –> 00:38:21.061
Stockwell: That’s a very important feeling for somebody to think that, hey, I can actually make a difference.

00:38:21.061 –> 00:38:41.281
Stockwell: So fostering that type of environment also allows them to be creative, create additional activities for themselves, and allowing each person really to take ownership over their business and strive to make it the best it can be.

00:38:41.281 –> 00:38:57.121
Stockwell: So that’s, again, listening for me is going back to creating that culture where everybody feels like they can participate and actually own their own piece of the business, just like I own my piece of the business.

00:38:57.121 –> 00:38:57.841
Roddy: Got it.

00:38:57.841 –> 00:38:58.381
Roddy: Thank you for that.

00:38:58.501 –> 00:39:11.161
Roddy: So you saying that makes me think, oftentimes, managers think or leaders think their job is to provide the answers, but it’s more important to ask the questions to get all that data out on the table.

00:39:11.161 –> 00:39:14.381
Roddy: I think too many times leaders approach like it’s a game show.

00:39:14.381 –> 00:39:25.281
Roddy: I have this problem, I got to get the answer first, and I’m going to jump right on it, as opposed to let me ask questions, get all the data out on the table, and then we can start moving on to a conclusion.

00:39:25.281 –> 00:39:28.561
Roddy: I guess is that along the lines of what you’re saying, Maddie?

00:39:28.561 –> 00:39:28.861
Stockwell: Yeah.

00:39:28.861 –> 00:39:45.701
Stockwell: I think as a younger leader, earlier on in my career when I started a leadership position, I definitely felt like I had to fill the space, and I had to jump on meetings, and give them the directions, and tell them what to do, and that was my job as a leader.

00:39:46.081 –> 00:40:01.441
Stockwell: I have to tell everybody what to do, and what they should be doing, and I think taking a step back, and opening it up for conversation first has really allowed me to be a much more effective leader with my team members, and with my overall strategy for my business.

00:40:01.441 –> 00:40:02.481
Roddy: Appreciate that.

00:40:02.481 –> 00:40:04.821
Roddy: Got time for maybe one or two more questions.

00:40:04.821 –> 00:40:10.381
Roddy: I wanted to get into some specific experiences that have shaped each of you as a leader.

00:40:10.501 –> 00:40:20.841
Roddy: Andre, if you can take this one first, what’s a learning experience, or what’s one story that you can tell us, that’s really stuck with you over the years and shape your approach as a leader?

00:40:20.841 –> 00:40:21.941
Nataf: Yeah.

00:40:21.941 –> 00:40:26.241
Nataf: I’ll give one quick story.

00:40:26.241 –> 00:40:35.661
Nataf: When I went to work for digital dining, I had just sold my company to VC Company.

00:40:36.321 –> 00:40:47.881
Nataf: That VC Company, I had an employment contract for three years, and at the end of three years, I wanted to move on.

00:40:47.881 –> 00:41:00.661
Nataf: A lot of the partners that I brought on, the softwares and the hardwares we were selling, offered me jobs, and I took the one with digital dining because I thought I could help them the most.

00:41:00.961 –> 00:41:20.501
Nataf: And I had a conceived idea of how that, having been in a leadership role at the top of the thing, I had an idea, and of course, those of you that know, K, Graham had a different idea of what I was going to be doing.

00:41:20.501 –> 00:41:40.821
Nataf: And at the time, I thought it was going to be there for a very short time because I thought these people don’t understand, and then K, of all people, took me aside and she said to me, she said, I sense that you don’t like where go, and this is my vision for you.

00:41:40.821 –> 00:41:55.621
Nataf: And she said, I think putting people where the best place, where their skill sets match and giving them an opportunity to flourish is my job.

00:41:55.621 –> 00:42:06.521
Nataf: She says, you’re really good at the sales and the revenue and the business development part, and not so much at the operation part.

00:42:06.521 –> 00:42:15.421
Nataf: She goes, I know you probably have a different opinion, but what’s wrong with we’re paying you a lot of money, we’re giving you ownership in the company.

00:42:15.421 –> 00:42:19.541
Nataf: What’s wrong with us asking you to just focus in there?

00:42:19.541 –> 00:42:24.021
Nataf: You’re going to be happier, you’re going to have a better life.

00:42:24.021 –> 00:42:26.561
Nataf: At the time, it was a really aha moment.

00:42:26.661 –> 00:42:33.361
Nataf: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a similar conversation with people because it did change my life.

00:42:33.361 –> 00:42:40.381
Nataf: She was 100 percent right that it was like I was looking at it, like I needed to climb.

00:42:40.381 –> 00:42:51.581
Nataf: It’s similar to what Maddie just said about, I felt like I needed to take over the company, I need to become the CEO of the company, I needed to do all these things.

00:42:51.581 –> 00:43:07.661
Nataf: But when I was put in the position of where I really had passion, and I had natural skills on top of experience, I was much happier and much more productive than I had ever been.

00:43:07.661 –> 00:43:08.241
Roddy: I love it.

00:43:08.561 –> 00:43:12.261
Roddy: Yeah, K Branson, just a quick side story with K.

00:43:12.261 –> 00:43:16.601
Roddy: I worked at Business Solutions Magazine from 1998 to 2016.

00:43:16.601 –> 00:43:26.081
Roddy: I don’t know if you know this story, Andre, but a year or two before I got there, K had sued or threatened to sue the magazine over some article that they wrote.

00:43:26.081 –> 00:43:30.041
Roddy: I don’t know if this is ringing a bell, if this is after you came on board.

00:43:30.041 –> 00:43:35.181
Roddy: I was under instructions, do not engage with K Branson, because there’s some legal thing going on.

00:43:35.181 –> 00:43:42.441
Roddy: I never did until it was a retail now, we were on a shuttle coming back from a merchant warehouse event or something.

00:43:42.441 –> 00:43:46.621
Roddy: One of my coworkers happened to sit on the shuttle behind her and she struck up a conversation.

00:43:46.621 –> 00:43:47.361
Roddy: Who are you with?

00:43:47.361 –> 00:43:48.801
Roddy: He’s like, Business Solutions Managing.

00:43:48.801 –> 00:43:51.161
Roddy: She’s like, oh, Business Solutions.

00:43:51.161 –> 00:43:53.561
Roddy: I’m like, oh my gosh, how can I get off this man?

00:43:53.561 –> 00:43:57.021
Roddy: I don’t want it to have anything, but it all turned out to be fine anyway.

00:43:57.021 –> 00:43:58.901
Roddy: So that’s how K Branson is always around.

00:43:58.901 –> 00:44:01.321
Nataf: I’m not surprised by that story.

00:44:03.941 –> 00:44:04.361
Nataf: Yes.

00:44:04.361 –> 00:44:05.021
Roddy: But you know what?

00:44:05.021 –> 00:44:08.061
Roddy: That was a learning lesson for me.

00:44:08.061 –> 00:44:15.621
Roddy: Never mention the vendor who they left, in terms of don’t get into the details of the past, always be looking for the future.

00:44:15.781 –> 00:44:23.041
Roddy: So I’m like actually sweating, as I’m talking about that story publicly, because I’m still thinking that was like almost 30 years ago.

00:44:23.041 –> 00:44:25.741
Roddy: All right, Maddie, get me back on track, please.

00:44:25.741 –> 00:44:29.161
Roddy: What’s an experience that’s really shaped you as a leader?

00:44:29.161 –> 00:44:29.941
Stockwell: Yeah.

00:44:29.941 –> 00:45:09.661
Stockwell: So one for me, so I tend to focus on the more professional side of business relationships, and this is the lesson that I continue to learn from, whether it’s with a partner or with an employee, and one of my previous team members who’s now my peer, was new to my team at the time, and obviously new to me as his leader, and I really jumped into the relationship, very focused on business, what we needed to get done, and this person was going through a hard time with a lot of change going on, and we were just not able to communicate.

00:45:09.661 –> 00:45:11.061
Stockwell: We were not on the same page at all.

00:45:12.061 –> 00:45:24.041
Stockwell: Although we would get on meetings, we would align on what our goals were, we knew what we needed to get done for the business, but it felt like we were really just fighting each other, and we were working remotely, right?

00:45:24.041 –> 00:45:39.461
Stockwell: So we were talking over Zoom and emails and chat, as a lot of us do, but it was not working and it was terrible, like every day was terrible, and I couldn’t figure out why.

00:45:39.461 –> 00:46:10.221
Stockwell: But we had a work trip a couple of months into working together, and we sat down and we had a dinner together, and we had a great time and we didn’t discuss work at all, we talked about our personal lives and really got to know one another, and we came back to work and we had this pivotal moment in our working relationship, this moment of clarity where this employee at the time of mine said, Matt, I really liked the Maddie that I had dinner with.

00:46:11.741 –> 00:46:13.081
Stockwell: I was like, what?

00:46:13.501 –> 00:46:16.041
Stockwell: Is that not the me that is every day?

00:46:16.041 –> 00:46:32.361
Stockwell: I realized it wasn’t because I wasn’t focused on that foundational piece of our relationship, I was focused on getting the work done and we were taking each other out of context in our communications every time that we were talking.

00:46:32.361 –> 00:46:42.721
Stockwell: For me, that lesson learned is really investing on the personal relationships with my colleagues and with my partners to have that cohesive partnership.

00:46:42.721 –> 00:46:43.541
Roddy: A great story.

00:46:43.541 –> 00:46:47.321
Roddy: There’s not manager Maddie and Maddie, there’s just Maddie.

00:46:47.321 –> 00:46:49.961
Roddy: There’s just one either has got to be.

00:46:49.961 –> 00:46:50.461
Roddy: I love it.

00:46:50.641 –> 00:46:52.041
Roddy: I want to squeeze in one more question.

00:46:52.041 –> 00:47:02.941
Roddy: If each of you can answer this in maybe 30 seconds, what is one activity you engage in today to improve yourself as a leader that you’d recommend to our listeners and viewers?

00:47:02.941 –> 00:47:05.181
Roddy: Andre, what’s one activity you’d recommend?

00:47:05.181 –> 00:47:07.161
Nataf: Yeah, simple for me.

00:47:07.161 –> 00:47:21.221
Nataf: Every morning I wake up and do a little session of meditation prayer, but I read a book, usually self-help or improvement business philosophy book.

00:47:21.641 –> 00:47:28.961
Nataf: So I’ll read 15 minutes every day and have for the last 10 plus years.

00:47:30.001 –> 00:47:30.841
Nataf: It’s helped a lot.

00:47:30.841 –> 00:47:34.701
Nataf: It puts me in a positive frame of mind going into it.

00:47:34.701 –> 00:47:38.461
Nataf: I’ll go back to some old spagooties like Napoleon Hill.

00:47:38.461 –> 00:47:40.481
Nataf: I’ll go to some modern stuff.

00:47:40.521 –> 00:47:42.081
Roddy: Think and grow rich.

00:47:42.081 –> 00:47:52.161
Nataf: It’s just interesting how it just all keeps you in that positive mindset and keeps you in that learning mindset to move forward.

00:47:52.161 –> 00:47:53.321
Nataf: So that’s my one.

00:47:53.321 –> 00:47:54.001
Roddy: I love it.

00:47:54.001 –> 00:47:56.801
Roddy: Maddie, what’s one activity you recommend?

00:47:57.821 –> 00:48:01.181
Stockwell: Well, I just read the books that Andre tells me to read.

00:48:01.181 –> 00:48:01.561
Roddy: Here we go.

00:48:03.741 –> 00:48:05.641
Stockwell: I have a corporate coach.

00:48:05.641 –> 00:48:11.121
Stockwell: I’m very lucky that Global has provided me with the opportunity to do that.

00:48:11.121 –> 00:48:28.281
Stockwell: But I meet monthly with my corporate coach, and we talk about everything that I’m going through at that time, challenges, and he really helps me get outside of my comfort zone, helps me grow as a leader, gives me alternative perspectives and feedback.

00:48:28.281 –> 00:48:29.901
Stockwell: So that’s been super helpful to me.

00:48:30.141 –> 00:48:46.241
Stockwell: I know not everyone can have a corporate coach, but I think finding that person that is your mentor and that you can have that open dialogue with that isn’t in your direct report up or down, is super important to help you grow as a leader and give you those different perspectives.

00:48:46.241 –> 00:48:46.521
Roddy: Great.

00:48:46.521 –> 00:48:56.241
Roddy: I don’t say everybody maybe can’t hire a corporate coach, but boy, getting a mentor, especially inside the RSPA community, you got a lot of people who are willing to lend their time and expertise.

00:48:56.301 –> 00:49:02.721
Roddy: So like you said earlier, Andre, people who are maybe retired or semi-retired, man, they’d love to be able to talk with folks.

00:49:02.721 –> 00:49:04.281
Roddy: So excellent.

00:49:04.281 –> 00:49:06.841
Roddy: Well, that does it for this episode of The Trusted Advisor.

00:49:06.841 –> 00:49:16.101
Roddy: If you enjoyed our discussion, be sure to subscribe to the RSPA YouTube channel and the Trusted Advisor podcast so you never miss an episode.

00:49:16.101 –> 00:49:20.801
Roddy: Before we go, big thanks again to Maddie and Andre for sharing their wisdom with us today.

00:49:20.801 –> 00:49:29.061
Roddy: Thanks also to RSPA Marketing Director, Chris Arnold for his production work, Joseph McDade for our music, and last but not least, thanks so much to you for listening.

00:49:29.061 –> 00:49:36.261
Roddy: Our goal at the RSPA is to accelerate the success of our members in the retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections.

00:49:36.261 –> 00:49:40.221
Roddy: For more information, please visit our website at gorspa.org.

00:49:40.221 –> 00:49:43.781
Roddy: Thanks for listening and goodbye everybody.