Outside Insights Episode #2: Lessons in leadership: Going against the grain

Send us Fan MailWant to receive weekly insights / tips / thoughts to ponder? Join the Outside Insights community!I am a firm believer that contrarian thinking often creates positive outcomes.  That going against the grain and the opposite direction of the crowd is ok, and oftentimes, how one can find the right answer, direction, or philosophy for living.First off, its crowded going with the masses. Yes, staying in your lane is safe, easy and requires less energy and brain power, and appears completely logical to those that are following the same path. But greatness can rarely be found on this path.This week, I interviewed Ralph Cetrulo, Partner of Accounting and Consulting Firm, Stephano Slack,  to learn his lessons for leadership. I’ve known Ralph for quite some time and we cut our business teeth together. Early in my career, I served his company as a recruiter helping screen accountants as Ralph became the youngest partner ever in the CPA accounting firm. Later, I started my first business and Ralph was there to set up our accounting and banking relationships. And when Ralph started his own CPA firm, I said yes to being one of his first handful of customers.Ralph partnered in one of the most successful call center business “rollups” in the scaling up mid-market ethosphere. Combining forces with a college best friend with operational talents, Ralph helped the business build and buy many call centers to roll up into a cultural juggernaut. If you’re interested in scaling a company and want to hear how to do it “with someone else's money” than this podcast episode is the listen for you.Ralph’s journey started after the realization that numbers and accounting came easy to him. The rest is a continuing story of hard work, doing what your good at, and putting yourself in the spot to take advantage of earned opportunities!If you’re just getting started in school or in your career you might be thinking, so how does this apply to me? Jim Rohn, self-help speaker once said, “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” In my humble opinion, listening to Ralph’s story and lesson will help you on your life journey – wherever you’re headed.I’m really excited to share Ralph’s lessons with the Outside Insights community today.Key takeaways from this podcast:How to partner with your financing partner and maximize the benefits.An introduction into the mergers and acquisition market. This is a great primer to begin your knowledge journey.Old business friends talk about what's most important today and what success really means in the year 2020.As the Outside Insights community adds more podcasts to our library, what are you interested in discovering? What types of guests would you like to learn from? Reply and let me know.Until next time, friends.Chris Want to receive weekly insights / tips / thoughts to ponder? Join the Outside Insights community!