Choose Africa

Jeff Hancher began his corporate journey as a blue-collar worker, and over 23 years, he rose through ten promotions to advanced leadership roles in a Fortune 500 company. Today, he is a leadership expert, executive coach, and keynote speaker focused on leadership development.In this episode of Choose Africa, Valerie sits down with Jeff for a discussion about the importance of investing time into your team, asking the right questions, and earning the right to have the tough conversations.Connect with Jeff:Website: jeffhancher.comInstagram: @jeff.hancherBuy Jeff's Book: Firm Feedback in a Fragile WorldYouTube: @jeffhancher

Kathleen Day has always had a natural drive for simplifying complex situations. In 2011, she officially became a professional organizer. After years of refining her methods, Kathleen launched 5outa5 in 2017 with a clear mission: to help clients achieve peak performance without stress, using simple, effective methods that lead to lasting results.In this week's episode of Choose Africa, Kathleen shares some of her expertise and tips for eliminating backlog, banishing the bottleneck, and being deliberate with your time. Connect with Kathleen:Website: 5outa5.comBook A Call with KathleenLinkedIn: Kathleen DayEmail: [email protected] Discount: 5outa5.com/ondemand

Cahill Camden helps entrepreneurs and tech-founders build brand authority and influence with earned and owned media. He is the founder of Digital Vision Media Group, Press Jockey, and Echo Jockey, an AI podcast booking platform with 3M+ podcasts and 300,000+ new episodes added monthly.Today, we’re talking all about guest podcasting, which is one of my favorite things to do. Cahill and I dive into the value of human connection, how to cut through the noise with authenticity, and the benefits of guest podcasting.Connect with Cahill:Website: echojockey.comLinkedIn: Cahill CamdenPodcast Power Pitch Generator

If you are an entrepreneur, you may have your business finances down, but what about your personal finances? Today, I am joined by financial Mary Poppins, Isis Latham. Isis is a financial advisor, teacher, networker, and marketing expert who is dedicated to finding the right solutions for every financial dilemma.In this episode, we talk about the seven areas of finance, replacing shame with empowerment, and working with a virtual assistant in a regulated industry.Connect with Isis:LinkedIn: ⁠Isis Latham ⁠Facebook: ⁠Isis Latham⁠

With over 25 years of fitness training and nutrition expertise, Robert Tipinski's journey has included natural bodybuilding, professional cage fighting, and training individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels. Today, he's focused on helping executives and CEOs build and maintain sustainable health habits. If you're looking to get fit, thinking about developing a corporate wellness program, or just want to know the secret to getting abs, this week's episode is for you.Connect with Robert:Website: ⁠⁠beastbodytraining.com⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Robert Tipinski⁠

Whether you're giving a presentation in front of a big audience or talking to potential clients, today's episode is for you. Mary Van Dorn has been helping executive leaders master the art of communicating from the stage for the past three decades. Her coaching style, knowledge, and training expertise have helped countless leaders move audiences to their feet and line up to take action. This week, Mary joins me to talk about the power of storytelling, setting yourself apart, and why it's important to master public speaking.Connect with Mary:Website: maryvandorn.comInstagram: @maryvandorn

We get a lot of questions from clients about working with virtual assistants, what tasks they can give them, and how to set it up. So today I wanted to share my personal experience working with my own virtual assistant. From onboarding to communicating to results, this episode will answer all your questions!

Dr. Douglas Scherer is a keynote speaker, professor, researcher, and bestselling author. His personal journey through the challenges of overcoming chronic pain and managing a global outage team led him to discover the transformative power of mindfulness and strategic thinking. With a passion for fostering trust, transparency, and collaboration, he illuminates the path to conscious leadership through his bestselling book "F.O.R.G.E.D.: Six Practices of Great Leaders in Volatile Times."In this week's episode, Doug and I dive into creating engaging environments, encouraging innovation, and letting employees take ownership.Connect with Doug:Website: ⁠douglasscherer.com⁠LinkedIn: ⁠Douglas Scherer, Ed.D.⁠Books: ⁠douglasscherer.com/store⁠

This week is a solo episode because I want to talk about one of our new clients who has had phenomenal results after only three weeks working with CRDLE. From interviewing to training to pivoting, I'm going to break down what good outsourcing looks like and why this client is doing so well.

Gregory Mohr is a former corporate climber turned consultant who has achieved financial freedom through franchising. Now, he helps clients find their own perfect franchise opportunity that allows them to create wealth, financial freedom, and security. In this week's episode, Greg shares some advice for entering the franchise world, what trends he has been seeing, and how franchises can utilize offshore talent.Connect with Greg:Website: franchisemaven.comLinkedIn: Gregory K MohrInstagram: @franchisemavenFacebook: Franchise Maven - Gregory K MohrPhone: (361) 772-6401Email: [email protected]

In over 20 years of leading marketing and sales teams, Gary Schwartz has seen what bad looks like, but he's also seen what great looks like. Very often, there is a dysfunctional relationship between sales and marketing, in which sales relegates marketing to a simple service organization meant to deliver leads. In this episode, Gary shares his expertise on successful sales and marketing alignment, the buying journey, and what great looks like.Connect with Gary:Website: what-great-looks-like.comPodcast: @What-Great-Looks-LikeLinkedIn: Gary Schwartz

Admira Adovic is an award-winning financial consultant with over 10 years of experience across financial analysis and change management with global institutions. Founder of KARE CFO, she is the go-to expert for small businesses in strategic financial management, quantitative analysis, and financial forecasting. She is also our amazing fractional CFO. In this episode, I get to sit down with Admira to hear about her experience working with a virtual assistant in a regulated industry and advice she has for others thinking of doing the same.Connect with Admira: LinkedIn: Admira AdovicWebsite: karecfo.com

This week, I have the pleasure of sitting down once again with Nadiya Yohannes. The first time Nadiya was on, she was a guest. Now, she returns as CRDLE's very own Head of Account Management. Nadiya is an expert in building relationships with clients and team members. In this episode, you will hear just how important account management is, some common questions from clients, and our favorite success stories.Connect with Nadiya:LinkedIn: Nadiya Yohannes

Karen Brown is an author, keynote speaker, CEO, and founder of Badass Inc., a revolutionary movement transforming leadership by putting boldness, authenticity, and fearlessness at the forefront. Karen's mission is to build leaders who don’t just raise the bar—they set new standards of excellence and maximize their impact. This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Karen to learn more about becoming a badass leader, addressing blind spots, and her time in South Africa. Connect with Karen: LinkedIn: ⁠Karen Brown⁠ Website: ⁠yourexponentialresults.com⁠ Email: [email protected] Badass Calculator

Jenna Piché is a time management expert who teaches business owners how to prioritize high leverage work, increase productivity, and intentionally grow their businesses without sacrificing their health or most important relationships. Her business, First Light Coaching, helps her clients find clarity, make meaningful progress in less time, and repurpose what they save to align their schedule with their values. In this episode, I get to sit down with Jenna to learn more about understanding energy and productivity, making space for priorities, and working with a virtual assistant. Contact Jenna: Instagram: @jenna.piche LinkedIn: Jenna Piché Website: firstlighthealth.co YouTube: @JennaPiche

Most of our clients truly never knew that their best cold caller might be in Ethiopia or that their best virtual assistant was living in Zimbabwe. The African continent is full of talent, so why is this not common knowledge yet? Well, in this episode, I'm going to give you five reasons why most people, especially in the U.S., don't know that they should be hiring from Africa.

As a global entrepreneur, Kerim Kfuri has spearheaded numerous ventures that have significantly impacted the supply chain industry, all committed to innovation and excellence. Kerim is CEO of The Atlas Network, founder and co-host of the “Supply & Demand Show” on YouTube, and author of the best-selling book "Supply Chain Ups and Downs." There is a lot happening in the supply chain space right now, so today, I've invited Kerim to shed some light on what business owners should know, how to take advantage of the global economy, and what to look for in supply chains anywhere. Connect with Kerim: Website: kerimkfuri.com LinkedIn: Kerim Kfuri Instagram: @kerimkfuri Website: theatlasnetwork.com Book: Supply Chain - Ups and Downs

Elke Rubach is a sought-after speaker on wealth management, estate planning, and philanthropy. Her belief in the importance of financial planning was shaped early in life, when her father died at 50 years old with no plan or provisions for the wife and family he left behind. Elke founded Rubach Wealth in 2012 to guide and counsel her clients towards financial independence. This week, I got to sit down with Elke to learn more about financial planning, delegating, and teaching our children to manage wealth. Connect with Elke: LinkedIn: Elke Rubach Website: rubachwealth.com YouTube: @rubachwealth

Through his work as a board-certified clinical psychologist, scientist, educator, and author, David H. Rosmarin, PHD, has helped tens of thousands of people transform the way they experience and handle anxiety. If you’re a business leader or someone dealing with extra stress or anxiety, this episode is for you. This week, Dr. David joins me to talk about using anxiety in a constructive way, strategies to handle stress, and working with a virtual assistant. Connect with Dr. David: Website: dhrosmarin.com

Catie Campbell is an emotional intelligence expert, keynote speaker, and executive coach. She works with her clients to integrate emotions, curiosity, and authentic connection to drive engagement and high-performance in the workplace. This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Catie to talk about what makes an exceptional leader, how to effectively lead a remote team, and making magic in the workplace. Connect with Catie: Website: colibrimagic.com TikTok: @thecatiecampbell LinkedIn: Catie Campbell Instagram: ⁠@thecatiecampbell⁠

Today is a really fun episode because we’re going to be talking all about accents. What is the accent like? This is a question I get asked in every discovery call. In this episode, I play 3 different samples so you can hear for yourself. Let's get started!

Dr. Jill Schiefelbein is an award-winning entrepreneur, top-rated professor, and innovative AI researcher whose work sits at the intersection of communication, technology, and business growth. Her approach, Humanizing Automation, focuses on using AI not as a sterile, impersonal tool but as a practical way to enhance customer relationships. In this episode, I get to sit down with Jill and hear about her time in Africa, collective intelligence, and how to make AI less daunting. Connect with Jill: Youtube: @dynamicjill Instagram: @dynamicjill Website: thedynamiccommunicator.com

This week, I get to talk to you all about how outsourcing can help you better serve your customers, grow your business, and increase profitability. Investing in a good customer service team can make a huge difference in your business, but you need to know how to effectively set up that team. Tune in to learn how!

Angie Morgan is a highly respected author, thought leader, and Marine Corps Veteran. She teaches leaders and organizations how to take risks and build personal courage through keynotes and consulting and has coached hundreds of individuals to the next stage of their careers. In this episode, Valerie and Angie dive into the science of leadership, the process of writing three books, and replacing self-doubt with self-promotion. Connect with Angie: Website: angieconnect.com YouTube: @the_actual_angie Instagram: @the_actual_angie

Peter Risko has revolutionized the way entrepreneurs gain access to life-changing opportunities through his online sales training course, MCA Broker Bootcamp. He takes regular folks and turns main street into wall street by providing the training, skills, and knowledge to build a business they never thought possible. In this episode, Peter dives into the merchant cash advance industry, his bootcamp, and working with African professionals. Connect with Peter: Instagram: @mcabrokerbootcamp Training Course: mcabrokerbootcamp.com Website: ⁠peterrisko.com⁠

Lindsay Errico is a Resilience and Trauma Coach who specializes in empowering women in male-dominated industries. Lindsay ignites potential through strategic coaching sessions tailored to help women realize what's holding them back from moving forward with their dreams. In this episode, Lindsay shares more about her experience dealing with challenges as a female in the military, becoming more profitable, and flying fearless. Connect with Lindsay: LinkedIn: Lindsay Errico Website: flyfearlessunlimited.com

Throughout the process of making my family's s'mores costumes this year, I was again reminded just how helpful outsourcing can be. When it comes to your business, it's vitally important to know what things only you can do versus what anyone else could do for you. Whether it's video editing or cold calling, where can you buy back your time?

This week's episode is very important, because I'm going to be discussing why talking about social impact in Africa is overused and how we may actually be causing more damage than good by doing so. Tune in to hear 7 reasons why we should stop talking so much about social impact, the impressive work African professionals are doing, and what kind of funding could actually make a difference.

This week, I have on Hileena Gebreyesus, the ying to my yang and COO of CRDLE, to share her story, expertise, and the work that she's doing. In this episode, we discuss education in Ethiopia, working with CRDLE, and hiring out of Africa. Connect with Hileena: LinkedIn: Hileena Gebreyesus

Have you ever looked at your business as art? Today is a super special episode, because I get to sit down with one of my favorite authors, Charles Spinosa, along with his wife, Nancy, and son, Adam. With nearly three decades of experience as an acclaimed author and management consultant, Charles specializes in the dynamic intersection of leadership, culture, and innovation. He sees artistry in business where others don't. In this episode, Charles dives into creating good lives, moral pluralism, and crafting your masterpiece. Connect with Charles: Website: vision.com LinkedIn: Charles Spinosa Book: Leadership as a Masterpiece Creation

This week, I got to sit down with my lovely niece, Ruth, and hear more about her experience studying and working in Ethiopia. Ruth is CRDLE's first summer intern, and she is doing an amazing job! In this episode, Ruth shares more about life, education, and getting a job in Ethiopia.

Outsourcing sometimes has a negative connotation, but it is actually a powerful business tool that can benefit everyone involved. As Africa is often left out of the outsourcing conversation, it is important to acknowledge the massive social impact that outsourcing to Africa makes. In this week's episode, I talk about what CRDLE is doing, why you should hire from Africa when looking to expand your team, and the current need for funding.

Keynote speaker, author, and executive coach Allison Graham inspires individuals around the world with a fresh perspective to rethink stress, resilience, and problem-solving. In this week's episode, Allison shares her insights on dealing with stress, trusting yourself, and delegation. Connect with Allison: LinkedIn: Allison Graham

Admira Adovic is an award-winning financial consultant with over 10 years of experience across financial analysis and change management with global institutions. The founder of KARE CFO, she is the go-to expert for small businesses in strategic financial management, quantitative analysis, and financial forecasting. She's also our CFO! Tune in to hear Admira's take on common mistakes small business owners make, understanding the numbers, and hiring a VA. Connect with Admira: LinkedIn: Admira Adovic Website: karecfo.com

Ryan Dusick is an associate marriage and family therapist; the founding drummer of one of the world’s most popular bands, Maroon 5; a mental health advocate; and an author. His life has been a long and winding road from aspiring pop star with anxiety, to heartbroken alcoholic, to thriving mental health survivor and messenger of hope in recovery. In this episode, Valerie and Ryan talk about taking care of your mental health, finding joy in the process, and pursuing excellence instead of perfection. Connect with Ryan: Website: ryandusick.com Podcast: The Harder to Breathe Podcast Book: Harder to Breathe

Bereket Kelile used to launch F-16s in the Air Force. Now he ​launches his clients on a mission of financial freedom. For the past decade, Bereket has researched and studied finances and money. He knows what it means to pay attention to the smallest of details and how to become an everyday millionaire. In this episode, Bereket and Valerie talk about how to make your money work for you, delegating tasks, and hiring a VA. Connect with Bereket: Website: bereketkelile.com LinkedIn: Bereket Kelile Podcast: Baby Steps to Retirement

Joe Galeas is a data maniac and operations guru. Starting as an individual contributor, Joe progressed through various management roles and eventually assumed positions as VP of Operations and COO. Along the way, he gained firsthand experience at every rung of the operations ladder, witnessing the essential elements necessary to inspire teams, effectively communicate expectations, and spearhead strategic initiatives. In this episode, Joe shares some of his expertise on the best way to approach operations, creating a personal brand, and outsourcing talent. Connect with Joe: LinkedIn: Joe Galeas

Jared Gibson is the co-founder of Outworks.io, a company that specializes in LinkedIn engagement for B2B professionals. Jared played a crucial role in evolving Outworks.io from its initial focus on email lead generation to mastering LinkedIn as a powerful tool for building trust and generating leads. In this episode, Jared talks about how to be successful on LinkedIn and his experience working with CRDLE. Connect with Jared:  LinkedIn: ⁠Jared Gibson⁠ Website: ⁠outworks.io⁠

Do you need to hire an outsourcing team that is in a similar time zone as you? In this week's solo episode, I walk you through my friend's experience hiring a team in Columbia, why it's not working well, and the three things he should have done before hiring them.

Michael Rubino has helped over 1000 families heal from toxic mold exposure, and guess what? He’s just getting started. He believes we can change our lives — and the world — by changing the air we breathe, and has dedicated himself to helping you optimize your life by overcoming poor air quality and creating a safer, mold-free environment. In this week's episode, Valerie sits down with Michael to learn more about the air we breathe, how he got started, and the importance of accepting help. Connect with Michael: themichaelrubino.com homecleanse.com changetheairfoundation.org Dust Test: thedusttest.com

Maurice Philogene is an investor, entrepreneur, coach, and philanthropist who teaches like-minded professionals how to Try Life On more. As a means to Try Life On himself, Maurice maintained 4 parallel careers for two decades. He was a 25-year Senior Executive for global management consulting firm Accenture, a 22 year Special Agent (Lt. Colonel) as part of military service, running field offices for a Federal Law Enforcement agency worldwide, and a 15-year midnight police officer in the DC area as a means to give back to his local community. In this week's episode, Valerie and Maurice dive into his time in Africa, the importance of perpetual learning, being purposeful towards life, and much more. Contact Maurice: LinkedIn: Maurice Philogene Website: trylifeon.com Website: thequattroway.com

Does outsourcing take jobs away from Americans? Spoiler: the answer is no. In today's episode, I dive into three reasons why. This will get your team and your customers not only on board with offshore talent, but excited for it. Let's dive in!

We rebranded! Welcome to the Choose Africa podcast! After hearing all your feedback, we decided to refocus this podcast on hiring from the continent, the benefits, and how to set it up correctly. If you want to hire from Africa, build a strong business, or you just love sales, stick around and subscribe!

What does creating 1 million jobs in Ethiopia look like? In this episode, I'm joined by Addis Alemayehou who is one of the most well known business leaders in Ethiopia. Addis shares: Why he returned to Ethiopia after living in Kenya and Canada His vision for creating 1 million jobs in Ethiopia (and how he is doing it!) Ideas for doing business in Ethiopia Do's and Don'ts for doing business in Addis Ababa To learn more about Addis, please connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/addis-alemayehou-18951039/overlay/about-this-profile/ You can also work with Addis and his Graphic Design company, 251 Communications: https://www.251communications.com/

In this episode, we meet the team behind Kazi Yetu which makes a line of ethical teas that are exploding with flavor. We discuss the farmers they work with, the type of tea they produce, the challenges of exporting worldwide, the ethical flaws in with commercial tea production and so much more. Whether you are a tea lover, ethical consumer, or just want to learn how this Tanzanian brand is becoming a global name-- you will love this episode. To learn more about Kazi Yetu: https://www.kazi-yetu.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kazi.yetu/

This is an episode about how you can afford giving your team paid maternity leaves. It was inspired by our first Virtual Assistant who gave birth and how we made it work with our client. Mentioned in this episode is our amazing client Morlai Kargbo who is the founder of Moracle Limited-- an incredible award-winning accounting and auditing firm in the UK. To reach Morlai, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morlai-kargbo-moracle/ Or visit his website: https://www.moracle.co.uk/

Our guest today is Derek Gallimore. He is the founder of Outsource Accelerator and the author of Inside Outsourcing: How Remote Work, Offshoring & Global Employment is Changing the World  In this episode, we discuss: How outsourcing saved his hotel business in 2011 What the critics say about outsourcing The societal impact of outsourcing The future of a singular global talent economy The Outsourcing Impact Review Awards If you learned something new about outsourcing in this episode, leave us a 5-star review and share your favorite insights!

Let's Talk Africa: How I Traveled, Lived, and Worked in Africa This is a live presentation I gave at Pittsburgh University in September 2023 for the Center of African Studies. We discuss: My backpacking journey (including safety tips) Jobs I had in Ethiopia Business and investment ideas in Africa Everything our organization CRDLE is doing Live Q&A with the students If you want to watch the presentation and see the slides: check it out on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60soVtbk09I

Want to boost your sales? Here's the answer: a remote cold caller or appointment setter. In the episode I share: My very first cold-calling client in Texas who uses cold callers in Ethiopia to find new clients The three types of ways to use remote cold callers (outbound, inbound, and connecting to clients in your CRM) How to make sure your cold callers reflect your company culture The technology needed to make it work

This is short solo episode about why I stopped using the word empower when talking about Africa and what to do instead. In honor of my 7th wedding anniversary, I also share the story behind how I met my husband.