Today’s episode is a wrap-up of season one. Over the past four months, Jon and Paul have been interviewing nineteen influential people, including Hollywood directors, politicians, business executives, and life and executive coaches.

We address:

What are the differences in making life-defining decisions versus career-defining decisions?

How can I apply the framework of objectives, strategies, and tactics when making decisions?

Once I’ve made a big decision, how do I stay focused on following through with it without regrets?

Insights Through the Rearview Mirror has been a journey for the two brothers. Paul notes that, prior to starting the podcast, he and Jon had been estranged for years due to a decision Paul made that allowed his career to get in the way of his family. He and Jon had been treating their level of professional success as a competition, and that competition, until recently, defined their relationship. Today, Jon and Paul reflect back on lessons learned throughout season one and their takeaways to continue to move forward in a positive direction.

3 MAJOR POINTS DISCUSSED

• No decision before it’s time. Don’t make snap decisions, especially if the decision at hand brings with it a lot of anxiety. Take a step back and consider all of your options. If you let things ruminate and take time to think about them, you usually end up with better decisions.
• Build and assiduously manage a network of resources. Your network, whether it’s made of friends or business associates, is your lifeline when making decisions. It’s critically important to build, manage, and care for that network.
• Understand your goals and objectives. You’ve got to have a direction. You’ve got to understand where you’re going. When it comes to your career, you must first define your brand. Everything you do should in some way go toward polishing and projecting that brand.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

• The podcast as a journey for Jon and Paul [02:10]
• Jon’s takeaways from speaking with previous guests [04:17]
• Paul’s takeaways from speaking with previous guests [06:10]
• Does Jon believe that the framework of objectives, strategies, and tactics still applies? [11:45]
• Guest comments that left an impact on Jon [13:42]
• Guest comments that left an impact on Paul [15:51]
• Living at PACE (Passion, Action, Conviction, and Execution) after making a decision [18:01]
• Closing thoughts on season one [19:38]

ABOUT OUR HOSTS

JON  KRAMER:

Jon Kramer, Managing Director JMK Solutions www.jmk-solutions.com is a marketing services veteran with 35+ years of experience working with leading agencies, and major consumer packaged goods brands.

Most recently, Jon was the Enterprise Sales Marketing lead at WestRock, a $16B packaging and display company, responsible for interfacing with their largest clients. Earlier, he was CMO of the RockTenn Merchandising Division where he created a shopper-marketing team, and go-to-market strategies for the Henkel company. He was also responsible for providing the selling organization with insights into the evolving US retail environment.

Previously, Kramer served for 10 years as CEO of J. Brown, the Shopper Marketing agency of Grey Worldwide. He was responsible for creating the organizational positioning and strategy, and led all new-business efforts. During his tenure, J. Brown became the leading U.S. shopper marketing Agency, virtually defining the discipline.

PAUL KRAMER:

Paul Kramer’s distinguished marketing career is characterized by a long track record of building high performance communication organizations. His expertise is a unique blend of creativity, technical marketing analysis, and a keen business sense for strategic positioning. Paul’s earlier career included being the CEO of Catapult Marketing, President and COO of Hyper Marketing Inc and President and COO of D.L. Ryan Companies and has sat on Epsilon’s Strategic Management Team.

Paul is skilled in all areas of marketing. He is especially strong in strategic planning, national brand management, marketing communications, and business development. In addition, he has a solid management foundation with accomplishments in P&L management, intellectual property, forming and maintaining strategic alliances and building business.

Today, Paul is the General Partner of Riverside Consulting, a strategic consulting company working with senior leadership to help guide their business’ success.

RESOURCES

• Visit our website: rearviewinsights.com