Michael Brandwein of Artichoke Consulting discusses how prioritizing end user enablement throughout the project lifecycle leads to happier clients and higher success rates.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Discover Artichoke Consulting's methodology for keeping end users at the heart of implementation projects.
2. Learn strategies for setting clear expectations with stakeholders upfront to avoid issues down the line.
3. Get tips for involving end users consistently through discovery, prototyping, and adoption tracking.

Reasons to Listen:

1. Gain insights on effective change management and user adoption best practices.
2. Learn how to improve communication and deliverables for more efficient project execution.
3. Hear firsthand experience balancing work and personal life as a consultant.

Michael has been an IT consultant for 12 years, starting at Accenture, NetSuite, Oracle, and then working for smaller firms. He started his own firm, Artichoke Consulting, in 2021 to focus on end user enablement.

Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-brandwein/

Website: https://www.artichokeconsultingllc.com/

This episode explores how to embrace your multifaceted self through meaningful career development. Guest Cee Reel shares lessons from their non-linear career path and how to value diverse experiences. Listeners will learn tools to craft a fulfilling career aligned with their authentic self.

Cee Reel is a design generalist and authenticity coach who helps both brands and leaders tell their stories in a genuine and playful way. In a business world where authenticity and true human connection are rare elements, Cee helps creatives, multipotentialites and anyone who feels too weird for the workplace learn to recognize and value themselves as pure gold.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what it means to be a "multi-potential light" and how to recognize your varied strengths and interests.
• Discover strategies for communicating your unique value to potential employers in a clear, compelling way.
• Gain insight on evaluating company culture and roles to determine the best career fit for your well-being and growth.

Reasons to Listen:

• Navigate feeling like you don't fit the standard mold or that your creativity is undervalued in tech
• Gain confidence to explore opportunities outside your main expertise
• Find ways to bring more playfulness, learning and joy into your work

Visit CultivateYourWeirdness.com to learn more about Cee Reel's coaching programs for embracing your multifaceted strengths and creating positive change from any role.

Cee’s Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-reel

Michael Burton shares how vulnerability and authenticity have helped him build successful teams and trusted relationships. He discusses the importance of storytelling for consultants and emphasizes gradual progress through consistency and small wins.

April and Michael also explore building confidence through preparation, goal-setting, and embracing challenges both professionally and personally.

Michael is an entrepreneur with a passion for building and scaling professional services businesses. He has over two decades of experience in the industry and has held recent leadership positions at ExactTarget, Salesforce, and Lev.

In 2016, Michael joined Lev and quickly grew the company into the top global Salesforce consultancy for marketers. In less than four years, he took the company to a high eight-figure enterprise valuation through a successful acquisition by global strategic integrator, Cognizant.

Michael is now the CEO and co-founder of Stitch, a Braze consulting partner. Stitch is a rapidly growing company that is helping brands of all sizes engage their customers through Braze.

3 Key Learnings:

1. Share your authentic story and point of view to build credibility and connections with clients and colleagues.
2. Focus on consistency through small daily wins rather than only big successes to achieve gradual, sustainable progress.
3. Set intentional goals and push yourself outside your comfort zone to build self-confidence over time through practice and experience.

3 Benefits of Listening to this Episode:

1. It provides tangible strategies for building trust with clients through vulnerability, authentic storytelling, and focusing on their needs from day one. This can help professionals strengthen relationships and win more business.
2. Listeners learn approaches for developing self-confidence and public speaking abilities over time through goal-setting, preparation, and pushing outside their comfort zone. This is useful for career growth.
3. The emphasis on consistency, small wins, and embracing challenges both professionally and personally provides perspective that can help professionals combat stress and stay motivated long-term. This focus on well-being and gradual progress is applicable for many areas of life.

Resources:

• Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldburton
• Check out Stitch: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stitchcx/posts/?feedView=all and https://www.stitch.cx/