In this episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Da Li, a serial entrepreneur who shared his remarkable journey from entrepreneurship in China to creating sustainable home products. Da Li's diverse experiences and insights provided an enriching conversation on entrepreneurship and cross-cultural engagement.

• Da Li founded DEYA Tech, becoming a market leader in China, catering to major clients domestically and internationally, including regions along the Belt and Road initiative.

• He discussed the challenges faced in the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship in China, highlighting the impact of rising labor costs and changing market dynamics.

• Da Li emphasized the increasing difficulty of bootstrapping and organic growth in the current market, reflecting on the changes in labor costs and the landscape compared to previous years.

• He shared lessons learned from DEYA Tech, including the importance of embracing failure, the significance of swift adaptation, and recognizing the right timing for pivoting in business.

• Da Li shared intriguing stories of interacting with high-profile dignitaries, providing insights into encounters with a Saudi Prince and the late Paul Allen, shedding light on the dynamics and behind-the-scenes interactions in such scenarios.

• Introduction to Kunaboo, a brand by Kingsway Global Inc., focusing on sustainable home products with a family-oriented touch, emphasizing the significance of the name and the inherent message behind it.

• The discussion included the principles of the brand, the family-oriented feel of the products, and the value of having such items in homes.

• Da Li emphasized the empowering nature of entrepreneurship, highlighting the sense of agency, responsibility, and the lasting impact it has on personal growth and accountability.

• 00:00 - Entrepreneurial journey in China, founding DEYA Tech and serving major clients nationally and internationally.

• 2:16 - Challenges of business in China, rising labor costs, and the changing landscape of entrepreneurship.

• 13:00 - Lessons learned from DEYA Tech, embracing failure, and the importance of swift adaptation in business.

• 18:00 - Engaging with high-profile dignitaries, sharing encounters with a Saudi Prince and the late Paul Allen.

• 29:12 - Creating sustainable home products, introducing the brand Kunaboo and its significance.

• 32:00 - Life lessons from entrepreneurship, emphasizing agency, responsibility, and personal growth.

Da Li is a serial entrepreneur with a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship, cross-cultural dynamics, and sustainable products. He founded Kingsway Global Inc. and leads Peer Communications and Wellcee.

Where to find Our Guest online

https://www.kunaboo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mykunaboo/

https://www.instagram.com/mykunaboo/

https://www.wellcee.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dali1/

Episode Summary: Welcome back to The Art of Consulting podcast! In this episode, we are joined by the remarkable Zana Goic Petricevic, a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in corporate management, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership coaching and consulting. Janna shares her unique insights on bold leadership and introduces her innovative SOUL Framework—self, other, universe, and legacy. Tune in as we explore how leaders can move beyond cautious, head-driven decisions to embrace transformative choices that lead to extraordinary outcomes.

Key Discussion Points:

Introduction to Zana Goic Petricevic (00:00 - 01:11)

• Background in corporate management and entrepreneurship

• Over 15 years of experience in executive leadership coaching and consulting

Overview of the SOUL Framework (01:12 - 02:15)

• Meaning behind the acronym: self, other, universe, and legacy

• Importance of bold, soul-based decisions in leadership

Janna’s Approach to Leadership Development (02:16 - 03:18)

• Executive coaching of individuals

• Systemic coaching of teams

• Leadership development programs and workshops

• Keynote speaking and writing

Unlocking Organizational Potential (03:19 - 04:24)

• Close collaboration with organizations

• Identifying and leveraging untapped boldness potential

Detailed Explanation of the SOUL Framework (04:25 - 06:26)

• The concept of leadership playgrounds

• The significance of playing boldly in self-reflection and innovation

Innovating the Self (06:27 - 10:19)

• The importance of self-disruption and self-innovation

• Overcoming long-held beliefs and embracing new truths

Self-Awareness as the Starting Point (10:20 - 11:36)

• The role of self-awareness in personal and professional growth

• Understanding one's starting point to explore potential

Self-Confrontation in Leadership

• The journey to becoming a better leader starts with self-confrontation.

• Realizing the importance of relationships in leadership.

Radical Connection

• Explanation of "radical connection" and its significance in leadership.

• The concept of "voting" in our minds about others and how to shift this mindset to create collective wisdom.

• Importance of courage, vulnerability, and truth in building strong connections.

Relationship Dynamics

• How to relate effectively in leadership roles.

• Moving from judgment to fostering brilliance in others.

• Enhancing productivity and potential through collective effort.

Feedback in Organizational Settings

• Challenges of giving feedback and the importance of believing in others' capabilities.

• Feedback as a reflection of trust and the gap between potential and current performance.

• Supporting team members with compassion and truth.

Systemic Awareness in Leadership

• Understanding the impact of leadership within a system.

• Recognizing how systems shape leaders and vice versa.

• Importance of sensing change and engaging in bold conversations to support it.

Politics and Voices in Organizations

• Redefining organizational politics as understanding the interplay of various voices within a system.

• The significance of listening to all voices, not just those in power.

• Recognizing spokespersons and the systemic nature of messages within teams.

Passion and Purpose in Work

• Encouraging self-reflection to uncover what makes one's heart sing.

• The role of passionpreneurs and finding meaning in work beyond just financial gains.

• Emphasizing intentionality and contribution within any job or industry.

Addressing Apathy and Engagement

• Exploring why some individuals may appear not to care.

• Coaching and self-reflection as tools to uncover true passions and values.

• The impact of existential safety versus spiritual fulfillment in professional life.

Conclusion

• Summary of key insights from the discussion.

• Encouragement to listeners to reflect on their own leadership styles and relationships.

Invitation to engage with the concepts of radical connection and systemic leadership in their professional and personal lives.

Welcome to another episode of "The Art of Consulting Podcast" with your hosts, Andy Fry and Cat Lam. As seasoned IT consultants, CPAs, and professional development connoisseurs, we aim to bring you inspiring messages to help you discover the X factor in your professional field, leading to the success you truly deserve in your career and life.

Welcome back, the one and only Edmund Metera. Edmund Metera is a senior project manager at CWB Financial Group in Canada. He firmly believes that the keys to delivering successful projects are not only founded upon expert project management and business analysis competencies but on recognizing, tailoring and applying the best-suited methodologies and techniques to suit the unique technologies, constraints and opportunities at hand.

Topic Overview:

• Focus on what a trusted advisor needs when embarking on a consulting engagement.

• Insights derived from Ed Matera’s book and his work at processmodellingadvisor.com.

Types of Consultants:

• External Consultants: Advise client organizations.

• Internal Consultants: Advise different business areas within the same organization.

Key Points Discussed:

1. Importance of Deliverable Schedule and Effort Budget:

   • Deliverable Schedule: Highly important.

   • Effort Budget: Less important for the advisor; focus is on meeting the schedule rather than the budget.

2. Project Stakeholders and Relationships:

   • Critical for understanding stakeholder perspectives and pain points.

   • The advisor acts as an advocate for the business within the project.

   • Relationships vary from one engagement to another but are always crucial.

3. Organizational Assets:

   • Includes specialized tools, prior work, and training (e.g., SAP tools).

   • External consultants bring their own assets and tools, which are essential.

Organizational assets are important but secondary to interpersonal relationships and stakeholder understanding.

Episode Highlights:

1. Why Discuss Simple Concepts?

   • Importance of asking the right questions early in a project or consultation.

   • Being mindful and diligent upfront acts like insurance, preventing future issues.

2. Preparation and Diligence:

   • Taking initial steps to understand the project helps tailor the approach.

   • This preparation keeps consultants out of potential pitfalls and allows them to leverage their knowledge effectively.

3. Using a Checklist:

   • Ed discusses a checklist available on his website, processmodellingadvisor.com.

   • The checklist helps in tailoring your approach from one engagement to the next.

4. Resources:

   • The checklist can be found on the homepage of processmodellingadvisor.com.

   • It is also published in BA Times, Modern Analyst, and IRM Connects.

Conclusion:

• The episode delves into the balance between internal and external resources, the critical nature of stakeholder relationships, and the varying importance of schedules and budgets in consulting engagements.

Ed Metera believes that philosophy is loud and clear in Ed's book: Universal Process Modeling Procedure: The Practical Guide to High-Quality Business Process Models.

He has taught and mentored project managers and business analysts in best practices for professional organizations such as PMI, IIBA, and CMMI.

He teaches IIBA-registered business analysis courses and serves as an advisor to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's Corporate and International Training department’s Business Analysis Certificate Program.

He is also the founder of www.ProcessModelingAdvisor.com and a regular BATimes, Modern Analyst and IRM Connects contributor.