Author and online business build Ann Sieg talks with Paul Simkins about how she went from a failing business to building an online empire; and how she needed a powerful team around her to make it happen.
Plus, Paul shares a recipe for PBJ French Toast that you can make outdoors on a grill or in a skillet. It's sure to be a hit with the kids! You can find the recipe, and many more, on the Smoke and Ash Facebook group or by emailing TLToolbox@BoldlyLead.com.
The Ecommerce Business School is at https://ecommercebusinessschool.com/.
Their latest course offering can be found at https://www.joinebs.com/tech-leaders .
You can join the discussions at our Podcast Facebook group here.
You can learn more about Paul Simkins on his website.
We happily work with Buzzsprout for our podcast. See how they can help you and get a $20 Amazon Gift Card after you pay your second invoice!
Author and online business build Ann Sieg talks with Paul Simkins about how she went from a failing business to building an online empire; and how she needed a powerful team around her to make it happen.
Plus, Paul shares a recipe for PBJ French Toast that you can make outdoors on a grill or in a skillet. It's sure to be a hit with the kids! You can find the recipe, and many more, on the Smoke and Ash Facebook group or by emailing TLToolbox@BoldlyLead.com.
The Ecommerce Business School is at https://ecommercebusinessschool.com/.
Their latest course offering can be found at https://www.joinebs.com/tech-leaders .
You can join the discussions at our Podcast Facebook group here.
You can learn more about Paul Simkins on his website.
We happily work with Buzzsprout for our podcast. See how they can help you and get a $20 Amazon Gift Card after you pay your second invoice!
The tech leaders toolbox podcast is brought to you by Paul Simkins and the Boldly LEAD program, focusing on helping tech leaders like you, and the frustration of low performing teams, and losing excellent employees, so they can increase productivity by 50%. Go home on time, and sleep better at nights.
Paul Simkins:Hello, and welcome to The Tech Leader's Toolbox. I'm Paul Simkins. And we're here because how you lead today determines how your team succeeds tomorrow. This is Episode 45 of the tech leaders toolbox, and we're very happy to still be with you. Today we have a story from someone who, when hit with a loss of a business, where most of us would retreat within ourselves. Instead, this person bounced back and not only achieve success, but look for ways to help others achieved success as well and worked very hard to help others succeed. We're also going to have a very special recipe for you in the last part of the show. Are you ready? Let's go. Our guest today is the author of three widely acclaimed books on how to attract customers online. And she's generated over 4.2 million in sales from her first ebook over 13 years ago. All of this as a result of Anne and her husband losing their auto glass business almost overnight, due to a new state law, so and took her little side hustle business and double down on it, taking her sales from 2000 per month to 90,000 per month, in just three months time. And it was more than enough to bring the husband home. And they've gone on to build an online Empire over the years. The result of all of it, to the tune of $20 million in sales, and training has impacted hundreds of thousands of people worldwide to achieve online success, all while working from home. But nothing has changed the rapid success. Nothing has matched the rapid success, I should say of her e commerce students. It's not uncommon for them to see cashflow in the first few days or weeks of starting their businesses. Others have achieved 678 even eight figure incomes. Please help me welcome today. And seek and glad you could be with us.
Ann Sieg:Thank you. Great to be here, Paul.
Paul Simkins:All right. So I always like to start off. This is a I love to hear people's journeys. Everybody's got a story. And it is so critical. And it's one of the things I drive home with executives all the time is you need to know people's stories. So let's see. Let's hear yours. Tell us how did you get here?
Ann Sieg:All right, well, I should always pull them off on my bookshelf right up there, red, green and white. You can barely see on the Christmas Bell set up. My grandma taught me when I was little girl about seven years old. My mother helped me set up my very first store has very sophisticated was a paper box, the type that you buy for Christmas gifts, that you could put a shirt in or some such thing. And I put it on like Christmas bells. She taught me how to change money. As about seven or eight years old, and I went out into the neighborhood by myself. There was not the helicopter parents syndrome them. This was several decades ago, when neighborhoods were deemed safer. And lo and behold, I sold every single Christmas bell. And that's not to say that I launched my sales career from that moment to seven and eight years old and onward. But I definitely recall doing it and I had absolutely no fear. I didn't know how to have fear, I guess my mom just had the confidence for me to do it. She used to sell greeting cards when she was in high school, speed forward, getting married, and I was in and out of several different direct sales companies. I became very entrepreneurial, my husband and I we got into real estate investment. We also owned as you mentioned earlier in my bio and auto glass replacement business we have for 12 years. It's very, very painful. Death of a business it was due to a new law being rolled out and these things happen where a new law, you just whenever something happens of that nature, you can count on it that several thousands of businesses are going out. That's what happened to us. I was building a business on the side I also homeschooled our three sons and I taught them to be entrepreneurs. So what came out of that and my investment into my family as my eldest son became my business partner. And we were partnered up for 10 years and that was when we did some really big things online primarily as what's known as a digital marketer. But really, where I personally shine is having a mentorship community. So while I am a digital marketer, meaning you create training pieces that are delivered online, that's what that means. I'm more keen on the mentorship aspect aspect of it because it is the process of developing people into entrepreneurs, which is a very noble, in my estimation, a very noble and worthy cause it's I have that belief that entrepreneurs have more capability to influence for good than a lot of other causes. Because I'm helping people to become economically independent. And I really treasure that. So my journey, what I love most about that is I rank learner in the Tom routes, Strengths Finder. And also strategic and, but my real passion is I love building teams of people. And I have through my 15 years as an online marketer held very dearly to me, my team is my number one asset, and they are an amazing, brilliant team. And I remember I had a copywriting coach several years ago, he didn't have a team as a copywriter. And he says, It's, I can never do what you do. And I said, what I mean, what, what Couldn't you do, I could never have a team like you do. And, and I just thought that was the oddest thing in the world, but come to find out, that's not necessarily a natural ability for a lot of people, nor is it something they're even comfortable with. And for me, it just provides enormous satisfaction. I don't think a solopreneur business model would be suitable for me, because I really love the process of the synergy creating what I call mutual brain trust. Within my team, I'm referring to my corporate team, which then out of the strength of that team building efforts comes the strength of building these people communities that I have online communities over the years.
Paul Simkins:Right, so now your current businesses an e commerce network,
Ann Sieg:correct. Congress, school is the name of our system. Sorry,
Paul Simkins:I stand corrected. I'm sorry. Okay. So So again, when we were talking before you you've built together now a corporate team there? What are some of the challenges you face building your team together? What are some of the challenges you face with that workforce and getting, getting the team together getting the right people in the right place?
Ann Sieg:I'm very, I'll tell you a huge benefit I have is that, more often than not, I'm actually able to draw the talent, per Daniel Coyle, spark the talent code, talent hotbed of people that have come into my organization to work with me and for me. But as we are beginning to scale more than we have historically, today, that has presented a new challenge, but I embrace challenges. On the whole, it's been the whole nature of the beast. So when you own a business, I say, you're going to be a problem solver. Welcome to the world of problem solving. Because that's what it is to be a business owner. And so one I have found to overcome that challenge of what I typically I can send out an email to my list. And I can draw on just incredible swath of talent within my subscriber list. But we've started to tippy toe out of that. What I lived in off of for 1012 years drawing on my own subscriber list is outsourcing one, we do outsource to the Philippines at this point, and we've got four and we're now putting requests for two more. So I outsource to a company that vets and brings the valuable, you know, the potential candidates to us. So right now, currently, where I'm at in my businesses were in scaling mode. So it's everything that comes with a cost of scaling and all the unique dynamics of the balancing act that comes with scale. And I have a skill mentor, I went out to find a mentor specifically for that purpose. So I would say it's that hiring process, coupled with scaling and scaling out in a way such that I maintain and I, I strengthen the infrastructure, because that's typically what causes a company to implode as as they scale too fast, and they implode. So I'm really trying to balance that out very judiciously with advice on how we grow because you can you can overgrow, then there's the stories of the fall out kind of thing. So I would say that and if I may another one, too, that that's become magnified as a result of a lot of recent hiring is the extreme importance of a culture fit, knowing your culture really well. And as was advised when we're bringing in our sales reps, and we call them business advisors in our, in our business is the number one factor and I've always felt this way too. I don't hire necessarily in skill, I need the skill. But I say I'm hiring you to help fulfill the vision. And here's what it is and then I'll tell him But the culture part is really, really key. And so because it's it's really a challenge when you have people and this has happened in the last year. So really good talent, but they're not the culture fit. And and so what do you sacrifice to sacrifice? The talent? Where do you sacrifice your culture and culture Trump's all? Because if you don't have that culture, you know, well maintaining it, you're going to lose the good people that you have as a match to your culture. So I would say those are the current challenges that I'm facing. I can't say I'm drowning in them, but they're challenges that we're working through.
Paul Simkins:Okay. So want to make sure are heard. Right. So you mentioned earlier that you've, you've outsourced the kind of prospecting for talent to to another agency in the Philippines.
Ann Sieg:So actually, American company, oh, they are Americans. But they have a division within their company, that because they're servicing for me, so for sales coaching, as well as scale. And so a subset of their business model to increase their value proposition, so to speak, is that if you have a need for new personnel, they will outsource from the Philippines, we will always go to the Phil, but more and more, because we're getting some really, really awesome people. I've been proven wrong that Well, for me, I don't know that with my model that would actually work. Well, it works. And it works really well.
Paul Simkins:Well. And that's what I was wondering about because especially with an emphasis on the culture, having an outside agency be able to find you people, I mean, because their tendency is they're going to look at talent, they're not going to necessarily look at culture. But you're finding that they're discovering that they're finding people that do fit your culture,
Ann Sieg:it's really, I don't lean into them for the their responsibility to convey our culture. It's they'll dish up qualified candidates who have the skills, and then we do our interview, we always do a two step interview process, meaning whoever's department head, they are head of the department, it's their hire, and they're the initial interviewer. But another department had also interviews and sometimes we do it three fold. Because you make your money when you hire, you make your money, when you're hiring a miss hire cost a company a lot of money. And so I as a CEO, then when I have my call I make and my staff, they all know our culture. And so you know, it's you convey it, and you don't always know until you hire, you put them into motion, and then behavioral things will show up. And that's go off, aren't at all anyways, you know, so it's not like it's flawless or perfect, but we do combat and the other aspect that we're aware of, and this would apply more front facing marketing for Americans more so is making our culture very evident from the get go such that someone sees the even the marketing, everything are posturing and presence, and I really like to be a part of that organization. I like their mission, I want to be a part of that. And one way that we forecast that is we have a certification program. And when we pronounce that, well, for some people, that's just what they need to hear I follow you know, it's only for a very small percentage, and that's okay. And those are people that have the potential to develop as our coaches and trainers.
Paul Simkins:Alright, so. So what are some of the things you're looking for there? So you're looking for that cultural fit? What are the some of the things you're looking for that are the indicators to you that you've got a good culture fit there?
Ann Sieg:Yeah, well, they have to, absolutely hands down, be a team player. If they're very, I'm in it for me. And, you know, they're just kind of here, I'm coming in to get this. This is what I need, you know, is just so not who we are. We are a team. We are a very cohesive team. And we can tell it's palpable, when someone isn't a true team player. An example of that as well. I'll give you an example from probably 12 years ago, we had a gal who worked for us, she came from corporate america world and all this. And she's just all into the signage and then little tags that identify who you are and this and that, and I think I was like just having we are I mean, yeah, on the org chart. It's their new everyone has tough roles and responsibilities and all that kind of thing. But we're a team player in that we're going to do what helps the company move forward. And if sometimes I have to step over and help out so and so I do that, because I want to ensure that the that the team, the community moves forward as a whole and not Well, I'm in my little space, and I'm done. And that absolutely doesn't work for us. It's people who have a love and a passion and respect for the people that they're working with, how can I help? What can I do, I can see you're in a bind, Oh, you've got that vacation coming up. And I can see it's crunch mode for you, I can't jump out and help in any way, the go giver attitude. And it just strengthens and it's people are keenly aware of what's going on, we have a very, our meeting cadence is very formulated and works extremely well. For us, we've always had a very strong meeting cadence across the board and for like, almost a decade and a half. And so my goal is to really unify the team and create a cohesiveness throughout all the departments.
Paul Simkins:So I like that. I'm always emphasizing, you know, you hire much rather hire for attitude than I would for talent. And software companies run into this a lot of software companies I've worked with, run into this challenge all the time, in that they hire very talented people who know they're very talented. And because of that, the only way to do things is their way. So when you put them in as part of a development team, it ends up being a disaster, because they just kind of walk all over everybody else. And, and things, things get slowed down, things don't happen the way they should. Because, because again, they just don't have the right attitude be part of a team, there's good flying on their own. But they don't have that attitude and the mindset to be part of a team and to work cohesively with others. And that's a big challenge within technical industries is finding people like that who can, who can easily make that adjustment to be a team player.
Ann Sieg:It's very interesting, you bring that up, because at the core, we exist because of technology. So we have a tech team. In fact, we're doing another hire for our tech team right now. And we, I edify people, but it's like, this is an ego free zone, here. You go, No, the ego is for the team. That's what it's for. And it's not for an individual. In fact, I mean, per my marketing background and knowledge is don't fall in love with your own ideas, right and fall in love, you know, just put it to the marketplace, the marketplace will tell you so the scoring from a marketer is, and I always tell people, you know, it's a very free culture in terms of the input from the team, every opinion is valued. And then there's the whole test of those who have years and years of experience to know, but there may be an idea put forth that is worthy of that. So I that respect for each other's positions. And while they're all here comes King, so and so, you know, and that the adoration factor and all that I don't have time or place for that noise, all ego catering, and I get it though I've trust me, I've seen plenty of what you've talked about. And it's led up doesn't work. And that, ultimately is that we're there to bring success to our members, period. So it really isn't about who's the biggest hot shot on the team. It's one for all for one on one for all, and everyone contributes in their own way. So I praise people, but there's a caution towards not having, you know, the big boosting of egos. Like it's a certain energy that I don't Foster and we, on the whole don't have a problem with it. Because our focus is on the unit. Right the team.
Paul Simkins:Then if you make that clear beforehand, you make clear what the ground rules are and again, what the culture is like, what the expectations are, then the people that you're the people who want to be that superstar and, and stand out amongst the rest and be the be the bull in the china shop. Well, they're not going to like that they're not going to they're not going to be attracted. They're not going to want to be there. And and we're happy to not have them there.
Ann Sieg:And on campus. Yeah. Like, we don't need that our big man on campus. That's our students. that's who we're gonna brag on.
Paul Simkins:Yeah, it used to phrase earlier that caught my attention and so I had to ask you, you said you use the phrase the go giver. So are you a reader of the bob Berg and john man books? I haven't heard the whole series. It's uh, yeah, this is my second second episode in a row where I've do a shout out to Bob Berg. So yeah, Let her read all his books, and I've had the privilege of hearing him in person. And, and it's always terrific. And I just love that whole aspect of focusing on the value that you add and leaving yourself open to receiving value. And, and that's how things work. So that's terrific. So you also mentioned to Ben, that again, conflict inevitably happens. So how do you how do you deal with conflict? How do you make decisions there?
Ann Sieg:Yeah, well, okay, there's different layers or types of conflict. I like to believe and I think on the whole, our team is drama free, there just isn't room for it. But censors drama mean, for one, someone who does create a lot of drama, again, we're not suited for our team, we don't it's not like we're, we got to have some little news side magazine on the latest riffraff
Paul Simkins:is different from conflict to I mean, conflict is can be like just a disagreement over how you do something, a disagreement on the way to go. disagreement and the roles that people play sometimes, because sometimes that doesn't become clear. And yeah, I don't know if you're familiar with. Gosh, and always, every time I want to bring him up, I forget his name. But there's the the team building model of forming, storming, norming performing. And that storming phase that's it's all about that conflict, and how to resolve that.
Ann Sieg:I'm actually in my company very open to a we call it, you know, that what's the phrase, I'm, I'm gonna be a devil's advocate, I invite pushback, not for the sake of doing it. But because it As humans, we can get locked into our perceived notion of how something should go, including me. And again, this comes as a result of my marketing background. And it's to test the validity of, and so I make it very open, so that it's not like, Oh, he's disagreeing with me? No, actually, I have invited that within when it's reasonable. And so it's demonstrated mostly from the executive team, we have unique meetings that are just for the executives. And it's, it's meant to be open. And if we can't handle some pushback, it's not arguing, it's just just a difference of opinion. We're also very data centric. So I think that helped guide and mitigate what would be a personal agenda or my own personal it's, pretty much will always come down to Well, what's the data on that? You know, do? Did you check the open rates on the subject lines, or, you know, things that just oh, wow, look at the data that comes back so much differently than what I thought was happening. But again, it's an I'm gonna send someone a reflection of my own family and how I raised my boys was open discussion, open platform, I don't do a talk down, here's how it's gonna be kind of thing. I want 10 people to have ownership of their ideas and ownership as we work through those ideas together to come to a conclusion. No, we won't. So I allow our team to process through that. And typically, it's then that respective department head, who's allowed to make that final decision, after a bunch of different options are put on the table XYZ about maybe a particular software, for example. And here's the pros and cons of this one, and then we hear it out. And then a decision will typically be made for the person responsible for that department, or maybe me as the CEO. So people know that it's ultimately got to be someone's decision. You know, and I'll very often because I don't want to sit there knowing all the decisions in the company were becoming, we're growing into a team of teams, I need to let people own it. But it's to me it's more about the process by which you go through to allow to have these different viewpoints. I'm okay with differing viewpoints, bring it on. I may not catch it. And so then it's to just test the veracity talk it through. So it's very comfortable exchange. So yeah, since we made that distinction between drama and con, yeah. Yeah, the drama is just like, Okay, that was for high school. We don't do that here. But then to when I feel like something is maybe inappropriate, I always I'm just like, what parenting is, let's be discreet about it and have a conversation one on one, say I did that meeting, you brought up XYZ. And I was concerned because I think it was a little bit appropriate because XYZ XYZ, so that's like a coaching that's a pulling aside and having a coaching moment, because my goal is to maintain the health of the organization and the health of the organization as the ability for this tightly knit group of people to get along. They work together towards a common goal. And so that's my, I'm in charge of that health. And you know, and then through my departments and I have people are working with me that align through that kind of construct, none. Because there are very, very unhealthy sick cultures, right. And people literally, I get people come into my community, they're fleeing corporate America, they're getting sick. You know, I mean, physically sick when I was dying from it. And at the end of the day, I want my team very happy and satisfied, we work hard, but I want them happy and satisfied for the work that they're contributing to the team. Okay.
Paul Simkins:Does your organization have established core values?
Ann Sieg:Oh, boy, we have a conscious, so many iterations of these kind of things. I took this up for someone recently, but just off the top of my head, mutual respect, that we respect the individual that's both at our corporate level, that respect them for their personhood, and we respect our members, with whatever they're doing. They're human beings, and they deserve mutual respect. Now, when you get that, you get that back. So that mutual respect, the honesty, honestly done in a way that is respectful. Some people can be, you know, brutally honest, and it's not very receptive way for someone to, you know, whether the right or wrong of it, it's more than how it's presented to them.
Paul Simkins:Yeah, I've generally found the people who say, to be brutally honest, are more concerned with being brutal than they are with being honest. But
Ann Sieg:here comes the brutal, yeah, um, we have a passion for helping people is and seeing growth. And that's another core value is, I'm in a holistic teacher. So it's not just a cognitive process, it's an emotional, you know, every dimension of the person is evolving, growing, as they are working as an evolving entrepreneur. So respect and honesty, interest in the growth of others, and a passion to be the best that we can have what we do that we are a stellar program offering what is going to shine within the marketplace, through the excellence of our delivery, that was a kind of wordy one. So yeah, we've got so many different iterations, I didn't write at the tip of my tongue, but I know, in terms of what makes us tick, and what makes us who we are, is that striving for excellence, the honesty and the mutual respect.
Paul Simkins:And those are important, those are good core values, I, one of the things I do is I do a workshop where again, I work with organizations to, to nail down what those core values are, and define them in very specific terms. And a lot of the what you just have delineated lines up with a lot of what organizations like to have in those core values, defining who we are, what we are, how we treat others, how we do business. So excellent.
Ann Sieg:Yeah,
Paul Simkins:so how did you how do you, I'm sorry, go ahead.
Ann Sieg:I'm just gonna add in. To me. core values, people can put on a sheet of paper, but at the end of the day, just like a quality marriage, it's how you live it out each day. And people know how real those values are those core values like I want, and I know my team, they know me, and would never approve of that. Those kind of things, that I shouldn't know why she's not going to approve of that. And that will ultimately always come down to in the treatment of others. Exactly. She's not going to prove that. That's right. You know me well.
Paul Simkins:Okay, that's exactly it is your I tell people you have the whole thing with it is why I talk this up is these are the non negotiables of who you are, that when when decision making time comes down. If it violates a core value, the answer is no.
Ann Sieg:Right? Yeah.
Paul Simkins:All right. So what's what's one tip, a leader can do or apply today to add value to their team.
Ann Sieg:I think a way to add value and I know this is a time consuming activity for a CEO. But to take that time, with you know, as you're especially as your team grows, and it's down through four levels, set a time whether it's once a month, and just spend time with them because that bond and the connection with the person who is the leader of the company is wow. And she reached out to me and she just wanted to spend a few minutes talking to me and getting to know me, and and through that because I do that with my members. I'm always amazed at what I find out and my live events which have been able to do so much with COVID Lesson was January, I missed this as well. My favorite part is meeting one on one with them. I love it, and I get to consult with them and get to know them. And wow, okay, I didn't know that about you. And so that is so precious to me to spend that time with directly with my customers, because I have an entire coaching and training team, etc. But from the staff level, Hey, I just want to spend some time with you. I think that's a real eye opening experience. And I'll share it this way it was from the profit or the other one Undercover Boss was Undercover Boss, where it was a family business, and the son inherited it. And it started to go downhill. And so it was as though the stuff would change. And they said, Well, your dad, when he came into work every day, he would walk the floor. This was apparently like a factory of some sort, he would walk the floor before he went upstairs in his office, he would walk the floor and talk to us. And just, you know, whatever you spent half hour an hour, I don't know, just these are his people, you know, you only so good as the people who are supporting you to build your business. So that was his failure, he failed to maintain what his dad did the value of staying connected to his team, his people, and it must have been a big factor, maybe 100. I don't know. But then they feel like I know this guy. I'm behind him. And so that's what was and then that son instituted that practice and the business started to pick up again. It's funny how dounce intrinsic touch points, not the stuff we put on the wall that doesn't adapt or a manual. It's those human touch points. That can be some of the biggest levers that I like this guy. I got to tell what them about my daughter's birthday party and their soccer, whatever such thing. And they feel like you genuinely care about them.
Paul Simkins:Yeah, yeah. One could say though, there was another failure there too, which was the failure of the senior the father to actually pass that legacy down. Yeah, I mean, being a critical behavior, that would be something spend time you know, Tom Peters management by walking around wandering around, you know, yeah. So find a great tip. and spending time with one on ones is a great tip. And your one on ones is a great tip as well. Great. So and thank you for being with us today.
Ann Sieg:It's been a pleasure. Thank you for having me. While you're here, take a moment right now to subscribe to the tech leaders toolbox podcast, and leave a review. That way, you will always be up to date on the bold and innovative leadership principles we are sharing here. And come join the tech leaders toolbox Facebook group as well, where you and other leaders discuss these concepts in more detail. And we answer your questions. Subscribe today and share this with your friends.
Paul Simkins:All right, and we're back and as everyone knows, if you've listened to this before, I love outdoor cooking, and so I made a point of putting into my show here an opportunity to share some of that with you. And again, I do all kinds of outdoor cooking I got a smoker I've got a grill. I've got I love to cook with Dutch ovens cook over open fire any way that I can cook outdoors. I've tried it I've done it and enjoy it thoroughly. And so always like to share an outdoor cooking recipe. And I love doing this so much. I've actually created a Facebook group called smoking dash. And on my smoking dash Facebook group me and all of my friends are also big fans of outdoor cooking we we share what we're doing this weekend, we share recipes, we share pictures of our gear and you know, because we're all gadget gurus too. And so we we share all of that and we have a lot of fun with it. I throw trivia questions and quiz questions out there all the time that the smoke and ash Facebook group and I invite you to join us out there if you think you would enjoy that kind of stuff. And I also the recipes I share on the show here I also put out there on that Facebook group. And so you can access the recipes out there. The one I want to share with you today. This is a perfect camping recipe, especially of yours camping with kids. And since I am a scout leader, and I'm often camping with Boy Scouts, and well, I should say boys and girls in scouts BSA, now. Camping all the time, this is something that they would really enjoy, and it's called PB j french toast. And it's exactly within reason I came up with this recipe by the way is November we were recording this in November and November 28 is National french toast day. So, so that's why we recorded this Why I wanted to add this recipe is in in honor of that. So what you're going to do for this and this is meant, again, the recipe is constructed to it's meant to feed like a whole patrol of scouts for this, so you'll have to scale it down to suit your own needs. So basically you secure a jar of peanut butter jar of your favorite jelly. Personally, I think jams and preserves work a little bit better with this because for one they spread easier. And then of course, you're gonna have sliced bread. And I actually like to use thicker sliced bread for this for one because it absorbs the batter better. And, and, and gives you a nice separation between the battered outside and what's inside. And you'll use about a dozen eggs and a cup of milk. So the first thing of course, is make your peanut butter sandwiches just like you were regularly making a peanut butter sandwich, spread peanut butter on the on one side of one slice of bread, your jelly on one side of another piece of bread, put them together, you got your sandwich, crack open all your eggs into a bowl, add a cup of milk, take a whisk and beat that up until it's real nice and well mixed together. Heat up your skillet on the griddle. Again on a well sometimes I'll do this over coals are on my campstove heat up that griddle, take each peanut butter sandwich, dip it completely in the batter, slap it on that skillet. And again, you're going to cook it until it's nice and deeply brown on both sides. Now if you want to enhance that a little bit, you can add a little bit of brown sugar to the batter when you beat it up. And that criminalizes the outside of the bread even more, if you use that brown sugar in the mix there. So that's it, you just cook it till it's brown real well on both sides. By the time it's been brown real well on both sides, all the eggs should be cooked through and all that so it'd be a real nice effect. And then you're just going to serve that up on a plate and cut it in half serve it up on a plate. And they can either put pancake syrup over it, warm it up in a pot, warm up some pancake syrup. Or actually what I'll do a lot of times with camping is I'll make my own hot brown sugar syrup. And you can drizzle that all over it. If you want to get really fancy, maybe shake a little bit of powdered sugar over top of it as well. So that's it, it's PBJ french toast. And I guarantee you if you've got a bunch of kids to feed, they will wolf this down and it will fill them up. Alright, so my guest today was an sigue. And we were talking about how we put a team together the challenges we face and what we look for, as we build our team and we look for culture fit, as opposed to overwhelming talent, and how we handle conflict and how our core values drive our organizations. So and what are you working on right now that you're really excited about?
Ann Sieg:We are working on the follow up to what is right now our 90 day, excuse me peak performance mentoring. So this is a new mentoring offer that we rolled out January 1 of this year, it's gone exceptionally well. And we've had many graduates but not had the next step for them. So and we wanted to just really get this rock solid, go through this and optimize it and all the tracking of performance, etc. And so we actually put our heads together and say, we're doing a beta, which we're launching coming up on Sunday. So we're excited about that. That's a three month and then from there, we'll actually create the full blown, what will be probably a much longer program like a nine month program that will come off of their 90 day peak performance mentoring. Another thing I'm excited about is we're expanding on the marketing side of things, which is my department into Google display ads and just expanding our our YouTube efforts in Google. And so we're, we're branching into that area too. So it's expansion.
Paul Simkins:Okay. So if somebody wants to get ahold of you, what's the best way to do that?
Ann Sieg:Well, you can find me on LinkedIn is one way so anstieg a&m, si E, G. And then as far as the e commerce business goal, our homepage you can get there through join EBS comm is a short URL that takes you write to our homepage, or you can go directly there is e commerce business school.com to learn more about our school, but best contact is LinkedIn or Facebook as well. Either way, you'll find me that way.
Paul Simkins:Great. Thank you so much.
Ann Sieg:You're welcome. My pleasure.
Paul Simkins:Alright, so that's it for this week. Folks. I want to ask a favor of you. We don't put advertising on our podcast or anything like that. We want to help spread the word we hope you're enjoying and getting value from the channel. intent that we bring to you. And we want to share that with others. So I'm going to ask if you're listening to this on a podcast app, leave us a high five star review, share this podcast with those, let them know that we're out here so that they can come on board and maybe they get some value as well. I'm going to ask you to do that for me. And of course, come and join us on the smoking ash Facebook group. And we also have a Facebook group for The Tech Leader's Toolbox Podcast, where we kind of extend the discussion and we'll throw a bunch of other questions out there as well and talk about things. Talk about our values based leadership, how we affect company culture, and how we increase employee engagement. Well, yeah, that's it for this week. Hope you have enjoyed this. Until next time, go out and be the leader. You were meant to be.