Tales from the Corner Office with Stasia Mitchell

0:00Boom! Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire. brought to you by High Level, the all-in-one sales and marketing platform. Today, we'll be breaking down tales from the corner office. To drop these value bombs, I brought Stasha Mitchell into EO Fire Studios. As an advisor to ambitious CEOs, owners, and entrepreneurs, Stasha leads EY's Entrepreneurship Strategy and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programs in over 60 countries with responsibility for the development of long-lasting relationships with the winners, alumni, and investors in the whole entrepreneur ecosystem.

0:32And today, we'll be chatting about the key challenges and opportunities in the market. We'll talk about the EY Entrepreneur of the Year selection process, also the characteristics and qualities successful entrepreneurs possess, and oh, so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Stasha and our sponsors. Franocity has helped hundreds of people leave unfulfilling jobs, invest in recession-resilient businesses, and create legacy income for their families through franchising. Get started today with Franocity's Franchise Funding Guide, packed with real-world strategies to launch your business without draining your savings.

1:05Visit Franocity.com. That's F-R-A-N-O-C-I-T-Y.com. Stasha, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. Thank you, John, and hello, Fire Nation. So what they disagree with, when I talk to entrepreneurs and they're telling me their story, they have all these moments of like milestone successes that they don't even realize. So I ask them and I'm asking you and your audience, what do you celebrate? Because entrepreneurship and leadership is an infinite game. There's no ending point or only one successful moment. And so understanding what you value, what you hold dear and what you want to celebrate is important.

1:57Well, today for our nation, we're talking about the tales from the corner office. And I want to start by talking about the type of leadership style that you're seeing as most impactful. And we're talking about in today's very chaotic landscape. I think there's three parts to what we're seeing with entrepreneurship and leadership. And it's first by being great representations of yourself. So the focus on health and wellness and And, you know, I think seeing the combination of athletics and sports and entrepreneurship and leadership is important. So are you taking good care of yourself? Are you in a really strong mental, physical position to operate, build, grow your business?

2:43And that immediately transcends to your team. So start with yourself. Are you in a good place? you're in a rocking position, then how do you align that to the team and what you want to get from them in terms of their performance and alignments to leadership? And that will ultimately transcend to your customer. And so I think you can't build a trusted, collaborative, innovative team unless you are healthy yourself. Now, Stasha, you're in it. I mean, you are up to your elbows in entrepreneurship and small business. So what are you seeing? Like in your opinion, what are the key challenges and opportunities in the market today?

3:26I would say now more than ever, chief executives and entrepreneurs and leaders want to know what others are doing. So there's never been more of a time for this peer-to-peer connectivity, creativity, conversation, and it's something that really EY and our entrepreneurial programs can bring to the table. So, you know, I always say start with a better question that you can throw out with us. We will help provide context and that peer-to-peer kind of conversation. And then, you know, the better the question, the better the answer, the better the world works. So we're all navigating very uncertain, interesting times.

4:10You know, if it's not tariffs, if it's AI and quantum, you know, but knowing what other people are doing, it's just a helpful starting point. You don't have to start from scratch. You can lean on really great people to help you, you know, experiment and move forward. And Fire Nation, at the end of the day, that's what we're doing with this show. Like we are connecting, we are networking, we are hearing the genius, the expertise of great people, of entrepreneurs, of small business owners and what they're doing, what they're seeing in the market today. Because again, these are people that are living in it.

4:40And in that note, I want to talk about the EY Entrepreneur of the Year selection this year. So talk about that in general. Like what is that? And then what's the deal with the selection? Yeah. So thank you for asking about the program. We're so proud to really put these stories on a platform that can be shared. And as I mentioned, a lot of the entrepreneurs, John, and even an entrepreneur like yourself, they don't even recognize that they're an entrepreneur or that they have a good story to tell. So just taking the time and energy to, to come into our playground, nominate yourself as an entrepreneur of the year.

5:16And I'm telling you, it will open your eyes to really what you and your team and your stakeholders have done and where, and really where you want to go. So it is a competitive program that we run globally. And so in the U S particularly, I'll just land on this country. We've got 17 programs. So they are actively seeking entrepreneurs who are disrupting and innovating and really building a better working world for all of us. We have four criterias. So we look at entrepreneurial spirit, we look at purpose, impact, and growth. And the stories within those four pillars are so inspiring. Every entrepreneur has something to contribute.

5:59And as I mentioned, the peer-to-peer networking has never been more, you know, requested. And so the program allows, you know, these entrepreneurs to be recognized for all the things they've done. Not only them, it's their families, their teams. And the selection this year was Stina of Sweden. Again, one of those stories that you're like, wait, what happened? You know, she's not an engineer. She's not a technology background. She actually worked in the arts as a creative director building stage sets. But she has now created a technology company that is making the internet secure for all of us.

6:42160 countries, massive amount of impact work. And it just shows you the power of if you really love and are passionate, what you can do. Who's another past winner from a year past? And like, why did they win? How did they come across your radar? Yes. So Valayan is our winner from India. Valayan is running three very large businesses. But what makes him special, and if I could just get, you know, just on the personal side, if he was CEO of the world, he said he would make everyone meditate. um what valayan does has created a culture of um calm the mind and body that kind of start with yourself what kind of leader do you want to be he loves he loves about he loves this concept of stop managing up and focus your energy in the field right where it matters so he has a lot of philosophy around energy uh meditation and and this is the third thing that makes him so fascinating His favorite business movie is Finding Nemo.

7:54There's a part of Finding Nemo where the fish all get caught in the net, right? And they're swimming like crazy. Like, where do we go? We're spinning like circles. It's chaotic. Yeah, they're getting dragged up to the surface, which is where they're all going to die. And then it just takes that one voice. Hey, let's focus our energy in one direction. action we have enough power to break this net and that's what they did I love that and actually the reason why I know the details so well is I just watched that with my 18 month old son and you know I mean he probably didn't get that message but when I watch him again when he's a little bit older I'll be able to very you know articulate that for him very carefully because it is such a good message and you used one of my favorite words Dasha which is focus for me it's an acronym follow one course until success.

8:46Like those people that have focus, they win at a high level. And Fire Nation, thank you for focusing on this episode because we have a lot more genius coming at you when we get back from thanking our sponsors. Starting your own business can feel intimidating. Where do you start? How do you grow? When will you start generating revenue? All valid questions. If you love the idea of creating wealth and freedom, but you're not sure if starting from scratch is the way to go, then I'm excited to tell you about Franocity. Franocity has helped hundreds of people leave unfulfilling jobs, invest in recession-resilient businesses, and creates legacy income for their families through franchising.

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10:37Plus, you can sell products and services help clients schedule appointments, and more, all with their built-in solutions, no add-ons required. Wix has been pioneering in website tech for almost 20 years, so you can trust they know a thing or two about web design and running your own business. Ready to create your own website? Go to wix.com. That's wix.com to start building your website today. Thanks to Wix for sponsoring our show. Stasha, we're back, and you've had a lot of time in this arena. You are around entrepreneurs. You've already talked about the stories of a couple of them. What are some of the characteristics and qualities that you have found successful entrepreneurs possess?

11:19I think it's ever more important for entrepreneurs and really everybody to learn how to communicate. In the world that we're in, and even some of the younger entrepreneurs, they're using terms that I'm like, I have to look up. And so I think we need to ensure we're, you know, staying equipped and connected to the communication style that is ever evolving in the world, especially the younger generations. If we want to create trust, if we want to be the person that brings the energy into the room, while you can utilize, let's say, AI to help you construct something, the way you communicate it is so important.

12:08And I just think it's going to be an ever-growing topic and lesson for us to stay curious and evolve and grow. So one thing that you do that's kind of unique is that you actually have a multiple-day in-person event. I mean, in the days where it's so easy just to jump on Zoom and to go online and to everything be virtual. You kind of go the other way. What's the importance of a multiple day in-person event? Yeah, the power of convening. If you really want to create connections based on context. So for example, John, I would get to know you, the things you're working on, the things you're curious about,

12:55entrepreneurs from all around the world that is just going to fuel that curiosity with context, right? There's a purpose for these connections. That's why you need multiple days. Um, because we're taking you on a journey to learn from each other, to connect with each other. When I say connect, I mean, deep connections. When you leave, you will have leadership, business, contacts, partnerships that will last you forever. And that can only be done in that human-to-human contact touch, that energy exchange, the chemistry, those feelings you just cannot get virtually. Can you give us an example of something that happens, a real actual event during one of these situations that you just really took a step back and say, man, this is why we do this.

13:47This is why there's magic in person. This is why there's magic in multiple days. This is why there's magic in getting a lot of brilliant, genius, optimistic, happy, like-minded people together. Tell us that. Okay. I'll give you three really quick examples. I won't say who just because of confidentiality, but there's currently a country at war. And in one of our sector events, we actually have one entrepreneur who is in the energy sector supplying energy to this country, like mind blowing, right? You just, wow. The second one is there was someone in a certain sector that was looking to make a very sizable deal.

14:31And they came and told me that based on the conversation of two of the entrepreneurs that were there, they saved them millions of dollars, right? And this just goes back to understanding that there's people beyond your current community or network that knows things or that can help you explore things differently. And then the third one, and it resonates a lot, but we've created a lot of partnerships where people are now working together to solve for some serious challenges. Sasha, I want to end on a high note by you just taking a step back and giving us the broader trends that you are seeing that's shaping entrepreneurship as we head into 2026.

15:18I mean, we're rapidly, you know, closing in on that year. It's going to be a big year for a lot of reasons. What are those broader trends that are shaping entrepreneurship? One that is rising, I'll say I give you two, but there's one that's really rising up where I see actually entrepreneurs solving for it is education. We seek really influential education. We seek it across our peers, but I am seeing this movement to actually creating educational programs in the hands of entrepreneurs and their companies. So it's just something I can't ignore. The second thing is the connectivity of sports and entrepreneurship and the movement of elite athletes into the entrepreneurship realm because the qualities are very similar.

16:06But I also see entrepreneurs becoming much more active in sport themselves. We have a four-time Ironman champion who just blows your mind. So there's just connectivity there. And so entrepreneurs, if you haven't been or engaged in sports, I challenge you to try. I think it'll really fit the chemistry that you're made of. So, Stasha, if Fire Nation, our listeners, wants to learn more about what you have going on, about your organization, what is your call to action? What would you have them do? You can see us on social media. You can go to ey.com, entrepreneurship at EY. We've got four incredible programs that are fueling and really creating a rally cry for entrepreneurship.

16:54ship. So please go to ey.com or eoy.com. Follow me on social media. I use LinkedIn and I, you know, I'd love to assist any way that we can. Let's end this with a bang. What would be your top advice for the listeners of everything that we talked about? We talked about challenges, opportunities, characteristics, qualities of entrepreneurs. What would you want our listeners to walk away with. What is the key? Stay curious, like relentless curiosity. Ask the question multiple ways, multiple different audiences. And I think you'll be surprised from where you started to where you end. Fire Nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

17:44You've been hanging out with SM and JLD today. So keep up the heat. And for links to everything that we talked about, Visit eofire.com. Just type Stasia, that's S-T-A-S-I-A in the search bar. The show notes page will pop right up. And Stasia, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Thank you, John. Thank you, Fire Nation. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and Stasia for sponsoring today's episode. And Fire Nation, are you an entrepreneur on fire who's looking to share your amazing message with the world?

18:21If yes, we are now accepting applications for entrepreneurs on fire. To learn more about becoming a guest, visit eofire.com slash guest. And I'll catch you there or on the flip side. Franocity has helped hundreds of people leave unfulfilling jobs, invest in recession resilient businesses, and create legacy income for their families through franchising. Get started today with Franocity's franchise funding guide, packed with real world strategies to launch your business without draining your savings, visit Franocity.com. That's F-R-A-N-O-C-I-T-Y.com.