132: Family Business & The Road to CEO with Kayla Nassar, CEO of AMCON

Kayla Nassar is the CEO of AMCON, a prominent construction company in New England. Under her leadership, AMCONhas achieved considerable growth, notably implementing a leadership team predominantly composed of women, innovating within the industry, and adopting emerging technologies like AI.

Today, AMCON boasts a leadership team with over 50% women, showcasing Kayla's commitment to diversity. Kayla's conversation with Rens also uncovers insights about navigating family business dynamics, especially during ownership transitions. She shares the importance of clear communication and the flexibility required in shifting leadership roles. The episode further highlights AMCON strategic focus on key sectors, such as retail and hospitality, while expanding geographically within New England. Through this dialogue, listeners gain insight into leadership strategies, embracing change, and how to effectively harness technological advancements to future-proof businesses.

Key Takeaways:

• Diversity in Leadership: Kayla emphasizes the importance of female representation in leadership roles, contributing to different decision-making perspectives at AMCON.
• Leveraging AI: The integration of AI technologies is seen as crucial for future-proofing the company, improving efficiencies and safety on job sites.
• Family Business Transition: Honest and open communication is critical when navigating ownership transitions in family-owned businesses.
• EOS Implementation: AMCON utilizes the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to enhance accountability and maintain focus on large-scale goals through structured processes.
• Continuous Learning: Kayla advocates for relentless growth through reading, peer learning, and actively seeking mentorship to drive personal and professional success.

Notable Quotes:

1. "The cost of under-communicating is far greater than the cost of over-communicating."
2. "We realized pretty quickly that we just didn't have the tools in our toolbox, so we had to bring in other smart, talented people to help us."
3. "Rocks are the big things that need to happen for you to achieve the goal."
4. "True success is when you serve others... that comes tenfold."
5. "If you're not using ChatGPT or something of that sort as a Google search, you probably should get on board."

Resources:

• AMCON’s Website: AMCON
• Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)
• Books: "Traction" and "Rocket Fuel" by Gino Wickman

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