Bryn Mawr Hospital, Meyer, Cygnus Education

John Schwarz President Bryn Mawr Hospital

Alicia Karr President Meyer

Chris Samaras President ConnectUs

Marcelo Parravicini President & CEO Cygnus Educationl

Episode Transcript

(00:10):
Welcome to Executive Leaders Radio, yourspot in the corner office, the radio
show where executives share their secrets tosuccess. Executive Leaders Radio. You're listening
to Executive Leaders Radio. This yourhost Herb Cohen with My Coast, Jeff
mac Newmark Killipop is Hanlin, MatthewShapiro, Obermeyer, Kimmortal, Meridian and

(00:32):
Mike Croup at Trajectify. Jeff,can you get us a rundown? And
who we have on our show today? Please sure? Alicia Carr, President
of Meyer, John Schwartz, presidentof brentmar Hospital, Chris Samaris is president
of connect Us, and Marcello Paravacciniis President and CEO of Cignas Education.
Let's get to know our first guest, Alicia Carr, President of Meyer.

(00:54):
Alicia, What is Meyer? Whatare you guys doing? Meyer is an
architection to design firms specializing in corporateand senior living design. Were you're from
originally? How many brothers and sisters? And where are you in the packing
order? I am from Southwest Philadelphiain a small room home. I have
an older brother. And what wasgoing on with you eight to fourteen years
old? Were we up to eightto fourteen? I was captaining my safety

(01:19):
patrol. I was growing up inSouthwest Philadelphia, Irish Catholic family and the
only person of color in my neighborhood. You grew up with a single mom,
grandparents for a major influence, Jeoffrey, why don't you give me a
him? So, Alicia, tellus about your mom. What was she
doing when you were growing up andwhat was her career like. So my

(01:40):
mom is a college dropout, droppedout at nineteen. She then went on
to be a bank teller and workedher way up to being acting CIO of
TD Bank. So was it easyworking her way up to TD banks ranks?
So you know, my mother actuallyclawed her way up to the top
of the ranks. And for me, as a young young girl, looking
at watching my mother send the ranksof a traditionally male environment really inspired me

(02:06):
as the leader that I am today. And how does that help you build
your team at Meyer? It enablesme to look at all of the different
emotions that go on, looking atthe different perspectives and the characteristics of my
team. Jim, tell me aboutthe influence of your Irish Catholic grandparents.
So, growing up in an Irishneighborhood. In fact, only with Irish

(02:28):
grandparents. They really instilled in methat work ethic, but also that sense
of community and heritage and making surethat you celebrate all the aspects of your
life and how do you bring thatinto your current role with Myer. So
within MYER, it's about hard work. It's never going to be easy,
right, and leading an organization,especially through crisis, is never an easy

(02:49):
thing. But making sure that youput your nose to the grindstone and keep
going and incorporating and celebrating all ofyour teammates. Matthew, can you tell
me a little bit more about yourmom. I'm fascinated by the passage from
college dropout all the way up toacting ceio, Like, what was it
like for you watching that? Sofor me watching her, I mean she

(03:09):
is an incredible source of inspiration forme. I mean there's nothing better as
a young girl to watch your motherbecome an executive, right, and really
to embrace all of the aspects ofbringing that into the office. Like what
lessons did did you learn from watchingher? What did you see her accomplishment?
Yeah, by the way, you'veactually mentioned in the green room,

(03:30):
did your mother told you it wasokay to cry. I'm getting yeah good,
But it's okay to cry. It'sokay to bring emotion into the workplace,
and especially for me, I workin a creative industry, right,
you must be able to embrace andapartness the emotion. It's okay to cry,
screen event, do whatever you needto do, but then get back

(03:53):
out there and do the best jobyou can. So tell me what does
how does crying help you as inyour position as the president of myer Well,
crying, I think it's just asone of the emotions, right,
it could be anger for people.And I think bringing passion right, especially
to the design world, is partof who we are as designers. It

(04:15):
makes us people. It's bringing theempathy and the humanness into the corporate workplace.
Caleb, So, Alicia, youwere the leader of the safety patrol.
What about team sports? What didyou play growing up? So?
I was a catcher on my highschool softball team. Tell us about the
catcher on the team. What's theirrole? So catcher, non glamorous role,
but leader of the team, mainfocus, keeping the pictures, head

(04:39):
in the game, directing the defense. Also making sure that your team understands
and knows right, getting into thepsychology of the opposing team, talking with
the umpires. It's a lot ofcommunication going on, so kind of like
when you're dealing with employees in theircrying, screaming, yelling. Did you
ever have to deal with any pictureson the mound? Like, of course,

(05:00):
you know when the picture is gettingrocked by the opposing team. Right,
taking the time to go out,have one on one. I do
that with my team now, right, you see someone struggling, take the
time out, have the conversation,settle people down, and then put them
back in the game. And anotherone of your responsibilities. You said you
kind of put people in place.Would you call the catcher kind of like
the architect of the team, absolutely, the architect of the team director,

(05:25):
Right, shift this place, shiftthat one of the teammates is not performing
or need some assistance. You gotto know when to pull people put someone
else in. So I have toimagine that being the architect of the team.
That has a direct correlation your roleat Meyer right, exactly when one
of your teammates goes down, right, being able to put someone else in,
being able to move and shift peoplefrom one team to another, one

(05:46):
project to another. Michael, howmuch older was your brother than you?
He's four years older. What wasit? What was your relationship like growing
up? We were very close.We lived in a tiny room home and
Philadelphia, we actually shared a roomfor several years. How much your relationship
with your brother today still still strong? We are? And I think he's

(06:09):
been a really great influence with me. For me, for he has at
least given me the perspective of beingother within but not being different. What
do you mean other, not beingHow were you other as a child and
how's that affected you nowadays? Mybrother and I we are by racial We

(06:30):
grew up in a very white neighborhood. We were the only two people of
color, but we never felt different, right, We never We had a
very solid family structure, even thoughit wasn't the traditional structure, and that
allowed us to at least right.We knew we were, We knew we
were not like, but we stillwere part of a community and still part

(06:51):
of the family. And how's thathelping you build this business? Well,
I think it takes all different typesof people to build a successful business,
right, and bringing those different perspectivesinto the room and making sure that they
are included and feel included in theconversation, and what you're building as an
organization, as a team is criticallyimportant to success. You mentioned that you

(07:14):
were the captain of the safety patrolat the age of thirteen. Why did
you want to do that? What'sthat tell us about you? So the
safety patrol. I went to schoolin Center City, Philadelphia, and we
actually had to cross some very busystreets in order for students to get back
and forth. So one it wasa sense of protection and protecting, but

(07:34):
also of the leadership. Right,it was one of the things that people
aspired to be with our school andit was a big honor. Actually for
me it becomes Tepp in the safetypatrol. My brother had also been,
So you aspired to be the headof the safety patrol, and that was
a lot of responsibility at the ageof thirteen, especially when you were feeling

(07:57):
different. You know, you're oneof the few that weren't. Wait and
why tell us more about that?So what's interesting about that is, again,
I was different, but I neverfelt out of place. I never
had and I think this comes frommy mother. Right, you always belong.
It doesn't matter where you come fromor what you look like you always

(08:18):
can belong right, and you're alwayssomeone Your mother told you this. My
mother absolutely, So your mother wasa pretty Your mother let you know that
you could do whatever you wanted todo, didn't she Because she proved it
to me. I watched her.She showed me how to do it.
How does that show up? What'sthe benefit to your teammates Knowing that your
mother told you you could do whateveryou wanted to do. What's the benefit

(08:41):
to your teammates? And knowing thatit's what I tell them every day.
It's what I tell them when theyhave bad days, when they look and
go, I can't do this anymorein the stress to this, so that
I go, if I can doit, you can do it, and
I will help you. We cando it together. Your industry is filled
with turnover, unfortunately, Is thatthe same thing in your organization, which

(09:01):
is known as Meyer. Is therea lot of turnover in your business compared
to the rest of the industry.There is, But I think we've done
a good job of making sure thatpeople understand that we're more than design.
While design is important to us,think one of the reasons that your people
stick around is because of you becauseyour mom told you that you could do

(09:22):
whatever you want. Your nature isto develop your people, and my nature
is to make sure that we celebrateall of the differences and to make space
for people who maybe not don't fitinto due to the traditional mold, so
that you can have a place atMeyer. Yeah, you're making You're making
a place for people based on whothey are as opposed to what they might

(09:45):
look like. You're protecting them likeyou were that safety patrol, weren't you.
I am exactly doing that. Yes, so you're basically the mother of
Meyer. It sounds like to mesome people would say that, Yes,
make you feel it's one of thegreatest honors. I'd never thought I would
be leading a creative industry because I'mnot a creative professional. But to be

(10:09):
able to build a place where Iknow people feel secure and where they have
a foundation is incredibly important to me. What's the website address from Meyer Meyer
Design Inc. Dot Com. You'vebeen speaking with Alicia Carr, president of
Meyer here on Executive Leaders Radio.Don't forget to visit our website. It's
Executive Leaders Radio dot com. That'sExecutive leaders Radio dot com to learn more

(10:35):
about our Executive Leaders. We werejust speaking with Alicia car president of Meyer.
Stick around. We'll be back ina moment. Right after this quick
break, don't go anywhere. Thisis Herb Coo and your host of Executive
Leaders Radio. And if you're abusiness consultant, if you consult to business

(10:56):
owners or to business owners team members, then we'd like to speak with you
because we're getting requests from people allover the country, from entrepreneurs all over
the country that are starting and buildingtheir businesses where they're looking for help and
maybe we can help connect you.Why don't you email us at consult at

(11:22):
Executive Leaders Radio dot com. That'sconsult at Executive Leaders Radio dot com.
And perhaps we can connect you tofolks, to entrepreneurs and their team members
all around the country that are lookingfor help. That's consult at Executive Leaders
Radio dot com. We're back.You're listening to Executive Leaders Radio. This

(11:56):
year, host Herb Cohen like tointroduce John Schwartz, who is the president
of Bridmore Hospital. John. Whatis Brinmore Hospital, Oh. Brimer is
a one hundred and thirty year oldinstitution, three hundred bed hospital, community
teaching facility in the heart of Philadelphia'smainline. We have about fifteen thousand impatient
discharges a year, forty thousand emergencydepartment visits about eighteen hundred births. It's

(12:20):
a busy place. Wow were youfrom originally? How many brothers and sisters?
And where are you in the peckingorder? I was actually born here
Brandmar and grew up in the inthe surrounding community, So in some respects,
I'm right back at home. Igrew up an only child until I
was in college when my dad remarriedand had two more children. So I

(12:41):
grew up in a divorced household myparents. How your parents were divorced four
years old? And who had custodyof you? My father did eight to
fourteen? What kind of stuff wereyou doing as a kid eight to fourteen?
So it was an active lifestyle.I was out about a lot my
neighborhood, playing sports, out inthe streets and out in the parks with

(13:03):
with a bunch of neighborhood kids.UM. I was also pretty strong student
and was raised by my father,particularly to be become a voracious reader.
UM. So I had sort ofroles as a as a good athlete as
a kid. Um, you hada good student and sort of you in

(13:24):
your neighborhood. How many kids werein the neighborhood and what was your role
with the kids. There were probablya dozen boys within a couple of years
my age, and so, likeI said, we're out in about a
lot, always playing sports. Umbeing a good athlete. I always felt
comfortable no matter the group I wasin. But I did take a role
where with some of the kids whowas to say, weren't as good athletes

(13:46):
and maybe we're you know, gettingteased or Bolly would have you. I
always always as a bridge builder.Hey let's you know, let's make sure
we figure out a way to let'sgo inside, all right. So what's
being this bridge builder or when you'rea kid have to do with your being
the president to bring more hospital It'svery similar. You know, we have
a lot of different stakeholders, verydiverse world in a hospital setting, various

(14:09):
backgrounds, education levels, socio economicbackgrounds, and then agendas, and you've
got to find a way to facilitateand find common grown in alignment. Jeffrey
so John tell us about the environmentgrowing up with weekends with mom and weekends
with dad, and especially your exposurewith your mom to the arts and humanities.

(14:31):
Yeah, it was. It wasa really interesting childhood when when I
look back on it, so,you know, Dad would take me out
on you know, bird watching trips, geology trips, um uh. Travel.
Mom was very different in a lotof respects um As an actress,

(14:52):
she was sort of always bouncing aroundfrom job and job between acting gigs,
and when she had rehearsals for plays, she was a shake spear actress.
I would be one around the hall'sbackstage, meeting, meeting other actors,
meeting other people in the backgrounds getin a sense as a as a child
of what is to sort of interactwith strangers and develop relationships and well,

(15:16):
what was the benefit of all thatstuff? How's that helping you as president
to Brymore Hospital? You know,I think first and foremost it helped me
learn how the tools of how tobuild relationships and how to get comfortable with
people I don't know. I thinksecondly developed it developed an appreciation for the
innate goodness of people who took mein a lot of times as a divorce

(15:39):
as a son and only child ofdivorced parents, you're a loan a lot
and you know, I did havea lot of people always looking out for
me and helping me and keep mecomfortable cool, Kim. So you had
a fairly non traditional background back thenwith dad having custody. Tell me a
little bit about the relationship you actuallyhad with your mom and how that did
translate going forward. I mean,it was a loving relationship. My mom

(16:02):
did everything she could to be aspresent in my life as possible. She,
you know, and I learned afew things. I certainly picked up
some amazing things from her. Youknow, she was a preparer, as
unstructured as she may have been insome aspects of her life, when it
came down to the to the crunchtime to learn her lines for her next
acting role, you know, itwas amazing to watch her pour in the

(16:26):
effort. And so I developed anappreciation for that preparation, hard work,
and so you know, you canbe unstructured, but you can be highly
prepared and incredibly good at what youdo. At the same time, Matthew,
could you tell me a little bitmore about that juxtaposition between like what
your dad was doing, because there'ssome odd stuff there with his academic path

(16:47):
and then your mom was kind oflike less structured as you've described it.
Tell me a little bit more abouthow you dealt with that switch between them.
You know, it's a good word, and it was the reality.
You know, in my household withmy father, I wasn't allowed to watch
TV other than um, the NBAand Masterpiece Theater on PBS. Get if

(17:08):
you can imagine that. And thenum, you know, my mom she
let me watch TV. She wasmuch more so of free flowing with how
she parented me. Um. Andso I had this you know, very
structured, strict, but in aloving way upbringing with my father who really
sort of pounded home the importance ofdoing my school work and reading and brought
in my mind and a more freeflowing um love life kind of pursuits with

(17:34):
my mom and and you know,it's an interesting it was an interesting set
of complimentary exposures in it. John, you mentioned being a pretty good athlete.
In the green room, you mentionedyou were a baseball player, So
you baseball is kind of interesting.You have to constantly move through the levels
get the better and better teams.I'm wondering when you moved these better teams,

(17:56):
how did you integrate yourselves with themand how did you kind of win
the respect of your teammates. Yeah, it's a challenge obviously as you move
teams, you it's a whole newset of players. You have to demonstrate
your value to the team. Theyneed you know, they've got to figure
out how this guy going to addvalue or not on the team. And
you know at a young age thatpresents that's that's stress, and that's opportunity

(18:18):
to work through it and to andto build accomplishments. And so I've always
found valuing that and it transmits towork with you today. So now John,
you're the president of brent More Hospital, but I've understand that you've held
multiple senior leadership possessions throughout your career. How does that kind of elate you
know, winning respect with your newteammates and co workers. Yeah. So
so as you move around either jobsor roles, you're obviously going to meet

(18:44):
a new team. You're going totake on a new team and the same
thing they're they're figuring you out whileyou're figuring them out. And so it's
how do we communicate, demonstrate ourrespective value to each other, m and
find ways to plug the folks whoreport up to you into their into their
most useful role. How do youput them in a position to succeed to
enable your organization to meet its goals? Cool Michael on the dichotomy of of

(19:08):
you know, growing up with thesetwo e collective parents and and and a
mom who seems to be entrepreneurial.Um, how does that bring into your
leadership at at bridmar So I think, Um, you know, it's funny.
I learned the value of being onstage. I never wanted to be
an actor and I never wanted tobe a college professor. Um. But

(19:30):
you know, as a as aleader, you are always on stage with
your staff. And so I tookand learned a lot from my parents and
their respective gifts and talents about howto both interact with people in big,
large group settings, presentations to twohundred people, board meetings to to you
know, staff team meetings, toone on one setting. Um, this

(19:51):
job is all about communication and communicatingdifferent venues. And they are both excellent
communicators. And so John of beingpresident of a hospital, patients and families
can really feel empathy and bedside manner. I'm just wondering if your influence of
your grandmother's perhaps contributed to that ability. Yeah, My two grandmothers were very

(20:14):
real and active presences in my life, and I certainly picked up a lot
from them. Their maternal instincts perhapsfilled in some gaps from when my mom
wasn't present, and certainly appreciated thatin my background as a child and helped,
I think add to my overall empatheticsense as a leader. Matthew Johnny

(20:37):
spent some time in England when youwere a kid. What did you learn
there that impact your role as presidentof a hospital? Well, both living
in England and sort of using Englandas a launch pad to travel in other
parts of Europe, I certainly,at a very young age learned appreciation for
other cultures, other societies. Therules aren't the same in every place as

(20:59):
they are here, and so understandingthat today when you're again working with people
with different backgrounds coming at you froma different place, you know, I've
learned very early in my career.I need to listen, I need to
understand where people are coming from,and I need to find ways to find
that middle round. Sean, what'sthe website address for Brindmore Hospital mainline health

(21:26):
dot org slash bren Marum. Wewould speak with John Schwartz, president of
Brinnmore Hospital. Here on Executive LeadersRadio to overget to visit our website.
It's Executive Leaders Radio dot com.That's Executive Leaders Radio dot com. To
learn more about our Executive Leaders arespoken. John Schwartz, president of Brettmore
Hospital. Stick around, don't goanywhere. We'll be back in a moment.

(21:48):
Right after this quick break, we'reback. You're listening to Executive Leaders

(22:11):
Radio this year host Herb Cohen withmy guest Chris Samaris, President of connect
Us. Chris, what is connectUs? What are you guys doing?
Yeah? I connect us. Wewere passionate about making life and work easier
by putting mobile technology in people's handsall over the world. We work hand
in hand with Tier one carriers todeploy phones, tablets, and other connectivity
devices. Just an example, duringCOVID, we supported nearly four hundred thousand

(22:36):
school kids with devices for disin learning. We service healthcare, transportation, hospitality
companies among the verticals that we providedevices. Were you from originally? How
many brothers and sisters? Where areyou in the pecking order? Yeah?
I grew up in Bucks County,PA. I have one other brother six
years younger than me, And whatwere you doing eight to fourteen years old?

(22:57):
Where were you up to? Yeah, so I actually became an entrepreneur
at a young age. I grewup in a neighborhood that at a golf
course at arms Reach, where Ifound out the golfers frequently lost golf balls.
At age eight, I was ableto turn that into a business selling
sodas and golf balls to the golfers. Started paper out at age ten and

(23:19):
by twelve circu In nineteen ninety five, I launched a website called web Intellects,
which was a search portal for generalinformation where I which is how I
get into footing in technology. Ialways strive to learn new things, and
by fourteen I was probably working threejobs simultaneously. Outside of working, I
was generally playing with friends in theneighborhood, seeking ventures, riding my bike,

(23:42):
camping, spending time with my death. What did you do when you
had those two or three jobs whenyou were fourteen or fifteen? What did
you do different than the other kidsthat had those jobs. I just tried
to do my best, always workingharder, trying to, you know,
be better. Did you also tellme that one of those positions. There

(24:03):
were no other kids. Why wereyou the only kid that did that job.
I was the youngest kid, andusually as the youngest, you know,
you're gonna have to prove yourself.You have to kind of set yourself
apart from from the rest of thecrowd. Kim, Chris, in the
green room, you said, asyou're talking about these jobs, that you're
always looking for a way to makemoney. What was the drive to make

(24:26):
money at such a young age.Yeah, I grew up in an area
where kids around me had a lotof stuff. I wanted that stuff,
so I had to work my buttoff to get it. Jeffrey, So,
Chris, you told us that youwere raised by your father as an
engineer and your mom was an entrepreneur. How are you a combination of the
two. Yeah, so I watcheda lot of mcgeiber growing up. I'd

(24:51):
like to figure I'd like to say, I'd like to figure things out.
That's where I get the engineering backgroundfrom my dad. He has a sense
of adventure. It was like camping, whereas my mom, being an entrepreneur,
she quit her job when my brotherwas born so that she could spend
more time with us and raise usand during that time she came up with

(25:15):
doing you know, craft shows orbaking cakes to supply restaurants. Did you
help her with her did you helpher with her businesses? I did.
I really had a passion for cookingat a young age. And it sounds
to me like you're the perfect combinationof what your mom was doing on what
your dad was doing, both entrepreneurialand engineering. Isn't that what you're doing

(25:38):
nowadays? I am. It's alwaysabout figuring out things to provide a solution
to a customer, and you haveto be a visionary and trying to figure
out how to you know, seewhat's ahead before it's happening and get ahead
of the current. Matthew Chris,why do you have a passion for cooking

(25:59):
and food? Uh? You know, I love just kind of experimenting with
new ingredients. Um. I justlove the basics of food in general,
like, um, you know,good wine, good things that come from
the earth. It's great to justmix us ingredients together. To you mix
the same four ingredients and you canmake pizza a hundred different ways. So

(26:22):
are you generally a recipe guy ordo you make it up as you go
along? I generally make it upas I go along. And what is
making it up as you go alongin the kitchen have to do with being
the president of connect Us. Youknow, you have to you figure it
out as you go uh, withbeing a connect Us it's it's a lot
of that, you know, bringingstructure behind a company and putting you know,

(26:47):
figuring things out to bring a solutionto market is a lot of There's
a lot of correlation there between cookingand you know, it's it's it's a
fun side of running. There's alwaysa fun side of the running business.
Chris, you had mentioned some ofthe things that you did for fun,
hanging out with friends. One ofyour neighbors fathers taught you about computers.

(27:10):
These both quickly became businesses of yours. So I want to ask, is
it important for you to get enjoymentout of work? It is? Um
you know, what really drives meday to day is seeing that the devices
that I'm you know, deploying outinto you know, around the country,
restaurants. When you go into restaurant, there's you're using a tablet that we're

(27:33):
we've provided, or a healthcare systemwhen you go into hospital and they're using
an iPhone to scan a patient atbedside. Um. That that's what really
drives me, is to know thatwe're digitally transforming the world around us to
use technology that I'm actually putting inthe hands of those customers. M Michael

(27:55):
Chris and in agreement. We weretalking about teams and you mentioned that you've
played soccer. What position did youplay? Yeah, I was a midfielder.
What what what? What? Whatare some of the traits of a
midfielder that that that made you agood one and that you take into your
into your business today. Yeah,so in a midfield position, you really
had a connected dots between the offenseand defense. Um. You know as

(28:18):
a midfielder. Um. You knowthe cliche way of saying it is that
you serve as a visionary. M. Well, what's that have to do
with what you're doing nowadays? So? UM, you know I've been called
a visionary. I just didn't selftitle of myself that. Um. I'm
the typical guy with uh, youknow, a d D. I'm I'm

(28:40):
always looking big picture. I'm alwaysjumping from the next idea to the next
trying to you know, get theresult. I'm extremely driving always, Um,
trying to get a you know,a better result. Matthew. Yes,
So take me back, Chris,you're eight years old. In the
first product you bring to market,the first vision you have is delivering golf

(29:03):
balls and sodas to the golfers,you know, across the street or wherever
that golf court. How did yousee that? Like, what made you
see that you could sell that stuffto those golfers when you're eight, So,
you know, going into the golfshop and seeing a golf ball at
a dollar apiece and correlating when ridingmy bike in the neighborhood and seeing that

(29:26):
people are hitting golf balls into thewoods. I don't know, it just
clicked. I was like, youknow, if I could probably sell these
golf balls back to these guys.There's got to be hundreds of these golf
balls. We were collecting sometimes onehundred plus golf balls in a given day,
and you know, people would driveup in their car and pick up
one hundreds of these things at atime. It just kind of naturally turned

(29:48):
into you know, slightly fun,slightly business. I was there every day
with one of my best friends inthe neighborhood. We hung out and we're
making money at the same time.It's fascinating with me that you just said
it was slightly fun, slightly business, because I was going to ask you
what was more satisfying selling the golfballs because you figured it out or making
the money. You know, it'sall about figuring out. Nothing's really transactional

(30:15):
for me, generally speaking. Idon't look at, you know, just
making money to make money. It'sit's more of the game behind it and
building the machine that that can makethe money. So the fun part is
really the being able to figure outhow to do that. M Caleb,
give me a him. Yeah.So we had mentioned this thing about you
being a visionary. That's that's seenaround and it seems like you're always getting

(30:38):
ahead of the trends in business withthe golf balls or the computers. I
mean, really, can you pinpointfor us how young you were when you
developed this visionary ability. I don'tknow. I guess at eight. Um,
you know it's Matthew just mentioned.I didn't really think of it that
way. Um, but I guessyou know, these different ventures, you

(30:59):
know, you got kind of getcreative and you gotta gotta figure things out.
I'd say that that started pretty prettyyoung for me figuring things out.
And then you just mentioned at thebeginning of your interview about this excellent number
of tablets that you deployed in thecommunity, classrooms and restaurants during COVID.
How are you able to tie backall the way back with your first businesses

(31:19):
to being a visionary and finding gapsin the market. Now, that's a
good question, you know, asfar as how far that goes back.
So when I started doing the websiteside of things, like noticing technology was
really going to be the future,ninety five was really before the Internet was
really a big thing. Um.I think Amazon launch right around that time,

(31:42):
ninety ninety five, so nobody hadany idea who who that site was.
Now looking back, you know,everyone knows who Amazon is coming today.
Like I'd love to be associated asa household name at some point and
just being able to build that machineout, Um, that's that's where you
know, I'm really trying to touchas many lives from a digital transformation standpoint

(32:06):
as possible. And Chris, what'swhat's the website or what's the website address
for connect us? Chris, Yeah, connect us dot com. We've been
speaking with Chris Samaris, President toconnect us here on Executive Leaders Radio.
But back to the moment. Rightafter this quick ration, serbco and your
Executive Leaders Radio host and the CEOswe've interviewed on this show are interested in

(32:28):
helping you get your business started andhelping you grow your business. Whether you're
aware of the issues or whether youwant the CEOs to give you a hand
identifying the issues in getting your businessstarted and or in growing your business,
why don't you email us at consultat Executive Leaders Radio dot com. That's

(32:53):
consult at Executive Leaders Radio dot com. Whether you're in were sited in having
our CEOs speak with you regarding gettingyour business started or growing your business,
send us an email at consult atExecutive Leaders Radio dot com and we'll be

(33:15):
sure to get back to you shortlywith some help. We're back here listening
to Executive Leaders Radio. The showhost Term Cohen liked to introduced Marcello Power

(33:37):
Viccini, who is the president andCEO of Signal's Education. Marcello, what
is Signals Education? What are youguys doing? Signals is marketing technology and
enrollment management solutions provider for online universitiesand we from originally? How many brothers
and sisters? And where are youin the pecking order? From Buenos Aires,
Argentina. I'm the oldest of threesiblings, younger brother and sister.

(34:01):
What was going on with you eightto fourteen? Where were you up to
eight to fourteen? You know,for the most part, normal kid,
you don't going to school, ridingbicycles on the weekends, you know,
playing rugby, but also living ina rather complex family where we had both
this function and function. So itwas an interesting um growing up a situation.

(34:22):
Got a question, this this businessthat you're in, which is helping
enrollment with universities and soone, whyis that so important to you regarding your
childhood? A childhood you know thatthis functional side of my childhood, men
that I daydream about being able totake control, you know, help my
family. So I always wanted tobuild something being charge. Um. Also,

(34:45):
um, fast forward to me comingto the country. I was a
non traditional student, so what Ido directly helps non traditional dog. Do
you have a college degree or ahigh school degree? I do have a
college degree today. I played atmy undergracious studies at the Water School.
So you grew up, you grewup in an environment it was pretty dysfunctional.

(35:06):
You always wanted that normalcy, whichis really what you're creating with the
enrollment function. Kim, you talkeda lot about being normal. Tell me
what normal meant for you as akid. Normal? What what it means
to anybody else? Right, yougo to school, you play with your
friends, You right bicycles, youplay sports, you have funest but you

(35:27):
can where did you feel that lack? The dysfunctional side of equation is where
you kind of diffrupt that, butyou know it's not something you can really
incorporate into what's normal. I'll knowyou mentioned, you mentioned Marcelo that when
you were a kid that you hadthis dysfunctional stuff and that it matured you.
What's that maturity have to do withhow you're building this business? Judas

(35:47):
understanding people? When you are exposedto challenges, dysfunctional challenges, you learn
that people have to feel with abroad range of challenges and their lives,
and you're become empathetic and in understandingto what other people maybe did you deal
with. Matthew, marcel your grandmotherplayed a huge role in your life.

(36:08):
Tell me about her. Incredibly strowna backbone us turn woman. The kind
of woman that will tell you geton your feet, get going. I
tell you, you know, Ifell off a horse once. She said
to me, you, okay,get back on it. Period none.
But he say no, poor Marcello, she does get back on it.
So it's a kind of person thatwill tell you not to quit, to

(36:28):
keep moving, to get back onit. Nowadays, I don't quit.
Just wanted to make sure I understoodCaleb. But Marcello, you're a rugby
player, and you told us youplayed middle of scrum. So in rugby
a tough sport, that's an eventougher position on the field. You're getting
knocked down and beaten down a lot. How does your performance on the rugby
field, how does that relate tobusiness? Business? You know, it's

(36:52):
sort of a team. Ragby isone of those sports that you know,
it does not look at a singlestore like you would seeing sucker for example.
Right, Ragby is definitely a teamwork. You have to learn to collaborate,
You have to learn to rely onothers to achieve your goals. Jeffrey,
So, Marcello, you were tellingus you were raised by a single

(37:12):
mom and an even stronger grandmother.Yes, How does your wife Cynthia and
your two daughters support you in yourbusiness today? Very very strong woman,
very supportive. Incredibly important to mebecause having two daughters, you know,
I understand the challenges that being raisedby women. I understand the challenges of
woman face in the workplace, inlife as a general, living in a

(37:32):
men's world, if you will.In so, being married to a strong
woman that also understands that and theimportance of raising strong daughters is critical to
me. What have you learned fromWhat have you learned from your daughters to
have anything to do about business?You know, it's good to understand that
I don't know, you know,I still have a lot to learn,
and that you can learn from absolutelyeveryone. Michael, how is growing up

(37:58):
in one of Sarah's in the seventiesaffecting you today in what you do?
Interesting? You know, it wasa sheltered reality that we had a military
dictatorship, so the streetforth safe.That's one of the I suppose plus positives
of having an authoritarian regime. Butthere was also a lot of economic challenges.
So we have hyperinflation, you know, so you get paid today and

(38:22):
your money isn't worth as much tomorrowand hyperinflation means you have to be nimble.
You have to assust and you cannotpanic. You have to learn how
to navigate the system in such away that you can survive. So when
it comes to business, it's exactlythat. Sometimes the margins are not there.
You don't close the deal you werehoping to close, you have turned

(38:42):
over whatever. Don't panic, lookfor the solution, working collaboration, where
your colleagues, you know, workitself out. Question for you, you
came to the United States from fromArgentina when you were eighteen? Why what
was going on? My mother,unfortunately, was the first woman to be
ignos with HIV in nineteen in thelate nineteen eighties, died in nineteen eighty

(39:05):
eight at age thirty six. Mybrother and I came here to visit my
father for a couple of weeks.He became thirty four years next few know.
You know, I don't speak English, I haven't finished my high school
diploma. I'm twenty four. Istill don't have a high school diploma.
Trying to figure out what where togo from there? And here I am
what do you mean? Here?You are? What are you talking about?
Someone on the line. Is thatwhole lesson. You know, what

(39:28):
I learned from my grandmother, whatI learned about growing up is you know,
you have a decision to make.You can just sit there. You
know, I'm mapping floors. I'ma waiter, I'm a bartender. I
can do that. It's just beat and that's fine. There's absolutely nothing
wrong with that. But you havean option to make what you want to
be who you are. I wentback to school. I went to school
at nighttime community college, you know, Neil de Grace, transferred to the

(39:51):
University of Pennsylvania, but got mybachelor's degree, and then I started the
path on I'm going to build myown business one day. Why us again?
You know a grown up? Itwas about there is a day when
I have to relieve if you willmy mother, my grandmother and and help
my family. And that's no longeron the plate. But ultimately that's the

(40:14):
driving force behind everything I have done, force behind what we've done. Give
me that again. Yeah, asa kid watching you know my mother struggle,
they dream of the idea that oneday I would take care of her.
It's not longer than the play becauseshe's not with us. But ultimately
that has always been my driving forceto be in a position where no one

(40:37):
else had to worry about lacking,not having, not being able to provide,
because I will do it for them. Isn't that what you're doing for
the colleges and the kids that aresigning up, helping everybody help themselves?
What do you mean it will't?I see every single kid, every single
adult, for whatever it is it'sworth that engages with one of the university

(41:00):
that I worked with, that Ihelp connect with one of those schools.
Is someone like me trying to figureout how to carve that path forward?
I just wanted to make sure Iunderstood Matthew. What was your question?
I was actually going to ask ifit was random that it was non traditional
education, and why it mattered tohim to be helping build non traditional education.

(41:21):
That's exactly right, I mean Iwas. I found myself being a
non traditional student, and there area lot of incredibly talented people out there
that loose sight of what they're ableto accomplish because they are non traditional students
or because they are a label nontraditional students. And you know, to
me, there's not such a finas traditional, non traditional. It is
about individuals and if you can helpindividuals find their path, you know,

(41:45):
realize their full potential. That tome is a realization of what I wanted
to begin with. Is what yougive me? That again is what would
you wanted to do to begin with? Realize my full potential? And if
I can help some one else doit? So you're healing. So you're
healing yourself by helping others. Tellme more about that? Is? Um?

(42:09):
I think about when you go throughthese functional situations in life, the
first thing that will happen to you. Frankly, you will be embraced by
anger. Anger is not something youembrace, it embraces heal. You have
to find this strength to embrace itback in turn it into learning into experiences

(42:30):
that you can leberage in a positiveway. And once you figure that out,
you help other people do the same. And that in itself is a
realization that how you have chosen toheal add value to somebody somebody else's life.
How'd you get too smart? Whotaught you this? Being a caregiver?

(42:54):
Um? Yeah, this is agreat parent or friends or who you
know. I find myself having thebullet plug a couple of times being a
curgum on death. Beth is veryum. I don't know how to explain

(43:16):
it. I want to say,what is it? It's not in sipho,
it's not life, you know,shit, light into what's important in
life. What's the website address tothis organization known as Signa's Education, Signa's
Education dot com. How do youspell it? C y j n us

(43:36):
if ucation dot com. We've beenspeaking with Marcello Power Verccini, presidents of
Signa's Education. Jeffy, can yougive a rundown on who else we've had
on the air today? Please?Wow, what a great show we have
Alicia Carr, President of Meyer,John Schwartz, President of Brendmar Hospital,
Chris Samaris, President of connect Us, and just now Marcello Para Vuccini,
President and CEO of Signus Education.I'd like to thank my co host including

(44:00):
mister Jeff mac Newmark Llipapus Hanlin,Matthew Shapiro, Obermeyer, Kim Arnold Meridian
Bank, and Mike kop At Trajectify. You're giving me a hand structure in
the question. It's helping providing ourlistening audience both an educational and entertaining show.
I'd like to thank our listening audiencefor listening. Otherwise we wouldn't have
a radio show again. Our guests, We're brim More Hospital Meyer connect us

(44:22):
in sing this education today. Ourwebsite address Executive Leaders Radio dot com.
That's Executive Leaders radio dot com tolearn more about our executive leaders. Thank
you for joining us today. Pleasehave a nice day. Bye bye