MSMP 108: Ryan Shekell on Building and Cultivating Relationships

Joining me today is Ryan Shekell from Every Breath Counts Podcast. Ryan had his humble start as a 5th-grade special education teacher in upstate New York, where he had several eye-opening experiences during his teaching days. However, Ryan felt missing and decided to change careers and ventured into the medical field as a sales agent, specifically in orthopedic surgical device sales. 

Ryan enjoyed his days as a medical field sales agent and even made Atlanta, Georgia, his territory and paved the way for Ryan to where he is today: managing and educating other managers and leaders on how to grow their territories. 

We begin our talk where Ryan proudly shares how his experience in education became the perfect segway into managing and selling. He then relates it to the unique education system in the United States, where he shares how teachers create an IEP or an individualized education plan for students who need special education services. He adds how this document translates well into sales and management because it considers the way you are teaching and managing your staff. After all, you look at an individual’s learning style, personality type, and everything they need to perform a task and be successful. This leads you to create an individual plan for that person to achieve the goals that are set out for it. 

While it’s nice to receive praises and accolades for all your hard work and efforts, constantly stroking your ego as a manager or business leader can dampen your team’s morale and affect their performance. They may also end up not being that driven. Being a manager or a business leader doesn’t mean you need to be the one who’s always fixing problems. Ryan stresses the importance of walking the talk when it comes to our values for ourselves and our company, especially when we take on new employees because this empowers them to work better and more efficiently. 

Key Learning Points:

1. Ryan proudly shares how his experience in education became the perfect segway into managing and selling.- 04:20
2. While others may see it as a joke, Ryan adds how an IEP or an individualized education plan becomes a great tool.- 05:23
3. Mads shares how teaching is similar to management where you are constantly trying to lift your team and teaching them skills- 05:50
4. Mads adds that many managers need to let go of the notion where they have to be the center of attention when in reality, they have the opposite goal in mind. – 06:47 
5. Ryan shares that his goal/job is not considered “done” unless he sees an employee or team is more competent than he is.- 07:32
6. Ryan stresses the importance of exemplifying all the values you have (within yourself and your company) when you take someone under your wing so that they can hear and see you cultivating the relationships you have.- 16:26
7. Ryan says that managers should allow their staff to succeed or fail because both are positive experiences.
8. If a task is done successfully, it means your employee has learned how to do the job. 
9. If your employee fails, it means you’ve learned what it takes to be successful based on what didn’t work.- 17:06
10. Mads discussed the failures he witnessed in training managers. – 21:37
11. Mads shares that he uses DiSC and how it can be of great help in your business to manage your employees. – 22:30
12. Mads and Ryan agree that it’s okay for business owners to be honest. – 28:35

Resources Mentioned:

Apple Podcasts/iTunes

Spotify

Connect with Ryan:

Every Breath Counts Podcast with Ryan Shekell

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