Episode 126 - OPEX - Leading Ladies - Harriet Waley Cohen
The Operational Excellence Show
Release Date: 12/14/2022
Kevin Wilkinson - Factoring the Future and Reshaping Property Management
The Operational Excellence Show
In this special episode of The Leaders' Lounge, Marianne Rutz sits down with none other than Kevin Wilkinson - Founder of Ethical Maintenance and her husband! Together, they share an in-depth conversation about Kevin’s inspiring journey from a successful corporate career to building a Community Interest Company (CIC) that’s revolutionising property factoring in Scotland. Kevin opens up about his decision to leave a well-established career and embrace entrepreneurship in a notoriously unloved industry. He shares insights into why property factoring in Scotland has been so problematic, and...
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Cancerversary Reflections: How I Found Purpose and Power in Leadership
The Operational Excellence Show
In this very special episode of the Leaders’ Lounge, I’m taking you on a personal journey—a story of resilience, transformation, and leadership. I often get asked, “How did you move from the corporate world to leading a property maintenance company?” Today, I’m opening up about that journey, reflecting on pivotal moments that shaped my path. 💡 Highlights from this episode: Cancerversary reflections: How a cancer diagnosis changed my life’s direction three days before my wedding. Phases of transformation: From “Who am I now?” to exceeding expectations and embracing new...
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Mike Roberts on Building a Human-Centered LinkedIn Digital Strategy
The Operational Excellence Show
In this episode, I’m joined by digital marketing guru and LinkedIn strategist Mike Roberts, the mastermind behind . Mike’s also the talented producer and editor of OUR podcast! 🎙️ We dive deep into the evolving digital landscape, LinkedIn strategies, and the importance of staying human in an increasingly digital world. Mike shares how he’s turned LinkedIn into a powerful platform for meaningful connections and real business growth—no spammy bots or fake news here! 💡 Tune in to hear: How Mike found his niche in LinkedIn strategy. Why staying real and human on digital platforms...
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The CEO Playbook - Part 3
The Operational Excellence Show
In this final instalment of the CEO Playbook series, I explore the final set of powerful lessons that shaped my journey as CEO of Ethical Maintenance. In this episode, I discuss the importance of embracing unexpected changes, finding peace at your own pace, and understanding that professional growth often means leaving behind those who don't align with your vision. Learn how to handle project delays with grace, tackle customer service challenges, and stay true to your strengths, even when faced with obstacles or distractions. Whether it’s managing the complexities of outsourcing or building...
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The CEO Playbook - Part 2
The Operational Excellence Show
Perseverance, Pivots, and Personal Growth - The CEO Playbook (Part 2) In this second part of the CEO Playbook series, I dive deeper into the realities of leadership. From understanding that pivoting is perfectly okay, to managing self-doubt, and even resisting the temptation to quit, I share candid lessons from my first year as CEO of Ethical Maintenance. This episode covers key insights, such as embracing new skills, dealing with confusion, and the ultimate reward of perseverance. I also talk about the power of forming new partnerships and expanding your professional network. It’s not...
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The CEO Playbook - Part 1
The Operational Excellence Show
In this episode of the Leaders Lounge, I dive into the first part of my CEO playbook - a series of practical tips and insights that I’ve gathered from my first year leading Ethical Maintenance. As someone who’s passionate about customer experience, stepping into the property maintenance management world was a significant shift. I share my journey, the challenges I faced, and the strategies that helped me succeed, from fostering a fun and creative work environment to mastering the complexities of a new industry. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help you thrive in your...
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Episode 141 - OPEX- Leading Gents - Dave D’Arcy - Laughing Leadership is Leadership a Laughing Matter
The Operational Excellence Show
As I record this episode on 22 May 2023 - Dave D’Arcy who is well known in the employee engagement & leadership world is launching his own business. We discuss the aspects of leadership beyond Net Promoter Scores, Trust Pilot or Google reviews! With his experience in the Corporate World, Dave is bringing Leadership Skills and Fun at work, putting your employees first, together! Links: LinkedIn: Web: Contact us at or email me directly Website: This Podcast is produced by:
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Episode 140 - OPEX - Chasing Dreams and Achieving Goals - Cheers to Rutz Consultings 5th Birthday!
The Operational Excellence Show
Monday, 24th April marked the 5th anniversary of Rutz Consulting limited! Yeah - We made it to 5 years in business! We registered our limited company 5 years ago! In this episode we look at some of the reasons why 20% of businesses fail in their first year and 60% of businesses go bust in the first 3 years of trading! What are the pitfalls to avoid & how we managed to deal with some of the difficult scenarios of the past 5 years. Enjoy! Links: Contact us at or email me directly Website: This Podcast is produced by:
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Episode 139 - OPEX - Navigating the Identity Maze as an Individual, a CEO and a Thought Leader
The Operational Excellence Show
Today's podcast is of a rather personal nature! This is for two reasons: You might be a new listener to the operational excellence show and wondering who I am, where I came from and what we do at Rutz consulting Over the past 6/7 months I have been doing some deep work for myself and for the business - today I’m sharing this with you. Join me as I deep dive in to the difficulties many consultants face with their own identity, that of their business' & the importance of discovering your individual unique qualities & what it means to your personal, career & overall...
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Episode 138 - OPEX - Foundation Series - BONUS EPISODE - Customer Service Delivery Made Easy - HOW TO BECOME A BETTER LEADER
The Operational Excellence Show
In today's bonus episode of the foundation series "Customer Service Delivery Made Easy" I’m talking you through how you can become a better leader in 9 simple steps! Resources: We have created an amazing downloadable workbook for you - covering the content of this foundational series! Go and Links: Contact us at or email me directly Website: This Podcast is produced by:
info_outlineThere is a lot of noise around Diversity, Inclusion, Equality and Belonging out there! And rightly so! Yet - very often women are invited to change! To look at themselves and “fix themselves” - where in fact Harriet talks to us about the root cause of systemic bullying, abuse, career suppression etc. - She demonstrates how some of the issues are deeply rooted in our male dominated leaderboards across all industries. Now - we love men what we don’t love is the acceptance of some of the behaviours we see, some of the “insider friend to friend” favours we see and the devastating impact this can have on women, their careers, their wellbeing, their self worth.
Harriet is a certified Victim Focus trainer on a mission to bring our beloved men on board of the change we need to make!
Links
Harriet Waley Cohen: https://www.harrietwaleycohen.com/
Harriet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harriet-waley-cohen-speaker/
Contact us at [email protected] or email me directly [email protected]
Website: https://rutzconsulting.com/
Marianne on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-rutz/
This Podcast is produced by: Andrew Madden Photography & Media Production