I recently went one-on-one with Nicholas Bertram, CEO of Flashfood.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Nicholas: My career path had an early start, working in my family business as a kid in Kentucky. Once I was old enough to drive my grandfather encouraged me to be the first in our family to go to college, and as part of that I took a part-time job in retail. I fell in love with it, and 20 years later continue creating new ways for a consumer to win for their families.
Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
Nicholas: Nothing leads to growth and scale faster or with more surety than building a team that is capable for the next phase. Even if you have less people, having the quality for whatever the next phase of growth earlier than planned is the shortcut to getting there.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Nicholas: The best leaders have situational awareness for all their stakeholders, not just the loudest one. Customers, teams, investors, community and competitors are all giving signals, the best leaders find the solutions that improve outcomes for each of them.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Nicholas: Authenticity wins the day, irrespective of communication skills or persona; people crave leaders who are transparent, have a conviction, and consistently show up. Too many aspiring leaders try to be what they hear in a podcast or read in a book.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Nicholas: Don’t take yourself too seriously, but be serious about delivering impact. Don’t try to rush to the next thing, but always rush home to those you love. Don’t seek credit for your wins, but do give credit to everyone who helps your cause.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Nicholas: Situational leadership is the best training I ever received, where you change your approach based on the emotional and technical needs of your direct teammates. If you learn how to show up the way they need you in the moment of need, you will win together.
Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing, and branding?
Nicholas: Branding must consistently hit all value propositions (employee, customer, and investor) to be authentic and impactful, and a CEO should guard the sharp lines of a brand even more vigorously than the CMO or CRO.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Nicholas: “Performance gives freedom of thought and action.” One of my former CEO’s, Dick Boer, said this and it was the biggest unlock for me in my career. Reframed everything.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Nicholas: I believe that the best is yet to come, and regardless of how good things in the past were, something better is ahead. And if you cannot see it, then invent it. Create it. There is nothing we do more like God than when we are creating.
