Confessions of an Implementer – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Visionary vs. Fixed Mindsets: Unlocking the Key to Lasting Success with Sandi Mitchell
Host: Ryan Hogan
Guest: Sandi Mitchell, CEO of Apex Catalyst Group, leadership & EI coach
Date: January 22, 2025
Podcast by: Talent Harbor

Overview

This episode dives deep into the contrasting worlds of visionary and fixed mindsets and how cultivating the right environment for growth and reinvention can be the secret to sustained business success. Sandi Mitchell, an executive coach, bestselling author, and the CEO of Apex Catalyst Group, shares her extensive experience in leadership, emotional intelligence, and corporate transformation. The conversation is peppered with stories from her global adventures and hands-on insights from building systems such as a corporate university, exceptional onboarding processes, and fostering growth-focused company cultures.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Curiosity in Leadership

• Travel as a Mindset Expander: Sandi recounts formative travel experiences—from inadvertent Maasai “marriage” to navigating unexpected adventures in Venice, showing how curiosity drives both personal and professional growth.

  • Memorable Quote (03:28):

    "I am insatiably curious. And my mama says I don't have enough worry bones in my body...curiosity to me is an amazing leadership skill."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 03:28)

• Curiosity & Connection: Real leadership, Sandi argues, starts with seeing similarities first—not differences. Asking thoughtful questions (not interrogations) validates others and creates a space for authentic engagement.

  • Quote (07:05):

    "When I ask more questions... people start to feel heard... they begin to realize that I value them and the information that they have to share."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 07:05)

2. Transitioning Corporate Experience into Coaching

• Entrepreneurial Roots: Sandi outlines her journey from entrepreneur to corporate leader and back again. She used her corporate years to absorb skills and knowledge, eventually leading to creating a corporate university.

  • Quote (15:21):

    "Let me go back into working for the man...every job that I did, I got to be an entrepreneur."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 15:21)

• Perspective Shift: Her unique combination of entrepreneurial and employee mindsets allowed her to innovate internally and later as an external consultant.

3. Building Effective Corporate Training and Onboarding

• Value of Corporate Universities: Sandi underscores the impact of structured training in employee and organizational success, citing Marshall Goldsmith’s "What Got You Here Won’t Get You There" as a touchstone for growth.

  • Quote (18:24):

    "The companies that really want to grow recognize that their people have to grow as well."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 18:24)

• Onboarding for Success: She gives a comprehensive outline—from pre-start training to buddy systems and meaningful connections:

  • Welcome brochures with all relevant info (contacts, HR steps, team info, building maps)

  • Scheduled introductions to key team members and clients

  • Assigning a peer "buddy" for day-to-day questions

  • Structured first-week lunch meetings for relationship-building

  • A gamified approach: New hires report back what they've learned about people and vice versa

  • Best Practice (22:30):

    "We gave them a buddy... And then the last panel, it was a simple map—where are the bathrooms? Where do you go to eat food? ...Then the next thing that we did is we gave them a training program."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 22:30)

  • Host’s Connection (21:06):

    "In the Navy... it was all about the first 72 hours."
    (– Ryan Hogan, 21:06)

4. Visionary vs. Fixed Mindsets

• Definitions and Traits:

  • Fixed Mindset: Following routines, focused on stability, resistant to change. ("Get a job, stay forever... it's a paycheck.")
  • Growth/Visionary Mindset: Embraces learning, seeks improvement, connects dots, and catalyzes reinvention.
    • Quote (32:03):

      "A person who has a growth mindset is insanely curious...the people who have a growth mindset are the ones that want to know more."
      (– Sandi Mitchell, 32:03)

• The Need for Reinvention: Companies today must build in regular review and change processes, not just periodic reinvention, given the pace of disruption.

  • Insight (36:35):

    "But I think the idea of every year or so you look—doing a look at all of your products and services, what's still serving us, what's still serving our clients?"
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 36:35)

• SWOT and Beyond: Instituting SWOT analysis not just company-wide but per department, and regularly asking about trends, gaps, and alignment at both the macro (company) and micro (department) level.

5. Leadership Development and Team Dynamics

• First Team vs. Second Team:

  • Emphasizing executive team's unity over individual departmental allegiance, aligning everyone behind "one vision, one voice, one team."
  • Quote (40:27):

    "This executive team is your number one team. The team that you lead is your second team."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 40:27)

• Role of Both Mindsets:

  • Balance is key: You need steady, consistent contributors (fixed mindset) for operational reliability, but growth-minded leaders for adaptation and innovation.
    • Quote (41:10):

      "You need those people in your company. You don't need them in your leadership."
      (– Sandi Mitchell, 41:10)

6. Sandi’s Ideal Clients and Personal Approach

• Client Profile: Sandi specializes in working with small-to-medium, often family-run businesses, especially during generational transitions. She attracts industries like construction and hospitality, focusing on companies with "big hearts" and community focus.

  • Quote (42:18):

    "I have probably 85% of my companies are family businesses and have found that unintentionally. But I have found that I tend to get those who are transitioning from one generation to the next."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 42:18)

• Geographic Reach: Based in Texas, serving clients nationally.

  • Quote (44:23):

    "Most of my clients are here in Texas, but yeah, I've got some in other locations."
    (– Sandi Mitchell, 44:23)

Notable & Memorable Moments

• Sandi’s Maasai “Marriage” Story:
  (01:52–03:19) Sandi accidentally accepts a marriage proposal in a Maasai village—a lively, humorous illustration of curiosity and embracing the unexpected.

• Venice Night Adventure:
  (08:32–12:22) Sandi misses a train, is stranded at night, and is shown remarkable hospitality—a segue into how trust and connection are essential, universally applicable business lessons.

• Host’s Candid Reflection on Leadership:
  (30:08–32:03) Ryan’s story of moving from enlisted sailor and young entrepreneur to officer, and how experiencing both sides made him a better leader.

Selected Quotes with Timestamps

• On Curiosity as a Leadership Skill:

  "Curiosity to me is an amazing leadership skill." – Sandi Mitchell (03:28)

• On Building Human-Centered Connections:

  "You do it by being human. You look them in the eyes, you smile, you start asking questions, making sure you don't have that interrogatory tone of voice." – Sandi Mitchell (12:22)

• On Training and Investment:

  "The more you pour into them, the more they pour into you." – Sandi Mitchell (20:03)

• On Visionary Mindset:

  "My big thing... was you have got to connect the dots between what we're teaching and their job." – Sandi Mitchell (32:03)

• On Company Reinvention:

  "I think those are the companies, Ryan, that are going to be successful, the ones who just build [reinvention] in." – Sandi Mitchell (36:35)

• On Team Dynamics:

  "This executive team is your number one team. The team that you lead is your second team." – Sandi Mitchell (40:27)

• On Balance of Mindsets:

  "You need those people in your company. You don't need them in your leadership." – Sandi Mitchell (41:10)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Curiosity and Leadership: 03:19–08:00
• Travel stories and connection: 01:52–12:22
• Corporate to entrepreneur journey: 15:05–17:37
• Corporate training/university & onboarding insights: 17:37–25:32
• Visionary vs. fixed/growth mindsets: 32:03–36:12
• Culture of reinvention & SWOT: 36:12–40:27
• Team dynamics and leadership: 40:27–42:03
• Sandi’s client focus: 42:18–44:23
• Contact info: 44:46

How to Connect with Sandi Mitchell

• Website: apexcatalystgroup.com
• Email: SandyMitchell@eosworldwide.com

Conclusion

This episode offers a dynamic exploration of how visionary vs. fixed mindsets shape organizations, with a practical roadmap for leaders to build resilient, growth-driven cultures. Sandi’s blend of global perspective, candid storytelling, and actionable frameworks provides valuable wisdom for implementers and leaders ready to embrace change—and unlock their team’s lasting success.