1 00:00:18,090 --> 00:00:19,140 Anderson Williams: Welcome to Bigger. 2 00:00:19,140 --> 00:00:19,560 Stronger. 3 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:20,130 Faster. 4 00:00:20,189 --> 00:00:25,650 the podcast exploring how Shore Capital Partners brings billion-dollar resources to the lower middle market space. 5 00:00:26,460 --> 00:00:33,030 In this episode, we expand our discussion from the foundations of talent development at Shore Capital, which we covered in the previous episode. 6 00:00:33,180 --> 00:00:38,340 Here we focus on the emergence of Shore University Shore Capital's learning and talent development platform. 7 00:00:38,430 --> 00:00:43,020 We discuss the range of programs offered and the breadth of audiences and levels who participate. 8 00:00:43,290 --> 00:00:48,600 We also cover the kinds of on-demand learning resources that come with being a part of the Shore Capital portfolio. 9 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:57,180 In addition to Michael Burcham, the Chief of Strategy, Research, and Talent Development, I'm joined by Ben Gilbert and Jackson Sprayberry, who round out the Talent Development team with me. 10 00:00:57,630 --> 00:01:00,600 Welcome, Michael Burcham, Ben Gilbert, and Jackson Sprayberry. 11 00:01:00,990 --> 00:01:01,680 Welcome guys. 12 00:01:01,740 --> 00:01:02,490 Michael Burcham: Thank you, Anderson. 13 00:01:02,490 --> 00:01:03,630 Good to be here with you again. 14 00:01:03,870 --> 00:01:08,670 Anderson Williams: Michael in the last episode we talked about Shore's initial vision and strategy around talent development. 15 00:01:08,789 --> 00:01:14,789 Will you talk a little bit about how Shore University has evolved over the last four years from that initial vision? 16 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:15,539 Michael Burcham: Absolutely. 17 00:01:15,539 --> 00:01:17,970 Anderson, when we began, it was a conversation. 18 00:01:17,970 --> 00:01:30,780 Justin Ishbia and I were having just past the worst of the pandemic, and we recognized this immense need to have a more formal way we invested in the talent and the personal and professional development of our people. 19 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:37,229 And we began just really talking about how we wanted to offer some courses and educational programming for individuals. 20 00:01:37,289 --> 00:01:44,105 And as we began that discussion, we realized we probably needed more formal tools and infrastructure, a team. 21 00:01:44,135 --> 00:01:49,895 And what started as a kernal of an idea started growing into what today is known as Shore University. 22 00:01:49,985 --> 00:02:02,645 I think to quote Jim Collins, something we both recognize is that the only thing harder than starting something good is keeping it good, and that we knew we had started something really special at Shore, but in order for it. 23 00:02:02,745 --> 00:02:13,845 To remain great, we had to keep the flywheel turning, and the biggest part of that flywheel was this need to continuously invest in our people, both inside Shore and inside our portfolio companies. 24 00:02:14,490 --> 00:02:23,010 Anderson Williams: Just to add a little bit of context, a lot of that work started from the executive and traditional leadership levels down with the creation of the Leadership Academy. 25 00:02:23,070 --> 00:02:28,079 And then as we developed leaders through the leadership academy, people said, this was fantastic. 26 00:02:28,109 --> 00:02:29,609 Do you have anything for my managers? 27 00:02:29,670 --> 00:02:35,940 And then we started working with our managers and they said if we got to them before we got to leaders, they said, do you have anything you can do for my leaders? 28 00:02:36,130 --> 00:02:39,370 And then ultimately it got down to frontline team members. 29 00:02:39,490 --> 00:02:50,650 And so even as it's evolved since I've been here for four years, we've now moved to really investing in all levels of leadership, both within the portfolio and within Shore. 30 00:02:50,710 --> 00:03:03,160 And that includes those traditional kind of leadership academy structured programs, as well as self-driven learning through our learning management system, coaching and mentoring, custom professional development, which we'll talk about more next episode. 31 00:03:03,234 --> 00:03:07,345 So I just wanted to give a little bit of context for how that's also evolved programmatically. 32 00:03:07,554 --> 00:03:16,795 As we think about this, in the last four years, we've worked with over 40 of our portfolio companies and across four seemingly very different verticals. 33 00:03:16,855 --> 00:03:23,545 And so as we think about why that works, it works because of something that Shore speaks about often, which is pattern recognition. 34 00:03:23,665 --> 00:03:27,864 It's not so much the vertical, but the stage of the company that draws the portfolio together. 35 00:03:27,954 --> 00:03:29,364 Michael, is that ring true to you? 36 00:03:29,605 --> 00:03:30,144 Michael Burcham: It does. 37 00:03:30,234 --> 00:03:52,975 Our very first program was a leadership academy for our orthodontic company, and it was a combination of orthodontists who had partnered their practice with Shore and their new associate doctors, but the collective group one pattern that stood out as they were quite good at their clinical craft, and really very few of them understood the financial business infrastructure within which that could create value. 38 00:03:53,015 --> 00:03:59,674 The second leadership academy that we took on the road to our veterinary business amplified that very same issue. 39 00:03:59,734 --> 00:04:04,265 Expert clinicians really struggling to understand business processes. 40 00:04:04,325 --> 00:04:29,969 And as we identified that particular pattern and how to address it, we saw a second pattern emerge, and that is the work that gets translated to the practice administrator or those who work directly underneath the founder expert who served in some kind of operating role that whose job was to implement the dreams and passions and strategies of the founder, but really struggled to know what that meant in context of a larger organization like Shore. 41 00:04:30,150 --> 00:04:37,679 As we began to grow those companies, a different pattern emerged that there were now needing to put people into management roles who had never been in management roles. 42 00:04:37,679 --> 00:04:39,840 The company had no formal management roles. 43 00:04:40,075 --> 00:04:41,305 It was trial and error. 44 00:04:41,335 --> 00:04:48,745 So we developed all kinds of curriculum for frontline managers, first time managers, growing managers, multi-site managers. 45 00:04:48,835 --> 00:04:54,955 So I think our work has been evolutionary, Anderson, in our teaching and training and development of people. 46 00:04:55,075 --> 00:05:06,234 They led us to what we needed to do next, and we could see common patterns across different categories of healthcare and now across different industry types that Shore invests in. 47 00:05:06,675 --> 00:05:15,075 The common theme is the patterns are really similar in business services and in food and beverage and industrials, just like they were where we began in healthcare. 48 00:05:15,105 --> 00:05:19,515 And we've really taken advantage of understanding those and built curriculum around it. 49 00:05:19,665 --> 00:05:24,105 Anderson Williams: Yeah, and I think a prime example of that is emerging as we record this. 50 00:05:24,145 --> 00:05:33,955 We've had probably three, four calls in the last week from different companies in different verticals who just totally coincidentally not by any prompt of our own called in. 51 00:05:34,135 --> 00:05:48,400 Are looking for something for their frontline team members that are often individual contributors and often are not the highest paid people on the team, they are not the most educated people on the teams, and yet they are often the people interfacing with the customer. 52 00:05:48,460 --> 00:05:50,050 And so it's just one of those things. 53 00:05:50,050 --> 00:05:56,320 The more we hear from our portfolio company, the more we recognize those patterns. 54 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:01,210 And one of the things that comes to us quite frequently is managing performance. 55 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:02,500 That's one of the real challenges. 56 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:06,835 If you've never been in that role to know how to have difficult conversations. 57 00:06:06,895 --> 00:06:08,935 How to provide effective feedback. 58 00:06:09,025 --> 00:06:10,585 How to hold people accountable. 59 00:06:10,645 --> 00:06:11,785 How to support people. 60 00:06:11,785 --> 00:06:12,745 How to build a team. 61 00:06:12,745 --> 00:06:14,035 How to build a team culture. 62 00:06:14,065 --> 00:06:20,275 These are not things that just happen intuitively for most people, but they are things that can be invested in and developed. 63 00:06:20,335 --> 00:06:29,275 And most of the time, because we're working with adults, they have experiences, good or bad, that they can draw on to frame how they want to do it. 64 00:06:29,275 --> 00:06:34,270 They just haven't necessarily had the opportunity to step back and reflect on their own experiences. 65 00:06:34,330 --> 00:06:40,060 We talk about maximizing their learning from their past and preparing them for their learning in the future. 66 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,190 It's not like they're facing a blank canvas. 67 00:06:42,250 --> 00:06:48,760 We ask them, what's the best manager you ever had and what did he or she do, and what's the worst manager you ever had, and what did he or she do? 68 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:50,110 And let's start from there, right? 69 00:06:50,110 --> 00:06:50,170 Ben Gilbert: Yeah. 70 00:06:50,395 --> 00:06:51,505 And they always have examples. 71 00:06:51,594 --> 00:06:53,305 Anderson Williams: They always have examples. 72 00:06:53,305 --> 00:06:53,515 Right? 73 00:06:53,784 --> 00:06:54,325 Exactly. 74 00:06:54,385 --> 00:07:05,424 So one of the things that's really foundational to what we do is that this isn't just about showing up at a training or having a half day or an hour here or a virtual session there. 75 00:07:05,484 --> 00:07:10,104 We're trying to build a system of resources for people to learn and grow and develop. 76 00:07:10,135 --> 00:07:13,284 And core to that system is our learning management system. 77 00:07:13,284 --> 00:07:15,205 Ben, and you manage that. 78 00:07:15,385 --> 00:07:21,710 Will you just describe what we put in the learning management system, how we think about it as a support for this work. 79 00:07:22,010 --> 00:07:22,550 Ben Gilbert: Absolutely. 80 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:34,969 So if you think of Shore University as this network for our professional development programming, the LMS is essentially the backbone or the supporting structure that allows us to deliver that programming to our portfolio companies. 81 00:07:34,995 --> 00:07:43,035 And so this is a really our centralized location for any of our learning content, whether it's slide decks or videos or podcasts. 82 00:07:43,095 --> 00:07:59,085 Anything that helps kind of centralize that into one place that keeps it out of your email or your inbox, something that's very easily accessible has been one of our earliest investments for a reason, and it has allowed us to scale our impact and our programming. 83 00:07:59,355 --> 00:08:01,395 Anderson Williams: And make sure that everything's there for reference. 84 00:08:01,395 --> 00:08:14,535 People can learn at their own speed, at their own pace and their own time, and I think it's just that part of Shore's commitment that this is always there, that it's not a transaction, and you have access to our learning management system for the, as long as you're a part of Shore. 85 00:08:14,865 --> 00:08:18,285 Jackson, I want to come back to something you're helping us innovate on. 86 00:08:18,375 --> 00:08:24,765 Can you talk about the scenarios and the applications as you are building them and thinking about them? 87 00:08:24,765 --> 00:08:34,065 So if we've mentioned some key principles and we can add time management and we can add leading through others, and we can add delegation, we can add the full list of things that somebody's written an article about. 88 00:08:34,065 --> 00:08:35,325 Somebody's written a book about. 89 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:43,190 You could go find and theoretically learn about, but you're helping us build scenarios and case studies that really anchor those concepts. 90 00:08:43,220 --> 00:08:50,600 So will you just talk a little bit about how you think about building those scenarios and case studies and why those are becoming such a critical part of what we do? 91 00:08:50,890 --> 00:08:58,925 Jackson Sprayberry: Yeah, I think when you talk about these leadership capacities or competencies that we're looking to develop and build in the folks that we support across our portfolio. 92 00:08:59,015 --> 00:09:04,715 The reality is is that most people can sense into these concepts and these theories and these leadership frameworks. 93 00:09:04,835 --> 00:09:14,345 The ability though, to identify where inside of the business or inside of a team, these should be applied or maybe aren't as strong as they could be that's the place where a lot of folks need help. 94 00:09:14,705 --> 00:09:20,885 So I think there's a twofold approach that at least I take when I think about these case studies, these scenarios in our training. 95 00:09:20,945 --> 00:09:29,705 One, it's at the individual level, so making sure that our managers, our leaders, our frontline employees, understand really how to position themselves inside of a concept. 96 00:09:29,705 --> 00:09:36,455 So when I think about customer service, for instance, or our client services for a frontline employee, it's how do you manage that communication? 97 00:09:36,455 --> 00:09:42,245 How do you make sure that you're able to regulate in these really hard conversations that you might be having with customers? 98 00:09:42,420 --> 00:09:46,890 From a manager perspective, it's how do you train and support those individuals to do that better? 99 00:09:46,949 --> 00:09:54,990 And then from a leader perspective, how do you manage through a layer to be really the model or the exemplar for your managers to then train the frontline employees on? 100 00:09:54,990 --> 00:10:06,030 So when I think about the individual level, it's how do you create these authentic, either positional specific or industry specific situations and scenarios that they can really start to apply, um, and practice those skills. 101 00:10:06,270 --> 00:10:11,760 The second thing that I think about is even with some of our companies that maybe have strong training in place. 102 00:10:12,030 --> 00:10:25,410 The reality is, is that the growth and scale that they're about to experience or have experienced, they haven't necessarily gotten out in front of just what that scale looks like and been able to identify where the break will happen in a system or in a process or in a training. 103 00:10:25,470 --> 00:10:37,170 And so I really view the work that we do around scenario and case study development to help them maybe see where something has already broken or really get out in front of something that we anticipate will break as a result of the scale. 104 00:10:37,590 --> 00:10:45,930 Anderson Williams: Jackson, is there a particular example of a scenario or pattern that you're working on now that would give the listener a little bit more insight as to what we're talking about? 105 00:10:45,980 --> 00:10:47,540 Jackson Sprayberry: Yeah, I appreciate that question. 106 00:10:47,570 --> 00:10:54,860 We're doing a custom build right now with one of our portfolio companies, and the content is around client interaction and stronger communication skills. 107 00:10:54,890 --> 00:11:07,100 It's one thing for us to go in and deliver content around a Shannon Weaver model of communication or some other type of communication framework, and then give them an example where it's like, you know, imagine that you're in a scenario with a customer. 108 00:11:07,135 --> 00:11:12,565 There's a lot of thought work that needs to go into that that prevents them from really getting into the application portion. 109 00:11:12,685 --> 00:11:21,865 So if we could work to build a very hyper-specific situation to place that employee in, they can sense that they know I've lived that experience before. 110 00:11:21,895 --> 00:11:28,645 And so giving that to them really lowers the barrier of entry for them to be able to apply some of these communication frameworks, uh, in their work. 111 00:11:28,645 --> 00:11:40,065 Anderson Williams: So, so it's like writing a scenario that's not just generally around communication and customer service, it's writing a scenario that's specifically to their particular business and product type and customer type and so forth. 112 00:11:40,245 --> 00:11:40,455 Jackson Sprayberry: Yeah. 113 00:11:40,455 --> 00:11:46,185 So it's not just, Hey, imagine this client is on the phone with you and is frustrated and angry and coming at you. 114 00:11:46,275 --> 00:11:52,935 Instead, it's imagine that someone needs access to their retirement funds immediately, and due to regulations, you simply can't. 115 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:53,350 Anderson Williams: Yeah. 116 00:11:53,350 --> 00:11:54,010 Jackson Sprayberry: It's that type of work. 117 00:11:54,250 --> 00:11:56,980 Anderson Williams: Well, and I love that approach because we've talked about it some. 118 00:11:56,980 --> 00:12:10,210 It's also a way of sort of fabricating reps so that when they feel themselves in that pattern, they've lived it in a safer environment, a less risky environment through doing actual scenario work. 119 00:12:10,545 --> 00:12:17,205 Jackson Sprayberry: You can kind of find your way and be clunky in the scenarios in the practice with us, so that it's more seamless when it gets in front of the customer. 120 00:12:17,265 --> 00:12:26,235 Anderson Williams: Yeah, that was one of the things I loved listening to you facilitate a particular feedback scenario conversation and just letting people know like, it's gonna be awkward this time. 121 00:12:26,235 --> 00:12:32,365 The goal is that next time when it's actually happening in your business, it's a little less awkward because you've wrestled through it being awkward this time. 122 00:12:32,425 --> 00:12:32,905 Jackson Sprayberry: Exactly. 123 00:12:32,905 --> 00:12:32,965 Anderson Williams: Yeah. 124 00:12:33,655 --> 00:12:33,895 Ben Gilbert: Yeah. 125 00:12:33,925 --> 00:12:41,875 It's one thing to say, we're gonna have a difficult conversation about this, but then it's like, no, I want you to have this conversation for the next three minutes with your partner, and then you actually have to use your words. 126 00:12:42,025 --> 00:12:47,185 Jackson Sprayberry: And you're getting some feedback in those moments too, which you may not get in the actual moment if you haven't been able to practice before. 127 00:12:47,275 --> 00:12:57,685 Anderson Williams: You've hit on a really important point, and I know it's one that Ben, from our earliest days working together, we've really hammered home is the high level leadership stuff people can get the concept. 128 00:12:57,745 --> 00:13:09,655 People can read the article, people can read the book, can say, yeah, I need to build trust, but that's a whole lot harder to do in context and to be fully aware of those things and how they get applied. 129 00:13:09,715 --> 00:13:18,115 And so just as I was listening to you talk, it reminded me that we always, in everything that we do through Shore University, talk about the refrain. 130 00:13:18,145 --> 00:13:19,585 What can you start tomorrow? 131 00:13:19,675 --> 00:13:22,495 What can you do tomorrow with what you heard today? 132 00:13:22,525 --> 00:13:28,885 That this is not about learning leadership philosophy, it's about applying it to your real world. 133 00:13:28,945 --> 00:13:32,125 And I think one of the real values that comes back to the scenarios. 134 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,380 Is that we know microcap, we work for Shore. 135 00:13:35,490 --> 00:13:37,290 We know the investment thesis. 136 00:13:37,290 --> 00:13:39,420 We know Shore's investment strategy. 137 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,850 We know what a five year hold period looks like. 138 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,040 We know what the growth trajectory looks like. 139 00:13:44,070 --> 00:13:46,830 Maybe not for your specific company, but for the pattern. 140 00:13:46,890 --> 00:13:57,060 And so that enables us to design content around things that sound like run of the mill leadership concepts, but are super specific and applied to the reality of our space. 141 00:13:57,095 --> 00:14:01,925 Ben Gilbert: Absolutely, and the best thing about that too is that it grows and feeds itself, right? 142 00:14:01,925 --> 00:14:13,145 So the more we do this with each of our companies, even as they're experiencing new patterns and new trends, that's things that feed into our own learning that we can then feed to new companies that come along inside of this ecosystem. 143 00:14:13,245 --> 00:14:19,670 Anderson Williams: And Ben, you help Michael manage a number of other programs that are a part of the umbrella of Shore University. 144 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:25,370 Will you just describe a couple of those, just so the listener can give some context for the spectrum of things. 145 00:14:25,460 --> 00:14:29,150 We've mentioned Leadership Academy, we've mentioned Management Foundations training. 146 00:14:29,150 --> 00:14:34,250 We've mentioned some frontline team member trainings, the self-driven work in the learning management system and so forth. 147 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,430 Will you just describe a couple of the other programs that are really more targeted? 148 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:38,920 Ben Gilbert: Yeah, absolutely Anderson. 149 00:14:39,010 --> 00:14:42,700 So one of the first ones that comes to mind is our CXO Fellows program. 150 00:14:42,730 --> 00:14:46,210 Essentially, this is where we recruit straight out of business school. 151 00:14:46,270 --> 00:14:50,920 Graduates that are, that are coming out, that are looking for kind of the fast track to the C-suite. 152 00:14:50,950 --> 00:14:55,241 So these are usually young, hungry professionals that are looking to make an impact early in their career. 153 00:14:55,715 --> 00:15:06,335 And so the goal of this program is to place them as one of the first five hires within a new portfolio company and allow them to get that early experience in it inside of a microcap business. 154 00:15:06,395 --> 00:15:15,275 We also have our search accelerator, so this is for also folks coming outta business school, but really for folks that are really looking for more of an entrepreneurial path. 155 00:15:15,330 --> 00:15:17,700 And being more of a hands-on operator. 156 00:15:17,730 --> 00:15:22,650 And so this is an investment that we've made recently at Shore and it's super exciting. 157 00:15:22,650 --> 00:15:39,300 We have actually done a couple of in-person development sessions specifically for these search fund entrepreneurs, and it's allowed us to open up our curriculum and think more about the early leadership kinds of lessons and also the entrepreneurial types of topics that are super relevant to our founders in our microcap businesses. 158 00:15:39,450 --> 00:15:47,985 We also have what I like to call our pathway programs, and so these are things like our military to operations and our JD to BD programs. 159 00:15:48,045 --> 00:16:02,535 And essentially it's kind of non-traditional pathways for folks that wouldn't have an opportunity to get into private equity normally, but it's carving out some interesting talent pools for us so that we can help strengthen the overall portfolio in unique and different ways. 160 00:16:02,820 --> 00:16:11,790 Anderson Williams: I think the thing to recognize for anyone listening is that when you're growing a portfolio of companies, you have to have the people to lead those companies. 161 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:17,430 And so whether you've got 40 or 50 or 60 or 70 companies, now think about the C-Suites. 162 00:16:17,490 --> 00:16:18,810 Think about the board members. 163 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:20,670 Think about the VP levels. 164 00:16:20,715 --> 00:16:22,185 We've talked about the managers. 165 00:16:22,185 --> 00:16:31,515 Think about the number of people we have to develop to sustain growth across that many companies, and that's really at the root of what we're focused on and why we exist. 166 00:16:31,725 --> 00:16:35,235 Ben Gilbert: One more program, Anderson to mention, is our Peak Performer Program. 167 00:16:35,325 --> 00:16:40,755 This is one that we always like to say it's reserved for the top 1% of leaders in our portfolio company. 168 00:16:40,815 --> 00:16:41,925 Essentially, it's. 169 00:16:42,065 --> 00:16:47,495 A program that each of our CEOs at our portfolio companies can nominate up to three people. 170 00:16:47,555 --> 00:16:49,925 And the program is case study driven. 171 00:16:50,015 --> 00:16:57,185 It's led by a Harvard business professor, and it's really an elevated way to do executive learning in a cohort learning model. 172 00:16:57,185 --> 00:17:05,165 Similar to how we've done with our Leadership Academies, but it's always one of those, it makes people feel really, really special, especially at the upper level of an organization. 173 00:17:05,255 --> 00:17:14,585 Anderson Williams: Yeah, I'm glad you didn't allow us to miss that one 'cause I think that is a prime example of how investing in your people is part of a reward and recognition process. 174 00:17:14,705 --> 00:17:24,485 And for most of our companies in the microcap space, the capacity to do that kind of reward and recognition just hasn't been there by the nature and size and scope and scale of the company. 175 00:17:24,810 --> 00:17:42,630 Michael Burcham: I think what's important for us to keep in mind is all these programs we just discussed form a virtual bench for Shore and our companies, because as they grow, we really don't know month to month, quarter to quarter, how soon we're gonna need someone else to step into a role but when we need them, we need them now. 176 00:17:42,690 --> 00:17:57,415 So think of it as preparation for the operation so that as we are growing a company, we're now not trying to go scan the market and find 20 applicants for 20 companies, but instead we have a built-in bench that just keeps growing every year. 177 00:17:57,445 --> 00:18:11,515 And often as we exit companies, these individuals will cycle back into Shores next company to further strengthen, take their lessons learned from the previous Shore company they were with, bring them to the next Shore company, and we just keep creating better and better companies over time. 178 00:18:11,545 --> 00:18:13,885 That's what excites me most about these programs. 179 00:18:14,025 --> 00:18:24,495 Anderson Williams: Well, and just to layer onto that, Michael, I think it's having the talent in the seat, but it's also adding the talent that understands Shore and understands microcap, and understands how this works. 180 00:18:24,495 --> 00:18:30,735 So they are not only talented executives, they understand the context deeper and deeper with each of those reps as well. 181 00:18:30,795 --> 00:18:31,605 Michael Burcham: Absolutely. 182 00:18:31,635 --> 00:18:33,490 That's a winning combination when you owe both. 183 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:42,800 Anderson Williams: So Jackson, some of your background, some of the work you've done before, you've done media development as part of your curriculum building and training and professional development as well. 184 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:48,320 Will you talk a little bit about the role and the importance of a multimedia approach to professional development? 185 00:18:48,530 --> 00:18:57,050 Jackson Sprayberry: Yeah, I think sometimes folks think about media in ways of like explaining what they have learned or kind of showcasing the work that they do, similar to what we're doing right now. 186 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:07,080 However, when you think about adult facilitation and the ways that different folks learn, creating some variety in the media, kind of vehicle that you use to help them learn matters a lot. 187 00:19:07,110 --> 00:19:18,930 You know, what might make sense for a strategic thinking session for more senior leaders in an organization might require a traditional 90-minute session with a facilitator and that type of feedback in person work that's needed. 188 00:19:18,965 --> 00:19:25,475 Conversely, when you think about maybe managers or frontline employees who are working to develop strategic thinking skills. 189 00:19:25,535 --> 00:19:28,595 The appropriate format might be a 10-minute video lesson. 190 00:19:28,745 --> 00:19:33,455 It might be that it's a five to 10-minute audio message via podcast, something like that. 191 00:19:33,455 --> 00:19:40,565 And so really it's about dosing the content in a way that is most meaningful and drives the most value for the learner. 192 00:19:40,875 --> 00:19:50,745 Michael Burcham: I would add to Jackson's eloquent description of that, that individuals learn by finding something of interest, almost a hook that drives them in. 193 00:19:50,804 --> 00:20:03,945 And for many people a hook is a video or a podcast, and once they find a topic that really matters to them, they want to learn more about, then they are much more predisposed to ingest learning and all kinds of media. 194 00:20:03,990 --> 00:20:07,080 But people sometimes much rather go on YouTube or watch videos. 195 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:08,580 Well, let's give them video to start. 196 00:20:08,580 --> 00:20:15,540 Or they like listening to a podcast when they do their morning exercise, so let's give them a podcast from leadership to get 'em started. 197 00:20:15,540 --> 00:20:27,480 So often it's just finding the hook that drops into the pattern of how they're already ingesting media in their everyday life, and then giving them the opportunity to follow that through with all other kinds of media, particularly in self-directed learning. 198 00:20:27,695 --> 00:20:39,575 Anderson Williams: Yeah, I think that underscores something that's really important about our collective approach is that our goal is to meet our companies, our leadership teams, our managers, our frontline team members where they are. 199 00:20:39,635 --> 00:20:48,655 This isn't that Shore University has set up something like you might've experienced at your own university that says here's our course offerings you get to choose, but this is what we offer. 200 00:20:48,685 --> 00:21:03,665 We're constantly evolving to make sure we're meeting people where they are, both in terms of dose, in terms of content, in terms of media, because our ultimate investment here is helping people learn because we're all trying to build the best biggest, strongest, fastest businesses we can. 201 00:21:03,725 --> 00:21:09,575 And so this is definitely a different approach than, Hey, we're offering a lesson on X, sign up for it. 202 00:21:09,635 --> 00:21:13,535 Now we have some things that look like that, but that's just one of the many offerings. 203 00:21:13,535 --> 00:21:20,375 And in our next episode, we'll talk more about some of the custom professional development that we're doing in partnership directly with our portfolios. 204 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:35,340 So just to wrap up this particular episode, I want to ask you all, as you think about the evolution of Shore University, our growing team, our deepening partnerships with our portfolio companies, and Ben, maybe I'll start with you. 205 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:40,350 What excites you most about what's on the horizon over the next year or so with Shore University? 206 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:59,915 Ben Gilbert: I think one of the things that I get most excited about is looking at how our work can flip back towards internal Shore and thinking in terms of our own employees development, whether that's the SRT or some of our LIDs, but really just helping make sure that as they go into support our companies, that they're able to do that at a super high level. 207 00:21:59,915 --> 00:22:06,650 Those are some opportunities that we've had early on in the last couple of years, and I would love to just make that more of a thing in the future. 208 00:22:07,054 --> 00:22:09,425 Anderson Williams: What about you, Jackson, what's exciting to you on the horizon? 209 00:22:09,695 --> 00:22:18,965 Jackson Sprayberry: I think what's most exciting to me is this idea of both standardization and customization, even though that maybe seems disparate when I think about standardization. 210 00:22:19,025 --> 00:22:25,565 You know, you think something like, uh, Leadership Academy, that we've really gotten down to what feels like a science, like watching you in action. 211 00:22:25,595 --> 00:22:29,405 It's like, yeah, this is the right level of content in the right setting for the right audience. 212 00:22:29,405 --> 00:22:34,465 But as we've mentioned already, what does that look like for more senior leaders and what does that look like for frontline employees? 213 00:22:34,465 --> 00:22:42,505 And so really standardizing a pathway, taking what we've learned through pattern recognition and what we know to be true for some of our companies, given the stage of business they're in. 214 00:22:42,595 --> 00:22:45,475 And really taking that and putting it into a standardized approach. 215 00:22:45,625 --> 00:22:49,525 There's also the customization side where it really enriches the learner experience. 216 00:22:49,645 --> 00:22:58,765 So, you know, working to make sure that we're not just teaching at a fundamental or theoretical level, but really giving them applicable situations that they can start to apply that learning. 217 00:22:58,885 --> 00:23:03,305 And I'm excited to go through the curriculum that we have and really start to build those types of scenarios in. 218 00:23:03,955 --> 00:23:04,765 Anderson Williams: Michael, what about you? 219 00:23:05,455 --> 00:23:09,955 Michael Burcham: So, I agree with Ben and Jackson, but what excites me is slightly different. 220 00:23:10,015 --> 00:23:21,085 What excites me now that we have finished four solid years in starting our fifth is watching the individuals who started one role in a company now promoted to a second, and now promotable to a third role. 221 00:23:21,205 --> 00:23:47,515 Seeing individuals professional progression and growth that I know Shore University had a massive impact in their ability to make that transition is deeply gratifying to me that individual achievement is worth every penny of ROI and I look forward to the hundreds of more people that we get to experience and see make that transition as they participate in developing themselves, developing their companies, and developing Shore. 222 00:23:54,170 --> 00:23:57,200 Anderson Williams: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure and check out our other Bigger. 223 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:57,650 Stronger. 224 00:23:57,650 --> 00:23:58,040 Faster. 225 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:07,400 episodes, as well as our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series at www.shorecp.university/podcasts or anywhere you get your podcasts. 226 00:24:08,010 --> 00:24:13,110 This podcast was produced by Shore Capital Partners and recorded in the Andrew Malone Podcast Studio. 227 00:24:13,170 --> 00:24:15,630 With story and narration by Anderson Williams. 228 00:24:15,690 --> 00:24:17,940 Recording and editing by Austin Johnson. 229 00:24:18,090 --> 00:24:20,140 Editing by Reel Audiobooks. 230 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,060 Sound design, mixing, and mastering by Mark Galup of Reel Audiobooks. 231 00:24:24,270 --> 00:24:27,810 Special thanks to Michael Burcham, Jackson Sprayberry and Ben Gilbert. 232 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,490 This podcast is the Property of Shore Capital Partners, LLC. 233 00:24:31,730 --> 00:24:39,440 None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, nor a recommendation or offer relating to any security. 234 00:24:39,650 --> 00:24:43,700 See the terms of use page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.