Say It Skillfully® – Kevin Koch, Flourishing Family Business
February 14, 2023
Hosted by Molly Tschang
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Guest Information
Episode Description
Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 168, Molly is joined by Kevin Koch, CEO of Koch Enterprises, Inc., who gives an inside look at running a family-owned business that has successfully served customers for 150 years! Kevin shares his story, starting from his early days in school and working jobs such as paperboy and lifeguard. He talks about how he was never overtly asked to join the family business, and always planned to “spread his wings” after college. Kevin talks about his college days at Notre Dame where he studied engineering and describes the unexpected adversity he faced when he first arrived. He goes on to talk about how, after graduating, he learned to work as an engineer for Westinghouse before going to grad school and working at Ford Motor Company and EDF. Kevin shares insights from his early career days, including experience gained in engineering, brand management and purchasing. Not deciding to join the family business until age 33, Kevin shares what influenced him to make the move, and goes in depth on the company’s family hiring policy, which made sure that no “free rides” were given to family members. He opens up about working past the stigma of “owner’s son” and what he had to do to prove himself to his peers. Don’t miss the good, bad & ugly of running a family business for the long haul, insights gained along the way, and Kevin’s biggest regrets and accomplishments from his journey. He inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week (Thank you Kevin): “Shared sacrifice helps us come through stronger.” Learn more about Koch Enterprises here: https://www.kochenterprises.com/
Say It Skillfully®
Tuesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time on VoiceAmerica Business Channel
Molly Tschang's Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly's guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. She helps everyone from CEOs to interns to recognize that we are all both part of the problem as well as the solution, and that the path to solving any problem is to say what needs to be said.
Molly is a rare breed: tough enough to advise CEOs and company boards, but empathetic enough to understand the human costs of not allowing talent to shine. She has helped dozens of management teams navigate the human after-effects of mergers and acquisitions, and her show brings her expert guidance to a wider audience.
Say It Skillfully® every Tuesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel.
Molly Tschang
Molly Tschang helps her clients' organizations gain the skills to Win As One, which most other companies never even try to do. She starts at the top, guiding management to commit to each other’s success and lead as one cohesive unit.
Molly is Founder and CEO of Abella Consulting, a New York-based leadership development and business advisory consultancy that helps senior leaders cultivate the collaborative capacity to elevate individual, team and organizational performance resulting in accelerated sustained, profitable growth. She created and hosts the “Say It Skillfully®” video series on LinkedIn, making it easier for all members of an organization to say what needs to be said in a constructive and productive manner.
Prior to launching Abella, Molly held executive leadership positions at Cisco Systems and U.S. Filter, where she led the integration of over 80 acquisitions. She holds a BS in chemical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from UCLA. In 2017, Molly was selected from among 12,000 applicants to be a protégé of Marshall Goldsmith through his 100 Coaches initiative. In her downtime, she enjoys tennis, yoga and cooking with family and friends.
