Podcasts | The Digital Transformist by Caxy

Welcome to The Digital Transformist with Michael LaVista! In this episode, we have the privilege of chatting with Mark Pace, the CEO and founder of the Vital Longevity Institute. Mark's insights into longevity and financial management will completely shift your perspective on life expectancy and how it relates to your future. Mark sheds light on the fact that most life insurance policies are actually designed to fail, running out before the policyholder passes away. Through years of experience and working closely with actuaries, Mark has developed innovative methods to ensure policies succeed and provide the necessary coverage when needed. Join us as Mark shares his journey in the life insurance industry, uncovering the misconceptions around life expectancy and how it impacts our decision-making in various aspects of life. Get ready to challenge your understanding of longevity and financial planning with Mark's unique approach at the Vital Longevity Institute. Tune in now for a mind-opening discussion that will leave you rethinking your approach to life and finances! Listeners can get in touch with Mark Pace, CEO and founder of The Vital Longevity Institute at https://vitallifelong.com/, or through his phone number mentioned in the video. Michael can be found at https://caxy.com and his podcast The Digital Transformist https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalTransformistPodcast Michael's book, Superpowered: 7 Leadership Superpowers Technology Executives Can Use to Grow a More Engaged, Tech-driven and Profitable Organization, can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Superpowered-Essential-Leadership-Technology-Executives/dp/1735504904

Episode Summary

In this engaging episode of The Digital Transformist, host Mike interviews Courtney Wright, CEO of Gemini Build, a Chicago-based manufacturing company specializing in custom framing and casework for museums and institutions. What makes this conversation particularly compelling is Wright's incredible story of spotting and seizing a massive opportunity during the early days of COVID-19, transforming her company from struggling to thriving in just three weeks.

Wright shares how her company pivoted from high-end museum work to manufacturing acrylic sneeze guards and protective barriers, generating over seven figures in revenue in three weeks by being first to market. The conversation explores the critical balance between speed and perfection in business, the importance of attitude over technical skills in hiring, and how to build a culture that thrives on figuring things out rather than waiting for perfect conditions. This episode offers valuable insights for CEOs and business leaders looking to develop organizational agility and spot adjacent opportunities in their markets.

Key Takeaways

Act fast when you see market signals -- Wright spotted people dining behind acrylic barriers in Italy during early COVID and immediately started calling grocery stores, even when they initially said no
Say yes first, figure it out later -- When Costco needed acrylic barriers installed by Sunday, Wright's team had never made sneeze guards before but committed anyway and delivered
Hire for attitude over technical skills -- Wright prioritizes "sparkly energy" and positive attitudes over perfect technical qualifications, believing you can teach skills but not attitude
Remove negative energy quickly -- During COVID, Wright eliminated the bottom 20% of employees who were technically skilled but had terrible attitudes, recognizing that bad energy spreads
Practice the "figuring it out" muscle -- Companies need to regularly put themselves in challenging situations to build organizational capability and resilience
Balance speed with precision -- Wright's company philosophy combines her "fast" approach with her husband's "perfect" financial management, creating sustainable rapid growth
Choose customers and culture fit -- As companies mature, they can be selective about working only with clients and employees who align with their values and energy

Notable Quotes

"Some years you're lucky and some years you're good. You're probably pretty lucky if once or twice in your entire career, you're lucky and good in the same year -- and that was my COVID story."

"So many of us wait to answer a customer till their writing is perfect. They wait to put in the order till everything's perfect. They wait so long they always miss the shot."

"The only way to get really good at figuring stuff out is to figure stuff out a lot. We don't practice that muscle, but people actually love challenges -- they think they want it easy, but they love to be challenged mentally."

"I'm in the 11-foot pool before I even realize I'm drowning. I never wait because I think we're so capable of figuring stuff out."

About the Guest

Courtney Wright is the CEO of Gemini Build, a 60-person US manufacturing company based in the Chicago area that specializes in custom framing and casework for museums, institutions, and colleges across the country. Known for her "fast" approach to business decisions and execution, Wright has built a company culture focused on speed, creativity, and positive attitudes. She's part of a holding company called Perfast Holdings (combining "perfect" and "fast"), where she handles the rapid execution side while her husband manages the financial precision. Wright has a track record of spotting market opportunities and pivoting quickly, as demonstrated by her company's dramatic COVID-era transformation from high-end museum work to protective barrier manufacturing.

Topics Discussed

Gemini Build's core business in museum and institutional custom framing and casework
The COVID-19 pivot story -- from luxury museum work to acrylic barriers in three weeks
Early market signals and the importance of acting on incomplete information
Building organizational agility and the "figuring it out" muscle
Hiring philosophy -- prioritizing attitude and cultural fit over technical perficiency
Managing company culture and removing negative energy during crisis periods
The balance between speed and perfection in business operations
Working with large retail clients like Costco and maintaining agility at scale
Post-COVID business strategy and lessons learned from rapid growth
Manufacturing industry challenges including workforce development and retirement trends
Creating a workplace culture that people want to return to after remote work
The luxury of being selective about customers and employees as a business matures