Scaling the Gap Podcast Ep 11| Leading with Positivity and Building Long-lasting Relationships

In an insightful episode of her podcast, Madeleine MacRae sits down with Ed Keough of Future Guard Building Products to discuss the impact of leadership, relationship building, and strategic decision-making in professional growth and business development.
Future Guard Building Products: Innovating in the Shade and Awning Space
About Future Guard: A 40-year-old, family-owned company based in Maine, specializing in retractable fabric awnings and vertical solar screens.
Ed's Role: As VP of Strategic Alliances, Keough oversees customer service, logistics, and contributes to the company's long-term vision and direction.
Key Insights from Ed Keough Career
Learning from Leadership Mistakes: Ed shares a pivotal moment early in his career, witnessing ineffective and damaging management styles, which taught him the importance of positive communication and building people up before addressing issues.
The Value of Relationship Building: Highlighting his 30-year sales career, Ed emphasizes the lasting impact of nurturing professional relationships and being a resourceful connection in the industry.
Success through Incremental Growth and Balance: Success for Ed means achieving a comfortable, joyous daily life balanced with the freedom to pursue personal interests, underscored by a philosophy of incremental improvement.
Cultivating a Positive Work Environment
Ed advises against short-term, aggressive management tactics, advocating instead for a leadership style that fosters trust, accountability, and mutual respect.
He stresses the significance of being a generous resource to others, underscoring that such generosity often leads to unforeseen opportunities and strengthens business networks.
Ed's Definition of Success
Components of Success: Courage, peace with no regrets, comfort in daily activities, joy in work, the freedom to enjoy life, sprinkled with optimism and generosity.
Ed's success formula is grounded in the ability to maintain work-life balance, the courage to make changes when necessary, and the capacity to look ahead and prepare for future challenges.s.