Practical Innovation w/ Austin Ramirez

As I’ve discussed on this show many times, how you grow up has a tremendous impact on your mindset as an adult - which can be shaped by a multitude of life experiences from your first job, to family dynamics, and even participation in organized sports.   

For today’s guest, Austin Ramirez, his leadership perspective was shaped by his journey as a competitive swimmer, where he learned how to overcome early failure and to keep striving for better. He competed as a college athlete, and eventually represented the United States in several international tournaments. It was swimming that made him realize that with dedication and focus, he could become excellent at something.

Now, Austin is taking those lessons and applying them to the business world as the CEO of Husco International, a privately-held engineering and manufacturing company.

My conversation with Austin touches on the delicate balance between long term innovation and short term results, why smaller and more nimbler firms are able to pick up market share during crises, and how he evaluates the next generation of talent for his company.

Austin also discusses his time as a White House Fellow during both the Obama and Trump administrations and his involvement with the organization “Democracy Found” which is advocating for ranked choice voting across the US. As Austin likes to say:

“Getting our democracy healthy again, I don’t think there is anything more important than that.”

You can follow the podcast and host Chuck Swoboda on Twitter for further exploration and discussion on innovation.

The episode is also available wherever else you listen to podcasts. Enjoy!