On September 9, 2020, L. Scott Ferguson published episode 131 of Time To Shine Today, “Taking Military Operations Format and Applying it to Business,” with Michael Penney of 5Paragraph.com. The interview runs about 30 minutes.
What the episode covered
The show is about leveling up your life and business, and Ferguson framed the episode that way: 5 Paragraph “implements military operations into civilian life to help businesses Level UP.” In the opening of the transcript he calls Michael his “Leatherneck” and says he will be sharing knowledge on “adding value to every situation.”
The episode page pulls out one line from Michael:
The value of a handshake and a heartfelt smile is paramount
Michael Penney, Time To Shine Today Ep 131
Ferguson’s “Knowledge Nuggets and Take-Aways” from the conversation:
- Always add value to every situation
- Assess, train, advise and assist
- Delegate authority to get a solid feedback loop
- Great people focus on the right ‘nouns’ (person, places and things)
Why it mattered then
Those four points sum up how Michael talked about leadership in 2020. “Add value” goes back to his 2016 TEDx talk. “Assess, train, advise and assist” is how a military advisor team describes its job, which is what he did in Afghanistan in 2011. Delegation with a feedback loop is how a squad runs when the leader cannot be everywhere at once.
Near the end, Michael talked about the legacy he wants to leave his children. He told Ferguson that the Constitution means a whole lot to him and that he wants his kids to grow up with patriotic values.
The episode opens with Michael recording a short intro for the show, telling listeners that if they want to level up their life, they should be listening to Time To Shine Today “with my friend, Scott Ferguson.”
His service record: eight-plus years in Marine Corps infantry and three combat tours: two to Ramadi, Iraq, with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (2005-06 and 2007), and one to Kajaki and Sangin, Afghanistan, with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in 2011, where he led a section of advisors. Between those tours he served at Quantico as a weapons instructor. He left the Corps as a Sergeant with an honorable discharge.
Looking back
The episode page still has the full transcript and links to 5Paragraph.com and his other channels.
This post is part of the From the Archive series, which collects Michael’s past media appearances in one place. See the full media archive.
Work with Michael
Marine veteran, TEDx speaker and author of the 5 Paragraph Business Plan. Bring him to your stage, wear the gear, or catch him live.