About Gary Loop
Serving as a business consultant, executive coach, and life coach, Gary Loop has been transforming businesses and guiding leaders for over six years as President of Loop Group, LLC. For the last 12 years (of his 20+ year business career), he has been repeatedly entering new organizations facing various challenges. With his unique ability to develop deep levels of trust, from CEO to the front line, he rapidly gains a sense of the company landscape to deliver efficient and transformative results.
There are literally hundreds of consultants and executive coaches in the marketplace. What differentiates you from the others?
“I spent 14 years at We Energies, and We Energies at one point about a decade ago was last in the Midwest in customer satisfaction. And so, I had the opportunity, it was through the work of hundreds and thousands of employees to get it done. But to be in the front lines of watching an organization go from last in the Midwest, to one of the best in the country was outstanding.”
What is your core strategy for your consultant/client relationship?
“I’m a big fan of being a historian, rather than me coming in to find out what’s going on now in a plan for the future, I spend a great deal of my time finding out what happened in the past. Where have you been? How did you get there? What worked well? What didn’t work well?”
What do you believe are the top low-cost tactics organizations can employ that will make an instant impact on their business?
“The people is the big difference. Most of the payroll is people. And it’s also in the planning. You know, if we can go through, one thing that I always say is, I’m not a firefighter. I’m a fire preventer. And so, we can go in and work with people that we have there.”
Can you share with me your most successful or favorite networking story/experience that you’ve had?
“I actually wrote a letter to Jay Leno back about 20 years ago, you know, and pretty much because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into standup comedy. It was a letter that basically said, Dear Jay, thinking about standup comedy. I have no idea. I’m not even sure if I’m funny. You know, here’s the deal. You know, I was commuting to community college, I was living at home with time. And, you know, I’m like, here’s our home phone number. And 20 years ago, a phone call came in…”
How do you stay in front of or best nurture your network community?
“Mine is more sense and feel. And it’s also based on opportunity. So, when I meet with folks, I want to know what I can do to help them… the other piece I would say is rather than being interesting, be interested.”
What advice do you have for the professional on growing their network?
“It’s overcoming that fear. You know, if there’s an event that’s coming up with a lot of folks and you may not know anybody, it’s just walking in the door. You know, the hardest thing is walking into the door. I call it eating your vegetables. There are things that we don’t always enjoy doing. And sometimes we have to eat our vegetables before we get to enjoy the steak.”
Digital networking or traditional networking?
“it’s a mix. We are in five generations, as you know, and everyone has their different flavor and style. And so depending on which industry that I’m in, I will try to mirror where they’re at.”
If you could go back to your 20-year-old self, what would you tell yourself to do more or less of regarding your career?
“Lots of moisturizer. My wife uses moisturizer, and she looks like she’s 20. I look like I’m 90. So that’s number one. And number two is, you know, what’s interesting is enjoy the ride.”
We’ve all heard of the 6 degrees of separation… Now, who would be the one person you’d love to connect with, and do you think you could do it within the 6th degree?
“I think like a Richard Branson kind of thing comes to mind. So, for me, I believe it’s, you know, finding the ways to get in the door to reach out to those folks. I think the biggest hurdle is just not doing anything at all.”
What book are you reading right now?
“I’ve been reading Give and Take by Adam Grant.”
Any final words of advice for our listeners?
“Go back to the give and take philosophy.”
You can get in contact with Gary at:
Email: gary.loop@loopgroupllc.com(link sends e-mail)
LinkedIn: Click Here
Twitter: Click Here