Business Innovators Radio - LaWanna Bradford, MPA – Global Strategist – Mark Stephen Pooler

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

LaWanna Bradford, MPA is an award-winning global strategist, financial analyst, and creator of The R3 System™—a framework designed to help organizations Refocus, Reframe, and Reconnect for long-term relevance. As COO of The Bradford Group, she’s led $2B+ in operational turnarounds, helping companies thrive amid disruption. A bestselling author, media host, and international speaker, LaWanna empowers leaders to build agile, values-driven businesses that withstand economic shifts and deliver sustainable impact.Website: www.LaWannaBradford.com and bradfordgroupmtg.comSource: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/lawanna-bradford-mpa-global-strategist-mark-stephen-pooler

Welcome to Business Innovators Radio, featuring industry influencers and trendsetters, sharing proven strategies to help you build a better life right now. Welcome to Williams Business TV, conversations with leading experts in business. I am your host, Mark Stephen Pula. We have an incredible guest on the show today, Lana Bradford, really looking forward to a conversation with her today. We are streaming live on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. We're also on the E360 TV network, USA Global Radio and Television Network, Business Innovators Radio Network, and MSP NewsGlobal.com. Let's bring in our incredible guest, Luana, Bradford. Hey, Luana, great to have you on Brilliant's Business TV. Thank you so much for having me, Mark. How's it going?

I'm really doing well, thank you. And it's great to interview you again. I've had you on the show before. So let's get started with the incredible conversation. Now, Luana, you've helped companies recover over $2 billion in efficiencies. What's the first shift a leader must make when the marketplace turns against them? oh wow i i think well right now everyone is experiencing shifts and changes in uncertainty and the first thing is believe it or not is to breathe pan back and take a hard look at number one your marketplace your industry and the business that you currently have because success leaves clues so the the industry is telling you what's happening and the industry is responsible bonding in a certain way to particular changes. So also is your industry. And I always encourage, whether it's entrepreneurs, small business owners, to find those leaders in your industry that are moving in a certain way because you're going to learn from them and avoid a lot of mistakes in

trying to navigate independently. When there's rapid and radical change or what we like to called disruptions in the marketplace. You want to really pay attention to what others are doing. It's not about having this lens of competition, but it's really increasing your awareness. And then the third thing is taking a look inside. How is my business responding? My customer communication, my stakeholder communications.

How am I communicating with my staff to allay concerns that they may have so that we can come together with a shared vision and how we're going to. you navigate through these uncertain times. So yes, I think you're needed more than ever at the moment, Luanna, because when people are going through these challenges, having someone that can direct them and give them that light on their awareness of where they need those little bits of tweaks is really, really important. It can make a world of difference.

Now, you created the author. system, refocus, reframe, reconnect. What was the personal crisis or a ha-home moment that led to its birth? And how has it transformed lives behind business? The aha moment that came for me was the 2007-2008 mortgage crisis, where everything was spiraling. And for our lifetime, that's the closest thing that we can relate. to depression era type shifts.

And I am, my background is I'm a strategist, have been doing that for over 30 years throughout the global marketplace. And I had to sit back and say, okay, it's easy to panic and possibly even say, you know, I'm just going to hang up my hat and just say I'm done.

Or I can find out how can I find the opportunities in the chaos? How do I still maintain a sense of relevancy in this radical, certain change because big banks were closing their doors, brokers were closing their doors, customers were turning in, we call them jingle letters, they were turning their keys in saying, I can't even afford this mortgage anymore. And I was like the oddball saying, okay, I see all this craziness, but we're going to find a way to survive. And that's really how the R3 system came about because looking at life strategically, I said, okay, strategy in a simple sense, Mark, is

This is where I am. This is where I'm going. And then I come up with things that I hope will lead me there. But the component, when you're looking at future casting, your future line aside, it's overlaying that with current realities, right? So that's the refocus part. It's not changing your mindset. It's, again, what we talked about previously, being self-aware.

So I realize that I'm thinking, okay, that's one piece of the puzzle that I use all the time. And the second piece is after I refocus, it's re-frame. How do I reimagine my world? If I had a magic wand, how do I create the reality that I want, the powerhouse business that I want? And then have the belief, which is the last part, the reconnection, to do so and walk in it. And one of the best examples of living a refocus, reframe, reconnect life is Disney. Everyone knows Disney. And in times of change, when people were like,

like, I don't care about animated films. We are in a World War, and they're like, okay, well, we're still in media and film. Let's shift and support the wartime effort with film propaganda. And then from there, when life became good again, let's reinvent ourselves, reimagine with Disney World. And that's giving people hope and the feel-good experience with Disney. And then today, you have Disney who they partner with Pixar and Marvel. So again, they're continuously reimagining themselves as a legacy company. And that's an example of the R3 inaction.

I love it. Refocus, reframe, reconnect. I love reimagining. I think that's really important to re-exam. imagine the way things should be definitely you work at the intersection of strategy soul and sustainability in a world chasing hustle how do you teach leaders to build legacy with a burning out or selling out i think the first thing mark is really being wedded to your why why do you show up every day doing what you do and hopefully

that ties to your passion and to that ultimately legacy that you want to leave behind. And from there, it's saying, okay, I've got to not have intention, because we often talk about such your intention. But I believe when you set an intention, any excuse to navigate from that can come into play. But when you're committed, it's as Malcolm X says, by any means necessary, you're going to you're going to stay there and that i think helps you to balance your day to be able to pull back right reflect refresh and then come back in uh fully committed pressing forward but understanding we're human beings we're not meant to burn the candle at both ends what does that cause rising cortisol all of these other um ailments that can that can happen because we are not

taking care of self first. So we want to take care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, spiritually, our relationships that mean most to us, and then seed the business in and around that, keeping your priorities in place, keep the main thing, the main thing. And then I think you can truly avoid the exacerbating effects of burnout. I love it. I just think you've got so much wisdom to share. And I think people really need strategies because burnout's a real big thing and people do struggle with it so much, Luana. Now, what is the hashtag number one mistake, even the smartest entrepreneurs make when trying to stay relevant in today's market and how can they avoid it?

I would say, Mark, then, in my opinion, the number one mistake is being infected with, I call it comparisonitis. You're busy looking to the left and the right, what other people are doing, and you're making these judgment calls. Because you only see in part, but you begin to panic and wonder, well, why are they going farther faster than me? well there can be many reasons but when we stay focused on our lane and realize with you know with with true commitment that we don't compete with anyone but ourselves as sydney portier the actor used to say every day his goal was to get better and better you know from where he was and if we do that as business owners as individuals it helps us to get out of the lane of of competition comparing ourselves because then with that comes stress. I need to make more money and I'm going to use this example more. So I one of my businesses is on the mortgage side of the house. We do commercial investment mortgages. And what I find invariably when I talk to a client, they're obviously looking at prices and what are my rates going to be. And they always tell me, well, my neighbor or my

friend got X, Y, and Z. And I'm like, do you understand all the variables that come into packaging something together so that they could make a financial decision. And that's how we have to look at our business. We can't compare what other people are doing or what their revenue stream is compared to you. Maybe they have a better marketing platform. Maybe they have a better pricing model. Maybe they communicate on a consistent basis to their clients. Maybe they have a dependable and reliable product or service that they add.

So there's so many things that can cause someone to appear to be doing quote unquote better than you. And so back to your question, what is the number one factor, I believe, is allowing yourself to be infected with comparisonitis. Stay focused on your why, focused on your goal, be committed to your lane, and be determined to win. And I think you'll be okay in the end. and I think never look sideways to compare yourself to others either because I think if you're looking out for competition you'll find it whereas if you're focused on yourself and your strengths and going in your own lane like you say that's how you succeed Luana now you often say when your vision intersects with opportunity success is in a

Do we train ourselves to recognize the intersection and not miss the moment? That is really training your line of stuck sight. So as a business owner, even as an individual, your strategic lens that we all innately have in us, but we have to be trained, right? How do I exercise that? It's like going to the gym and you want to have a body that looks a certain way. Well, it requires repetition. and lifting those weights in a certain way.

And that's the same thing with what I'm saying here. It is a mindset that's based in action. So it's understanding, as I said, when your vision, you got to have a vision first. So what is it? Where are you trying to go? What impact are you trying to leave legacy you're trying to build? So when that vision is crystallized in your mind, then realize that with that commitment, you should be combing continuously for those waves of opportunity that are going to come because

they're abundantly there and then realize that when you have that intersect and that sweet spot you sit in there it's the success that I'm talking about is inevitable it is going to happen it will happen more likely better than you even imagined it but it takes knowing where you're going first and being crystallized and and writing it out so clearly that a fifth grader can understand it and see it. When you talk about visioning, it's a line of sight. And so many people say, oh, well, I wrote my vision statement. And then I asked them, well, tell me about it.

And they'll quickly rattle off something, Mark. Okay, well, you just, you said something, but what does that mean? What does it look like? what does it feel like right we talk about the law of attraction it's tied to that emotional space that's when transformation and shifts in the universe begin to happen and you begin to resonate and attract those things that will help you move the needle whether it's attracting the right stakeholders partners financial investment ideas um will come into place so I really think it's so important when you write that vision statement or you have that vision

board you got to feel it and not just do it you have to feel it and then you start walking bit by bit in it because a vision is out there in the future right Mark now I got to back up but it's still that beacon like that lighthouse that I'm slowly trying to get toward right without being crushed by the rocks and things around me. So I really think that when you can shift your mindset and have the belief paired with the action, consistent, committed action, then that intersect will result in that inevitable success.

I love it. I absolutely love it. Now Luana, who should connect with you? I know people can connect with you. Luana Bradford.com. That's Luana at Bradford.com. Who is it really ideal to get in touch with you, Luana? Yeah, that's a great question.

My ideal audience is, I work with your large companies, but I want to speak specifically to the entrepreneur, Solopreneur. And that's the individual who has been in business three to five years, and you're feeling the stress, and anxiety associated with shifts and change. And you're trying to figure out, okay, I feel this, but how do I develop strategies?

How do I find those opportunities so that I can remain relevant in times of change so that I don't become obsolete and go the way of the dodo bird? So again, it's that person who, male, female, solo entrepreneur, small business owner, who is looking to find a way to remain relevant, in times of change to develop those systems that will allow them to become more insulated

when disruptions happen because it's not if there will be another one. Those are the times we're in now, Mark. The times of running down a certain lane for 10, 15, 20 years and maybe you have a little blip. No, change is happening radically more rapid than ever before in the history of business and commerce. So the person who wants to understand that this new landscape and partner, because my clients, I see them as partners with us where we can come in, help you sharpen your lens so that you can stay relevant, sustainable, create impact, influence, and ultimately income. That's who this is for.

I love it. I would encourage everyone to connect with Luana at Luana bradford.com. That's Luana bradford.com. Lewana, I thoroughly enjoyed to have a conversation with you. As always, thank you so much for being my guest today. Thank you so much. And if I can, just to your listening audience, if you just want to have a conversation with me and you connect on that, on Luana Bradford.com. you'll get a complimentary 20-minute strategy session where we'll do, it's amazing how much you can get accomplished in 20 minutes. And I will give this to your audience so that you can position yourself to really build momentum as we get ready to go into the new year. I would encourage everyone to go to luana at Bradford.com.

Thank you, everyone, for joining us for brilliant. Thanks for listening to Business Innovators Radio. To hear all episodes featuring leading industry influencers and trendsetters, visit us online at businessinnovators.com today.