Commercial Excellence with Jesse Hopps

Building Commercial Capabilities with On-The-Job Coaching & "Growth Projects"

The discussion revolved around unlocking growth through learning, focusing on how to equip employees with the right mindset, skill set, and tool set to drive meaningful business impact. Topics included corporate transformation, resilience (AQ), grit, learning effectiveness, and motivation.
 
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The discussion revolved around unlocking growth through learning, focusing on how to equip employees with the right mindset, skill set, and tool set to drive meaningful business impact. Topics included corporate transformation, resilience (AQ), grit, learning effectiveness, and motivation.
🎤 Summary of Points by Each Speaker
Ron Denoo
Former Chief Strategy Officer, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials
30+ years in chemicals, plastics, and composites—ranging from project engineer to CEO
Specialized in business turnarounds and corporate transformation
Led global transformation for a chemical company with 70,000 employees across 32 countries
Now runs a portfolio of musical instrument companies, merging business strategy with passion
Key Discussion Points
Corporate Transformation Failure
70–80% of transformations fail due to:
Superficial strategy (e.g., bonuses without structural change)
A sprint mindset—short-term focus instead of long-term capability building
Ignoring people—transformation is behavioral, not just procedural
Best Practices
Put employee growth first, not just business metrics
Support change with intrinsic motivation, structured learning, and behavior design
Dr. Paul Stoltz
Resilience & AQ Expert, Founder of Peak Learning
38+ years studying Adversity Quotient (AQ)
Trained 5M+ people in 137 countries, including the U.S. Olympic team
Faculty at Harvard, Stanford, INSEAD, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and Princeton
Key Discussion Points
Why Transformations Fail
Change is framed as resistance, rather than opportunity
Traditional models falsely assume performance dips before recovery
Employees must be trained to thrive in change, not just react to it
Power of AQ
AQ predicts:
Resilience
Innovation
Leadership
Problem-solving
Employees with high AQ:
Are more adaptable and productive
Overcome adversity faster
Show lower attrition and higher engagement
AQ > IQ or EQ in adversity
AQ enables EQ—especially in emotional regulation and trust under stress
Kurt Friedman
Strategic Sales & Coaching Expert
20+ years in revenue growth, learning, and customer experience
Co-founded 6 startups—4 successfully acquired
Advised 500+ founders and students
Key Discussion Points
The Forgetting Curve
90% of learning is forgotten in 1 week without reinforcement
Traditional methods (e.g., lectures, e-learning) are not sticky
Retention Strategies
Learning by doing: 75% retention
Teaching others: 90% retention
Use spaced learning, coaching, and real application
Guided Discovery
Ask questions instead of prescribing answers
Encourages ownership and reflects real-world decision making
Jesse Hopps
Founder of Demand Metric, Behavioral Science Advocate
Background in psychology, learning science, and motivation
Partnered with Dr. Stoltz to apply AQ and grit to growth strategies
Key Discussion Points
Traditional Training Falls Short
The issue isn’t lack of tools—it’s lack of motivation
Most training ignores intrinsic drivers
Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
People learn best when they feel:
Autonomy – freedom to choose their path
Competence – confidence and ability
Relatedness – personal relevance and connection
Real-World Learning Models
Inspired by Montessori and Fontan methods
Emphasizes project-based, self-driven learning over rote memorization
Businesses should adopt guided discovery and problem-solving approaches
🔑 Key Takeaways
Corporate transformations fail when they ignore mindset and motivation
Resilience (AQ) is the most powerful predictor of innovation and performance
Interactive, applied, and reinforced learning methods outperform traditional training
Guided discovery and intrinsic motivation create deeper engagement
Organizations must shift from “change management” to “harnessing adversity”
“This fireside chat offered a fresh perspective on growth, transformation, and learning—placing resilience and intrinsic motivation at the center of employee development.”

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