Aaron Beam Speaks Podcast

Meet podcast guest Donald Briskman who’s an attorney with Briskman & Binion Law Firm — a nationally recognized, Mobile-based law firm specializing in family law, criminal defense, insurance, personal injury, corporate, and construction law. Donald has worked several famous cases which we touch on in this conversation and on Aaron’s case with the HealthSouth fraud incident. We talk about that case, the ethics that one faces as an attorney and much more. First words that Donald told Aaron as a client was for him to not lie to him or to the Federal government. Donald says that lawyers have the ethical responsibility to not lie and to not let their clients go down that path either. Tune in!

Everyone makes mistakes, but people will find reasons for why they do what they do. Ralph Bender is the CFO of the Manship Media, a broadcasting group in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Prior to joining the Manship family businesses, Ralph spent a number of years in public accounting with both a national and a regional firm. We discuss ethics and situations that Ralph experiences in his career. He says the most important aspect of his job is to balance the interests and do what is right for the company, the employees and what’s right for the owners. There are core issues that we are taught at a young age and one of the core elements Ralph sees is responsibility which he says is a basis for ethical behavior. We may be in an ethical crisis because there is a lack of respect. Join this conversation where we discuss trust and what betrayals cost.

Today’s guest Is a lady who is quite a mix of talent and has the kind of day job as an attorney and Judge that creates TV shows, but to her it is real life and it isn’t for someone’s entertainment. She defines herself as a writer who also practices law. Meet Lori Duff—attorney, appointed Judge, an author and ghostwriter and a comedian. She’s not defined by her education, but rather by all she embraces. Inherently a curious person, Lori is an expert in a variety of subjects as she writes and plows through her life. We have fun in this episode as we find out how she blends all aspects of her interesting life. The responsibility of being a judge can be tremendous as you are dealing with lives while keeping your head balanced in that powerful role. Lori is an in-demand speaker with topics to include— Finding the Funny: Using Humor to Cope with Stressful Situations; The Plain English Legal Guide to— Estate planning, Writing, Not Getting Sued; Blogging 101 — How to Set Up a Simple Blog and Find Your Voice and From Blog to Book or How to Turn Your Blog into a Bestselling Book. A sense of humor is what gets people through this hard life and finding the funny in things is a survival skill. Tune in!

This episode features Navy veteran and recently named Dean of the Miller College of Business and professor at Ball State University. You will enjoy getting to know Dr. Stephen Ferris. Teaching young men and women to be leaders and managers in their organizations and principle based leadership is effective and at the core is — ethics. We talk about the building blocks of building character, finding out how to integrate that into the curriculum and trust. His take is that ethics provides the long term return and the corporate value success. Join us for a discussion that proves an optimistic view that there is a chance to shape the path for students. Tune in!

This episode features Elizabeth Sheedy, a risk management expert and Professor based in the Department of Applied Finance of Macquarie University. This episode is a chance to examine some of her research and what she introduces as her professor role to students. She looks at risk governance, culture and remuneration in financial institutions. Her current focus research interests are: risk culture, ethical culture/leadership, remuneration and experimental investigation of risk management behavior. Elizabeth uses a range of research methods to build understanding of behavior in financial services including surveys, experiments, interviews as well as the econometric methods traditionally used by finance scholars. Also joining in the discussion is Greg Browne, a business executive who has joined on previous podcasts with expertise in looking at the executive compensation and other topics of accountability.

Three transactions that he knew were wrong changed the trajectory of his life. We get to make choices every day, but we don't get to choose the result. Today’s episode features Harvid Moore who was caught up in fraud with his partner at MeritBanc Savings Association. You’ll hear his experience and the events through both his eyes and that of the young FBI agent who was assigned his case. Founder and principal of The Hartman Firm in Atlanta, Vic Hartman is a retired Special Agent of the FBI, an attorney, a CPA, and a CFE, and a partner in Behavioral Forensics Group, LLC. You’ll learn in this episode much of dynamics that were occurring. Harvid now spends his days speaking about his personal account of the pressures and rationalizations that led him to make a terribly wrong choice and the consequences that followed. He conducts a training seminar that covers pressures and rationalizations which form the basis for unethical conduct; and then, moves to the study of the 7 Steps beginning with Know Your Core Values and concludes with Reinforcing Ethical Behavior.  Both guests have written books that you’ll want to read from Amazon — One Choice Can Change Your Life — is Harvin’s book that tells the story of where he missed the mark and reveals losses along the way. Vic Hartman’s book is — The Honest Truth About Fraud — which explains the current fraud threat picture that any individual or organization may face. Join the conversation. Tune in!

Executive compensation can have controversy and a bit of smoke and mirrors, however the federal securities laws require clear, concise and understandable disclosure about compensation paid to CEOs, CFOs and certain other high-ranking executive officers of public companies. The financial payments and non-monetary benefits to high level management for work in a company can prove for interesting discussion. Greg Browne, a solid business executive with expertise in financial compensation -- and other topics, as he has joined the podcast in a previous epsiode -- joins this episode to cover a topic that really isn’t new, but it certainly spans multiple industries and creates dialogue that raises eyebrows. Tune in.

This episode discusses credit, budgets and aspects of financial distress. We dive into financial risk management and how it can be sold off or acquired. Our guest is a professor who is truly training the next generation of risk managers as he works in the field of business and brings practical experience into the classroom. You’ll enjoy meeting Dr. Robert Brooks, CFA who is the Wallace D. Malone, Jr. Endowed Chair of Financial Management at The University of Alabama (www.robertebrooks.org), founding partner of BlueCreek Investment Partners, LLC, a money management firm (merged with Keel Point, LLC), and president of Financial Risk Management, LLC, a consulting firm (www.frmhelp.com). Brooks' research, teaching, and consulting practices focus on making financial theory work in practice. He is an expert in business, investments, financial derivatives, and financial risk management. There is much discussion that you’ll find intriguing as we talk about precious metals and his personal stance. Dr. Brooks professes that you can’t have financial fruit if you aren’t examining your philosophical perspectives. Do you have a three month emergency fund — which is how much money you go through in a month times 3? That alone can reduce stress, but few in this wealthy country have such a safety net and we saw that to be evident during the latest Covid crisis. Worldview affects absolutely everything and we talk about the criteria of how we make decisions or rules. Dr. Brooks bases his ethical decisions as he works for an audience of “One” and he gets into his faith and how it affects his agenda as he presents the important issues of teaching ethics in the classroom. Executive stock options require one to have a solid ethical framework to function ethically in this gray zone. Understanding one’s ethical frameworks is tremendously important for both the student and the professional. Tune in!

This episode features Bruce Cozadd, the Chairman/CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, a global biopharmaceutical company that he co-founded in 2003. You’ll be drawn in by the brilliance and dedication of this man as you hear him describe his business education path in learning to build, run, manage and finance a company. Culture is key to Bruce and he discusses mechanisms to make the culture real. When we talk about the finances and accounting, Bruce says that he believes that employees who are doing important work are motivated— which creates better value for patients as it is creating better numbers for the company. Employees are enabled to contribute and succeed. He believes in connections with management—all the way to the access and familiarity of the Board of Directors for employees. The pandemic proves hard to stay connected, but Bruce shares some methods he implemented to increase direct communication. This chat will give you some insight into CEO life and pointers to be innovating in a crisis, focus on execution and remain genuine. Tune in!

What if someone steps up before disaster occurs in a company when they think wrongdoing is happening? Being a whistle blower is tricky business. Before you go forward with what you think you might know, you should find someone you trust and go over your options. Originally, the term was used in government public service for mismanagement and corruption, but now it covers an employee that alerts that there may be waste, corruption, fraud or profit seeking. Laws have now been passed to both protect and reward whistle blowers. Business has a lot of bluffing — just think about the car deals you might be making and how you bluff for you to pay less and for the dealer to take less. Sometimes it’s okay, right? Meet on this podcast episode to discuss the games played in high level negotiations. These practices can lead to unethical behavior. The dictionary defines the practice of bluffing “To engage in a false display of confidence or aggression in order to deceive or intimidate someone.” Tune in!

In history you dig to see what made people operate the way that they did and examine the legacies. Today’s episode is featuring LeeAnna Keith who is a spectacular author and history expert. She teaches history at the Collegiate School for Boys in New York City where some rather famous people have attended. You may recognize LeeAnna as the author of The Colfax Massacre: The Untold Story of Black Power, White Terror, and the Death of Reconstruction. She examines obscure parts of history and commands an in-depth knowledge of research so that she can tell the story to show racially motivated crimes and lead you through the parts of the late 1800’s. We talk about the Colfax conflict on this podcast episode and the events leading to that massacre. We discuss Lincoln and the idea that he endorsed black participation in the political process. American principles, the political parties and policies that were on the top of everyone’s agenda are topics she's studied. Her latest book, When It Was Grand, gives step by step insight of the Civil War and highlights heroes that most books hardly mention. Keith also co-authored Companies Are People, Too: Discover, Develop, and Grow Your Organization’s True Personality. You'll want to read her books and Tune in!

This episode is a moment to talk about an American artist who holds a special place in the hearts of many. Wendy Rodrigue Magnus, the wife of the late George Rodrigue joins us and shares stories of George, his art and much of the early days of his painting demonstrations she experienced with him that set the stage for how she shares today. You can feel the happiness they shared and laugh at some of the stories. Wendy shares behind the scenes of the Presidential portraits George painted. Aaron recalls the giving nature of George and how he wanted people to share in art and life — like a time that Aaron and Phyllis were provided the opportunity to ride on the Blue Dog float in New Orleans and how George made their exquisite costumes. Today Wendy speaks to school students sharing original art through the Life and Legacy Foundation to those who might not ever have such an opportunity. Tune in!

From running a car dealership to the live music business, you’ll get to meet a good friend on this episode, Tommy Williams. We run through some stories of days gone by. He currently runs a multipurpose venue in the heart of Birmingham— WorkPlay. It is one of the South's premier concert venues, plus houses 2 full recording studios, private event spaces and a perfectly acoustically balanced, film and television soundstage WorkPlay has 2 main concert halls and office space. The pandemic affected Tommy and his organization, but they can’t wait to get artists back into shows. We talk about ethics in business and walked down memory lane of some of the great people coming through Workplay like Bob Dylan. Tune in!

This episode is focused on education and the process. Meet Shelta Richardson who is completing her doctorate in education leadership and so she sought out discussion about ethics with Aaron. Through her studies she is a part of the process to fix problems and is taking on the subject to teach ethics. Shelta is a respected leader with expertise in recruiting, training, mentoring, and retaining management and professional staffs. She empowers and works with team members to hold them accountable for achieving facility and corporate goals. We address what can be done as educators within the field of higher education to know how to face moral dilemmas. Human nature is prone to do unethical and the ways in which to carry that behavior out are changing. A common thought is tha technology impacts behavior in new and unstudied ways. Shelta is looking for people to be a part of her study and you are welcome to contact her. Tune in!

This episode is a bit different as we focus on farming with our special guest Tim Mullek of Robertsdale, Alabama. He’s a man tremendously involved in the community and a farmer growing crops that include cotton, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, and corn. We talk about farming techniques and how they’ve changed and what a day-in-the-life looks like. In this discussion we learn a bit about a crop duster purpose and benefits, what’s in the field and how it goes from seed to market. Are there areas where farmers can choose to be unethical? Yes, but Tim believes that most farmers are-- for the most part-- ethical and do the right thing most of the time. We talk about no-till farming and hear some of the benefits. Tim is glad there are land grant universities like Auburn University for the research and data they are able to collect for farmers. Tune in!

This is a delightful podcast to entertain you immediately with guest Nancy McLemore who is a voiceover artist and is amazingly talented. We talk about some of the commercial work she’s done over the years —  she has a background in opera performance, sings and plays bass in a jazz combo and is featured in a satirical podcast “BS de Resistance” where she plays several different characters. She also tells us some of the roles she plays like that of a standardized surgeon helping train anesthesiologists at the medical center in Birmingham, AL. You’ll hear her talent as Nancy slips into the role of an additional guest on this episode. She’s hilarious and a true talent. Tune in!

This episode has a special guest who is defined by the public service his life represents. Tim Russell of Foley, Alabama served on the Foley town council, as mayor for several terms, as the judge of probate in Baldwin County and on a host of volunteer community organizations. Tim also was on the state scene serving as the Alabama Revenue Commissioner under Governor Bob Riley. He has lived a life in politics and faced numerous decisions that he had to choose to always do the right thing ethically speaking. When he ran for mayor, it was because he wanted the area to grow and he and his wife knocked on every door meeting the people of Foley. We talk about Highway 98 — which if you are a beach goer in that part of Alabama, you know it well. He has connections as a graduate from The University of Alabama and we go down memory lane with some stories you’ll throughly enjoy. Tim is a leader and has a very strong work ethic.

Meet the artist who brought “Ethel” to life as the painting of the child blowing bubbles that you hear Aaron refer to as his constant reminder to be ethical. Liz Landgren is a an accomplished artist from Birmingham, Alabama. She tends to have relational art and she connects with the people who buy her work. Motivated by happenings in life, she shares several of those impactful moments that inspired her to act in this episode. When asked to paint a face that represented Birmingham, she centered her inspiration on the four little girls in the 1963 Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. There are many amazing stories she shares in this podcast. She captures feelings through faces, eyes and somehow, the pasts and futures in her work. When you find yourself vulnerable, needy and somewhat broken, your perspective changes toward everything in life. Simply said, life affects how Liz paints and the projects she finds herself in are positioned to bring joy—it’s not just pouring paint out on a canvas, she has a need to create, make and do. Tune in.

You’ve most likely heard the phrase that a bad apple can spoil the bushel. If one can find the bad apple and remove it, then have we fixed the problem? Today’s guest says that there is more likely a bigger issue to address. Meet Dr. Linda Treviño who is Professor of Organizational Behavior, Cook Fellow in Business Ethics, and Director of the Shoemaker Program in Business Ethics in the Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University.  Most people are influenced by their surroundings and Dr. Treviño calls that the “barrel” —which is the company, situation or the culture where an individual finds themselves. You will gain much insight from this conversation as we look at current topics focused on troubling issues which indicate change is required. We discuss organizational ethics in this episode and aspects that may influence what we see through learning from role models, leaders, co-workers and the award system. Tune in.

This episode is a focus on music days and people with singer, artist Marcia Ball who shares insight into her world of music. We get to talk of success and misses along the way of her career as her first album debuted in 1977 and she hit the road. One of her most proud moments was “Dreams Come True” with all-star vocalists Lou Ann Barton and Angela Strehli. We dig into how the music business has changed and shifted from touring and selling records to today with streaming. There are ethics involved in the music industry and we hit on the topic of intellectual property. Marcia shares her humbling experiences of her roots in the New Orleans and Gulf Coast traditions and being inducted into Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2018. This spectacular musician has a remarkable career spanning over 50 years. Marcia turns a bit serious and raises questions of the pandemic and some of the feelings she experiences in the midst. There are several nonprofits you’ll find her associated with that help musicians and she shares the details. It is a delight that our guest offered to end this podcast with “Mobile” by Marcia Ball—enjoy! Tune in.

Have you ever considered that change is constant and pattern matching helps to find a sense of gravity and balance where one can return and manage life? In the midst of this pandemic that task can be extremely difficult and on this episode we spend time examining issues and addressing questions as organizations and leaders are dealing with this pandemic and the complex and uncertain times. Two fascinating guests are featured in this episode — Dr. David E. "Daven" Morrison, a organizational psychiatrist who works with senior corporate executives on leadership and executive functioning and Dr. Sri Ramamoorti who is currently Associate Professor, Department of Accounting, School of Business Administration, University of Dayton. These two individually have written a host of research-based articles and books. They coauthored the A.B.C.’s of Behavioral Forensics: Applying Psychology to Financial Fraud Prevention and Detection which explores the psychology of fraud victims, including boards of directors and senior management, and what makes them want to believe fraudsters, and therefore making them particularly vulnerable to deception. You’ll also find blog posts by our guests on http://bringingfreudtofraud.com/ and they are partners at Behavioral Forensics GroupTM, LLC  where they offer expertise on a variety of subjects. We examine people as they simply categorize what’s happening daily in their lives trying to avoid ambiguity…which is expensive. In our conversation we note that most of the patterns we leaned into prior to Covid are not what can be relied on today. We discuss the three identifiable waves of the pandemic, the exhaustion of virtual meetings conferences and the difficulties of sheltering in place. Join in as we talk about the impact of ethical behavior intertwined in daily life. Dr. David E. "Daven" Morrison www.morrisonltd.com 650 North First Bank Drive Palatine, Il, 60067 847.991.2260 Dr. Sri Ramamoorti 10929 Cobble Brook Dr Dayton, OH 45458 Cell 630 347 9172

Ever think about how long the average fraud lasts? The answer is 18 months. This episode is with Joe Koletar — a retired FBI agent, author, speaker and fraud consultant who is a seasoned investigator and has much insight on fraud and the people who commit it. A question he poses is “have you committed a crime in the last 24 hours?” Pretty much no one can say no…1 mile over the speed limit…think about it as we all have the capacity to be untruthful. We talk about “The Tipping Point” in this episode where people and countries get into trouble because somewhere in the middle is a tipping point and you have to know where your point of getting uncomfortable is in any situation. We talk about perceived need — that can be anything from a habit to a passion. We basically have the emotion to be afraid and most people enjoy a feeling of the rush a risk can give which can make fraud somewhat attractive simply because of the thrill. We get into some talk over this concept. Joe is also involved with a group of professionals who formed a behavioral forensic group who speak, consult, perform audits, make assessment evaluations and more. Interestingly enough, all of these individuals are guests on this podcast! Check their website at http://bringingfreudtofraud.com/ Have you ever thought about that fraud within a company can look like a lot of other vices like laziness or just not being qualified to do the assigned work? Tune in as we chat!

This episode is a chance to zero in on my second book which is a playbook for being ethical and winning ethically in business. I explain the "circle" of a diagram that I see and examine the leader in the center where the fraud begins. We look at what that person might look like ... as well as some of the problems that come along. The drive for money accumulation is is a perfect opportunity for situations to go haywire. If you are creating phony earnings and sales, it is going to involve the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In my case, it was fun running with the big dogs…it was intoxicating and I didn’t have the courage. There are methods of accounting that help you achieve the numbers and it grows from there. When it comes to ethics, you need to set a goal for perfection or you find yourself on a slippery slope or in a gray area. Tune in for this episode.

Larger than life lifestyle is sometimes seen in executives that find themselves in corporate scandals. Today’s guest was at the right place, at the right time to launch a career into investigative reporting. Meet Greg Farrell who has a different perspective of white collar crime, as his job with Bloomberg requires him to put together the facts and drama of an event to bring it into the public eye. He sat in the courtroom during the HealthSouth trial and has tremendous insight in how a trial plays out as he has been on the front row to financial scandals. He’s an author of a book entitled “Corporate Crooks” which summarizes some of the big cases in this century and also the book entitled “Crash of the Titans: Greed, Hubris, the Fall of Merrill Lynch, and the Near-Collapse of Bank of America” which gives the story of the Wall Street disaster involving several financial giants. We talk in this podcast about players and incidents. Greg was on the Netflix Special “Trial by Media” and has covered several high profile trials, involving Enron, WorldCom and Martha Stewart, Tune in as we also talk about what’s happening in the aggressive attempt to keep the economy afloat and the room for bad apples to be in the mix of those who are getting benefits that shouldn't be in that line. Good people, well intended people can find themselves in situations that compromise their ethics.

With no magic answers concerning how to ensure ethical behavior, conversations like the one featured in this episode are imperative. Our guest weighs in on topics centered around ethical violations, when fraud may actually begin and the dangers of derivatives and stock options. He has extensive experience and relates information with great storytelling. Tune in as we talk with Dr. Don Chance who holds the James C. Flores Endowed Chair of MBA Studies and is Professor of Finance at the E. J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University. A plethora of ethical violations are reported through all of the news and social outlets, but are they actually happening more frequently? Let’s discuss the culture we find ourselves in today as we examine that question and when business and corporate trust starts. The idea of being inherently dishonest doesn’t get you up the corporate ladder, but does it creep in at the top? Dr. Chance is the author of several textbooks and also has penned a novel that reveals an ethical lapse that creates a possible scandal. Tune in!

Today’s episode features a guest who ministers to people and shares in their joys and sorrows. He is a special person in my life and I want to introduce him to you. Father Paul Zoghby, Pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland in Foley, Alabama joins the podcast with insight on how we use our material blessings -- perhaps that’s where we should take stock. We talk about some of the responsibilities of conducting solid, ethical business and he presents some soul searching topics. There are a few laughs along the way. Tune in!

A Party in the BackYard This episode has a special selection of Rick Carter singing Tequila Conversation, so listen til the end! Music can connect people on a lasting level that brings joy. Part of life for host Aaron Beam included hosting parties and music events at venues in Birmingham, Alabama that created deep roots and relationships with the artists. Aaron and wife Phyllis started with a party in the back yard that ultimately became a famous crawfish boil. This is where he first met Rick Carter. Rick Carter is one of those incredible musicians who wanted to write music, have an audience to hear those songs and to make a living at it. That’s exactly what he accomplished playing country rock, chasing the fads and ultimately settling in his roots of southern rock. This conversation dips into the past of the energy of bands during a time when bringing your best for the first take brought an amazing energy. Moments of his career are stellar …. opening for Bob Dylan or jamming with Jimmy Buffet are among some of his story highlights. “If My Guitar Could Talk” is a streaming show on facebook for a happy distraction that Rick’s presented during time at home during Covid where Rick goes back to original songs he hasn’t played in a while or to write new songs . The planning, execution and putting on a show gives the mental paycheck that a musician so desperately needs. 45 years of guitars gives some stories that deserve to be told. Check @rickcartermusic to follow. Tune in now for the podcast! Music written and performed by Rick Carter and used in this podcast by permission from Rick Carter.

Did you know that many individuals who commit fraud also have been competitive in sports? We often wonder why people commit fraud and today’s guest spent much of his career with the FBI to investigate, interview and interrogate to make cases. He worked national, complex and elite corporate scandals. Digging to find the answer to that question and many others — as well as the motivators — he says he “peeled the onion” to get to the truth. Vic Hartman is on today’s episode and he covers aspects of fraud and breaks down the fraud triangle of opportunity, pressure and rationalization. He is a licensed Attorney and Certified Public Accountant in the State of Georgia and a graduate of Emory University School of Law. Vic holds the credentials “Certified in Financial Forensics” by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and “Certified Fraud Examiner” by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and he also authored, "The Honest Truth About Fraud - A Former FBI Agent Tells All" tune in!

Today’s podcast is full of insight from guest Dr. Peter Ricchiuti. He is humorous in his delivery and his points are strong and encouraging. Get ready to hear the most unethical thing he has ever seen — it may surprise you and definitely will make you laugh. This man pours himself into his students and shares his methodology as a professor at Tulane University. He founded Burkenroad Reports (www.burkenroad.org), an investment research program at Tulane University where 200 students are broken up in groups of five to follow small, underrepresented publicly traded companies. The stories will fascinate you as you hear the opportunity his students have of learning firsthand to understand stocks and realize that real people are behind each and every stock ticker symbol. Tune in to hear this author, radio host, professor and financial expert.

The discussion of ethics centers on the topic of companies adopting and presenting financial information aside from the US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) method of accounting and adopting non-GAAP measures. This episode features a long term friend who has much expertise in the finance world. Greg Browne is a renowned business executive and is a leading speaker on the subject of uniform rules and how they apply in financial reports. We dive in and talk about examples and speculate what companies may attempt in the coming days in their accounting methods. Over the past 15 years companies have been using non-GAAP measures in a variety of ways to report and so it warrants discussion. You’ll hear some of the uses ranging from research analysts to investment and commercial banks to basically everyone in the financial sector. Tune in.

See this guest featured in Ethics Playbook, Winning Ethically In Business by Aaron where she is spot on in her research and noting the signs and signals of common threads of ethical problems surfacing in businesses. This episode features ethics expert Marianne Jennings, Professor Emeritus of W.P. Carey School of Business of Arizona State University. She is an author and educator who has focused much study on examining organizations for the sign of ethical collapse, which resulted in a book she authored entitled The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse. The conversation revolves around companies who push the envelope and the economic pressures that temp unethical behaviors. Ever thought about what a board member ought to be prepared to do when serving in a position and what questions they should be asking? Companies can preach compliance and ethics but fall hard. Tune in.

As a speaker to schools, healthcare groups, CPA’s, corporations, and associations there is a chance to make a connection with the audience and bring my story of unethical and illegal mistakes that led to my professional downfall. This episode centers on questions that people ask at the conclusion of my presentations almost every time. When there’s a question from someone in the audience, I answer it with complete honesty and the interactive format gives a different twist to every presentation. You’ve probably had some questions rise in your mind just like these — why didn’t the auditors catch the fraud or when did crossing the line become apparent? Tune in for a listen.

This episode features one of the best ethics professors and ethics specialist whom I have encountered in my professional speaking opportunities. Dr. Leslie E. Sekerka is a Professor of Management at Menlo College in Atherton, CA, where she also serves as the founding Director of the Ethics in Action Center. You’ll find books she’s authored that include: Ethics is a Daily Deal; Ethics Training in Action; and Being A Better Bear children series. Her passion in teaching students and others to grasp the vitality and importance of business ethics is reflected as she presents ethical issues through the lens of who you are and where you will put yourself as determining factors in how you guide your actions and integrate the organizational change and behavior in business ethics. Our discussion dives into ongoing moral and positive organizational development that help examine the decisions that are made day in and day out. This episode is thought provoking and notes that bringing ethics into discussion platforms creates a hopeful prospect in that we will see stellar examples of good leadership come out of tough times. Tune in.

This episode concerns leadership and how it impacts ethical behavior of individuals within a company. Think of examples where tough goals that are above industry averages and the incentive to do whatever it takes to meet such goals moves individuals to place their company loyalty ahead of solid and good ethical responses. We examine the concept of loyalty that can be compared to family and ties so tight where one never betrays. When faced with intense performance pressure, the question arises to examine how loyal to a company and to supervisors would you be and in such situations and have you considered your ethical safeguards? Tune in.

People sometimes have an interest into what prison life is like. On this episode you’ll be a part of a conversation that explores one of the lowest points of Aaron Beam’s life. After all of the material things that he had accumulated, it was reduced to a small locker in 24 hours. Tune in to hear the experiences and lessons from lifting weights to reading to phone calls and visitations. Aaron shares that telling the truth

Are things getting better ethically? In this episode, you’ll hear that I think that they are. Periods in history were ethically bad and that gives us a chance to explore and discuss topics that impacted our history. Unbelievable behaviors that people engaged in are somewhat astounding, but we do make corrections and fix real problem areas. There are many examples of how unethical behavior can happen amongst people and in business where few people see what is coming, but we tend to fix the problem eventually.

In Todays episode Aaron talks about the signs of ethical collapse at a corporation. Aaron references The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse by Marianne Jennings leading into a play from his own book The Ethics Playbook. Be sure to subscribe for future conversations about ethics with Aaron Beam.

This is Episode One of Aaron Beam Speaks Podcast which is a focus on ethics and what it takes to avoid ethical landmines. We will unpack ideas, philosophies, values and warning signals through the stories and ethical standards that we explore and discuss with the guests who join us. Making good ethical decisions in society is necessary, but staying on the straight and narrow does not just happen. Moral reminders are imperative and setting a high ethical bar requires hard work, sharp senses and more than a little courage. While a single decision can alter the path, thinking about ethical dilemmas and creating a course of action can improve the odds that one makes the right choice. Aaron Beam Speaks Podcast is hosted by Aaron Beam, author and speaker who currently travels the country conveying the message to audiences in corporate and educational settings to set high ethical standards for themselves and their organizations. As the co-founder and first CFO at HealthSouth Corporation, the largest provider of outpatient surgery and rehabilitative services, Beam experienced life when days were good with the company growing by leaps and bounds and him personally profiting — to the moment he made the unethical decision that landed him in one of the biggest corporate fraud cases and then in prison. Beam is the author of two books: Ethics Playbook, a practical guide to why people and companies behave unethically, and how to build a strong ethical culture in your workplace, and HealthSouth, The Wagon to Disaster, which tells the history of the HealthSouth accounting fraud and why it happened.