Business Class News's Podcast

Be Different: Escape the Competition, Create Value, and Change the Game by Marty Strong is a business and leadership guide that challenges conventional thinking and encourages individuals and organizations to embrace innovation and creativity. The book draws on the author's extensive experience as a retired Navy SEAL, business leader, and entrepreneur.Key Themes and Insights:Differentiation as a Strategy Marty Strong emphasizes the importance of standing out in a competitive landscape. He encourages leaders to focus on creating unique value rather than following industry norms or engaging in cutthroat competition.Creative Problem-Solving The book advocates for adopting a mindset that seeks solutions outside the conventional playbook. By questioning assumptions and taking calculated risks, individuals and organizations can find new opportunities for growth.Resilience and Adaptability Drawing from his military background, Strong highlights the importance of resilience in overcoming challenges. He connects this to the business world, where adaptability to changing circumstances is crucial for long-term success.Empowering Leadership Strong underscores the value of empowering teams to think differently, innovate, and take ownership of their roles. Effective leadership involves fostering an environment where creativity thrives.Customer-Centric Innovation The author stresses understanding and anticipating customer needs as a foundation for creating products and services that truly stand out. Businesses that prioritize customer satisfaction can build lasting loyalty.Practical Tools and Techniques:The book provides actionable strategies for adopting a "be different" mindset, including ways to shift company culture, develop unique value propositions, and inspire teams to embrace innovation.Audience:Be Different is ideal for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone looking to escape mediocrity and redefine success on their terms. It combines practical advice with inspirational anecdotes, making it both insightful and motivating.If you're looking to rethink your approach to leadership and business growth, this book offers a roadmap to create value and redefine the game.Get the book 

Karl spoke to Thomas Noh, the Founder of Sociable AI and they have an indepth conversation about his journey to founding the company and his vision of how his technology is enhancing social media engagements for brands and companies.Sociable.AI: Revolutionizing Digital Communication and EngagementIn an age where digital interactions dominate, the quest for more meaningful and impactful connections has never been more pressing. Enter Sociable.AI, a groundbreaking platform that is reshaping the landscape of communication through artificial intelligence. By integrating advanced technology with human-centric design, Sociable.AI aims to transform how businesses and individuals interact online, bridging the gap between personalization and scalability.What is Sociable.AI?Sociable.AI is a cutting-edge artificial intelligence platform designed to enhance digital engagement. It combines natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and sentiment analysis to craft tailored interactions that resonate with users. Whether it's a business looking to strengthen customer relationships or individuals seeking more intuitive digital connections, Sociable.AI provides tools to make online communication as effective as in-person exchanges.Key Features of Sociable.AIHyper-Personalized Communication Sociable.AI uses real-time data analysis to understand user preferences, tone, and context, enabling hyper-personalized responses. This feature is particularly beneficial for businesses looking to elevate customer service or marketers seeking to improve conversion rates.Scalable Human-Like Interaction Unlike traditional AI tools that may feel robotic, Sociable.AI creates interactions that mimic genuine human communication. It can handle large volumes of inquiries or conversations while maintaining an authentic and empathetic tone.Advanced Sentiment Analysis Understanding emotion is a cornerstone of meaningful communication. Sociable.AI's sentiment analysis identifies user emotions, allowing responses to be empathetic and contextually relevant.Versatile Applications Sociable.AI is adaptable across industries, from customer service and e-commerce to education and social platforms. Its versatility makes it a game-changer for any organization aiming to enhance digital interactions.How Sociable.AI is Changing the GameEnhanced Customer Experiences Businesses leveraging Sociable.AI can deliver 24/7 support without compromising quality, ensuring customers feel valued and understood.Streamlined Team Efficiency By automating repetitive communication tasks, Sociable.AI allows teams to focus on strategic initiatives, reducing burnout and enhancing productivity.Inclusive Communication Sociable.AI's adaptability ensures that digital interactions cater to diverse audiences, making platforms more accessible and inclusive.Data-Driven Insights The platform provides detailed analytics, offering actionable insights into user behavior and preferences to refine communication strategies.More Information Sociable AI

Last year (2023) a conversation about creativity and innovation around art started about a great artist.The Picasso Celebration 1973-2023: 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso.  This celebration triggered the desire to bring the amazing art of Picasso over to the United States to stimulate interaction with businesses and education and encourage creativity.Karl talks to Andy Martinez, the President of the TECC (Texas European Chamber of Commerce) and their plans to bring over to Texas some wonderful pieces of art by Picasso.LEARN MORE: The Business of the Art - Creativity and Innovation Inspiration - BCN News Pablo Picasso from Malaga (10/25/1881 - 04/08/1973), as loved in Spain as in France, and internationally.Pablo Picasso was a multiple creator, he equally dominated the classical painting of his early years, as well as engraving, lithographic printing and other pictorial techniques. He painted from ceramics to an allegorical mural to peace, such as his 'Guernica'. And he was not alien to sculptural creation. His work is that of a complete creator. His inspiration always found him working on a new work. He placed the cubist avant-garde ahead of his contemporary fellow artists. He was a tireless worker. He played all the styles and had time to dance, go to the bullfights and surround himself in very Spanish parties with his best friends. He was also a skillful negotiator of his art.  

Karl spoke to Matt Frankenbery, CEO of Pitsco Education and Eric Simmons, Director of Sales of Pitsco Education in our continuing series of segments with STEM in Schools and Eduardo Galindo.Learn More: https://www.bcn.news/stem-in-schools/Pitsco Education: Inspiring Innovation in EducationPitsco Education is a leading provider of innovative educational resources and solutions that aim to engage students in hands-on learning experiences. Founded in 1971 by a former teacher, Pitsco has grown from a small company into a significant player in the field of educational products, particularly in the realms of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.Mission and VisionPitsco Education's mission is to help educators inspire students to learn by providing engaging, hands-on experiences that develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and creativity. Their vision is to create a world where all students can achieve their potential through innovative learning experiences that are both meaningful and enjoyable.Product OfferingsPitsco offers a wide range of products and solutions designed to enhance educational experiences for students of all ages. These include:1. **STEM Kits and Curriculum**: Pitsco's STEM kits are designed for various grade levels and cover a range of topics, from robotics and engineering to environmental science. These kits provide educators with the tools to facilitate hands-on learning and help students apply their knowledge in real-world situations.2. **Maker and Tinkering Supplies**: Recognizing the importance of creativity in learning, Pitsco provides a variety of maker supplies that encourage students to build, invent, and explore. These resources support the maker movement in education, allowing students to engage in design thinking and iterative problem-solving.3. **Robotics and Coding**: With the increasing importance of technology in education, Pitsco offers a variety of robotics and coding products. These resources help students develop essential skills in programming, engineering, and teamwork.4. **Professional Development**: Pitsco Education is committed to supporting educators through professional development opportunities. They offer training and workshops designed to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge to effectively implement hands-on learning in their classrooms.Educational PhilosophyAt the heart of Pitsco Education's approach is the belief that students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process. Their educational philosophy emphasizes experiential learning, where students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and collaborate. By fostering a learning environment that prioritizes inquiry and hands-on activities, Pitsco helps students develop a deeper understanding of complex concepts and prepare for future challenges.Impact on EducationPitsco Education has made a significant impact on education by transforming traditional teaching methods and promoting a more interactive and engaging approach to learning. Their products have been implemented in schools across the United States and beyond, enabling educators to create dynamic learning environments that inspire curiosity and innovation.Through partnerships with schools, educators, and community organizations, Pitsco continues to champion the importance of STEM education. Their commitment to making learning accessible and enjoyable has helped to spark interest in STEM fields among students, encouraging them to pursue careers in these vital areas.ConclusionPitsco Education stands at the forefront of the movement to enhance educational experiences through innovative, hands-on learning solutions. By providing educators with the tools they need to inspire and engag

We are proud to be a partner with STEM in Schools and Summa Caussa to help educate you on the ULTIMATE Ecosystem that is available to organizations and corporations to participate in.We have spoken to hundreds of corporate executives and they told us of the challenges they face trying to understand what STEM and educational programs are best for them, and that meet their objectives.STEM in Schools has developed a network of amazing partners that complement each other and deliver results.

BCN News has partnered with STEM in Schools and in our first in our series of conversations Karl speaks with STEM in Schools president Eduardo Galindo, Dee Memon, from Kids Robotics Academy and Max Ringleheim of Infento, North America.  They talk about their partnership together and how they are developing programs that are going to help shape the students of the future.

Karl is always talking to subject matter experts about how they can help companies grow.  Karl had a great conversation with Jim Buffington, a leading expert in future-ready tax software and innovative accounting technology with Intuit, and gave some amazing insights on how ProConnect Tax,  is the ONLY professional tax software with built in-tax advisory and insights, that empowers the industry with digital tax strategies and compliance solutions for new laws.Tax firms are currently encountering significant challenges, including ongoing staffing shortages and the complexities of preparing for 2025 tax policy changes. These combined pressures not only affect tax professionals' sense of accomplishment but also negatively impact their job satisfaction and career opportunities.Tax professionals and CPAs are working long hours to manage tax reform and compensate for workforce shortages. A solution that not only enables them to offer clients significant savings with customized tax plans but also leverages automation to fill resource gaps and offers cloud-based flexibility to work from anywhere at any time is crucial—these advantages help busy tax professionals streamline tax workflows and adapt to tax law changes. Despite these hurdles, optimism prevails as Intuit's ProConnect Tax software pioneers new paths in tax compliance and strategic tax planning for 2025.Here are some great resource links to learn more:QBOA for Accountants: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accountants/products-solutions/accounting/online/ProConnect Tax: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/tax-online/Education Center: https://accountants.intuit.com/training/ 

With inflation coming in hot in the last PCE report, the outlook for Fed cuts in the second half of 2024 is getting more bleak by the minute.Rather than selling, homeowners are rethinking their money-making strategies and are entering the Short Term Rental market heading into the Summer. Homeowners need to know how to maximize profits and exactly what they need to do to comply with local regulations. Pam Knudsen, senior director of compliance at Avalara MyLodgeTax  discusses how owners can to set themselves up for success using AirBnB and other Short Term Rental market platforms with an actionable list of best practices.About Pam KnudsenPam Knudsen is Senior Director of Compliance at Avalara MyLodgeTax, leading the Lodging tax team and Returns Experience/Reconciliation team for Sales & Use. She serves as a leading voice in vacation rental tax compliance and regulation, in addition to bringing in-depth experience across software/SaaS technology as well as ERP systems. Pam joined Avalara in 2012. 

Whimstay is dedicated to offering the best deals on last-minute vacation rentals.We offer the biggest discounts on bookings made within 30 days of check-in, but we also ensure great deals year-round compared to other major booking sites.We do this by partnering with professional property managers to offer exclusive discounts on properties that might otherwise remain unrented. On average,  guests save nearly 25%, and over $200 per booking.Featuring an extensive selection of vacation rental homes, condos, cabins, villas, and resorts, Whimstay is becoming the go-to choice for savvy travelers.

Whimstay recently emerged as the industry leading travel site for booking last-minute vacation rentals at fantastic rates.If of interest I can look into getting a media rate discount if you (or someone else from your team) if you want to try Whimstay to book a getaway yourself.US based start-up Whimstay announced last month that bookings are up 400% last year compared with 2022 and that it attracted 1.2 million unique users to its site in 2023.The improved growth is attributed to new features, functionality, doubling its number of listings and forming several strategic partnerships.Whimstay has significantly outperformed other online travel agencies and booking sites, emerging as the marketplace leader for bookings made within 30 days of check-in. 

Creating fun and accessible chemistry stories has been a labor of love for Colleen as a retired University of Arizona chemistry professor and author of a series of kid's chemistry comic books. In 2023, the PBS short documentary, “Comic Book Chemistry” was awarded an Emmy. This documentary centered around Colleen's vision, chemistry comic book series and her success with teaching college-level chemistry concepts to kids. During Colleen's 30 years of teaching chemistry, she became aware that her students were struggling with basic concepts, including fluency with the symbols for the elements themselves. These comic books, videos, and activities are Colleen's gift to all future scientists – one that will help them succeed in college chemistry.Colleen holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University, was awarded a Chateaubriand Fellowship to conduct research at the Universite Pasteur in Strasbourg, France under the direction of Nobel Prize Winner, Jean-Marie Lehn. Colleen was a tenured faculty member with research expertise in environmental toxicology, medicinal chemistry, and chemistry education. She has published four chemistry textbooks, over 30 peer-reviewed articles, and has presented her work globally.

Karl talks to Michael Steiner, Marty Strong and Dr. Jens Hartmann in our NEW series Masters of Disruption, which was the brain child of Marty Strong who is a Board Member of BEST Robotics.Our spotlight shines on Dr. Jens Hartmann who is an award winning executive focusing on change management and culture change.Dr. Jens Hartmann talks about the science of culture, and how the brain has a huge part to play  in preparing individuals and organizations for changing the dynamics of the future performances.

In this new series from BEST Robotics, Masters of Disruption, we bring some of the greatest minds from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to hear their take on how students, and the future workforce are working together to drive innovation and learning environments.  Karl spoke to Michael Steiner, Marty Strong and Vinay Kunwar and they had an insightful conversation about this subject to start the series off.   Vinay, the CEO of India First joined the conversation from his office in India and he talked about the collaboration with his organization and BEST Robotics.   

Acquisition integrations are when the parent company takes over the target (acquired business), right?Well… not exactly.  There are different approaches used to merge, or integrate an acquisition. Here's an overview of them, looking at it from our specialty of working with lower-mid and mid-size businesses (i.e. those with less than 1000 employees).

You've completed an acquisition, have an integration plan ready to go, and Day One has arrived: you're ready to tell the world about the deal and the bright new future.  Let's tell everyone, right?Not so fast… not everyone wants to hear the same message. Different groups of people have different perspectives and different interests. You need to create a Communication Plan to tell different audiences what is relevant to them.A basic integration communication plan should cover the following:READ MORE

When you acquired a business, you had an intention, a strategy, of what you wanted to do with it. For example, you wanted take advantage of a very specialized team and the product that they develop, so that you can increase sales revenue. Acquiring a business is a set of intensive stressful activities that culminate in closing a deal. However, in many ways, buying a business is the easier part of realizing your acquisition strategy. You should now prepare for a major change in how you work on this merger. Acquisition Integration is a campaign of concurrent activities focused on a set of common objectives (known as Key Objectives), that take place over a long period, while continuing the activities of the general business. READ MOREhttps://www.bcn.news/feature/intista/ive-just-bought-a-company-now-what/

Karl talks about the importance of pre-qualifying your sales prospects, and creating intelligent lead campaigns to maximize your closing efficiencies 

In this weeks segment, Karl talks to Terry Toomey on the status of business resources that are designed to help businesses grow and thrive, especially in rural America.

Business Class News has partnered with The Industry Hub to help new and existing businesses grow and scale.  Each month in 2023, BCN will showcase businesses that are either growing or just launching.  The Industry Hub will share tips and advice on how to succeed in business.  We will be giving you an advanced preview to an interactive program that is being launched, which has been developed for all types businesses from the start-up to the mature and ready to grow.SPONSORED BY THE INDUSTRY HUBTerry Toomey, the Executive Director of The Industry Hub will be a regular contributor on BCN and our podcast shows.We are also inviting business owners to register their business for consideration in our series “Business Sunrise”.  These are 3 minute snapshots that allow the business owners and leaders present there companies.

Karl spoke to Janie Bordner, Executive Director of New Horizons and talked about the amazing vision and mission of the organization.Janie talks about their goals, and objectives and also about the amazing Celebrity Chef Smackdown event they are holding to raise funds so that they can achieve them.You can get more information by visiting their websiteCelebrity Chef Smackdown Event - https://newhorizonsofntx.org/celebrity-chef-smackdown-2022/About New HorizonsIn 2002, Bob and Ellen Nichols saw a need to reach children with the message of Jesus Christ in a small neighborhood in Bonita Springs, FL. Ellen was local elementary school teacher, and Bob was a professional boat captain. They began their ministry by going door to door inviting kids to come to the “Super Kids Church,” which would meet every Sunday morning at Manna Christian RV Park. This kids-only church became a huge success!The Nichols' began praying for God's direction on how to reach more children. Seeing the problems in the neighborhoods and recognizing the tremendous need to help the children from non-English speaking homes with their school work, Bob and Ellen were led to find a place to provide free after school tutoring.In January 2003, they opened the first Super Kids Club in Rosemary Park and also founded New Horizons of Southwest Florida, a non-profit organization. From its first day with 20 children meeting on Wednesday afternoons, New Horizons Super Kids Club has expanded to four locations open Monday through Thursday. The Super Teens Club opened in 2006 in order to continue meeting the needs of students through high school graduation.As the impact in Southwest Florida expanded, New Horizons Programs, Inc. was created in 2015 to launch the first affiliate location – New Horizons of North Texas. The visionary efforts of Tom and Nancy Cooper were instrumental in bringing the affiliate organization to their home town of Dallas to create faith-based after-school programs throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.By God's amazing grace, New Horizons now includes eight different programs that operate throughout the year providing more than 60,000 hours annually of tutoring, mentoring, and faith to over 500 at-risk youth in Southwest Florida and North Texas.

Entrepreneurs designing solutions utilizing technology can get feedback, recognition and $20K from Tech Titans and enterprise companies on the cutting edge. In a new Grand Challenge, entrepreneurs submit an application which will be judged by representatives of technology companies, and finalists will be showcased for a virtual pitch in front of a panel of celebrity judges on Thursday, October 13, 2022.The challenge will be open to entrepreneurs nationwide.  The 2022 Tech Titans Innovation Collider Grand Challenge is seeking innovation solutions, systems or applications that advance sustainability and drive technology innovation for one or more of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs  https://www.sdgactioncampaign.org/17goals/) that you believe are most important for America.Entrepreneurs, start-ups, small and MBE/WBE-certified technology companies should be pre-revenue to revenue less than $2 million. There is no cost to participate. Participating companies can be located anywhere in the United States, and do not have to be Tech Titans members. Deadline for applications to be submitted is September 5, 2022 at 5:00 pm CT.CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATIONLast year's Grand Challenge recipient, Dr. Corey Clark,  CTO of BALANCED said, “As a result of winning the Grand Challenge we were able to push further into our research and development for a distributed privacy preserving machine learning platform.  We expanded our work within the area, bringing on more researchers and developers to further our capabilities in this space.  We have made significant progress in developing a fully privacy preserving machine learning infrastructure that is capable of scaling and training a neural network within a volunteer distributed grid environment while maintaining privacy of data and the model being trained.  The support from Tech Titans and the Grand Challenge award allowed BALANCED to move toward creating a commercial model that brings privacy preserving machine learning to our proprietary HEWMEN platform.”Awardees will receive:A minimum cash award of $20KAn invitation to the Tech Titans Awards Gala on October 27, 2022Enterprise-level mentoring that could include access to technology resources and potential customers/partnersIntroductions to funding resourcesThe hope is that the entrepreneur/start-up will negotiate some form of:Technology licensingFundingCustomer/supplier relationshipsStrategic partnershipsOther business relationshipsThe Tech Titans Innovation Collider offers myriad services that enable large companies to partner with entrepreneurs, university researchers and thought leaders to collide, connect, collaborate and create groundbreaking solutions that accelerate business value. These services include providing executive e

In this segment  extract Don Springer talks about the purpose of a board.You have got a board and you are doing a good job, but how do you raise our professionalism as board directors?How do we improve board composition?How do we focus on strategic vs. operational issues?How do we refine our board succession plans? How should we use technology for our boards and our business?How do we improve our M&A capability?How do we extend our network?How do we improve our risk orientation?

We've got a board and we're doing a good job, but how do we raise our professionalism as board directors?How do we improve board composition?How do we focus on strategic vs. operational issues?How do we refine our board succession plans? How should we use technology for our boards and our business?How do we improve our M&A capability?How do we extend our network?How do we improve our risk orientation?

In this segment of Link'd AM we focus on philanthropy and how non-profits can really benefit from having a team working with them to realize the potential.

The SMU Cox Graduate Entrepreneurship Club, founded in 2000, is a student-led organization dedicated to promoting innovation within the SMU community. The Cox Graduate Entrepreneurship club fosters opportunities for student club members to achieve their goals of starting and launching a viable business, exploring venture capital interest, supporting a startup, or inspiring entrepreneurial thinking. The Cox Graduate Entrepreneurship club provides members with resources, hands-on support from the SMU entrepreneurship community, mentorship, and support from the Dallas startup community.Karl talks to Seun Suberu, founder of College Plus and Full time student, and they talk about the balance between college life and being an entrepreneur.  A lesson we all learn as we advance though our careers.

Karl speaks with David Vincent, VP Product Strategy and Customer Engagement at Appsian, a Global ERP Security platform that monitors various levels of threat detection, controls and ensures that its customers are audit ready to be compliant in this very important part of a business - data protection.David talks about how businesses need to think not only of the protection of their customers data but also prepare themselves to align with the ever increasing Corporate Governance pressures for the Boards of Directors.ABOUT APPSIANAppsian Provides ERP Security Below The Network LayerUnlike most security companies that focus on perimeter protection, Appsian is focused on protecting the asset below those layers – your data and financial transactions.Our unique approach that combines data security with controls for identity and access management, along with governance, risk, and compliance has earned us recognition across the ERP landscape. Including two awards by Cyber Defense Magazine.

Be Visionary: Strategic Leadership in the Age of Optimization is a self-help, business leadership book that demonstrates to existing and aspiring leaders the positive impact of applying flexibility, creativity and decisiveness to achieve results - even in uncertain times. More importantly, this book helps leaders to understand that while business operations optimization may have value in certain circumstances, it can also adversely affect a leader's management style, his or her message and replace strategic thought with short-term focus and gratification. For example, even the most efficient wagon-wheel manufacturer in the early 1900s was put out of business by the invention of the automobile - think and lead strategically!Pre-Order: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Visionary-Strategic-Leadership-Optimization/dp/1785354329/ref=sr_1_1?crid=30AS0SCMUETSR&keywords=be+visionary+marty+strong&qid=1649362134&sprefix=be+visionary+marty+strong%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1

The White House recently urged private companies to bolster their cyber defenses, citing evolving intelligence suggesting the Russian government is exploring “options for potential cyberattacks” targeting U.S. critical infrastructure. Karl talks to Puranda Das,  the CEO and Co-founder of Sotero (www.soterosoft.com) and they discuss the challenges that CTO's and Security teams face when migrating from a physical location of data to a cloud infrastructure. Purandar discus's  organizations' security teams have not been able to achieve a consistent, reliable level of security across their cloud ecosystem and how organizations can have a framework that helps them obtain the industry's best-of-breed security capabilities through a revolutionary data security fabric. Purandar is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of success in the information technology and services space. He is skilled in Technology & Business Development as well as Enterprise Software, Enterprise Architecture, Agile Methodologies, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

Karl talks with Valecia Harris, the current President of the Cox Graduate Entrepreneurship Club, and they talk about the SMU Business Accelerator Program.Both Business Class News and kNEXTis are proud to be media sponsors of the program.The previous SMU Business Plan Competition will now be replaced by the new Cox Graduate Entrepreneurship Club (CGEC) Business Accelerator Program. This program will provide SMU students (both undergraduate and graduate students from across all departments) and recently graduate SMU alumni entrepreneurs the opportunity to take a business venture from idea to product launch. This intense and enriching 6-month program offers a unique combination of immersive workshops, mentorship, as well as access to a wealth of entrepreneurial and investor networks. The program is designed to accelerate ideas, technologies, products, or existing businesses into a thriving market by providing support and hands-on mentorship. This program features two competitions; (1) a Semi-Finalist Elevator Pitch Competition that awards non-dilutive pre-seed funding and in-kind donations up to $10,000 and (2) a Finalist SMU Startup Launch competition that awards over $50,000 in cash and in-kind donations. 

Karl spoke with Finch Fulton, the VP of Policy and Strategy  at Locomation, and they had a fascinating conversation around their business model, and how it fits with the topics Business Class News has been showcasing - The Future of Our Workforce. Finch Fulton joined Locomation in February 2021. He previously served at the US Department of Transportation under Secretary Elaine Chao from 2017-2021, was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and was the nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. There, he led the USDOT's efforts around the safe integration of transportation technologies into the US transportation system. This included the development of key policies and initiatives around automated vehicles, commercial space operations, data, machine learning and artificial intelligence efforts, hyperloop systems, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and more. He helped develop the President's UAS Integration Pilot Program and Automated Driving System Demonstration Grants, managed the Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology (NETT) Council and served on key transportation-related White House working groups.He also served in the House of Representatives under Congressman Jim McCrery and Congressman John Fleming, M.D., in the Senate for Senator Jeff Sessions and in the private sector focused on the State and local integration of technology. He is a native of Mobile, Alabama, a graduate of the University of Alabama, received his MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and has been involved in trucking and logistics through his family's business his entire life.ABOUT LOCOMATIONLocomation was founded in 2018 by a team of the world's foremost experts on autonomous vehicles, robotics, and artificial intelligence from Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics Engineering Center and trucking industry leaders with deep knowledge and experience in every aspect of the trucking business.The name Locomation is the convergence of locomotion and automation. It isn't fixated on one single transport mode, but rather describes our grand vision: automation for anything that moves. We began our journey with middle mile freight automation, the most critical link in the supply chain and the one best suited to integrate human-guided autonomous technology. We're creating capacity in a world that's demanding more, faster every day. And from here, we plan to go everywhere autonomous transportation is needed.We are motivated by the challenge of solving problems that have hindered the trucking industry for decades. Trucks transport more than 70% of the nation's freight. E-commerce has sharply increased the need for freight trucking services. Demand is expected to grow 36% between 2020 and 2031.1 At a time when demand has never been stronger, persistent driver shortages create capacity constraints that force carriers to turn down orders.

On this segment of Link'd AM, Karl talks with Mike Bright, Ph.D. who is Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Grove City College in Grove City, PA. Grove City is a small (2500 students), Christian, liberal arts college with a strong commitment to balancing the liberal arts, science and technical degrees. Karl and Dr. Bright talk about the current state of engineering and how the need has changed over the past few years, and what it looks like going into the future.They touch on many things that have been touched upon in his conversations with Michael Steiner, the Executive Director of BEST Robotics, of which Dr. Bright has been involved with for many years and served as President until recently. ABOUT GROVE CITY COLLEGEA legacy of faithfulness.Faithfulness to our 1876 founding purpose is one of our core values, and it is central to our unique higher education story. Daily, we seek to be faithful to our mission to equip students to pursue their unique callings through an academically excellent and Christ-centered learning and living experience. This dedication through the years of the Grove City College community, including nearly 29,000 alumni, has led us to the pinnacle of nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences colleges.Our road has not been easy, but extraordinary accomplishment rarely is. Faithfulness to our mission led us to and through a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in the 1980s. Today, faithfulness to our mission creates educational outcomes that employers and graduate schools find highly desirable.

Today I spoke to Nirav Patel, VP of Product Development, and we focused on how to get the most out of launching a successful program. The key to any successful launch and execution of these programs is getting the right elements into the mix. Pre planning is such a crucial part of an implementation and ChannelAssist and our XLA Solution team have adopted a process called Hyper Onboarding, which allows the project team to discover what client really needs and aligns it with the original scope. Getting this additional overlay of requirements allows for adjustments and refinement. In our conversation we talk about the process, the planning and what you should consider when implementing an engagement program. 

Our vision is to turn your donations into Training, Education and Technology for Veterans and their families in needWorking computers can provide a new life to struggling veterans rather than being discarded.Many veterans face two significant barriers when competing in the modern workforce: the lack of a computer and the lack of the skills needed to effectively use that computer.T4T supports these veterans by collecting used technology that would usually end up in landfills, then refurbishing the laptops and other devices.They provide the reloaded technology, along with training, to veterans in need for low or no cost.Who We Are:Tech For Troops was started in Richmond, Virginia by a mother and son team who were passionate about military veterans in need and wanted to do something to help. In 2013 after hearing about the force reductions and a huge number of returning soldiers, they decided to collect used PCs and Macs, refurbish them, and provide them to veterans' support organizations.Since then we've grown to supporting veterans nationwide and continue to look for ways to offer workforce support and training.Information on Donations : https://techfortroops.org/

Last week, Karl spoke to Richard Stevens, President of ChannelAssist and they spoke about the power of Engagement and how it can be the difference to a successful Channel Rep program or a failure.Karl wanted to deep dive into some of the tactics to help engage the channel reps, and communication was brought up in the conversation.In this segment, Richard talks about the different tactics and how people learn and intake information. You can get more information by visiting: https://businessclassnews.com/channelassist/

Channel programs are becoming a very effective way for manufacturers and service providers to distribute their products and services.  But so many programs fail because of various factors that ChannelAssist have seen over the years they have been in business.  Richard Stevens, President of ChannelAssist talks to our Publisher, Karl Woolfenden and they talk about the things that need to be included when planning and executing an effective program.  The word throughout this segment is “Engagement” and its the missing link from either a successful program or a failure.  Richard talks about how ChannelAssist approaches this with their clients and points outs some tips to make  you more effective.Watch the video and get more information:https://businessclassnews.com/channelassist/

This week we launched XLA Solutions, a strategic partnership with ChannelAssist one of Worlds leaders in Channel engagement campaigns, and we are excited that our new suite of incentive and rewards can help companies drive revenue and increased engagement.Karl has been in the promotional and incentive business for over 30 years, working with companies like General Motors, Ford and other major organizations designing and executing employee recognition programs, and other engaging campaigns that drive results.In this new environment, we need to, more than ever recognize our most valued partners, and that can be in a channel model or a direct sales and operational model.Sales and operational roles are the fuel to keep the business engine running and if you don't feed the engine with engaging and creative ways to motivate and keep your stakeholders moving forward, a business can suffer.In this episode Brooke Friendly, Marketing Director for ChannelAssist talks to Karl about the importance of getting the message and themes fun and engaging.

Ryan Weaver is a high-energy, all-American, rockin' country music artist who proudly served as a Black Hawk Helicopter Aviator, Chief Warrant Officer 3, in the United States Army. In 2017, Ryan was announced as the Patriotic Voice of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) for their Celebrate America Campaign at the 2017 PBR World Finals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2018 and 2019, Ryan toured across the U.S. and internationally to Australia with the PBRBuy Ryan's latest release - Let's Talk About Heroes https://linktr.ee/RyanWeaverOfficialABOUT RYAN WEAVERRyan's personal story is like no other artist in country music today. Growing up with a family of eleven in a small town in Floral City, Florida, he joined the Army right after high school. After several years of working as a Military Intelligence Analyst, Ryan followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, Steve and Aaron, by attending Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school. He graduated top of his class in flight school, becoming a Black Hawk Aviator.  In April 2003, he deployed to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Shortly after, one of his brothers, Aaron, was deployed just west of him in Fallujah.On January 8, 2004, Aaron was killed in action when the Medivac helicopter he was a passenger in was shot down by enemy fire. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat…  After all, Aaron had survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia – the same battle that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan. He returned from combat, taking a new position training the next generation of Army aviators and officers at Fort Rucker, Alabama and has not piloted a Black Hawk since that fateful day. On December 17, 2013 Ryan's brother-in-law, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings, was killed in action in Afghanistan when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground-detonated explosive device.  This second heartbreaking loss made the Weaver family a two-time Gold Star family. Both of his brothers' ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel Ryan's fire to accomplish his dreams in music.In late 2016, Ryan released the music video for his single “Burn,” featuring Kris “Tanto” Paranto and John “Tig” Tiegen from the movie 13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. “Burn” aired nationwide on The Country Network and Heartland, and internationally at over 5,000 retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues throughout the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. Ryan's first music video “Crank It” played nationally on ZUUS Country TV and TNN/Heartland Network and spent 8 weeks on their Top 10 Video Countdown – a network record. 

Be NimbleHow the Navy SEAL Mindset Wins on the Battlefield and in BusinessMarty Strong's direct and compelling message is focused on business but in truth, its leadership tenets are agnostic as to industry, marketplace, private or public setting. This is not a textbook. It is a personal conversation between a high-performance business leader and professionals searching for actionable insights that deliver results. Be Nimble provides mentorship, tips, tools, and useful examples to help drive home its valuable leadership insights.Marty Strong has an accomplished leadership career spanning four decades. He worked his way from enlisted SEAL Team member to the SEAL Officer corps, retiring with twenty years' service in that highly-decorated and esteemed military unit. He is the author of the Time Warrior Sagas and the SEAL Strike Series.Link To The Book: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/business-books/our-books/be-nimble-navy-seal-mindset

When the Marines and the Army partner up, nothing can stop them.  And this is true for Cheramie and Todd Aho , the owners of Cheramie Wine, a Texas wine company that is showcasing the best of Texas wine and how it can be up there with the best.This episode talks about the importance of having the right wine with the right dish, and especially for this Thanksgiving holiday.Cheramie and Todd are going to be regular guest on the show and they will be showcasing up and coming wines they are launching.You can learn more about Cheramie Wine by visiting their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cheramiewine

When people say to me "you are so creative" it gives me a sense of pride that someone has seen I have put thought into my idea, action or work.  So when I was given the opportunity to have the co-author of the book "Cracking The Creativity Code" - Shlomo Maital, as a guest on my show, I jumped at the opportunity.  Shlomo, is Senior Research Fellow at the Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies, Technion and Professor (Emeritus) at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. All that being said I was honored that he joined me and Michael Steiner, Executive Director of BEST Robotics, Inc. to discuss this topic of creativity.We discussed whether creativity can be taught or are you born with it, and the answers were very interesting.Shlomo and Michael talk about the situation in todays educational systems and some concerning trends they are seeing.I am hoping that when leaders of industry and key executives listen to this conversation they learn to embrace creativity within the workforce, and educators see the potential in students that demonstrate creativity.