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Why Customer Experience Isn't a Department, It's a Company-Wide Strategy Shep interviews Keith Farley, Chief Customer Officer for Aflac, Inc. He talks about delivering best-in-class customer experience by hiring for empathy, leveraging technology, and embracing authentic customer service as a strategy. This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more: How do you build a culture where every employee takes ownership of customer service? When should a company use AI automation versus a live human customer support agent? Will AI eliminate customer service jobs? How does hiring for empathy impact customer experience? Can empathy be scaled across a large customer service organization? Top Takeaways: Customer service is everybody's job. When you wear the company logo or interact with a customer, you represent the entire brand. When an employee is in front of a customer, they might be the only interaction the customer ever has. That interaction might be the only basis that the customer has to form an impression of the entire company. The A in AI stands for “artificial”. In times of need, customers need another A, which stands for “authentic”. While digital options make processes convenient for both customers and agents, make sure a human-to-human service is available, especially in emotional or sensitive situations. Great customer experiences start with hiring for empathy. It is hard to train someone to be nice and empathetic when it doesn't come naturally. Empathy can't be faked, and customers notice when it's real. For companies without a physical product, the experience is the product. The value comes from how fast responses are, how convenient the processes are, and how supported customers feel. Some customer concerns are so challenging and require a high level of empathy that they might require specialized support. Creating a dedicated team for these calls gives customers people trained to handle that moment with empathy and clarity. Plus, Shep and Keith discuss why business leaders should call their customer support number from time to time. Tune in! Quote: "When you're wearing your brand and representing the brand, you are the brand." About: Keith Farley is the Chief Customer Officer for Aflac, Inc. He leads a team of more than 2,000 employees and is focused on making customer experience a company-wide strategy. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Mark: They call me the Event Maestro. Here's why that matters to you.Your last event was a success. Yet, you left a fortune on the table. The feedback was great. The room was full. And still — the mission didn't accelerate the way it could have. Not because the event failed. Because no one showed you what the room was actually capable of. For one brief window, you had your investors, donors, board members, team and community leaders in a single space. Most leaders use that moment to share updates and deepen connections.The “Event Maestro” uses that moment to activate these stakeholders. Investors who came to observe - write a big check. Donors who increase their giving without being asked. Board members who become more cooperative. Sponsors who witnessed your culture and expanded their commitment on the spot. That's not a better agenda. That's a gathering engineered to turn your mission into a movement. For 30 years, I've been in the business of turning audiences into believers — and believers into buyers.I've strategized 900+ events over three decades. I help Impact CEOs activate stakeholder engagement through immersive experiences that don't just captivate rooms — they move people to act, lead and invest. As Co-Founder of BigImpactHQ, my wife Shannon and I have trained over 3,000 leaders to harness the power of speaking and live events. Our "Speak Your Path to Cash" System has generated more than $150M in revenue for our clients and landed them on stages most people only dream about — Tony Robbins, TED Talks, CNN, The View, Brendan Burchard, Mama Gena, and more. Before BigImpactHQ, I spent years as a Senior Branding Strategist for Clear Channel, writing 1,100+ radio ads and campaigns for Porsche, Harley-Davidson, AFLAC, and Marriott. That background wired me to think in messages that cut through noise and land with precision. I've shared stages with Jack Canfield, Robert Kiyosaki, Les Brown, and others — not just because I'm a good speaker, but because I understand the science of influence and the art of transformation. My work sits at the intersection of conscious leadership, transformational influence, and the inner game of business success. I help companies live from their higher purpose, build conscious cultures, and follow the principles of Conscious Capitalism — because mission-driven businesses outperform, period.Connect with him here: www.MAGspeaks.comDon't forget to register for our limited-space 5-day LinkedIn workshop here: https://www.thetimetogrow.com/AtoEonLinkedinWorkshop
This week on Jam Session, the ladies kick things off with a check-in on the royal return of Meghan and Harry, the discussion about security for the couple, and the media war among the family (03:00). Then, they react to the photo shoot with the Biebers in WYouth (16:43), review the new Rachel Cusk book inspired by Natalie Portman (26:58), and try to understand the latest Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce pap walk (37:50). They close the show by quacking with Ben Affleck's Aflac ads (42:42) and get into Feedback & Follow-Up (43:35). Hosts: Amanda Dobbins and Juliet Litman Producer: Ashleigh Smith Production Support: Remy Hernandez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bob's Movie Club has its next assignment: Steel Magnolias (1989). Bob's never seen this tear jerker, and it's only fitting to honor Dolly Parton. Speaking of honoring, Sarah pays tribute to Gloria Steinman. The Detroit Tigers just signed a 12-year old for $4 Million. Should Tiger Woods be able to drive a golf cart? ‘Zombies' Disney star, Carla Jeffery, suddenly passed away at 33. Ben Affleck was “caught” defacing Aflac signs. Jared Leto sold his compound and is getting out of Hollywood. Vinnie is stoked for young people. These friends were full of regret after letting AI plan their hiking trip.
Hour 1: Bob's Movie Club has its next assignment: Steel Magnolias (1989). Bob's never seen this tear jerker, and it's only fitting to honor Dolly Parton. Speaking of honoring, Sarah pays tribute to Gloria Steinman. The Detroit Tigers just signed a 12-year old for $4 Million. Should Tiger Woods be able to drive a golf cart? ‘Zombies' Disney star, Carla Jeffery, suddenly passed away at 33. Ben Affleck was “caught” defacing Aflac signs. Jared Leto sold his compound and is getting out of Hollywood. Vinnie is stoked for young people. These friends were full of regret after letting AI plan their hiking trip. Hour 2: Tim Curry's favorite ending of ‘Clue' has never been seen. Internet fanatics are trying to change that. Scarlett Johansson couldn't talk Colin Jost out of buying the Staten Island Ferry. The joke's on her! It's a comedy club now. Simon Cowell is having another spine operation, so Heidi Klum is returning to America's Got Talent. If you're experiencing nice weather, enjoy it! El Nino is on the way. Screenshot it and forget it! Could you fake your own death and get away with it? Plus, a new Hawaiian shirt might keep you safe from AI. Hour 3: The new Harry Potter series sparks a lot of conversation. Dancing with the Stars has announced the entire cast for its upcoming season. Julia Stiles, Taylor Hanson, and a husband of a Mormon wife. Sarah and Bob telling each other who everyone is. Plus, a moment to appreciate MMMBop. In the age of Waymo, Tesla is introducing the Cybercab. GLP-1s are truly undeniable. Sarah remembers her days in a coverband. Does she still have those velvet pants? Hour 4: The Taylor Swift law is being implemented in Brazil. Plus, new rules about ticketing platforms. Travis Kelce bought a gorgeous lake house in Ohio. Some lucky people just became neighbors with Taylor Swift. Former Bachelor Clayton Echard says Ronn Owens' daughter is a threat to others. It's a weird time for jobs, ya know, since AI is taking a lot of them. Vinnie is telling us the 13 fastest growing jobs that pay over $100K. Plus, When Did That Happen?!
What makes an idea big? Nike's Just Do It, the Aflac duck, Dos Equis with the most interesting man in the world. When done right, the combination of a brand's position, the emotional trigger, and the delivery work together to make up the big idea. Tune in to this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to learn what makes a big idea successful, the process for determining your brand's big idea, and common mistakes to avoid. Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.
What can happen in 30 seconds? For Linda Kaplan Thaler, quite a lot. She's the creative force behind some of the advertising world's most unforgettable ideas, from the Aflac duck to “I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid.” Now, in her new book, My Life in 30 Seconds, Linda looks at the small moments that can change a career or even a life. She's here to talk about creativity, resilience, leadership, and why sometimes the smallest ideas can make the biggest impact. What You'll Learn in This Episode How distilling complex messages into 30-second constraints drives massive brand awareness Why adopting an improv “yes, and” mindset unlocks breakthrough team creativity How taking bold, fearless pitches to conservative clients can rescue dying brands Why replacing standard networking with “nice working” yields long-term career returns How human creativity retains its edge in an era of rapid AI adoption Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (00:49) Welcome Linda Kaplan Thaler (02:42) The Power of 30-Second Distillation (03:43) Pitching Herbal Essences and Bold Ideas (06:46) Writing the Iconic Toys R Us Jingle (10:55) Applying Improv Rules to Business Creativity (11:51) Creating the Aflac Duck (16:23) Building Agency Culture Through Kindness (18:13) Human Creativity in the Age of AI (23:12) The Difference Between Networking and Nice Working (24:28) A Brand That Made Linda Smile About Linda Kaplan Thaler Linda Kaplan Thaler is a legendary advertising executive, author, and speaker responsible for some of the most iconic pop-culture campaigns in history, including the Aflac duck and the Toys R Us jingle. As the co-founder of the Kaplan Thaler Group, she helped build one of the fastest-growing agencies in the United States, scaling it from scratch to over a billion dollars in billings. A master of message distillation and creative leadership, her latest book, My Life in 30 Seconds, explores how micro-moments and rapid insights shape extraordinary careers. What Brand Has Made Linda Smile Recently? Recently, Linda has been smiling at Progressive Insurance for their long-running campaign warning homeowners not to turn into their parents. She loves the humor and stand-up performance driving the spots, pointing out that even when an ad makes you laugh before you remember the exact name, the sheer joy and entertainment value make it stand out in a low-interest category. Resources & Links Connect with Linda on LinkedIn. Check out her book, My Life in 30 Seconds. Learn more on her website. Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show. Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode. Sign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips. On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I'll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Introduction Most carriers have stopped arguing about whether the model is accurate. So why does an MIT study keep finding that roughly 95% of AI pilots show no return on what was spent on them? Dr. Gleb Tsipursky spent fifteen years as a behavioral scientist in academia before moving into consulting, and his answer is that the failure is emotional rather than technical. He names three emotions that block adoption inside insurance organizations: fear of losing the job, threat to professional identity, and shame about being seen using the tools. The third is the one Josh pushed back on, twice, and Gleb did not give ground. The episode is a companion to the July conversation with Stan Smith at Gradient AI, who argued that an accurate model gets ignored when an underwriter cannot follow its reasoning. Gleb takes it one layer down. Even when the reasoning is legible, the underwriter, the adjuster, and the auditor may still decline to use it, and the fix belongs to executives and middle managers rather than the data science team. Guest Bio Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is the CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, a Columbus, Ohio consultancy advising leadership teams on AI adoption and decision making. He holds a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill, spent seven years as a professor at Ohio State studying behavioral economics and cognitive bias, and has consulted for Fortune 500 companies including Aflac, Wells Fargo, Honda, and Xerox. The New York Times called him the "Office Whisperer." His eighth book, "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results," comes out from Georgetown University Press in September 2026 with a foreword by Nick Bloom of Stanford, and draws on more than a hundred consulting projects and fifty executive interviews. He recently ran a leadership workshop for Citizens Property Insurance in Florida. Key Topics -The three emotions - Fear of job loss, threat to professional identity, and shame about being seen using AI. None of the three are addressed by a standard technology rollout. -Training your own replacement - Employees resist because they believe adoption speeds their own obsolescence, a fear he ties to displacement among junior staff and recent graduates. -The shame problem - People use AI privately and will not tell colleagues, which preserves individual gains and destroys the team handoffs insurance workflows depend on. Josh pushed back on this twice. -AI alarmists and pragmatic resistors - Two of the eight psychographic profiles in his book, each needing a different fix from a different level of the organization. -The skill of the future is editing - Professional pride has to move from drafting the claims letter to evaluating what the tool drafted, which is also what regulators require. -Why license-plus-training fails - Buying seats and running online education worked for previous technology and does nothing for the emotional blockers under AI. -Middle managers become supervisors of supervisors - Employees become managers of agents, middle managers manage those supervisors, and leadership is left doing strategy. -Start in claims - Of every department he has worked with, claims gets a short-term return fastest, beginning with an initial coverage read an adjuster then decides on. Notable Quotes "It doesn't matter how accurate the model is, if the underwriter doesn't want to use it. And if the claims adjuster doesn't want to use it and if the auditor doesn't want to use it." "The biggest resistance to change is not the hassle. The biggest resistance to change is the emotions." "People are very reluctant to use AI because they feel that they are training their own replacement." "The skill of the future is not the initial generation. It's the editing and evaluating of that product." Resources Guest: Disaster Avoidance Experts: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/ "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work": https://press.georgetown.edu/Book/The-Psychology-of-AI-Adoption-at-Work Dr. Gleb Tsipursky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gleb-tsipursky/ Host & Organization: Joshua R. Hollander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuarhollander/ Horton International (USA): https://www.horton-usa.com/ Insurtech Leadership Podcast (LinkedIn Showcase): https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/insurtech-leadership-show Subscribe & Review If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe on your favorite platform and leave a review. The Insurtech Leadership Podcast is available on YouTube, Podbean, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler kicked off the show declaring summer over and football season back, previewing the return of live NFL action, BYU's fall camp opening, and the season premiere of After Further Review.BYU TV analyst David Nixon called in from Little League football practice to break down where BYU should land in the preseason AP poll (he predicts a top 15-worthy team that lands around 17-18), name wide receiver as the team's biggest question mark heading into camp, and give an update on his brother-in-law Taysom Hill's free agency search following his emotional exit from New Orleans.Brian Nixon, CEO of Touchpoints and Aflac's Utah district manager, joined as the show's newest title sponsor and shared a powerful personal story: a rhabdomyolysis collapse 150 meters from the finish of his high school state championship race, the coma that followed, and how losing his track scholarship redirected him to BYU and eventually to building his own company.New BYU women's volleyball head coach Rob Neilson also stopped by to discuss taking over the program after six successful years at Utah State, the returning talent in Brielle Kemavor, Claire Little Chambers, and Alex Bower, and what it takes to build the belief and culture that won BYU a national championship in 2004.Linebacker Isaiah Glasker was named Re-Lyte Athlete of the Week for his standout 2025 season, and 94-year-old season-ticket holder Ben Banks joined as the Hotel Park City/Ruth's Chris super fan, reminiscing about the Miami upset, the 2006 Utah win, and decades of BYU football memories.The show also covered a federal judge's ruling on NCAA eligibility for the 2022 recruiting class, President C. Shane Reese's op-ed on the Protect College Sports Act, a full round of national preseason rankings and CFP predictions for BYU and Texas Tech, and Campus Notes covering football, basketball, soccer, cross country, volleyball, and golf schedules heading into the 2026-27 season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast Exclusive Interview done by Ed Lane at ACC Kickoff
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, an in-depth investigatory show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (7/20/26). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant. !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble"); Rumble("play", {"video":"v7aual6","div":"rumble_v7aual6"}); Source Links (In Chronological Order): (9) Barchart on X: "U.S. Debt now exceeds 100% of GDP for the first time since World War 2
For years, Auburn has carried the reputation of being the school with the "crazy boosters" and the so-called "evil booster" culture. But in today's college football landscape, where NIL has fundamentally changed recruiting and roster building, that narrative doesn't hold up like it once did. In this episode, we take a closer look at Auburn's current success in the NIL era and why the Tigers have become one of the strongest programs in college athletics when it comes to creating opportunities for student-athletes. From players signing high-profile NIL partnerships with Nike and Aflac to Auburn's growing ability to compete for elite talent, the program is showing that a strong support system isn't a weakness—it's an advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Opus 111 Group's Jim Harvey and Andrew Harvey talk with Liz Colgin, district sales coordinator for AFLAC.
All links and images can be found on CISO Series This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining them is Tim Callahan, CIO/CISO, AFLAC. In this episode: Week one is the wrong time to overreach Nobody has the AI playbook Vulnerability management wasn't built for this clock Stop blaming the human, fix the system A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta No, it's not your imagination. Risk and regulations ARE ramping up—and customers now expect proof of security just to do business. That's why Vanta is a game-changer. Vanta automates your compliance process and brings compliance, risk, and customer trust together on one AI-powered platform. So whether you're prepping for a SOC 2 or running an enterprise GRC program, Vanta keeps you secure—and keeps your deals moving. Companies like Ramp and Writer spend 82% less time on audits with Vanta. That's not just faster compliance—it's more time for growth. Get started at Vanta.com/CISO.
Sapporo, Ford Motors, Nissan, Aflac, U.S. Department of Homeland Security are having a "great" week!
What if the biggest barrier to your company's transformation isn't your legacy technology, but your legacy thinking about it?Today, we are at PegaWorld 2026 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and, we're going to talk about the immense challenge and opportunity of enterprise modernization. Specifically, we'll cover:- Translating a massive technology initiative into tangible improvements in the customer and partner experience.- The practical steps required to make an enterprise 'AI-ready' by bridging the gap between legacy systems and modern cloud platforms.- How transforming core operations can directly enable marketing and product teams to accelerate speed-to-market.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Shelia Anderson, EVP Chief Information & Digital Officer at Unum.About Shelia AndersonShelia Anderson is Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer at Unum, where she leads the company's technology and digital strategy. A four-time CIO with more than 25 years of technology leadership experience, Shelia has built a reputation for driving large-scale business transformation through cloud migration, AI adoption, digital modernization, and agile operating models. Prior to joining Unum in 2025, she served as Chief Information Officer at Aflac, where she led enterprise technology strategy, customer experience transformation, and AI-driven innovation initiatives. Throughout her career, Shelia has been recognized as one of the industry's leading technology executives, including recognition among the Top 100 Women in FinTech.Unum is a leading provider of workplace benefits and insurance products, serving millions of customers through disability, life, accident, critical illness, and supplemental health insurance offerings. The company works with employers across the United States and United Kingdom to provide financial protection and income replacement benefits that help individuals and families navigate life's unexpected challenges. In recent years, Unum has invested heavily in digital transformation, cloud modernization, automation, and AI initiatives designed to improve customer experiences, streamline operations, and accelerate innovation across the business.Shelia Anderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheliaanderson/---------- Resources ----------Unum: https://www.unum.com/Pega provides the leading AI-powered platform for enterprise transformation. The world's most influential organizations trust Pega's technology to reimagine how work gets done by automating workflows, personalizing customer experiences, and modernizing legacy systems. Since 1983, Pega's scalable, flexible architecture has fueled continuous innovation, helping clients accelerate their path to the autonomous enterprise. Learn more at Pega.comWe're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716baCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥ What does it take to lead a 200-person security organization without coming up through the technical ranks? Tera Ladner, Deputy Global Chief Information Security Officer at Aflac, answers that question by describing a path that runs through information management, e-discovery, and a law degree before it ever reaches the security org chart. The result is a leader who looks at a program through the lens of controls, evidence, and defensibility, and who treats security as a people problem before a technology one. Host Sean Martin and Tera Ladner dig into what that orientation changes in practice. Rather than opening a stakeholder conversation with controls or threats, Tera Ladner starts by listening: what are the business goals, and how does security enable them? Working inside an insurance company helps, because risk is already the shared language of every leader in the building. The job, as she frames it, is translation, turning a technical event into a business and resiliency impact that the people who own the decisions can actually act on. The conversation turns to hiring and team building, where Tera Ladner names curiosity as the first trait she screens for, the instinct to ask the second, third, and fourth question until the real problem surfaces. From there she argues for a broader "tool belt": storytelling, relationship building, influence without authority, and the ability to navigate ambiguity, a skill she sees tested daily as boards and technology leaders press for answers on frontier AI. Technical skills alone, she suggests, were enough years ago and are not enough now. Culture sits at the center of how she leads. "Your team lives in the house that you build," she tells her people leaders, and she describes the team norms, transparency, integrity, and care, that hold a security organization together in the hard moments. That same relationship-first instinct extends outward, to a seat at the executive table that has to be earned by giving stakeholders a seat at yours, and downward into the talent pipeline through Aflac's Cyber Inspire and Empower Girls programs, which grew from 200 girls in their first local year to 815 in the second. For security and risk leaders, the throughline is hard to miss: the future of the field depends less on finding more technologists and more on building leaders who can listen, translate, and bring people who never saw themselves in cyber to the table. ⬥GUEST⬥ Tera Ladner, Deputy Global Chief Information Security Officer at Aflac On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teraladner/ ⬥HOST⬥ Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Studio C60, and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/ ⬥RESOURCES⬥ Aflac: https://www.aflac.com/ Cyber Inspire and Empower Girls (Aflac community programs introducing students and seniors to cybersecurity): https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyberinspire The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7108625890296614912/ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast episodes: https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq ⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥
⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥ What does it take to lead a 200-person security organization without coming up through the technical ranks? Tera Ladner, Deputy Global Chief Information Security Officer at Aflac, answers that question by describing a path that runs through information management, e-discovery, and a law degree before it ever reaches the security org chart. The result is a leader who looks at a program through the lens of controls, evidence, and defensibility, and who treats security as a people problem before a technology one. Host Sean Martin and Tera Ladner dig into what that orientation changes in practice. Rather than opening a stakeholder conversation with controls or threats, Tera Ladner starts by listening: what are the business goals, and how does security enable them? Working inside an insurance company helps, because risk is already the shared language of every leader in the building. The job, as she frames it, is translation, turning a technical event into a business and resiliency impact that the people who own the decisions can actually act on. The conversation turns to hiring and team building, where Tera Ladner names curiosity as the first trait she screens for, the instinct to ask the second, third, and fourth question until the real problem surfaces. From there she argues for a broader "tool belt": storytelling, relationship building, influence without authority, and the ability to navigate ambiguity, a skill she sees tested daily as boards and technology leaders press for answers on frontier AI. Technical skills alone, she suggests, were enough years ago and are not enough now. Culture sits at the center of how she leads. "Your team lives in the house that you build," she tells her people leaders, and she describes the team norms, transparency, integrity, and care, that hold a security organization together in the hard moments. That same relationship-first instinct extends outward, to a seat at the executive table that has to be earned by giving stakeholders a seat at yours, and downward into the talent pipeline through Aflac's Cyber Inspire and Empower Girls programs, which grew from 200 girls in their first local year to 815 in the second. For security and risk leaders, the throughline is hard to miss: the future of the field depends less on finding more technologists and more on building leaders who can listen, translate, and bring people who never saw themselves in cyber to the table. ⬥GUEST⬥ Tera Ladner, Deputy Global Chief Information Security Officer at Aflac On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teraladner/ ⬥HOST⬥ Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Studio C60, and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/ ⬥RESOURCES⬥ Aflac: https://www.aflac.com/ Cyber Inspire and Empower Girls (Aflac community programs introducing students and seniors to cybersecurity): https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyberinspire The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7108625890296614912/ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast episodes: https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq ⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥
What if the biggest barrier to your company's transformation isn't your legacy technology, but your legacy thinking about it?Today, we are at PegaWorld 2026 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and, we're going to talk about the immense challenge and opportunity of enterprise modernization. Specifically, we'll cover:- Translating a massive technology initiative into tangible improvements in the customer and partner experience.- The practical steps required to make an enterprise 'AI-ready' by bridging the gap between legacy systems and modern cloud platforms.- How transforming core operations can directly enable marketing and product teams to accelerate speed-to-market.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Shelia Anderson, EVP Chief Information & Digital Officer at Unum.About Shelia AndersonShelia Anderson is Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer at Unum, where she leads the company's technology and digital strategy. A four-time CIO with more than 25 years of technology leadership experience, Shelia has built a reputation for driving large-scale business transformation through cloud migration, AI adoption, digital modernization, and agile operating models. Prior to joining Unum in 2025, she served as Chief Information Officer at Aflac, where she led enterprise technology strategy, customer experience transformation, and AI-driven innovation initiatives. Throughout her career, Shelia has been recognized as one of the industry's leading technology executives, including recognition among the Top 100 Women in FinTech.Unum is a leading provider of workplace benefits and insurance products, serving millions of customers through disability, life, accident, critical illness, and supplemental health insurance offerings. The company works with employers across the United States and United Kingdom to provide financial protection and income replacement benefits that help individuals and families navigate life's unexpected challenges. In recent years, Unum has invested heavily in digital transformation, cloud modernization, automation, and AI initiatives designed to improve customer experiences, streamline operations, and accelerate innovation across the business.Shelia Anderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheliaanderson/---------- Resources ----------Unum: https://www.unum.com/Pega provides the leading AI-powered platform for enterprise transformation. The world's most influential organizations trust Pega's technology to reimagine how work gets done by automating workflows, personalizing customer experiences, and modernizing legacy systems. Since 1983, Pega's scalable, flexible architecture has fueled continuous innovation, helping clients accelerate their path to the autonomous enterprise. Learn more at Pega.comWe're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716baCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The latest edition of our CCO Podcast series features a conversation with Ines Rodriguez Gutzmer, senior vice president and chief communications officer at Aflac.
Album 8 Track 13: The Power of the Pivot w/Lacrecia CadeCan a lawyer become a world-class marketer? In this episode of Brands, Beats, and Bytes, hosts DC and LT sit down with Lacrecia Cade, to discuss her incredible journey from the legal department to the C-suite of marketing and technology.Lacrecia shares her "chameleon skills" developed growing up in Decatur and how she navigated high-level roles at Morehouse College, Aflac, and Fiserv. We dive deep into the importance of budget management, the art of "shape-shifting" in corporate environments, and why your choice of life partner is your most important career decision.In this episode, you'll learn:How to transition from a non-marketing role into a marketing leadership position.The "Wayne Gretzky" strategy for career growth: skating to where the puck is going.Tactical advice on managing $100M budgets and aligning with finance teams.BREAKING NEWS: Lacrecia announces her new role as President of Alpha Drones USA and the future of aerial advertising.Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share with a fellow Brand Nerd!Instagram | LinkedIn
What if your biggest leadership problem isn't results—but process? In this new mini series, we break down lessons from leaders at Ritz-Carlton, Aflac, and more who transformed performance by refining the details. In this episode you will learn how to identify friction, improve systems, and build repeatable excellence. To listen to each guest's FULL episode click below: Lumen's Kate Johnson Ritz-Carlton's Horst Schulze Perspire Sauna Studios' Caroline Linton T-Mobile's Cameron Janes Aflac's Virgil Miller Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we're making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. Special thanks to Guillermo Orellana for making this episode possible.
March 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks. Includes an article with a terrific ranking of companies by their ethical standards. By Ron Robins, MBA Transcript & Links, Episode 165, March 27, 2026 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 165, published on March 27, 2026, titled "March 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks." This podcast is presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your go-to site for vital global, ethical, and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content, including stock symbols and bonus material, on this episode's podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don't receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. I have a great crop of 18 articles for you in this podcast! Note: Some companies are covered more than once. Now with so many articles to potentially cover, I've chosen 3 to quote from. The other 15 can be found on the webpage for this podcast edition, along with their titles and links. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Best 3 Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy and Hold for Decades from fool.com In this episode, I begin with an article on an investment sector at the core of most ethical and sustainable investors' portfolios: renewable energy. The article's title is The Best 3 Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy and Hold for Decades from fool.com. It's by Reuben Gregg Brewer. Here are some quotes on each of his picks. "1) Brookfield Renewable is 100% clean (BEP)(BEPC) Brookfield Renewable has exposure to hydroelectric, solar, wind, battery storage, and nuclear power… The assets… are spread across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. If you are looking for a simple way to participate in the shift toward clean energy, Brookfield Renewable is a good choice… The one wrinkle is that you can buy Brookfield Renewable in two different ways. The partnership share class offers a distribution yield of 5.2% while the corporate share class has a dividend yield of 3.8%. They represent the same business and have the same dividend payment; the difference is that the corporate shares are in higher demand among institutional investors. Small investors should feel comfortable with the partnership. 2) NextEra Energy is a giant in two businesses (NEE) NextEra Energy operates one of the largest regulated electric utilities in the United States. That is the foundation on which it has built one of the largest solar and wind power businesses in the world. This combination has led to 11% annualized dividend growth over the past decade. Half that rate of dividend growth would be considered good for a utility. NextEra Energy's dividend yield is 2.7%, which is actually above the utility average of nearly 2.5%... That said, management is calling for dividend growth to slow to a still very healthy 6% in 2027 and 2028. 3) TotalEnergies mixes the old with the new (TTE) TotalEnergies will be the hardest sell as a clean energy investment because it is an integrated energy giant. That means that it is a vertically integrated oil and natural gas business. If you only want clean energy, you probably won't want to buy TotalEnergies." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Best Ethical Companies to Invest In Now According to Reddit from insidermonkey.com My second article has some unusual investing options for many investors coming to my podcasts. It's titled 11 Best Ethical Companies to Invest In Now According to Reddit from insidermonkey.com and is by Noor Ul Ain Rehman. Here are some quotes from the article. "We first sifted through relevant threads on Reddit to compile a list of the best ethical companies and then selected the top 11 that were the most popular among elite hedge funds as of Q3 2025. We sourced the hedge fund data from Insider Monkey's database. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment… All data was recorded on March 17… Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. 11. The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) Morgan Stanley lifted the price target on The Hershey Company to $247 from $238 on March 16, maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm told investors that it believes the market is overly focused on pricing rollback risk and is underestimating the earnings recovery from cocoa normalization beginning in the second half of 2026 and accelerating into 2027. 10. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH) On March 16, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation announced the launch of Cognizant AI Factory, which is a multi-tenant, enterprise-grade offering powered by Dell Technologies (DELL) and NVIDIA AI (NVDA) infrastructure and software platform. Management stated that the Cognizant AI Factory is designed to help organizations scale artificial intelligence more securely, efficiently, and responsibly, and aims at unifying the management of the AI lifecycle in a single environment. 9. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) Piper Sandler cut the price target on Kimberly-Clark to $114 from $133 on March 13 and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm told investors that the company's Q1 top-line momentum is tracking in line with what it had expected, with costs hedged roughly nine months out, securing roughly the balance of 2026. However, Piper also stated that if increased oil costs persist, there could be a risk to the outlook for 2027… Kimberly-Clark sells its products under various brands, including Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, DryNites, Huggies, and others. 8. Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) March 16, Ecolab was upgraded to Buy from Hold by Berenberg, with the firm adjusting the price target on the stock to $326 from $300. Berenberg told investors in a research note that (Ecolab) will raise prices across all products, services, and geographies by 10%-14%, adding that it anticipates the price increases to be implemented swiftly and become a 'sticky component of Ecolab's structural pricing, rather than being rolled back'. The firm views Ecolab as a net inflation beneficiary… Ecolab offers hygiene, water, and infection prevention solutions and services. 7. FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) On March 10, JPMorgan lifted the price target on FedEx to $424 from $294 while maintaining a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm told investors that it updated the company's model ahead of the earnings report. 6. Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) TD Cowen cut the price target on Accenture to $275 from $282 on March 16, maintaining a Buy rating on the shares. The firm told investors that it updated its model ahead of the fiscal Q2 results, saying that, considering raised macro uncertainty and no clear end in sight with the Iran conflict, it believes that it is now reasonable that Accenture could just leave its FY26 growth guide as is… Accenture is a global professional services company that combines technology and leadership in data, cloud, and AI with functional expertise, industry experience, and global delivery capability. 5. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) March 16, Salesforce, announced the commencement of the prepayment and initial delivery of around 103 million shares under its previously announced $25 billion accelerated share repurchase (ASR) agreements. The company entered into these agreements on March 11, 2026, with certain financial institutions. Management stated that the transaction marks the largest accelerated share repurchase in history, and represents the immediate execution of half of the $50 billion aggregate Share Repurchase Program authorized by Salesforce's Board of Directors in February 2026. Salesforce, designs and develops cloud-based enterprise software for customer relationship management. 4. ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) ServiceNow, was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral by BNP Paribas on March 16, with the firm setting a $140 price target. The rating update came the same day ServiceNow, announced an expansion of its partnership with Carahsoft Technology Corp. to extend availability to the ServiceNow AI Platform across Carahsoft's full reseller ecosystem in the U.S. and Canada… ServiceNow, offers an AI platform for business transformation, boosting productivity and maximizing business outcomes. 3. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) On March 16, TD Cowen lifted the price target on Micron Technology, to $500 from $450 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. The firm told investors that it updated its model ahead of the company's fiscal Q2 earnings, where a strong beat is expected. TD Cowen also said that while it continues to see upside to the buy-side view even after earnings, the majority of the long-term stock returns could be driven by re-rating… Micron Technology, provides innovative memory and storage solutions. 2. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Eli Lilly was downgraded to Reduce from Hold by HSBC on March 17, with the firm bringing the price target on the stock down to $850 from $1,070. The firm told investors in a research note that it believes expectations for the total addressable market for obesity are elevated at over $150 billion, and the market is likely to be in the range of $80 billion -$120 billion by 2032, with price competition 'likely to be significant'. Eli Lilly develops, manufactures, discovers, and sells pharmaceutical products. 1. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Mastercard announced on March 17 a definitive agreement for the acquisition of BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. BVNK is a leader in stablecoin infrastructure. Management stated that the deal expands the company's end-to-end support of digital assets and value movement across currencies, rails, and regions… Mastercard is a technology company that provides payment solutions for developing and implementing debit, credit, prepaid, commercial, and payment programs via its brands." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ethisphere Announces the 2026 World's Most Ethical Companies®; 2026 Ethics Premium™ Shows Honorees Outperformed Peers by 8.2 Percentage Points, from morningstar.com The last article I'm covering presents a highly respected ranking of companies according to a wide range of ethical criteria. The article's title is Ethisphere Announces the 2026 World's Most Ethical Companies®; 2026 Ethics Premium™ Shows Honorees Outperformed Peers by 8.2 Percentage Points, from morningstar.com. The article is from Business Wire. Here are some quotes from the introduction to the article. "Ethisphere today announced the 2026 World's Most Ethical Companies®, recognizing 138 companies for having best-in-class ethics and compliance programs, corporate governance practices, and cultures of integrity. Alongside the honoree announcement, Ethisphere released the Ethics Premium™, a five-year analysis comparing the stock performance of publicly traded 2026 World's Most Ethical Companies honorees with a broad global benchmark. From Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2025, this year's publicly traded honorees outperformed the benchmark by 8.2 percentage points. 2026 marks the 20th annual recognition of the World's Most Ethical Companies, which includes companies across 40 industries in 17 countries. This year's honorees are listed at www.worldsmostethicalcompanies.com. 2026 cohort highlights This year's cohort includes… six 20-time honorees, companies that have earned the designation every year since the recognition began. (The) six 20-time honorees: Aflac, Inc. (AFL) Ecolab (ECL) International Paper Company (IP) Kao Corporation (4452.T) Milliken & Company (Private company) PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- More articles from around the world with Sustainable Investment Picks for March 2026. 1. Title: BlackRock Says Buy AI Energy Stocks Over Big Tech in 2026. Here Are 3 Top Picks from finance.yahoo.com. By James Brumley, The Motley Fool. 2. Title: How big business is rewriting the U.S. sustainability story from corporateknights.com. Introduction by Tristan Bronca and CK Staff. 3. Title: Best Renewable Energy Stocks To Watch Now from marketbeat.com. By MarketBeat. 4. Title: Billionaires David Tepper and Michael Platt Divested Nvidia Holdings and Acquired This AI Stock That Has Surged 40,000% Since Its Market Debut from bitget.com. By 101 finance. 5. Title: After 345% Run, This Solar Power Stock Heats Up As Oil Tops $102 from investors.com. By Juan Carlos Arancibia. 6. Title: socially responsible investment opportunities in renewable energy from financelipa.com. By Houssem Belhaj. 7. Title: British Land Company PLC (BLND.L) Stock Analysis: Evaluating A 20% Potential Upside Amid Robust Revenue Growth from directorstalkinterviews.com. By Olivia Thompson. 8. Title: Prediction: This Overlooked AI Infrastructure Stock Could Double in 2026. Here's Why from fool.com. By Harsh Chauhan. 9. Title: Asia Pacific's green champions step into the spotlight from corporateknights.com. By Gordon Feller. 10. Title: Three Green Energy Stocks to Buy from intellectia.ai. By Emily J. Thompson. 11. Title: Brookfield Asset Mgmt stock faces analyst scrutiny amid volatile asset management sector shifts from ad-hoc-news.de. By ad-hoc-news.de. 12. Title: The Best 3 Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy and Hold for Decades from fool.com. By Matt DiLallo. 13. Title: These top European firms are stepping up their sustainable growth from corporateknights.com. By Ashley Perl. 14. Title: The most innovative companies in corporate social responsibility in 2026 from fastcompany.com. By Anna-Louise Jackson. 15. Title: 5 Best Sustainable Investing Funds in 2026 from moneymagpie.com. By Ruby Layram. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast, "March 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks." Please click the like and subscribe buttons wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these tumultuous times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. My next podcast will be on April 24th. See you then. Bye for now. © 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul
Aflac signs a record front-of-kit deal with Atlanta's NWSL club ahead of its 2028 debut. Champions League knockout ties deliver extra-time drama across Europe. Plus Griezmann's potential accelerated move to Orlando, MLS roster updates, financial headlines from Chelsea and Arsenal, and more in today's Morning Espresso.
In this episode, we dive deep into the critical topic of self-deception and its profound impact on leadership and personal effectiveness. Mitch shares powerful insights on how self-deception can undermine our relationships and professional success, often without us even realizing it. He explains the concept of self-betrayal and how it leads to a distorted view of ourselves and others, creating unnecessary conflicts and reducing our influence as leaders. Mitch shares a valuable advice on how to rebuild trust in relationships damaged by self-deception and how to not let it happen again. Mitch is the co-author of Arbinger's latest bestseller, The Outward Mindset. He writes frequently on the practical effects of mindset at the individual and organizational levels as well as the role of leadership in transforming organizational culture and results. He is an expert on mindset and culture change, leadership, strategy, performance management, organizational turnaround, and conflict resolution. Mitch is a sought-after speaker to organizations across a range of industries, bringing his practical experience to bear for leaders of corporations, governments, and organizations across the globe. Specific clients include NASA, Citrix, Aflac, the U.S. Army and Air Force, the Treasury Executive Institute, and Intermountain Healthcare. Mitch carries his first-hand perspective as a proven leader into his speeches and facilitation, dynamically bringing Arbinger's concepts and tools to life through his powerful stories and hands-on experience. His audiences leave inspired to improve and equipped with a practical roadmap to effect immediate change. In his role as managing partner, Mitch directs the development of Arbinger's intellectual property, training and consulting programs, and highly customized large-scale organizational change initiatives. He has been instrumental in Arbinger's rapid growth, including its expanding international presence in nearly 30 countries. Mitch received his B.A. in philosophy and is a licensed nursing administrator. Trained in fine art at the Art Students League and the National Academy, he spends much of his free time painting. His work hangs in organizations nationwide. Visit Arbinger Institute here: https://arbinger.com/ Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo
Grok's non-consensual imagery draws scrutiny from the European Commission. Researchers link several major data breaches to a single threat actor. The UK unveils a new Cyber Action Plan. A stealthy ClickFix campaign targets the hospitality sector. VVS Stealer malware targets Discord users. Covenant Health and AFLAC report data leaks. Google silences a critical Dolby flaw. Ilona Cohen, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at HackerOne discusses “What the SolarWinds Dismissal Really Means for CISOs: Less Personal Risk, More Scrutiny on Disclosures.” UK students enjoy a digital snow day. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today we are joined by Ilona Cohen, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at HackerOne and former senior lawyer to President Obama, as she is discussing “What the SolarWinds Dismissal Really Means for CISOs: Less Personal Risk, More Scrutiny on Disclosures.” Selected Reading EU looking ‘very seriously' at taking action against X over Grok (The Record) Grok's AI CSAM Shitshow (404 Media) Dozens of Major Data Breaches Linked to Single Threat Actor (SecurityWeek) UK Launches New Cyber Unit to Bolster Defences Against Cyber Threats (Infosecurity Magazine) Sophisticated ClickFix Campaign Targeting Hospitality Sector (SecurityWeek) New VVS Stealer Malware Targets Discord Users via Fake System Errors (Hackread) Covenant Health Notifying 480K Patients of 2025 Data Theft (Infosecurity) Aflac Notifies 22.6 Million People of June Data Theft Attack (Infosecurity) Critical Dolby leak in Android patched by Google (Techzine Global) Students bag extended Christmas break after cyber hit on school IT (The Register) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Barracuda, Oracle, Aflac, The European Space Agency, Wired and the "Tinder for N*zis" are all part of this week's insanity...
The brief describes how recent incidents collectively show a rapidly evolving, increasingly interconnected global cyber threat landscape that blends financial crime, strategic espionage, physical-world risk, and systemic surveillance failures.Financially Driven CybercrimeCybercriminals are shifting to low-interaction, trust-exploiting techniques, such as clipboard-hijacking malware masquerading as “KMSAuto” that silently replaces copied crypto wallet addresses and has impacted millions of systems.Fraudsters are also using AI-generated images and video to fake damaged goods and exploit e-commerce refund policies at scale, turning automated, trust-based processes into predictable profit channels.Strategic-Scale Data TheftLarge data breaches like the Aflac incident show adversaries targeting core personal identifiers (e.g., Social Security numbers, IDs, medical data), creating permanent assets for identity theft, fraud, and social engineering rather than quick monetization.Espionage campaigns such as “Zoom Stealer” use malicious browser extensions to harvest meeting links, topics, participant data, and passwords, enabling persistent corporate spying and highly customized social-engineering attacks.Digital-Physical Convergence of ThreatsDemonstrations of hijacking AI-controlled robots via voice commands illustrate how user-friendly features can be weaponized, enabling cascading compromises and potential physical harm as robots infect one another and execute dangerous actions.Concepts like space “zone effect” weapons—clouds of orbital debris able to damage any satellite passing through—highlight how hostile capabilities can create indiscriminate, long-lasting risks to civilian, commercial, and military infrastructure worldwide.Insecure Surveillance as Systemic RiskBoth government and private surveillance systems can become mass-exposure hazards when basic security is neglected, as seen with an unprotected national license plate database and misconfigured AI camera networks streaming footage openly.These failures turn tools designed for safety and control into uncontrolled sources of sensitive data, undermining public trust and creating new exploitation opportunities at societal scale.Strategic Implications for LeadersThreat motivations now span from opportunistic, high-volume fraud to patient, state-level operations against critical and space-based systems, requiring layered defenses tailored to varied adversaries and timelines.Emerging technologies like AI, robotics, and pervasive sensing are double-edged: they drive efficiency but also introduce new attack surfaces that must be secured from the design phase, not retrofitted later.The rapid deployment of mass monitoring without commensurate safeguards is generating systemic vulnerabilities, meaning resilience now depends as much on securing surveillance infrastructures as on defending traditional IT assets.
EP 272In this last update for 2025, we span the fAce of the globe and find out we've gotten fLocked and fLoaded!Cybersecurity researchers from DARKNAVY have revealed a critical vulnerability allowing commercially available humanoid robots to be hijacked via simple voice commands, with exploits rapidly propagating to nearby machines.Fraudsters in China are increasingly exploiting AI-generated photos and videos of damaged goods to secure illegitimate refunds on e-commerce platforms, challenging merchant trust and platform policies.A sophisticated campaign dubbed Zoom Stealer, attributed to Chinese threat actor DarkSpectre, has deployed malicious browser extensions to harvest sensitive corporate meeting data from millions of users.Western intelligence reports indicate Russia is advancing a novel "zone-effect" anti-satellite weapon designed to release dense pellet clouds in orbit, potentially targeting SpaceX's Starlink constellation.A 29-year-old Lithuanian national has been extradited to South Korea and charged for distributing trojanized KMSAuto software that infected 2.8 million systems with cryptocurrency clipboard hijacking malware.A vast network of roadside cameras tracking vehicles across Uzbekistan was inadvertentlyInsurance giant afLac is notifying approximately 22.65 million individuals of a major data breach stemming from a June 2025 cyber intrusion that exposed sensitive personal information.Find the full transcript here.
Hour 1 Segment 1 Tony starts another edition of the show talking about the left getting upset about the investigation of the Somali/Minnesota welfare scandal and how Nick Shirley did nothing wrong. Hour 1 Segment 2 Tony talks about how President Donald Trum will receive the 2026 Israel Prize from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hour 1 Segment 3 Tony talks with Producer Landon about the human connection with pets as Landon’s 18-year-old dog, Cody, is nearing the rainbow bridge. Hour 1 Segment 4 Tony wraps up the first hour of the show talking about gas prices plunging heading into 2026. Hour 2 Segment 1 Tony starts the second hour of the show talking about how Minnesota Governor Tim Walz favors fraud and non-citizenship voter registration. Hour 2 Segment 2 Tony talks about how Americans are watching fewer new shows and watching freer TV. Hour 2 Segment 3 Tony talks about the United Arab Emirates will withdraw its remaining forces in Yemen after Saudi Arabia struck a port city. Tony also talks about the Pentagon giving the ok for Boeing’s $8.6 billion F-15 deal for Israel. Tony later talks more about the left furious with Nick Shirley for investigating the Somali daycare center. Hour 2 Segment 4 Tony wraps up the second hour of the show talking about the new California wealth tax and the latest on tariffs. Hour 3 Segment 1 Tony starts the final hour of the show talking more about the left getting upset about the investigation of the Somali/Minnesota welfare scandal and how Nick Shirley did nothing wrong. Hour 3 Segment 2 Tony talks about a New Year's Day auction for firearms. Hour 3 Segment 3 Tony talks about someone stealing a police officer’s car, a data breach at Aflac, and a $400K Massachusetts lobster heist. Hour 3 Segment 4 Tony wraps up another edition of the show talking about the CIA initiating a drone strike on a Venezuelan port. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tony talks about someone stealing a police officer’s car, a data breach at Aflac, and a $400K Massachusetts lobster heist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hour 3 Segment 1 Tony starts the final hour of the show talking more about the left getting upset about the investigation of the Somali/Minnesota welfare scandal and how Nick Shirley did nothing wrong. Hour 3 Segment 2 Tony talks about a New Year's Day auction for firearms. Hour 3 Segment 3 Tony talks about someone stealing a police officer’s car, a data breach at Aflac, and a $400K Massachusetts lobster heist. Hour 3 Segment 4 Tony wraps up another edition of the show talking about the CIA initiating a drone strike on a Venezuelan port. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Active exploitation of Fortinet VPN bypass utility observed Google possibly allowing users to change default gmail address June Aflac attack resulted in data theft Thanks to our episode sponsor, ThreatLocker Want real Zero Trust training? Zero Trust World 2026 delivers hands-on labs and workshops that show CISOs exactly how to implement and maintain Zero Trust in real environments. Join us March 4–6 in Orlando, plus a live CISO Series episode on March 6. Get $200 off with ZTWCISO26 at ztw.com. Find the stories behind the headlines at CISOseries.com
Dan Amos, CEO of the insurance company Aflac, spoke about its duck advertisements and much more with Barron's editor at large Andy Serwer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
i'm wall-e, welcoming you to today's tech briefing for wednesday, december 24th. dive into today's top tech stories: servicenow acquires armis: servicenow boosts its cybersecurity offerings by acquiring armis for $7.75 billion, enhancing its portfolio amid a challenging ipo environment. aflac data breach: aflac confirms a data breach impacting 22.6 million customers, with federal investigations into potential links with the hacking group scattered spider. amazon expands alexa+: amazon integrates alexa+ with platforms like angi and expedia, aiming to streamline user interactions by 2026. fcc bans new foreign-made drones: a ban on new foreign-made drones, impacting dji, is imposed citing national security concerns aligning with efforts to bolster u.s. industry competitiveness. writers sue ai companies: authors, including john carreyrou, sue major ai firms over claims of unauthorized use of their books for ai training, pushing the debate on creative rights vs. technological advancement. that's all for today. we'll see you back here tomorrow!
In this powerful and eye-opening episode of The Big Fish Cares Podcast, we sit down with Steve Heroux, Founder of The Sales Collective and author of The Sales Contrarian, to uncover what it truly means to sell with authenticity, integrity, and purpose in a world dominated by outdated sales tactics! Steve shares his raw personal journey from growing up with anxiety, navigating a turbulent childhood, and discovering painting as an emotional lifeline, to becoming a Top 1% performer at Cutco and Aflac. At the height of corporate success, Steve made the bold decision to walk away from traditional sales culture and rebuild the profession from the ground up. Steve also breaks down the real psychology behind objections, why traditional closing tactics fail, and how to sell in a way that actually strengthens trust instead of damaging it!
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A TEDx speaker, author, award-winning leadership, sales coach, and former NCAA Division I football coach, Marc Nudelberg is the president of On the Ball, an award-winning family-owned sales and leadership coaching agency with over 25 years of experience helping businesses grow. Marc's coaching career was shaped by discipline, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure. He has always understood that the fundamentals of leadership go beyond football, which led him to transition into the business world and the success he's experiencing with On the Ball. As an expert in building high-performing organizations, he collaborates with both individuals and teams, focusing on leadership development and modern business strategies. Under his leadership, On the Ball was recently recognized as a Seminole 100 honoree, an award given to the fastest-growing businesses led by Florida State University alumni. Marc's unique perspective, shaped from both athletics and business, demonstrates how the mindset of a great coach can drive success across various fields. Though his work with clients such as Amerant Bank, Hotwire, United Way of Broward County, Junior Achievement of South Florida, Aflac, True Network Advisors, RCC Associates, City Furniture, and UKG, Marc has consistently fostered business growth across a variety of markets. Connect with Marc Nudelberg:Website: www.ontheball.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachnudel , https://www.instagram.com/ontheball.co/ TurnKey Podcast Productions Important Links:Guest to Gold Video Series: www.TurnkeyPodcast.com/gold The Ultimate Podcast Launch Formula- www.TurnkeyPodcast.com/UPLFplusFREE workshop on how to "Be A Great Guest."Free E-Book 5 Ways to Make Money Podcasting at www.Turnkeypodcast.com/gift Ready to earn 6-figures with your podcast? See if you've got what it takes at TurnkeyPodcast.com/quizSales Training for Podcasters: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sales-training-for-podcasters/id1540644376Nice Guys on Business: http://www.niceguysonbusiness.com/subscribe/The Turnkey Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/turnkey-podcast/id1485077152
Pivot, Faith, and Charcuterie DreamsWhat if the bravest business move is letting go? Our guest shares a candid arc—from a cancer diagnosis at 19 and deep church hurt to a marriage on the brink, a faith renewed, and a business pivot that surprised everyone. She built a purpose-driven activewear brand for real, changing bodies, pushed it to Shark Tank's second audition round, and still chose to close it when the cost to family and health grew too high. That surrender didn't end her entrepreneurial story—it cleared space for one that fit this season.We walk through the decision gap and why shortening it accelerates growth; how postpartum rage and big feelings call for repair, not perfection; and what it looks like to separate Jesus from the wounds inflicted by people. Then we zoom into the pivot: spotting a mobile charcuterie concept at a slow pop-up, getting a cart built with help from a fellow founder, filing an LLC over dinner, and turning profitable within months. Early wins came fast—St. Jude's Dream Home event, Aflac, and the Minnesota Vikings wives—powered by authentic storytelling, smart local signals, and consistent social. No ad budgets, just community and clarity.This conversation is a field guide for mompreneurs balancing identity, marriage, and momentum. We talk ego versus obedience, boundaries that protect the home while fueling the brand, and practical resources like SCORE mentorship and WomenVenture for planning and funding. If you've felt torn between a public win and a private truth, you'll find language, hope, and next steps here. Subscribe, leave a quick review, and share this with a friend who's standing at her own pivot point—what's one decision you're ready to make faster today?Resources Mentioned:ScoreWomenVentureConnect with Megan:TikTok: @rekindlingmotherhoodIG: @beeandblossomcoFacebook: Bee & BlossomBook with Bee & BlossomContact the Host, Kelly Kirk: Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com Get Connected/Follow: The Hue Drop Newsletter: Subscribe Here IG: @ryh_pod & @thekelly.tanke.kirk Facebook: Reclaiming Your Hue Facebook Page CAKES Affiliate Link: KELLYKIRK Credits: Editor: Joseph Kirk Music: Kristofer Tanke Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue!
October 9, 2025: Burnout isn't always burnout — sometimes it's just work that's lost its rhythm. In today's Future-Ready Today episode, Jacob Morgan explores six powerful signals reshaping the modern workplace. From Google tightening its hybrid work policy to new data revealing that most corporate cultures aren't ready for AI, the future of work is moving from convenience to clarity. You'll hear how job seekers are prioritizing reputation over perks, why “linchpin” executives are cracking under pressure, and how one-third of leaders are now testing AI before hiring. Then Jacob takes aim at the burnout narrative — separating stress from exhaustion, and explaining why the real issue is recovery, not overwork. He closes with the 1%-a-Day Challenge: one practical habit to build discipline, focus, and energy for the long game of leadership. If you lead teams or shape culture, this episode will help you rethink what it truly means to be future-ready in an era where easy work is over — and meaningful work is what's next.
“You have an opportunity to take your natural skills and put 'em in a place that they aren't naturally found.” – Rob Norris That's not advice. That's a dare. Because it's easy to keep your talents where they stack neatly, to stay in the aisle with the labels facing forward. Safe. Predictable. Comfortable. Rob refused the shelf. He dropped sales skills into technology. Made early websites usable before usability was a word. Turned the chaos of employee benefits into a platform big enough for Aflac. Even saw the promise of blockchain before most people could spell it. That's what he does: He takes complexity, makes it human, & builds businesses from the translation. Every entrepreneur faces a moment where their skills feel out of place. Rob shows us that's not a weakness. It's the opportunity. To learn more, connect with Rob on LinkedIn & Launch Key. Rob's story reminds us to create bravely—to place your gifts where the map says “not here.” Or, as George Bernard Shaw put it: “Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
In this episode, Dr. Douglas Graham, Chief of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, shares progress in pediatric leukemia and sickle cell disease treatments, the impact of a 30-year partnership with Aflac, and breakthroughs in precision medicine, CAR T-cell therapy, and gene therapy that are reshaping outcomes for children and families.
This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Keith Farley, SVP of Individual Voluntary Benefits and Head of Customer Care Centers at Aflac, shares how the company blends AI and empathy to transform customer experience in insurance. Insurance is one of the oldest industries, yet it faces modern pressures of speed, digital expectations, and customer trust. Rather than choosing between technology and humanity, Aflac integrates both—using automation for efficiency and empathy to deepen trust, directly linking CX to growth. 3 Key Takeaways on CX from Aflac Empathy at scale: A dedicated support line for first-time cancer diagnoses ensures compassionate guidance during the toughest calls. AI with guardrails: Automation speeds routine claims, while humans handle complex or denial cases to protect trust. CX as ROI: Simpler processes drive acquisition, while empathy and trust strengthen persistency and long-term value. Tune in to the full episode to hear how Keith Farley makes customer experience a measurable growth strategy at Aflac. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of three books on customer experience. Her new book is called The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building A Business Around Today's Customer. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here.
Virginia Tech held tough for a while, but ultimately fell short in a season-opener loss to Shane Beamer's Gamecocks.______________________________ Rate, Review, and Subscribe to Hokie Hangover wherever you get your podcasts. Also, support our sponsors below: Counts Family Pharmacy: https://www.msblacksburg.com/Homefield Apparel: https://www.homefieldapparel.com/?rfs.%E2%81%A0Use the promo code "BEAMERBALL" for 15% off your first order at Homefield!
A suspected ransomware attack disrupts hundreds of Swedish municipalities. Google warns Gmail users of emerging cyberattacks tied to the ShinyHunters group. A malicious supply chain attack hits the npm registry. Senators press AFLAC for answers following a data breach. Law enforcement takedowns splinter the ransomware ecosystem. The FBI and Dutch police take down a major online fakeID marketplace. Florida proposes requiring healthcare providers to strengthen data breach preparedness and reporting. Our guest is Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovation Officer at Experian North America, explaining why AI is both accelerating and mitigating fraud. An affiliate army pushes fake casinos worldwide. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today we are joined by Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovation Officer at Experian North America, who is sharing the AI paradox: why AI is both accelerating and mitigating fraud. You can learn more in Experian's U.S. Identity & Fraud Report. Selected Reading Hundreds of Swedish municipalities impacted by suspected ransomware attack on IT supplier (The Record) Google issues emergency warning for all Gmail users (Geekspin) TransUnion Data Breach Impacts 4.4 Million (Security Week) Npm Package Hijacked to Steal Data and Crypto via AI-Powered Malware (Infosecurity Magazine) US Senators Call for Details of Aflac Data Breach (Bank Infosecurity) Ransomware gang takedowns causing explosion of new, smaller groups (The Record) FBI, Dutch cops seize fake ID marketplace, servers (The Register) Florida Considers Rule to Improve Healthcare Data Breach Transparency (The HIPPA Journal) Affiliates Flock to ‘Soulless' Scam Gambling Machine (Krebs on Security) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are your customers truly delighted, or are company silos preventing your understanding their unspoken desires? How can you transition from providing adequate service to delivering exceptional, memorable experiences through effective design? Stacy Sherman and featured guest Katie Webb, Head of Transformation and Innovation at Aflac, share strategies to help you understand customer needs, the power of experience design, and ways to foster cross-team collaboration. Discover how everyone in your company can play a role in enhancing customer interactions and driving business success. Learn more at Access our FREE Customer Experience Audit Tool: Grow as a CX Professional with our numerous Book time with Stacy .
This week, our hosts Dave Bittner, Joe Carrigan, and Maria Varmazis (also host of the T-Minus Space Daily show) are back sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up, as Joe shares with us a complaint he has with Vanguard. Maria's story is on McAfee's latest research revealing that one in five Americans has fallen for a travel scam—often losing hundreds of dollars—despite many trying to stay vigilant, as scammers use fake websites, AI-altered photos, and phishing links to exploit deal-seeking travelers. Joe's got two stories this week: the first one is from Rachel Tobac on LinkedIn, breaking down how attackers like Scattered Spider are using phone-based impersonation, fake domains, and social engineering to breach insurance companies, and the second is on Aflac confirming it was hit in a cyberattack believed to be part of a broader campaign targeting the insurance sector, likely tied to the same threat group. Dave's story is on brushing scams, a scheme the United States Postal Service is warning about, where scammers send unordered packages—often low-cost items—to people's addresses so they can fraudulently post fake “verified” reviews online using the recipient's name and address to boost product rankings. Our catch of the day is from the scams sub-Reddit, where someone shared text messages from a scammer asking for only a small favor. Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Resources and links to stories: New McAfee Report Finds Young Adults Fall for Travel Scams More Often Than Older Generations Rachel Tobac LinkedIn Aflac Latest Insurer to Suffer Cyberattack and Data Breach Brushing Scam - Unexpected Package US Postal Inspection Service Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
Plus: U.S. considers ending some export waivers for U.S. technology in China. And, the European Commission scrutinizes Elon Musk's X after xAI's acquisition. Victoria Craig hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An historic data breach that wasn't. Aflac says it stopped a ransomware attack. Cloudflare thwarts a record breaking DDoS attack. Mocha Manakin combines clever social engineering with custom-built malware. The Godfather Android trojan uses a sophisticated virtualization technique to hijack banking and crypto apps. A British expert on Russian information warfare is targeted in a sophisticated spear phishing campaign. A federal judge dismisses a lawsuit against CrowdStrike filed by airline passengers. Banana Squad disguises malicious code as legitimate open-source software. The U.S. Justice Department wants to seize over $225 million in cryptocurrency linked to romance and investment scams. Ben Yelin explains the recent Oversight Committee request for Microsoft to hand over GitHub logs related to alleged DOGE misconduct. This one weird audio trick leaves AI scam calls speechless. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today, we are joined Ben Yelin, co host of Caveat podcast and Program Director for Public Policy & External Affairs at the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, discussing the recent Oversight Committee request for Microsoft to hand over GitHub logs related to alleged misconduct by Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE). You can learn more here. Selected Reading No, the 16 billion credentials leak is not a new data breach (Bleeping Computer) Aflac says it stopped ransomware attack launched by ‘sophisticated cybercrime group' (The Record) Record-Breaking 7.3 Tbps DDoS Attack Targets Hosting Provider (SecurityWeek) New Mocha Manakin Malware Deploys NodeInitRAT via Clickfix Attack (Hackread) Godfather Android Trojan Creates Sandbox on Infected Devices (SecurityWeek) Russia Expert Falls Prey to Elite Hackers Disguised as US Officials (Infosecurity Magazine) Judge Axes Flight Disruption Suit Tied to CrowdStrike Outage (GovInfo Security) Banana Squad Hides Data-Stealing Malware in Fake GitHub Repositories (Hackread) DOJ moves to seize $225 million in crypto stolen by scammers (The Record) Boffins devise voice-altering tech to jam 'vishing' ploys (The Register) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We start with negotiations between European leaders and Iran in Geneva. Cybercriminals have breached insurance giant Aflac. Pro-Palestinian activists broke into Britain's largest air base. President Donald Trump passed on honoring Juneteenth and made this complaint about federal holidays instead. Plus, why smart phone users are disabling news alerts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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