Podcasts about senior vp

When you're outgunned, under-resourced, and facing giants, success takes more than speed. It takes teamwork, message discipline, and relentless coordination.That's how the Rebel Alliance defeats the Galactic Empire, and it's how great B2B marketing teams win in the real world. In this episode, we unpack marketing lessons from the Star Wars saga with special guest Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from thinking like a startup, aligning cross-functional teams, and building content strategies that deliver across every touchpoint.About our guest, Eric HerzogEric Herzog is the Chief Marketing Officer at Infinidat. Prior to joining Infinidat, Herzog was CMO and VP of Global Storage Channels at IBM Storage Solutions. His executive leadership experience also includes: CMO and Senior VP of Alliances for all-flash storage provider Violin Memory, and Senior Vice President of Product Management and Product Marketing for EMC's Enterprise & Mid-range Systems Division.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Star Wars:Business is a team sport. Great marketing doesn't happen in silos. Whether you're a startup or a global enterprise, success depends on alignment across every function. Eric says, “In marketing, having all kinds of people running around with different functions is wrong. They all need to work together in what I call a completely vertically integrated marketing.” Your message, your content, your sales strategy. it all has to move as one.Message discipline wins hearts and minds. When you can't outspend the competition, out-message them. A clear, consistent story can be your greatest weapon. “You need to win the hearts of the minds of your customers, and your prospects, and your channel, and your sales team,” Eric says. If your message isn't aligned, neither is your market.Think like a startup (no matter your size). Speed, focus, and adaptability aren't just startup traits; they're must-haves for any marketing team. Eric explains, “ The most successful big companies in overall functions, as well as in their marketing function, try to act like a startup.” Whether you're leading a lean team or navigating a Fortune 500 org, it's that startup mindset that helps you outmaneuver slower, more bureaucratic competitors.Quote“Business is a team sport, and a subteam of marketing as part of the business is a team sport too. If you don't work as a team, the empire will crush you. You need to be like the Rebel Alliance and all work together.”Time Stamps[0:55] Meet Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat[01:08] Why Star Wars?[01:54] Role of CMO at Infinidat[03:03] Origins of Star Wars[08:52] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Star Wars[30:04] Infinidat's Content Strategy[33:39] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Eric on LinkedInLearn more about InfinidatAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

According to research from Gallup, 21% of employees who voluntarily left their organization said their departure could have been prevented by more positive personal interactions with their manager. So how can you create a coaching culture that keeps teams motivated and drives sales success? Riley Rogers: Hi, and welcome to the Win-Win podcast. I’m your host, Riley Rogers. Join us as we dive into changing trends in the workplace and how to navigate them successfully. Here to discuss this topic is Robin Handley, Senior VP of Sales Enablement at Direct Travel. Thank you so much for joining us, Robin. We’re really excited to have you here. To kick us off, I’d love if you could start just by telling us a little bit about yourself, your background, and your role. Robin Handley: Yeah, I’d love to, and thank you so much for having me. I’m absolutely thrilled to be here. I have actually been in the travel industry for 30-plus years, so I guess you could say I grew up here. I am the SVP of Sales Enablement at Direct Travel, like you mentioned. Under my current remit, you know, I am responsible for sales enablement, managing also what we call the inbound and outbound lead generation with our sales development reps and the proposal writing team.So I’ve got pretty, you know, three different distinct lines of business within my remit. And then I think it’s important to share that in my prior roles, in addition to sales enablement, I also led teams related to reporting, data analytics, CRM platforms, as well as change and transformation. RR: Wonderful. Thank you for sharing. It seems like you have a wealth of knowledge acquired over a lot of different roles, and I’m so excited to kind of dig into it and steal some of your best practices. Thinking about your experience—maybe in data analytics, product, customer success, all of these things that you alluded to—I'd be curious to know how this diverse background kind of comes together to influence your approach to sales enablement at Direct Travel. RH: You know, I think having experience spanning across, you know, many areas, it gives a broad perspective around how things intersect, how they influence, and, you know, how they support each other. So, for example, leveraging data points such as why we win, reasons why we lose, as well as listening to customer feedback, you really start to see trends and start to understand the customer and industry pain points.So from there, you can really start to work with key business partners—I would say in marketing, product, customer experience, you know, those different areas—to make sure that you develop content and assets that are gonna arm your sales reps to overcome objections, to highlight key differentiators, and to align solutions to customer pain points.And when, you know, you’re leading in enablement, I always say it’s like vitally important to ensure that the right content and collateral and training and coaching is available to enable those sales reps to quickly advance through those sales cycles and close, win that business. RR: Wonderful. I’d love to maybe double-click a little bit deeper into that enablement approach and philosophy, especially focused on coaching, because I know on LinkedIn you’ve highlighted the importance of people-centric leadership, especially in sales coaching and feedback.I’m curious to know maybe how you bring this philosophy to life in your enablement efforts, and then how that affects your overarching coaching culture. RH: Yeah, so people-centric leadership, you know, it really isn’t just being caring, empathetic, committed. I think, you know, that’s all highly important, but it’s also about being intentional in how we grow our teams.So developing individuals through coaching, feedback, and recognition is so critical. So one thing I do is I run pitch exercises where reps record themselves, and I always tell them, this is your playground. You know, you can mess up here, not in front of a customer. And it feels like a safe space. So that mindset shift makes a huge difference.And this approach not only helps individuals grow, but it also fosters a culture where, you know, feedback becomes normalized and valued. So over time, this creates, like, that ripple effect as well. And so what I start to see is reps start to coach each other. They feel comfortable sharing tips or tricks or feedback. Even, you know, it’s not so much then from that top-down directive. It feels like it’s more of a collaborative community. And as a result, I think it’s also important just to call out that we start to see reps become more confident and collaborative just in general. So as a result of that, I would say, you know, it even helps increase or improve our win rates and, you know, helps people be better prepared and hopefully, again, win that business. RR: Yeah, I love to hear that. I think the idea of like making a safe space for practice is so important. People need to be able to make mistakes. That’s where you learn. So that’s great to hear. I’d like to switch gears maybe a little. I know that in addition to creating a healthy coaching culture, improving sales efficiency is a key focus for you at Direct Travel.I’d be curious—maybe some of the challenges to GTM efficiency that you’re seeing your teams face today. RH: Oh yeah. I say, you know, quite a few come to mind, and I think that’s normal, right? I mean, in any company there’s always those things. I would say, you know, sellers using old, outdated collateral, sometimes trying to find where are those assets stored, because they could be stored in multiple different areas.I would say another big thing that we’re challenged with is related to long sales cycles, and so, you know, for me it’s always top of mind: how do we continue to shorten and shrink those sales cycles? And then I think a lot of times you’re not getting full visibility into buyer engagement. So without that data, a lot of times the sales reps are using their gut.There’s only a few data points that they have, like, oh, are we able to have another meeting? Are they responding? But you’re not really getting that buyer engagement. And then, in addition to that, you know, really cumbersome and manual ways to coach the sales reps. Just—I can tell you—doing a pitch session a year ago without Highspot, it was so cumbersome. Just having to build out what is the talk track, sharing that video through email that we recorded of the pitch, and then coming together with a rubric and then trying to do all the scoring. It was very labor-intensive. RR: Yeah, I think you’re spot on with these challenges. There are things that we’re certainly hearing from our customers, we feel ourselves, and other organizations are talking about. And I think the big thing is that everybody is trying to solve for them. And so, as you kind of mentioned just a little bit, you have found a platform to help you with that. So I’d be curious if you could tell me a little bit about the strategic advantage of an enablement platform and how it’s helping you kind of overcome some of these challenges that you’re seeing. RH: Absolutely. So using Highspot is a dream come true, to be honest. Number one, you know, having one central hub for sales content is so critical and so important. So I feel like our sales reps that are in the Highspot environment no longer feel like they’re digging through email or SharePoints or going on a team site trying to find that collateral.So that is a huge efficiency gain, but also think of job satisfaction. Those sellers feel like, wow, this is so much easier for me to navigate. I would also say, again, going back to the real-time insights and analytics from buyer engagement—so now we’re able to see what content is being viewed, and it’s also helping us tailor our follow-up as well as being able to close deals faster.The other I would say is consistent coaching and training. So going back to the example I just used—very manual process historically—but being able now to leverage AI to provide feedback instantly is incredible. RR: Wonderful. That’s absolutely what I love to hear, and I’m super excited that you’re finding these wins already so early.Thinking about platforms and enablement technology, I’d like to maybe call out a win that we’ve heard through the grapevine, which is that even though you’re early in your journey with the platform, you’ve already achieved a really impressive 96% recurring usage rate. So I’d really love to hear what some of your best practices for driving that adoption are and how you’ve achieved that. RH: Yeah, absolutely. So right out of the gate, timing-wise, this worked perfectly because we were having our sales kickoff meeting in person, and so we used that as our launch, right? So we were able to get the hype going, and we had sessions where we did a whistle-stop tour of all the tools, key capabilities, and really got people excited about what was coming around the corner.So after our SKO, we then did what we called mandatory kickoff implementation calls to get everyone set up. And what we really wanted to make sure that we didn't do was one big bang because we know there are so many features and capabilities in the platform that we wanted to be really intentional about phasing that out.So the first thing that we did is we focused on content management. Again, you heard that was one of our challenges. So we wanted to make sure that we had one stop shop for all of our content and make it super easy for people to navigate and find anything that they need for their sales cycle.In addition to that, the next thing we wanted to do was roll out digital sales rooms because, again, you heard that was a challenge. We wanted to start to see buyer engagement. So that was really well received by the entire group. So it was very easy for us to get them excited and into the tool and the repeat usage. So that was the starting point.In addition to that, we started and continue to host every Friday an optional drop-in office hours call. And this is really great because people that are available, they'll jump in, they'll listen if they don't have questions, or others will actually ask questions, which then drives conversation and also highlights successes. Because in those moments, you know, people are starting to talk about, oh, you know, this is how we did it, or this worked for me. You really start to see some of those true successes come to life.I think the other important piece is making sure that we had our executive leadership team and other leaders be advocates for Highspot—so making sure that they’re talking about it in their meetings, that they’re highlighting it in town halls.And also, as we're starting to see some of the data and the proof points, I, along with other leaders, are sharing those out through email or on calls for recognition. So things like recognizing top users of Highspot, those that built the most digital sales rooms, those that had the most content viewed, or people viewing their digital sales room.And then I would kind of wrap that up with also—we've had some people create some really creative intro videos that they've included in the digital sales room. We're making sure that we're sharing those broadly so people can spark new ideas on how they want to show up in their digital sales rooms. RR: This is all really great advice, and I think very helpful tips. I love the idea of tapping into that competitive instinct in your salespeople—who has the most pitches, who has the most views. That is something that is gonna ignite activity for sure.So now, thinking that you’ve achieved this adoption and you have your sellers bought in, I’d love to dig a little bit further into maybe what’s next for you. I’ve heard that you’re planning to leverage Highspot AI capabilities to drive scalability and efficiency. So can you share a little bit about how you’re building AI features—things like meeting intelligence—into your enablement strategy going forward? RH: Yeah, absolutely. So we are really excited about leveraging the AI features and meeting intelligence. In fact, that was one of the selling points when we were going through the sales cycle with Highspot.Number one is we love the fact that you can ingest meeting recordings into the platform and right away, using AI, get some feedback on what I would say is like performance feedback.So I love being able to see stats on how much percentage of time a seller spoke versus a prospect—because we want that to be 20%, roughly, right? And we really want to do all of those high-gain questions to have our prospects open up and speak to us, especially, you know, during discovery.The other thing that I really love is using delivery insights. So there’s the pitch variation, pace, and filler words, and that’s really helpful for people that have never used a tool—to share that with them. They maybe have no idea how many times they say “right,” “um,” “you know,” all those different filler words. And so it’s really great to give them that awareness and to also show the pace because some people are fast talkers and some maybe are a little bit slower, so it gives them some intel on how to improve.The other thing that we've actively started using is the follow-up feature. So you can get quick capture or, you know, a transcript that then shows you next steps and actions. So it's a time saver, and you don't feel like you need to take notes. You can just let yourself focus on the conversation and be an active listener. RR: Awesome. I love the value that you’re seeing in some of these features. I really like to hear about the vision, so I would love to maybe hear a little bit about how you’re bringing that vision to life and what that strategy is.In May, you actually joined us here in Seattle for a workshop on our real-world coaching capabilities, and you shared with us that you’re currently testing them with a pilot group.So I'd love if you could kind of lay out how you’re rolling out these capabilities, how the pilot's going, and how you’re kind of empowering users to start leveraging this tool. RH: Yeah, so you’re right. I did attend the meeting in Seattle and it was fantastic. It was such a great opportunity to learn more about the capabilities and start framing up, you know, our go-forward vision of where we want to go with this.And I would say you're right—we are still very much in the early phases of leveraging this, especially, you know, the coaching capabilities. So what is in the works is, you know, we are starting to build out pitching exercises for different industry nuances and buyer personas, and I think that is gonna be super helpful to really get our sellers comfortable with different talk tracks based on different individuals that they’re speaking to.So to me, that is one of the first things that we really want to focus on, and we’ll be coming out of the gate soon. RR: Awesome. Well, I can't wait to hear about how it’s going in a few months. I know a lot of work to be done, but I’m sure a lot of wins in the future.Speaking kind of of down the line, I'd like to maybe turn to your measurement strategy, especially, you know, as we talked about, knowing that you’re a leader with a strong analytics background.I'd be curious—when it comes to enablement programs like this new coaching initiative, what key metrics you’re tracking to measure their impact, and then maybe what success looks like in the next year or so. RH: Yeah, I think we're tracking a blend right now of adoption, engagement, and performance metrics, which I think is really important because we're still in the early phases of rolling this out.So we want to make sure that people are adopting it, and then we want to make sure from an engagement perspective, we’re starting to see people leveraging feedback and things of that nature—and performance metrics. So I'll dive a little bit deeper into that.So definitely we are looking at, you know, the percent of reps who have completed coaching modules and sessions, percent who completed coaching tasks, and feedback ratings for sales reps.In addition to that, we're looking at things like leveraging meetings intelligence metrics, such as, you know, those talk ratios and the objection handling—because the other cool thing is at the bottom of the recording, it shows some key, I would say, like competencies. And I'm not sure how to phrase that, but it's really helpful for a seller to say, okay, this was an area where I should have been focusing on objection handling, and maybe I didn't, right? So some of those things are really important right now.And then performance metrics as well. So we are looking at quota attainment, pipeline growth, conversion rates, sales cycle length. And for me, you know, these seem to be the biggest indicator of success. You know, because you really want to see that ROI.You know, we’re starting to see some of our DSRs that, in the early stages here, we’re winning business. And we do feel like this is a game changer for us because we’re showing up differently. RR: Awesome. I love to hear that. And as I said, I can't wait to hear more about how the momentum grows over time at Direct Travel.Maybe returning to the present, I know you’re still early, but I think it’s important to talk about your wins, right? So I’d love to know—maybe key wins or things that you’re proud of that you’ve achieved so far. Anything you can share with us? RH: Yeah, absolutely. So I would say, you know, through this pilot and launch that we’ve done, we have had sales reps just absolutely elated when they send out a digital sales room, and the very first time someone takes a look at the room, right, and they look at the content, they are sending messages in chat like, oh my gosh, it’s working! And that in and of itself is a testament as to why, you know, we rolled this out.In addition to that, like I was just mentioning, we have already some sellers that have created and used digital sales rooms for the entire sales process, and it has shortened the sales cycle.We have a few individuals where they started at discovery using an intro video, updating some content and collateral about our tech stack and services, and then used it all the way to starting to post the proposal and pricing.And then there we are—we won the business right after that. So it’s pretty impressive. So I think those are the big wins. Just again, you saw the usage, you know, in the high nineties. We’ve got many digital sales rooms that have been created, and we're winning business as a result of it. RR: Wonderful. I think that rep feedback says a lot. If you can get your reps excited, you’re getting exclamation points through Slack—you know you’re doing something right. It seems like you and your team are doing really great work.And I just want to close with one last question. I know you’re deeply involved in mentoring, and you’re a mentor in the GBTA WINiT organization.So to close, I’d love if you could share with us one or two pieces of advice that you would give to other women looking to develop as leaders and drive impact for their organization. RH: Yeah, absolutely. I think the number one thing that I would say to people is: say yes. There are so many times where an opportunity comes up—whether it’s a stretch goal, an opportunity to participate in a project, or to even apply for a position.So many times I’ve talked to women where they feel like, I don't have the skill, I don't have the knowledge, I don't feel comfortable taking that next step. And I always challenge them to say: what's holding you back and why?Right. One of the things I always share with them is multiple examples in my career path where I have said yes. I was nervous. I certainly did not have the experience or maybe even the skill. But I didn't want that to hold me back, because if someone is willing to invest in you, that is the testament in and of itself, right? That is the answer.So take that leap and have confidence in yourself and give it a whirl.And the other thing that I've had a lot of people say many times is: oh, now's not a good time. And there's always reasons to hold back. And I always respond: if not now, when?There's always going to be something. So get over that something and just go for it. RR: That's great advice. I love the idea of just, you know, invest in yourself. There's never a better time than now. I know I'll certainly be taking that to heart.But that's all I want to say—thank you so much for joining us today. It was fantastic to learn a little bit more about you, your work, and the incredible trajectory that Direct Travel is on. RH: Awesome. Thank you so much. I really appreciate the opportunity. RR: To our listeners, thank you for listening to this episode of the Win-Win podcast. Be sure to tune in next time for more insights on how you can maximize enablement success with Highspot.

THE TIM JONES AND CHRIS ARPS SHOW Guest co-host Nick Schroer https://x.com/NickBSchroer 0:00 SEG 1 The Speaker's Stump Speech is brought to you by https://www.hansenstree.com/ Senator Ben Brown https://www.benbrownforsenate.com/ 19:12 SEG 2 Lee Schalk, Senior VP of Policy at ALEC | TOPIC: The ALEC conference in Indianapolis https://alec.org/person/lee-schalk/ https://x.com/ALEC_states 34:22 SEG 3 Leavitt being open and honest about Trump’s health https://newstalkstl.com/ FOLLOW TIM - https://twitter.com/SpeakerTimJones FOLLOW CHRIS - https://twitter.com/chris_arps 24/7 LIVESTREAM - http://bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMS RUMBLE - https://rumble.com/NewsTalkSTL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE TIM JONES AND CHRIS ARPS SHOW Guest co-host Nick Schroer https://x.com/NickBSchroer 0:00 SEG 1 The Speaker's Stump Speech is brought to you by https://www.hansenstree.com/ Senator Ben Brown https://www.benbrownforsenate.com/ 19:12 SEG 2 Lee Schalk, Senior VP of Policy at ALEC | TOPIC: The ALEC conference in Indianapolis https://alec.org/person/lee-schalk/ https://x.com/ALEC_states 34:22 SEG 3 Leavitt being open and honest about Trump’s health https://newstalkstl.com/ FOLLOW TIM - https://twitter.com/SpeakerTimJones FOLLOW CHRIS - https://twitter.com/chris_arps 24/7 LIVESTREAM - http://bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMS RUMBLE - https://rumble.com/NewsTalkSTL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this insightful conversation from the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium, Scott Luton of Supply Chain Now sits down with Jon Rodammer, Senior VP and Head of North America Operations at Kenvue. Jon shares his inspiring leadership journey and the values that guide him—resilience, mentorship, and a people-first mindset.They explore:The power of agility and responsiveness in today's supply chainsWhy digitization and system investments matter for newly independent companiesHow Jon's experience with top consumer goods brands shaped his "consumer-first" approachThe role of mentorship and community service in building strong leadershipKenvue's cultural commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellenceWhether you're navigating supply chain disruption or growing a team, Jon's insights are packed with real-world value.Additional Links & Resources:Connect with Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonrodammer/Learn more about Kenvue: https://www.kenvue.com/Watch our other interviews from Gartner Supply Chain Symposium 2025: https://supplychainnow.com/gartner-2025 Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVkWEBINAR- When to Walk Away from Warehouse AI - and When to Go All In: https://bit.ly/4dFgCYqWEBINAR- Real Stories: How an Australian Powerhouse Unlocked Millions in Capex Using Advanced Supply Chain Planning: https://bit.ly/3TsxBUFWEBINAR- Unleash Your Inner Pioneer: How to Transform How You Lead: https://bit.ly/45X3ax3WEBINAR- Still in the Dark? 4 Shipping Visibility Fails You Can't Afford This Peak: https://bit.ly/44g0NEiWEBINAR- Strengthening Fraud Defenses Through Tracking and Digital Visibility: https://bit.ly/4eiZ6t3WEBINAR- From Framework to Action: Decision Automation in the Agentic Supply Chain: https://bit.ly/4nKlkJ6WEBINAR- From Legacy to Leading Edge, Morgan Foods' Supply Chain Journey: https://bit.ly/3IcDDGkWEBINAR- Tomorrow's Factory is Already Here: https://bit.ly/45QMGqoThis episode is hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at:

Learn About The Top Global Markets Targeted by the U.S. Dairy Export Council DMI's Scott Wallin explores how your dairy checkoff resources are driving global demand for U.S. dairy with Becky Nyman, a fourth-generation California dairy farmer and chair of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), and Rick Ortman, USDEC's Senior VP of Strategic Insights. Rick highlights USDEC's mission to make U.S. dairy the supplier of choice worldwide—backed by rigorous market research and strategic insights while Becky shares the importance of uniting farmers, processors, and manufacturers under one global voice. With nearly 20% of all U.S. milk production already feeding international markets, they make it clear why exports are critical to sustaining dairy businesses and attracting the next generation to the farm. From boosting dairy demand in Mexico to building strong ties in Southeast Asia through USDEC's Center for Dairy Excellence in Singapore, the conversation reveals how mission trips, health research, and hands-on partnerships are strengthening trust in U.S. dairy across the globe. Tune in to find out! To learn more about the national dairy checkoff and your local dairy checkoffs, please visit dairycheckoff.com Host & Guest: ·      Host: Scott Wallin, Vice President of Farmer Communications & Media Relations, Dairy Management Inc. ·      Guest: Becky Nyman, California dairy farmer and Chair, U.S. Dairy Export Council ·      Guest: Rick Ortman, Senior Vice President of Strategic Insights, U.S. Dairy Export Council

In this episode of Disruptors x CDL: The Innovation Era, hosts John Stackhouse, Senior VP of RBC, and Sonia Sennik, CEO of Creative Destruction Lab, dive into one of the most transformative technologies of our time: Artificial Intelligence. With the potential to revolutionize industries from healthcare to energy, AI is reshaping the global economy — and Canada is both a leader in research and a laggard in adoption.This week, Geoffrey Hinton, Professor at the University of Toronto, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research in artificial intelligence that began in 1987.Join John and Sonia as they discuss Canada's AI ecosystem and the country's challenges in keeping pace with global AI adoption. They're joined by three visionary guests: Sheldon Fernandez, CEO of Darwin AI, Kory Mathewson, Senior Research Scientist at Google DeepMind, and Gillian Hadfield, a Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Senior Fellow. Together, they explore the opportunities and barriers in AI adoption, the creative applications of AI, and the role Canada must play in the future of AI.This episode is packed with insights for business leaders, policymakers, and anyone curious about how AI is changing our world. Whether you're an AI enthusiast or a skeptic, this episode will challenge your thinking on the role of technology in shaping the future.Tune in to learn how AI is both an opportunity and a responsibility, and how Canada can lead the charge in this new innovation era.Sign up to receive RBC Thought Leadership's newsletter, flagship reports and analysis on the forces shaping Canadian business and the economy.

Greg Farnum, Senior VP and General Manager at Audacious Inquiry, a PointClickCare company, brings expertise in health information exchange, public health, and health IT policy. Audacious is using AI to reduce administrative burdens and improve clinical workflows, facilitating data exchange, enhancing decision-making, and providing a better patient experience. Working with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and other federal and state agencies, Audacious is developing tools to summarize lengthy test results, generate educational materials, and suggest relevant responses to public inquiries. Greg explains, "We have a full-stack engineering team, a managed services team, expertise in health IT policy and regulation, health IT standards, public health, and now artificial intelligence. So we work with ASTP (Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy), which is also known as the old ONCCDC, plus a bunch of other federal and state agencies, HIEs, and public health. We are part of PointClickCare, a leading health tech company with one simple mission -- to help providers deliver exceptional care across thousands of facilities." "ASTP has some really interesting challenges that are perfect for AI. They're dealing with some complex data analysis challenges and the creation of content for industry and the public. They also respond to thousands of public inquiries yearly. So we're helping them with all of those things and leveraging AI tools to do that."   "I'll get a little more specific. Every year, hundreds of health IT organizations and developers submit these things they call testing results associated with their real-world test plans. But there's no standard format for this. So, ASTP staff have to manually read through each of these documents. And these are big documents. They can be 50 pages, they could be 200 pages, and the staff need to go through and figure out where the answers are to these specific questions. So we've built some AI tools that can read the entire document and automatically extract the answers using things like natural language processing and other AI components."  #PointClickCare #AudaciousInquiry #AI #MedAI #ResponsibleAI #AdministrativeBurdens #DigitalHealth #Healthcare #HealthcareRegulation #ClinicianBurnout #Clinicians pointclickcare.com/audacious-inquiry Download the transcript here

Greg Farnum, Senior VP and General Manager at Audacious Inquiry, a PointClickCare company, brings expertise in health information exchange, public health, and health IT policy. Audacious is using AI to reduce administrative burdens and improve clinical workflows, facilitating data exchange, enhancing decision-making, and providing a better patient experience. Working with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and other federal and state agencies, Audacious is developing tools to summarize lengthy test results, generate educational materials, and suggest relevant responses to public inquiries. Greg explains, "We have a full-stack engineering team, a managed services team, expertise in health IT policy and regulation, health IT standards, public health, and now artificial intelligence. So we work with ASTP (Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy), which is also known as the old ONCCDC, plus a bunch of other federal and state agencies, HIEs, and public health. We are part of PointClickCare, a leading health tech company with one simple mission -- to help providers deliver exceptional care across thousands of facilities." "ASTP has some really interesting challenges that are perfect for AI. They're dealing with some complex data analysis challenges and the creation of content for industry and the public. They also respond to thousands of public inquiries yearly. So we're helping them with all of those things and leveraging AI tools to do that."   "I'll get a little more specific. Every year, hundreds of health IT organizations and developers submit these things they call testing results associated with their real-world test plans. But there's no standard format for this. So, ASTP staff have to manually read through each of these documents. And these are big documents. They can be 50 pages, they could be 200 pages, and the staff need to go through and figure out where the answers are to these specific questions. So we've built some AI tools that can read the entire document and automatically extract the answers using things like natural language processing and other AI components."  #PointClickCare #AudaciousInquiry #AI #MedAI #ResponsibleAI #AdministrativeBurdens #DigitalHealth #Healthcare #HealthcareRegulation #ClinicianBurnout #Clinicians pointclickcare.com/audacious-inquiry Listen to the podcast here

Mesh Gleman, former Senior VP at Starbucks and founder of The Cumulus Coffee Company, joins Michael Chernow for a deep dive into entrepreneurship, coffee culture, and building a brand that brings the joy, connection, and warmth of your favorite neighborhood coffee shop into your home.This episode of the Kreatures of Habit Podcast is all about bold moves, building businesses with soul, and is redefining the way we experience coffee. But don't expect startup clichés—Mesh believes you don't coast on wins, you earn your business every single day. Today, the two explore:Cumulus Coffee Company: The vision behind Cumulus CoffeeMesh's first taste of entrepreneurship: What sparked this journeyDo you celebrate the wins?: Why not celebrating wins can keep you sharpThe grit and endurance behind real success: The role of endurance in entrepreneurship Mesh's morning routine: Who thinks coffee is a staple?Whether you're a coffee lover, aspiring founder, or just need a dose of motivation, Mesh's story will leave you caffeinated in all the right ways. If you loved today's show, be sure to like and subscribe… and, if you really loved it, share it with a friend that would want to become part of the Kreatures fam!TIMESTAMPS:10:16 Cumulus Coffee Company21:56 Mesh's first taste of entrepreneurship29:53 Do you celebrate the wins?39:13 The grit and endurance behind real success42:35 Mesh's morning routine

When it comes to the production of high-value food crops, California is, without question, a global leader. Plus, much of the state's thousands of acres of farmland lies within close proximity of Silicon Valley, where high-tech tools and solutions are endemic. And yet, many California farmers are struggling to continue their work, and agtech startups are increasingly looking beyond the state for customers and sectors to serve. So what gives? To answer this question, we asked Walt Duflock, Senior VP of Innovation at Western Growers Association on the show to help us connect the dots on why California's world-renowned ag and its state-of-the-art tech sectors are struggling to align. Policy plays a big role here, but shifting tides around agtech funding are also having an effect. For more information and resources, visit our website. The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.

In this episode of the Excellence at Work podcast, host Rachel Cooke engages with Michelle Moore, Senior VP of Leadership Assessment and Development at Gallagher, to explore the dynamic intersection of digital transformation and leadership development. They discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies, such as generative AI, the importance of fostering a digital mindset, and the critical role of HR in bridging the gap between technology and people. Tune in to discover how leaders can navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape to drive meaningful change and innovation!

In episode #156 of

The Responsible Gambling Council over the past week announced the release of a Gambling, Marketing and Advertising report that was funded by Flutter Entertainment. RGC CEO Sarah McCarthy was in Ottawa with Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho, OLG head honcho Duncan Hannay and other executive types for the opening of the PlaySmart Centre inside the spanking new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in the nation's capital. Speaking of McCarthy, who at the beginning of the year succeeded Shelley White as the new boss of the Toronto-based RGC, she joined colleague Elaine MacDougall for a conversation with your humble host during the Canadian Gaming Summit in June. We asked the new CEO about her decision to leave the Rick Hansen Foundation to lead the Council, and her transition into the new role. McCarthy and MacDougall, who has a new title (Senior VP, Strategy and Programs) for their takeaways from the annual Discovery conference in May, the RGC's involvement in the recent G7 Canada Brain Economy Summit sessions on responsible gaming and gambling policy, and the council's ongoing RG efforts – especially in its education programs targeted at youth.Please excuse any background noise or audio imperfections. This episode was recorded live on the show floor of the 2025 Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy the conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joint aches. Softer muscles. Saggy skin. Brain fog.  Dealing with these not-so-fun issues in midlife? Trust me, you're not the only one. But… these changes aren't “just a part of getting older”. In this podcast, I'm joined by the brilliant Dr. Greg Kelly, Senior VP of Product Development at Qualia Life and a leader in anti-aging and cellular health, to unpack the powerful concept of cellular senescence, also known as “zombie cells.”  These cells don't die when they should, sticking around to cause inflammation, slow down your metabolism, and accelerate aging in your skin, joints, muscles, and brain.  The good news? You're not powerless! Dr. Kelly shares how senolytics—natural compounds that help your body clear out zombie cells—can dramatically shift how you age, supporting your body's innate ability to regenerate.  If you've been feeling like your body is betraying you, this episode will bring hope and science-backed strategies to help you feel vibrant, clear-headed, and strong again. Tune in now! Gregory Kelly N.D. Dr. Gregory Kelly is a naturopathic physician, the SVP of Product Development at Qualia Life, and the author of the book Shape Shift. He was the editor of the journal Alternative Medicine Review and has been an instructor at the University of Bridgeport in the College of Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Kelly has published hundreds of articles on natural medicine and nutrition, contributed three chapters to the Textbook of Natural Medicine, and has more than 30 journal articles indexed on PubMed. IN THIS EPISODE Enhancing longevity AND wellness in your later years  What are zombie cells, and how do they contribute to aging?  Main parts of the body impacted by zombie or senescent cells  Senolytics and how they work against zombie cells in the body  Qualia Senolytics and the science and research behind them Top non-negotiable supplements for optimal health  Enhancing women's hormonal and reproductive longevity  How to get Qualia Senolytic NOW at a discounted rate!  QUOTES “As these zombie cells accumulate wherever in our body, our joints, our skin, our brain, our muscle tissues, our fat tissues, they cause both local problems and systemic problems.”  “They scanned a whole bunch of different compounds, both plant extracts and actual medications, and came up with two that, especially when combined together, worked really well to get these zombie cells to finally go through cellular death.” “These people all had some degree of joint discomfort, and what we saw was about a 60% improvement over three dosing cycles. So this seemed like it made a big benefit.” RESOURCES MENTIONED Get your Qualia Life Senolytic at 15% off HERE!  Qualia Life Website   Qualia Life Instagram  Qualia Life YouTube Channel  Pre-order my new book: The Perimenopause Revolution HERE  RELATED EPISODES  #653: Mitochondria, Menopause & Metabolism: The Cellular Secret to More Energy After 40 with Dr. Felice Gersh #649: How To Reverse Your Biological Age + 5 Science-Backed Longevity Tips Every Woman Should Know with Leslie Kenny 640: Unveiling The Essential Role of Minerals For Cellular Energy And Detoxification with Caroline Alan 655: The Hidden Truth About Perimenopause That No One's Talking About (And Why It Changes Everything About How You Age)

Ed, Rob, and Jeremy took some time from Friday's BBMS to speak with O's Senior VP of Communications Jennifer Grondahl. A lot going on at the Yard over the next few weeks but what exactly can fans expect?

In this episode of All Things Policy, Carl Jaison sits down with Suryaprabha Sadasivan, Senior VP of Public Policy and FIPRA India Lead at Chase Advisors, to unpack what truly drives policy success in India's complex political economy. Drawing from her cross-sectoral experience, Suryaprabha reflects on navigating Union–State dynamics, building multi-stakeholder coalitions, and helping clients shift from reactive posturing to strategic influence. She offers candid perspectives on the human, political, and narrative forces that shape outcomes in the policy advisory space.All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find out more on our research and other work here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://takshashila.org.in/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our public policy courses here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://school.takshashila.org.in⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For many years, the Illinois Corn Checkoff has invested in the work of the U.S. Meat Export Federation to expand global markets for American beef and pork. In this Managing for Profit, John Hinners, Senior VP of Industry Relations with USMEF, shares some of the organization's latest work and how it benefits Illinois farms. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 50th episode of the Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents Podcast features an inspiring conversation with John R. Osborn, an advertising veteran and long-time supporter of creative problem solving. With a legacy steeped in innovation, John is the co-founder and CMO of ad tech startup Turnstīl, a former Senior VP at BBDO, and grandson of creativity pioneer Alex Osborn, the inventor of brainstorming and founder of the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI).This episode explores John's incredible insights on creativity as a higher state of consciousness and its transformative role in business, education, and personal growth. You'll discover:How creativity shaped John's career in advertising and entrepreneurship Lessons from his time with the Creative Education Foundation Practical applications of deliberate creative problem solving Whether you're a seasoned professional looking to elevate your creative potential or someone curious about the science of creativity, this episode offers stories about how creativity can drive positive change. Tune in and be inspired to harness creativity at a higher level. 

Send us a textIn this episode of Embedded Insiders, we're joined by RISC-V's newest CEO, Andrea Gallo, who outlines his vision for the company's future. From accelerating ecosystem growth to his expectations for current architectures, Gallo shares his strategy to shape the next chapter of RISC-V.Later, Rich and Vin return with another Dev Talk, featuring Avijit Sinha, Senior VP of Strategy and Global Business Development at Wind River. They explore how AI is revolutionizing computing platforms and offer insights on starting your own AI project.But first, Rich, Ken, and I dive into the evolving landscape of AI-powered search tools and their impact on journalism and media.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

With over 20 years of cross-functional experience, Maarten ter Mors is a MedTech leader known for his curiosity, adaptability, and people-first approach. His career spans engineering, product management, marketing, sales, and general management. Today, he's Senior VP and Head of Brachytherapy Solutions at Elekta, where he brings people, technology, and strategy together to make a real-world impact.Maarten believes that no matter how advanced technology becomes, people remain at the heart of progress-especially when working with AI, not against it.With a career shaped by adaptability and cross-functional moves, Maarten offers a unique lens on how to grow in a fast-evolving industry.Tune in for:Moving across functions (before you're “ready”)Why sales skills matter in every roleWhat AI will really change in MedTech careersHow to build cognitively diverse, high-performing teamsWhy curiosity is your ultimate growth engineAnd much more!Career inspiration, medtech opportunities, hiring solutions, and market insights, all in one place. Find them here - linktr.ee/elemedCareer inspiration, medtech opportunities, hiring solutions and market insights, all in one place. Find them here.

Carl and Mike close out the show with final thoughts on reports of the Hawks set to hire Pelicans GM Bryson Graham as their Senior VP of Basketball Operations and Philadelphia 76ers executive Peter Dinwiddle as their Senior VP of Strategy and Analytics and what they moves may mean for the future of the Hawks as they look to become a team which competes for an NBA title.

Carl and Mike react to the Hawks reportedly hiring Pelicans GM Bryson Graham as their Senior VP of Basketball Operations and Philadelphia 76ers executive Peter Dinwiddle as their Senior VP of Strategy and Analytics and as they discuss, they share their thoughts on what they may mean for the future of the Hawks.

In the opening hour of “Dukes and Bell”, Carl Dukes and Mike Bell open the show recapping the Braves' continued struggles. Next, we talk NBA Finals and French open in the “Daily Download”. We close the hour with a discussion on the news that the Hawks have finally hired a Senior VP of Basketball Ops!

As the US races against China to develop the most advanced capabilities in AI, energy is critical. In this second episode from the ACORE finance forum, we speak to experts about how US energy policy, and in particular the reconciliation bill now being debated in Congress, might affect that race.Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe talk first to Joseph Webster, a Senior Fellow at the think-tank the Atlantic Council. They discuss the need for increased power supplies for data centers, the US reliance on clean energy supply chains that originate in China, and the challenges facing attempts to reduce that dependence.Ed and Amy then talk to Seth Hanlon, a Senior Fellow at the New York University Tax Law Center, and to Lesley Hunter, the Senior VP for Policy and Engagement at ACORE. They dig into the politics around the reconciliation bill currently being worked on in the Senate. Seth previously worked at the US Treasury on the implementation of the energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, and shares his perspectives on the possible effects of the new legislation that could come out of Congress. Lesley provides her insight on the prospects for persuading senators to support a more favorable outcome for the clean energy industry.This is the second of three special episodes from the ACORE Finance Forum. We'll be back next week with further coverage of all the essential conversations at the event.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

EPISODE SUMMARY: Otto Padrón is a visionary leader who has shaped the media industry across TV, radio, and digital platforms. He is the former President and CEO of Meruelo Media, the fastest-growing minority-owned media company in California. and an Army Ambassador who has programmed Telemundo and Univision. He shares his incredible journey from Cuba, through the military, to becoming a giant of media. On this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody, Chachi talks to Otto about:Growing up in Cuba where his Dad was a chief engineer for Cuba's television network CMQThe heroic sacrifices his parents made to escape Cuba and bring family to Miami via SpainHis Uncle Omar's influence on him and U.S. Hispanic media in the U.S.Serving as an Airborne Ranger and then a Green Beret during Desert StormWhat his military experience taught him about leadershipHow programming Telemundo taught him to be bold and take risksLeaving his head of programming role at Univision to be deployed in IraqSaving KDAY and how he fell in love with radioAnd More!ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST: Otto Padron is the former President and CEO of Meruelo Media and made it the fastest growing Minority owned Media Company in California. Otto's mass media experience and leadership has been the instrumental vision powering Meruelo Media into an industry trailblazing organization. As such, there is no U.S. based minority owned and operated media company with the platform diversity, reach and execution of Meruelo Media.Otto conceived, shaped, formed, and operated the most diverse Super Cluster in the Nation with a carefully curated and culturally unique multi-lingual collection of brands under one flag – Meruelo Media, Los Angeles. As such, this distinct organization is one of the fastest and strongest growing media companies in the Nation with six key broadcast properties serving the Greater Los Angeles area. Its broadcast portfolio holds some of the most legendary brands in the U.S. The oldest independent Spanish language TV station in the U.S., KWHY-TV 22 celebrating a 35-year broadcasting legacy with its combo full power sister station, KBEH-TV 63. These institutional properties are joined by heritage rock station KLOS 95.5 FM super serving SOCAL for over 50-years, coupled with the legendary KDAY 93.5 FM commemorating 40- years as the first U.S. commercial radio station to play Hip-Hop which is now joined by the iconic tastemaker rhythmic FM stations in the Nation – Power 106; the super cluster is capped by the new KLLI “CALI” 93.9 FM playing the hottest Spanish Language hits. All these iconic brands offer a deep and multiprong digital strategy to engage multimedia users at all relevant touchpoints. Such is the case for Power106 and its near 2 Million YouTube subscribers. In 2014, Otto led the design and construction of the new Meruelo Media Los Angeles multimillion-dollar Broadcast and Studio Center (www.meruelostudios.com) now home to FOX Television's African American OTT/Streaming service – FOX Soul. As a widely respected and award-winning content creator, Otto brings a unique combination of revenue generation coupled with a well footed and pragmatic production approach that drives creative innovation at every phase of execution.As a young Cuban immigrant growing up in the US, Otto formed a passionate bond with mass media thanks in great part to his father, a broadcast engineer in the then nascent Spanish language network, Univision. Many years later, Otto would serve as the Senior Vice President of Programming at Univision leading the network's content strategy in setting viewing records and establishing itself as one of America's most watched TV Networks – regardless of language! Otto is the only executive to have successfully headed programming for both major U.S. Spanish language networks, Univision and Telemundo. His unique media background brings a rich perspective and matchless insight of the Latino viewer profile, content, and cultural preferences to any operation. As a shaping member of these powerhouse brands, Otto skillfully blended solution-based content ideas with a value-oriented production management style driven by bottom-line results. During his +20-years programming these competitive networks, Otto developed a keen understanding of relevant entertainment/information formats and has established a reputation for delivering winning results through relevant and compelling editorial, production excellence and flawless execution.During his nearly 15-year tenure at Univision, Otto assumed various positions of growing responsibility culminating as Senior VP, Programming and Promotions. He directly managed all domestic entertainment productions, operations, on-air promotions and key positioning and branding strategies. He was responsible for the development and launch of many of the programs that continue on-air today. Overall, he was responsible for the management of an annual content budget of over $500 million and supervised a team of more than 300 employees. Moreover, he managed all programing aspects of the content agreements with Televisa (Mexico), Venevision (Venezuela) and RCN (Colombia), as well as the network's general entertainment domestic U.S. productions. Otto is a Retired Colonel with 38 years of distinguished military service. He was commissioned as an Infantry officer and began his military career in the Special Operations Command serving as an Airborne Ranger in the legendary 75th Ranger Regiment. His career continued with assignments in some of the most demanding active-duty units in the U.S. Army. He retired in 2022 as the Deputy Division Commander of the 91st Training Division in Fort Hunter-Liggett, California. For his numerous military achievements, Otto was a featured Soldier in a U.S. Army Strong campaign as one of America's top Latino leaders. COL Padron (Ret) most notable awards are the Bronze Star Medal; Legion of Merit; the coveted Ranger tab; Pathfinder Badge; Master Parachutist Badge and the Combat Infantry Badge for valorous service under enemy fire. (Army Campaign – click). Today Otto continues to serve as an Army Ambassador, a title that carries the protocol rank of a 2-Star General. Otto is the Vice Chair of the world-famous Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Walk of Fame committee. He also sits on various boards and commissions in the SOCAL region with an emphasis on increasing minority voices, academic resources, and access for hard- to-reach communities. As such, Otto was a key member of the FCC Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CDEC) bringing a minority and veteran perspective to the FCC council. He is married to Mexican actress, Angelica Vale and has four children. Otto is a distinguished master's program graduate from the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania and is a Worlds Ahead Graduate of Florida International University's Chapman School of Business with a Master's Degree in Business Administration. Otto is a Hurricane who proudly holds a double Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Communications and Economics from the University of Miami, Coral Gables – his alma mater.ABOUT THE PODCAST: Chachi Loves Everybody is brought to you by Benztown and hosted by the President of Benztown, Dave “Chachi” Denes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the myths and legends of the radio industry.PEOPLE MENTIONED:Omar MarchantRick DeesSteve JonesDr GruberColin PowellJerry 1:29Ray RodriguezCynthia HudsonCarlos VivesManny MartinezFernando GaitánRaul De MelinaSelenaJerry PerenchioHaim SabanAlex MerueloJeff SmulyanAngélica ValeRick SummingsPio FerroABOUT BENZTOWN: Benztown is a leading international audio imaging, production library, voiceover, programming, podcasting, and jingle production company with over 3,000 affiliations on six different continents. Benztown provides audio brands and radio stations of all formats with end-to-end imaging and production, making high-quality sound and world- class audio branding a reality for radio stations of all market sizes and budgets. Benztown was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 by Inc. magazine for five consecutive years as one of America's Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies. With studios in Los Angeles and Stuttgart, Benztown offers the highest quality audio imaging work parts for 23 libraries across 14 music and spoken word formats including AC, Hot AC, CHR, Country, Hip Hop and R&B, Rhythmic, Classic Hits, Rock, News/Talk, Sports, and JACK. Benztown's Audio Architecture is one of the only commercial libraries that is built exclusively for radio spots to provide the right music for radio commercials. Benztown provides custom VO and imaging across all formats, including commercial VO and copywriting in partnership with Yamanair Creative. Benztown Radio Networks produces, markets, and distributes high-quality programming and services to radio stations around the world, including: The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown, The Todd-N-Tyler Radio Empire, Hot Mix, Sunday Night Slow Jams with R Dub!, Flashback, Top 10 Now & Then, Hey, Morton, StudioTexter, The Rooster Show Prep, and AmeriCountry. Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks produces and markets premium podcasts including: IEX: Boxes and Lines and Molecular Moments.Web: benztown.comFacebook: facebook.com/benztownradioTwitter: @benztownradioLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/benztownInstagram: instagram.com/benztownradio Enjoyed this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody? Let us know by leaving a review!

In this week's episode of Meet the Expert with Elliot Kallen, we dive into the world of cryptocurrency and digital assets with Mike Reed, Senior VP of Partnership Development at Franklin Templeton. Learn the basics of crypto, how it differs from traditional currency, and why major financial institutions like Franklin Templeton's $1.6 trillion fund are investing heavily in this space. Discover the potential benefits of adding digital assets to your investment portfolio and get insights on the future of crypto regulation.

Send us a textWondering if you need the CFA to break into banking? Curious what the SIE is, or whether a CPA helps you land a role in private equity? You're not alone—exam questions are by far the most common DMs we get. So in this episode, we finally break it all down.We're joined by Joyce Schnurr, Senior VP at Kaplan, who walks us through the differences between licensing (SIE, Series 7, 63, 79) and credentials (CFA, CPA, CFP, CAIA), who actually needs them, and how they impact your finance career. Whether you're entering investment banking, sales & trading, asset management, or wealth advisory, we cover which exams matter—and which ones don't. We also talk exam structure, pass rates, and how new rules may let you fund prep with a 529 plan.Plus, we dive into the latest market drama—TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out), bond market crowding, and the beauty M&A boom featuring Hailey Bieber's near-billion-dollar deal. As always, it's markets, career advice, and pop culture—through a Wall Street lens.For more information about Kaplan, check them out HERETo connect with Joyce Schnur on LinkedIn, find here HEREShop our LIBRARY of Self Paced Online Courses HEREJoin the Fixed Income Sales and Trading waitlist HERE Our content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ashley Goodall, outstanding leadership expert, former Fortune 50 executive, former Senior VP at Cisco, former senior executive at Deloitte and author of The Problem with Change, one of Financial Times' top business books of 2024. As a thought leader, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and more. In this episode, you'll learn why nonstop disruption drains performance--and how to fix it. You'll learn how predictability fuels innovation, why "check-ins" beat "performance reviews" and the four questions that make check-ins work. You'll discover how to create real belonging at work, why corporate vision and value statements often backfire, and you'll learn what actually does drive engagement. If you're navigating change—or leading others through it—this episode is for you! Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO broadcast on Salem Radio in San Francisco, via live-streaming on iHeart Radio worldwide or anytime, on ANY podcast platform, including Apple Podcast, Spotify, iTunes, TuneIN, Stitcher, Google Play and all the others. Sign up for the podcast here. SHOW NOTES: ASHLEY GOODALL: BIO: See website BOOKS: The Problem with Change: And the Essential Nature of Human Performance, by Ashley Goodall Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader's Guide to the Real World, by Ashley Goodall and Marcus Buckingham WEBSITE: https://ashleygoodall.com/

In this episode of Westchester Talk Radio, host Joan Franzino covers the Hospital for Special Surgery's Day of Wellness, held on May 19th, 2025 The Scarsdale Golf Club, at 1 Club Way in Hartsdale, NY. The event was an outstanding celebration of health and community, featuring a day full of healthy competition, hands-on wellness workshops, delicious food, and much more—culminating in a lively evening cocktail reception. Joan sat down with Gemma Hart, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs at Danone, to discuss the importance of wellness in both personal and professional settings and how events like this help build a culture of well-being across the community. 

What happens when big oil turns its sights to critical minerals? This episode of Fast Forward dives into ExxonMobil's unexpected pivot into lithium extraction and its role in the energy transition. Andrea Hotter sits down with Dan Holton, Senior VP of Low Carbon Solutions at ExxonMobil, to discuss how the company's deep expertise in oil drilling is being repurposed to unlock lithium from brines.  Explore the ground breaking technology, the "why now" behind this shift, and how ExxonMobil plans to reshape the battery materials supply chain. With insights into regulatory hurdles, the global lithium market, and the growing interplay between energy security and the energy transition, this episode offers a unique glimpse into the future of energy. Listen now and discover how lithium might just become the "new oil."  Fastmarkets is your source of critical minerals and battery raw materials market analysis, forecasting and price data, keeping you ahead of the competition. To discover more about our products visit https://www.fastmarkets.com/podcast/

From WEDI's Spring Conference, Michael crashed the Provider Information Workgroup meeting and chatted with workgroup co-chairs Martin Cody, Senior VP of Sales, Madaket Health, and Michelle Barry, Director, Expert Health Plans, Provider Data Management with Availity. They discuss the definition of provider directories, the current issues concerning accuracy, and the incorporation of artificial intelligence with provider information, and is there hope for a national directory of healthcare providers.

In This Episode Brought to you by our YouTube Member Team Storm Front Freaks Wicked Weather Report - The latest weather news from the last couple of weeks Guests: Craig Ceecee and Brad Huffines Outbreak with StormCat5 Forecast MMFS brings you STORM-net and HurricaneVision at 10% OFF Lightning Round: Deep South Dish Dash Shop Storm Front Freaks in The Wx Store Weatherfools - We present the fools doing stupid things in weather situations Weather Trollbot 5000 - The OG Trollbot interprets what our weather friends were really thinking when they responded to their trolls. Freak Fan Box - We read the latest comments, posts and emails from our fans Announce Next Show/Guest(s) Check out our YouTube channel and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to be notified of our next stream.  Join our YouTube membership for unique benefits while supporting our content. Our Guests Dr. Craig Ceecee He's a tornado-tracking trailblazer with a Ph.D. from Mississippi State, and a mission to keep you safe when the skies turn deadly—he's turned shelter mapping into a life-saving innovation and is leading the charge on tornado shelter awareness. Buckle up, storm freaks—Dr. Craig Ceecee is in the house! Brad Huffines He's the voice behind the warning, the storm-savvy expert who's rocked the airwaves and educated the nation—broadcasting through chaos, hurricanes, and twisters with a mission to keep you informed and alive. From CNN to FEMA to your hometown sirens—he's the Senior VP behind WeatherCall and HazardCall—please welcome the meteorological mastermind, Brad Huffines! Subscribe to us on YouTube.com/stormfrontfreaks for news when we go live with Storm Front Freaks Outbreak coverage of storms, tornadoes, hurricanes and blizzards 10% OFF for LIFE when you subscribe to STORM-net and HurricaneVision at https://data.mesoscaleforecast.com/account/membership and use the code STORMFRONT at check-out Shop Storm Front Freaks and Outbreak/StormCat5 gear exclusively at thewxstore.com Weatherfools Links Greg - I Quit Phil - From Angela...Fired for Fuck Phil - Phil's Cooked Phil - Walking On Thin Ice Phil - Head's Up Phil - Is Copic Weather Wise? Phil - Trucker Wants a Belly Scratch Phil - Here Comes the Bat Submit your questions or comments about this show to questions@stormfrontfreaks.com or on our social media accounts and we may read it on our next episode! Next Episode…June marks the unofficial start to hurricane season, so none better than world renowned Hurricane Chaser, Josh Morgerman to join us LIVE in the studio to cover his expectations of the 2025 season.  Everyone can join us on Thursday, June 5th at 9pmET/8pmCT right here on YouTube.  Or catch the audio podcast uploaded that weekend. Twitter: @stromfrontfreak BlueSky: @stormfrontfreaks YouTube:  YouTube.com/stormfrontfreaks Credits Opening Music: Brett Epstein Closing Music: Gabe Cox Other Music: “Pecos Hank” Schyma from El Reno Blues

The leaders at Portland General Electric knew they had a choice: Embrace innovative ideas…or get left behind. They chose the former—and now, PGE is charting a new path for scaled utilities to embrace technology, welcome innovation, and ask hard questions to ensure their customers get energy that's reliable, efficient, and clean, day in and day out. Today on Piloting the Future, hosts Kim Getgen and Lee Krevat get the full rundown on PGE's recent Innovation Impact Report from Larry Bekkedahl, Senior VP of Advanced Energy Delivery at PGE, and Allegra Hodges, Head of Strategic Innovation at PGE. Larry and Allegra explain PGE's efforts to build a stronger grid, how strong process can empower innovation, the best strategies for finding consensus in a crowded tech ecosystem…and, of course, where AI fits into all this. PGE completed the first long-distance transmission of electricity in the US in 1889—and they haven't stopped innovating since. Give this episode a listen to understand how embracing the future became part of a major utility's culture. Want to check out PGE's Innovation Impact Report? Find it here: https://portlandgeneral.com/about/who-we-are/innovative-energy Interested in Larry's recommendation of Collective Genius by Prof. Linda Hill? Learn more here: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=47530 See you next time.

Struggling with the emotional weight of layoffs or tough team decisions?Letting someone go is never easy—especially when they've done good work.In my latest episode of The Executive Appeal Podcast, I sit down with Anne Tomkinson, Senior VP of People & Culture at the National Apartment Association, to unpack what it really feels like to navigate reductions in force—and how to do it with empathy, clarity, and integrity.We dive into the real cost of these conversations—the emotional toll on leaders and team members—and why the how matters just as much as the decision itself.

Send Kevin a Text MessageIn this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Scott Ross, a pioneering figure in the visual effects industry. As the former general manager of Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), Senior VP of LucasArts Entertainment, and co-founder of Digital Domain with James Cameron and Stan Winston, Scott Ross shares insights into the evolution of visual effects, from practical models to the digital revolution. His impressive portfolio includes iconic films like Star Wars, Terminator 2, Titanic, Apollo 13, and What Dreams May Come, and in this conversation, Ross reflects on working with some of Hollywood's greatest directors and creative minds.Early Career and Entry into Visual Effects (01:59)Ross talks about his unexpected journey from studying film at Hofstra University to running ILM.The Evolution of Visual Effects (04:26)Ross offers a historical perspective on the development of visual effects, from early innovations like The Great Train Robbery and Trip to the Moon, through the stop-motion animation of King Kong, to the groundbreaking digital effects of the 1980s.Working at Industrial Light and Magic (09:19)Ross recounts his experience running ILM, explaining how he rose through the ranks despite having limited direct experience with the optical and chemical processes used before the digital era.Seminal Projects: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (15:04)Ross shares insights on his groundbreaking work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.Collaborating with George Lucas and James Cameron (17:57)Ross offers candid reflections on working with George Lucas and his partnership with James Cameron in founding Digital Domain.Visual Effects Economics and Challenges (25:54)Ross explains why visual effects are so expensive, mainly due to the enormous personnel requirements.The Impact of AI on Visual Effects (30:36)Ross offers a balanced view of artificial intelligence as both "an incredibly wonderful technology" and a potentially frightening force that could eliminate jobs.Reflections on Iconic Films (39:09)In a rapid-fire segment, Ross shares memories of working on films like Apollo 13, Titanic, Terminator 2, and What Dreams May Come.Throughout the conversation, Ross shares his perspective as a business leader who navigated the transition from creating practical to digital effects, offering both historical context and insights about the future of filmmaking as the technology continues to evolve.We look forward to bringing you more revelations from behind the scenes next time on Don't Kill the Messenger! Please leave us a review or connect on social media.Host: Kevin GoetzGuest: Scott RossProducer: Kari CampanoWriters: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari CampanoAudio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment) For more information about Scott Ross:Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Ross_(film_executive)IMDB:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0743824/Upstart: The Digital Film Revolution (Book): https://a.co/d/iRhI0uR For more information about Kevin Goetz:Website: www.KevinGoetz360.comAudienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube, and Substack: @KevinG

"Survive Till '25" was the mantra, but what happens now that we're here? Anthem Properties' Senior VP of Finance Michael Ferreira and President of Anthem Holdings Canada Jordan Carlson sit down with Adam & Matt to discuss the considerable headwinds facing Vancouver's real estate market amid unprecedented global uncertainty.From Trump tariffs to completed but unsold inventory, this candid conversation reveals the stark realities developers face while highlighting potential "green shoots" that might signal better days ahead. Despite pre-sale markets being "essentially non-existent," the Anthem executives share why they remain cautiously optimistic about the second half of 2025.Have completed inventory levels created a rare buying opportunity for end-users right now? How are developers like Anthem creating bespoke incentive programs to address the unique challenges facing today's hesitant purchasers? And why do these industry veterans believe Downtown Vancouver represents an inexplicably overlooked value proposition?Don't miss this insider perspective on weathering Vancouver's complex market conditions!

In this episode of the WayMaker Fireside Chat, we welcome Tyronne Stoudemire, Senior VP of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Hyatt Corporation. Tyronne unpacks the evolution of DEI in corporate America, highlighting where progress has stalled and where opportunities remain. He shares powerful insights from his book Diversity Done Right, emphasizing the importance of shifting from performative diversity efforts to sustainable change. Tune in as we explore how companies can create truly inclusive environments and why data-driven decisions are key to long-term success.

Guests: Lindsay Knox, Senior VP and Policy Director, McDonald Carano Mike Draper, Partner, Argentum Partners

In this jam-packed episode of the Bug Bux podcast, Eric and Jake sit down with the legendary Dr. Jim Fredericks—board-certified entomologist and Senior VP of Public Affairs at the NPMA. From tick awareness and pest control PR to the difference between NPMA and PPMA, they dig into the resources that can help pest pros thrive. Jim shares insider info on NPMA Pro certification, PPMA Mainframe, and what to expect from PestWorld 2025 in Orlando. If you're ready to grow your business and your industry smarts, this is one you don't want to miss.

Host Matt Fisher talks to Dr. Theresa McDonnell, Senior VP and Chief Nurse Executive, Duke University Health System about the role of nurses in healthcare and current state of nursing profession; evolution of nurse education and enhancing integration of disciplines; role of technology and how to effectively develop and implement. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

Have you or do you feel stress? What is stress and how can we deal with it? Our guest this time is Rachelle Stone who discusses those very questions with us. Rachelle grew up in a very small town in Massachusetts. After attending community college, she had an opportunity to study and work at Disney World in Florida and has never looked back.   Rachelle loved her Disney work and entered the hospitality industry spending much of 27 years working for or running her own destination management company. She will describe how one day after a successful career, at the age of 48, she suffered what today we know as burnout. She didn't know how to describe her feelings at the time, but she will tell us how she eventually discovered what was going on with her.   She began to explore and then study the profession of coaching. Rachelle will tell us about coaches and clients and how what coaches do can help change lives in so many ways.   This episode is full of the kind of thoughts and ideas we all experience as well as insights on how we can move forward when our mindsets are keeping us from moving forward. Rachelle has a down-to-Earth way of explaining what she wants to say that we all can appreciate.       About the Guest:   “As your leadership consultant, I will help you hone your leadership, so you are ready for your next career move. As your executive coach, I will partner with you to overcome challenges and obstacles so you can execute your goals.”     Hi, I'm Rachelle. I spent over 25 years as an entrepreneur and leader in the Special Event industry in Miami, building, flipping, and selling Destination Management Companies (DMCs).  While I loved and thrived in the excitement and chaos of the industry, I still managed to hit a level of burnout that was wholly unexpected and unacceptable to me, resulting in early retirement at 48.   Now, as a trained Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach, I've made it my mission to combine this hard-won wisdom and experience to crack the code on burnout and balance for others so they can continue to thrive in careers they love. I am Brené Brown Dare to Lead ™ trained, a Certified Positive Intelligence ® Mental Fitness coach, and an accredited Professional Certified Coach by the ICF (International Coaching Federation, the most recognized global accreditation body in the coaching industry).   I continue to grow my expertise and show my commitment to the next generation of coaches by serving on the ICF-Central Florida chapter board of directors. I am serving as President-Elect and Chapter Liaison to the global organization. I also support those new to the coaching industry by mentoring other coaches to obtain advanced coaching credentials.   I maintain my well-being by practicing Pilates & Pvolve ® a few days a week, taking daily walks, loving on my Pug, Max, and making time for beach walks when possible.   Ways to connect Rachel:   www.rstoneconsulting.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstoneconsulting/ Instagram: @even_wonderwoman_gets_tired   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Well, hi and welcome to unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet. But you know, the more fun thing about it is the unexpected. Unexpected is always a good thing, and unexpected is really anything that doesn't have anything directly to do with inclusion or diversity, which is most of what we get to deal with in the course of the podcast, including with our guest today, Rachelle Stone, who worked in the hospitality industry in a variety of ways during a lot of her life, and then switched to being a coach and a leadership expert. And I am fascinated to learn about that and what what brought her to that? And we'll get to that at some point in the course of the day. But Rachelle, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Thank   Rachelle Stone ** 02:08 you, Michael. I'm honored to be here. Excited to be talking to you today.   Michael Hingson ** 02:12 Well, it's a lot of fun now. You're in Florida. I am. I'm in the Clearwater   Rachelle Stone ** 02:16 Dunedin area. I like to say I live in Dunedin, Florida without the zip code.   Michael Hingson ** 02:22 Yeah. Well, I hear you, you know, then makes it harder to find you that way, right?   Rachelle Stone ** 02:28 Physically. Yeah, right, exactly. Danita, without the zip code, we'll stick with that. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 02:33 yeah, that works. Well, I'm really glad you're here. Why don't we start by maybe you talking to us a little bit about the early Rachelle growing up and some of that stuff.   Rachelle Stone ** 02:43 Yeah, I was lucky. I grew up in rural Western Massachusetts, little po doc town called Greenfield, Massachusetts. We were 18 miles from the Vermont border, which was literally a mile and a half from the New Hampshire border. So I grew up in this very interesting area where it was like a tri state area, and our idea of fun growing up, well, it was, we were always outdoors, playing very much outdoors. I had three siblings, and I was the youngest, and it was one of those childhoods where you came home from school, and mom would say, go outside, don't come back in the house until you hear the whistle. And every house on the street, every mother had a whistle. There were only seven houses because there was a Boy Scout camp at the end of the road. So as the sun was setting and the street lights would come on, you would hear different whistles, and different family kids would be going home the stone kids up, that's your mom. Go home, see you next time that was it was great. And you know, as I got older and more adventurous, it was cow tipping and keg parties and behind and all sorts of things that we probably shouldn't have been doing in our later teen years, but it was fun. Behind   Michael Hingson ** 04:04 is it's four wheeling,   Rachelle Stone ** 04:08 going up rough terrain. We had these. It was very, very hilly, where I was lot of lot of small mountains that you could conquer.   Michael Hingson ** 04:17 So in the winter, does that mean you got to do some fun things, like sledding in the snow. Yeah, yeah.   Rachelle Stone ** 04:24 We had a great hill in the back of our yard, so I learned to ski in my own backyard, and we had three acres of woods, so we would go snowshoeing. We were also close to a private school called Northfield Mount Hermon, which had beautiful, beautiful grounds, and in the winter, we would go cross country skiing there. So again, year round, we were, we were outdoors a lot.   Michael Hingson ** 04:52 Well, my time in Massachusetts was three years living in Winthrop so I was basically East Boston. Yeah. Yes and and very much enjoyed it. Loved the environment. I've been all over Massachusetts in one way or another, so I'm familiar with where you were. I am, and I will admit, although the winters were were cold, that wasn't as much a bother as it was when the snow turned to ice or started to melt, and then that night it froze. That got to be pretty slippery,   05:25 very dangerous, very dangerous.   Michael Hingson ** 05:29 I then experienced it again later, when we lived in New Jersey and and I actually our house to take the dogs out. We had no fenced yards, so I had to take them out on leash, and I would go down to our basement and go out and walk out basement onto a small deck or patio, actually, and then I had to go down a hill to take the dogs where they could go do their business. And I remember the last year we were in New Jersey, it snowed in May, and the snow started to melt the next day, and then that night, it froze, and it and it stayed that way for like about a day and a half. And so it was as slick as glass is. Glass could be. So eventually I couldn't I could go down a hill, it was very dangerous, but going back up a hill to come back in the house was not safe. So eventually, I just used a very long flex leash that was like 20 feet long, and I sent the dogs down the hill. I stayed at the top.   Rachelle Stone ** 06:33 Was smart, wow. And they didn't mind. They just wanted to go do their business, and they wanted to get back in the house too. It's cold, yeah?   Michael Hingson ** 06:41 They didn't seem to be always in an incredible hurry to come back into the house. But they had no problem coming up the hill. That's the the advantage of having claws,   Rachelle Stone ** 06:51 yes. Pause, yeah, four of them to boot, right? Yeah, which   Michael Hingson ** 06:54 really helped a great deal. But, you know, I remember it. I love it. I loved it. Then now I live in in a place in California where we're on what's called the high desert, so it doesn't get as cold, and we get hardly any of the precipitation that even some of the surrounding areas do, from Los Angeles and Long Beach and so on to on the one side, up in the mountains where the Snow is for the ski resorts on the other so Los Angeles can have, or parts of La can have three or four inches of rain, and we might get a half inch.   Rachelle Stone ** 07:28 Wow. So it stays relatively dry. Do you? Do you ever have to deal like down here, we have something called black ice, which we get on the road when it rains after it hasn't rained in a long time? Do you get that there in California,   Michael Hingson ** 07:41 there are places, yeah, not here where I live, because it generally doesn't get cold enough. It can. It's already this well, in 2023 late 2023 we got down to 24 degrees one night, and it can get a little bit colder, but generally we're above freezing. So, no, we don't get the black ice here that other places around us can and do. Got it. Got it. So you had I obviously a fun, what you regard as a fun childhood.   Rachelle Stone ** 08:14 Yeah, I remember the first day I walked into I went to a community college, and I it was a very last minute, impulsive, spontaneous decision. Wow, that kind of plays into the rest of my life too. I make very quick decisions, and I decided I wanted to go to college, and it was open enrollment. I went down to the school, and they asked me, What do you want to study? I'm like, I don't know. I just know I want to have fun. So they said, you might want to explore Recreation and Leisure Services. So that's what I wound up going to school for. And I like to say I have a degree in fun and games.   Michael Hingson ** 08:47 There you go. Yeah. Did you go beyond community college or community college enough?   Rachelle Stone ** 08:53 Yeah, that was so I transferred. It took me four years to get a two year degree. And the reason was, I was working full time, I moved out. I just at 17, I wanted to be on my own, and just moved into an apartment with three other people and went to college and worked. It was a fabulous way to live. It was wonderful. But then when I transferred to the University, I felt like I was a bit bored, because I think the other students were, I was dealing with a lot of students coming in for the first time, where I had already been in school for four years, in college for four years, so the experience wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted the education. And I saw a poster, and it was Mickey Mouse on the poster, and it was Walt Disney World College program now accepting applications. So I wrote down the phone number, email, whatever it was, and and I applied. I got an interview again. Remember Michael? I was really bored. I was going to school. It was my first semester in my four year program, and I just anyway. I got a call back and. And I was accepted into the Disney College Program. So, um, they at that time, they only took about 800 students a year. So it was back in 1989 long time ago. And I was thrilled. I left Massachusetts on january 31 1989 in the blizzard of 89 Yeah, and I drove down to Orlando, Florida, and I never left. I'm still here in Florida. That was the beginning of my entire career. Was applying for the Disney College Program.   Michael Hingson ** 10:36 So what was that like, being there at the Disney College, pro nominal, phenomenal. I have to ask one thing, did you have to go through some sort of operation to get rid of your Massachusetts accent? Does   Rachelle Stone ** 10:50 it sound like it worked? No, I didn't have well, it was funny, because I was hoping I would be cast as Minnie Mouse. I'm four foot 10. I have learned that to be Mini or Mickey Mouse, you have to be four, eight or shorter. So I missed many by two inches. My second choice was being a lifeguard, and I wound up what I they offered me was Epcot parking lot, and I loved it, believe it or not, helping to park cars at Epcot Center. I still remember my spiel to the letter that I used to give because there was a live person on the back of the tram speaking and then another one at the front of the tram driving it to get you from the parking lot to the front entrance of the gate. But the whole experience was amazing. It was I attended classes, I earned my Master's degree. I picked up a second and third job because I wanted to get into hotels, and so I worked one day a week at the Disney Inn, which is now their military resorts. And then I took that third job, was as a contractor for a recreation management company. So I was working in the field that I had my associates in. I was working at a hotel one day a week, just because I wanted to learn about hotels. I thought that was the industry I wanted to go into. And I was I was driving the tram and spieling on the back of the tram five days a week. I loved it was phenomenal.   Michael Hingson ** 12:20 I have a friend who is blind who just retired from, I don't know, 20 or 25 years at Disneyland, working a lot in the reservation centers and and so on. And speaks very highly of, of course, all the experiences of being involved with Disney.   Rachelle Stone ** 12:38 Yeah, it's really, I'm It was a wonderful experience. I think it gave me a great foundation for the work in hospitality that I did following. It was a great i i think it made me a better leader, better hospitality person for it well,   Michael Hingson ** 12:57 and there is an art to doing it. It isn't just something where you can arbitrarily decide, I'm going to be a successful and great hospitality person, and then do it if you don't learn how to relate to people, if you don't learn how to talk to people, and if you're not having fun doing it   Rachelle Stone ** 13:14 exactly. Yes, Fun. Fun is everything. It's   Michael Hingson ** 13:18 sort of like this podcast I love to tell people now that the only hard and fast rule about the podcast is we both have to have fun, or it's not worth doing.   Rachelle Stone ** 13:25 That's right. I'm right there with you. Gotta Have fun,   Michael Hingson ** 13:30 yeah? Well, so you So, how long were you with Disney? What made you switched? Oh, so   Rachelle Stone ** 13:36 Disney College Program. It was, at that time, it was called the Magic Kingdom college program, MK, CP, and it's grown quite significantly. I think they have five or 7000 students from around the world now, but at that time it was just a one semester program. I think for international students, it's a one year program. So when my three and a half months were up. My semester, I could either go back. I was supposed to go back to school back in Massachusetts, but the recreation management company I was working for offered me a full time position, so I wound up staying. I stayed in Orlando for almost three and a half years, and ultimately I wound up moving to South Florida and getting a role, a new role, with a different sort of company called a destination management company. And that was that was really the onset destination management was my career for 27 years. 26   Michael Hingson ** 14:38 years. So what is a destination management company. So   Rachelle Stone ** 14:41 a destination management company is, they are the company that receives a group into a destination, meetings, conventions, events. So for instance, let's say, let's say Fathom note taker. Wants to have an in person meeting, and they're going to hold it at the Lowe's Miami Beach, and they're bringing in 400 of their top clients, and and and sales people and operations people. They need someone on the receiving end to pick everybody up at the airport, to put together the theme parties, provide the private tours and excursions. Do the exciting restaurant, Dine Around the entertainment, the amenities. So I did all the fun. And again, sticking with the fun theme here, yeah, I did all of the auxiliary meeting fun add ons in the destination that what you would do. And I would say I did about 175 to 225, meetings a year.   Michael Hingson ** 15:44 So you didn't actually book the meetings, or go out and solicit to book the meetings. You were the person who took over. Once a meeting was arranged,   Rachelle Stone ** 15:53 once a meeting was booked in the destination, right? If they needed a company like mine, then it would be then I would work with them. If I would be the company. There were several companies I did what I do, especially in Miami, because Miami was a top tier destination, so a client may book the lows Miami Beach and then reach out to two to three different DMCs to learn how can they partner with them to make the meeting the most successful. So it was always a competitive situation. And it was always, you know, needing to do our best and give our best and be creative and out of the box. And, yeah, it was, it was an exciting industry. So what makes   Michael Hingson ** 16:41 the best destination management company, or what makes you very successful? Why would people view you as successful at at what you do, and why they would want to choose you to be the company to work with? Because obviously, as you said, it's competitive.   Rachelle Stone ** 16:59 Everybody well, and there's choice. Everybody has choice. I always believed there was enough business to go around for everybody. Very good friends with some of my my hardiest competitors. Interestingly, you know, although we're competing, it's a very friendly industry. We all network together. We all dance in the same network. You know, if we're going to an industry network, we're all together. What? Why would somebody choose me over somebody else? Was really always a decision. It was sometimes it was creativity. Sometimes it was just a feeling for them. They felt the relationship just felt more authentic. Other times it was they they just really needed a cut and dry service. It just every client was always different. There were never two programs the same. I might have somebody just wanting to book a flamenco guitarist for three hours, and that's all they need. And another group may need. The transportation, the tours, the entertainment, the theme parties, the amenities, the whole ball of Fox, every group was different, which is, I think, what made it so exciting, it's that relationship building, I think, more than anything. Because these companies are doing meetings all over the country, sometimes some of them all over the world. So relationships were really, really important to them to be able to go into a destination and say to their partner in that destination, hey, I'm going to be there next May. This is what I need. Are you available? Can you help? So I think on the initial front end, it is, when it's a competitive bid, you're starting from scratch to build a relationship. Once that's relationship is established, it is easier to build on that relationship when things go wrong. Let's talk about what worked, what didn't, and how we can do better next time, instead of throwing the entire relationship out with the bathwater and starting from scratch again. So it was a great industry. I loved it, and   Michael Hingson ** 19:00 obviously you must have been pretty successful at it.   Rachelle Stone ** 19:04 I was, I was lucky. Well, luck and skill, I have to give myself credit there too. I worked for other DMCs. I worked for event companies that wanted to expand into the DMC industry. And I helped, I helped them build that corporate division, or that DMC division. I owned my own agency for, I think, 14 years, still alive and thriving. And then I worked for angel investors, helping them flip and underperforming. It was actually a franchise. It was an office franchise of a global DMC at the time. So I've had success in different areas of Destination Management, and I was lucky in that I believe in accreditation and certification. That's important to me. Credibility matters. And so I. Involved in the association called the association of Destination Management executives international admei I know it's a mouthful, but I wound up serving on their board of directors and their certification and accreditation board for 14 years, throughout my career, and on the cab their certification accreditation board, my company was one of the first companies in the country to become a certified company, admc certified. I was so proud of that, and I had all of my staff. I paid for all of them to earn their certification, which was a destination management Certified Professional. That's the designation. I loved, that we could be a part of it. And I helped write a course, a university level course, and it was only nine weeks, so half a semester in teaching students what destination management is that took me three years. It was a passion project with a couple of other board members on the cab that we put together, and really glad to be a part of that and contributing to writing the book best practices in destination management, first and second edition. So I feel lucky that I was in this field at a time where it was really growing deeper roots. It had been transport the industry. When I went into it was maybe 20 years young, and when I left it, it been around for 40 plus years. So it's kind of exciting. So you so you   Michael Hingson ** 21:41 said that you started a company and you were with it for 4014 years, or you ran it for 14 years, and you said, it's still around. Are you involved with it at all? Now, I   Rachelle Stone ** 21:51 am not. I did a buyout with the I had two partners at the time. And without going into too much detail, there were some things going on that I felt were I could not align with. I felt it was unethical. I felt it was immoral, and I struggled for a year to make the decision. I spoke to a therapist, and I ultimately consulted an attorney, and I did a buyout, and I walked away from my this was my legacy. This was my baby. I built it from scratch. I was the face of the company. So to give that up my legacy, it was a really tough decision, but it really did come full circle, because late last year, something happened which brought me back to that decision, and I can, with 100% certainty, say it was a values driven decision for me, and I'm so happy I made that decision. So I am today. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 22:57 and, and let's, let's get to that a little bit so you at some point, you said that you had burnout and you left the industry. Why did you do that?   Rachelle Stone ** 23:08 So after I did, sold my my business, I worked for angel investors for about three and a half years. They brought me in. This was an underperforming office that the franchisee, because they had owned it for 10 years, had done a buyout themselves and sold it back to the angel investors or the private equity so they brought me in to run the office and bring it from surviving to thriving again. And it took me about 18 months, and I brought it from under a million to over 5.3 million in 18 months. So it's quite successful. And I had said to the owners, as they're thanking me and rewarding me, and it was a great first two years, I had said to them, please don't expect this again. This was a fluke. People were following me. There was a lot of curiosity in the industry, because this was a really big move for me to sell my company and then go work for this one. It was big news. So it was a great time. But the expectation for me to repeat, rinse and repeat, that kind of productivity was not realistic. It just wasn't realistic. And about a year and a half later, I just, I was driving from the Lowe's Miami Beach. It's funny, because I used that as an example before, to the breakers in Palm Beach. And if you know South Florida at all, it's, it's, you're taking your life in your hands every time you get on 95 it's a nightmare. Anyway, so I'm driving from the lows to the breakers, and I just left a kind of a rough meeting. I don't even remember what it was anymore, because that was back in 2014 and I'm driving to another meeting at the breakers, and I hang up the phone with somebody my. Son calls about something, Mom, this is going on for graduation. Can you be there? And I'm realizing I'm going to be out of town yet again for work, and I'm driving to the breakers, and I'm having this I just had this vision of myself in the middle of 95 slamming the brakes on in my car, coming to a full stop in the middle of the highway. I did not do this this, and I don't recommend you do this. And I opened up my car door, and I literally just walked away from my car. That was the image in my mind. And in that moment, I knew it was time for me to leave. I had gone as high as I could go. I'd done as much as I could do. I'd served on boards, contributed to books, spoken on panels. I wanted to go back to being an entrepreneur. I didn't want to work for angel investors anymore. I wanted to work for myself. I wanted to build something new, and I didn't want to do it in the DMC world. So I went home that night thinking I was going to just resign. Instead, I wrote a letter of retirement, and I retired from the industry, I walked away two and a half weeks later, and I said I was never going to return.   Michael Hingson ** 26:09 And so I burnt out, though at the time, what? What eventually made you realize that it was all burnt out, or a lot of it was burnt out. So I   Rachelle Stone ** 26:17 didn't know anything about burnout at that time. I just knew I was incredibly frustrated. I was bored. I was over in competence, and I just wanted out. Was just done. I had done well enough in my industry that I could take a little time. I had a lot of people asking me to take on consulting projects. So I did. I started doing some consulting in hospitality. And while I was doing that, I was kind of peeling away the layers of the onion, saying, What do I want to do next? I did not want to do DMC. That's all I knew. So I started this exploration, and what came out of it was an interest in exploring the field of coaching. So I did some research. I went to the coachingfederation.org which is the ICF International coaching Federation, is the leading accreditation body for coaches in the world. And through them, I researched Who were some of the accredited schools. I narrowed it down. I finally settled on one, and I said, I'm going to sign up for one course. I just want to see what this coaching is all about. So I signed up for a foundations course with the with the school out of Pennsylvania, and probably about three weeks into the course, the professor said something which was like a light bulb moment for me, and that I realized like, oh my   Speaker 1 ** 27:40 god, I burnt out. And I was literally, at this   Rachelle Stone ** 27:46 time, we're in school, we're on the phone. It was not zoom. We didn't have all this yet. It was you were on the phone, and then you were pulling up documents on your computer so the teacher couldn't see me crying. I was just sobbing, knowing that this is i i was so I was I was stunned. I didn't say anything. I sat on this for a while. In fact, I sat on it. I started researching it, but I didn't tell anybody for two years. It took me two years before I finally admitted to somebody that I had burnt out. I was so ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, I was this successful, high over achiever. How could I have possibly burnt out?   Michael Hingson ** 28:34 What? What did the teacher say   Rachelle Stone ** 28:37 it was? I don't even remember what it was, but I remember that shock of realization of wellness, of it was, you know what it was that question, is this all? There is a lot of times when we were they were talking about, I believe, what they were talking about, midlife crisis and what really brings them on. And it is that pivotal question, is this really all there is, is this what I'm meant to be doing? And then in their conversation, I don't even remember the full conversation, it was that recognition of that's what's happened to me. And as I started researching it, this isn't now. This is in 2015 as I'm researching it and learning there's not a lot on it. I mean, there's some, mostly people's experiences that are being shared. Then in 2019 the World Health Organization officially, officially recognizes burnout as a phenomenon, an occupational phenomenon.   Michael Hingson ** 29:38 And how would you define burnout? Burnout is,   Rachelle Stone ** 29:43 is generally defined in three areas. It is. It's the the, oh, I always struggle with it. It's that disconnect, the disconnect, or disassociation from. Um, wanting to succeed, from your commitment to the work. It is the knowing, the belief that no one can do it well or right. It is there. There's that. It's an emotional disconnect from from from caring about what you're doing and how you're showing up, and it shows up in your personal life too, which is the horrible thing, because it your it impacts your family so negatively, it's horrible.   Michael Hingson ** 30:39 And it it, it does take a toll. And it takes, did it take any kind of a physical toll on you?   Rachelle Stone ** 30:45 Well, what I didn't realize when I when I took this time, I was about 25 pounds overweight. I was on about 18 different medications, including all my vitamins. I was taking a lot of vitamins at that time too. Um, I chronic sciatica, insomnia. I was self medicating. I was also going out, eating rich dinners and drinking, um, because you're because of the work I was doing. I had to entertain. That was part of that was part of of my job. So as I was looking at myself, Yes, physically, it turns out that this weight gain, the insomnia, the self medication, are also taught signs of of risk of burnout. It's how we manage our stress, and that's really what it comes down to, that we didn't even know. We don't even know. People don't no one teaches us how to process our stress, and that that's really probably one of the biggest things that I've through, everything that I've studied, and then the pandemic hitting it. No one teaches us how to manage our stress. No one tells us that if we process stress, then the tough stuff isn't as hard anymore. It's more manageable. No one teaches us about how to shift our mindsets so we can look at changing our perspective at things, or only seeing things through our lizard brain instead of our curious brain. These are all things that I had no idea were keeping me I didn't know how to do, and that were part of contributing to my burnout. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 32:43 Is stress more self created, or is it? Is it an actual thing? In other words, when, when there is stress in the world? Is it something that, really, you create out of a fear or cause to happen in some way, and in reality, there are ways to not necessarily be stressful, and maybe that's what you're talking about, as far as learning to control it and process it, well,   Rachelle Stone ** 33:09 there's actually there's stresses. Stressors are external. Stress is internal. So a stressor could be the nagging boss. It could be your kid has a fever and you're going to be late for work, or you're going to miss a meeting because you have to take them to the doctor. That's an external stressor, right? So that external stressor goes away, you know, the traffic breaks up, or your your husband takes the kid to the doctor so you can get to your meeting. Whatever that external stress, or is gone, you still have to deal with the stress that's in your body. Your that stress, that stress builds up. It's it's cortisol, and that's what starts with the physical impact. So those physical symptoms that I was telling you about, that I had, that I didn't know, were part of my burnout. It was unprocessed stress. Now at that time, I couldn't even touch my toes. I wasn't doing any sort of exercise for my body. I wasn't and that is one of the best ways you can process stress. Stress actually has to cycle out of your body. No one tells us that. No one teaches us that. So how do you learn how to do that?   Michael Hingson ** 34:21 Well, of course, that's Go ahead. Go ahead. Well, I was gonna   Rachelle Stone ** 34:24 say it's learning. It's being willing to look internally, what's going on in your body. How are you really getting in touch with your emotions and feelings and and processing them well?   Michael Hingson ** 34:37 And you talk about stressors being external, but you have control. You may not have control directly over the stressor happening, but don't you have control over how you decide to deal with the external stress? Creator,   Rachelle Stone ** 34:55 yes, and that external stress will always. Go away. The deadline will come and go. The sun will still rise tomorrow in set tomorrow night. Stressors always go away, but they're also constantly there. So you've got, for instance, the nagging boss is always going to bring you stress. It's how you process the stress inside. You can choose to ignore the stressor, but then you're setting yourself up for maybe not following through on your job, or doing   Michael Hingson ** 35:29 right. And I wouldn't suggest ignoring the stressor, but you it's processing that   Rachelle Stone ** 35:34 stress in your body. It's not so let's say, at the end of the rough day, the stressors gone. You still, whether you choose to go for a walk or you choose to go home and say, Honey, I just need a really like I need a 62nd full on contact, bear hug from you, because I'm holding a lot of stress in my body right now, and I've got to let it out So that physical contact will move stress through your body. This isn't this is they that? You can see this in MRI studies. You see the decrease in the stress. Neuroscience now shows this to be true. You've got to move it through your body. Now before I wanted to kind of give you the formal definition of burnout, it is, it is they call it a occupational phenomenal, okay, it by that they're not calling it a disease. It is not classified as a disease, but it is noted in the International Classification of Diseases, and it has a code now it is they do tie it directly to chronic workplace stress, and this is where I have a problem with the World Health Organization, because when they added this to the International Classification of diseases in 2019 they didn't have COVID. 19 hybrid or work from home environments in mind, and it is totally changed. Stress and burnout are following people around. It's very difficult for them to escape. So besides that, that disconnect that I was talking about, it's really complete exhaustion, depletion of your energy just drained from all of the stressors. And again, it's that reduced efficiency in your work that you're producing because you don't care as much. It's that disconnect so and then the physical symptoms do build up. And burnout isn't like this. It's not an overnight thing. It's a build up, just like gaining 25 pounds, just like getting sick enough that I need a little bit more medication for different issues, that stuff builds up on you and when you when you're recovering from burnout, you didn't get there overnight. You're not going to get out of it overnight either. It's I worked with a personal trainer until I could touch my toes, and then she's pushed me out to go join a gym. But again, it's step by step, and learning to eat healthy, and then ultimately, the third piece that really changed the game for me was learning about the muscles in my brain and getting mentally fit. That was really the third leg of getting my health back.   Michael Hingson ** 38:33 So how does all of that help you deal with stress and the potential of burnout today? Yeah,   Rachelle Stone ** 38:43 more than anything, I know how to prevent it. That is my, my the number one thing I know when I'm sensing a stressor that is impacting me, I can quickly get rid of it. Now, for instance, I'll give you a good example. I was on my the board of directors for my Homeowners Association, and that's always   Michael Hingson ** 39:03 stressful. I've been there, right? Well, I   Rachelle Stone ** 39:06 was up for an hour and a half one night ruminating, and I I realized, because I coach a lot of people around burnout and symptoms, so when I was ruminating, I recognized, oh my gosh, that HOA does not deserve that much oxygen in my brain. And what did I do the next day? I resigned. Resigned, yeah, so removing the stressors so I can process the stress. I process my stress. I always make sure I schedule a beach walk for low tide. I will block my calendar for that so I can make sure I'm there, because that fills my tank. That's self care for me. I make sure I'm exercising, I'm eating good food. I actually worked with a health coach last year because I felt like my eating was getting a little off kilter again. So I just hired a coach for a few months to help me get back on track. Of getting support where I need it. That support circle is really important to maintain and process your stress and prevent burnout.   Michael Hingson ** 40:10 So we've talked a lot about stress and dealing with it and so on. And like to get back to the idea of you went, you explored working with the international coaching Federation, and you went to a school. So what did you then do? What really made you attracted to the idea of coaching, and what do you get out of it?   Rachelle Stone ** 40:35 Oh, great question. Thanks for that. So for me, once I I was in this foundations course, I recognized or realized what had happened to me. I i again, kept my mouth shut, and I just continued with the course. By the end of the course, I really, really enjoyed it, and I saw I decided I wanted to continue on to become a coach. So I just continued in my training. By the end of 2015 early 2016 I was a coach. I went and joined the international coaching Federation, and they offer accreditation. So I wanted to get accredited, because, as I said, from my first industry, a big proponent for credit accreditation. I think it's very important, especially in an unregulated industry like coaching. So we're not bound by HIPAA laws. We are not doctors, we are coaches. It's very different lane, and we do self regulate. So getting accredited is important to me. And I thought my ACC, which my associate a certified coach in 2016 when I moved to the area I'm living in now, in 2017 and I joined the local chapter here, I just continued on. I continued with education. I knew my lane is, is, is burnout. I started to own it. I started to bring it forward a little bit and talk about my experiences with with other coaches and clients to help them through the years and and it felt natural. So with the ICF, I wanted to make sure I stayed in a path that would allow me to hang my shingle proudly, and everything I did in the destination management world I'm now doing in the coaching world. I wound up on the board of directors for our local chapter as a programming director, which was so perfect for me because I'm coming from meetings and events, so as a perfect person to do their programming, and now I am their chapter liaison, and I am President Elect, so I'm taking the same sort of leadership I had in destination management and wrapping my arms around it in the coaching industry,   Michael Hingson ** 42:56 you talk about People honing their leadership skills to help prepare them for a career move or their next career. It isn't always that way, though, right? It isn't always necessarily that they're going to be going to a different career. Yep,   Rachelle Stone ** 43:11 correct. Yeah. I mean, not everybody's looking for trans transition. Some people are looking for that to break through the glass ceiling. I have other clients that are just wanting to maybe move laterally. Others are just trying to figure it out every client is different. While I specialize in hospitality and burnout, I probably have more clients in the leadership lane, Senior VP level, that are trying to figure out their next step, if they want to go higher, or if they're content where they are, and a lot of that comes from that ability to find the right balance for you in between your career and your personal life. I think there comes a point when we're in our younger careers, we are fully identified by what we do. I don't think that's true for upcoming generations, but for our generation, and maybe Jen, maybe some millennials, very identified by what they do, there comes a point in your career, and I'm going to say somewhere between 35 and 50, where you recognize that those two Things need to be separate,   Michael Hingson ** 44:20 and the two things being   Rachelle Stone ** 44:23 your identity, who you are from what you do, got it two different things. And a lot of leaders on their journey get so wrapped up in what they do, they lose who they are.   Michael Hingson ** 44:39 What really makes a good leader,   Rachelle Stone ** 44:42 authenticity. I'm a big proponent of heart based leadership. Brene Brown, I'm Brene Brown trained. I am not a facilitator, but I love her work, and I introduce all my clients to it, especially my newer leaders. I think it's that. Authenticity that you know the command and control leadership no longer works. And I can tell you, I do work with some leaders that are trying to improve their human skills, and by that I mean their emotional intelligence, their social skills, their ability to interact on a human level with others, because when they have that high command and control directive type of leadership, they're not connecting with their people. And we now have five generations in the workforce that all need to be interacted with differently. So command and control is a tough kind of leadership style that I actually unless they're willing to unless they're open to exploring other ways of leading, I won't work with them. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 45:44 and the reality is, I'm not sure command and control as such ever really worked. Yeah, maybe you control people. But did it really get you and the other person and the company? What what you needed.   Rachelle Stone ** 46:01 Generally, that's what we now call a toxic environment. Yes, yes. But that, you know, this has been, we've been on a path of, you know, this work ethic was supposed to, was supposed to become a leisure ethic in the 70s, you know, we went to 40 hour work weeks. Where are we now? We're back up to 6070, hour work week. Yeah, we're trying to lower the age that so kids can start working this is not a leisure ethic that we were headed towards. And now with AI, okay, let's change this conversation. Yeah, toxic environments are not going to work. Moving forward that command and control leadership. There's not a lot of it left, but there's, it's lingering, and some of the old guard, you know, there it's, it's slowly changing.   Michael Hingson ** 46:49 It is, I think, high time that we learn a lot more about the whole concept of teamwork and true, real team building. And there's a lot to be said for there's no I in team, that's right, and it's an extremely important thing to learn. And I think there are way to, still, way too many people who don't recognize that, but it is something that I agree with you. Over time, it's it's starting to evolve to a different world, and the pandemic actually was one, and is one of the things that helps it, because we introduced the hybrid environment, for example, and people are starting to realize that they can still get things done, and they don't necessarily have to do it the way they did before, and they're better off for it.   Rachelle Stone ** 47:38 That's right. Innovation is beautiful. I actually, I mean, as horrible as the pandemic was it, there was a lot of good that came out of it, to your point. And it's interesting, because I've watched this in coaching people. I remember early in the pandemic, I had a new client, and they came to the they came to their first call on Zoom, really slumped down in the chair like I could barely see their nose and up and, you know, as we're kind of talking, getting to know each other. One of the things they said to me, because they were working from home, they were working like 1011, hours a day. Had two kids, a husband, and they also had yet they're, they're, they're like, I one of the things they said to me, which blew my mind, was, I don't have time to put on a load of laundry. They're working from home. Yeah? It's that mindset that you own my time because you're paying me, yeah, versus I'm productive and I'm doing good work for you. Is why you're paying for paying me? Yeah? So it's that perception and trying to shift one person at a time, shifting that perspective   Michael Hingson ** 48:54 you talked before about you're a coach, you're not a doctor, which I absolutely appreciate and understand and in studying coaching and so on, one of the things that I read a great deal about is the whole concept of coaches are not therapists. A therapist provides a decision or a position or a decision, and they are more the one that provides a lot of the answers, because they have the expertise. And a coach is a guide who, if they're doing their job right, leads you to you figuring out the answer. That's   Rachelle Stone ** 49:34 a great way to put it, and it's pretty clear. That's, that's, that's pretty, pretty close the I like to say therapy is a doctor patient relationship. It's hierarchy so and the doctor is diagnosing, it's about repair and recovery, and it's rooted in the past, diagnosing, prescribing, and then the patient following orders and recovering. Hmm, in coaching, it's a peer to peer relationship. So it's, we're co creators, and we're equal. And it's, it's based on future goals only. It's only based on behavior change and future goals. So when I have clients and they dabble backwards, I will that's crossing the line. I can't support you there. I will refer clients to therapy. And actually, what I'm doing right now, I'm taking a mental health literacy course through Harvard Medical Center and McLean University. And the reason I'm doing this is because so many of my clients, I would say 80% of my clients are also in therapy, and it's very common. We have a lot of mental health issues in the world right now as a result of the pandemic, and we have a lot of awareness coming forward. So I want to make sure I'm doing the best for my clients in recognizing when they're at need or at risk and being able to properly refer them.   Michael Hingson ** 51:04 Do you think, though, that even in a doctor patient relationship, that more doctors are recognizing that they accomplish more when they create more of a teaming environment? Yes,   51:18 oh, I'm so glad you   Rachelle Stone ** 51:20 brought that up, okay, go ahead. Go ahead. Love that. I have clients who are in therapy, and I ask them to ask their therapist so that if they're comfortable with this trio. And it works beautifully. Yes,   Michael Hingson ** 51:36 it is. It just seems to me that, again, there's so much more to be said for the whole concept of teaming and teamwork, and patients do better when doctors or therapists and so on explain and bring them into the process, which almost makes them not a coach as you are, but an adjunct to what you do, which is what I think it's all about. Or are we the adjunct to what they do? Or use the adjunct to what they do? Yeah, it's a team, which is what it should be.   52:11 Yeah, it's, I always it's like the Oreo cookie, right?   Michael Hingson ** 52:16 Yeah, and the frosting is in the middle, yeah, crying   Rachelle Stone ** 52:19 in the middle. But it's true, like a therapist can work both in the past and in the future, but that partnership and that team mentality and supporting a client, it helps them move faster and further in their in their desired goals. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 52:37 it's beautiful, yeah, yeah. And I think it's extremely important, tell me about this whole idea of mental fitness. I know you're studying that. Tell me more about that. Is it real? Is it okay? Or what? You know, a lot of people talk about it and they say it's who cares. They all roll   Rachelle Stone ** 52:56 their eyes mental fitness. What are you talking about? Yeah, um, I like to say mental fitness is the third leg of our is what keeps us healthy. I like to look at humans as a three legged stool, and that mental fitness, that mental wellness, is that third piece. So you have your spiritual and community wellness, you have your physical wellness, and then you have your mental wellness. And that mental wellness encompasses your mental health, your mental fitness. Now, mental fitness, by definition, is your ability to respond to life's challenges from a positive rather than a negative mindset. And there's a new science out there called positive it was actually not a new science. It's based on four sciences, Positive Intelligence, it's a cognitive behavioral science, or psychology, positive psychology, performance psychology, and drawing a bank anyway, four sciences and this body of work determined that there's actually a tipping point we live in our amygdala, mostly, and there's a reason, when we were cavemen, we needed to know what was coming that outside stressor was going to eat us, or if we could eat it. Yeah, but we have language now. We don't need that, not as much as we did, not in the same way, not in the same way, exactly. We do need to be aware of threats, but not every piece of information that comes into the brain. When that information comes in our brains, amplify it by a factor of three to one. So with that amplification, it makes that little, little tiny Ember into a burning, raging fire in our brain. And then we get stuck in stress. So it's recognizing, and there's actually you are building. If you do yoga, meditation, tai chi, gratitude journaling, any sort of those practices, you're flexing that muscle. You talk to somebody who does gratitude journaling who just started a month in, they're going to tell. You, they're happier. They're going to tell you they're not having as many ruminating thoughts, and they're going to say, I'm I'm smiling more. I started a new journal this year, and I said, I'm singing more. I'm singing songs that I haven't thought of in years. Yeah, out of the blue, popping into my head. Yeah. And I'm happier. So the the concept of mental fitness is really practicing flexing this muscle every day. We take care of our bodies by eating good food, we exercise or walk. We do that to take care of our physical body. We do nothing to take care of our brain other than scroll social media and get anxiety because everybody's life looks so perfect,   Michael Hingson ** 55:38 yeah, and all we're doing is using social media as a stressor.   Rachelle Stone ** 55:42 That's right, I'm actually not on social media on LinkedIn. That's it.   Michael Hingson ** 55:48 I have accounts, but I don't go to it exactly. My excuse is it takes way too long with a screen reader, and I don't have the time to do it. I don't mind posting occasionally, but I just don't see the need to be on social media for hours every day.   Rachelle Stone ** 56:05 No, no, I do, like, like a lot of businesses, especially local small businesses, are they advertise. They only have they don't have websites. They're only on Facebook. So I do need to go to social media for things like that. But the most part, no, I'm not there. Not at all. It's   Michael Hingson ** 56:20 it's way too much work. I am amazed sometimes when I'll post something, and I'm amazed at how quickly sometimes people respond. And I'm wondering to myself, how do you have the time to just be there to see this? It can't all be coincidence. You've got to be constantly on active social media to see it. Yeah,   Rachelle Stone ** 56:39 yeah, yeah. Which is and this, this whole concept of mental fitness is really about building a practice, a habit. It's a new habit, just like going to the gym, and it's so important for all of us. We are our behaviors are based on how we interpret these messages as they come in, yeah, so learning to reframe or recognize the message and give a different answer is imperative in order to have better communication, to be more productive and and less chaos. How   Michael Hingson ** 57:12 do we teach people to recognize that they have a whole lot more control over fear than they think they do, and that that really fear can be a very positive guide in our lives. And I say that because I talked about not being afraid of escaping from the World Trade Center over a 22 year period, what I realized I never did was to teach people how to do that. And so now I wrote a book that will be out later in the year. It's called Live like a guide dog, stories of from a blind man and his dogs, about being brave, overcoming adversity and walking in faith. And the point of it is to say that you can control your fear. I'm not saying don't be afraid, but you have control over how you let that fear affect you and what you deal with and how you deal it's all choice. It is all choice. But how do we teach people to to deal with that better, rather than just letting fear build up   Rachelle Stone ** 58:12 it? Michael, I think these conversations are so important. Number one is that learner's mind, that willingness, that openness to be interested in finding a better way to live. I always say that's a really hard way to live when you're living in fear. Yeah, so step number one is an openness, or a willingness or a curiosity about wanting to live life better,   Michael Hingson ** 58:40 and we have to instill that in people and get them to realize that they all that we all have the ability to be more curious if we choose to do it.   Rachelle Stone ** 58:49 But again, choice and that, that's the big thing so many and then there's also, you know, Michael, I can't wait to read your book. I'm looking forward to this. I'm also know that you speak. I can't wait to see you speak. The thing is, when we speak or write and share this information, we give them insight. It's what they do with it that matters, which is why, when I with the whole with the mental fitness training that I do, it's seven weeks, yeah, I want them to start to build that habit, and I give them three extra months so they can continue to work on that habit, because it's that important for them to start. It's foundational your spirit. When you talk about your experience in the World Trade Center, and you say you weren't fearful, your spiritual practice is such a big part of that, and that's part of mental fitness too. That's on that layers on top of your ability to flex those mental muscles and lean into your spirituality and not be afraid.   Michael Hingson ** 59:55 Well, I'd love to come down and speak. If you know anybody that needs a speaker down there. I. I'm always looking for speaking opportunities, so love your help, and   1:00:03 my ears open for sure and live like   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:06 a guide dog. Will be out later this year. It's, it's, I've already gotten a couple of Google Alerts. The the publisher has been putting out some things, which is great. So we're really excited about it.   Rachelle Stone ** 1:00:16 Wonderful. I can't wait to see it. So what's   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:19 up for you in 2024   Rachelle Stone ** 1:00:22 so I actually have a couple of things coming up this year that are pretty big. I have a partner. Her name's vimari Roman. She's down in Miami, and I'm up here in the Dunedin Clearwater area. But we're both hospitality professionals that went into coaching, and we're both professional certified coaches, and we're both certified mental fitness coaches. When the pandemic hit, she's also a Career Strategist. She went she started coaching at conferences because the hospitality industry was hit so hard, she reached out to me and brought me in too. So in 2024 we've been coaching at so many conferences, we can't do it. We can't do it. It's just too much, but we also know that we can provide a great service. So we've started a new company. It's called coaches for conferences, and it's going to be like a I'll call it a clearing house for securing pro bono coaches for your conferences. So that means, let's say you're having a conference in in LA and they'd like to offer coaching, pro bono coaching to their attendees as an added value. I'll we'll make the arrangements for the coaches, local in your area to to come coach. You just have to provide them with a room and food and beverage and a place to coach on your conference floor and a breakout. So we're excited for that that's getting ready to launch. And I think 2024 is going to be the year for me to dip my toe in start writing my own story. I think it's time   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:02 writing a book. You can say it. I'm gonna do it.   Rachelle Stone ** 1:02:05 I'm gonna write a book Good. I've said it out loud. I've started to pull together some thoughts around I mean, I've been thinking about it for years. But yeah, if the timing feels right,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:21 then it probably is, yep, which makes sense. Well, this has been fun. It's been wonderful. Can you believe we've already been at this for more than an hour? So clearly we   1:02:33 this went so fast. Clearly we   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:35 did have fun. We followed the rule, this was fun. Yeah, absolutely. Well, I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank you all for listening and for watching, if you're on YouTube watching, and all I can ask is that, wherever you are, please give us a five star rating for the podcast. We appreciate it. And anything that you want to say, we would love it. And I would appreciate you feeling free to email me and let me know your thoughts. You can reach me at Michael H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, would love to hear from you. You can also go to our podcast page, www, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and it's m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, O, N, and as I said to Rochelle just a minute ago, if any of you need a speaker, we'd love to talk with you about that. You can also email me at speaker@michaelhingson.com love to hear from you and love to talk about speaking. So however you you reach out and for whatever reason, love to hear from you, and for all of you and Rochelle, you, if you know anyone else who ought to be a guest on unstoppable mindset, let us know we're always looking for people who want to come on the podcast. Doesn't cost anything other than your time and putting up with me for a while, but we appreciate it, and hope that you'll decide to to introduce us to other people. So with that, I again want to say, Rochelle, thank you to you. We really appreciate you being here and taking the time to chat with us today.   Rachelle Stone ** 1:04:13 It's been the fastest hour of my life. I'm gonna have to watch the replay. Thank you so much for having me. It's been my pleasure to join you.   **Michael Hingson ** 1:04:24 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

This week, I sat down with Kate Zaman, Senior VP of Partnerships and Marketing at ReserveBar, to talk about what it really takes to build a brand that doesn't just survive but thrives, especially in a world where consumers expect more than just a pretty label.We get into career growth, partnerships, luxury e-commerce, why personalization matters more than ever, and how to actually understand your real customer (hint: it's not always who you think it is).Kate also shares her journey from being a college brand ambassador to leading partnerships and marketing for some of the biggest names in the wine and spirits industry, plus why early experience in customer service and sales is an underrated advantage if you want to make it in marketing.If you're building a brand, scaling a business, or sharpening your marketing playbook, this episode is packed with real talk and strategies you'll actually want to use.

Industrial Talk is onsite at PowerGen 2025 and talking to Tom Poteet, Sr. Vice President at Mesa Natural Gas Solutions about "Modular power solutions for a hungry energy market". Scott MacKenzie interviews Tom Poteet, Senior VP of Corporate Development at Mesa Solutions, at Power Gen in Dallas, Texas. Mesa Solutions, celebrating its 11-year anniversary, specializes in natural gas generators for oil and gas sites, capable of running on unrefined gas and switching to propane without power interruption. Their generators can handle a wide BTU range, ensuring steady power output. Poteet discusses their expansion into commercial and industrial applications, including data centers, and their new venture with Modern Hydrogen to develop hydrogen-powered generators. Mesa Solutions is vertically integrated, with manufacturing facilities in Colorado and Wyoming. Action Items [ ] Explore Mesa Solutions' natural gas and hydrogen-powered generator offerings for potential applications in the power generation industry. [ ] Reach out to Thomas Poteet, Senior VP of Corporate Development at Mesa Solutions, on LinkedIn. Outline Introduction and Welcome to Industrial Talk Podcast Scott MacKenzie introduces the Industrial Talk Podcast, emphasizing its focus on industry professionals and their innovations. Scott highlights the importance of industry professionals in solving problems and collaborating. The podcast is broadcasting from Power Gen in Dallas, Texas, showcasing a collection of problem solvers and solutions. Scott introduces Tom Poteet, Senior VP of Corporate Development at Mesa Solutions, as the guest for the episode. Tom Poteet's Background and Company Overview Tom Poteet shares that his company, Mesa Solutions, celebrated its 10-year anniversary last spring and is coming up on 11 years. Mesa Solutions specializes in making generators that run off natural gas, primarily for production oil and gas sites. The company's generators can run on prime power using unrefined gas, making them unique in the market. Tom explains the innovation of their generators, which can switch from natural gas to propane without dropping the load, avoiding power interruptions. Technical Details and Market Applications Scott inquires about the business reasons behind using both natural gas and propane. Tom explains that their engine can run on a wide BTU range, making it suitable for varying fuel qualities. The engine's control system rapidly reads the fuel composition, ensuring steady power output and preventing mechanical damage. Tom discusses the reliability and high service levels required in the oil field, which has led to their success in other industrial and commercial applications. Expansion into Commercial and Industrial Applications Tom mentions that their generators are now used in commercial and industrial sites, including retail markets and data centers. Scott and Tom discuss the growing demand for power in data centers and the potential for large-scale energy solutions. Tom explains the concept of "swarm resilience," where multiple generators can be paralleled to maintain power even if one fails. The conversation touches on the scalability of their generators, which can be used in projects involving hundreds of generators. Manufacturing and Supply Chain Tom

The music industry has been in something of a mess over the past two decades. Digital platforms have come and gone and come again, completely reshaping – and then reshaping again – the economic model of the music industry. The Christian music industry has had to undergo all these changes plus more: the rise of the worship genre, the growth of such radio juggernauts as K-Love and Salem, and the economic pressures these innovations have placed on the rest of the industry to conform or die. And the worship genre itself has shaped the way the church worships – whether we like it or not. Through all these changes, a small but influential music label in Nashville has not just survived, but it has thrived. That label is Centricity, and it owes much of its success to my guest today, John Mays. John is one of the co-founders of the label, and he has retained the title of Senior VP of A&R. And if you don't know what that means, stay tuned. John will explain. John Mays began his career as a musician, playing bass for some of the early bands in the CCM genre, first as a road dog, then as a session player. He worked for industry leader Word Records early in his career. With Word, Centricity, and others, he has been influential in the careers of artists such as Cindy Morgan, Point of Grace, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Andrew Peterson, and many more. John is currently working with Peterson, Jason Gray, and Lauren Daigle, among the two dozen or so artists currently on the Centricity label. John had this conversation with me from his home near Nashville. A special word before we go. I'm a bit of a music guy. I find music to be nourishing spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. Contemporary Christian Music and Christian radio also have an outsized impact on the evangelical movement. So from time to time, we'll feature musicians on the MinistryWatch podcast. To hear recent interviews I've done with Charlie Peacock, Fernando Ortega, Andrew Peterson, and others, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the “Podcast” button at the top of the page. The producer for today's program is Jeff McIntosh. Thanks to PR guy extraordinaire Rick Hoganson for helping me arrange this interview with John Mays. Until next time, may God bless you.

Send us a textWhat do you do when a dream job ends in heartbreak?In this eye-opening episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, host John Neral sits down with Laverne McKinnon, former Senior VP of Drama Development at CBS, to talk about a rarely acknowledged experience: career grief.After leading CBS from last place to first with mega-hits like CSI and Criminal Minds, Laverne was unexpectedly fired at the height of her career. What followed was a silent, decade-long struggle with emotional fallout that society often tells us to ignore.Laverne introduces the concept of disenfranchised grief—a powerful term for the emotional pain professionals feel after job loss or career disruption that isn't socially validated. Through her LEARN Framework (Look, Explore, Address, Reframe, Nurture), Laverne shows how we can move from heartbreak to healing, reconnect with our values, and reclaim agency over our careers.Whether you're facing layoffs, mid-career stagnation, or preparing for a major transition, this episode will help you understand how to grieve the professional losses we're told to "just get over."In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why career grief is real—and why ignoring it is harmfulThe emotional impact of sudden job loss after career successWhat disenfranchised grief means in the workplaceHow to use the LEARN framework to process grief and regain clarityThe connection between unprocessed failure and blocked resilienceRituals like writing a "career eulogy" to create closureHow grief reveals your core values—and points you toward your next moonshotConnect with Laverne McKinnonWebsite | LinkedIn | SubstackSupport the showThank you for listening to The Mid-Career GPS Podcast. Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here. Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to get The Mid-Career Job Search Jumpstart and join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community. Visit https://johnneral.com to join The Mid-Career GPS Newsletter, a free, twice-weekly career and leadership resource for mid-career professionals. Connect with John on LinkedIn here.Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here. Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Joe Cornwell interviews Mustafa Ladha, Senior VP of Investor Relations at Veloce Capital. Mustafa shares how he transitioned from the pharmaceutical industry to real estate by leveraging WhatsApp to raise over $40 million through authentic, education-based investor relationships. He discusses the firm's strategic focus on ground-up development in suburban New Jersey, including their use of tax abatements, opportunity zones, and a Reg A Tier 2 fund to make institutional-quality investments accessible to retail investors. The conversation also dives into aligning with the right investor personalities, long-term value creation, and avoiding transactional mindsets in capital raising. Mustafa Ladha Senior Vice President of Investor Relations Based in: Hackensack, NJ Say hi to them at www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/ vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at www.bestevercommunity.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a lot to criticize about US AI policy, but what has the administration been getting right? Senior VP of Government Affairs for Americans for Responsible Innovation Doug Calidas joins David Rothkopf to break down the Trump administration's industrial and AI policies, the role of tariffs, and more.  This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special SXSW2025 edition of For the Love, Jen Hatmaker sits down with Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson, the Senior VP and Executive Dean at Western Governors University (WGU) School of Education. As a lifelong advocate for educators, Dr. Johnson is at the forefront of reimagining how we train, support, and sustain teachers in today's challenging educational landscape. Jen, a former teacher herself, brings her deep passion for education into this conversation, unpacking the real issues educators face today—from teacher shortages to burnout—and discussing how innovative models like WGU's competency-based education are transforming access to learning. What You'll Learn in This Episode Dr. Johnson's Path to Leadership: How she transitioned from working in corrections to becoming a pioneer in online education. Competency-Based Education: What it is, how it differs from traditional models, and why it's a game-changer for adult learners. Educator Burnout & Retention: The state of teacher well-being and what's being done to ensure teachers not only enter the profession but thrive in it. School & Community Support for Teachers: How schools, administrators, and parents can create environments where teachers feel valued. Future Trends in Education: How AI, technology, and apprenticeship programs are shaping the next generation of educators. Thought-provoking Quotes: “We don't believe in courses just for the sake of courses. Everything at WGU is designed to build skills that translate directly into a career.” - Stacey Ludwig Johnson “Retention is just as critical as recruitment—if we don't take care of our teachers, we will never solve the teacher shortage crisis.” - Stacey Ludwig Johnson “Teachers are literally helping us raise the next generation. Every second of what they do matters.“ - Jen Hatmaker “The future of education must include personalization, technology integration, and real-world experience to prepare students for success.” - Stacey Ludwig Johnson Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Learn more about WGU: wgu.edu Guest's Links: Interested in becoming a teacher or continuing your education? WGU offers flexible, affordable degree programs designed for working adults. Website - https://www.wgu.edu/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/westerngovernorsu/ Twitter - https://x.com/wgu Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wgu.edu/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/WesternGovernorsUniv TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wgu Stacey Ludwig Johnson's Website - https://www.wgu.edu/blog/authors/stacey-ludwig-johnson.html Stacey Ludwig Johnson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-ludwig-johnson-0bba1715/ Connect with Jen! Jen's Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices