Podcasts about Benchmarking

How can organizations today attract—and retain—top talent? In this episode, delve into the dynamic world of compensation with host Kyle Forrest, Empsight's Jeremy Feinstein and Deloitte's Sheila Sever. You'll gain insight into important trends such as pay transparency, specialty incentive plans, benchmarking and more. Tune in now.

In this sizzling episode of The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live at the SIAL Canada food innovation show in Toronto, co-hosts Michael and Sylvain welcome Pierre-Olivier Drouin, Co-Founder of Firebarns, the fast-growing Quebec-based condiment company that brings flavour-first hot sauces to shelves across North America.Pierre-Olivier shares his unexpected journey from banking at RBC to launching Firebarns after a revelatory encounter with spicy wings during a hockey game in Florida. Inspired by that moment, he partnered with longtime friend Frank to build what they dreamed would be the next Tabasco—made in Canada. Their goal? A bold brand that flips the script by delivering taste before heat.Launched in 2015, Firebarns quickly became Quebec's first dedicated hot sauce brand. Since then, it has expanded into a diverse product line that includes BBQ sauces, ketchup, mustards, and Sriracha—all made with Canadian ingredients and designed for broader family appeal. Their innovative packaging—30% recycled squeezable plastic bottles—has helped the brand stand out in crowded condiment aisles and reflects their commitment to sustainability.Pierre-Olivier discusses how Firebarns has scaled, with distribution now in over 1,100 U.S. stores and more expansion underway, including Texas-based H-E-B. He opens up about navigating international trade headwinds, such as tariffs, and how careful financial planning and food costing helped buffer against unexpected 25% duties. His insight offers valuable lessons for other CPG entrepreneurs seeking to expand across borders.The episode also dives into Firebarns' savvy use of influencer marketing and content creation to build a passionate community of fans, especially among younger consumers aged 25–45. Drouin emphasizes the power of authenticity—whether through engaging product demos or the story of Barney, the company's late bulldog mascot and original “CEO,” now succeeded by Barney Jr. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Social Justice Ireland has long advocated that Government should commit to benchmarking core social welfare rates to average earnings to protect vulnerable households. This 10 minute lesson explains why.  Our podcast is featured as a Best Social Justice podcast on MillionPodcasts - a hand-curated database of amazing podcasts. 

Today, we're delighted to welcome back a longtime friend of the show, Russ Dieringer.  He's here to share key insights from Stratably's latest research, diving into how brands are navigating content optimization for Rufus and the evolving landscape of AI-driven search. Tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Russ discuss: Russ shares his own experience as an Amazon shopper using Rufus, noting its usefulness for browsing and specific queries, but also highlighting that most everyday shoppers aren't aware of Rufus by name. Stratable's survey included 286 brands and agencies, focusing mainly on mid-sized and enterprise consumer brands, to understand industry attitudes and actions towards AI optimization. Despite AI being the industry buzzword, only 12% of brands and 20% of agencies have taken concrete steps to optimize product detail pages for Rufus. There's a lot of talk, but relatively little action so far. A major barrier is a lack of clarity from Amazon about how Rufus works and what specifically brands should do to optimize for it. Many brands are still trying to perfect basic search optimization, let alone adapt to the new AI layer, with content under-resourcing being an ongoing issue. Evaluating the impact of AI-oriented content changes is tough—only about a quarter of those who have made changes report a positive effect, and tracking the influence of AI touchpoints (like review summaries) is still a gray area. Russ recommends a balanced approach: don't ignore AI advancements or drop everything to chase the trend. Instead, start testing and learning now, so your brand can adapt as best practices and clearer measurement tools emerge. The episode closes with an emphasis on curiosity, experimentation, and the reality that there's no perfect playbook—brands should embrace the unknown and be proactive in learning as the ecosystem evolves.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Are Brands Actually Updating PDPs for Rufus? What's Holding Brands Back from Optimizing for Rufus? Are Rufus-Driven PDP Updates Driving Results? Connect with Stratably's Founder & CEO, Russ Dieringer Learn more about Stratably Connect with our host, Julie Spear Connect with our host, Jordan Ripley Learn more about Acadia

Steven Forth is the Co-founder and Chief Value Officer at Ibbaka, a leading value and pricing consulting firm. With deep expertise in AI applications for pricing and value modeling, Steven is at the forefront of developing intelligent agents that help businesses understand and communicate value more effectively. His work focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, pricing strategy, and value creation, making him a pioneer in applying AI to solve complex pricing challenges. In this episode, Steven shares his insights on how benchmarking is revolutionizing both AI development and pricing strategy. Drawing parallels between how AI models are improved through benchmarking and how pricing models should be evaluated, he introduces a framework for measuring pricing effectiveness that could transform how we approach pricing decisions. Together with Mark, they explore the challenges of establishing "truth" in pricing, the role of synthetic data, and the future of AI-powered pricing tools.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Discover how AI benchmarking principles can revolutionize pricing model evaluation. Understand how to evaluate pricing models from both buyer and seller perspectives. Explore the future of AI-powered pricing tools and what it means for pricing professionals.   "We don't start with the truth. We have to work our way towards truth through multiple iterations and applications." – Steven Forth   Topics Covered: 02:15 – How Intercom's FinAI agent uses daily benchmarking to improve ticket resolution performance 05:30 – Why AI's success is built on benchmarking and how it emerged from the ImageNet competition 08:45 – The critical problem: pricing lacks standardized benchmarking like AI models have 11:20 – Michael Mansard's 12-factor pricing model assessment and its potential as an industry standard 14:10 – Why pricing models must be evaluated from both buyer and seller perspectives 17:25 – How market segmentation and use cases complicate pricing model benchmarking 20:40 – The role of synthetic data in pricing research and model validation 24:15 – Why "vibe coding" could disrupt traditional pricing consulting within 3 years 27:30 – The search for truth in pricing: hedonic pricing models and market assumptions 31:45 – Introduction to ValueIQ: Ibbaka's new AI agent for value-based selling   Key Takeaways: "Anyone who says that they're data centric or data driven is actually before that they have to be model driven because they're using some form of model to organize the data." – Steven Forth "We should have done this 20 years ago. What were we thinking? Well, we weren't thinking. And we didn't have ways to do this for us anyway." – Steven Forth (on developing pricing benchmarks) "Benchmarking every day, I think, is going to be critical to the success of agents that do important business things." – Steven Forth "You can always improve your measurement, but at some point the return of improving the measurement is lower than the cost of increasing the validity of the measurement." – Steven Forth   Resources and People Mentioned: Douglas Hubbard's How to Measure Anything (book): https://www.amazon.com/How-Measure-Anything-Intangibles-Business/dp/1118539273  ImageNet: https://image-net.org/  Michael Mansard's 12-Factor Pricing Model: https://www.insead.edu/bio/michael-mansard-0  Intercom's FinAI: https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/8205718-fin-ai-agent-resolutions  Lovable, Replit, Bolt: https://linkblink.medium.com/bolt-vs-cursor-vs-replit-vs-lovable-ai-coders-comparison-guide-3b9d41e75810  ValueIQ: https://www.ibbaka.com/ibbaka-market-blog/get-ready-for-valueiq-sign-up-now-for-beta-access    Connect with Steven Forth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenforth/  Email: steven@ibbaka.com   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

Remote work productivity surged during the pandemic, with studies showing a strong link between increased telework and industry-wide efficiency, cost savings, and TFP growth—challenging the push for full return-to-office mandates. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which discusses the government research that reveals the remote work productivity revolution.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/government-research-reveals-the-remote-work-productivity-revolution/

In this live episode from the SIAL Canada show floor in Toronto, we welcome a very special guest: Laura Brehaut, Food Reporter at the National Post. With a thoughtful blend of experience in anthropology, media production, culinary training, and a deep journalistic instinct, Laura offers a compelling perspective on Canada's evolving food landscape and how stories around food intersect with culture, politics, health, and economics.Co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois flip the script by interviewing Laura, who is usually the one asking the questions. Laura shares how her journey began in anthropology and linguistics before transitioning into media, where her love for storytelling led her to online radio and digital journalism, long before podcasts were mainstream.As a seasoned journalist, Laura offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tradecraft of reporting in today's rapidly changing media landscape. Despite the pressures of multi-platform content, Laura remains grounded in the written word, driven by a sense of purpose and a commitment to serving her readers. Her curiosity and dedication to integrity shape her reporting, which spans a wide range of topics, from Canadian whiskey to protein trends and food sustainability.The conversation dives into key themes for 2025, including the continued momentum of the "Buy Canadian" movement, the impact of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic on food choices, and a renewed focus on fibre and functional ingredients. Laura also weighs in on the rise of alternative proteins and blended meat products, highlighting recent research showing their increasing consumer acceptance, especially among omnivores.She speaks candidly about the role of AI in journalism, the importance of authentic storytelling, and why she would never buy an AI-generated cookbook. Her advice for aspiring reporters? Stay curious, stay humble, and never assume you know how an interview will go. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

 The future of manufacturing is increasingly digital, collaborative, and intelligent. This was the clear message at Hexagon's recent ‘The Future of Shop Floor' event, held in partnership with Mills CNC at their Technology Campus. The event demonstrated how artificial intelligence, cloud-based platforms, and data-driven insights transform traditional manufacturing operations, resulting in measurable improvements in productivity and profitability. Opening the event by introducing Nexus, the company's cloud-based platform designed to tackle the collaboration crisis in manufacturing, Jason Walker, Hexagon's VP of General Manufacturing, stated: “An independent Forrester report we commissioned, surveyed around 500 manufacturers from small, medium, and large-sized organisations worldwide and 97% across all those different kinds of organisations, agreed that collaboration is the key challenge that manufacturers face.” Nexus addresses this challenge through comprehensive connectivity. “Nexus is fundamentally about connectivity. It's about joining all these different tools together within a specific function, across different functions, departments, sites, and organisations,” Walker explained. “Nexus connects to third-party tools as well, even if they are competitors of Hexagon, it builds workflows to encourage collaboration between engineers.” The platform's design philosophy emphasises integration rather than disruption. “Nexus is designed to meet you where you are. If you've got a process, a tool, or a particular place where you store your data today, Nexus won't disrupt any of that. Just join the dots to encourage and enable collaborations,” Walker emphasised. The Pro Plan Revolution Stephen Graham, Executive Vice President and General Manager for Nexus at Hexagon, revealed Pro Plan AI's impressive performance metrics during its pilot phase. For readers unfamiliar with Hexagon's Pro Plan AI suite, see the January 2025 issue of MTD magazine. “We've got ten customers engaged in a formal piloting programme at the moment, and the feedback has been stunning,” Graham announced. “Even at this early Beta Test stage, we can demonstrate something like a 70 to 75% improvement in productivity. A task that may have taken a couple of days could take just a few minutes using this powerful tool.” Pro Plan AI's approach differs fundamentally from that of existing automation tools. “There are tools out there attempting to automate CAM programming, but they're either trying to identify features in a CAD model using a rules-based system, or we've seen people trying to use generative AI,” Graham explained. “Our machine learning approach is looking through the history of programs, figuring out how you program, and replicating that based on the new geometry.” The tool's knowledge capture capabilities will address critical workforce challenges. “Pro Plan AI captures tribal knowledge. When it's first installed, it learns how users program CNC machines. It will program in the style of what it sees in the organisation's history,” Graham noted. Discussing one of the early test customers, Graham adds: “This feature proved particularly valuable in a North American pilot. The company has a relatively new programmer in his early 20s who joined the company two or three months ago. Once he started working with Pro Plan AI, he suddenly contributed programmes directly to the shop floor that were on par with anything from any of the guys who have been there programming for 20 or 30 years. This not only speeds up programming times, but also demonstrates how it is closing the ‘skills gap'.” Pro Plan AI also enables new business capabilities. “You can programme a machine in a few seconds, then for a given part, you can programme every single machine on the shop floor. You can program every machine on the shop floor for every combination of tools; you can then use that to interact with your production planning systems. You can also use it to create much more accurate quotations before starting a job in the first place,” Graham explained. The improvement in quoting accuracy addresses a fundamental business challenge. “One of the big ones we heard from customers is regarding quoting. Quite a lot of guesswork goes into quoting, because nobody's got the time to do the proper engineering work to find out how long it takes. With Pro Plan AI, even if it's not 100% accurate, you get a pretty good idea of how long it will be on a particular machine,” Graham revealed. Transforming Quote-to-Cash Processes Hexagon recognises that efficient and accurate quoting is essential for business success—and this is one reason why ‘Paperless Parts' has been added to the portfolio. A strategic partnership that delivers measurable business transformation for manufacturers, Jason Walker provided an extensive analysis: “Paperless Parts is Boston-based, and they are primarily in the US for now, although we are just in the process of helping them expand internationally.” The platform addresses critical inefficiencies in manufacturing's front-end processes through comprehensive automation of the quoting workflow. The quoting challenge directly impacts manufacturers' competitiveness. “I have asked a couple of customers exactly how long it took to get a quote out of the door before you implemented Paperless Parts. And on average, they would say about a week. So, you get an RFQ on Monday, you might only get to it by the end of the week,” Walker detailed. “The problem is that another manufacturer is getting their quote back quicker. They're probably going to win the work, because most of the OEMs just want to fulfil their order.” Paperless Parts delivers dramatic improvements in turnaround times that directly impact business outcomes. “With Paperless Parts, most manufacturers are doing turnaround within 24, sometimes 48 hours. So that's the difference,” Walker noted. The business impact extends far beyond speed enhancements: “One customer that is already reducing quote time from a week to 24 hours claims to be already winning 25% more work.” The platform's functionality includes comprehensive quote management capabilities that eliminate traditional bottlenecks. “It's an interesting space because it focuses solely on quoting, but the platform also allows for internal collaboration at a large company, which you might need when compiling a quote. You might need the engineer's input on ‘Can we manufacture this?' So the platform itself enables that real-time collaboration,” Walker explained. This collaborative approach ensures that technical feasibility is assessed during the quoting process rather than after the work is won. Automation features remove the burdens of manual data entry that have traditionally hindered quote generation. “It configures everything for you and automates the quoting setup process; it syncs back with your ERP system. Many customers will be using Excel spreadsheets or their ERP, but mostly the ERP's quoting functionality is like an Excel spreadsheet. You still have to put everything in manually. So that's where Paperless Parts is automating much of that,” Walker detailed. The integration capabilities extend throughout the manufacturing workflow. “Engineers have all that information, from the design to the integrations with our CAM software and then into Paperless Parts,” Walker explained. This smooth data flow eliminates multiple manual handoffs that traditionally delay quote generation and introduce errors. “Not only is it allowing businesses to get quotes out quicker, but it's reducing the burden. A lot of the time, it's the owner or the manager who's doing the quotes, because it's such a crucial process. You don't want to be under-quoting. This is buying them their time back,” Walker observed. This liberation of time enables leadership to focus on strategic business development rather than administrative tasks. The European expansion is proceeding with pilot customers demonstrating similar transformative results. “We've been in partnership since the beginning of last year, but we focused primarily on the US last year. There will be a European launch later in the year. At the moment, we're finding a few pilot customers,” Walker confirmed. “Early European feedback mirrors US success, it's completely transformative to the way that they were doing things before.” Innovation and Strategic Partnership Tony Dale, CEO of Mills CNC, offered insights into the strategic partnership with Hexagon as well as the company's forthcoming product innovations. Tony Dale says: “Our strengths are that we are an independently owned business, which makes us agile and allows us to respond to customers' requests.” The company's inventory management reflects its customer-focused approach. “We've got about 80 machines here now, but we've normally got around 200 machines in stock. So, the availability of machines is key for customers these days; nobody wants to wait. So that agility and stock holding enables us to support customers when they need that technology for that new contract,” Dale explained. “The relationship with Hexagon is effective. It enables us to provide a solution to the end user, not only supplying the machine tool but also programming it, reverse engineering it, and inspecting components, all of which contribute to our automation for end-to-end production,” Dale explained. Looking ahead, Mills has significant product launches planned. “Key focuses for us this year are launching two brand new models. We'll be holding an event later in October. We've got the DNX 2100 entry-level multi-tasking machine, and it's quite a big launch for us because we're seeing how customers want to leave tools set up on the machines to reduce setup and changeover times,” Dale announced. The DNX 2100 addresses specific market evolution. “If you can quickly change your jaws and programme, with your tools already set up in that carousel, this is faster than traditional block tools on a turret. We already do 5-axis mill/turn machines, but this is more entry level for customers upgrading from a traditional turret lathe to get into the realms of multitasking,” Dale explained. Dale linked the new machine to broader industry trends that Hexagon is also tackling: “With the skill shortages of engineers these days, we're finding that this is a growing part of our business offering.” The second major launch involves an evolution of existing technology. “We also have the second generation of the DVF 5000, which will launch simultaneously. It is a high-speed, high-accuracy 5-axis machine,” Dale noted. We will publish the second instalment of this event in the September issue of MTD Magazine. It will highlight the new Datanomics production monitoring suite and provide an update on the success of Hexagon's Benchmarking tool, a year after we first discussed the tool at MACH 2024.

Tom Critchlow, EVP of Audience Growth at Raptive, joins Ross for a deep dive into how input metrics can transform SEO strategy—especially in an era of declining visibility and messy attribution from AI search engines. They explore how input metrics improve executive reporting, unlock budget, and build cross-functional alignment by shifting focus from vanity outcomes to controllable, operational activities. Tom shares insights from his time at Raptive, lessons from Amazon's internal frameworks, and practical tips for teams to track quality, not just quantity. If you're navigating SEO in 2025, this episode is your playbook. Plus: scorecards, dashboards, quality benchmarks, and how input metrics can shape strategic storytelling at every level of an org. Show Notes 0:08 – Why “getting SEO done” starts with business communication 1:14 – Executive buy-in and the underrated power of input metrics 2:06 – What are controllable input metrics? Lessons from Amazon 3:24 – Why output-only reporting drives blind decision-making 5:06 – Building reports that pair input + output for alignment 7:01 – Input metrics: weekly/monthly rhythm vs quarterly output 9:15 – Goal-setting tension: input vs output metrics for teams 11:24 – Why SEOs need to “make their work legible” to leadership 12:30 – Input metrics as a path to getting more SEO budget 14:20 – The missing business case for many SEO initiatives 15:33 – Raptive case study: measuring behavior change over clicks 18:02 – Building input metrics from scratch: the 9-month reality 19:51 – Amazon's evolving metrics: controllability over time 21:26 – Mapping input metrics to what actually drives success 22:33 – The danger of metric sprawl—and how to refocus 23:59 – Why some SEO work becomes “invisible” without input metrics 25:13 – Three metrics per person: a practical ceiling 26:51 – How input metrics support pipeline generation in B2B 28:35 – Communicating SEO value to non-executives via unit economics 30:06 – Stop yelling “fix it”—report what's not getting done 31:22 – Translating editorial quality into spreadsheet metrics 33:06 – Red, yellow, green ≠ strategic clarity—track actual numbers 34:08 – Attribution is broken: input metrics matter more than ever 36:43 – Benchmarking input metrics against competitors 38:03 – Don't just track AI visibility—track the work you can control 39:02 – Why input metrics aren't neutral—and why that's OK 41:01 – Planning cycles: why it takes 6 months to see input adoption 42:15 – Measuring “quality”: content scores, CSATs, and rubrics 44:25 – Why you must operationalize “quality” to get promoted 46:08 – Manual scoring systems and quality baselines 47:13 – Where to find Tom and what he's working on next Show Links Tom Critchlow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomcritchlow Tom's blog: http://tomcritchlow.com Input Metrics for SEO article: https://newsletter.seomba.com/p/input-metrics-for-seo Raptive: https://raptive.comSubscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

A strong Gen AI learning strategy is more than just training—it's about engaging employees through hands-on experience, community, and incentives. When people feel invested, they're more likely to embrace AI, innovate, and drive lasting transformation. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which discusses describes why your Gen AI learning strategy will fail without employee buy-in.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/why-your-gen-ai-learning-strategy-will-fail-without-employee-buy-in/

In the first episode of our special two-part series on the AgCulture Podcast, you'll hear from Tim Kelly and Dr. Craig Wyatt from AB Vista. Tim explores how data and statistical tools can improve decision-making in dairy operations, while Craig shares key insights from the poultry industry and how they apply across livestock systems. Both sessions challenge the way we think about efficiency, variability, and production. Listen now on all major platforms!Meet the guests: Tim Kelly, Ruminant Technical Sales Manager at AB Vista, brings years of industry experience to the conversation, drawing from leadership roles across dairy and feed sectors. Dr. Craig Wyatt, Regional Technical Service Manager at AB Vista, shares technical insights from nearly two decades in poultry and feed innovation.What you will learn: (00:00) Introduction(04:17) Measuring dairy complexity(05:48) Statistical decision making(19:31) Poultry industry insights(22:12) Benchmarking feed data(29:19) Feed ingredient variability(48:00) Closing thoughtsDiscover the world of agriculture with the "Ag Culture Podcast".  This podcast will be a gateway for those passionate about agriculture to explore its global perspectives and innovative practices.Join Paul as he shares his experiences in the agricultural industry, his travels and encounters with important figures around the world.Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Subscribe at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.agculturepodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and keep an eye out for future episodes, bringing insights and stories from the vibrant world of agriculture.

In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast, co-Michael interviews Ed Madronich, President of Flat Rock Cellars, recorded live at the Ontario Craft Wineries Conference in Niagara Falls.As part of the podcast's summer series highlighting thought leaders in the Canadian food and beverage industry, this episode delves into Ed's personal and professional journey through the wine industry and the evolution of one of Ontario's most celebrated wineries.Ed shares how a chance trip to France at age 19 sparked his lifelong love for wine—an encounter that led to a career built on passion, community, and a dedication to quality. He reveals the philosophy that drives Flat Rock Cellars: celebrating "place" by making wine that reflects the soil, slope, and unique geography of the 20 Mile Bench in the Niagara Peninsula, while breaking down the traditional, often intimidating barriers to wine appreciation.The conversation encompasses not only terroir and taste, but also strategy, particularly in terms of market access and retail. Ed opens up about his unorthodox but successful approach to distribution, including the brand's strong presence in Costco. He emphasizes relationship-building over aggressive selling and explains how Flat Rock positions itself as a true partner to retail and restaurant buyers. "We don't push product," he says. "We build long-term trust and deliver exceptional value."With a customer-first mindset and a refusal to compromise on quality or authenticity, Flat Rock has earned industry-wide respect. Ed discusses how the brand's low-margin, high-quality model has even challenged global competitors, and how his team constantly works to overdeliver, producing $25 bottles that sommeliers say rival the quality of $50 wines.From label design to customer education, the episode is packed with insights for anyone interested in craft winemaking, retail dynamics, or brand storytelling. Listeners will come away inspired by Ed's down-to-earth leadership and his clear commitment to helping consumers connect with wine, not through pretension, but through joy, passion, and a sense of place. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

The Office Return Mandate could harm federal workforce productivity. Research shows telework boosts efficiency by 12%, with fewer distractions and better task allocation. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which talks about the office return mandate for federal staff.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/the-office-return-mandate-for-federal-staff-solves-a-problem-that-doesnt-exist/Speaker page for Dr. Gleb Tsipursky https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/speaking/   Dr. Gleb Tsipursky bio https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/glebtsipursky   Dr. Gleb Tsipursky LinkedIn (send message when connecting) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gleb-tsipursky/    Dr. Gleb Tsipursky's latest books:    "ChatGPT for Thought Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI for Innovative and Effective Content Creation" is available at https://amzn.to/3YI2vuc   "Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams: A Manual on Benchmarking to Best Practices for Competitive Advantage" is available at https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/hybrid/   "Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters" is available at https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/nevergut   "The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships" is available at https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/blindspots  

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy, cereals, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we also have a spotlight on Scottish Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emission and Nitrogen Use. Show Notes 00:40 News in Brief 04:08 Policy Briefs – The Future Farming Investment Scheme, Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme, Single Application Form Changes for 2026, Scottish Government Bills Update, Bluetongue (BTV) Virus Update. 14:03 Cereals – UK Feed Wheat Futures attempt Rebound Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Weather Risks. Global Supply Tightens, but Exportable Stocks Hold Steady. UK Market Faces Headwinds from Biofuel Uncertainty. Oilseeds Market Strengthens on Energy-Led Support. 19:59 Beef – What a difference a month can make, Market confidence waivers, Beef support, Store cattle, Are prices reflecting consumer demand? Australia drops their 2030 Carbon Neutral Target. 23:59 Sheep – India Trade Agreement, Lamb trade, Australian Intentions Survey, Mutton. 28:22 Milk – Milk production data, Farm-gate prices, Dairy commodities and market indicators, Global demand for butter, Falling producer numbers but production rising, Heat stress research.  36:02 Sector focus – Scottish Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emission and Nitrogen Use report 2023-24. 42:48 Further articles – Crofting Legislation, Greenhouse Gasses, Nitrogen Use and Benchmarking, Muirburn, Natural Capital Podcast on measuring and accounting for biodiversity, FAS TV episode on Outwintering and Virtual fencing. FAS Resources: Newsletters - Business & Policy Edition - Farm Advisory Service Other Links: No cuts to cows: Scottish ministers side with farmers - FarmingUK News Future Farm Investment Scheme full guidance The Future of Agricultural Support - Enhanced Greening Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill NatureScot website The Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 Bluetongue - GOV.scot

In episode #295 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray breaks down how to benchmark your CAC Payback Period accurately—and why generic social media posts can lead you astray. Too many founders rely on simplified benchmark numbers, such as “12 months or less is good,” without understanding the nuances behind the data. Ben explains why ACV segmentation is critical, how top-quartile companies perform across different contract sizes, and where you can obtain customized benchmarks for your SaaS business. Key topics include: Why aggregate CAC Payback benchmarks are dangerous to follow blindly How CAC Payback performance varies by Annual Contract Value (ACV) Top quartile benchmarks from (Ray Rike's database) CAC Payback ranges Why product segmentation matters—don't combine CAC across SMB and enterprise lines How to get free, custom benchmarks to evaluate your own performance Remember: You can't optimize what you don't benchmark correctly. Get free custom SaaS benchmarks: Benchmarkit.ai Download my CAC Payback Period template: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-calculate-cac-payback-period-with-variable-revenue/

The salient point of this podcast episode centers around the multifaceted nature of musicianship and the diverse paths that drummers may pursue within the realm of music. We delve into the notion that while some individuals possess extraordinary natural talent, others can achieve proficiency through dedication and a strong work ethic. The discussion further explores the implications of technological advancements on contemporary drumming, highlighting how electronic elements influence traditional playing styles. We emphasize the importance of listening as a foundational skill for any musician, positing that true musicality transcends mere technical ability and requires a deep engagement with the art form. Ultimately, we reflect on the evolving landscape of music, where drummers must adapt and innovate to maintain relevance in an increasingly digital world.The discourse within the podcast episode illuminates the multifaceted journey of musicianship, particularly through the lens of drumming. The speakers delve into the inherent motivation that drives individuals to engage with their craft, emphasizing the importance of inspiration rather than succumbing to discouragement in the face of overwhelming talent exhibited by others, such as renowned drummers like Larnell Lewis. Speaker A articulates a profound understanding of their own limitations while simultaneously recognizing the value of personal progress and enjoyment in the art of drumming. This nuanced perspective fosters a community of encouragement and camaraderie among musicians, where the pursuit of excellence is celebrated, irrespective of individual benchmarks of success. The discussion further navigates the intricate relationship between natural ability and relentless work ethic, underscoring that while some may possess innate talent, it is often the combination of dedication and skill development that propels a musician to new heights. This discourse serves as a reminder that the journey of a musician is not merely about competition but rather about personal evolution and shared experiences.Takeaways: The importance of humility is emphasized when comparing one's skills to those of the best drummers. Listening is identified as a fundamental skill necessary for effective musicianship and communication. The integration of technology in music has transformed traditional drumming practices, influencing how drummers perform. Drummers are encouraged to explore various musical styles in order to enhance their versatility and creativity. A discussion about the competitive nature of music highlights the need for artists to focus on personal growth rather than comparison. Technology continues to evolve the music industry, requiring musicians to adapt and innovate in their craft. Links referenced in this episode:drumeoe rhythmCompanies mentioned in this episode: Drumeo Steve Gad Vinny Kaluta Dave Weckl Aaron Spears Stuart Copeland Ringo Starr Dave Grohl Taylor Hawkins Steve Jordan John Mayer Charlie Watts Mick Jagger E Rhythm Mike Sleath Shawn Mendes Coldplay Maroon 5

Send us a textMastering Insurance Cost Control for Trucking Companies with Brent AllredIn this episode of the Trucking Risk and Insurance Podcast, the hosts discuss strategies that trucking companies can employ to manage and reduce their insurance costs. Guest Brent Allred, transportation practice leader at Higginbotham, shares his expertise on taking on more risk with higher deductibles, utilizing industry benchmarks, and the importance of detailed safety manuals and driver retention programs. The episode also emphasizes the value of having a trusted and knowledgeable insurance agent and avoiding the pitfalls of soliciting multiple brokers. Listeners are educated on effective risk management and the role of technology in creating competitive insurance terms.Reach out to Brent:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/brent-allred-aai-cic-crm-mwca-trs-44b81443https://www.higginbotham.com/Your Hosts:John FarquharNational Risk Services Specialist, Transportation, Gallager GGBhttps://www.ajg.com/ca/M: 437-341-0932John_Farquhar@ajg.comChris HarrisCEO, Safety Dawg Inc.905 973 7056Chris@SafetyDawg.comhttps://safetydawg.com/00:00 Introduction to Insurance Costs in Trucking00:21 Understanding Risk Management in Insurance00:41 Expert Tips for Managing Safety Departments01:12 Guest Introduction: Brent from Hagen Ham and Insurance Agency02:21 Current Challenges in the Trucking Industry03:00 Strategies to Control Insurance Costs04:09 Benchmarking and Cost Analysis06:37 Taking on More Risk: Deductibles Explained13:42 The Role of Safety Manuals and Driver Standards16:35 Technology Adoption in Trucking18:48 The Importance of Choosing the Right Insurance Broker31:26 Final Thoughts and ConclusionKeeping it Safety Dawg Simple!#trucksafety #truckinsurance #truckpodcastDo you need a "Truck Driver Safety Policy?" Get it today! https://safetydawg.com/policy

In this insightful summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Keith Currie, President at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, live from the floor of SIAL Toronto. Representing more than 190,000 farmers and ranchers across the country and an eighth-generation farmer himself, Currie provides a candid, wide-ranging view on the future of Canadian agriculture—and why it's time for policymakers to pay closer attention.Currie highlights that agriculture contributes more than $150 billion to Canada's GDP and employs 2.5 million Canadians, surpassing the combined total of the auto, forestry, oil and gas, and steel industries. Yet agriculture remains a "quiet success story," underrepresented in national economic strategy. He argues that improved connectivity between farm producers, food processors, retailers, and policymakers is essential for ensuring sustainable growth.Topics include the implications of carbon pricing on rural producers, where Currie underscores the infrastructure gap that limits farmers' ability to adopt greener technologies. He advocates for more innovative climate solutions—such as cap-and-trade and regionally tailored resiliency programs—that don't unfairly penalize producers while acknowledging that border carbon adjustments are rapidly approaching in trade policy.Currie also stresses the importance of regulatory reform, referencing Ontario's red tape reduction model as a blueprint. Trade remains a central pillar of his advocacy, particularly in addressing non-tariff barriers and ensuring that agreements are effectively enforced, especially in complex markets like India.On the issue of succession planning, Currie discusses tools now available to help multi-generational farm families transition wealth and ownership without heavy tax burdens. With rising land values and farm assets, he emphasizes the need for financial institutions and governments to support the next generation of agricultural leaders.Throughout the conversation, Currie brings passion, realism, and a long-view perspective on agriculture's unique position in the Canadian economy. He calls on policymakers to shift from viewing farming as a sector in need of aid to one of untapped potential and national strength.From food security to innovation and sustainability, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who eats, votes, or works in the food industry. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Carbon benchmarking is an important first step in tackling one of the US's largest sources of carbon emissions: the buildings we live in.

Dr. Green is co-director of forecastingprinciples.com, a site promoting evidenced-based forecasting, and is a pioneer of methods to predict the decisions people will make in conflict situations such as occur in wars and in business.Green became interested in climate forecasting when he realized the dire predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others might result in policies that would cause great harm to people. He decided to use his knowledge of forecasting to investigate whether predictions of dangerous manmade global warming were based on scientific forecasting methods.00:00 Introduction to Kesten Green and Climate Forecasting01:12 Initial Climate Forecasting Efforts03:24 Collaboration with Willie Soon04:54 Scientific Method and Alternative Hypotheses05:41 Critique of IPCC Climate Models06:15 Summary of Findings: Net Zero Makes No Sense13:21 IPCC's Attribution Studies and Solar Variables15:14 Challenges in Detection and Attribution of Temperature Trends18:57 Testing Predictive Validity of Climate Models34:29 Urban Heat Island Effect and Rural Temperature Anomalies43:43 Benchmarking and Simplicity in Forecasting51:56 Analyzing Rural Temperature Forecasts53:17 Comparing IPCC and Independent Models54:23 Forecasting with Extended Data59:03 Evaluating Model Reliability59:56 Statistical Fit vs. Predictive Validity01:01:17 Exploring Model Estimation Techniques01:05:23 Anthropogenic vs. Natural Influences01:28:04 Challenges in Scientific Publishing01:33:31 Conclusions on Climate Models01:36:21 Historical Environmental Alarmshttps://kestencgreen.com/https://heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/kesten-green/About the Green & Soon (2025) paper: https://x.com/cohler/status/1924777203298140608=========AI summaries of all of my podcasts: https://tomn.substack.com/p/podcast-summarieshttps://linktr.ee/tomanelson1

Victims of RTO policies include older workers, individuals with disabilities, and women, who face barriers to workplace participation. Forced office returns undermine workforce diversity, economic growth, and inclusivity. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which talks about the unseen victims of RTO policies.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/the-unseen-victims-of-rto-policies/

In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live at the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Toronto, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome two exceptional guests: Joanne McArthur, President of Nourish Food Marketing and co-chair of the SIAL Innovation jury, and Chantal Van Winden, CEO of Olimega and this year's SIAL Innovation Gold Medal winner. The episode dives deep into Chantal's award-winning product—Camelina oil with a buttery flavour—unpacking its health benefits, sustainable production, and commercial potential.Chantal shares the remarkable 18-year journey behind the development of camelina oil, a uniquely Canadian innovation. With 35% Omega-3, high antioxidant content, and an exceptionally high smoke point (475°F), the oil is a healthy, locally grown alternative to avocado and olive oil. Grown in cold climates with short growing seasons, camelina thrives in Northern Quebec and supports sustainable farming practices, including soil health improvement and pollinator partnerships with beekeepers.Joanne offers behind-the-scenes insight into the SIAL Innovation judging process, where over 170 products from more than 70 countries are evaluated. She highlights the rigorous selection process and emphasizes why Chantal's camelina oil stood out—not just for its health properties but also for its taste, innovation, and commercial viability. The buttery flavour was developed through natural aroma infusion and is particularly suited for applications like popcorn—a detail that excited the hosts and exemplifies the product's consumer appeal.Beyond its nutritional edge, camelina oil tells a compelling Canadian story—rooted in agricultural innovation, sustainability, and female entrepreneurship. Chantal recounts how the crop was initially planted to improve soil health on her family farm and later developed into a premium oil after discovering its omega-rich properties. With demand rising internationally—35% of Olimega's business is export-based—she now has a waitlist of Canadian farmers eager to grow the crop.Tune in to hear how this buttery Canadian oil may be the next pantry staple and discover what it takes to win one of the most prestigious awards in food innovation. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week, our host, Ian Truscott, and Principal Analyst at Cleantech Insiders, Jeff Clark, dive into budget benchmarks as Ian picks Jeff's brain about his experience doing this for enterprise clients  at Forrester. They discuss Jeff's 5 tips: Why is benchmarking important? Don't confuse a peer set with your competitive landscape Comparing apples with apples - STARS model Understand what the benchmark considers to be marketing budget Determine the timeframe to align with benchmarks and goals As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have a suggestion for a topic that's hot for you that we should discuss, please get in touch using the links below. Enjoy! — The Links The people: Ian Truscott on LinkedIn and Bluesky Jeff Clark on LinkedIn Mentioned this week: The CMO Survey Jeff's firm - Cleantech Insiders Ian's new firm - Velocity B Rockstar CMO: The Beat Newsletter that we send every Monday Rockstar CMO on the web, Twitter, and LinkedIn Previous episodes and all the show notes: Rockstar CMO FM. Track List: Stienski & Mass Media - We'll be right back Cee Lo Green - Forget You (2010) You can listen to this on all good podcast platforms, like Apple, Amazon, and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a good AI benchmark? Greg Kamradt joins Demetrios to break it down—from human-easy, AI-hard puzzles to wild new games that test how fast models can truly learn. They talk hidden datasets, compute tradeoffs, and why benchmarks might be our best bet for tracking progress toward AGI. It's nerdy, strategic, and surprisingly philosophical.// BioGreg has mentored thousands of developers and founders, empowering them to build AI-centric applications.By crafting tutorial-based content, Greg aims to guide everyone from seasoned builders to ambitious indie hackers.Greg partners with companies during their product launches, feature enhancements, and funding rounds. His objective is to cultivate not just awareness, but also a practical understanding of how to optimally utilize a company's tools.He previously led Growth @ Salesforce for Sales & Service Clouds in addition to being early on at Digits, a FinTech Series-C company.// Related LinksWebsite: https://gregkamradt.com/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DataIndependent~~~~~~~~ ✌️Connect With Us ✌️ ~~~~~~~Catch all episodes, blogs, newsletters, and more: https://go.mlops.community/TYExploreMLOps Swag/Merch: [https://shop.mlops.community/]Connect with Demetrios on LinkedIn: /dpbrinkmConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: /gregkamradt/Timestamps:[00:00] Human-Easy, AI-Hard[05:25] When the Model Shocks Everyone[06:39] “Let's Circle Back on That Benchmark…”[09:50] Want Better AI? Pay the Compute Bill[14:10] Can We Define Intelligence by How Fast You Learn?[16:42] Still Waiting on That Algorithmic Breakthrough[20:00] LangChain Was Just the Beginning[24:23] Start With Humans, End With AGI[29:01] What If Reality's Just... What It Seems?[32:21] AI Needs Fewer Vibes, More Predictions[36:02] Defining Intelligence (No Pressure)[36:41] AI Building AI? Yep, We're Going There[40:13] Open Source vs. Prize Money Drama[43:05] Architecting the ARC Challenge[46:38] Agent 57 and the Atari Gauntlet

The wine sustainability landscape is incredibly fragmented, with more than 40 different standards in use globally. How do these standards compare? Where do they align, and how do they differ? The Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is tackling this complexity head-on through its Standards Benchmarking action area. Each year, SWR will evaluate all wine sustainability standards against the Global Reference Framework and associated scoring matrix, to help bring greater transparency, clarity, and comparability. A pilot benchmarking study was completed in 2024, analyzing six different wine standards, including Fair and Green. In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I'm joined by Lukas Müller, association and policy officer at Fair and Green, and my colleague Dr. Peter Stanbury, SWR's head of research.  We discuss the importance of benchmarking sustainability standards, the nuances behind the process, and key learnings from the pilot. Lukas shares why Fair and Green volunteered to participate, the benefits they've seen from taking part, and what's next for the certification. Once again, a huge thank you to Fair and Green and the other participants for taking part in the pilot. We've recently concluded the second round of standards benchmarking and will be publishing a full report soon, so do keep an eye out for this.  

Tauche ein in die Welt des Prompt Engineerings mit Joel Kaczmarek und Ruppert Bodmeier! In dieser Episode von digital kompakt geht es um die Kunst, KI-Modelle so zu steuern, dass sie genau das liefern, was du brauchst. Ruppert, ein Experte für Innovationsentwicklung bei Disrooptive, teilt seine Erfahrungen und Herausforderungen auf dem Weg zur perfekten KI-Nutzung. Erfahre, wie du durch gezieltes Prompt Engineering Wettbewerbsvorteile schaffen kannst und warum der Kontext dabei entscheidend ist. Lass dich inspirieren und entdecke, wie du die Zukunft der KI für dich nutzen kannst! Du erfährst... …wie Ruppert Bodmeier die Kunst des Prompt Engineering meistert und einzigartige Lösungen schafft …warum Beharrlichkeit und Resilienz im Umgang mit KI entscheidend sind …wie du durch präzise Kontextdefinitionen bessere KI-Ergebnisse erzielst …welche Rolle APIs spielen, um Wettbewerbsvorteile mit KI zu sichern …wie du mit modularen Befehlen und Ketten einzigartige Projekte realisierst __________________________ ||||| PERSONEN |||||

Health Insurance is Rigged & Controlled by the Big Companies w/ Donvan Ryckis of Ethos Benefits   - AZ TRT S06 EP10 (272) 6-15-2025              What We Learned This Week Health Insurance is primarily run by the Big 4 - BUCA: Blue Cross United Healthcare, CIGNA, Aetna To Insurance Co's – Premium = Revenue, and they are not going lower profits, so no incentive to lower costs Health insurance employer group plans can be broken down into 4 Parts Network PPO is what people typically think of when they think of health insurance There have been revisions to the Healthcare Act passed in 2021   Guest: Donovan Ryckis, Ethos Benefits https://ethosbenefits.com/   https://ethosbenefits.com/documentary/ https://businessofbenefitspodcast.com/   Our Ethos is Simple: Fiduciary First. Act in the best interest of those we serve—no matter the cost. ‘Ethos' represents the guiding principle, character, or spirit of a person or organization. It's the ‘why' that drives decision-making and fuel's purpose. Our Ethos is deeply rooted in the story of our Founder, Donovan Ryckis. Over a decade ago, Donovan, a fiduciary Series 65 securities advisor specializing in retirement and pension planning, was approached by a client facing a dire situation. The client's publicly traded broker claimed there was no solution for a staggering 37.5% health insurance renewal increase—a cost that threatened the business and its employees. With no prior experience in health insurance markets but guided by his unwavering fiduciary principles, Donovan took on the challenge. The result? He mitigated the risk entirely, delivering a solution 12% below the current rate. This allowed the business to thrive and ensured hundreds of employees wouldn't have to choose between basic necessities and skyrocketing health premiums. That moment sparked a revelation. The fraud, waste, and abuse Donovan had fought in retirement planning paled in comparison to the challenges in healthcare. He saw an opportunity to bring transparency and fiduciary principles to an industry in desperate need of change. Donovan pivoted his career, becoming one of the first fee-based health insurance advisors in the nation. By removing all conflicts of interest in broker compensation, he laid the foundation for what is now the leading innovative employee benefits agency in the country, delivering higher quality care at a significantly lower cost to employers nationwide.       Notes:   Ethos Benefits deals with employee benefits, with a primary focus on group health insurance   Per Donovan ‘Employee benefits are rigged'   Insurance company premium equals revenue. There is no incentive to lower cost, as it would lower profits.   ACA Obamacare passed in 2010, and it capped profits for insurance companies at 20%   Insurance Co's are working to expand their pool to make more profit   Health Insurance guarantees inflation keeps going up, so family of 4 could spend 35K a year   For a business, healthcare cost and employee benefits are a top 3 P&L expense   Ethos strategies can create a 30 to 40% reduction on premium impact to lower costs for a business   The HQ is in Florida, but they are a virtual office with agents and clients nationwide   Healthcare finance and delivery + Improving employee benefits     Seg 1   Donovan's bio, he was a financial advisor with a Series 65 license before he got into health insurance. Around 2014 he moved into health insurance seeing an opportunity for better service.   Typically you see agents who are working for the health insurance company and not really working for the employer companies they are selling to.   Health insurance is primarily run by the Big 4 – BUCA: Blue Cross United Healthcare, CIGNA, Aetna.   Health insurance employer group plans can be broken down into 4 Parts:   1.    TPA or third-party administrator 2.    Network PPO or HMO 3.    Pharmacy benefit RX 4.    Insurance that covers the caps the limits on the stop loss   PPO is your primary network and open on using referrals HMO is a non-preferred network typically has less offerings and tight on referrals   Ethos Benefits helps employers to break up the four parts of a group plan and customize   Network PPO is what people typically think of when they think of health insurance.   Network and the Big 4 health companies have a tighter deal with doctors and contract prices. A lot is pre-negotiated with a set of rates, which is the point of a PPO. This is where you get larger claims and they run in the system of healthcare.     Seg 2   Pay more for healthcare in the U.S. than the rest of the world   The biggest pharmaceutical companies are in the US Pharmaceutical companies in flight prices, and also set the prices They make money through spread pricing   Employers can actually pick up their own Pharma benefit and get the rebates that the big health insurance companies are not giving them   Healthcare system is a rigged game The fraud waste and abuse extremely high in health   401(k) and retirement benefit industry is actually tighter with more disclosure than the healthcare industry   Regulated better since the creation of the Securities Act in the 1930s and updates that ran through the 1970s and beyond with things like ERISA   There have been revisions to the healthcare act passed in 2021 - started in Jan.2022   Actions had 3 disclosures: ·         Brokers comp and bonus ·         Data with gag, clauses, and full access to data upon request ·         Benchmarking for drug cost     Further Notes via Google:   The revisions you are likely referring to are part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA). While the CAA was passed in late 2020, many of its provisions, including those related to transparency in healthcare, became effective on January 1, 2022.  The three key areas of disclosure you mentioned are directly addressed within these regulations: 1.            Broker's Compensation and Bonuses: The CAA amends ERISA Section 408(b)(2) and requires service providers, including brokers, to disclose specific information to group health plan fiduciaries. 2.            Data Transparency (Gag Clauses and Full Access to Data): The CAA prohibits gag clauses, which prevent plans from providing access to their data. It also requires health insurance carriers to attest annually to their compliance with this prohibition. Moreover, the Health DATA Act, a proposed bill, would further reinforce the right of employers to access their data and hold service providers accountable for non-compliance. 3.            Benchmarking for Drug Costs: The CAA includes provisions regarding pharmacy benefit and drug cost reporting, which aims to provide greater transparency and potentially lead to better benchmarking of drug costs. The Build Back Better Act, a separate piece of legislation, also included provisions for Medicare to negotiate drug prices, further impacting drug costs and potential benchmarking.  These revisions aim to increase transparency in healthcare pricing and empower consumers and employers to make more informed decisions about their healthcare coverage.    Seg 3   Ethos works with Employers to create business plans usually with a 3 to 5 year time horizon. The goal is long-term to lower healthcare cost.   Example would be a company with 100 employees with 50 to 80% of them on the health plan (does not include dependents).   Ethos wants to keep the demands of a company low, easy transition.   Ethos handles employee Qs and healthcare navigation. Ethos is full service.   Risk handled 1 of 4 ways - Reduce, avoid, retain, transfer - Transfer to insurance   Broker wants to transfer risk Company can control costs Careful not to have too much disruption with a switch to a new company   Ex - start with pharmacy part NDC National Drug Code Run report vs costs   Pharmacy benefit mgr   Pre packaged health plan Gets co approved pharmacy benefit Save 5 - 15% on costs (30%)   Separate - parts of group plan     Seg 4   Brokers comp - incentives from big insurance companies   Opening move - edit pharmacy benefit piece   State by state - regulators and rules   Employers / employees Know the network and PPO   Nationwide covers insurance part – Stop-loss Insurance   30-40 major stop loss companies Ex: Allstate Met Life Sun Life   Stop-loss insurance for group health plans acts as a financial safety net for self-funded employers, protecting them from large, unpredictable medical claims. It is a form of additional insurance.   Healthcare risk is incredibly predictable on group basis   Overall predictable w stats, actuarial analysis   Gag clauses look at dataset from current carrier   Prescription database sets   3rd party admin are less of a concern, lots of claims   Average of 18 claims per employee per year, includes dependents   Data - review AI Claims analytics software   AI claims analytics software is transforming how insurance companies handle claims by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze data, automate tasks, and improve decision-making.    30 - 40% reduction in premium w Ethos     Further Notes via Google: Group Medical Plans Breakdown of the common components of a comprehensive employer group health plan, particularly within the context of a self-funded model.  Here's a more detailed explanation of each part: 1.            TPA (Third-Party Administrator): A TPA is a company that provides administrative services for self-funded health plans. This includes processing claims, handling enrollment, and managing other administrative tasks that would typically be done by an insurance company. 2.            Network (PPO or HMO): This refers to the group of doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers that the health plan contracts with to provide services to its members. The network defines where employees can go to receive care and often dictates the level of coverage they will receive (e.g., in-network vs. out-of-network benefits). ·                                             PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): Offers more flexibility, allowing members to see out-of-network providers, though with higher out-of-pocket costs. ·                                             HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): Typically requires members to stay within the network for covered services, except in emergencies.                 Pharmacy Benefit (RX): This component manages the prescription drug coverage for the plan. It includes negotiating drug prices, processing claims for prescriptions, and managing the plan's formulary (list of covered drugs).                 Stop-Loss Insurance: This is a crucial element for self-funded employers. It protects the employer from catastrophic claim costs. If an individual employee or the entire group's claims exceed a certain threshold (the "attachment point"), the stop-loss insurance kicks in to cover the excess costs, limiting the employer's financial liability.  Additional Considerations: ·                     Data Access: Self-funded plans often provide employers with greater access to claims data, which can be used to analyze healthcare costs, identify trends, and implement strategies to improve employee health and manage costs. ·                     Benchmarking: Employers can use claims data and industry benchmarks to compare their plan's performance to similar organizations and negotiate better rates with providers and other vendors. ·                     Wellness Programs: Some employers offer wellness programs to encourage employees to adopt healthy behaviors and potentially reduce healthcare costs. ·                     Essential Health Benefits (ACA Compliance): Group health plans must comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires them to cover a list of essential health benefits, such as outpatient care, emergency services, hospitalization, and prescription drugs. ·                     Other Benefits: Group plans can also include other benefits, such as dental, vision, life insurance, and long- and short-term disability insurance.  Understanding these different parts is essential for employers to effectively manage their group health plan, control costs, and provide valuable benefits to their employees.      Investing Shows: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Investing-Stocks-Bonds-Retirement       ‘Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT      Thanks for Listening. Please Subscribe to the AZ TRT Podcast.     AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.  AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.  Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…    AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/ ‘Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here Podcast on Google: Click Here Podcast on Spotify: Click Here                    More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/ KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/     Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.  

In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast, host Michael LeBlanc brings listeners straight to the SIAL Food Innovation Show floor for a flavorful conversation with Chef Jonathan Maters, co-founder of Smokin Jon's BBQ & Company. Born in Newfoundland and based in New Brunswick, Jonathan shares how a pandemic-era pivot turned his passion for barbecue into a growing food enterprise capturing the attention of retailers and food lovers alike.Jonathan walks us through his culinary roots, detailing how he started with a single signature sauce—Smoky Maple—bottled and sold from his backyard deck. With demand quickly outpacing his capacity, he moved into Class 5 kitchens and later secured a co-packing partner to scale his product line. Now, with a robust lineup of unique, clean-label barbecue sauces, hot sauces, and spice rubs, Smokin' Jon's is turning heads across Canada.From the Cuban-inspired Cubana BBQ sauce (orange juice, cumin, and oregano!) to the fiery Carolina Reaper sauce and low-sodium, filler-free spice blends, Jonathan emphasizes innovation, authenticity, and health-conscious ingredients. He shares how packaging design and colour-coded branding help his products stand out on crowded shelves.Jonathan also opens up about the hard realities of food entrepreneurship—from navigating CFIA and FDA regulations to the steep costs of national shelf space, and his evolving relationship with major retailers like Sobeys and Loblaws. He reflects on the role of local government support, challenges in accessing infrastructure, and the importance of marketing hustle, including a growing Instagram following built on grassroots cooking content.Listeners will appreciate Jonathan's frank insights on building a business from scratch, his strategic use of flavour storytelling, and his advice to fellow food entrepreneurs: “You'll hear ten no's for every yes—but that one yes is everything.”This episode is packed with practical inspiration, tasty ideas, and a genuine look behind the scenes of a fast-growing Canadian food brand. Whether you're a barbecue enthusiast, aspiring food entrepreneur, or retail insider, this conversation will leave you fired up and hungry for more.https://smokinjonsbbq.ca/ The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Will Gen AI replace us or redefine us? The future lies in collaboration, not competition. By embracing adaptability and human-centric skills, we can thrive alongside Gen AI and shape a more innovative and ethical world. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which asks: will Gen AI steal our humanity?This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/will-gen-ai-steal-our-humanity/

With Gen AI advancing rapidly, the call to "move fast and break things" feels reckless. The public wants caution, not chaos. We need thoughtful regulation, transparency, and inclusion to ensure AI benefits everyone—safely and responsibly. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which discusses whether we should "move fast and break things" with Gen AI.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/should-we-move-fast-and-break-things-with-gen-ai/

In this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky speaks to Dr. Joanne Hebert, Adjunct Professor in Management and Business at Walsh College and Gogebic College, who talks about the tension between executives' desire for RTO while managers and employees prefer remote.You can learn about Walsh College and Gogebic College at www.walshcollege.edu and www.gogebic.edu

The Food Professor Podcast closes out its fifth season (sort of) with a sizzling, two-guest double feature and a feast of food industry insights.Co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois kick things off with a robust news round-up, starting with the Competition Bureau's lawsuit against DoorDash. The case alleges deceptive pricing practices that could set a major precedent in Canada's rapidly evolving food delivery sector. Next up is a conversation about GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, and their surprising ripple effects across the food and restaurant industries. With major players like McDonald's flagging GLP-1's impact on consumer demand, the hosts unpack how appetite suppression could force chains to rethink menus and marketing.Turning to politics, the duo dives into the return of Bill C-202, which aims to legislate permanent protection for supply-managed sectors like dairy. Sylvain, fresh from testifying before Senate, challenges the notion that legislation ensures economic security, arguing that this approach stifles innovation and shrinks global opportunities for Canada's dairy sector. The conversation highlights deeper questions about food affordability, trade readiness, and long-term resilience in Canadian agriculture.The episode then shifts to the guest segment, welcoming Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly's Barbecue Editor and the man behind the publication's iconic “Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas” list. Daniel shares his personal journey from Ohio to Texas BBQ fanatic, reveals the meticulous tasting process behind the prestigious list, and highlights innovations shaping the future of craft barbecue—from smoked lamb to Vietnamese fusion. He also reflects on the human side of the industry, including stories of pitmasters overcoming illness, personal loss, and economic challenges, all while pursuing culinary greatness.Wrapping the episode, Ransom Hawley, CEO of Caddle and presenting sponsor of the podcast, joins to share exclusive insights from a new back-to-school consumer study. He reveals that two-thirds of Canadian parents begin planning in late spring, and that private-label grocery products are increasingly popular—especially among families with younger children. He discusses emotional purchase behavior, the importance of online research, and how grocers and retailers can tailor promotions for maximum impact.With bold opinions, brisket, and back-to-school tips, this finale serves up equal parts smoke and strategy. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Itentify Gaps Set Realistic Goals Create Innovation Track Progress Boost Motivation Improve Focus Create Clarity

3 different perspectives from breweries large & small. You'll hear about the BA's Benchmarking tool, other resources to support your sustainability journey, and how to take some baby steps if you haven't made any progress yet. Special Guests: Charlie Hoxmeier, Hannah Johnson, and Lizzy Waters.

In episode #284, let's break down AI ARR. As artificial intelligence transforms SaaS business models, a new metric is gaining traction: AI ARR (Artificial Intelligence Annual Recurring Revenue). But what exactly is AI ARR, how do public SaaS companies define it, and why should private SaaS operators care? In this episode, Ben Murray dives deep into how companies like Verint Systems are reporting AI ARR in their earnings and press releases. Ben breaks down the nuances of these definitions, the implications for SaaS valuation, and what founders, CFOs, and GTM teams need to know to stay ahead of the curve. Key Topics Covered What Is AI ARR? Understand how public companies define AI-based recurring revenue and what makes it distinct from traditional ARR or subscription ARR. Case Study: Verint's AI ARR Disclosure Learn how Verint, a customer and communication automation platform, separates AI ARR from Subscription ARR, and why AI now accounts for 50% of its recurring revenue. Run Rate vs. Recognized Revenue Explore the concept of “annualized quarterly run rate” and why some AI ARR definitions include overages and signed (but not yet active) SaaS contracts. Why AI ARR Matters for SaaS Metrics & Board Reporting Discover how AI ARR can become a key growth driver metric, especially for AI-first SaaS platforms or tools with significant AI adoption. Benchmarking and Financial Transparency Trends Understand why SaaS companies are simplifying metric reporting and focusing on high-signal KPIs like AI ARR for investors and stakeholders. Who Should Listen This episode is a must-listen for: SaaS founders and CEOs scaling AI-powered platforms CFOs and FP&A teams defining KPIs for board decks SaaS investors tracking AI monetization trends RevOps and metrics leaders modernizing dashboards Anyone serious about becoming a SaaS metrics expert Why This Episode Matters As SaaS businesses race to integrate and monetize AI, understanding how to measure, disclose, and leverage AI ARR could be your edge in strategic planning, fundraising, or M&A. SaaS Metrics School isn't just about numbers—it's about empowering you to lead with data. Subscribe & Follow Never miss an insight from the top SaaS metrics podcast. Join our SaaS community. https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Gen AI agents are reshaping work by autonomously planning, executing, and communicating across systems, freeing humans from repetitive tasks and enabling smarter, faster, and more creative collaboration across every industry. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which describes how Gen AI agents are transforming industry.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/transforming-industry-through-gen-ai-agents/

Gaurav Khandelwal and Joe Lynch discuss beyond the yard - how Velostics streamlines scheduling. Gaurav is the Founder and CEO of Velostics, a company on a mission to revolutionize the logistics landscape.  Summary: Beyond the Yard: How Velostics Streamlines Scheduling In this podcast, Gaurav Khandelwal, CEO of Velostics, discusses how their cloud-based logistics software automates scheduling and streamlines processes for shippers, carriers, and logistics providers. Velostics aims to eliminate manual scheduling, reduce friction in the handoff process, and provide user-friendly tools for better decision-making. Khandelwal shares his journey from India to starting a logistics technology company in the US and emphasizes the importance of enterprise software being as easy to use as consumer apps. The podcast explores how Velostics integrates with existing systems, caters to various customers, and simplifies driver communication using text-based systems and QR codes. Khandelwal also discusses the significance of driver efficiency, cost optimization through automation, and the potential impact of a four-day workweek on scheduling. The podcast delves into the substantial costs of detention, the benefits of benchmarking and scorecarding, and the potential of generative AI in improving logistics operations. Velostics' quick implementation process and yard management solution are also highlighted, along with the importance of reducing turn times and improving handoffs in the industry. #LogisticsAutomation #SupplyChainOptimization #YardManagementSolutions About Gaurav Khandelwal Gaurav Khandelwal is the Founder and CEO of ChaiOne and Velostics, discovered his entrepreneurial spirit from his father, a tea blender in India. Inspired by his father's journey, Gaurav pursued higher education in the U.S. and later worked in business transformation at a consulting firm. His breakthrough came in 2008 with the launch of the Apple AppStore, prompting him to focus on ChaiOne, which created digital solutions based on behavioral science, where he uses data-driven insights to revolutionize the industrial sectors. This experience uncovered his passion for logistics, culminating in the creation of Velostics, where he uses technology to automate & optimize logistics operations. Beyond business, Gaurav founded START, Houston's first tech co-working space, and serves on the board of Magic Bus, a nonprofit alleviating poverty in India. Recognized by Houston Biz Journals' 40 under 40 and as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, Gaurav is committed & ready to disrupt the traditional way of doing logistics.  About Velostics Velostics is a logistics Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company specializing in unified scheduling of appointments, dock and yard management and digitizing the gate in/out process for shippers. Their platform also automates scheduling for logistics service providers between carriers, shippers and consignees via their industry-leading 3-way scheduling solution. Velostics has a proven track record of minimizing manual tasks, errors, delays and demurrage, and increasing operational efficiency and throughput. Key Takeaways: Beyond the Yard: How Velostics Streamlines Scheduling Velostics automates scheduling for shippers, carriers, and logistics providers to avoid late shipments and detention charges. Velostics helps optimize appointment booking, contactless check-in, and dock management, reducing friction in the handoff process. Velostics champions user-friendly enterprise software, mirroring consumer apps for swift deployment and minimal training. Velostics integrates with existing TMS systems, allowing for frictionless onboarding and quick wins for customers. Velostics' primary customers are shippers, large distribution companies, 3PLs, and brokers with managed transportation offerings. Velostics simplifies driver check-in and rescheduling processes using QR codes and text messaging, accommodating drivers from various linguistic backgrounds. Velostics offers a simple, nimble, and quick-to-deploy yard management solution that integrates with their appointment scheduling, text message-based check-in, and dock management system. Timestamps (00:01:05) Optimizing Truck Scheduling with Velostics (00:07:51) From India to Logistics Tech Entrepreneur (00:12:12) Simplifying Enterprise Software with Consumer-Grade UX (00:17:12) Frictionless Onboarding and Quick Wins (00:18:30) Transforming Managed Transportation with Logistics Tech (00:19:07) Streamlining Dock Scheduling with Contactless Check-in (00:25:40) The Importance of Driver Efficiency (00:26:06) Streamlining Driver Communication with QR Codes (00:30:14) Reducing Labor Costs through Automation (00:31:40) Optimizing Scheduling in a Changing Workforce (00:33:51) Reducing Detention Costs with Automated Tracking (00:36:15) Reducing Inventory Costs and Carbon Footprint (00:39:26) Benchmarking and Scorecards in Supply Chain (00:42:04) Generative AI Empowering Logistics Efficiencies (00:45:41) Simplifying Logistics with Velostics (00:49:04) Simplifying Yard Management with Velostics' Solution (00:52:14) Streamlining Trucking with Drop and Hook (00:53:20) Revolutionizing Yard Management with Velostics' Solution (00:53:50) Streamlining Scheduling with Velostics' Text-Based Solution (00:55:29) Measuring Turn Time for Frictionless Throughput (00:59:02) Solving Handoff Problems in Logistics Learn More About Beyond the Yard: How Velostics Streamlines Scheduling Gaurav Khandelwal | Linkedin Velostics | Linkedin Velostics Schedule a Demo The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

The GAO's 2025 report titled “Telework: Private Sector Stakeholder and Expert Views" proves that remote work trumps RTO. Flexible work boosts talent retention, cuts costs, and raises productivity, making it a smarter choice than rigid office mandates. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which discusses the federal report that shows that remote work trumps RTO.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/federal-report-shows-remote-work-trumps-rto/

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast, host Simon Scriver has a discussion with Amy Stevens and Konna Beeson from Gifted Philanthropy. they delve into Gifted Philanthropy's latest report on trust fundraising, exploring key insights from the 2025 Trust and Foundations Insight survey. They examine trends in funding success rates, the growing importance of maintaining donor relationships, and the impact of AI on fundraising strategies. Learn how to navigate the complexities of fundraising, enhance your grant applications, and make the most of the latest innovations in technology in this episode. Read the research here Click here to subscribe to our email list for exclusive fundraising resources, early access to training, special discounts and more If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Send us a textSusan LaMotte, the founder and CEO of exaqueo, joins us this episode to discuss the intricacies of acquiring custom data for your organization, how to pull the most impactful insights from that data, and how to secure support (financial and otherwise) for data collection. [0:00] IntroductionWelcome, Susan!Today's Topic: The Importance of Custom Data for HR and the Future of Benchmarking[5:55] What are HR teams missing when working with large amounts of data?Data vs. insightCritical data analysis that many HR teams overlook[17:01] How to gain useful insights from HR data?Quantitative vs. qualitative insightsHow organizations can address and accommodate their employees' personal needs[30:51] How can you get the data you need?Seeking data and insights from outside the digital norms like social mediaHR teams' ability to secure necessary funding for data collection[41:46] ClosingThanks for listening!To schedule a meeting with us: https://salary.com/hrdlconsulting For more HR Data Labs®, enjoy the HR Data Labs Brown Bag Lunch Hours every Friday at 2:00PM-2:30PM EST. Check it out here: https://hrdatalabs.com/brown-bag-lunch/ Produced by Affogato Media

Rapid AI adoption is turning recession pain into profit as companies are using generative AI to cut costs and boost productivity. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which describes how recession warnings are driving rapid AI adoption.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/recession-warning-drives-rapid-ai-adoption/

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech TrainingKey Discussion Points:What is Reverse Benchmarking?Traditional benchmarking focuses on studying what competitors do well, but reverse benchmarking involves analyzing what they do poorly and capitalizing on those weaknesses.Two interpretations:Looking at other industries for innovative ideas (e.g., team-building activities from tech companies).Example: Some shops now adopt spontaneous team outings (baseball games, go-karting) inspired by Silicon Valley culture.Staying within the automotive industry to identify gaps in competitors' customer experience or service offerings.Applying Reverse Benchmarking in Auto RepairCustomer Experience:Visit competitor shops (dealerships, independents) and note flaws—uncomfortable waiting room chairs, poor TV choices, limited snack/drink options.Actionable Fixes: Upgrade seating, offer neutral TV content (e.g., Joy of Painting), provide filtered water instead of plastic bottles.Market Gaps:If competitors specialize in European cars (like Seth Thorson's shop), consider specializing in underserved markets (e.g., Asian brands like Hyundai, Kia, Nissan).Focus on services competitors avoid (advanced diagnostics, programming, driveline work).Technician-Level Reverse BenchmarkingIn a shop with a star "R&R tech," instead of competing directly, fill gaps (e.g., diagnostics, electrical troubleshooting) to become indispensable."See a need, fill a need"—position yourself as the go-to for overlooked but critical tasks.Why It WorksCreates a unique value proposition—whether for customers (better experience) or employers (specialized skills).Helps shops stand out in saturated markets by addressing unmet needs.Final Thoughts:Reverse benchmarking isn't new, but it's underutilized in automotive.Whether you're a shop owner, manager, or tech, observing competitors' weaknesses can reveal opportunities for growth.Contact InformationEmail Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.comDiagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel Subscribe & Review: Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyThe Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech TrainingKey Discussion Points:What is Reverse Benchmarking?Traditional benchmarking focuses on studying what competitors do well, but reverse benchmarking involves analyzing what they do poorly and capitalizing on those weaknesses.Two interpretations:Looking at other industries for innovative ideas (e.g., team-building activities from tech companies).Example: Some shops now adopt spontaneous team outings (baseball games, go-karting) inspired by Silicon Valley culture.Staying within the automotive industry to identify gaps in competitors' customer experience or service offerings.Applying Reverse Benchmarking in Auto RepairCustomer Experience:Visit competitor shops (dealerships, independents) and note flaws—uncomfortable waiting room chairs, poor TV choices, limited snack/drink options.Actionable Fixes: Upgrade seating, offer neutral TV content (e.g., Joy of Painting), provide filtered water instead of plastic bottles.Market Gaps:If competitors specialize in European cars (like Seth Thorson's shop), consider specializing in underserved markets (e.g., Asian brands like Hyundai, Kia, Nissan).Focus on services competitors avoid (advanced diagnostics, programming, driveline work).Technician-Level Reverse BenchmarkingIn a shop with a star "R&R tech," instead of competing directly, fill gaps (e.g., diagnostics, electrical troubleshooting) to become indispensable."See a need, fill a need"—position yourself as the go-to for overlooked but critical tasks.Why It WorksCreates a unique value proposition—whether for customers (better experience) or employers (specialized skills).Helps shops stand out in saturated markets by addressing unmet needs.Final Thoughts:Reverse benchmarking isn't new, but it's underutilized in automotive.Whether you're a shop owner, manager, or tech, observing competitors' weaknesses can reveal opportunities for growth.Contact InformationEmail Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.comDiagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel Subscribe & Review: Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyThe Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.

The Gen AI revolution is reshaping industries, offering transformative potential. Companies must embrace innovation, educate employees, and address ethical risks to unlock creativity and thrive in this new era of AI-driven possibilities. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which discusses embracing the Gen AI revolution.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/embracing-the-gen-ai-revolution/

In this episode of "Paul, Weiss Waking Up With AI," Katherine Forrest and Anna Gressel discuss AI benchmarking, exploring how these standardized tests evaluate AI models against each other and human capabilities, helping developers and deployers assess performance, safety and progress toward artificial general intelligence. ## Learn More About Paul, Weiss's Artificial Intelligence practice: https://www.paulweiss.com/industries/artificial-intelligence

EP 152. Erik Huberman, CEO of Hawke Media, shares how AI and smart benchmarking are transforming marketing—and what brands need to do to earn moms' trust and get better results. Discover how Hawke AI uses real-time data to flag wins, spot gaps, and guide your next move.    SHOWNOTES:  https://www.podpage.com/marketing-with-empathy/blog/stop-guessing-start-benchmarking-your-marketing-with-hawke-ai-episode-152/    SCHEDULE FREE 30-MIN. DISCOVERY CALL WITH SARAH PANUS FOR HELP CREATING CONTENT PLANS THAT ATTRACT MORE MOM CUSTOMERS (and other audiences): ⁠https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule/a0d08759/?appointmentTypeIds[]=25950382⁠     FREE QUIZ: Which of These Content Makeovers is Right for Your Brand?   Discover which content makeover will boost your brand's success! Take this 40-second QUIZ to find your "home" makeover show match and get a content makeover plan to help you attract customers & drive better business results.  ⁠https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/65c650923a654f0015bbd704⁠    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sam, AJ, and Asad are joined by Guy Rubin to dive deep into the critical insights from Ebsta's latest sales benchmarking report. Their report uncovers what separates high-performing sales organizations from the rest. They take a sobering look at current quota attainment trends and why most teams continue to fall short of targets. They also explore how leadership decisions create ripple effects across sales performance, examining the structural and cultural factors driving results. This episode delivers actionable takeaways for sales leaders looking to improve quota attainment, optimize their tech stack, and build more resilient teams in an increasingly complex selling environment.Thanks for tuning in!Join the revenue leaders redefining growth at Pavilion's CRO Summit 2025, which will be held on June 3rd at the Denver Art Museum. Register today.Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.Key Moments: (00:00) Introduction(03:00) Sales Quota Attainment and Market Dynamics(06:00) The Role of Leadership in Sales Success(08:49) Data-Driven Sales Strategies(11:58) The Challenge of Sales Performance(15:03) The Future of Sales Talent and AI's Impact(17:54) Concentration of Talent in Sales Organizations(22:49) The Concentration of Talent in Organizations(23:41) Data-Driven Insights for Sales Success(25:50) The Role of AI in Sales(26:41) The Myth of the A Player(28:49) The Importance of Consistency in Sales Processes(30:01) The Shift to Full Cycle Sales(32:21) Customer Relationship Management in Sales(34:41) The Impact of Leadership on Sales Performance(37:53) Navigating Volatility in Sales(40:54) Building a Data-Driven Sales Organization(48:05) Pop Culture References and Team Dynamics(49:14) Market Dynamics and Leadership Changes(50:44) Founder Friendliness and CEO Replacement(54:14) The Role of Founders vs. Non-Founder CEOs(01:00:20) Community and Personal Growth(01:01:30) Inspiring Media Ventures and Closing Thoughts

Trump's RTO Mandate was falsely framed as popular. Only 43% backed it, but the poll's numbers were spun and amplified by partisan pipelines posing as trusted local news. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which describes how misleading polling inflates support for Trump's RTO mandate.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/misleading-polling-inflates-support-for-trumps-rto-mandate/

OpenBSD 7.7, ZFS Orchestration Tools – Part 2: Replication, Switching customers from Linux to BSD because boring is good, Graphed and measured: running TCP input in parallel, Introducing an OpenBSD LLDP daemon, Hardware discovery: ACPI & Device Tree, The 2025 FreeBSD Community Survey is Here, and more NOTES This episode of BSDNow is brought to you by Tarsnap (https://www.tarsnap.com/bsdnow) and the BSDNow Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bsdnow) Headlines OpenBSD 7.7 (https://OpenBSD.org/77.html) ZFS Orchestration Tools – Part 2: Replication (https://klarasystems.com/articles/zfs-orchestration-tools-part-2-replication/?utm_source=BSD%20Now&utm_medium=Podcast) News Roundup Switching customers from Linux to BSD because boring is good (https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/08/switching_from_linux_to_bsd/) Graphed and measured: running TCP input in parallel (http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article;sid=20250418114827) Introducing an OpenBSD LLDP daemon (http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article;sid=20250425082010) Hardware discovery: ACPI & Device Tree (https://blogsystem5.substack.com/p/hardware-autoconfiguration) The 2025 FreeBSD Community Survey is Here (https://freebsdfoundation.org/blog/the-2025-freebsd-community-survey-is-here/) Tarsnap This weeks episode of BSDNow was sponsored by our friends at Tarsnap, the only secure online backup you can trust your data to. Even paranoids need backups. Feedback/Questions Brad - new users (https://github.com/BSDNow/bsdnow.tv/blob/master/episodes/610/feedback/brad%20-%20new%20users.md) Send questions, comments, show ideas/topics, or stories you want mentioned on the show to feedback@bsdnow.tv (mailto:feedback@bsdnow.tv) Join us and other BSD Fans in our BSD Now Telegram channel (https://t.me/bsdnow)

In this episode, Kelly Hong, a researcher at Chroma, joins us to discuss "Generative Benchmarking," a novel approach to evaluating retrieval systems, like RAG applications, using synthetic data. Kelly explains how traditional benchmarks like MTEB fail to represent real-world query patterns and how embedding models that perform well on public benchmarks often underperform in production. The conversation explores the two-step process of Generative Benchmarking: filtering documents to focus on relevant content and generating queries that mimic actual user behavior. Kelly shares insights from applying this approach to Weights & Biases' technical support bot, revealing how domain-specific evaluation provides more accurate assessments of embedding model performance. We also discuss the importance of aligning LLM judges with human preferences, the impact of chunking strategies on retrieval effectiveness, and how production queries differ from benchmark queries in ambiguity and style. Throughout the episode, Kelly emphasizes the need for systematic evaluation approaches that go beyond "vibe checks" to help developers build more effective RAG applications. The complete show notes for this episode can be found at https://twimlai.com/go/728.