Podcasts about Black Belt

Send us Fan MailBig 4 interviews are around the corner – and most candidates need 6–8 weeks of prep to be ready.Mitali Jalan spent years at Deloitte and Bain, then coached 400+ candidates. She sees one gap sink strong applicants again and again: they practice 1-on-1 cases and never practice the other formats the Big 4 use.Think group cases, written cases, presentations, and AI-assisted or Excel cases.And behavioral prep matters just as much – at some firms, it carries equal weight to the case.So if your interview is coming up, this episode shows you where to start.Resources:Black Belt builds your prep plan around your gaps and your interview dates, with feedback from coaches who've sat on the interviewer side of the tableNot sure how much time you have or whether Black Belt fits? Book 15 minutes with Katie and she'll tell you straightConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Tonight, I'm sharing more conversations from the inaugural Alabama Nurse Honor Guards State Conference in Cullman, with Dr. Gennifer Horton Moon and Dr. Constance Hendricks joining me on The Mark White Show. Dr. Moon shares why her grandmother initially questioned her decision to become a nurse and how she eventually followed the family tradition of teaching, too. We discuss the difference simply listening can make, the meaning behind nursing's caps, pins, and lamps, and why the stories connected to those keepsakes deserve to be preserved. Dr. Hendricks explains how a classroom assignment grew into Alabama Notable Nurses, a book documenting the contributions of nurses across our state. She also shares how she helped bring Nurse Honor Guard services to Alabama's Black Belt and why she wants future nurses to understand the work and sacrifices of those who came before them. Both conversations offer a reminder that preserving a nurse's legacy starts with listening to their story and making sure it is recorded for the next generation. Share this episode with a nurse, nursing student, or family with a story worth preserving. Real stories. Real people. Real impact. News That Unites!™

Jamie “Red” Etheredge turned 94 years old on June 15. He has been one of the most outstanding and kindhearted leaders our state has seen this century. Red Etheredge was born June 15, 1932, in Marengo County. His distinctive Black Belt diction accentuates his Marengo County roots. He has been very successful in both business and government. Red founded Red E Mix Concrete Co. in Greenville in 1961. He was the owner and president for 24 years and then sold the business to a large conglomerate. After selling his concrete business in 1985, he became a Wendy's franchisee for 15... Article Link

We're back again with another massive show. This week we welcome back friend of the pod Colby Thicknesse for a chinwag. We chat all about his upcoming fight at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, why it means so much to finally get to share a card with Volk, being on a 2 fight win streak, crazy Nepalese fans, surviving a decade of verbal abuse from Uncle Joe Lopez, and a shitload more! Get around The Slicknesse. We also recap our previous week on the Gold Coast for IBC05, and preview this weeks UFC 332 card for Ladbrokes. Hit the download button and step into the cage. Use code FOOK10 for 10% off all orders at Engage.

Did you know most mattress execs break the #1 sleep rule—while helping you sleep better? Discover why.Welcome to another episode of The FAM Podcast! This week, Tara sits down with Kelly Crenshaw, Senior VP of Merchandising & Product Development at Pure Care—creator of some of the industry's most beloved sheets and a true "black belt in shopping." Kelly opens up about juggling career, motherhood, and self-care, revealing the surprising sleep habits even industry insiders can't always follow.If you've ever felt pressured to “have it all”—career, family, friendships—while sacrificing your own downtime, you're not alone. Kelly shares real talk on why women in the mattress and retail world often put themselves last, and how learning to say “no” has become her secret to sustainable success.From surviving the retail apocalypse when Steinmart shuttered, to building a female-driven powerhouse at Pure Care, Kelly's story is packed with resilience, actionable advice, and a behind-the-scenes look at how bedding brands are weathering supply chain storms. Plus: find out the one thing she wishes every man in the industry understood about women's invisible workload—and how the mattress world could be a lot more fun if women ran the show.Industry pros, sleep-obsessed consumers, and anyone chasing balance—this episode is your permission slip to drop the FOMO, embrace the chaos, and find your own rhythm.Timestamps:00:00 – The sleep rule even execs break (and why) 05:30 – Why “having it all” is a myth—Kelly's honest take 10:46 – Surviving retail chaos: layoffs, pivots, and resilience 15:23 – The secret sauce at Pure Care: quality over price wars 18:08 – What would change if women ran the mattress industry? 22:42 – How Pure Care shields retailers from supply chain shocks 25:03 – From side hustles to dream jobs: lessons from Kelly's boutique 28:01 – The invisible workload women carry in the industry 29:19 – Leadership style: Why “fun” matters (and spicy margaritas) 32:08 – The chameleon approach to career survival 34:59 – Lightning round: Surprising sleep & work habitsConnect with The FAM Podcast:

What if your AI strategy is creating more risk than progress? John Willis joins Andrew Stotz to trace how Deming's System of Profound Knowledge shaped the way he thinks about organizations, learning, and change. From his early days building DevOps to the AI transformations he's navigating with CIOs today. Along the way, John connects Deming to fast feedback loops, explains why leaders keep mistaking a learning problem for a technology problem, and shares stories that never made it into his book, Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge.   A fresh conversation for longtime Deming thinkers and those just beginning the journey.   TRANSCRIPT 0:00:02.0 Andrew Stotz: My name is Andrew Stotz and I'll be your host as we continue our journey into the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Today I'm here with featured guest, John Willis. John, how are you doing?   0:00:15.7 John Willis: Great, Andrew. I was just thinking, I feel like that song, like I got my picture on the cover of Rolling Stone. Like, I'm on the Deming Institute podcast. Yay.   [laughter]   0:00:24.9 Andrew Stotz: We finally got you on.   0:00:27.8 John Willis: Yeah, yeah.   0:00:30.3 Andrew Stotz: Actually been a while and I wanna introduce you just briefly and then I'll let you do a little bit more of the introduction. But basically on Amazon, a book popped up and I was just looking at the date of that. That book popped up on, for me, it popped up on September 6, 2023 on Audible and I immediately bought it and I got the Audible book and the book's called 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge. How Deming Helped Win a War, Altered the Face of Industry, and Holds the Key to Our Future'. And I immediately got it. Didn't know you, listened to it, loved it. Later you reached out on LinkedIn and we started communicating and you were kind enough to send a copy of it, which I then went through in more detail. I love the book. I really highly recommend the Audible version because it's just fun. Because the book is opening up a whole new Deming lens, a whole new way from somebody that never met Deming, and I just found that fascinating. So maybe why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself to the audience so that people know who you are, where you've been, what you've been doing and what you're doing now?   0:01:41.4 John Willis: Yeah, no, no, great. I... So, yeah, I... I've been doing technology, usually high consequence business, regulated industry, banks, retail, the biggest of the bigs, where the technology is incredibly important. Right? And I've been doing five decades of basic technology transformations, and I'm kind of the person who gets bored real easy. So I've literally gone through, like, you name it, mainframe, centralized computing, client server, distributed computing, priority systems, the Linux Open systems, you know, owned infrastructure cloud, and I'm consider one of the founders of the DevOps movement. And now today, like the cliché that I am, I've been doing a lot of organizational strategy on AI. So I don't come in and tell you how to turn 4,000 developers into AI coders. I kind of tell your CIOs to slow down. Wait a minute. So, yeah, so my day job today is I'm... I think these days finally in my life I would call myself an author first. I've written a number of books. The one you did, I had... My last book was a history of 100 history, 100 Year History of AI. And... But I'm an advisor, so I sort of... I take inbounds. I don't really look for work. Usually it's a chief of staff for a CIO who either has worked with me in the past and hey John, we're underwater with AI. Can you come in? Or they hear something I've said or I do a lot of podcasts and then I'm sort of a quasi investor. Although I probably should listen to your stuff a little better because I'm typically... I'm one of those guys that like, if I invest in it, you go short on it right away. So... [laughter] But yeah. But, yeah, no, so... But my day job today is really, is doing research. I'm actually just sure, this probably opened up a whole another discussion. Maybe later but I'm writing a book about the history of quantum computing right now and that's been just fascinating. So...   0:03:41.7 Andrew Stotz: Yeah.   0:03:41.8 John Willis: But my day job is helping CIOs and large high consequence organizations try to shuffle through technology transformations.   0:03:50.7 Andrew Stotz: And for the audience there that didn't catch what you were saying at the beginning, it kind of dated you because you were talking about the song called Rolling Stone by Dr. Hook.   0:03:59.9 John Willis: Yeah, yeah, totally.   0:04:01.3 Andrew Stotz: Dr. Hook published this in about 1972. And here are the lyrics. "Wanna see my picture on the cover? Wanna buy five copies for my mother? Wanna see my smiling face on the cover of Rolling Stone?" So here...   0:04:12.8 John Willis: Totally. Yeah. There you go. Deming Institute. Yeah, no, great.   0:04:16.7 Andrew Stotz: And one of the things that I found fascinating was just how you came to Deming from a very different angle. I was lucky enough that my boss at Pepsi sent me to study with him and I did two different seminars. The last one was in 1992. So I was 24, he was 92, was gonna live about one more year. I had... I could literally reach out and touch the man and hold his hand and sit next to him. I got a great picture of me sitting next to him. And I was just a young guy with a fresh mind compared to the 500 guys behind me that were older that he was bashing at times. But tell us a little bit about how you stumbled upon this topic and why you decided to do what you did with writing the book?   0:05:03.7 John Willis: Yeah, no, it's sort of interesting. I sort of say that for the first, I don't know, probably from 1980, my first job was running five distributed large computer systems for Exxon Research and Production, basically the geophysics work, right, during the most hottest period of the oil industry. And there were people doing that part of variation and understanding, but that didn't sort of hit my world. I was supporting geophysical processing and then so I rolled into other jobs. And then probably the closest I came... So in other words, I'm dealing with a lot of these major transformations and always focusing on the meta side, like the organizational. What are the things that are wrong? How do we fix the human and technology? There's a phrase called sociotechnical systems, right? And that's always where I've been most interested. And then even I was at GE Capital and I'll say this with all honesty, I was a Green Belt, but they gave out Green Belts for Six Sigma, [laughter] right? My wife was actually a Black Belt. And... But we would do... And I know Deming hated Six Sigma and all that, but we were doing... It was all around me, right? And then it wasn't until really the DevOps age that we really... That was a major shift in my career because before everything was sort of first generational from a technology or sociotechnical system, very command control, you sort of you installed software in a certain way. There were so many principles that were being broken by DevOps. And I was already an older guy at that point, but I was learning from these young kids and I'm known as the person who introduced DevOps to the US.   0:06:52.3 John Willis: And... But so there is where we started going back and understanding... We thought everything was new. We were creating DevOps, we were doing all this crazy awesome stuff. And I remember a friend of mine, well, a good friend of mine wrote a book called 'The Phoenix Project' by Gene Kim and it's a rewrite of Eliyahu Goldratt's 'The Goal'. And I was like, oh my God. And I read all of Goldratt's books and I was like, okay, this is the way, this is the way. I've seen a glimpse of some 30 or 40 year knowledge that I was missing. And then it was an open space seminar. A good friend of mine says, "John, you know." and I'm going off about Goldratt and he's like, "You know this all goes back to Deming." I'm like, "Who's Deming?" I'm like, "I just spent a year learning everything I could about Goldratt. He is my North Star. And now you're telling me..." And he challenged me. He said, "John, I'll leave it at this. You go read Deming's 14 Points and if you don't... I know you. I know what you're gonna do once you do that." And he was spot on. That was it. I was... And I don't... I'm more into the Profound Knowledge and we could talk a little bit about my journey there. But I was like, oh my goodness, this is the real and I love Eliyahu Goldratt and I love 'The Goal' and I love all his books. But Deming was hitting... Was like punching me right square in the face.   0:08:12.0 Andrew Stotz: So to what gap did it close for you? I mean, Goldratt is very specific about the main limiting point...   0:08:23.2 John Willis: Yeah.   0:08:23.3 Andrew Stotz: The bottleneck, how do we solve this?   0:08:25.6 John Willis: So the 14 Points, sort of one of the jokes is that it's mandatory to put the 14 Points in a DevOps presentation. So we were doing that dance a little bit, but then when I got a little serious about it, actually me and Gene Kim, we did a book. Goldratt has this book called 'Beyond the Goal'. It's an audio-only book, right? And I convinced Gene about five years after he had written 'The Phoenix Project' to do a Beyond the Phoenix Project. And so he did Goldratt, I did Deming. And at that point, I knew enough about Deming to say, "Okay let's..." And then we talked about DevOps and the principles of Lean and we did... I always, when somebody says they bought that audiobook, I'm like, "Oh, you're the 15th person that bought it." right? But it sold more than that. But the... But that's when Gene tapped me on the shoulder and did that. We went to the studio. It was a highlight of my life, literally going to the studio with Gene and literally recording for a couple of weeks. And he's like, "John, you really need to write a book about Dr. Deming." And then I started building a folder. And then the crash course then or the trajectory at that point not really crash course is that you realize the 14 Points are, no disrespect, but vaguely interesting. You're like, "Okay, Mount Everest is System of Profound Knowledge." Right? Because that's the mount... And that's the one where you're like, "Okay, I read 'Out of the Crisis', I think I get it, the 14 Points make sense, but like, what is this stuff he's talking about here?" Right? And then you read 'New Economics' and it's like, "I still..." And then, so for me then, it was, I'm just one of these person like I have... And again, I'm not trying to make myself look like I'm special, but I have to learn. I can't... I'm the worst person in a... If I was in your class, you'd kick me out of your class because I'd be sitting in the front row and you'd be, "Oh no, not you again."   0:09:26.2 Andrew Stotz: Another question.   0:10:26.9 John Willis: Yeah I know just another question. I mean, I've been cut off by professors and... But the... I'm like, "All right, I got to get to the bottom of this." And that was almost a 10-year journey for me of... I had to know. Because it was clear to me that Profound Knowledge or System of Profound Knowledge was not something he invented out of thin air. Like, I had to figure out, where did he get this? And that started the genesis of how I was gonna write the book, which is the journey, 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge'. And that sort of took me into... And what that did, while I was learning that, of course, Deming opened the door to guys like Russell Ackoff and Ashby and just all these other sort of management thinkers and even Drucker or whatever, right? They all sort of started filling out a palette. But meanwhile, I'm still driving hard on Deming. And what that gentleman said to me, good friend of mine, Ben Rockwood, who I give tribute in the book, is when he said to me, almost like tapped me on the head, like, "John, John, John, it all goes back to Deming." Like, you start seeing the clarity of DevOps, Lean, Agile, it all had these things. And so I spent literally a long time really trying to figure out, okay, how did Deming get... We all know variation is relatively simple to understand where he got that from, right? Shewhart's work and all that stuff. And I'm not trivializing the impact of what he did for it, but knowledge was interesting. And knowledge I had to go to pragmatism. You had to understand what C.I. Lewis is. And that's a book that Deming said he had to read seven times.   0:12:03.1 Andrew Stotz: He had to read it seven times...there's no hope for me.   [overlapping conversation]   0:12:05.2 John Willis: That's right. No, actually I did Tom Sawyer. I have a friend who's one of the smartest people I know. He's like, "I'll read that." And he explained it to me. But and then I read it. But so knowledge, this sort of, how do we understand? How do we know what we think we really know, right? That whole epistemology and all that. To me, this is like sort of, just give me more, right? And see more and feed me. And then system thinking was interesting, appreciation for system, because then that got me back to, okay, and there was some missing links there. And I found that one of the guys who came up with General Systems Theory, von Bertalanffy, him and yeah, Ackoff. Him and Ackoff had sat in a seminar of his like in the '40s and so there was some influence there. And there's a lot of work that's been going on in systems thinking after him. But so then I got that and then the psychology is tough, right? But so I put all that together. And then my... The thing I was telling you earlier is, when I do the research for a project like this, I read everything that there is about it. So my AI book, I read 25 books on AI, history of AI. I'm up to like 10 books on the history of quantum computing.   0:13:23.4 John Willis: With Deming, I've read every book that's been written by Deming, at least the ones that I know of, right? And one of the things I noticed, the pattern was that they all... Again, I'm just simplifying it. They all started off with a little bit about the biography, some a little longer than others, but in general, most of the book was about the management theory. And it was really a book that was being sold as a business book more than it was as a biography. And one of the things I've always loved about Michael Lewis or that sort of story of nonfiction storytelling is he tells a biography, it's a disguised biography and I thought, my God this... And as I kept compiling over the years all these great stories, you know, the Doris Quinn story, right? The woman who, she went to New Guinea and Deming... Spent the last two years of her life with Deming. I mean, most of the people that are Deming disciples didn't even know about this woman. And she spent the last two years of life traveling with him. So I met her and interviewed her. And the stories, you know Hawthorne, and there was such... It wasn't just that, I love the idea of trying to explain how he got to management theory and epistemology, how did he get to the science of variation? That's all good stuff. But I wanted the stories, and the stories were just glorious. As you enjoyed the book, right?   0:14:52.4 Andrew Stotz: Yeah.   0:14:53.3 John Willis: I think that was the fun part of not just explaining the sort of tech, if you will, but it was the, like the, oh my God, this... I've got to... I had three chapters like six years before I wrote the book.   0:15:06.9 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Well, here's chapter 15. And you say, "Being a student of Deming, I came across an untold firsthand account of a beautiful story from one of his acolytes, a woman named Doris Quinn," who you're talking about.   0:15:20.0 John Willis: Yeah. Yeah.   0:15:20.2 Andrew Stotz: And... But the... I also had marked a section related to talking about the final days, saying...   0:15:29.7 John Willis: Yeah.   0:15:29.8 Andrew Stotz: "Doris said he was a very, very driven man. He went nonstop. I remember one time we were in Kansas City and a reporter asked him, "Dr. Deming, when are you going to retire?" And the master said, "Why would I do that?" "Well, so you can do what you want." the reporter said."   0:15:45.7 John Willis: Yeah, yeah, yeah.   0:15:46.4 Andrew Stotz: "Dr. Deming looked at him and said, "I am doing what I want."   0:15:50.2 John Willis: Yeah. You know what I love about her? There's a really good book from Amazon called 'Working Backwards'. And they tell us... The guys who wrote it were pretty high up early on in Amazon. They tell the story how if they traveled with Bezos and you didn't have a whole set of questions on the plane ride, you got in trouble. And so Doris Quinn tells that story, how she literally, she tells the story of how she traveled with him and he's like, "Doris, what other questions do you have for me?" And if she didn't have one, he'd get mad at her. He wouldn't talk to her. They'd have to wait a day because normally they'd go and have gin together. But if she didn't have questions... And some of it's in the book, some of it was in conversations had... He'd literally get mad at her and not talk to her for the rest of the day [laughter] because she didn't have any questions. You got to love that, right?   0:16:39.2 Andrew Stotz: And you also did a little follow-on about more stories that you didn't get in the book, I believe.   0:16:48.1 John Willis: Yeah. Yeah.   0:16:48.2 Andrew Stotz: Tell us about that.   0:16:50.1 John Willis: Well, so I wrote the DevOps Handbook, right? And that was a collaboration with four other authors and took us six years to write it. So my wife says, "What parts did you write?" I'm like, I don't know, man. There were a lot of parts that went in and out and moved around when you have four authors, and it was really a very techie book. So 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge' was really the first book where I literally... It was my book. And so I had written the book. In fact, my favorite story, and Doris Quinn is a great story, my favorite one was... It was basically called The Devil Wears Prada. And so, and Kevin... I don't think Kevin, his mother even knew this when we were talking that his grandmother literally was... I mean, I think they knew that she worked for the pre-BLS, she was a statistical mathematician and all that.   0:17:45.3 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:17:45.4 John Willis: But after the war, she worked before she... I don't know if she met Deming, but she certainly wasn't married to him, Dr. Deming. She worked on the mail-order business was getting all these returns for women's sizing. And so whatever the pre-BLS was, Bureau of Labor Statistics, commissioned her to do a study. And she's the one who invented women's sizings. Because before, they didn't really have all the different measurements. So she ran a whole statistical study. And so today... So I use the whole story of the Anne Hathaway, the 14 is the new seven and all. So I start that off. Anyway, so I go to my publisher and my editor, who I love, she'd already knocked out a lot of stories, but this is the one where, "You're not taking this story from me. You're not... This one is not." And then she's so good, she'll be like, "John, let me ask you this. Does it fit the arc?" By this point, she understands System of Profound Knowledge, she's read my book quite a bit, and she says, "Does it fit the arc of System of Profound Knowledge?" "Uh, I hate you." And I took it out. And then she said, "Well, why don't you make a blog post out of it?" And I'm like, "Oh, no. I'm gonna make another book." And I took all the stories we cut out and I called them Profound Stories. And yeah, so...   0:19:06.6 Andrew Stotz: And for the listeners and viewers, you can get it on Kindle and then you can read the stories. And I think for the Deming community, that's one of the best parts about this whole thing, is just there's no great collection of stories that has an arc to it, as you said. So I enjoy that. I wanna also... It'd be interesting to understand how your thinking has progressed about Deming, because obviously you talk about this introduction phase where you got to know him, then you have this intense phase that you seem to have a knack for, then you write the book, you have all the excitement about that, but you're on to other things.   0:19:46.8 John Willis: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.   0:19:46.9 Andrew Stotz: And there are remnants of Deming that remain with you, but there's others that have fallen by the wayside. Maybe they're not as critical as you may have thought or... I'm just curious, how does the Deming thinking unfold in your life now?   0:19:59.7 John Willis: I... It's become sort of a fabric. So, and I wanna get back to that, but I do wanna say one thing... I'm so... Whenever somebody tells me the story that they met Deming, I have two reactions. One is the hair on my skin, my arms go up thinking, "Oh, I wish that was me." But then the other one is like, I'm sure he would have yelled at me and got mad at me. Because he would basically be like, "That's a stupid question, Mr. Willis." So I have this fantasy of which way it would go. But anyway. Yeah, the question around what do I think now? I think, so if you go back to the narrative, he... And it's hard not to be a sycophant of Deming, right? But I am a sycophant of Deming, but I try not to be. And... But even in the book, I tried not to be a sycophant, right? I went out of my way. But so when I say this, Deming was in my DNA before I even knew who he was, right? Like at Exxon, at GE Capital, the Six Sigma stuff. And again, I understand for people listening, oh, the Six Sigma went the wrong direction, but it originally was stemmed from a lot of his ideas. And so it was there. So it was sort of foundational, and he was the lighthouse to put it in... And then System of Profound Knowledge became the taxonomy for me for this stuff that was in my DNA. And so in one way, there is this thing where you move on to a new transformation. And we're in one right now. We've been in one. I've been in one for five years now, which is with the AI. And again, same thing for me is it's not about the AI, it's organizational behavior, organizational patterns, what is the sociotechnical science behind how do you do these things?   0:21:48.4 John Willis: But so you forget... I always say technology shifts are like fluorescence. People use the metaphor of like spring and winter, like AI winter, AI spring, and they've used it for other things than AI. And that's sort of like a rebirth. The fluorescence is good because it's like an energy. It's always rolling forward. It just gets a fluorescence bright glow periodically. And so what the problem with the metaphor works for me because the energy is there, and the energy are the patterns that are consistent. The fluorescence is the blinding effect. So back to like, did anything fall off the wayside with Deming? Yes, for a little bit. Because in 20... Basically I started playing with the early versions of GPT, the OpenAI models, back at version two, and that was like around 2020, right? Even before ChatGPT, right? So that whole experience before we started even thinking about what this was gonna look like at a large-scale bank was fluorescence. Like I'm not thinking anything about Deming from 2020 to 2023. In 2023, 2024, I start getting asked to come into some of my larger clients. And I'm following it too, and I'm sort of... I'm starting to become aware that this is becoming... In fact, I'm pretty sure in the grand scheme of things that don't matter in the grand scheme, I'm pretty sure I got first use on shadow AI, in an article I wrote in like 2022 or 2021, right?   0:23:27.2 John Willis: So I had already been recognizing there's a problem pattern here. We got the shadow IT with the cloud stuff, now the shadow AI, and I could see this steamrolling happening so... And then I started getting called in organizations, and then I still was the wayside of the Deming. Like, I didn't walk in going, "Hey, I'm gonna hit the punching bag with Deming." I was coming in trying to figure out what do I know about patterns with this fluorescence metaphor that are new and shiny, and what are the things that are old that have been relevant for the five decades and the six transform... At least six transformations I've been through that are common in everyone. And I started seeing that. And then what was funny, as I'd be writing and researching with AI, it knew so much about me that even as early as like 2024, I had loaded in my Deming book. In fact, one of the ways I learned AI is I took the 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge' and I turned it into an augmented general retrieval, or what they call RAG database. So I learned a lot about AI because I knew what my book was, and I could validate what was hallucinations.   0:24:36.3 John Willis: Anyway, but it knew enough about me. And then what it would periodically do, it would say, "Would you like Deming's version of this?" I'm like, "Yeah, I would love that." And then I... It started refreshing my memory of what the real context going back to my friend Ben Rockwood, it all goes back to Deming. And so now it's actually on the... It's more than ever, it's on the forefront because I'm being brought into major brand organizations that are seemingly failing on AI at the institutional, organizational level. And there's not a line of these people. In fact, most of them don't wanna talk to me because they don't wanna hear what I got to say, which is slow down. And I'm okay with the ones that don't wanna hear that because I don't really wanna work with them anyway. But now I'm seeing with absolute clarity two things. One is it all goes back to Deming, and all the problems that we're seeing can be classified in Profound Knowledge.   0:25:37.1 Andrew Stotz: Tell us more about that. Because for those people that... There's so many different components. When I got introduced to Deming, it was the 14 Points, 'Out of the Crisis'. And then I left America in 1992, so I wasn't there for 'New Economics'. And it... And I did other stuff for 20 years, 15 years, and then I found New Economics. It's like, "Wow, this is different from that."   0:25:53.1 John Willis: Yeah.   0:26:09.1 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, so between the deadly diseases, the 14 Points, the System of Profound Knowledge, there's so many parts to this.   0:26:15.9 John Willis: No, I've got... Yeah, I definitely got. And I'll tie it right back to the... In 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge', I tell the story of Knight Capital. And Knight Capital is an interesting... It was the second highest high-frequency trading, black box, latency arbitrage on the NYSE. A sysadmin made a configuration error. They lost $450 million and don't quote me on the exact numbers, but like 450 million in 45 minutes. They were arbitraged at billions of dollars. They were literally out of business with a cease and desist from the SEC. And I always tell people, like, that's the last thing you want if you have a business is a cease and desist from the SEC, right? And at that point, we would say things like the consequences are high on how you think about humans and technology. Well, guess what, sports fans? Knight Capital is a drop in the bucket of what we're gonna start seeing with AI. We are going to see these... And there's the Equifax breach, there's all the... We're gonna see non-survival. I mean, Knight Capital didn't survive. Equifax lost five billion market cap in a week and then recovered all of it, right? But I'm saying there's been some major brand recognition problems pre-AI. You're not going to be able to survive these with the power...   [overlapping conversation]   0:27:41.7 Andrew Stotz: Abilities are gonna be shaken out.   0:27:43.6 John Willis: Yeah. I mean, and the brand damage. Brand damage by the escape routes of how... I mean, let me just step and I wanna go back to answer your question. But one of the things that people don't recognize right now is the machine that we have now has infinite knowledge at machine speed, and it's probabilistic. I mean, just add those three things up, that it has the ability of infinite knowledge, something no human could even close to. So it'll make decisions, it will escape, it will figure ways out, it will try a clever way to do something that probably no human would do that could be a disaster. Right? So the consequences are incredibly high. So then now, okay, let's really dust off: it all goes back to Deming's stuff. And so to your question, I think that I would love to see, like, you write a fantasy novel about how Deming came back to the future and was sitting here listening to what was going on, and he'd be screaming. He'd be telling everybody... And this is the thing I'm... I don't scream, I'm too old these days, but like, I literally cut off a CIO real quick in my conversation. I interview a CIO, they think they're interviewing me, I'm interviewing them. And if I'm like, "Yeah, no, you know what? This isn't right." "Well, what do you mean, John? We had..." "No, no, no."   0:29:09.1 John Willis: Because I can see right away that what the CIO or the leadership is... They think AI is a technology transformation. It's an organizational learning transformation. Deming would see this and scream this out loud. And that's the part of the blinding fluorescence that we're missing. We should know this by now, right? And so all these technology shifts, they think they're technology revolutions. They're really... I mean, they go back to the basics. What are the systems are they changing? Are we understanding what variation is? How do people learn? Are people not learning? Are people... A good example is, in every organization that I travel and this has been true for almost every technology transformation, but now it's glaring. I like to simplify. I say there's three groups. Let's take AI, right? Three groups in an organization. And usually, again, I don't care about really start-ups. I do care about startups from an investment standpoint, but I don't care about them from my day job. And so this is a bank or a large retail or insurance company or manufacturing. And so the CIO is like, "We have an AI strategy." And by the way, let me step one more thing, we learned a lot in the DevOps revolution, but DevOps was never a board-level conversation and it was never a Wall Street conversation.   0:30:37.1 John Willis: AI was immediately a board-level conversation. And so the pressure on a C-level, a CEO and a CIO, is "You must do AI yesterday.", right? And so now what's happening is the CIOs are literally doing knee-jerk reactions of like, "We're gonna have... We got 30,000 employees. If we can get all 30,000 employees using AI with a 3x productivity rating, we'll have..." you know, like, oh my God. And then they say, "Make it so." And I call this the strategy versus talent systems gap. And I don't mean how talented they are, I mean understanding what your talent system looks like. And to keep it simple, most talent systems look like this, they have one group that is passive-aggressive. They don't like change. They've been doing the same job forever. In this new world, they don't believe AI works, and they're passive-aggressive about it because they know they can't say they don't want it. When the CIO says, "We must do AI." they have to go, "Oh, we'll get to it next month. Next month. We'll get to it next month." And then you have the second group in the middle. They wanna do the right thing, but they're high enough... As we know, if you work for a bank and you're in a high enough position, if something really goes wrong, you're lucky if you get fired. You could get a fine for two times your salary, or you could actually go to jail.   0:32:02.3 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:32:02.4 John Willis: Right? So that group is like, "I wanna use this, but you're not clear. There's no clarity from your... You guys all wanna do all this...   [overlapping conversation]   0:32:11.7 Andrew Stotz: There's risks everywhere.   0:32:13.3 John Willis: But we've got the OCC and there's no clarity on FDIC and like, what does this mean?" "Well, I don't know." "Well, then I'm not touching this stuff. And do you have my back?" No. Right? And then the third group is the classic, do now, ask forgiveness later group. And so you could put this all back to driving out fear. Because what happens is you've got a strategy. What is that, it's number eight, I think. I think that's right, but it doesn't matter, right? It could be nine, it could be seven in the 14 Points. So the CIO has said, "This must happen." And then, again, board-level, horizontal, vertical pressures. And then everybody's... And they're not even understanding, do they have the capability? Do people wanna do it? Does the middle group even understand the clarity? And so the first thing that you should be doing is, in the clearest sense is driving out fear. So the do now, ask forgiveness laters are fear that if they don't do it, they won't be the leaders. The middle group is pretty clear what their fear is, you don't give them clarity of what they can and can't do. And the third group is fear of changing, losing their job, "AI is gonna replace me." So that's all a spectrum of understanding fear at the human level. And so maybe that is one of the first things you should address before you actually set a grand strategy. And we know Deming has a lot of thoughts about this, and then we break into sort of like...   0:33:48.6 Andrew Stotz: Okay, so let's stop at that.   0:33:50.1 John Willis: Yeah. Yeah.   0:33:51.6 Andrew Stotz: Fear.   0:33:53.0 John Willis: Yeah.   0:33:54.5 Andrew Stotz: That is something that remains in your belief system that is supported by Deming. Did you have that awareness when you were in... Let's just think about before you came across Deming.   0:34:08.1 John Willis: Oh, oh, yeah.   0:34:08.9 Andrew Stotz: Let's say you were doing all that stuff with Goldratt and all that but then when you came to Deming, did fear come up as, oh, wow, this is obvious, or did you learn that later and you see it now more?   0:34:21.3 John Willis: Andrew, this is why you're good at your job. This is good. This is a great question. No, really good... I love questions where I have to really deep think about it. So I think that I kind of always... It wasn't until DevOps that I understood what failing was about. So just before, like the nanosecond before I'm learning what Deming's saying about PDSA and failing and how the whole structure of learning is, I had this sense, but I don't think I was baptized yet on... And to me, I'll put fear and failure in the same bucket, right? Because it's a very... They are, in a lot of senses, the same thing. But certainly I can put them in the same bucket. So I had a sense, but it wasn't until we started seeing fast fail in DevOps. So DevOps, one of the things with DevOps was shorten the feedback loop. That was one of the core tenets of DevOps. Like, instead of waiting three, four weeks, five weeks, six weeks to deliver some software, or six months, and then by the time you deliver it, you're onto... The whole group that built it is now doing something else, let's just be able to turn a line of code into a delivery now. And that was revolutionary, right? And it's changed the universe. I mean, you don't have the big AI providers today if you didn't have DevOps.   0:35:46.4 John Willis: You would not have Airbnb and Uber and all that if you didn't have DevOps. Right? So that... And that sort of realized that this fast feedback loop is really an interesting thing, right? And the fact that it is telling you fail fast because then you learn fast and then you correct fast. And you... And so right around that time, I'm doing this research on Deming and starting to understand epistemology, the theory of knowledge. And so, again, I don't think... Like I said earlier, I don't think I had the... And vocabulary's too loose of a word. I don't think I had the structural understanding. Like, I didn't know what the word epistemology meant [laughter] before I started learning Deming. So I... So it was really... There were flavors of understanding what learning was, but it was DevOps that literally sort of put it to the front of why this works, how it does. And then I got... Again, a lot of careers is just being lucky, right? I just happened to sort of tap into this Deming thing through meeting Gene, learning about Goldratt, and then having this good friend tap me on the head and say it all goes back to Deming. And so, so and then that point, then it sort of opened up the whole world of epistemology. And it wasn't until I wrote the book where I started realizing it was pragmatism.   0:37:07.2 Andrew Stotz: And did that... Does that fail fast, does that method of accelerating the feedback loop that happened through DevOps as you've explained, does that remove a lot of fear from where people would be...   0:37:19.6 John Willis: Oh yeah.   0:37:19.7 Andrew Stotz: Much more... So that all of a sudden says, "No, no, no, it's okay to fail. We'll see that in a day, in two days, and then we're gonna iterate from that." So, okay, I understand how that kind of reframes fear of failure. But then you now talked also about the idea that it's a big element that you see, everything goes back to Deming. Nowadays you see this fear. How does it connect with how you see fear today in the workplace or in organizations?   0:37:50.6 John Willis: Well, again, I think it's the same thing. I mean, I hear people talk about now that one of the big discussions right now and I always look for the anti-pattern of where the discussions go, right? There's this big discussion about AI slop, right? In fact, last year it was we were all concerned about hallucinations. And I'm not dismissing that, but like, if you know how to run AI and infrastructure harnesses and build ground truth in an organization and you understand how your internal audit works, hallucinations are not, let me repeat this, are not a problem in 2026. They are not a problem. You could make them a problem by not understanding what I just said, but they are not a problem. So today's hallucination frenzy scare is what's called AI slop. And I guarantee you in 2027, it'll be something else. But... And I'm not saying it doesn't exist. It does exist, right? But so people are sort of calibrating, what is the cost... There's this counter-reaction to AI coding, not even assistance, people are now using pure agent coding, right? And the question that I think Deming would ask and maybe if there is some divine proxy of me speaking through Deming or Deming speaking through me is that the question that people are now looking at is, "Slop is so bad, we're creating so much code, should we ease back to the longer cycle for ideation and delivery and that process?" Because it's costing us a lot of money on the implementation side.   0:39:20.8 John Willis: The error, the time it takes to remediate the slop is starting to outweigh. Well, that's just bad organizational behavior and design. But okay, but so now I've had this argument with a major corporation, the CIO the other day, where I was saying you have to create this hourglass effect. For you got to create the funnel and then you got to have the control system that slows things down and speeds it up. And he was saying, "But yeah, the cost of the slop is all this stuff." And I said... What I said is, "Yeah, but what you're missing is..." and this is a company that did really well in DevOps, I worked with them years ago through the DevOps transformation and they understood the fast feedback and I had to re-explain the idea that, yeah, there's a cost to AI slop, but if you're not calibrating that with the cost of non-fast feedback and learning because your fear is this slop is gonna get us back or make you knee-jerk reactions, we're gonna see if we can slow down the ideation, maybe we move too fast. And again, I don't... There are scenarios where that is absolutely true, but that is, first understanding your problem. And your problem isn't slow down the ideation process.  Oh, we should spend more time ideating because what does that do? It goes back to the old school where we're spending way too much time in the ideation. By the time it actually gets implemented, the feedback loop of learning is way too long. So I think you're better off at least measuring... And this is where variation comes into play. Measuring if I decrease the ideation time, do I get more value from the fast feedback because I can understand the problem, I can fix it faster? And again, that was one of the core tenets of DevOps. But I find people now pushing back because they're scared of AI slop and it's costing more remediation time. So again, I think these are multiple ways of thinking about how fear...   [overlapping conversation]   0:41:26.9 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, so besides...   0:41:27.1 John Willis: The fear... And I was just gonna say one... Sorry to cut you off.   0:41:29.0 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, go ahead.   0:41:31.0 John Willis: But one of the biggest problems I've seen over the years is I think the knee-jerk reaction is the symptom of fear. Right? And so I've seen this over and over where a bank gets pawned and so they put out a req for a hundred IT sec professionals in a city where you can best case hire 10 one year. Right? So again, I think that there's that combinatorial fear, knee-jerk reaction.   0:42:00.5 Andrew Stotz: If you were to pick one other area of Deming that really stands the test of time for you, as opposed to a Deming disciple, let's say someone that's trying to implement everything that he's talking about and they're trying to do it in their little manufacturing company or their service business, which I interview those guys.   0:42:09.1 John Willis: Yeah, yeah.   0:42:17.6 Andrew Stotz: But in your case, in some ways it's like you swam through a Deming period of time, absorbed everything and now you're on to other stuff. I'm just kind of interested about what else is lasting?   0:42:35.2 John Willis: Yeah, no...   0:42:35.3 Andrew Stotz: Just one thing.   0:42:35.6 John Willis: And I think maybe, Andrew, maybe part of a problem of the institutionalized Deming conversations is it doesn't always have to have the word Deming in it. In other words, I'm not criticizing you. I'm just saying that I see it more as it's in my DNA. It's part of how I look at things. And so I'll give you a great example. This is pure Deming, but I wouldn't think of it as, "Oh, let me explain this way I want you to evolve in AI because Deming would say..." I don't start that way. But I will tell you that when I came up with this idea and it's called an ideation, AI ideation hackathon. Right? Because everybody's running tech hackathons, AI hackathons. And that's a terrible, terrible, terrible idea. And there's technical debt, you're just making a lot of mistakes there.   0:43:01.7 Andrew Stotz: Right.   0:43:27.8 John Willis: It's a knee-jerk reaction. So the ideation hackathon is sort of something unique. I was doing some consulting for the CMO of a large database company, but got into AI and I helped them, it's called MongoDB, I don't do any work for them anymore but I helped them launch their AI solution. And I did a lot of technical hackathons and I just kept seeing how all the chaos of these technical hackathons, people would build stuff, it would just wind up in GitHub repositories, it would go nowhere. And I finally said, "Why don't we just strip out the technology and focus on the ideation process?" Right? And so that becomes a pure implementation of PDSA. Right? Because in a PDSA, if I was gonna sort of explain it in a Deming way, a hackathon would be a terrible way to implement a PDSA. "So let's build the Sistine Chapel and then let's figure out, let's study the results." Or why don't we start small as an organization? This is why I tell my first... Right now, CIO asks me, "Okay, John..." and usually the conversation ends at this, "What would be your 30-day, 90-day plan, 180-day plan?"   0:44:41.0 John Willis: I'm like, "Not to have one." Yeah, but then I sort of, I talk about two ways to deal with where they're at. And I say that one is something I've done over years, was a qualitative. I do these large where I interview 300, 400 people and I use true qualitative analysis approach to interviewing people, build categories, and structurally design what the place looks like. Right? And that's very... But it's very expensive and it takes... Expensive not in the money, but the time. The new sort of one that CIOs, at least a small percentage of bite onto is, "Why don't we run some ideation hackathons?" And here's the value, you're not writing any code. You're letting people focus on learning how to ideate. Because remember I said earlier, AI is not a technology transformation, it's an organizational learning change. So let's focus on the organizational learning structures without giving any of the technology or the code. But do the hackathon, and the readouts are what you would have built minus the specific tools. And it's glorious because you actually you get to see all the stuff without expending tokens. You don't build the risks. Because anybody who tells you they can sandbox experiments in AI is lying, absolute lying. If anybody's followed the recent Open AI Hugging Face one, it was the most insane escape.   0:46:10.9 John Willis: So, and then the other idea is I don't want 30 of my executive administrators all picking their own tools and all trying to solve all their C-level bosses' problems. And by the way, there's the whole security exposure is, I've done ideation hackathons where an EA says, "I got this idea. I wanna take my P&L or my profit or whatever of some proprietary information on a spreadsheet and throw it into Claude and have Claude..." I'm like, "Yeah, no, no, no, no. Let me explain how that goes into Claude." It literally, it traverses through a bunch of internal structures that leave stuff laying around. And by the way, even though they say they don't train on your data, they have your data. Like, you don't want that data in there. So the ideation hackathon, I think, is a really good... And so I think the main point to that is, although I don't walk in the door and I think one of the... Again, your listeners, I'm like attacking your listeners basically but I think one of our problems is, we try to build our, some people try to build their skill set around like, "I'm a Deming expert. I'm gonna teach you how to do Deming and everything's gonna be great because of Deming." as opposed to let's just make the water Deming, the water, the fabric of what we do. And every once in a while it does make sense to be able to say, "Hey, you know that..." And I won't go back and say I won't lead and say, "Well, Deming tells us..." because I'm not gonna get the gig if I just go too much on Deming anyway. But I will say at some point, I'll say, "Here's the deal. We've got over 100 years of management knowledge on how to do the right things. Let's pay attention to those things." Right? And that's the Deming, that's the Shewhart, that's the Ackoff, it's the Ashby, it's the... We can go down the list, right? Senge.   0:48:06.2 Andrew Stotz: One of the things I was thinking about a while ago was, when Dr. Deming wrote 'Out of the Crisis', he was telling us that we were in a crisis and that we needed to think a new level of thinking. Did it work? Are we out of the crisis? Did people take on board what he taught? Where are we now? That was 1986.   0:48:30.7 John Willis: Yeah, I know, I know.   0:48:31.7 Andrew Stotz: On the one side you can say America's brought incredible amount of innovation and businesses are huge and other countries and other regions struggle to catch up with America. So on the one hand, you could say materially it appears like we're there. But on the other hand, when you look at the way things are managed, you could argue, yeah, not much has changed.   0:48:56.7 John Willis: It's a tough one. It's a tough, I mean, let's just face it, large-scale organizations of high consequences are so full of bureaucracy. Humans interacting at that scale is probably the hardest organizational problem there is, right? You can study anthropology for the next 40 or 50 years and still not have a good clue of how to. And people do, right? So, yeah, it's hard. And why things work, why they go through the... I mean, I talk about the Peterson at Ford, right? And then Ford, turns out there were a lot of other... There are these other conflicting things that happen, industry changes, financial models change. Why did Ford have this incredible success when Peterson called Deming? And then some number of years later, they're back to the old ways, right? We got General Motors, we got all that. I will say this, and I hadn't really thought about this until you asked the question. One of the things I did focus pretty heavy on is Deming's influence on Toyota. And now there's a lot of debate and this is where people get pretty mean with me. I mean, Dr. Spear, I love Dr. Spear. He wrote 'High Velocity Edge' and he's a genius. He was MIT Sloan. And every time I'd see him, "Well, you know, John, Deming and that Six Sigma stuff never worked." And I'm like, "Alright, first off, he didn't do Six Sigma. Second off..."   0:50:21.6 John Willis: And then he told me one time, he said that Deming had no influence on Toyota. I'm like, "Yeah, that's just not blatantly untrue. I'm sorry, you're a PhD genius, I'm not. You're wrong." And so I've been hitting him... Over the years, I hit him with a lot of evidence of Deming's influence on Toyota. And it even goes back to Denco Densco and some of the same. But here's the thing, right? I... There's a woman called Katie Anderson. She's got a book, Learning to... 'Leading to Learn, Learning to Lead', where she met a guy who spent four decades at Toyota, this Dr. Yoshino, and she interviewed and wrote a book about his career. She runs a Japan study trip. I did a Japan study trip a couple of years ago and I got to meet him. And I... He hired at Toyota in 1966. He worked alongside Ohno, Shingo. He was there. He was a junior guy, but he was the guy they were yelling at, "Do this, do that, do this." right? So he was there.   0:51:23.9 John Willis: I told him, I said, "There are people that believe in the US that Deming had no influence on Toyota." He could not believe that that question even could come up. And he told me, he said, "John...", he doesn't really speak good English, we had a translator, he said, "Let me tell you what Deming taught us. He taught us to understand data." And at first I didn't grok that, but then I started thinking about variation. And although there's a lot of people that say that that didn't carry through too, but if I look at what Agile, Lean, and ultimately become DevOps, I in that book trace it pretty strongly back to Deming's influence on Toyota. And you can't deny Lean is not the core of Agile Lean, today's Lean, right? Toyota Production Systems, to be clear. So then I would say that the lasting impact of Deming is not what happened in the '80s when the Americans started understanding what he did, because maybe that translation, maybe it had to be... I asked Doris Quinn this and she said, "Oh, that's interesting." Because I said this, I said, "Could it be that Japan influenced Deming as much as he influenced Japan?" And I think it did. And I think the point was they were...   0:52:45.6 Andrew Stotz: It was a love affair.   0:52:46.3 John Willis: And yeah, and they were more malleable to his messaging.   0:52:50.3 Andrew Stotz: Well, they were more malleable because of their condition, but they also were more susceptible because of the structure of the society.   0:53:01.6 John Willis: Exactly. Yeah, but even the sort of community structure. I'll tell you another quick story on that study trip where we visited an elementary school. And in the elementary school, they had no janitors. Every sort of public school is like this, right? They have no janitors. And the kids, they literally clean. At about 2 o'clock, a bell goes off and some kids rotate and they do the bathrooms, some people... Imagine in an American school, some ritzy parents, "My son cleaned the bathroom?" It'd be on CNN. And they rotated serving food.   0:53:20.7 Andrew Stotz: Child slave labor.   0:53:39.7 John Willis: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then we got to interview a couple of them and they understood Kaizen and all. So me, I start thinking about like, oh my God, this is our... Western culture is so broken because we basically teach everything that's antithetical to that. They get out of college and then maybe they get lucky and get into an Agile, Lean-like structure and we have to break it all down, where their kids come out completely in that sort of community. And we went to a lot of tier-one distributors. You could see the understanding of community and the power of it. And so what I'm saying is, what Deming was giving them saturated to have such an impact on TPS, and it's unquestionable the impact TPS has had on Lean and Agile and DevOps. And if you follow my thread, Lean, Agile, and DevOps have certainly impacted... You don't have places like Google for good or bad, Facebook for good or bad, Uber, because they could never scale...   0:54:40.0 Andrew Stotz: Yeah.   0:54:40.1 John Willis: Without that. So again, I think, I really hadn't thought about this until you asked the question, is I think actually the Deming 1980s renaissance of Deming was a... Seemed like a bubble in retrospect, unfortunately. But actually indirectly, he's had more... And there's a good part of the book that tries to cover that. I do the "What would Deming do?" after he died, if he was alive and all the stuff that happened there.   0:55:06.3 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, I mean, definitely DevOps. And then Eric... What was his... The Lean Startup one?   0:55:14.0 John Willis: Eric Ries. Yeah, Eric Ries. Yeah.   0:55:17.3 Andrew Stotz: That also... Those two really probably did more to promote PDSA and that aspect.   0:55:23.4 John Willis: Yeah, that's right. Oh yeah, scientific method. There is a copy, and I cannot find it anywhere, there is a copy of Eric, one of Eric Ries' Lean Startup books that does attribute to Deming, and I cannot find it.   0:55:36.5 Andrew Stotz: It does or does not?   0:55:38.7 John Willis: Does. Does. He's got this thing about the 75th birthday or something. Do you have it? Because I can't find the copy, at some point I read a copy where he does a tribute to Deming.   0:55:50.0 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, I think there's some...   0:55:53.0 John Willis: And then...   0:55:53.1 Andrew Stotz: I have the book and I think there is some reference in the book.   0:55:57.5 John Willis: Yeah, there was one, was like... It was like... I don't know if it was the 70th year, 75th year, and he... So yeah, no, I mean that directly. Lean Startup is literally... Yeah, so yeah.   0:56:10.9 Andrew Stotz: And if we think about people that are listening to this podcast, the people that I really want to listen to this podcast and I really want to get something out of the podcast is people that just don't know Deming. They've never heard of it, but they've stumbled upon it. One of the Deming community said, "Hey, you should listen to this podcast because you'll learn about Deming." And maybe they listen to a couple of episodes and it's a bit overwhelming when they hear someone talking about a lot of detail about this or that. Maybe they bought 'Out of the Crisis' and they got a chapter or two into it and they thought, yeah, that's also a bit overwhelming. What would be your message to that person who's listening right now to say, here's the reason why you shouldn't abandon it because of XYZ or whatever that message is that you've got about what they need to know about Deming?   0:57:01.4 John Willis: Yeah. I mean, I will say this, learning is hard. Change is hard, right? I mean, it sounds cliché, but, yeah, I think all of us who came into Deming, I didn't... When I read, we talked about this, I read 'Out of the Crisis', I was like, I don't know what's going on here. One of the worst things I can advise you to, I hate to say this, and this is probably anti-Deming Institute, is start off by reading his two books. You're better off going out to podcasts like this or other stories. I found that healthcare was chock-full of great stories, particularly about Profound Knowledge, of great examples. And then I went back and read the book and then like, oh my God, this is, now I get it, right? So I think a lot of things that we sort of encounter, a lot of them have... The things that are really valuable have this sort of facing counter-intuitiveness nature to them, and you have to sort of work at that.   0:57:55.9 Andrew Stotz: Yeah.   0:57:56.9 John Willis: And so Deming is hard. I mean, you... If you wanna understand Deming, I would say most people are not gonna get it on the snap. And what I would say to them is, it's worth figuring out what are the parts that he says and he did and his philosophy that could become part of your DNA, 'cause that I don't think anybody disagrees on. And then... And one other sort of short story. And I love Bill Bellows and I would say listen to all his podcasts. He's an amazing guy and just incredibly insightful on a lot of, I didn't really understand Taguchi, but so I did some podcasts with him. But I remember, and I'm not calling anybody out, but he runs the In2:InThinking Group and I've been to a couple of those. And I remember one time we were sitting there and we were having a conversation around sort of a roundtable and somebody asked, as I was talking about a company, they said, "Are they a Deming company?" I'm like, yeah. And I couldn't actually get through the room that, no. Nobody's a Deming company. Like, what is a Deming company? That's the wrong question. So again, back to, you got to be careful about how you think about Deming as using his philosophy to help organizations, because the more you focus on that it is a "Deming philosophy" as opposed to these are the right ways to think about the problems, you fall into this trap of maybe getting lost. Well, that Deming thing worked for about a year or two years and now it doesn't work. Well, if you don't call it a Deming thing, then what were the things that stuck and what are the things that didn't?   0:59:42.5 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. I just wanna remind the listeners and the viewers out there, just go to Amazon and find 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge'. For me, I listened to it as an Audible book, which was fun because I enjoyed the stories and it just reminded me to go back and listen again. And also the additional stories, which I actually hadn't bought until, I had been wanting to buy it, but I didn't. So while you were talking, I got that on Kindle. So that's gonna be my fun.   1:00:13.9 John Willis: Those are great stories. There's a story about Gene Cernan. He was the last guy to land, be on the moon. And as you go through the book, it's really interesting. I did like seven or eight... So I was in no rush to publish the Deming book. I was in a rush to do the AI book. So I would literally get to the third rev, the fourth rev, and every time I'd have more new friends point things out. And by the time I got to like eight revs and I'm like, okay, it's probably time to put this book out. But what happens is as you go with the editor, they just start carving things down. And a good editor makes the strong point, like my 'Devil Wears Prada'. But again, there were so many great stories, like the Gene Cernan one is the last guy to be on the moon, but there was a story about Tracy's Rock and it's just a fabulous story, but it didn't have any place in Deming's Journey of Profound Knowledge. It was just an add-on that sort of took you off course. But now, in a standalone book, it's a great story. So there's a ton of those. The guy who created Piggly Wiggly was this genius. Like, again, it didn't really fit in there. But as a standalone story and I even do a little bit of, like, this would have been in chapter 15, so if you read both, you get a sense. And the worst thing I can tell you, though, is I had one person, I was at a conference I was laying the book, the Profound Stories book was laying around, and I guess I came back, he was at a booth, and he read it, and he goes, "John, can I talk to you about your book?" I'm like, "What?" He goes, "I don't know." I'm like, "Oh, dude, you can't read that book without reading 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge'. It would be a terrible book if you didn't know what the premise was for where it came from." So, yeah.   1:01:59.7 Andrew Stotz: So in wrapping up, what would you like to leave the audience with from this discussion and from your journey into the teachings of Dr. Deming?   1:02:11.3 John Willis: Yeah, I think you have to start thinking about... And again, I know it sounds like I'm trying to sell the book and you're doing a better job than I am anyway but the last third of 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge' was what would Deming do had he survived another 20 years? Right? And probably nothing because he was pretty old and not healthy. But the... So, I mean, question then is, as we think about organizational behavior, what are the core things? And I think Profound Knowledge is a great way. I, again I... Again, I don't walk in and say, "Oh, we're gonna... CIO, we're gonna solve this problem by applying the four elements of Profound Knowledge." That's not how I start that conversation. But I'm certainly thinking about systems thinking because that's first and forefront. Like, how are you thinking about... Like one company recently I was with, they got... Some of the big AI providers are giving well-branded companies all-you-can-eat AI. Like OpenAI is saying, "Hey, you know..." That's a terrible idea, terrible, terrible. Because now you're just building technical debt up the gazoo, right? So again, to be able to see the forest behind the trees, what's the systems thinking effect of that? How are you learning? What's the epistemology, the theory of knowledge behind that?   1:03:39.2 John Willis: Are you applying... In the book, I tried to codify my understanding of, like, the theory of knowledge is, how do we know what we think we know? The variation is, how can we see what we think we know? The psychology is, what are the... Let's take a second and what are the blind spots? And then I think of it as a feedback loop is, are we continually like if you listen to Bill Bellows, he does a great job of sort of explaining systems thinking through the sort of vehicle of Taguchi or Ackoff but are we just continually looping through that process as, "Let's take a bigger chunk, let's take a bigger chunk, let's take a bigger chunk"? So Profound Knowledge, not so much that you have to walk in and be an expert on 'Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge', or more specifically, The System of Profound Knowledge. The idea is, can you use those... And the reason I fell in with 'The System of Profound Knowledge', why that was what hit my core, because I will say, out of my five decades of doing all this crazy stuff in technology, I can't think... I mean, there's a lot of cool frameworks that I use as auxiliary, and frameworks I'm using loosely but The System of Profound Knowledge is the one framework that to me beats all other frameworks because it covers epistemology, it covers understanding statistical analysis or analytical statistics. Right? Which is very important. It brings in the biases, the... All the sort of things about how people think, blind spots, and then it throws together the wrapper of appreciation of a system, so...   1:05:23.2 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Well, John, on behalf of everyone at the Deming Institute, now you see your picture on the cover.   [laughter]   1:05:32.2 John Willis: There we go, man.   1:05:33.7 Andrew Stotz: I wanna thank you. It's a great discussion and it's long overdue.   1:05:37.7 John Willis: Sure.   1:05:37.9 Andrew Stotz: And for listeners, remember to go to deming.org and jump into DemingNext to continue your journey. This is your host, Andrew Stotz, and I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Deming, which is, "People are entitled to joy in work."   1:05:42.4 John Willis: I love that you end with that.   

Long time guest, friend, and "good" gentleman, Phil McEntee, joins us for another episode! In each episode, Phil shares great philosophical ideologies and how they apply to his life experiences and today is no different. First, we took care of an important matter by congratulating Timmy on becoming a Black Belt in BJJ! Years of discipline, dedication, and hard work have paid off. Congrats brother! We are able to connect the discipline and leadership in BJJ to Phil's upbringing as a role model in taking care of his younger siblings while growing up. There are a lot of nuggets from his experience that can help those that may share the same story. Enjoy!Episode resources:Sponsors:Honest Supplements:Business Website- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://honestsupplements.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram - honestsupplementsElevation Strength & Conditioning:Business website - https://elevationfighter.comInstagram:Personal – billy20vandykeBusiness – coach.vandyke Podcast Instagram:welltakeitfromherepodcast

Send us Fan MailMidway through a practice case, one of George Cary's clients did the math and said 90,000 when he meant 900,000. George didn't care.After 5 years and 100+ interviews at McKinsey, George will tell you the right answer is the bare minimum.The offer comes from how you got there and what the answer means for the client.In this episode, he walks through the 3 case math mistakes that cost strong candidates the offer, even with the math right. If case math is the part you dread, all 3 are fixable with the system George lays out.Resources:If you struggle with mental math, Black Belt pairs you with an ex-MBB coach who drills it with you until it's automaticNot sure what you need? Book 15 minutes with Katie and she'll tell you straightBuild the recap, structure, solve and insight habit on your own with Case Foundations, MC's free case prep courseConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Ep 332 with your host David Montalvo (Yaakov) talks with a special guest named Master Sunny who is a friend and teacher Shabbat in Vegashttps://a.co/d/0bPSLQAWShabbat in Chicago on Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1952070600?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_CFFCV8NZYCYBG2D25D5R_1&fbclid=IwAR2yEfaP95QYXSWsgIYYhppNxQsi6Os8YhEjamOOANSkPN8Beg1XY-zuqqUShabbat In Chicago audiobook:https://youtu.be/Uqi4VKcqwjYShabbat in the Chi (documentary)https://youtu.be/DWIpp4Fa3I0Sunny IG: Sunnyblackbelt Follow us on Snapchat: takeonepassit TikTok: Yaakov28 Follow us on Spotify and google podcast: The Outlet to Reality

I spent the last few days going through the research on what actually stops us when we think we are done. This is Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on it, and it is one I have been waiting to make. In this episode I get into what 8 years of NRL pre-season actually teaches you about the conversation you have with yourself when you want to stop. The study from 2012 where cyclists were tricked into racing a virtual avatar set 2% faster than their own personal best. Johnny Gannon on being curious whats on the other side of fear. Courtney Dauwalter on the pain cave. And a challenge for your next hard session. Part 2 next week is Lowering the Effort, Part 3, the week after, is Raising the Willingness. This podcast is supported by Denza. Thanks to DENZA Gold Coast for getting behind the show. For more just like this: #198 Johnny Gannon: Bra Boy to Black Belt on Grit, Self Respect and Staying Curious: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube The breath hold story in this episode is his. #153 James Newbury: Why Most People Quit Too Early: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube #162 Jake Barraclough (RanToJapan) : 280km Weeks, Running in Japan & Finding Your Limit: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube Listen and subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Follow for more: Podcast Instagram Keegan's Instagram TikTokSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, we are joined by BJJ Black Belt Zach Sahuque. Zach joins the podcast to discuss his start in Jiu-Jitsu and initially learning Jiu-Jitsu from the Gracie Combatives videos, his constant travels and training across the country, and "Red Flags" and "Green Flags" to pay attention to when dropping into a gym, how he developed his unique BJJ game, weird gym experiences, advice for dropping into a gym, his thoughts on drop in fees, and the worst gym Zach has ever visited. Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Datsusara, head over to https://www.dsgear.com/ and use the code Chewjitsu10 to get 10% off of the highest quality hemp gear for BJJ. Check out "Athlethc" at https://athlethc.com/ and use the code Chewjitsu10 to get 10% off of your order of hemp-derived THC performance mints.  Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://epicrollbjj.com/ and use the promo code Chewjitsu20 to get 20% off of your total purchase. Check out podcast exclusives including conversations with guests, Q&A sessions, and tons more at https://patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast

Returning guest Rochelle Potter is back on Off the Mats Podcast, and this time she's celebrating one of the biggest milestones in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: earning her BJJ black belt. Rochelle and I pick up where our previous conversation left off and look at the natural progression of her journey from purple belt to brown belt and, ultimately, black belt. We talk about how her relationship with jiu-jitsu has changed, the lessons learned through competition, expanding on her role as a coach, helping grow women's jiu-jitsu, and what it means to now have other grapplers looking to her for guidance. We also revisit a question from our first conversation: What does jiu-jitsu success actually mean? Now, with a black belt around her waist, Rochelle reflects on whether that answer has changed, what the promotion means beyond the rank itself, and what motivates her when there's no longer another colored belt to chase. This episode is about much more than earning a black belt. It's about growth, perseverance, coaching, competition, community, and discovering who you become along the way.

In this episode, I took a module from the Lean Six Sigma and the Environment course, and cleaned it up with AI to make it easier to listen to (due to background noise).I discuss an overview of Lean and Six Sigma and how companies can make bad decisions when only focused on cost reductions.I also share some examples of how Lean Six Sigma has helped companies To download the 40+ case studies I mentioned, go to https://www.leansixsigmaecosystem.com/c/templates/40-environmental-lean-six-sigma-case-studiesThe Lean Six Sigma and the Environment course will be available at LeanSixSigmaEcosystem.com in the next month or so.Learn more about BPIVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.leansixsigmaecosystem.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access free courses and templates, or upgrade for premium content and coaching programsVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biz-pi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about me and my consulting firmVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://greenbeltcertification.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how to get Lean, Green Belt or Black Belt training and certification for you or your organization

SUMMARY In this conversation, Jeremy and Andrew are joined by past guest of the show Gerry Disanto to discuss the myths and realities of being a black belt in martial arts. They explore common misconceptions, such as the idea that black belts are perfect or that they have mastered all skills. The discussion also delves into the feelings of imposter syndrome that many martial artists experience, the pressures of being an instructor, and the challenges of balancing personal life with martial arts commitments. The speakers emphasize the importance of authenticity, community, and the need for open conversations about these topics. They delve into the complexities of martial arts training, focusing on the myths surrounding black belts, the expectations placed on instructors, and the importance of recognizing individual student efforts. They discuss the impact of imposter syndrome on both instructors and students, the necessity of one-on-one interactions for effective teaching, and the misconceptions about financial success in martial arts. The dialogue emphasizes the need for open conversations about the challenges faced in the martial arts community and the importance of networking among instructors to foster growth and understanding.   TAKEAWAYS Imposter syndrome is common among martial artists. Black belts are often seen as perfect, which is unrealistic. Expectations of black belts can lead to feelings of inadequacy. Authenticity in teaching builds trust with students. Running a martial arts school often leads to less personal training time. Community support is crucial for overcoming challenges in martial arts. Black belts are not experts in all areas of life. It's important to admit when you don't know something. Balancing life and martial arts is a common struggle for instructors. The pressure to be the best can lead to burnout. Imposter syndrome affects both instructors and students. Students often attribute their success to their instructors rather than their own efforts. Instructors should encourage students to take credit for their achievements. Sparring can create misconceptions about skill levels among students. One-on-one interactions are crucial for effective teaching and student progress. Understanding the 'why' behind techniques enhances teaching effectiveness. Martial arts instructors should focus on serving their students, not being served. Owning a martial arts school does not guarantee financial success. Networking with other instructors can provide valuable insights and support. Being a black belt does not automatically make someone a great teacher. Join our EXCLUSIVE newsletter to get notified of each episode as it comes out! Subscribe — whistlekick Martial Arts Radio

Send us Fan MailOn this Episode of To The TopSonny and Al sit down and recap what has been going on for the past 6 months since we dropped an episodeWe hope everyone enjoys it and is of value for anyone listening KEEP SHOWING UP

In this episode, I took a module from the Lean Six Sigma and the Environment course, and cleaned it up with AI to make it easier to listen to (due to background noise).Earlier in the course, I discussed how Lean and Six Sigma could help reduce environmental impacts, sometimes without even trying.However, there are reasons why these impacts are overlooked in improvement methods, which I explain in this clip.The course will be available at LeanSixSigmaEcosystem.com in the next month or so.Learn more about BPIVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.leansixsigmaecosystem.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access free courses and templates, or upgrade for premium content and coaching programsVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biz-pi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about me and my consulting firmVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://greenbeltcertification.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how to get Lean, Green Belt or Black Belt training and certification for you or your organization

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss content creation and how to create content to help your business. We discuss whether you need to create content for your business, the importance of having a "grand strategy" for your content, what to focus on and what do avoid when making content, why AI content can create a crash in content creation, how to be a good story teller, the importance of creating content that you enjoy, how to choose what content to create, and why you shouldn't chase views. Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Datsusara, head over to https://www.dsgear.com/ and use the code Chewjitsu10 to get 10% off of the highest quality hemp gear for BJJ. Check out "Athlethc" at https://athlethc.com/ and use the code Chewjitsu10 to get 10% off of your order of hemp-derived THC performance mints.  Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://epicrollbjj.com/ and use the promo code Chewjitsu20 to get 20% off of your total purchase. Check out podcast exclusives including conversations with guests, Q&A sessions, and tons more at https://patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast

Episode 264 of the Transition Drill podcast explores law enforcement retirement, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and career transition for police officers and first responders navigating life after the badge. You'll hear Tom Chuckerel on leaving a 25-year police career without a clear second-career plan, and what it takes to turn skills, relationships, and genuine interests into meaningful work after service.Tom wanted to be a Montgomery County police officer from the time he was six. He joined the department in 1994, spent years working patrol in the community where he grew up, became an FTO, and explored narcotics, surveillance, and SWAT before a medical issue unexpectedly redirected his career toward training.That move became pivotal. Tom joined the police academy staff, helped modernize defensive tactics, and brought his growing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu experience into law enforcement training. He'd started training in 1997, eventually became a black belt, taught Jiu Jitsu and Thai boxing, and built a relationship with Rener Gracie while hosting Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) courses.When Tom retired in 2017 and moved to Monterey, California, he still wasn't sure what came next. He considered everything from X-ray tech school to becoming a butcher. Instead, years of training and relationships created opportunities. He ran a Jiu Jitsu school, worked private security and executive protection, and began teaching GST. Today, GST is his primary work, with roughly 150 classes led, allowing him to continue serving law enforcement through teaching, safer arrest-and-control tactics, and the work he genuinely loves.CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#aboutQUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:paul@transitiondrillpodcast.comJohnny Collins Episode:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/188-never-give-up-6-bud-s-classes-to-be-a-navy-seal/id1582888787?i=1000740317114Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6z64p4xHrzZLB2rlWLy5AUYouTube: https://youtu.be/ZT90jdj14igSPONSORS:GRND Collective: Premium, veteran-owned sportswear built for those who show up, outwork the excuses, and give 100%. Score 15% off your order at thegrndcollective.com using promo code TRANSITION15 at checkoutBlue Line Roasting: Premium, law-enforcement-owned coffee roasted to fuel the shift. A portion of every order directly supports law enforcement families facing line-of-duty injury or loss. Save 10% at bluelineroasting.com with promo code Transition10Frontline Optics: Premium eyewear founded by a firefighter and built to withstand the job. Every single purchase helps support the First Responders Children's Foundation, serving families who've paid the ultimate price. Save 10% off your pair at frontlineoptics.com using promo code Transition10

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Send us Fan MailLangston got callbacks from McKinsey and BCG. His first instinct: 10 hours a day of studying for three weeks straight, a fast route to burnout.He'd applied to MBB once before and gotten nothing. But this time, two interviews landed in his inbox.Katie walked him off the cramming ledge and built a plan around the time he actually had. Three weeks is enough – if you spend it right.Resources:If your interview is in 3 weeks (or 3 days), Black Belt builds your plan around the time you have left – the September cohort closes September 9Connect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Do jiu-jitsu schools still need mat enforcers? I think they do.I've spent a lot of years around jiu-jitsu schools, and for a good chunk of that time I was the guy coaches called when somebody needed to be… corrected.In this episode, I tell some of my best mat enforcer stories, including dojo stormers, fake black belts, gym bullies, getting “green lit,” and the scariest enforcement I've ever seen.But the real point is bigger than beating somebody up. A good mat enforcer protects the culture of the gym. A bad one can ruin it.Rener's Full Video: https://youtu.be/dcOjQBp7jX0?si=iJi6mcljbJbm0dWVCheck at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck Register for Grappler 4 Good: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mission-111/grapple-for-good0:00 The Mats Don't Lie2:33 The Viral BJJ Callout That Started This5:50 Why Every Gym Needs a Mat Enforcer8:06 CONFESSION: I Was a Mat Enforcer10:17 I Got My First Assignment at 1510:52 Our Gym Got Dojo Stormed13:16 Coach Put Me Against the "Black Belt"14:20 What Getting "Green Lit" Means18:18 With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility23:21 The Guy Who Wouldn't Stop Hurting Students24:19 I Called in the Monster26:14 The Scariest Enforcement I've Ever Seen27:20 What Mat Enforcers Are REALLY For29:28 The Most Powerful Person Besides the Coach32:35 When My Coach Still Calls Me In34:04 The Viral Gracie University Beatdown36:07 What He Did After Losing Matters40:23 The Rule Every Mat Enforcer Should Follow45:16 Where Mat Enforcers Actually Came From46:40 Why I Was Enforcing at 15 Years Old49:56 The Dark Side of Being the Enforcer51:17 Finally Beating Your Old Mat Bully52:39 How Tough Guys Create Gym Culture57:06 The Original Old-School Mat Enforcer59:54 What a Modern Mat Enforcer Should Be1:01:59 What If YOUR Gym Has a Mat Bully?

In this milestone 500th episode of Better Call Daddy, host Reena Friedman Watts sits down with Will McKee, Jiu Jitsu black belt and founder of Asylum Jiu Jitsu in Aledo, Texas. Will shares his transformative journey from a 255-pound medical operations manager to a confident, mission-driven Jiu Jitsu practitioner shedding 60 pounds and rebuilding his mental health along the way. Will opens up about the physical and mental transformation he's experienced through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), emphasizing self-confidence, resilience, and discipline. He explains how he coaches kids to embrace competition without pressure, creating a gym culture where every student child or adult can grow, learn, and overcome real obstacles. The conversation dives into Jiu Jitsu culture at large: the balance between competition and personal growth, the importance of a safe training environment, and the darker sides of martial arts culture that Asylum Jiu Jitsu was built to push back against. Despite its name, Will explains, Asylum isn't a cage it's a place of refuge, structure, and freedom, closer to a monastery than an asylum in the traditional sense. Will also reflects on his own mental health struggles and how Jiu Jitsu became his sanctuary during the hardest chapters of his life. He shares stories of student progress, his approach to mentorship, and his mission to be the coach he wished he'd had growing up — shaped in part by his relationship with his own father. If you're interested in martial arts, BJJ, mental health, fitness transformation, or raising resilient kids, this milestone episode of Better Call Daddy delivers all of it.

Send us Fan MailMost consulting interviews let you drive the case. McKinsey doesn't.McKinsey is one of the only firms that runs interviewer-led cases – the interviewer leads the case, not you.So candidates who prep the way BCG or Bain expects walk in ready for the wrong format.And the case is only half your score – the PEI (Personal Experience Interview) is the other half.Ex-McKinsey coach Mark Di Giorgio breaks down why the interviewer-led format catches strong candidates off guard, how to build your PEI story bank, plus the 3-week prep plan when you don't have a lot of time left.Resources:Join a Black Belt cohort to get paired with a McKinsey coach who's run McKinsey's actual interviewer-led cases from the insideCase Competition World Cup – Fall 2026Applications are open. Free for all students. Apply by Sept. 13.APPLY HEREConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan MailEvery firm on our new 2027 Top Enterprise AI Consulting Firms ranking wants to hire the same person right now. And none of them can find them. Namaan calls it the unicorn hire: technical enough to deploy AI, business-minded enough to define the problem, and clear enough to explain it to a non-technical client.That's the same skill behind telling deployment from transformation, the mistake costing firms deals right now.The people who can spot that difference are the ones every firm wants, and there aren't enough of them to go around. We cover:The 3 traits that make you the hire firms are struggling to findNamaan's 4-part test for telling real transformation from deploymentWhy most AI pilots stall before production, and what changes when a firm gets it rightResources:Our full breakdown is in the 2027 Top Enterprise AI Consulting Firms ranking – see who made the cut and whyWant your firm's perspective in our next ranking, panel, or research piece? Tell our research teamIf you're trying to become the hire firms can't find, Black Belt is where you build the technical-plus-business skill set they're looking forConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Today on the phone-in: how can you best support your aging parents? And off the top, we hear from the woman who earned the first black belt in PEI jiu-jitsu, and a Fredericton mother grateful for community help finding her autistic son.

This Is The G Podcast | @thisisthegpodcast Episode 325: Georgia Politics, Stephen A. Smith, and David Oyelowo in Hot Water This week's episode covers a mix of Georgia politics, media controversy, and pop culture backlash, with Hitman Howie joining for a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion focuses on the Georgia gubernatorial race, the Democratic Party's strategy, Stephen A. Smith's criticism of Black women and the backlash from NABJ, and actor David Oyelowo's comments about Southern accents. Timestamps 00:00 - Week in news opens with U.S. and Iran tensions, oil prices, and the Strait of Hormuz 00:29 - Gas prices, military exercises with South Korea, and pressure on the DNC 01:23 - Nolan Wells' family keeps searching for answers after his death 02:10 - Hayden Panettiere's death and career legacy 02:28 - Tupac Shakur murder trial details and graphic courtroom evidence 03:27 - U.S. national debt passes $40 trillion 00:17 - Tanya B's birthday week and the setup for a shorter show 01:09 - Why Georgia's gubernatorial race is at the top of Howie's list 02:15 - Rick Jackson's self-funding and the attack strategy against Keisha Lance Bottoms 03:35 - Black Belt counties and the coalition likely to support Keisha 04:47 - Whether statewide coalitions can be duplicated in Georgia politics 05:56 - John Ossoff, MAGA framing, and rural Georgia signs 06:50 - Criticism of DNC fundraising strategy and leadership 09:21 - Hakeem Jeffries clip and the debate over DSA messaging 11:54 - Why Howie thinks public messaging needs more discipline 15:01 - Why the hosts believe Democrats are too reactive 16:29 - The problem with “day one” promises without a real plan 18:02 - Why not expanding the Supreme Court in 2020 still frustrates the hosts 19:22 - Mitch McConnell, Senate obstruction, and Kentucky's lack of representation 20:43 - Introduction to the NABJ criticism of Stephen A. Smith 21:10 - NABJ's statement on Stephen A.'s pattern of comments about Black women 22:13 - Why Howie sees Stephen A.'s comments as part of a broader manosphere problem 23:51 - Stephen A.'s response and his claim that the NABJ decision was politicized 25:17 - Why the host says Stephen A. is an entertainer, not a journalist 26:46 - Why the NABJ issue could have been handled privately first 27:46 - Why Stephen A. going to Sean Hannity and Chris Cuomo says a lot 29:16 - The “cool kids” problem and Stephen A.'s public image 31:16 - ESPN, Stephen A.'s contract, and Pat McAfee as the possible next face 35:27 - David Oyelowo clip and the Southern accent controversy 37:41 - Why the slavery and subservience language crossed the line 38:26 - UK actors, Black roles, and the competition for limited opportunities 42:02 - The deeper issue is Black roles, pay, and who gets cast 44:41 - Why the industry still feels like “crabs in a barrel” 45:43 - Football season, the joy of fall, and the sports calendar 46:43 - Tua Tagovailoa's future and whether he's fully committed 49:17 - Why his comments about football being “part-time” hurt his standing 49:33 - Prayers for Gary, Indiana, and outrage over two weeks without power 51:20 - The comparison to Katrina and the call for more urgency

Send us Fan MailA private equity firm bought a paint company. Turned out their sales reps were handing out 50% discounts to any contractor who asked nicely.That's the kind of blind spot 3 PE leaders talk through in this episode – what actually happens once a private equity deal gets underway.Carl Evander (OC&C), Sean McDevitt (Arthur D. Little), and Dave Clement (Simon-Kucher) break down how a deal actually gets picked, checked out, and sold for a profit.You'll learn:Why the numbers on older deals are forcing PE firms to sell now, ready or notWhat "real diligence" looks like once you've actually bought the companyThe 1 skill partners say will matter more than AI in 3 yearsFull speaker bios and firm profiles here.Resources:See this year's Top Private Equity Consulting Firms rankingIf breaking into a PE-focused practice is the target, Black Belt pairs you with an advisor who's coached candidates into firms like OC&C and Simon-KucherExplore top firms hiring in Private Equity Consulting on the Management Consulted Job BoardCase Competition World Cup – Fall 2026Applications are open. Free for all students. Apply by Sept. 13.APPLY HEREConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan MailIf your case framework doesn't pass the toothbrush test, it's too generic for McKinsey, Bain, and BCG.Ex-Bain coach Abi Chen walks through the toothbrush test, the 3 mistakes that cost most candidates their offer, and the 4-step process to build strong frameworks.Finally, she walks through two full framework examples – an M&A case and a pharma product launch.Resources:If your frameworks keep failing the toothbrush test, Black Belt is how you fix the processWant to build a framework like this on a real client problem? Apply for the Case Competition World CupConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Forty years ago, four martial-arts-trained rodents crashed the comics scene and helped kick off one of the strangest crazes of the 1980s. On this episode, creator Don Chin joins the Bandits to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters, the 1986 series that began as a parody of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and quickly took on a life of its own. Don looks back at creating Bruce, Chuck, Clint, and Jackie during the height of the black-and-white comics boom, the unexpected success of the series, and working with artists including Parsonavich and a young Sam Kieth. The conversation also explores the anything-goes world of independent comics in the '80s, the Hamsters' enduring cult following, and what it's like to see this gloriously offbeat creation being celebrated four decades later with new 40th-anniversary collections from Dynamite. You can follow Don on Instagram @donchin63. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On episode 150 of the BJJ Balance Podcast, Mat and Kenny go deep on the algorithm rabbit holes we don't tell our friends about before breaking down why women's MMA has struggled to build the same rivalries and star power as the men's division, using Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Amanda Nunes as the exception, not the rule. From there it's a full GOAT-style MMA debate: Mat makes the case that a prime GSP would give Islam Makhachev fits, breaks down why title fights produce fewer finishes, and explains why Khabib's Dagestani camp (allegedly 102 wins, 2 losses) might be the greatest MMA camp in history compared to AKA, Jackson's, American Top Team, Team Quest, and Extreme Couture. They talk BJJ and MMA camp loyalty, GSP's unique path training everywhere from Tristar to Greg Jackson's, and UFC roster depth. Then it's tattoo talk: neck tattoos, back pieces, tramp stamps, Craig Jones' leg piece, Prince Albert piercings, and the "no-gi guy" tattoo stereotypes. Mat also tells a legendary UPS route story about blown-out socks, a busted shin, and Lieutenant Dan wisdom about keeping your feet dry. They get into a real breakdown of technique versus power in grappling, why smaller technical guys need longer rounds to win, and Mat's advice to stop being "too nice" when you roll. The episode closes with a hard look at attendance-based belt promotions at big-name BJJ gyms, why some professors care more about commas in their bank account than real practitioners, and Mat's own belt journey from starting jiu jitsu at 21 to getting his black belt at 32. Plus: Gordon Ryan's "Moneybagg" versus Craig Jones' Jonah Hill debate, tongue ring stories, and the usual chaos. If you're into BJJ podcast content, MMA GOAT debates, jiu jitsu culture, and grappling community talk, this episode has it all.This episode is brought to you by Optiva Wellness. Head to OptivaWellness.com and use code BJJBALANCE10 to save 10% on your entire order.Please Follow BJJ Balance on all of our socials:IG: @BJJBalanceDiscord: discord.gg/bjjbalanceTik Tok: @BJJBalanceYouTube: YouTube.com/@BJJBalanceKenny IG: @FreakPartyBJJMatt IG: @oss_nation_bjj

Send us Fan MailBates White let us inside a real economic consulting case interview.Annie Olecki, a senior consultant in Bates White's antitrust practice, ran a live case interview with a volunteer from the MC community. And economic consulting cases don't look like the strategy cases at McKinsey or Bain.The case: a phone manufacturer suing its battery suppliers for price-fixing. The candidate has to size the damages, then revise the number - twice - as new evidence shifts the picture.That's the instinct Bates White is testing for. Annie wanted to see if the candidate would revise the estimate once new information proved it wrong.After the case wraps, Annie and Bates White recruiter Julian Pritcher take audience questions - interview rounds, what stands out in a resume, and R vs. Python.Join Bates White:Bates White's summer consultant program is open for applications. If you're an undergrad rising junior graduating Dec. 2027 through spring 2028, apply hereNot that class year? Bates White keeps a running list of openings. Submit your resume and cover letter and the firm will reach out if a role fitsGo deeper on Bates White – our full firm profileResources:Join the Black Belt program to build killer case instincts like KunalCase Competition World Cup – Fall 2026Applications are open. Free for all students. Apply by Sept. 13.Graduate Track – Presented by AdobeConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan MailMcKinsey screens candidates with a video game – McKinsey Solve – before they ever see a case interview. Most candidates either try to copy other people's answers or panic because they don't know what it's measuring.So here's the breakdown: what Solve is, what McKinsey is testing for inside it, and how to approach it.The answer isn't Solve-specific prep. It's the same problem-solving fundamentals that carry you through the entire McKinsey recruiting process.We cover:What the Solve scenarios look like and how the timing worksThe 5 cognitive abilities McKinsey is measuring – and why they map directly to what consultants actually doHow to prepare without wasting time on things that won't transferResources:If you want coaching from an ex-McKinsey interviewer – plus access to a practice Solve simulation – Black Belt is the program that top candidates turn toNew to case prep? Start with the Case Foundations course – freeConsulting Deadlines:McKinsey, Bain, and BCG deadlines hit August 11 – 13 (and more are coming) – get interview-ready fast with Black BeltConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan MailGeorge Cary spent five years as a McKinsey EM. In this live case, he coaches candidate Harvey through a real McKinsey market entry study: should a diesel truck manufacturer build and sell electric trucks.Harvey builds a framework, runs the full cost-of-ownership math, and lands a final recommendation. George pauses after every section to break down good vs. great in real time.You'll learn:Why McKinsey calls it "problem solving," not casing – and the vocabulary that signals you already think like a consultantHow Harvey turns a good, structured framework into a great, distinctive one The full math behind pricing an e-truck – and how to talk through your logic instead of just stating the numberResources:Harvey turned 3 weeks of coaching into a case that sounded ready for the real thing – Black Belt pairs you with a coach like George who breaks down your good from your great, session by sessionConsulting Deadlines:McKinsey, Bain, and BCG deadlines hit August 11 – 13 (and more are coming) – get interview-ready fast with Black BeltConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan MailSharon had everything going for her. Top-tier MBA. MBB interview invites across the board. She'd done 50–60 cases – but didn't make it past a single first round.What held her back wasn't her profile. It was her approach.So she came back the next year when the stakes were even higher. This time, she did it differently – and landed McKinsey and Bain.Katie breaks down what shifted and what re-recruiters (and first-timers who want to avoid the same trap) can take from Sharon's story.Resources:If you're re-recruiting and want a real plan this time, Black Belt is where candidates like Sharon get the structure and coaching they were missing the first time aroundNot sure if Black Belt is right for your situation? Book a free 15-minute call with Katie and find outConsulting Deadlines:McKinsey, Bain, and BCG deadlines hit August 11 – 13 (and more are coming) – get interview-ready fast with Black BeltConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan Mail"Any other objectives?" sounds polite. But in a case interview opening, it costs you points.Namaan breaks down the 3 questions that kill candidates in the first 2 minutes of a case.The case opening is the first section that gets scored. And it's nearly identical every single time.So if there's one part of the case you can walk in ready for, it's this one. Get the opening right, and the rest of the case gets easier.Resources:If you struggle with case openings, Black Belt pairs you with an ex-MBB interviewer who'll help build the muscle rep by repNewer to cases? Case Foundations walks you through the fundamentals – freeConsulting Deadlines:McKinsey, Bain, and BCG deadlines hit August 11 – 13 (and more are coming) – get interview-ready fast with Black BeltConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Dr. Mark Costes presents the 2026 Golden Rhino Award case studies, honoring two standout transformations: Dr. Blake Hamlin and Dr. Collin Myrick, both UT Houston grads who joined DSI feeling successful but stuck and isolated. He walks through their application letters and financial scorecards, showing how each more than tripled their practices in three years—Hamlin from $1.6M to $5.37M, and Myrick from $2.2M to nearly $10M—largely by clarifying their model and vision before scaling. The two then join Costes on stage to unpack how they did it. Hamlin credits a relentless focus on a few core KPIs (reappointment rate, answering every call) and a marketing breakthrough, scaling spend from $5,000 to $45,000-plus a month to multiply new patients while holding overhead steady. Myrick points to vision, mission, and core values as his foundation, plus finding his integrator, Darcy, which freed him to lead as a CEO and say yes to rapid multi-location expansion across his rural Florida hometown. EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

Send us Fan MailYou can nail every case you practice and still get rejected.That's because firms aren't grading you on vibes. McKinsey scores you piece by piece – opening, structure, math, brainstorming, closing. Other firms use 3 buckets instead: structure, problem solving, communication.Either way, a 4 out of 4 in math won't save a 1 out of 4 in brainstorming. Firms want you solid across the board.In this episode, Namaan breaks down exactly what's being scored – and why doing 100 more practice cases won't fix a gap you haven't identified.Resources:Whether you're prepping for McKinsey's rubric or the 3-bucket system, Black Belt closes the gaps costing you the offerNew to case prep? Case Foundations is our free crash course on the basics – the starting point before scoring even mattersConsulting Deadlines:McKinsey, Bain, and BCG deadlines hit August 11 – 13 (and more are coming) – get interview-ready fast with Black BeltConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

This week on The Land Show, Jonathan Goode speaks with:   - Marianne Gauldin, with Alabama's Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, joins us to talk about the upcoming deer hunting season, changes in how we renew our hunting licenses in Alabama, and also more recent black bear sightings across the state. http://www.outdooralabama.com   - Frank McEwen Jr., with McEwen and Sons, shares about his family's business making stone ground corn products in Shelby County, Alabama. Frank talks about the family history in the area and about Coosa Valley Milling. https://mcewenandsons.com/   - Jonathan Goode answers a listener question about what makes the Black Belt so special? Jonathan shares why this part of Alabama is so desirable for people to purchase land.    Thanks to our generous sponsors that make it possible to bring you The Land Show every week: Alabama Ag Credit,  Farm & Forest Brokers, First South Farm Credit, The Land Report, LandThink, and LandFlip.   Subscribe to The Land Show, anywhere you get quality podcasts. If you like our content, please give us a positive review so others can find us as well. Farm & Forest Brokers is Setting the Standard in Alabama Land Sales. Call or text us today at 205-340-3946 to help with any of your land needs.

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Send us Fan MailMcKinsey is making 12% more hires this year than last. But the jobs aren't going to the same profile of candidate.Energy and utilities is projected to grow 11% in 2026 – one of the least sexy practices in consulting, and one of the hottest right now. Healthcare, private equity, and consumer/retail are all shifting too.If you're aiming at the wrong sector or the wrong skill set, you're competing for the smallest slice of the market.Namaan breaks down where the hiring is concentrated, which skills firms are paying a premium for, and why specialists are starting to out-hire generalists.Resources:If you want to know exactly which firms are hiring hardest in the sectors Namaan covers, see our 2026 sector rankings before you decideIf you are serious about breaking into consulting in 2026, Black Belt pairs you with an expert coach to guide you through recruitingConsulting Deadlines:McKinsey, Bain, and BCG deadlines hit August 11 – 13 (and more are coming) – get interview-ready fast with Black BeltConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan MailThose who first meet Simon Morrell are often very surprised at his history and background. You see, today, Simon, as one of Wales' singularly most qualified martial artists and fight coaches with a library of books to his name, comes across as a confident person, but his childhood and early adult years were an experience far from anything that may have provided this.​Simon was badly bullied, violently assaulted (at one time, an attempt on his life was made by a knife wielding thug) and eventually succumbed to terrifying panic attacks that threatened to ruin his life. He fell to agoraphobia, and for a long time was unable to leave his house.​However, he was quite remarkably able to turn his life around when he found his path in writing and Martial Arts. He is the author of the award-winning books and true stories, From Bullied to Black Belt and the sequel An Everyday Warrior, as well as three other books of his own and five books his has Ghostwritten.This episode it raw, emotive and brutal at times. But Simon is a kind hearted and extremely likable guy who has been to hell and come back fighting!https://www.simonmorrell.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailConsumer and retail consulting used to be one market. Now it's 4.Each lane pulls a different lever – growth, margin, or talent. Firms that used to compete on "we do consumer and retail" are getting picked apart by specialists who can prove which lever they actually move.In this episode of The Briefing, Japheth sits down with Namaan to break down the 4 lanes reshaping a $70B market, why AI stopped being enough on its own, and why private equity's longer hold periods are turning growth and profitability into the same conversation.If you're a firm leader trying to protect market position, win the talent war, or defend margin, this one's for you.Resources:Go deeper on the data:Want to see which firms are already winning in each lane? Check out our 2026 Consumer & Retail rankingWant to hear it straight from firms already competing in these lanes? Watch our Consumer & Retail panelGo act on it:If your firm doesn't have a 10-second answer to "what do we solve better than anyone else," grab time with Namaan – MC works with firms to shape how that answer gets told to candidates and PE sponsorsIf you're a candidate trying to figure out which lane to network into, Black Belt helps you match your profile and story to the right one, and you can see who's actually hiring on our job boardConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan MailBuilding business judgment is learnable – most candidates just go about it the wrong way.Tauseef Charanya spent 10 years at BCG, conducted over 300 case interviews, and coached hundreds of candidates through the process. In this episode, he explains what business acumen actually looks like in a case interview, why work experience alone doesn't build it, and the 4 layers you need to hit to get an offer.Resources:If you're ready to work on your business acumen with an MBB coach, Black Belt is the program built to get you thereNot sure where you stand? Book a free 15-minute call with Katie and she'll help you figure out the right next stepIf you're earlier in your prep, Case Foundations is a free starting point for case prepConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

SUMMARY In this episode of Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio, Jeremy and Andrew delve into the misconceptions surrounding the black belt in martial arts. They discuss how the public perception often equates black belt with mastery, leading to divisive opinions within the martial arts community. The hosts emphasize that black belt should be viewed as a beginning of a deeper journey in martial arts rather than an endpoint. They explore the influence of popular culture, the subjectivity of rank, and the psychological impact of rank on students, advocating for a shift in how black belts are perceived and discussed.   TAKEAWAYS Black belt is often misunderstood as a symbol of mastery. The public perception of black belts is influenced by popular culture. Different martial arts schools have varying definitions of black belts. Black belt should be seen as a beginning, not an end. Subjectivity plays a significant role in rank evaluations. The psychological impact of rank can affect student retention. Cobra Kai and similar shows contribute to misconceptions about martial arts. Martial arts training is about personal growth and education. We need to change the narrative around black belts in the community. Rank should not be treated as proof of skill outside one's school.   Join our EXCLUSIVE newsletter to get notified of each episode as it comes out! Subscribe — whistlekick Martial Arts Radio

Send us Fan MailUsing AI for case prep? For most candidates, it's costing them the offer.McKinsey and Bain are already grading how you use AI in interviews this cycle.Most candidates ask AI for answers, skip the hypothesis, and accept whatever it hands back. That skips the exact skill firms are testing: how you think through a problem, not just the answer you get to.In this episode, Namaan breaks down the 3 AI case prep mistakes, and the right way to use it like a directed junior analyst instead.Resources:If you want an MBB coach checking your process, not just your answers, Black Belt pairs you with oneWant the foundational skills before you loop AI in? Grab free access to Case Foundations and build the process AI should be pressure-testing, not replacingConnect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Benjamin Chen is a serial entrepreneur, supply chain expert, and black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He has successfully built businesses across industrial, enterprise software, cloud, and consumer internet sectors. He's sat on the boards and senior management teams of 4 companies that have gone public in the U.S.; raised $500+M of investment capital; His new book is Lessons from the Mat: The 12 Martial Arts Principles that Will Help You Succeed in Business and in Life. Learn more at FromtheMatAcademy.com. Connect with David www.davidihill.com Get 14 Day Go-High-Level Trial https://www.gohighlevel.com/?fp_ref=david-i-hill-training25   SOCIALS: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/davidihill/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidihill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidHillcoach Youtube: ringleader-ai-crm TicTok: www.tiktok.com/@davidihill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidihill X: https://twitter.com/davidihill   PODCAST SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-persistent-entrepreneur/id1081069895   #benjaminchen #DavidIHill #PathToSalesMastery #ThePersistentEntrepreneur #PersistentEntrepreneurPodcast #SalesTraining #lessonsfromthemat #SalesLeadership  

How does a 19-year-old entrepreneur build a nationwide mastermind, host successful live events, grow a powerful personal brand, and build a thriving business before turning 20?  In this episode, Malcolm Keith reveals the mindset, strategies, and systems behind his rapid success. Most people spend their late teens trying to figure out what they want to do. Malcolm Keith spent his building communities, hosting live mastermind events, creating recurring revenue, and surrounding himself with high-level entrepreneurs. In this conversation, Malcolm shares how he transitioned from being obsessed with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to becoming one of the youngest entrepreneurs building live events and business communities across the United States. He explains why relationships became his biggest competitive advantage, how he learned from mentors years ahead of him, and why taking action early changed the trajectory of his life. We also dive into: • How Malcolm built a nationwide mastermind community before age 20 • The business model behind hosting profitable live events • How networking creates opportunities that money can't buy • Why young entrepreneurs should prioritize relationships over followers • The mindset shifts that accelerated his personal and business growth • Lessons from building recurring revenue and scaling a community • Why waiting until you're "ready" is the biggest mistake young founders make Whether you're a young entrepreneur, creator, business owner, or someone looking to build a network that creates opportunities, this episode is packed with practical advice you can apply immediately. Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, founders, marketers, and business leaders sharing the real strategies behind building successful companies. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Meet Malcolm: Certified at 16, Running Events at 19 0:58 Homeschooled at Business Events, Not in Class 3:16 Growing Up in the Family Dojo 4:40 Why Skilled Martial Artists Struggle at Business 5:45 The Phoenix Event That Hooked Him at 15 6:53 Finding His People & Why Entrepreneurship Is Lonely 7:59 The Roseto Effect: Community as Medicine 11:04 Get the Skills Before the Idea 14:19 Why Most People Never Take Action 16:01 The Teen Advantage: No Fear of Failure Yet 18:00 The One Regret That Sparked the Teen Mastermind 22:05 Inside the Mastermind: A Team of Teen Specialists 23:48 Rose's Story: From Shy Kid to Speaking on Stage 26:55 "You Should Charge for This" — Beating the Fear 30:45 The $5K Price & Selling Parents on the Dream 33:24 Where His Leadership Comes From & Setting Real Goals 37:00 The Organic Funnel: Win the Parent First 40:26 Funnel Advice for Beginners: Keep It Simple 45:11 "It Doesn't Hurt to Ask" — The Video That Worked 47:13 How the Live Event Was Born 51:30 Rapid Fire Round + Funnel Hacking Live 55:40 Once a Black Belt, Black Belt for Life 57:45 Where to Find the Teen Mastermind  

On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss the idea of whether getting a BJJ black belt requires discipline. We also discuss things you are "pushed" to do vs. things you are "pulled" to do, if BJJ is for everyone, which aspects of training require discipline, why people quit BJJ, adjusting your goals as a beginner, the importance of routine, getting over the "hump" in BJJ, the "deflation" of reaching a goal, and the importance of process oriented goals, and the most important factor to getting a black belt in BJJ. Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Datsusara, head over to https://www.dsgear.com/ and use the code Chewjitsu10 to get 10% off of the highest quality hemp gear for BJJ. Check out "Athlethc" at https://athlethc.com/ and use the code Chewjitsu10 to get 10% off of your order of hemp-derived THC performance mints.  Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://epicrollbjj.com/ and use the promo code Chewjitsu20 to get 20% off of your total purchase. Check out podcast exclusives including conversations with guests, Q&A sessions, and tons more at https://patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast

In this episode of The A Game Podcast: Real Estate Investing For Entrepreneurs, host Nick Lamagna sits down with John "Beef" Keefe, drummer for the multi-platinum rock band Boys Like Girls, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Shawn Williams, coach, entrepreneur, and performer. From touring the world on sold-out stages to overcoming serious injuries and earning a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, John shares the mindset, discipline, and habits that create long term success in any field. John breaks down the lessons he's learned from over 20 years in the music industry, how Jiu Jitsu transformed his approach to life, business, and relationships, and why consistency beats motivation every time. Whether you're an entrepreneur, athlete, business owner, musician, or someone looking to level up personally and professionally, this conversation is packed with actionable insights. You'll learn how to stay calm under pressure, develop elite habits, improve leadership skills, manage ego, build strong partnerships, overcome setbacks, and create a life centered around growth and purpose. In this episode, we cover: ✅ How consistency beats motivation - and why the best performers show up even when they don't feel like it ✅ Pressure management - the self-talk, breathing routines, and mental frameworks that help you perform under bright lights (or in front of thousands of fans) ✅ Why musicians make great grapplers - the surprising connection between drumming with four limbs and flowing in jiu-jitsu ✅ Recovering from a broken neck - how Beef went from being told he'd never train again to earning his black belt ✅ The ego trap - why the best coaches (and bandmates) say "I don't know" and why that builds more trust than faking it ✅ Band dynamics as a business - how to maintain 20-year partnerships, navigate hierarchy, and handle conflict without blowing up what you've built ✅ Smelling the roses - how to stay present and grateful when the grind makes it easy to miss the moment   Connect with John: John Keefe on Instagram John Keefe on Twitter John Keefe on TikTok John Keefe on Threads   Connect with Boys Like Girls: www.boyslikegirls.com Boys Like Girls on Instagram Boys Like Girls on Facebook Boys Like Girls on YouTube Boys Like Girls on TikTok Boys Like Girls on Threads Boys Like Girls on Spotify Boys Like Girls on Apple Music   Connect with Renzo Gracie Nashville: www.renzogracienashville.com Renzo Gracie Nashville on Instagram Renzo Gracie Nashville on Facebook   --- Connect with Nick Lamagna www.nicknicknick.com Text Nick (516)540-5733 Connect on ALL Social Media and Podcast Platforms Here FREE Checklist on how to bring more value to your buyers

One of the challenges of modern legal journalism is recalling that case law, doctrine, and Supreme Court decisions aren't a complete picture, without including the lived realities of the people whose lives and communities are often turned upside down by changes in the law.On Tuesday night, the Supreme Court's far-right flank vastly expanded its holding in Louisiana v. Callais to make it harder, if not impossible, to challenge racist voting maps designed to suppress Black votes. The shadow-docket decision misrepresented its own holding in Callais and discarded a case it had already decided. With the conservative supermajority tossing a lower-court panel's finding in Allen v. Milligan and further erasing voting rights for Black Americans across the country, Amicus revisits our 2022 conversation with Evan Milligan, the named plaintiff, at the time the case first came to the high court. Milligan explained what's at stake for the very real people living in gerrymandered districts in Alabama's Black Belt region; a gerrymander blessed this week that was forbidden just three years ago.Later, Dahlia Lithwick talks with Andrew Weissmann, an MS NOW legal analyst, NYU law professor, and veteran federal prosecutor who served as lead prosecutor under special counsel Robert S. Mueller and as chief of the DOJ's Fraud Section. Even with Opinionpalooza heating up at the high court, Weissmann pauses to analyze a busy week in democratic dismantling at the Justice Department and on Capitol Hill. And, Weissmann proposes something truly shocking— real accountability for public officials who lie, as laid out in his new bestselling book, Liar's Kingdom: How to Stop Trump's Deceit and Save America. This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate's coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.