Podcasts about Business administration

Are you spending your time where it truly counts?In this episode, Monica unpacks a game-changing truth: what you focus on expands. With personal stories from the early days of building her business, she shares how scattered attention once stalled growth, and how intentional focus created massive momentum. Whether you're deep in the weeds or ready to shift gears, this episode is your reminder to slow down, get clear, and focus on what actually moves the needle. Perfect for entrepreneurs feeling stretched thin or stuck in the day-to-day.Episode Quote: Energy flows where attention goes. ~ Tony RobbinsHelpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own BossKICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAMGet your⁠⁠ Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠Join the ⁠Become Your Own Boss Community⁠⁠Monica FREE ebook⁠What you will learn in this episode:How to identify the one area of your business that needs your attentionHow to audit your current focus and reclaim your timeHow to delegate and clear space for strategic thinkingHow to set measurable, actionable goals that align with your visionHow to revisit and realign your strategy regularly for sustainable growthMonica Allen grew up in a small town in Georgia with her single mom, who had her at age 18, her grandmother, and her uncle. Living below the poverty line for all of her young life, Monica was determined to break the cycle. As the first in her immediate family to attend a 4-year university, Monica worked in the field of insurance as a benefits broker for eight years and earned her Master of Business Administration.Leaving to embark on her entrepreneurial journey in 2005, she is now a serial entrepreneur, owning several businesses. She is co-founder of Zeus' Closet, stuff4GREEKS and Deuce Equity Group.  She is the sole proprietor of Monica Allen Interiors and an Amazon Bestseller (The Fearless Entrepreneurs: Fear Less; Be More).She loves equipping aspiring entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and small business owners with tips to launch, grow, and scale their business while avoiding the many pitfalls of entrepreneurship. She believes that being surrounded by positive people, believing in yourself, and having faith in God have led to her success.

What's going to separate the winners from everyone else in 2026? Are you focusing on the fundamentals that actually move the needle?  In this conversation with our returning guest, Mike Riccio of More Than Miles Consulting, we discuss why success in this market comes down to trust, execution, and relationships, not chasing every shiny opportunity! Mike and I dig into controlling the controllables, dialing in your sales plan, tightening up your messaging, and building a culture that actually performs regardless of tariffs, rates, or the economy.  We also cover utilizing technology as a tool, the importance of knowing your cost to serve, so you can stop selling yourself into the ground, why disciplined pricing and clear deadlines for unprofitable accounts are critical for a volatile 2026 cycle, strengthening carrier relationships through consistent communication, honest lane reviews, and building trust so capacity doesn't disappear when the market tightens.  At the end of the day, the freight industry rewards smart planning, strong operations, and transparency, and the companies that focus on those fundamentals are the ones who'll win in the long term. Always tune in!   About Michael Riccio Mike Riccio is Founder and CEO of More Than Miles Consulting, LLC. The firm helps Third Party Logistics (3PL) providers and Transportation Brokers develop strategies and tactics to achieve their business goals. With 35-plus years of experience in transportation and logistics, Riccio is uniquely qualified to guide each client through the process of charting its course to profitable and sustainable growth. Prior to launching More Than Miles Consulting, Riccio was Chief Marketing Officer for Leonard's Express, a leading transportation services provider that offers refrigerated trucking, dry van, warehousing, and freight brokerage services across the United States and Canada. Riccio also served as Vice President of Sales for Leonard's Express, where he helped the leadership team build Leonard's from ground zero to a $350M business between 2001 to 2015. Riccio serves as Chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and is a Certified Transportation Broker. Riccio is a Board member of the Canandaigua Emergency Squad, where he serves as treasurer. Riccio earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Dayton. He and his wife Kim have two daughters and two grandchildren. They currently reside in Canandaigua, NY.   Connect with Mike Website: https://www.morethanmilesconsulting.com/  Email: mike@morethanmilesconsulting.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-riccio-5a8a4bb/  

Guest: Trevor McFadyen, Instructor, Business Administration, School of Business, Capilano University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to pivot from military service to medical technology leadership? In this episode of Inside the GMAT, GMAC Zach talks with Alec Burris, a former U.S. Marine turned MBA graduate from the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, and Burt Slusher, Assistant Dean for MBA and Specialty Masters Programs. Alec shares how he translated his military discipline into business school success—and ultimately into a purpose-driven career at Edwards Lifesciences, where innovations save lives every day. Burt explains how Merage helps veterans and career changers discover their leadership strengths, connect with mission-driven employers, and find personal ROI that goes far beyond rankings. Whether you're a veteran, a career pivoter, or someone seeking a greater sense of purpose through business education, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom and inspiration for your next chapter. Learn more about the Merage School of Business: https://merage.uci.edu/ About Our Guests: Alec Burris is part of the Strategic Leadership Development Program at Edwards Lifesciences, a global leader in the structural heart space. He holds an MBA and is pursuing an MS in Business Analytics from the University of California, Irvine, after earning his BS in Biochemistry from Arizona State University. Originally from Alaska, Alec served in the United States Marine Corps from 2018 to 2023, concluding his service as a Platoon Sergeant with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. Burt Alvaro Slusher is the Assistant Dean of MBA and Specialty Masters Programs at the University of California, Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business and has been a member of the UC Irvine community for 23-years. In this role, Burt oversees the School's current portfolio of graduate programs consisting of three MBA Programs (State-supported Full-Time MBA, and self-supporting Flex MBA and Executive MBA) and six self-supporting Specialty Masters Programs (Master of Finance, Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Master of Professional Accountancy, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master in Management, and Online Master of Science in Business Analytics). In addition, this role also oversees the Master of Science in Biotech Management program in tandem with leaders from the School of Biological Sciences. Burt also serves as part of the School's senior leadership team. Prior to his current role, Burt served as the Senior Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the Specialty Masters Programs and served as chair of the Admissions Committee. With two decades of higher education and business school experience, Burt has worked closely with Merage students, alumni, corporate outreach, marketing, and has provided career management to students while maintaining a high level of engagement with the business community. He was part of a team that helped launch the Merage School's Business Administration major in Fall of 2008 and also managed the admissions process for the Merage School's Accounting minor launched in Fall of 2004. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:31 Meet Alec 03:34 Transitioning from Military to MBA 05:50 Burt on Veterans in Business School 08:53 How Alec Chose UC Irvine 14:59 The UC Irvine Advantage 23:37 Leadership Skills From Class to Career 25:26 What Veterans Bring to the MBA 27:07 The ROI of an MBA 31:56 Final Advice  

The importance of the four R's to keep top of mind as you navigate your leadership journey is presented by Joseph E. Losee, MD, MBA, FACS, FAAP, a beloved return guest, on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week. Dr. Losee is Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Dr. Ross H. Musgrave Endowed Chair in Pediatric Plastic Surgery, a Professor and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, and a Professor of Business Administration at Katz Graduate School of Business. You can revisit his other episodes with us here: Embracing Resilience in Academic Medicine: https://facultyfactory.org/joseph-losee/ Examining the Need for Scientist Wellbeing Initiatives: https://facultyfactory.org/scientist-burnout/ You can also see slides from his “Four R's of Leadership” presentation here. [pdf] As discussed, leaders are often hired for their IQ but get fired for a lack of emotional intelligence (EQ). The good news? EQ can be learned, exercised, and grown. The four R's or leadership are as follows: Responsibility Regulation Resilience Relationships Recommended readings from this episode include Executive Presence 2.0 by Sylvia Ann Hewlett. How you act, speak, and appear—all matter as a leader, according to this literature, which Dr. Losee mentioned in the opening moments of the podcast. He also referenced the TEDx Talk "Let's Face It: Charisma Matters" by John Antonakis, which you can view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEDvD1IICfE “Charisma matters and it can be taught and learned,” as Dr. Losee told us. Other books and resources mentioned include: Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy C. Edmondson The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson TED Talk: Lucy Hone — The Three Secrets of Resilient People Building a Resilience Bank Account article by Michael A. Maddaus, MD: https://www.annalsthoracicsurgery.org/article/S0003-4975(19)31352-9/fulltext Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance Among U.S. Physicians Relative to the General U.S. Population: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1351351

In this episode of the GovDiscovery AI Podcast, host Mike Shanley, CEO of GovDiscovery AI, speaks with Mike Derrios, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Senior Procurement Executive at the U.S. Department of State. Derrios shares insights from his tenure at State​. The conversation explores the America First Global Health Strategy, State's ongoing reorganization, and broader federal acquisition reforms, offering valuable perspective for implementers, contractors, and NGOs navigating these shifts.   ​BIO:  Mike Derrios is a strategic leader and expert in government acquisition with 30 years of federal, military, and private sector experience. He currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Senior Procurement Executive for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), where he oversees all global procurement and grant operations for America's foreign diplomacy and national security mission, managing an annual spend of $15 billion and a workforce of 1500 across 270 embassies and consulates.   Previously, Mike served as the Head of Contracting for the United States Coast Guard where he led a $3.5 billion annual portfolio to recapitalize assets and leveraged policy to grant extraordinary contractual relief to salvage production facilities for the $10 billion Offshore Patrol Cutter program after a Level 5 hurricane decimated shipyard facilities. A plank holder for the Transportation Security Administration, Mike led the nationwide deployment of passenger and carry-on baggage screening equipment, valued at $5 billion, across 429 U.S. airports. He also served as the program director for expansion of TSA PreCheck®, launching a program that enrolls millions of Americans for expedited airport screening through a public-private partnership model.   As a senior business consultant at CACI, Mike helped to replace legacy contract writing systems for 20,000 procurement professionals across the Department of Defense. He started his career in the United States Air Force. Mike holds a Master of Business Administration degree from George Mason University (GMU) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Workforce Education & Development from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at GMU. Mike is passionate about delivering value through procurement, optimizing performance, and galvanizing teams to maximize opportunities.    LEARN MORE: Thank you for tuning into this episode of the GovDiscovery AI Podcast with Mike Shanley. You can learn more about working with the U.S. Government by visiting our homepage: Konektid International and GovDiscovery AI. To connect with our team directly, message the host Mike Shanley on LinkedIn.   https://www.govdiscoveryai.com/ https://www.konektid.com/  

In this episode, Donna and Tom sit down with Jeff Douville, Director of Logistics at General Dynamics Electric Boat to discuss supply chain leadership, logistics strategy, and lessons from a 40-year career spanning the military and industry. Jeff explains how focus, collaboration, and flow efficiency keep production lines moving, and he outlines strategies for managing disruption, from red-team risk planning to building agility, resilience, and decision-ready analytics. He also highlights technology opportunities such as AI, reshoring trends, and the importance of turning data into actionable decisions. Listeners will gain practical advice for supply chain professionals and students on leadership, teamwork, and preparing for a dynamic future in logistics. Takeaways:  Introduction to General Dynamics Electric Boat  Exploring commonalities between military, to automotive, and defense systems industries that all logisticians can apply  How the supply chain may evolve in the next 5-10 years  Advice for mid-career professionals and those starting out in the supply chain management field  Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apply Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us!  Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr  Guest Biography:  Jeff joined Electric Boat as Director of Logistics in May 2023. He is a career manufacturing & distribution supply chain leader having served in the U.S. Army, Defense Industry, Automotive Industry, and Consumer & Industrial Products Industry. Jeff takes great pride in inspiring shared success with a people-focused, performance-driven approach. His academic credentials include a Master's in Business Logistics & Operations Research from Penn State University, a Master's in Strategic Planning from the U.S. Army War College, and a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Jeff is an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional and serves on the Advisory Board of Penn State's Tarriff Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. 

Every once in a while, I meet someone whose story reminds me why inclusion and communication go hand in hand. My guest this week, Shabnam Asthana, is one of those people. She's a global PR leader, entrepreneur, and author who has spent her life turning words into bridges that connect people and purpose. We talk about her journey from teaching and lecturing at India's National Defence Academy to leading global communications for major brands—and what it taught her about empathy, leadership, and real inclusion. Shabnam shares how storytelling can turn data into emotion, and why true diversity is less about representation and more about respect. Her message is powerful and deeply human: being unstoppable begins with an open heart, quiet courage, and the willingness to rise again. If you're ready to lead with empathy and communicate with purpose, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. Highlights: 00:43 – Hear how early role models and a working mother raised ambitions and set a path toward leadership. 03:39 – Learn why strong communication skills pointed her toward PR and how debates built confidence. 05:24 – See why teaching became the first step when women in PR roles were rare in smaller cities. 08:12 – Discover what it took to lecture at India's National Defence Academy and earn respect in a rigid setting. 12:09 – Understand the leap from academia to corporate PR after being scouted for communication excellence. 15:50 – Learn how serving as a spokesperson shaped internal and external messaging at a Swedish-Indian firm. 17:01 – Gain a humble view of global work and why inclusion means moving from tokenism to listening. 21:08 – Compare India and Sweden and see how representation differs from real inclusion in practice. 24:18 – Learn how small, specific acts like adding sign to slides can make people feel genuinely seen. 34:24 – Find out how storytelling turns CSR spreadsheets into human change that inspires action. 43:22 – Explore the choice to found Empowered Solutions and why entrepreneurship kept growth alive. 53:06 – Take a fresh definition of an unstoppable mindset rooted in resilience and an open heart. About the Guest: A multi-faceted Professional, who has fast tracked from being a reputed National name to a well-respected and emulated global one! Shabnam Asthana has added new dimensions to Global PR and Communications. She has to her credit, post graduate degrees in English Literature, Public Relations and Advertising, an MBA in Marketing Management & several International certifications including a prestigious Hon. Doctorate in Business Administration from the National American University USA (NAU). She has over 25 years of rich professional experience. She started her career in the educational field as a high school teacher and then moved on to the role of a Lecturer at the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadkwasla. She was the only civilian who compered for the Passing out parades, PT & Equestrian display and the Graduation ceremony of the NDA for 3 consecutive years. This was covered live on Doordarshan. It was after one of the Passing out Parades that she was compering at the NDA, that a senior position in a reputed company was offered to her and thus began her foray into the corporate world. After her successful corporate stint in senior positions with reputed companies including Multinationals in India and abroad and reputed real estate businesses, she started her own PR and communications firm, Empowered Solutions in 2005 which has been running successfully since then. Adding offices in USA and Canada as part of its international expansion. Ways to connect with Jan: Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabnam_Asthana Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shabnamasthana/?hl=en Linked in - https://in.linkedin.com/in/dr-shabnam-asthana-7b174a5 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ShabnamAsthana/ X - https://x.com/shabnamasthana VyaapaarNiti Expert Profile - https://www.vyaapaarniti.com/expert/dr-shabnam-asthana- Tring Celebrity Platform - https://www.tring.co.in/shabnam-asthana About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, Hi again, everyone. I am your host, Michael Hingson, and you are here listening to or watching or both, unstoppable mindset today, our guest is a person of many talents, and I think you're going to be as amazed about her as I am. Shabnam Asthana is a person who has been involved in she was a teacher for a while. She's been very heavily involved in a variety of things at the corporate level. She started her own marketing firm in 2005 and I don't know what all my gosh, she's got so many things, it's really hard to keep up, but I'm sure she's going to tell us all about it, and I am looking forward to that. And I really appreciate all of you being here with us. So Shabnam, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. And thank you for being here.   Shabnam Asthana ** 02:15 Thank you, Michael, truly wonderful to be with here, and thank you for that amazing introduction. You make me feel as if I've worn a professional cape of so many accolades and so many things. It's wonderful to be here with you.   Michael Hingson ** 02:32 Michael, well, you do have lots of awards and lots of accolades.   Shabnam Asthana ** 02:38 That's just one part of the journey. The true reward is in the, you know, work that I do, these stories, that I shape, the narratives that spring in that is the true reward. And of course, accolades are always welcome, and they are a way of encouragement, which do ensure that, yes, I continue doing the good work.   Michael Hingson ** 03:00 Well, why don't we start back at the beginning, which is always fun to do. Why don't you tell us about the early Shabnam growing up?   Shabnam Asthana ** 03:08 Okay, that's something which is very close to my heart. I was born in India in a small city called Bokaro, Steel City. It was a Steel City. It was an industrial town, and we were a very close knit community, and we had lots of, you know, interaction with people. I came from a background where both my parents, my mother and my father were working, and at that point of time, a working woman was sort of seen as a novelty, not something I'm talking way, way back. And now the people will also guess my age, I guess because it's pretty way back. And that was the time when we weren't India was still developing, and women were still not seen as the working class, you know, especially in senior corporate positions. And my mother was a senior officer in the steel plant, so that set my aspirations and ambitions very high. And I wanted to emulate her. I wanted to be someone who was working now what I would do I was not very sure of, but yes, I wanted to be working. And then later on, my sister, my both my sisters, were also working, my older siblings, and of course, that set the tone for me to also hop into the professional shoes, and, you know, chart out a career path for myself. So,   Michael Hingson ** 04:44 so what? What did you do? As far as schooling? Did you go to college?   Shabnam Asthana ** 04:51 Yes, I went to the local school there, which was an English medium good school called sin Xavier School. And that was some. Thing which really groomed me for the future, that set the foundations for my career. And after that, I did my schooling in the my college, sorry, in the capital city of India, which is Delhi. And then on, I moved to a place which is close to Mumbai, which is Pune, and I continued my education there. And of course, my career started in Pune. That is when I got into academics, and then henceforth,   Michael Hingson ** 05:34 so when you were in college, and as you were coming out of it, what did you want to do with your life? What was your plan? Or did you have one?   Shabnam Asthana ** 05:43 Yes, I did have one. Like I said, I was always good in communications, and people used to tell me that you are a good communicator. I used to win all the debates. I used to win elocution competitions. And I said, Well, yes, communication does seem to be my forte, so why don't I build on that? And then I saw my father, he was in the public relations industry, and I somehow at the back of my mind, I said, Yes, that is something I would surely want to do. So why not try my hand at PR? And that's how the seeds of my career was planted in my mind, and then it developed there on.   Michael Hingson ** 06:30 But you started out in education and in teaching.   Shabnam Asthana ** 06:34 Yes, that's very interesting. I'll tell you. I wanted to start my career in PR, but I was in a place which was a small city, and it was a place called Jamshedpur, before I moved on to Pune, and there, the career scope was very limited. We didn't have women in the PR. In fact, it was unheard of. So the best thing, or the easiest thing that a woman could do was to hop on the bandwagon of academics. And not saying that it was something you know, that was not looked up to. But yes, I did enjoy my role as a school teacher. That was my first job in Jamshedpur, a small it was, again, a steel city in India, and I became a high school teacher, and quite enjoyed it, because that was also communication. It was the way you communicated with your students, and, you know, sort of got them into, got them interested in what they were learning. So that was, again a stepping stone, and it was the area of communications which expanded later on.   Michael Hingson ** 07:47 So how long did you stay in teaching?   Shabnam Asthana ** 07:51 I was there for about two years in Jamshedpur, and then I moved on to Pune. And guess what the next opportunity I got was as a lecturer in the National Defense Academy. That was a place where the future generals were being groomed, and I was a civilian who, sort of, I was the only civilian, probably, who got into the teaching profession there and there I spent a good four years truly memorable. Worth remembering recounting. There was so many incidents, and I loved teaching. That was something which I did at the National Defense Academy too. Although that was at a higher level, it was very different from the school teaching which I had done. This was more, you know, on a national level, where you had to be more, and there was a lot of discipline which came in, because it was the future, you know, Army personnel, Navy personnel, so all that, there was a lot of discipline that came in and that groomed me better. I understood what the world of discipline meant in the true sense, because I lived   Michael Hingson ** 09:10 it right. What? How did you discover the job at the defense Academy? Though that's certainly a whole lot different than teaching high school students or maybe not.   Shabnam Asthana ** 09:23 It is a whole lot intimidating. Let me tell you that it's very intimidating to walk into a room full of, you know, future generals, army people you don't know who you know who you are, I mean, who they are, and you sort of get very intimidated by the kind the aura is very, very intimidating.   Michael Hingson ** 09:46 How did you discover that job? Yes,   Shabnam Asthana ** 09:49 that was done. We in India, we have something which is called the employment exchange. So you register there and you give your qualify. You list down your qualifications, and you know whatever you are planning to do, and they invite you for certain vacancies. So one fine day, I was just sitting and having my lunch at home when I received a letter, and the letter was an interview call for the National Defense Academy. I literally jumped out of my skin because I was a school teacher, and then being asked to appear for an interview in the National Defense Academy itself was a big leap for me. Whether I got it or not was a different thing. But then to sort of come on board and go and sort of appear for an interview was also something very exciting. And when I went there, I was like, I said, the only civilian The rest were army officers, wives and daughters, you know, related to the working personnel there. So when I went, I was interviewed by the three representatives from all the three wings, that is the Navy, the Air Force and Army. And that was a very good experience. They asked me a lot of questions, and I believe it was later on I was told that it was my confidence that got me in. So thanks to that, I   Michael Hingson ** 11:23 was going to ask you why you why you got in, or why you think you got in. And yes,   Shabnam Asthana ** 11:30 yeah, I did ask them that later, and unofficially, I was told that. Well, it was the way you carried yourself, the confidence and, you know, the excitement and enthusiasm that you shared, which was very, very refreshing.   Michael Hingson ** 11:48 So what exactly did you do at the academy?   Shabnam Asthana ** 11:53 I was teaching them English, and I was teaching them literature. I don't know how interested they were in literature, but then the feedback that I got, which was, you know, the it was a routine feedback, which we have the teachers get. So I used to get good marks, and people used to say, yes, that, you know, your classes are engrossing. It's good. And then, apart from that, there was something very interesting I did, which was I compared for their passing out parades, and I compared for all their shows. And that was something which was covered on television, and that gave me a different kind of foothold in my profession, where I was being seen, where I was being heard, and my confidence grew by leaps and bounds. I was being accepted as a woman. I was being accepted as a civilian. And that was something which was very, very heartwarming for me,   Michael Hingson ** 13:01 and I would assume, very difficult to achieve,   Shabnam Asthana ** 13:05 I think so I do yes, in retrospect, yes.   Michael Hingson ** 13:09 So you did that for roughly four years. Yes. And why did you leave that? What was your? Was your thought about that,   Shabnam Asthana ** 13:21 okay, I would have gone on. It was such a glorious part of my career. But, you know, change, they say, is constant, and that is something which happened. I was comparing for a passing out parade when the chairman of a corporate company which was doing rather well, heard me, and he was impressed by my communication, my speaking abilities, my, you know, the way I was presenting things. And he said he offered me a job, and he said, Why don't you come and join my office and come in as a PR person for my company, and that's exactly I was actually, you know, not very sure whether I wanted to leave this an industry and career where I was already established, where people knew me, and just hop on to the corporate world. But if you remember, that was my ambition. That was what I had always won right at the start. So the moment it came, it almost felt as if it fell into my laps. And I said, Why don't I do that? Yes, and this is a good opportunity, and I must take it up. My I spoke to my family, and they too, felt that it was a good stepping stone to move on. And so I accepted it, and that was my entry into the world of PR, in the corporate   Michael Hingson ** 14:48 world. So what year was that this   Shabnam Asthana ** 14:53 was way back on now you are prompting me to give away my age, which is like. Like ancient, I'd be a fossil. Okay, yes, this was way back in the 90s,   Michael Hingson ** 15:06 okay, and that was kind of what I was curious about. So at that time, industry was a little bit more stable than it was later on, but, but still, you You did it, and you so you stepped into that goal, into that role, and so you became part of the PR world, which is, as you said, what you wanted to do initially, anyway. So, so how long did you stay at that company? I   Shabnam Asthana ** 15:39 stayed there for about four years, and then the chairman of the company passed away. Unfortunately, he was on a trip to China, and he suffered a massive cardiac arrest, so I was working very closely with him in his office, and as is the norm of the industry, once the leader is not there things you know, sort of crumble, and you know, there's reorganization. New faces come in, and normally the new people bring their own teams. So I felt as if, you know, before they told me to sort of move out or something. I don't know why I pre empted that. I said, Why don't I myself make a shift and join some other industry? I mean, join some other company, which I did. Again, I applied. It was a Swedish company, and again, it was one of the best moves that I could have made. I spent a good 12 years in that company, which Hogan is India Limited, I must name them. They were brilliant. And I spent a very, very good part of my career with that company.   Michael Hingson ** 16:56 And so again, you did primarily PR, or what did you Yes, it was   Shabnam Asthana ** 17:02 PR and it was handling the chairman and managing director's office. So the entire communication was handled through me, the internal as well as the external communication. I was a spokesperson, yes,   Michael Hingson ** 17:18 so you became so in a sense, sort of the face of the company.   Shabnam Asthana ** 17:21 Yes, I did. It's nice to feel that yes, that it was a good many years that I was the face of the company in terms of communication, yes,   Michael Hingson ** 17:33 right, right. And, and where were you doing this?   Shabnam Asthana ** 17:38 This was in Pune, and their head office was in Sweden. I used to sort of move between the two. It was a very global company. The subsidiary was an Indian subsidiary, but the parent company was Swedish. So we had a lot of global travel   17:56 that kept you busy. That did so   Shabnam Asthana ** 17:59 there were conferences, and there were so many meetings which were happening,   Michael Hingson ** 18:03 yes, right? So what did, what did you? What did you learn from all of that? Do you think   Shabnam Asthana ** 18:12 it was a very humbling experience? You know, more than the excitement, I was armed with a lot of excitement, because that would have been one of my first trips outside India. I was I had a lot of excitement, lots of things were on my mind, but then ultimately, when one does travel and work in a global company, it's a very humbling experience, because you are exposed to your strengths and also your blind spots, your strengths, your weaknesses, everything comes to you and then you feel that diversity is not always about representation. It's about respect and inclusion is moving from tokenism to listening. That is what I felt, you know, adapting various voices to your workplace, working in unison, trying to empathize with people from different cultures, different streams, different departments, all that really broadened my horizon. So that was something which I learned.   Michael Hingson ** 19:30 So what was the culture like, in terms of since you were at a global company, as it were, how was it different when you were dealing with Sweden, as opposed to when you were dealing with India.   Shabnam Asthana ** 19:45 In India, we don't have diversity as a choice. In India, we are served diversity on a platter because you are born with being diverse. You have. Are numerous religions, you have culture. So we are adaptable people in that sense. But strangely enough, it's a paradox. If I would tell you that inclusion is still a work in progress. Inclusion isn't automatic. It doesn't come to you like that. You have to work for it. Now there is a big change, but I'm talking of the days, way back in the 90s when women in boardrooms were a novelty. So sometimes it was just purely for ornamental value. Sad to say that. But gradually you had to open up, you have to open the doors, and you have to say, look, we are here for a reason. And please listen to our voices too. And that's how we started. I started sort of, I remember once when I was moving in India. I mean, not in Sweden, but once when I was in India, and I was in a strategic board meeting. I was the only woman in the room, and the people were sort of, I could sense the expressions. People were curious, people were dismissing. People were sort of, you know, not sort of prepared to take or listen to me, that was a little bit of a setback. But then gradually, when I started moving abroad, and I started seeing more women, and then gradually, when I was moving so were the others, and they too saw the kind of change that was happening. And so it was pretty difficult in India, initially, if I were to be very honest, Sweden was more inclusive. I could see a lot of women in the workforce. And gradually, since we were sort of interacting with each other, we absorbed each other's cultures and values, and the company became very, very inclusive. So it was a pleasure to work there.   Michael Hingson ** 22:08 Okay, so in a sense, there were, there are parts of Sweden that made you happier than what you were in the East initially experiencing in India.   Shabnam Asthana ** 22:19 Absolutely, absolutely, and I have no hesitation in saying that, because they were welcoming. They were welcoming. And the not necessarily my company, but any company in India, the representation of women, especially in PR, was very, very limited. Now we have evolved, and it's a world of difference, and I'm so happy to see that.   Michael Hingson ** 22:48 How about you, may or may not have a lot of expertise in this, but how about if we're going to talk about inclusion and so on, people with disabilities, both in India and in Sweden and so on and again. I don't know whether you really had much experience or exposure to that. I   Shabnam Asthana ** 23:06 do. I did have my share of exposure, maybe not extensive, but yes, I do. I remember there's this one incident I'd like to talk to you about. It was in Paris. I was in a conference, and there was a deaf girl in the conference room. I could see people making presentations and knowing fully well, because we had the list of participants, and we had their intros, their introductions with us, my team. And you know, of course, I headed that team. We made a special endeavor to include sign in our presentation. And she was so happy because she said, you know, she came to me and she expressed to me that although I have participated so many times in meetings, and especially corporate meetings, I am so happy to see. It was the first time that I felt I was seen and I was not just a presence. So she was very happy with the kind of, you know, preparation that we did for her especially. So I believe it's very nice if people learn to respect each other and learn to believe that not everybody is similar. You may have so many strengths which I don't have. I do not see any physical disability as a handicap. I'm very, very sure about that, I do not see anybody who appears different or who doesn't have the same listening capacity, hearing capacity, to be different from me. They have their own strengths. So I truly believe that, you know, disability. In that sense, is something which does not put a person in the back seat. How.   Michael Hingson ** 25:09 How was that attitude received? Well, both at the company, when you were when you were in the room with her, and you were signing and so on. How did other people receive that? And how was that kind of attitude received initially in India?   Shabnam Asthana ** 25:29 Well, to be very honest, Michael, it wasn't something that is the done thing. People do not accept that. They are like, well, it's a general presentation. We really don't have to make specific I do remember a person who came up to me and said, Shabnam, why did you make a very specific presentation? It was a very general presentation by you doing that, you have set a precedent for others to sort of make them feel small, you know. So he took it in a very negative way. Said, you've made us feel very small. I said, no, please do not look at it that way. It is something where we have made her feel a part of us. It is not trying to belittle anybody, trying not to, you know, get a an edge over others. All of us are the same. It's just that I made it a little easier for her. That's what I just told him, and probably he did, walk away with a smile. I don't know whether it was a sarcastic one or whether it was a smile of acceptance, but then I got my   Michael Hingson ** 26:38 point. I took was this was this in Sweden or India. This was in Paris. In Paris, okay, yes,   Shabnam Asthana ** 26:46 okay, this was a conference, which was   Michael Hingson ** 26:49 she said that, right? Well, you know, the reality is that's all part of the inclusive mindset and the inclusion mindset, and it is so true that most people don't tend to realize it Yes. So I hear what you're saying,   Shabnam Asthana ** 27:10 yes, and realization and sort of acceptance has evolved. People are more accepting. People are more flexible. You know, the rigidity earlier, people were very rigid. Now there is a lot of flexibility. I believe that, right?   Michael Hingson ** 27:32 Well, I think it's better. I'm I think there are still all too many people who tend not to really have an overly inclusive mindset. And it is, it is something that that will be with us for a while, and hopefully over time, people will become more open and realize the value of inclusion. In this country, we have, well and around the world, we have a significant number of people who have these so called physical disabilities, and the reality is that the disability is more caused by inaction mostly than it is by real action.   Shabnam Asthana ** 28:12 Absolutely yes. And I also seriously believe that diversity enriches the outcomes. I have some I have practical experience, and I've seen that. So inclusion enriches outcomes in many ways, right?   Michael Hingson ** 28:35 How has all of your traveling and all of your exposure in various places around the world. How has that tended to shape your understanding of diversity and inclusion?   Shabnam Asthana ** 28:50 Okay, yes, that's a very interesting question. I have seen that challenges are real, biases, stereotypes and expectations that women need to prove themselves twice as much also exists in many, many parts of the world. So they have been. I mean, there have been certain cultures, certain countries, which are very easy to breeze through when you are at work meetings or you're talking to people. But there are certain countries in the let's say in the Middle East, the Far East, which are still not very open to, you know, women taking on lead roles, women strategizing, women talking things that would influence decisions. So sometimes there's also a word I'd like to put in here that sometimes it is not country specific. Specific. It is very individual, specific. So there, like you said, you know, there are certain mindsets which still exist. There are people who may be residing in countries that are very open and very receptive, but their own mindset is limiting. And it is a mindset which is closed, it is rigid. So that stops and that prevents any inclusion. You know that, if I were to put it that way, so I would say it's not merely, not always country specific. Yes, individuals have to evolve themselves and change their mindsets. So it's sometimes I've seen it's countries are good, but some individuals are rigid. I've seen some individuals that are good, but the countries that are rigid. So it sort of works both ways.   Michael Hingson ** 30:54 And it's not just about women, it is about anybody who is different. Yes, then the so called norm, whatever that happens to be, absolutely   Shabnam Asthana ** 31:03 inclusion is not limited to women. So again, I'd like to clarify that it's inclusion is a broad spectrum. So yes, of course, we are a small part of it. But yes,   Michael Hingson ** 31:17 you have written a book, yes, romancing your career and and also you've done a lot of mentoring, obviously, and so on. But what do you mean when you talk about women? And I would say anybody who's different need to define success on their own terms. Tell me more about that.   Shabnam Asthana ** 31:41 So women, or anybody, let's not be very specific about women, because then it would be detracting from the main subject of inclusion. Anybody who wants to be heard has to believe in one thing, that silence is not the answer. Courage is so you have to move from silence to courage. Try and portray your point of view. Speak to people if they listen to you good enough if they don't, it's not as if the doors are closed. If the doors are closed, you can surely open a window for yourself, and it works. So just being silent or being very subdued or being very you know sad that your point of view, or being upset, for that matter, that your point of view is not being listened to is not the answer. You have to show courage. You have to do your homework, right? Remember that value is something that takes anybody places. It's not about being a woman, it's not about being any nationality, any ethnicity. It's just that you have to carry value in whatever you are trying to bring to the table. Once people see value, they will forget whether you are of XYZ nationality or you're an Indian, or you are of any other you're any other gender, if I may say that. So it's the value that a person should work towards. Everybody should work towards bringing value to the table. That is what will get you noticed, and that is what will see you going places. Yes, it did.   Michael Hingson ** 33:43 And again, I think one of the important things is that, from my standpoint, and I keep pushing it, but it's there is that it also is the same for for so called disabilities. One of the things that I maintain is that everybody on the planet has a disability, and the disability for most people is that you depend on light in order to function, and when suddenly light disappears, you have a big problem, unless you have a way to get light back on demand. But we are. We're not ready to accept that as a as a race yet, so people think that's cute, but, but they're not ready to accept it. It doesn't change the fact that it's really there. But the fact of the matter is that that people do have to speak up for themselves, and there are ways to do that, and there are ways not to do that. It isn't a matter of being obnoxious and demanding, but it is all about, as you expressed it earlier, being confident and showing that confidence and showing your knowledge and showing what you bring to the table absolutely well. You've been involved in PR for a long time, and I'm sure that you would agree, one of the main tools that people in the public relations world and elsewhere have to offer is storytelling. I believe the best salespeople are people who can tell stories and can help relate. But my question would be to ask you, how can storytelling bridge communities and bring people together?   Shabnam Asthana ** 35:31 Storytelling is a very, very strong element of PR. Storytelling humanizes everything. It brings in a lot of connection. So people connect automatically, if your storytelling is good, so like I keep telling all my juniors as well or new interns who join in corporate fact sheets can be informative. They can give you facts, but storytelling will transform everything. So you move from information to transformation. Storytelling is the human angle to everything. All of us love you a human angle. For example, let me tell you I was in a meeting which was quite a few years ago, and the CEO of the company was telling me they've done a lot of work in corporate social responsibility. So he wanted to tell me about all the expenditure that they've done. They've uplifted so many schools. They've done so much. They've spent so much on education, they've spent so much on water, on sanitation and so many other things, which has improved the lives of the citizens there. I told him, could you tell me one story of one life that has been affected. So he was at a loss because he had not he did not dive deep into that. He didn't look beyond the numbers and the figures. So his HR person stepped in and he told me a story of a girl. She was an Indian girl. Her name was Aarti. How they had transformed her life, and she had moved on to studying in Howard, and she was being employed in one of the top American companies there. So that was something, a story of transformation. So that is so you know, I believe the power of storytelling and that connected everybody, even his own people, were not aware. The employees were not aware. They were just sort of working like robos, putting in their number of hours, doing their work, not going beyond their call of duty to actually see what was happening to the effects, the efforts of their activities. This was something which we brought out in all their corporate brochures, in all the marketing that they were doing, in all the marketing collaterals that worked wonders. We had lots of inquiries for people who wanted to support them in many ways. We had an interview of the girl, and it was something which was very we added a human angle. So like I said, storytelling humanizes the entire concept, and that is something which connects people. So, yes, it's very   Michael Hingson ** 38:42 interesting. Did he learn to tell stories after that?   Shabnam Asthana ** 38:46 I believe so, because he was so he was really taken aback. And he said, Wow, I never really thought about it. And you told me, You changed my perspective. You made me see it differently. And if I were to say we got a good retainership After that, because he was very happy and my contract was renewed. So that was something which sort of affected the contract too well.   Speaker 1 ** 39:19 The reality is that when you tell a story, it is telling stories is something that most everyone can truly relate to, and when you tell a story that someone listens to or hears and reacts to it,   Michael Hingson ** 39:40 there's nothing better than that, and it's really important that that kind of thing happens. So I'm really glad to hear that you like storytelling. I think it is so important that we have that   39:51 absolutely,   Michael Hingson ** 39:54 yeah, it's so important to be able to do that. Well, you've told us a little bit. About inclusion and diversity and so on in India and in other countries. Do you think it's changing, both in India and in other countries? And how is it changing?   Shabnam Asthana ** 40:15 It is changing. If you go back to the 90s to the present day, you will see that people have become I think it has a lot to do with travel. It has a lot to do with interaction. So people are interacting with each other. I speak to you, you speak to me, you tell me something about you, and I say, Hey, is that worth listening to? Yes, it is. And I try and change my mindset. I become more receptive. I try and tell you my viewpoint. You listen to me. You hear me out. So I have seen companies that have moved beyond check boxes of how many women, how many people with disabilities they've, you know, inducted in the employment stream, in their jobs, and it's become more of the CEOs or the top management asking their people, how many voices have we listened to? How many decisions have been made by these people whom we have taken in. You know, how have we evolved as a company? So that has made me see in boardrooms, in various meetings, that the top management is also very aware of what kind of decisions, what policies, are being framed with people as a diverse group. And it's not funneled or restricted to just the top few. It trickles down and it goes to the people they've hired from diverse groups, and it becomes like a voice of the company. So I have seen that changing, and I have seen that diversion is now diversity sort of is moving more towards the corporate DNA. So it is not a demand anymore. It's not a checkbox. It's more as if it is flowing in naturally, and people are more aware of it. So that's what I've seen.   Michael Hingson ** 42:32 It's a mindset, it is, and people are starting to adopt that. How is it changing in India? You said that in India there's a lot more diversity. But you said inclusion isn't so much there.   Shabnam Asthana ** 42:46 Yes, it is in see in India, it was globally, I saw that diversion was backed by policies, and there was a certain framework which had a set of rules. It had a set of code of conduct. But in India, it was more based on individual goodwill. So we had people, if the CEO or the top management was pro diversity, it would happen automatically, because the ones at the junior level had no choice. They had to naturally comply. But here now in India, it's become more organized, more structured, and people, there are departments now which look into issues of diversity and inclusion, and they try and make the organization work towards that. So they are big companies. They are small companies in India, all are trying to absorb this in the corporate DNA, like I said. So people are conscious. And there are conscious. There are seminars which are happening. People are being spoken to. There is workplace, you know sensitization that follows. People talk about it, people discuss it, and there is a lot of exchange of dialog which happens. So people talk, people learn, people adapt   Michael Hingson ** 44:15 well. So you you work for the Swedish company, for you said, like, 12 years, and then what did you   Shabnam Asthana ** 44:25 do after that? I moved on to, you know, start my own company, which was empowered solutions. That's my brain child, and it's a communications PR and communications company, and I, sort of, I'm the founder director for that the Empowered solutions is my company now, and we are completed. It was set up in 2005 October.   Michael Hingson ** 44:50 2005 what? What made you decide to leave the bigger corporate world and take on all of the challenges of entrepreneur? Leadership and starting your own company, because that certainly is a major change.   Shabnam Asthana ** 45:04 It is I was in the top management. I had a set job, I had the name, the recognition, everything that comes with that. But somehow there was still that kind of, I would say, curiosity, to experiment and to try on newer things. And I am a person who gets a little bored of stagnation, and I had almost reached the height of my career in these companies, and there was nothing more I could do unless I bought over those companies and sort of, you know, became the president and the chairman, which I would I could not do. So I said, Why don't I sort of diversify and take all this learning that I have, all the goodwill that I've earned over the years with the people that have been my clients, with my colleagues, with the people I've met in my business conferences. Why don't I take all this and try and set up something on of my own where I am at liberty to do whatever I want to do without the time pressure, you know, without a pressure of morning meetings and you know, things which have to be a nine to five kind of a role here, I do agree that it is a 24 by seven job that I'm doing at present, because I'm always available. And, you know, I believe that accessibility is very important if you have to be successful, you can't sort of close off and say, no, no, I'm, you know, if somebody needs you, you can't say, Okay, I'm just closing my door and my office. So that was the the, you know, the excitement of experimenting once again and seeing, of course, entrepreneurship is something which is very exciting, and that was something which I wanted to experiment and try and see how I could change that. And, you know, get it into my career. And, you know, get off the normal nine to five job. So that's what I did. I wanted to experiment.   Michael Hingson ** 47:21 So tell me a little bit more about if you would what your company does and how you serve clients and so on. And where are your clients?   Shabnam Asthana ** 47:29 Okay, so basically, it is a PR and communications company, and we have clients now globally. I have primarily in India, because that is where my office is. But I do have clients in Europe, in us, in Canada, where I am currently. And yes, it is more about public relations and communications, and that's what we do. So it's essentially a diversification of I have also taken on writing as part of one of my services. So I do a lot of book writing. I take on people who want to be either who want to tell a story, and who don't have either the time or the expertise. I write for them. I ghost right for them. We also do events. So we have done a couple of events globally, not on a very large scale, but yes, we do have. So it's events, it's public relations, it's communications, it's training, and it's writing.   Michael Hingson ** 48:39 So that's it, right? Well, so you have written one book. Are you looking at doing any more books? By any chance?   Shabnam Asthana ** 48:49 Now I have ghost written about 16 books. So they're all ghost written and under a contract where I don't disclose the names of the books. But yes, I've authored three books, and the first one was romancing your career, a very interesting and fascinating book. That was my first book, and later on, I went on to do two biographies, and yes, I'm doing a couple more correctly, where they are being authored by me. So I'm writing the biographies.   Michael Hingson ** 49:26 So today, in all the work that that you're, that you're doing, do you, do you get involved with many international projects?   Shabnam Asthana ** 49:39 Yes, not many, but yes, we are doing a slow and steady progress there. And we do, I do, keep getting a lot of inquiries. And I must say that I have got a couple of inquiries recently which are very interesting. And I. Working on those. Maybe it's a little premature to tell you that, but yes, there is one big project that has come my way, and we're planning to expand from there. Well.   Michael Hingson ** 50:12 So you have experienced a lot of different countries and so on, and India is certainly becoming more of an economic and a world power in the in terms of what all is happening. Do you think that that the attitudes of India and the way India deals with inclusion and so on is making a difference, and Will that continue to happen?   Shabnam Asthana ** 50:43 Well, Michael, it will, because we are moving out of our country, and we have, you know, taken spots in so many other countries. So if we want to be included, it's high time we practice the same. So we have to welcome other cultures. We have to welcome other nationalities if we hope to be welcomed in other countries as well. So that is something which has really influenced the thinking of people, because we can't be rigid. We can't be, you know, thinking in our own way. And say, Well, let's not do it, because we have to welcome other countries if we have to work and move out of India. So yes, Michael, I will say that very hard. It's very heartening to note that it is changing, and it will continue to do so. In fact, you know, India is moving from being seen as an outsourced to something which people sort of welcome with open arms. But then, yes, things are changing. There are things which are happening which may limit the movement of people, or it may increase the flow of people. But then, well, we have to adopt, adapt and move on.   Michael Hingson ** 52:04 Yeah, well, there's always going to be some of that which makes which makes sense. Yes. What kind of advice would you give to someone, especially young professionals, women and others who are different? What advice would you give to someone who may feel excluded or undervalued in their careers.   Shabnam Asthana ** 52:25 The best thing that I would like to say is that if you hear a no, don't let it bog you down, because be sure that tomorrow you will hear a better yes, it will be something that is shaping the way for your future. So you must not let any naysayers or any projects that fail bog you down just because you're a woman or because you're different or anybody you know. You have to show your courage, you have to be resilient, and you have to lean on your inner strengths. The best magic, the you know, time tried and tested formula, which I would advocate, is leaning on your inner strengths. All of us have a lot of strengths, believe you me, we may not know it, but all of us have a lot of strengths. So when you see a situation that is not to your liking, just lean on your inner strengths. Take a deep breath and say today's no will be a yes tomorrow, and that is the courage that you must move ahead with anybody, irrespective of whether you are a woman or you are any person who is stepping into the corporate world. Just value yourself. Always Be confident. Wear the confidence. And that's the best accessory that you would have.   Michael Hingson ** 54:03 How would you define unstoppable mindset?   Shabnam Asthana ** 54:08 Unstoppable mindset is not something which is something which rises beyond limitations. And by limitations, I don't mean only individual limitations. It may be the limitations of the other people. Let that not define your limitation. Your the term unstoppable, to me, is a term which shows resilience. It shows something where you can fumble. It's very natural to fumble, to stumble, to fall down, to face challenges, to face, you know, rejections. It's very normal, but unstoppable is. Being able to get up again with greater strength, with a better mindset, more courageously, and more importantly, with an open heart, which says, Yes, I will do it. You cannot say you cannot. You know, sort of put me down in any way. My courage is there, my inner strength is there. I am unstoppable in that sense.   Michael Hingson ** 55:28 I think the most important thing that you just said is that you have to do it with an open heart. I think everyone should do that you may learn that your idea may not be the best solution, and it might be the best solution, but you won't know that until you truly have an open heart and an open mind.   Shabnam Asthana ** 55:46 Truly, yes, absolutely, an open heart, I would say, is really, really key. It's very, very important.   Michael Hingson ** 55:56 What keeps you motivated as you continue to advocate for adverse diversity and inclusion and equity and so on.   Shabnam Asthana ** 56:04 What keeps me motivated? Michael, are many things, but then what i If I could just zero down on a couple of them, I would say that what keeps me motivated is the trust that people had in me, and, you know, to give me certain jobs, roles, the trust that they had to sort of say, okay, you can do it. And then I did it. And the people, what keeps me motivated is something also very nice, which somebody came up to me at a recent conference in Germany, and they said, you know, the reason why I didn't give up is because of you. That is me, because I motivated them to do something, and that was your motivation for me, I was like, Okay, if I can motivate you, I too can stay motivated for a long, long time to come. And that's something which I do. I try to inspire and I try to inspire myself as well in the process.   Michael Hingson ** 57:07 Well, if you could leave everyone who is involved in hearing this podcast and so on today, if you could leave them with one powerful message about embracing diversity and so on. What would that message be?   Shabnam Asthana ** 57:23 Well, that message would be that whatever is happening today, if you feel that there is even a little bit of acceptability, that is because somebody else has worked towards it, so now it is your chance to give it back to society, to keep working, to keep opening doors for people, for a better tomorrow, for a more inclusive tomorrow. And diversity doesn't and inclusivity doesn't happen overnight. You have to work towards it. There is a it's the whole process, and you have to work towards it relentlessly. Continue working. Somebody else has worked. They have pushed you forward. They have done a whole lot of things. Now it's your turn to do your bit and ensure that the people who are coming after you come to a better tomorrow, a more inclusive tomorrow.   Michael Hingson ** 58:27 It also, by definition, means that we need to learn how to work with each other and support and help each other,   Shabnam Asthana ** 58:34 of course. And empathy. Empathy is the key, empathy, sensitivity, all that.   Michael Hingson ** 58:41 So if people would like to reach out to you, maybe use your company services or talk with you. How can they do that?   Shabnam Asthana ** 58:48 They could contact me. You can write to me at my email id, which is Shabnam, S, H, A, B n, a m, at empowered solutions, my company name, E, M, P, O, W, E, R, E, D, S, o, l, U, T, I O, N, S, dot, I n, that's my name. The emails will reach me. That's an inbox which you know I'm monitoring myself, and be sure that you will receive a reply. I'd love to hear from people, and I love to communicate. I love to write back. So very welcome.   Michael Hingson ** 59:30 And I would ask, just sort of on principle, if anyone reaches out to Shabnam, who has heard this podcast, please mention that, just so that she knows where you where you discovered her, and I think that would be a good thing to do. Well, I want to thank you for being here. I think this has been absolutely wonderful. I think we've learned a lot I have and I value the insights that you bring. So I hope that other people will take the. Those same insights away, there's there's a lot to learn here, and there's a lot to gain from this. So I want to thank you again for being here, and maybe we'll have to do this again in the future.   Shabnam Asthana ** 1:00:12 I'd love to do that. And Michael, I'd like to thank you for hosting this wonderful, wonderful show. I have seen your episodes. They are brilliant, and it's really nice. I was so looking forward to this. It's been an absolute pleasure to interact with you, and I hope that we'll be doing more of this in the near future.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:35 Well, we'll have to explore that, and I want to thank all of you who are out there watching and listening. I want to thank you for being here. We appreciate you very much. Wherever you're listening or watching. Please give us a five star review. We value that very highly. We really would appreciate you saying good things about us. A five star review is always a wonderful thing. I'd like to hear from you as well. I'd like to hear what your thoughts are about this podcast. Feel free to email me at Michael M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, love to hear from you. Love to hear your thoughts. We value them, and we take all the comments that we get from people very much to heart. So we appreciate you doing that. And if you know anyone else who ought to be a guest on our podcast, who you think ought to be a guest, let us know. Introduce us. Shabnam, that's also true for you, please. If you know anyone who ought to be a guest, we'd love to meet people and have them come on the podcast and also help us show how we're all more unstoppable than we think we are, or we thought we were. So once again, though, I want to thank you for being here. Shabnam, this has been wonderful. Thank you very much.   Shabnam Asthana ** 1:01:51 Thank you, Michael, thank you to all the listeners.   **Michael Hingson ** 1:01:59 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Have you ever thought about building an international brand around the world? Or, wondered what it might be like in leading a company through national and international growth? Our guest today is Tianna Strateman, who is the brand president of Club Pilates, and she shares with us her insights and lessons learned on growing from 200 franchises to more than 1,400 around the world.TODAY'S WIN-WIN:Community doesn't just happen when you open the doors. A lot of work has to go into creating it.LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:Schedule your free franchise consultation with Big Sky Franchise Team: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/. You can visit our guest's website at: https://www.clubpilates.com/Attend our Franchise Sales Training Workshop:  https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/franchisesalestraining/Connect with our guest on social:https://www.facebook.com/clubpilates/https://www.instagram.com/clubpilates/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/club-pilates-san-diego/ABOUT OUR GUEST:Tianna Strateman discovered Pilates at just 12 years old as a way to support her training as a dancer, sparking a lifelong passion for the practice. While studying Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Nutrition and Health at the University of Southern California, she also became a certified Pilates instructor. Today, Tianna combines her business expertise and love for Pilates as President of Club Pilates, the largest premium Pilates brand in the world with more than 1,000 studios globally. ABOUT BIG SKY FRANCHISE TEAM:This episode is powered by Big Sky Franchise Team. If you are ready to talk about franchising your business you can schedule your free, no-obligation, franchise consultation online at: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/.The information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any business decisions. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Big Sky Franchise Team, or our affiliates. Additionally, this podcast may feature sponsors or advertisers, but any mention of products or services does not constitute an endorsement. Please do your own research before making any purchasing or business decisions.

Timestamps04:53 - Product-Led vs. Sales-Led Growth14:22 - How to Educate a Slow-Moving Market24:43 - Sales Metrics in a product vs sale- led approach34:16 - Choosing between product-led or sales-ledThis episode was produced by Founders Hive — a community of founders, experts, and investors driving entrepreneurship in Switzerland. We support early-stage startups in becoming investment-ready and guide them through the fundraising journey. As a partner of the Entrepreneurship Training programme, empowered by Innosuisse — Switzerland's innovation agency — we contribute to strengthening startups, SMEs, and research institutions in their innovation and growth.Checkout this link to learn more about Founders Hive, empowered by Innosuisse.Episode Summary:Igor Martin is the CEO of Hydromea, a Swiss deep-tech company building underwater wireless networks and portable intelligent robots to make data collection below the surface faster, safer, and cleaner. He holds an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Saint Louis University.Ramzi Bouzerda is the Founder and CEO of Droople, a B2B cleantech startup developing a water intelligence platform that digitizes the “last mile” of water, from faucets to appliances, combining IoT, AI, and SaaS to help buildings save resources and money. He holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from EPFL. In this Opposing Views episode, they debate what really drives startup growth: sales-led or product-led strategies. Drawing from opposite industries - one building beneath the ocean, the other inside buildings. They reveal how timing, product maturity, and customer education shape growth models.They discuss why hybrid models often win in industrial tech, how to balance education with revenue, and what metrics truly matter beyond vanity KPIs. The conversation also dives into managing long sales cycles, using customer feedback loops to guide product evolution, and the ultimate truth every founder learns: great sales can't save a bad product.The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smartportrait. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Don't forget to give us a follow on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there's no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

"I can only describe the Process in poetry, because it's that spiritual for me." Jessica Harjo In July 2022, Jessica Harjo came to the Hoffman Process to learn how to parent after realizing the coping mechanisms she'd developed to help her manage the weight of motherhood and career no longer worked for her. And of course, she came for so much more than she could imagine. As a Native woman with a complex multicultural ancestry - Indigenous, San Carlos Apache, Indigenous, Chicana, Mexican, Filipina, Japanese, and European - Jessica found the Process to be deeply spiritual. She shares that she likens her Process experience to a sweat lodge. "Finding that moment where you're in it and you're closing your eyes, and you hear the songs, you can hear the prayers, and then you start to connect. You start to remember; you start to heal. And then when the flaps of that sweat lodge open, you crawl out on your knees, and when you come out into the life, you feel like you're born again into the world. That was the experience of my Process. It reconnected me to my spirit in that way. It lit my inner fire." Before the Process, Jessica realized that stress had caused her to forget her past and past self. Coming out of the Process, feeling born again, she realized she now had "new eyes." Going home, Jessica saw each member of her family as a spiritual being.  She saw the light in nature. She'd found herself. A little over two years later, Jessica attended the inaugural BIPOC Q2, a weekend retreat. She worked to heal ancestral wounds. Over this powerful Q2 weekend, Jessica says she came home. We hope you enjoy this powerful conversation with Jessica and Sadie. More about Jessica Harjo: Jessica, daughter Rulan, and husband Tim. Jessica Harjo is a soul embodied human being and lifelong learner. She's a proud homemaker and mother of three daughters, three stepchildren, and four grandchildren. For the past eighteen years, Jessica has worked in the nonprofit sector as the Director of Operations for the Tribal Law and Policy Institute. Her multicultural ancestry (Indigenous/San Carlos Apache, Indigenous/Chicana/Mexican, Filipina, Japanese, and European) has been a source of strength in her life and is reflected in her work to recognize and uplift multicultural and Indigenous knowledge. As a nonprofit leader, Jessica specializes in policy development, administrative infrastructure and team development, project management, HR implementation, business, and financial operations management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Film, Media, and Social Justice and a minor in Business Administration. Jessica also holds an MBA from Mount Saint Mary's University. Mount Saint Mary's is the only women's university in Los Angeles, and is known for their annual report on the Status of Women and Girls in California. Jessica has volunteered on numerous nonprofit boards that serve Indigenous communities. She's an active volunteer for the Hoffman Inner Work for Indigenous Leaders Advisory Circle and the Indigenous outreach team. She provides support for other Indigenous Process fellows and graduates. A student of Yoga philosophy, Nichiren Buddhism, and Indigenous Mindfulness, Jessica is currently working on her RYT500 Yoga Teacher Training. She regularly uses her Hoffman tools to continue healing, visualizing, and growing. This has been the journey of her lifetime. The Process brought her to herself, and the BIPOC Q2 brought her home. Jessica and her husband, Tim Harjo, live in Oklahoma, where they balance their careers, family life, and running Sovereign Ranch, a first-generation, Native owned bison ranch. Follow Jessica on Instagram. Listen on Apple Podcasts As mentioned in this episode: Tim Harjo, Jessica's husband. Listen to Tim on the Hoffman Podcast: Amplifying Native Voices Asanas and The Eight Limbs of Yoga The Conscious Parent, by Dr. Shefali Tsabary Be-Do-Have vs. Do-Have-Be:

Benjamin Gordon is founder and Managing Partner of Cambridge Capital. He draws on a career building, advising, and investing in supply chain companies. Benjamin has led investments in outstanding firms including XPO, Grand Junction, Bringg ,  Liftit , and others. Prior to Cambridge Capital, Benjamin built BGSA Holdings into a global leader in M&A for the supply chain sector. As CEO of BGSA, Benjamin led the firm's efforts, advising on over $2 billion worth of supply chain transactions. Benjamin has worked with firms such as UPS, DHL, Kuehne & Nagel, Agility Logistics, NFI Logistics, GENCO, Nations Express,  Raytrans , Echo Global, Dixie, Wilpak, and others. Prior to BGSA Holdings, Ben founded 3PLex, the Internet solution enabling third-party logistics companies to automate their business. Benjamin raised $28 million from blue-chip investors including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs,  BancBoston Ventures , CNF, and Ionian. 3PLex was then purchased by Maersk. Prior to 3PLex, Benjamin advised transportation and logistics clients at Mercer Management Consulting. Prior to Mercer, Benjamin worked in his family's transportation business, AMI, where he helped the company expand its logistics operations. Benjamin is an active civic leader who is committed to giving back to the community. As founder and chairman of  GesherCity , he boosted young adult volunteerism, expanding the organization to over 100,000 members in twenty locations. Benjamin has also served on the Boards of several non-profit groups, including the Palm Beach United Way, the Palm Beach Federation, the Palm Beach Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), the JDC, the JCCA, the Middle East Forum, and various other community organizations. Benjamin received a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale College. Sean Dehan serves as the VP of Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development at Truckstop, bringing over 12 years of experience in crafting and executing growth and product strategies for technology businesses that drive exceptional value for customers. A University of Texas graduate and Austin native, he resides in the city with his wife and four children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the IoT For All Podcast, Jonas Schmid, co-founder and co-CEO of akenza, joins Ryan Chacon to discuss developing and scaling smart building solutions. The conversation covers akenza's evolution, smart building market consolidation, the importance of partnerships, scaling and future-proofing IoT solutions, the impact of low-code platforms, AI assistants in IoT, advice for getting out of the pilot stage, and the next wave of smart buildings.Jonas Schmid defines and leads the vision of akenza along with co-CEO Simon Rieser. He has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Geneva and previous experience in international project management with Siemens and ABB.akenza is an enterprise IoT platform allowing you to build great IoT products and services with value. It connects, controls, and manages IoT devices all in one place. With simple and secure management of smart devices, connectivity, and data, the akenza IoT platform enables the rapid introduction of innovative, smart solutions.Discover more about IoT and smart buildings at https://www.iotforall.comFind IoT solutions: https://marketplace.iotforall.comMore about akenza: https://akenza.ioConnect with Jonas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidj/(00:00) Intro(00:09) Jonas Schmid and akenza(00:33) Starting an IoT platform business(02:01) The UK smart building market(04:36) Dealing with discontinued platforms and hardware(06:28) The value of partnerships in IoT and example(09:36) What makes akenza stand out?(11:34) The impact of low-code platforms on IoT(13:04) How have you been able to scale IoT for customers?(14:53) Future-proofing IoT solutions for customers(16:44) AI assistants in IoT(20:24) Getting out of the pilot stage(22:22) The next wave of smart buildings(22:59) Learn more and follow upSubscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2NlcEwmJoin Our Newsletter: https://newsletter.iotforall.comFollow Us on Social: https://linktr.ee/iot4all

Fr. Nathan catches up with previous guest Manuel Guzman to discuss his latest projects in Superior, Arizona, and the tradition of Día de los Muertos.Manuel “Manny” Guzman is the Executive Director of Rebuild Superior, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in rural Pinal County serving Superior, AZ. He is a seventh-generation Superiorite and has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, ranging from behavioral health prevention, youth mentoring, and faith-based initiatives. Guzman has extensive grant writing and bookkeeping experience, is skilled in event and program management as well as building out donor and volunteer engagement strategies.Manny attended the University of Arizona and graduated with a degree in Religious Studies and Business Administration. He is a member of the Arizona Association for Economic Development, represents the organization through the Arizona Food Bank Network, and also sits on the Board of Directors for the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. Guzman is an Eagle Scout, active in his Catholic faith community, and enjoys walks along the trails of Boyce Thompson Arboretum.Connect with Manny:https://www.rebuildsuperioraz.orghttps://www.facebook.com/RebuildSuperiorAZhttps://www.instagram.com/rebuildsuperiorazinfo@rebuildsuperioraz.orgClick this link and let us know what you love about The Joyful Friar Podcast! Support the show​Connect with Father Nathan Castle, O.P.: http://www.nathan-castle.com https://www.facebook.com/fathernathancastlehttps://www.instagram.com/father_nathan_castle/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/c/FatherNathanGCastleOPListen to the podcast: https://apple.co/3ssA9b5Purchase books: https://tinyurl.com/34bhp2t4 Donate: https://nathan-castle.com/donate . My Dominican brothers and I live a vow of poverty. That means we hold our goods in common. If you enjoy this podcast, please donate. 501©3 of the Western Dominican Province. Father Nathan Castle, O.P., is a Dominican Friar, author, podcast host, and retreat leader. Over the past 27 years, his unique ministry rooted in the Catholic Church's mystical tradition has helped more than 600 souls transition from one afterlife plane to a more joyful one. Father Nathan believes that providing such help is something the Holy Spirit has given him and his prayer partners to do. Theme music: Derek Gust

Bryan Alsobrooks is President of Phoenix Capital Group (PCG). PCG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company and is a nationally recognized provider of working capital solutions to small- to medium-sized transportation companies.  Financing solutions include asset-based lending, accounts receivable financing and factoring, equipment financing and fuel card services.  Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with additional offices in Fruitland, Idaho, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mr. Alsobrooks has over 32 years commercial finance experience and more than 25 years in the transportation industry. Mr. Alsobrooks is active with the International Factoring Association and has served as past Chairman and Vice Chairman for the North American Credit Manager's National Transportation Credit Group. Mr. Alsobrooks received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Austin Peay State University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the President & CEO of this 4th generation, 102-year-old organization, Robert has led the transformation of the company into the international world-class supplier and distributor it is today. Robert was promoted to President & CEO in 2000 after 20 years with the business. He holds an EMBA from the University at Buffalo, a BS in Business Administration from Buffalo State College and an AAS in Business Administration from Genesee Community College.With Robert's leadership driving the achievement of long range strategic goals, increasing sales and geographic expansion have occurred. Perry's now offers over 1,500 unique items in distribution and has revenue coming from three sources; the Perry's Ice Cream Brand, a Contract Manufacturing channel, and Partner Brand distribution.Under Robert's tenure, the company achieved its first international sales in 2007 to over 30 countries outside of the US, where these sales account for nearly 15% of the company's manufactured revenues today. In 2008, after spearheading $10 Million in capital improvements, including equipment updates and a 20,000 sq. foot distribution center, the company was able to expand.Robert's vision to expand geographically in 2016 resulted in Perry's posting revenues exceeding $100 Million in sales for the first time ever. In this same year, the company doubled its direct store delivery distribution footprint to over a 100,000 square mile geography, which now includes New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, along with portions of Indiana, Kentucky and W. Virginia, while adding nearly 50 positions. Today, the company employs over 425 team members to support its growth strategy. This new territory is on a path to contribute $20 Million in sales within the first three years with incredible potential to sell the Perry's Brand to more than 10 million new consumers.

Yannik Thomas is Vice President, Network Design & Optimization at Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern is one of the nation's premier transportation companies, moving approximately 7 million rail shipments each year across 19,300 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. NS serves every major container port in the eastern US and operates the most extensive Intermodal network in the East. Yannik is responsible for designing NS' network and service products to provide reliable and efficient service to rail shippers. He also leads technology investment and product management across Transportation and Intermodal Operations. He previously held leadership roles in Intermodal Operations and in Finance. Prior to joining NS, he spent 12 years with management consulting firm, Oliver Wyman, advising Fortune-500 Transportation and Industrial clients on strategy, finance, operations, and technology topics. Yannik holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada and a Master of Business Administration from the Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) in France. He serves on the boards of The Belt Railway of Chicago, The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, Pan AM Southern, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do childhood experiences or cultural norms shape a woman's relationship with money?How can someone start rewriting their money story, especially if they feel stuck or ashamed? My guest, Michelle Taylor, has those answers and more for us today.At age 17, she overcame the adversity of Leukemia and launched her business at 27.Michelle shares how that life-changing experience shaped her approach to financial resilience and entrepreneurship.She has dedicated her career to helping women break through limiting beliefs about money, build lasting financial security, and finally feel in control.Through The Women Wealth Initiative, she offers more than advice; she offers a system, a strategy, and a supportive community to help you unlock your full financial potential.Michelle holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration and Marketing, and has been nationally recognized as a leader in financial planning. CONNECT WITH MICHELLE:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/women_in_wealth/?hl=enLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-taylor-9b396139CONNECT WITH DEBIDo you feel stuck?  Do you sense it's time for a change, but are unsure where to start or how to move forward? Schedule a clarity call!Free Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/debironca/free-clarity-callWebsite – https://www.debironca.comInstagram - @debironcaEmail – info@debironca.com Check out my online course!Your Story's Changing, Finding Purpose in Life's Transitionshttps://course.sequoiatransitioncoaching.com/8-week-programThe Family Letter by Debi Ronca – International Best Sellerhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SSJFXBD

Satyadeep “Deep” Tummala is an investor and entrepreneur who is focused on bridging the public markets and dynamic private enterprise. He is the Founder of Bright Feather Holdings, LLC, an active angel-investment firm backing high-growth startups across diverse sectors, and Deep Think Investments, LLC, a fiduciary advisory practice that serves high-net-worth clients with tailored strategies grounded in behavioral insight. He has a B.S. in Psychology with a Minor in Business Administration from the University of Oregon.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Iconic Conversations01:23 The Role of Relationships in Investing02:57 Understanding Angel Investing vs. Venture Capital04:45 The Importance of Psychology in Investment Decisions07:45 Identifying Genuine Passion in Founders09:23 Creative Analytics in Investment10:56 Educating Customers vs. Advertising12:26 Finding Your Own Path15:06 Emotional Regulation and Blocking Out Noise18:00 The Pursuit of Knowledge20:50 Creating Your Masterpiece23:32 Embracing Uncertainty and Learning26:01 The Importance of Confidence and BalanceGUEST: Deep Tummula

Yannik Thomas is Vice President, Network Design & Optimization at Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern is one of the nation's premier transportation companies, moving approximately 7 million rail shipments each year across 19,300 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. NS serves every major container port in the eastern US and operates the most extensive Intermodal network in the East. Yannik is responsible for designing NS' network and service products to provide reliable and efficient service to rail shippers. He also leads technology investment and product management across Transportation and Intermodal Operations. He previously held leadership roles in Intermodal Operations and in Finance. Prior to joining NS, he spent 12 years with management consulting firm, Oliver Wyman, advising Fortune-500 Transportation and Industrial clients on strategy, finance, operations, and technology topics. Yannik holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada and a Master of Business Administration from the Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) in France. He serves on the boards of The Belt Railway of Chicago, The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, Pan AM Southern, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Dirt Bags Podcast, we're in studio with Josh Montanye, Chief Business Officer at Williams Companies and Executive Vice President at Williams Plumbing / Williams Civil Construction. Josh brings a wealth of experience in overseeing planning, procurement, performance, and financing for large commercial construction projects. With a focus on municipal and public clients, he's managed budgets ranging from $1M to $10M. Josh also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Liberty University!Josh's IG @jmontanye @willplumb @williamsacademy406Josh's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-montanye/ Website: willplumb.com "ImOn A Hoe": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WgcthLMercBook a free strategy call with Phaser Marketing: https://calendly.com/d/cm59-rf4-hgq/investing-in-a-new-construction-website?month=2025-05Huge Thanks to our sponsors:Charlie Huff - Need a certificate of insurance? Done. Adding a new piece of equipment to the fleet? Consider it handled. Got an audit breathing down your neck? Charlie's already on it. This is full-service insurance from people who care and understand—and it shows. Whether you're a one-crew start-up or managing a multi-state operation, Charlie makes sure you're covered right the first time so you can focus on growing, hiring, and hauling. Call (435) 764-4833 or visit https://trupointco.com/Eljen - Revolutionizing Onsite Wastewater Management Backed by decades of engineering expertise, the Eljen GSF® A42 system uses a layered approach combining geotextile fabric and a plastic core to optimize effluent treatment. This modular leachfield design increases filtration efficiency, reduces the required installation footprint, and protects soil absorption capacity for the long term. Especially effective in space-constrained or environmentally sensitive areas, it offers a reliable, sustainable upgrade to traditional septic systems. Learn more at: eljen.comSludgeHammer - Enhancing Septic System Performance with Advanced Microbiology By introducing a proprietary blend of live bacteria into existing septic tanks, SludgeHammer systems biologically transform waste processing. This method restores failing leach fields, reduces sludge buildup, and supports environmentally friendly water recycling without the need for major system overhauls. Certified for performance and scalability, the solution is ideal for homes, businesses, and larger-scale applications. Discover the details at: sludgehammer.netThanks for listening!

Episode Description: In this episode of the Build Tech Stack Equity podcast, host Darius Gant sits down with Austin Clements, Managing Partner at Slauson & Co., an LA-based early-stage venture capital firm rooted in economic inclusion. Austin shares his journey from building websites as a teen in South LA to managing multimillion-dollar venture funds designed to empower underrepresented founders. He discusses how Slauson & Co. was born from a vision to democratize access to capital, what it really takes to raise a first fund, and the lessons learned along the way, including how timing, persistence, and purpose shaped their $75M debut fund. Austin also explores the evolving venture landscape, founder-market fit, and why authentic storytelling is now critical for entrepreneurs. Later in the episode, he dives into Slauson's Friends & Family Accelerator, a six-month program investing $300K in early founders with bold ideas shaping the future of human experience. If you're interested in venture capital, founder stories, or building inclusive pathways to tech innovation, this episode offers both wisdom and inspiration.   Founder Bio: Austin Clements is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Slauson & Co., a Los Angeles–based early-stage venture capital firm committed to driving economic inclusion by investing in technology that empowers small business owners and overlooked founders. At Slauson, Austin leads investments across sectors where innovation meets accessibility, bridging opportunity gaps and redefining what success in venture capital looks like. Prior to launching Slauson & Co., Austin honed his investment acumen at TenOneTen Ventures, where he supported some of LA's most promising early-stage startups, and began his career in investment management at AllianceBernstein. He also founded Pi Digital Media, a web and mobile development firm serving small businesses nationwide, an experience that deeply informs his perspective on entrepreneurship and technology. Beyond venture, Austin has long been an advocate for equity in tech and entrepreneurship. He was the founding Chair of PledgeLA, a groundbreaking collaboration between the Annenberg Foundation and the Los Angeles Mayor's Office designed to increase diversity, equity, and community engagement within LA's tech ecosystem. He currently serves as a Trustee for the Knight Foundation, where he helps shape investments in media innovation and community development, and has served on the boards of Library Foundation of Los Angeles and HBCUvc, contributing to pathways for underrepresented professionals in venture capital. A Kauffman Fellow, Austin earned his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and his BA in Business Administration from Morehouse College. His career reflects a deep belief that inclusive investing not only fuels innovation but strengthens communities and builds generational wealth.   Timestamps  00:00 – Introduction: From South LA to Venture Capital 01:10 – Early Passion for Technology and Web Development 03:07 – Discovering Venture Capital Through Self-Education 05:20 – Partnering with AJ and Building the Vision for Slauson & Co. 06:00 – The Reality of Raising a First Fund 08:00 – Turning Points: COVID, George Floyd, and Industry Shifts 09:00 – Exceeding Expectations: From $15M Goal to $75M Fund 11:00 – The “Enroll, Don't Convince” Philosophy for Fundraising 13:00 – Lessons from 300 LP Calls and Building Credibility 14:00 – Slauson's Investment Thesis: Small Business Tech & Human Experience 16:00 – Founder-Market Fit and the Power of Lived Experience 17:00 – The Pattern Breakers Framework: Inflection, Insight, Idea 19:00 – How Founder Storytelling Has Changed in the AI Era 21:00 – Authenticity and Identity in Brand Building 23:00 – AI's Role in Startups and Investing: Finding the Right Layer 25:00 – The Case for Purpose-Built AI (Abby, the AI Therapy App) 29:00 – AI's Societal Impacts and the Future of Work 33:00 – One-Person Startups and the Limits of Context 37:00 – Launching the Friends & Family Accelerator 39:00 – Building Bridges for Underrepresented Founders 41:00 – Application Details and Call to Action   Resources Follow Darius Gant LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/ Company – www.tesoroai.com Slauson & Co. Website – https://slauson.co LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/slausonandco/ Austin Clements LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinclements/  

As Columbus Education Association member Shanette Strickland puts it: "If you can manage 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, adults are no problem." Educators have many transferrable skills needed to be effective leaders in their local city governments. Strickland, who is currently the Reynoldsburg City Council President and running for Reynoldsburg Auditor in the upcoming General Election, shares her journey to local leadership and her career in education, as well as her advice for other educators who are thinking about running for office.SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to listen on Spotify so you don't miss a thing. You can also find Public Education Matters on many other platforms. Click here for some of those links so you can listen anywhere. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.THE POWER OF ONE | To learn more about the Ohio's New Educators group and how you can get involved with this group of educators in the first ten years of their careers, click here.SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK | If you'd like to share your thoughts on the Public Education Matters podcast, including your ideas for what you'd like to hear on future episodes, please email educationmatters@ohea.org.Featured Public Education Matters guest: Shanette Strickland, Columbus Education Association memberShanette Mobley Strickland is a dedicated public servant, business owner, educator, and advocate for fiscal integrity, currently serving as the President of the Reynoldsburg City Council. In this role, she has been instrumental in fostering collaboration, driving initiatives for transparency, and championing policies that promote economic growth and inclusivity.She envisions Reynoldsburg as the premier destination in Ohio for residents and businesses alike, focusing on strategic investments that enhance infrastructure, technology, and community well-being.Building on her leadership experience, Shanette is now a candidate for City Auditor in the November 2025 election. She aims to bring her expertise in information technology, project management, and financial oversight to the Auditor's office, ensuring fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability in the city's financial operations. Her commitment to ethicalgovernance and responsible budgeting will help Reynoldsburg navigate challenges while seizing opportunities for sustainable growth.In addition to her public service, Shanette is an educator, teaching information technology to students in Columbus City Schools, where she is passionate about preparing the next generation for careers in technology and innovation. She understands firsthand the importance of education, workforce development, and equipping young people with theskills needed for success in a rapidly evolving economy.Shanette's leadership extends beyond public office. She and her husband, Chris Strickland, run The Source Group LLC, a technology company that focuses on innovation, digital strategy, and business solutions. As entrepreneurs, they understand the importance of economic empowerment, job creation, and leveraging technology to drive progress.A first-generation college graduate, Shanette holds a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from DeVry University and a Master of Business Administration from Franklin University. Her personal journey underscores her commitment to education and mentorship, inspiring her work in empowering underserved and underrepresented communities.With over 25 years of experience in information technology and 12 years in project management, Shanette brings a strategic, data-driven approach to governance. She has held leadership roles in organizations such as the Reynoldsburg Football Parent Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and Charms Inc. Columbus Chapter, serving as FinancialSecretary and National Recording Secretary. A fierce advocate for social justice, she has championed initiatives promoting inclusion, particularly for young African American males, and remains a steadfast voice for the disenfranchised, underserved, and overlooked. In 2019, Shanette made history as one of the first three African American women electedto the Reynoldsburg City Council, marking a transformative moment for the city's leadership. She resides in Reynoldsburg with her husband of 24 years, Chris Strickland, and their two sons, Chris II and Shon.Connect with OEA:Email educationmatters@ohea.org with your feedback or ideas for future Public Education Matters topicsLike OEA on FacebookFollow OEA on TwitterFollow OEA on InstagramGet the latest news and statements from OEA hereLearn more about where OEA stands on the issues Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative WatchAbout us:The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio's schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio's children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio's schools.Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May 2020, after a ten-year career as an Emmy Award-winning television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children. This episode was recorded on October 21, 2025.

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Noor Abu Mariam, is a Business Administration student, a writer, and the social media manager for Gaza Great Minds School. She is passionate about using storytelling and digital media to share the voices and experiences of people in Gaza. She shares how she saw body parts for the first time in her life while being displaced to the south from Al-Shatii refugee camp. Noor was displaced at least 15 times and despite all the upheaval she hopes to finish her degree and continue her graduate studies. She recounts how she lost her friend and aunt and how the last two years have changed her. Tune in for the full story The Presidential election podcast with Rory Hearne and Harry McEvansoneya is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-141790100

Does science prove the existence of God? After four years of research in partnership with over twenty scientists and esteemed experts, this book explores one of the most significant questions we face: the existence or non-existence of a creator God. Tune in for an inspiring with Michel-Yves Bollore on his new book God, The Science, The Evidence.Moments with Marianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate!  https://www.kmet1490am.comMichel-Yves Bolloré is an engineer and entrepreneur whose career spans industrial innovation and philanthropic investment in education. A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieur de Toulouse and Paris-Dauphine University (Master of Science and Doctorate in Business Administration), he began his career in the family business, managing the Bolloré Group's industrial division from 1981 to 1990. In 1990, he founded France Essor, an industrial group that led major ventures in mechanical engineering, and steel manufacturing. Since relocating to London in 2011, he has focused on educational and cultural projects. He founded several schools, including The Laurels in London and Les Vignes in France. He is also a Knight of the Legion of Honor.  https://michel-yves-bollore.com/en/god-the-science-the-evidence/Order the book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/26OcUZnFor more show information visit: https://www.mariannepestana.com/

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Noor Abu Mariam, is a Business Administration student, a writer, and the social media manager for Gaza Great Minds School. She is passionate about using storytelling and digital media to share the voices and experiences of people in Gaza. She shares how she saw body parts for the first time in her life while being displaced to the south from Al-Shatii refugee camp. Noor was displaced at least 15 times and despite all the upheaval she hopes to finish her degree and continue her graduate studies. She recounts how she lost her friend and aunt and how the last two years have changed her. Tune in for the full story The Presidential election podcast with Rory Hearne and Harry McEvansoneya is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-141790100

Today's guest is Dave Berke, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, fighter pilot, ground combat leader, and now a leadership instructor with Echelon Front.As an F/A-18 pilot, Dave deployed twice from the USS John C. Stennis in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before joining the ranks of TOPGUN, where he was dual-qualified in both the F/A-18 and F-16, serving as the Training Officer—the senior pilot responsible for the conduct of the TOPGUN course.He later served on the ground in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006 as an ANGLICO Forward Air Controller with the Army's 1st Armored Division, supporting SEAL Task Unit Bruiser. Dave was the first operational pilot to fly and be qualified in the F-35B Lightning II, commanding the Marines' first F-35 squadron. He also holds a master's degree in International Public Policy and Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University.Now, as Chief Development Officer and leadership instructor with Echelon Front, Dave draws from decades of combat and aviation experience to teach principles of leadership, discipline, and teamwork to organizations around the world.In this episode, Jack talks with Dave about growing up under the flight path of El Toro Marine Base, early influences that led him to Marine aviation, and the journey from the cockpit to the streets of Ramadi. They discuss the power of teamwork under fire, the lessons learned at TOPGUN, and what true leadership looks like—whether in the sky, on the battlefield, or in business.His book, THE NEED TO LEAD: A TOPGUN INSTRUCTOR'S LESSONS ON HOW LEADERSHIP SOLVES EVERY CHALLENGE, is available now.FOLLOW DAVEInstagram:  @davidrberkeX: Dave BerkeFacebook: David BerkeWebsite: daveberke.com FOLLOW JACKInstagram: @JackCarrUSA X:  @JackCarrUSAFacebook:  @JackCarr YouTube:  @JackCarrUSASPONSORSCRY HAVOC – A Tom Reece Thriller https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/cry-havoc/Bravo Company Manufacturing - https://bravocompanyusa.com/ and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSATHE SIGs of Jack Carr:Visit https://www.sigsauer.com/ and on Instagram @sigsauerinc Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here https://jackcarr.co/gear 

Dr. Tina Flores is a Talent Acquisition Leader, Author, and Coach with over 20 years of experience in recruitment, leadership, and business strategy. She's the founder of Tina Flores Is Here, LLC, where she blends coaching and consulting to help individuals and organizations build emotionally intelligent, high-performing teams. Tina completed her Doctorate in Business Administration, is a certified PMP, and is passionate about integrating Emotional Intelligence with modern technology to create workplaces where people thrive. She's also the author of How to NOT Be THAT Coworker and host of the Here for More podcast, where she brings humor and heart to conversations about careers, leadership, and growth. Tina's Website: www.tinafloresishere.com

Jason Sinnarajah joined the Royals in August 2023 as the Sr. Vice President, Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Jason oversees the business analytics, ticket operations, technology and stadium operations departments as well as the team's relationship with its food and beverage and retail partners at Kauffman Stadium. In 2024, Jason led the revitalization of our concession experience on the Plaza level, the implementation of new local food offerings and an improved GoEntry fan experience to reduce wait times for entering Kauffman Stadium. Prior to joining the Royals, Jason was Senior Vice President of Business Administration for the Buffalo Bills from 2020-23 where he oversaw ticket and premium sales, marketing, community relations, stadium operations and strategy and analytics. In that time, he led stadium operations during a period of COVID-19 fan protocols with New York State, managed the concessionaire partnership at Highmark Stadium, created a strategy and analytics teams to support the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, grew the team's marketing app audience to Top 5 in the NFL across engagement and registered users and increased overall revenue by 40%. Jason also helped lead efforts to secure a new stadium for the Bills through the building of economic business cases to ownership and local/state government officials for a new stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. Jason had prior sports experience with the Cleveland Guardians Strategy and Analytics team from 2012-15. During his tenure, he negotiated a new partnership for their food and beverage business, acquired capital to renovate Progressive Field, set and managed revenue and sales compensation goals across premium seating, ticket sales and corporate partnerships and led efforts to bring an All-Star Game to Cleveland. Outside of sports, Jason spent five years in media and corporate development at Ziff Davis and the Weather Company. At the Weather Company he led business development partnerships with large global media platforms such as Apple, Meta, X and Google, and negotiated media deals with international media companies. At Ziff Davis, Jason led data and e-commerce focused business units and was involved in several M&A transactions to expand the company's presence in e-commerce and media. Jason also spent five years at Google where he was responsible for an internal consulting team across the Asia-Pacific region and lived in Tokyo and Sydney. He also held a role leading Google's partnership across global media and sports and helped build out Google's early entrance into sports-related content through partnerships with ESPN, and sports leagues such as MLB, NFL, NBA and the NHL. A native of Toronto, Canada, Jason earned his MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from Boston College.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Craig Alden, Financial Advisor and Area Manager at Pinnacle Financial. Craig has built a distinguished career in banking and wealth management, leading teams and guiding clients toward financial success. Before joining Pinnacle, he held several leadership roles in the financial industry. He earned his degree in Business Administration from Appalachian State University, where he developed the foundation for his career in client-focused financial services.

About Codie Comeau Codie works in Sales at EF Education First as a Tour Consultant. He is a first-generation college graduated where he thrived, earning a Bachelor's in Communication, Media & Design with a minor in Psychology. The journey did not stop there as he would later earn an Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Innovation and New Venture Management.  Although young, Codie has plenty of experience over many different industries including Engineering & Manufacturing, Entertainment, Education and start-ups. He takes on many passion projects, his most notable was the Tennis program at Clarkson University. Under his leadership, the organization thrived growing in members and budget as well as gaining USTA membership.  Codie has a goal to be a global citizen and explore what the world has to offer. He believes that every new place he visits or new culture he experiences helps him to grow as a person and share new perspectives. Codie loves developing new skills and keeping a student mentality. He is excited to begin this new chapter in life and experience what lies ahead. If he's not busy at work you can find him on the tennis court or golf course, where he still has plenty to learn. Codie Comeau has joined the 10 lessons learned team as the episode producer   Episode Notes 00:00 Intro 01:22 Meet Our Guest 03:24 Lesson 1: Know the Game, Play to Win 08:32 Lesson 2: Don't Believe Everything You See 15:32 Lesson 3: Recognize the Motive 19:02 Lesson 4: Know when to be Burr or Hamilton 27:44 Lesson 5: Hard Work Is Not Enough 30:06 Lesson 6: Network, Network, Network 33:41 Lesson 7: Understand Money 39:47 Lesson 8: Facts Do Not Care About Your Feelings 43:17 Lesson 9: Life Is Not Fair 44:53 Lesson 10 Know Your Story

Story of the Week (DR):Blowhard CEOs:Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman says you can't 'build something extraordinary' working 38 hours a weekSam Altman Says If Jobs Gets Wiped Out, Maybe They Weren't Even “Real Work” to Start WithMarc Benioff Says Trump Should Send Guard Troops to San FranciscoRon Conway skewers Mark Benioff in board resignation after 25 years: ‘I now barely recognize the person I have so long admired'Peter Thiel says he warned Elon Musk to ditch donating to The Giving Pledge because Bill Gates will give his wealth away ‘to left-wing nonprofits'JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Says There's a 'Heightened Degree of Uncertainty'Best Buy's CEO says growing spending power gap between affluent and poor ‘keeps me up at night'Billionaire bosses like Jeff Bezos and Reid Hoffman denounce work-life balance—and some think working nonstop is key to successLogitech CEO Hanneke Faber says she would consider adding an AI agent to her board of directorsPlaid CEO says 'it's inevitable AI will drive our financial lives'Perret graduated from Duke University (BS, Chemistry, Biology) and previously served on the board of trusteesVerizon exec tells unemployed Gen Z they can always volunteer to stand out in the current bleak job market: ‘No one's going to say no to free work'chief talent officer Christina SchellingFigure AI CEO Brett Adcock says the robotics company is building 'a new species'Adcock received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of FloridaLendingTree founder and CEO dies unexpectedly in weekend ATV accident at age 55Douglas Lebda: Chair/CEO, 20% shares, 78% influenceLead Independent DIrector Steven Ozonioa: Chairs Audit Committee and Chairs Compensation Committee; now the longest-tenured director (2011)SEC To Discourage ESG Shareholder Proposals MMGlass Lewis to End Share Voting Guidance Opposed by RepublicansGlass Lewis & Co. is ending its decades-long practice of providing recommendations for shareholder votes after receiving criticisms from Republican leaders for promoting pro-environmental, social and governance issues.Starting with the 2027 annual shareholder season, Glass Lewis will no longer give a “house view” on how investors should vote, according to a paper released by the firm.Instead, the firm's more than 1,300 clients who oversee a combined $40 trillion will be making their own decisions on corporate resolutions.Glass Lewis had previously given voting recommendations for more than 30,000 annual meetings on everything from executive pay to climate goals. The research firm said 55% of US investors voted based on its guidance. In Europe, about a quarter followed the house view.Meta removes Facebook page allegedly used to target ICE agents after pressure from DOJDuke University Has Officially Ended Its Full-Ride Scholarship For Black Students In Need Of Financial AssistanceBoard of Trustees (34: 14F20M)Duke President and Students (4):Vincent E. Price, President, Duke UniversityAndrew Greene*Sydney HuntRickard StureborgGod people from the same church (2):*Gregory V. Palmer – Retired Bishop, The United Methodist Church*Connie Mitchell Shelton – Bishop, United Methodist ChurchA journalist who also sits on the board of an insurance company (1):Ann Pelham – director of Canal Insurance Company since 2004Business Bros (27)Adam Silver – Commissioner, National Basketball AssociationMary T. Barra – Chair and CEO, General Motors CompanyEddy H. Cue – SVP of Services, AppleAmy Abernethy – Co-Founder, Highlander HealthMelissa Bernstein – Co-Founder, Melissa & Doug; Co-Founder, LifelinesMichael J. Bingle – Vice Chairman, Silver Lake Group*Lisa M. Borders – CEO, LMB Group, LLCTim Cook – CEO, AppleNancy-Ann DeParle – Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Consonance Capital PartnersAndrew H. Dillon – Attorney and Shareholder, Nathan Sommers Gibson DillonAnne Faircloth – President, Faircloth Farms*Grant H. Hill – Chairman, Hill VenturesKathryn A. Hollister – Retired Partner, Deloitte*Karen M. King – Managing Director & COO, Silver LakeGarheng Kong – Founder & Managing Partner, HealthQuest CapitalThomas H. Lister – Retired Senior Partner and Co-Managing Partner, PermiraSharon Marcil – Managing Director & Senior Partner & North America Regional Chair, Boston Consulting GroupPatricia R. Morton – formerly of JPMorgan and Deutsche BankDavid R. Peeler – Senior Advisor, Berkshire PartnersJ.B. Pritzker – Governor, State of Illinois (public official, but also billionaire businessman)Michael G. Rhodes – CEO, Ally FinancialNancy M. Schlichting – Retired CEO, Henry Ford Health System (corporate/health system executive)Michael R. Stone – Firm Partner, TPG (private equity executive)L. Frederick Sutherland – Retired EVP & CFO, ARAMARK CorporationDavid S. Taylor – Senior Advisor, Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLCJeffrey W. Ubben – Founder & Managing Partner, Inclusive Capital PartnersJames C. Zelter – President, Apollo Global ManagementGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: CEOs get something right?Mark Cuban Urges Companies To Share Stock Options With Employees Amid Rising CEO Pay GapHome Depot founder Arthur Blank donates $50 million to Atlanta's historically Black colleges and universities via foundationHoward Schultz said he's Worried — 'with a big W' — about AIHe drew parallels between the speed at which social media progressed, how regulation around social media lagged behind, and warned that AI is on the same trajectory.MM: Ron Conway skewers Mark Benioff in board resignation after 25 years: ‘I now barely recognize the person I have so long admired' DRMM: Houston American Energy Declassifies Board of Directors MMAssholiest of the Week (MM):Marc Benioff DRMarc Benioff Says Trump Should Send Guard Troops to San FranciscoDemocrat, Republican - is there an off switch for billionaires?He said it at the Dreamforce conference - the Salesforce conference where they talk about AI and stuffIn 2023, he threatened to take the conference to another city because of homelessness and drug use in the cityAt the time he made the threat, he was worth 8bnPOPULIST MATHThere are an estimated 8,000 or so homeless people in SFThe median home price in Oakland is 800kIf he bought EVERY homeless person a house, including the children, in cash, he would still be worth 4bn todayHe posted this last night - “safest Dreamforce ever” with a picture of him and a cop… so, national guard?: Maybe he meant he needs the National Guard at Salesforce's offices: Salesforce linked security breach fallout escalates with qantas leak - an estimated 1 BILLION records were hackedThe labor con jobVerizon exec tells unemployed Gen Z they can always volunteer to stand out in the current bleak job market: ‘No one's going to say no to free work'Yeah, just work for free, it'll be good for you!Gen Z's misery is real: Most workers in this economy lack a voice and are stuck in low-quality jobs, a massive Gates-backed study findsYeah, but just work for free!There's a shocking disparity between how high-income and low-income earners feel about the economyWhy? Working for free is like, really good for your resume and gap time!Sam Altman Says If Jobs Gets Wiped Out, Maybe They Weren't Even “Real Work” to Start WithRight! Your work was fake, so go work for free! Starving is much realer than your job was.Gavin NewsomGavin Newsom Vetoes Bill to Protect Kids From Predatory AISam AltmanSam Altman says OpenAI isn't 'moral police of the world' after erotica ChatGPT post blows upHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Divorced Tesla Fan Admits That His Cybertruck Is Repulsive to WomenDR: Lay's drastically rebrands after disturbing finding: 42% of consumers didn't know their chips were made out of potatoesMM: DirecTV screensavers will show AI-generated ads with your face in 2026I mostly find it funny that DirecTV still existsMM: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Is Back to Featuring Hot Women After Failed Woke RebrandNow women of every size and color can be reminded how ugly they are because finally Victoria's Secret's won't put them on a runwayWho Won the Week?DR: Ugly or non-ugly women who divorce men who own CybertrucksMM: Men without cybertrucksPredictionsDR: Glass Lewis rebrands itself simply as GlassMM: Sam Altman is elected Moral Police Sergeant

Join Dr. Jay and Brad as they interview Dr. Nathan Yokel.Dr. Nathan Yokel is a native of the Maryland Metro DC area but moved to Philadelphia to complete medical school at the University of Pennsylvania where he augmented his medical training with a Master's degree in Public Health and Business Administration at Johns Hopkins University. During his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with a focus on diagnostic and interventional ultrasound and sports medicine at the Georgetown University Hospital/National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington DC, Dr. Yokel served as Chief Resident and developed a research protocol for assessing the accuracy of ultrasound-guided injections. Following residency, he trained in interventional spinal procedures, regenerative procedures, pain, and occupational medicine. Dr. Nathan Yokel uses his expertise on sports medicine and regenerative treatments, and pairs it with traditional procedures and rehabilitation to help patients get back to the activities they enjoy most. He believes in an integrated approach that begins with a careful review of the injury's history and incorporates traditional physical examination and real time ultrasound to find the source of each patient's pain or impaired function.

Jay Smith is President of Ajax Building Company and represents the 3rd generation of the Smith family that has run Ajax. Growing up, he was immersed in the business side of the industry with both his father and grandfather managing the family company. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and is proud to carry on the Ajax legacy while applying values instilled in him from an early age.In this episode, Blake and Jay discuss business legacy, community engagement, friendships, and much more.Produced by Level Up Digital Media http://www.levelup.media/​​and Charlie Bravo Pictures https://www.charliebravopictures.com/Participants: Blake Dowling, CEO, Aegis Business TechnologiesJay Smith, President, Ajax Building CompanyWEBSITE - https://www.aegisbiztech.com​​ FACEBOOK - https://facebook.com/aegisbiztech​​INSTAGRAM - https://instagram.com/aegisbiztech​​TWITTER - https://twitter.com/aegissales​​

This week we revisit our interview Joe Mandato. Joe holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Case Western Reserve University, where his research focused on the evolving role of boards in ensuring effective corporate governance.  He was a 2011-2012 Fellow of Harvard University's Advanced Leadership Initiative and served as Co-Chair of Harvard's Advanced Leadership Coalition. He is a Managing Director at DeNovo Ventures, Senior Advisor at Apercen Partners, Advisor to Sonder Capital, and 15-year Lecturer at Stanford University.   He has served on more than 20 public and private boards focused on technology and the life sciences, including Align Technology (NASDAQ), Avedro, Axogen, Inc. (NASDAQ), Hansen Medical (NASDAQ), Insound Medical & Vynca Health.  He also serves on the boards of Case Western Reserve University, Headstart, and Save the Children.   He was a seed investor, board member and advisor to the founders of Align Technologies and has served as CEO of five life sciences companies, which resulted in significant shareholder value.  He was a member of the founding management committee of Guidant Corporation (NYSE) and was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Mayfield Fund, a Silicon Valley venture fund.  He has authored or co-authored thirty articles on healthcare and governance and the book The Entrepreneur's Journey.

Dr. Andrew Krieger, DSW, MBA, LCSW-S, LCDC, is a private practice psychotherapist with extensive experience in direct practice social work, clinical program design and development, addiction treatment, and group psychotherapy. He received his Doctor of Social Work from the University of Southern California and holds both a Master of Clinical Social Work and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Krieger has worked with individuals and families as a private practice and group psychotherapist, specializing in addictive disorders, family therapy, group psychotherapy, and process addictions. He's also held clinical positions at some of the leading addiction treatment programs in Texas.  As Chief Executive Officer of Contemporary Medicine Associates (CMA) — the primary practice of Dr. Bo Allaire and Dr. Andrew Krieger — he leads a team specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders. CMA also provides third-party medical services for psychiatric and addiction treatment facilities, as well as clinical and business consulting services for mental health providers.  Originally founded over 20 years ago by Dr. Eugene Degner, one of the first board-certified addiction medicine doctors in Texas and a pioneer in the medical treatment of alcohol and drug addiction, CMA continues to honor Dr. Degner's legacy through compassionate, expert care.  Today, their doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals serve patients and families at every stage of addiction and recovery — providing a caring, non-judgmental environment where healing can truly begin. They also offer comprehensive support for individuals with mental health conditions such as depression, trauma, and anxiety. In this conversation, Dr. Jason Powers and Dr. Andrew Krieger discuss the different phases of recovery, the science behind post-acute withdrawal syndrome, and the meaning of emotional sobriety. Together, they explore how long-term recovery is less about counting the years and more about integrity, emotional growth, and learning to live a life that's genuinely fulfilling. Topics Discussed: Defining Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) The difference between co-occurring disorders & substance use disorder Breaking down emotional sobriety into 3 main categories Understanding the phases of recovery and personal growth How perspective and integrity define Long-Term Sobriety, not just time Finding fulfillment beyond survival in recovery — CHAPTERS:  00:00 Introduction to Positive Recovery MD 01:09 Meet Our Guest: Andrew Krieger 01:40 Andrew's Journey to Sobriety 03:45 Career Transition and Professional Growth 06:36 Phases of Recovery 09:57 Understanding Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome & Co-Occurring Disorders 15:48 Emotional Sobriety Explained 20:00 Why Length of Abstinence Doesn't Equate to Emotional Maturity 21:40 Personal Stories in Early Recovery 23:55 The Importance of Supportive Relationships and Accountability 27:55 Finding a Balance in Sobriety and New Experiences in Recovery  31:58 Reflections on Personal Journey and Finding Peace  — Connect with Dr. Andrew Krieger:  Website: www.cmamed.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-krieger-6864745  — Connect with PRC on Social: IG: https://www.instagram.com/positiverecoverycenters  FB: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveRecoveryCenters  TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@positiverecoverycenter  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/positiverecoverycenters  YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4JcDF1gjlYch4V4iBbCgZg Want even more expert insights and support on the recovery journey? Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, mental health tips, and community updates—straight to your inbox!

Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Prof. Ranjay Gulati is Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His latest book is How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage. Please subscribe to this channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/ScientificSense?sub_confirmation=1

If you live in the modern world, you live in an “invisible rainbow” of EMFs from phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, tablets, smart meters, and now 5G small cells. Episode 168 is an eye-opening conversation with Dr. Anthony Balduzzi and DefenderShield's Kylen Ribeiro. Together they demystify EMFs in plain English: what they are (ELF vs. RF), where your real exposure comes from, and how to reduce it without ditching technology.We cover the big three levers—time, distance, shielding—plus safer headphone choices, laptop and phone best practices, router placement, kids' screen habits, and what to know about smart meters and “smart home” devices. You'll also hear practical family strategies (download shows, airplane mode, bedroom sanctuaries) and how to think about 4G vs. 5G today and beyond.Key TakeawaysWhy EMFs are the “invisible stressor” most people overlookHow phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and small cells differWhat research and field reports suggest about sleep, anxiety, and fertilityThe pitfalls of “harmonizers” and how to evaluate claimsThe family plan: downloads, airplane mode, lap safety, router placementOffice & bedroom makeovers (fast wins + when to add shielding gear)Smart meters & building materials: risks, options, and cost-effective fixesAction list for this week + long-term upgradesLearn More about Kylen Ribeiro and DefenderShield:Website: https://defendershield.com/Use discount code FITFAMILY15 at checkout and receive 15% off your order.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defendershieldInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendershield/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DefenderShieldPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/defendershield/Links to Dr. Anthony's EMF PresentationDr. Anthony Balduzzi's Deep Dive EMF Presentation: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/824648488/da30d4781dResearch Document on Health Effects of EMFs referenced in the video presentation (download): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ghsXk7wbTWrT5QHknc4JuS5E9mHssp4qXzDuBGpSKTs/edit?usp=sharingBiographical Information on Kylen RibeiroKylen is the Chief Executive Officer at DefenderShield, and is responsible for leading the strategic growth of the company. After growing up in Raleigh, NC, Kylen moved to Tallahassee, FL to complete her lifelong swimming career at Florida State University as the Women's Swimming and Diving Team Captain. Kylen graduated with a B.S. in Marketing and Management and married her fellow teammate turned husband. She continued her education as a Seminole and went on to earn her Masters in Business Administration.Upon finishing school, Kylen secured an executive management position with one of the largest International retailers in the world, where she spent over 6 years honing a wide skill set that allowed her to make an immediate impact at DefenderShield.In 2016, while pregnant with her son, Kylen completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program at a prominent studio in Tampa, FL,

If you live in the modern world, you live in an “invisible rainbow” of EMFs from phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, tablets, smart meters, and now 5G small cells. Episode 259 is an eye-opening conversation with Dr. Anthony Balduzzi and DefenderShield's Kylen Ribeiro. Together they demystify EMFs in plain English: what they are (ELF vs. RF), where your real exposure comes from, and how to reduce it without ditching technology.We cover the big three levers—time, distance, shielding—plus safer headphone choices, laptop and phone best practices, router placement, kids' screen habits, and what to know about smart meters and “smart home” devices. You'll also hear practical family strategies (download shows, airplane mode, bedroom sanctuaries) and how to think about 4G vs. 5G today and beyond.Key TakeawaysWhy EMFs are the “invisible stressor” most people overlookHow phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and small cells differWhat research and field reports suggest about sleep, anxiety, and fertilityThe pitfalls of “harmonizers” and how to evaluate claimsThe family plan: downloads, airplane mode, lap safety, router placementOffice & bedroom makeovers (fast wins + when to add shielding gear)Smart meters & building materials: risks, options, and cost-effective fixesAction list for this week + long-term upgradesLearn More about Kylen Ribeiro and DefenderShield:Website: https://defendershield.com/Use discount code FITFAMILY15 at checkout and receive 15% off your order.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defendershieldInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendershield/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DefenderShieldPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/defendershield/Links to Dr. Anthony's EMF PresentationDr. Anthony Balduzzi's Deep Dive EMF Presentation: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/824648488/da30d4781dResearch Document on Health Effects of EMFs referenced in the video presentation (download): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ghsXk7wbTWrT5QHknc4JuS5E9mHssp4qXzDuBGpSKTs/edit?usp=sharingBiographical Information on Kylen RibeiroKylen is the Chief Executive Officer at DefenderShield, and is responsible for leading the strategic growth of the company. After growing up in Raleigh, NC, Kylen moved to Tallahassee, FL to complete her lifelong swimming career at Florida State University as the Women's Swimming and Diving Team Captain. Kylen graduated with a B.S. in Marketing and Management and married her fellow teammate turned husband. She continued her education as a Seminole and went on to earn her Masters in Business Administration.Upon finishing school, Kylen secured an executive management position with one of the largest International retailers in the world, where she spent over 6 years honing a wide skill set that allowed her to make an immediate impact at DefenderShield.In 2016, while pregnant with her son, Kylen completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program at a prominent studio in

Tea Talk: Finding Balance During Transitions with Régine & JoshIn this episode of the Illuminated Path podcast, host Livia welcomes Régine Biscoe Lee and Josh Tyquiengco for a Tea Talk conversation on gratitude, personal growth, and community impact. They share their journeys, including career transitions and the lessons learned along the way, and discuss the importance of wellness, mindfulness, and maintaining strong relationships. The conversation also explores their vision for Guam's future and how community involvement can create meaningful change.The discussion highlights practical strategies for navigating life transitions, cultivating well-being, and fostering connection with both people and place. EPISODE TAKEAWAYSGratitude is a grounding force during life transitionsCareer pivots can lead to personal growth and new opportunitiesWellness practices are essential for balancing career demandsStrong relationships provide support and encouragementCommunity involvement can drive positive changeMindfulness and meditation enhance personal well-beingCelebrating small victories boosts motivation and moraleOpen communication fosters understanding and collaborationCONNECT WITH RÉGINERégine Biscoe Lee is an Asian/Pacific Islander community leader, a daughter of Guam and the President & CEO of the Guam Visitors Bureau. Régine served as senator in the 34th & 35th Guam Legislatures and her legislative work continues to strengthen Guam's workforce, support small business, bolster regional alliances, and protect our environment. She remains dedicated to helping people author their own opportunities, proving that nothing can widen the circle of economic freedom more than a community focused on wellness, education, and the entrepreneurial wonder of a clean environment. She served as a Congressional Policy Advisor, Legislative Chief of Staff, and consultant for businesses, government agencies, and local and global non-profits.Régine has been recognized for her work on behalf of our veterans, working families and a sustainable future. She served as delegate for Guam to the 2012, 2016, 2020 Democratic National Conventions and the National Committeewoman for the 2024 DNC. Régine was selected by the Obama Foundation for their inaugural cohort of Leaders: Asia-Pacific (2019), by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights as Guam Advisory Board member for the inaugural USCCR Advisory Committee (2022) and by APAICS (Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies) to serve on their Advisory Council (2024). Régine also serves as the Vice President of Amphibious Aquatics, Secretary of the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Famalao'an Rights. Régine lives on the island of Guam and can often be found in the ocean with her husband, two daughters and their rambunctious Labrador.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regineforguam/CONNECT WITH JOSHJosh Tyquiengco is a professional storyteller, communicator, and son of Guam. He served as the public information officer of the Guam Visitors Bureau and was a veteran news anchor and reporter for the Pacific News Center. He is also a business advisor for the federal government.Josh holds a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California – Berkeley. A product of Guam's public school system, he graduated with honors from Southern High School.No stranger to the performing arts, Josh appeared in various stage, TV and film productions. In his free time, he can be found with his family and friends, while traveling or training for fitness goals. He is from the village of Malesso'.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justjosh2000/CONNECT WITH INA WELLNESS COLLECTIVEWebsite: https://www.inawellnesscollective.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inawellnesscollective

Send us a textHeidi Ramsey retired after 23 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, serving in various operational and administrative capacities during her tenure.  During this time, she was responsible for creating SIGNAL, a preparation course for troopers seeking promotion to sergeant; the Public Safety Leadership Academy, a 10-week leadership course for mid-level police supervisors; and Ohio ASSIST, a three-day post critical incident seminar for first responders dealing with the aftermath of traumatic events.  She also held assignments at the Academy, Labor Relations, Legal Services, and Human Resources prior to her retirement in 2018. Currently, Mrs. Ramsey serves as an instructor at the FBI National Academy, a 10-week leadership course for law enforcement executives from around the world.  Her primary course of instruction is Leading At-Risk Employees, which provides resources and strategies for managers to deal with employees who are suffering from substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress, suicide, and depression.  She also teaches Navigating Internal Leadership Crises, which deals with strategies for managing crisis situations considering tactics, policy, communication, and wellness issues. Mrs. Ramsey graduated from the FBI National Academy in December 2016 and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cleveland State University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Capital University, and a Juris Doctorate degree with a concentration in Employment Law from Capital University Law School.  She is a certified attorney in the State of Ohio and resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, Mike, and their two dogs, Dutchess and Star.Find Heidi RamseyInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/heidiramsey222/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/heidi.marshall.524Find The Suffering PodcastThe Suffering Podcast InstagramKevin Donaldson InstagramTom Flynn InstagramApple PodcastSpotifyYouTubeThe Suffering Podcast FamilySherri AllsupSupport the showThe Suffering Podcast Instagram Kevin Donaldson Instagram TikTok YouTube

In this conversation, we explore the challenges of building more inclusive AI systems with John Pasmore, founder and CEO of Latimer AI and advisor to the Artificiality Institute. Latimer represents a fundamentally different approach to large language models—one built from the ground up to address the systematic gaps in how AI systems represent Black and Brown cultures, histories, and perspectives that have been largely absent from mainstream training data.John brings a practical founder's perspective to questions that often remain abstract in AI discourse. With over 400 educational institutions now using Latimer, he's witnessing firsthand how students, faculty, and administrators are navigating the integration of AI into learning—from universities licensing 40+ different LLMs to schools still grappling with whether AI represents a cheating risk or a pedagogical opportunity.Key themes we explore:The Data Gap: Why mainstream LLMs reflect a narrow "Western culture bias" and what's missing when AI claims to "know everything"—from 15 million unscanned pages in Howard University's library to oral traditions across thousands of indigenous tribes.Critical Thinking vs. Convenience: How universities are struggling to preserve deep learning and intellectual rigor when AI makes it trivially easy to get instant answers, and whether requiring students to bring their prompts to class represents a viable path forward.The GPS Analogy: John's insight that AI's effect on cognitive skills mirrors what happened with navigation—we've gained efficiency but lost the embodied knowledge that comes from building mental maps through direct experience.Multiple Models, Multiple Perspectives: Why the future likely involves domain-specific and culturally-situated LLMs rather than a single "universal" system, and how this parallels the reality that different cultures tell different stories about the same events.Excavating Hidden Knowledge: Latimer's ambitious project to digitize and make accessible vast archives of cultural material—from church records to small museum collections—that never made it onto the internet and therefore don't exist in mainstream AI systems.An eBay for Data: John's vision for creating a marketplace where content owners can license their data to AI companies, establishing both proper compensation and a mechanism for filling the systematic gaps in training corpora.The conversation shows that AI bias goes beyond removing offensive outputs. We need to rethink which data sources we treat as authoritative and whose perspectives shape these influential systems. When AI presents itself as an oracle that has "read everything on the internet," it claims omniscience while excluding vast amounts of human knowledge and experience.The discussion raises questions about expertise and process in an era of instant answers—in debugging code, navigating cities, or writing essays. John notes that we may be "working against evolution" by preserving slower, more effortful learning when our brains naturally seek efficiency. But what do we lose when we eliminate the struggle that builds deeper understanding?About John Pasmore: John Pasmore is founder and CEO of Latimer AI, a large language model built to provide accurate historical information and bias-free interaction for Black and Brown audiences and anyone who values precision in their data. Previously a partner at TRS Capital and Movita Organics, John serves on the Board of Directors of Outward Bound USA and holds degrees in Business Administration from SUNY and Computer Science from Columbia University. He is also an advisor to the Artificiality Institute.

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you'll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Philip Macnabb, Chief Executive Officer at Curia. Your host, Raman Sehgal, speaks with Phil about the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain, covering: Over 25 years of working with private equity — and why PE is ultimately about building sustainable value. The common threads he looks for as a CEO of any new organisation, and why employees often know the answer first. Navigating the COVID comedown at Curia, making major network changes, and refocusing on biotech clients. Why CDMOs are really selling trust as the service, not just manufacturing — and how that plays into customer intimacy and reputation. Betting on the trend toward small batch sizes and personalised medicines in biotech and pharma. Phil leads Curia in pursuit of its mission to improve patients' lives, applying end-to-end capabilities and deep scientific expertise to advance customers from idea to impact. He brings more than 20 years of private-equity leadership experience to Curia, including the last decade in healthcare. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer at Epsilon Global, a company he co-founded. In addition to his healthcare experience, he has held senior positions in technology, distribution, and consumer products. Phil has a proven track record of sharpening companies' core value proposition, enhancing the customer experience, and building organisations with real, lasting value. Phil earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in Business Administration from Purdue University.   Molecule to Market is sponsored by Bora Pharma and Charles River, and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your colleagues, and help us celebrate the value of the global life science outsourcing space. We'd also appreciate a positive rating!

On Today's Episode –Mark starts us out talking about the Peace Accord Pres. Trump just got done, all the while, the Left keeps saying all he's doing is golfing. Brandon dives into history, about those in power getting blamed for when a shutdown happens. Is it interesting though that this Trump Narrative of him being a racist – came to fruition only after he decided to run as a Republican. We talk election, Chicago, and a bunch of other topics.Tune in for all the Fun Project 21 Ambassador Brandon Brice is a conservative political commentator from Detroit, Michigan, and a former op-ed columnist for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Detroit News, Washington Times, Ebony and MSNBC's The Grio.With a career spanning Capitol Hill, state government, grassroots movements and national media platforms, he has become a leading voice challenging conventional narratives and encouraging independent thought through legislative dialogue.An advocate for education reform and school choice, Brandon's media presence includes appearances on MSNBC, Fox News, CGTN America, Al Jazeera, Newsmax, C-SPAN, NPR, BET, The Daily Signal and other major outlets, where he delivers clear, solutions-driven commentary on today's most pressing political concerns, including privacy rights and agendas affecting freedom of speech.He has spoken at Princeton University, the American Enterprise Institute and the Hamilton Society, offering sharp analysis on policy, governance and civic engagement.Brandon's political career began at Howard University, where he earned his Bachelor's in Business Administration, followed by a Master's in Global Affairs from Rutgers University. While at Howard, he served on Capitol Hill under former U.S. Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert, gaining firsthand experience in legislative operations and federal strategy.In 2010, Brandon was appointed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as Director of Education and African-American Affairs, where he led early childhood education and urban development initiatives across Newark, Camden and Trenton. In 2021, he was appointed by Delaware Governor John Carney to the State Magistrate Screening Process, contributing to the review and selection of judicial candidates.Over his career, Brandon has raised more than $2 million in campaign funds and held influential fellowships with the Heritage Foundation, United Nations Foundation, National Urban League, United Way of Delaware and the Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia. He currently serves on the boards of the Caesar Rodney Institute, Lincoln Club of Delaware, Great Oaks Charter School and the De Mar Va Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and cofounded the 100 Black Men of Delaware Chapter. He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.Brandon's voice in conservative media continues to grow as he champions economic empowerment and educational freedom. Through his on-air commentary and speaking engagements, he challenges voters to explore their full range of political choices and rethink the status quo—reminding America that true power begins with informed decision-making.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Ranjay Gulati discusses how to resource yourself for courageous action during times of uncertainty.— YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The critical question to ask when you're feeling fear2) The six resources of courageous people3) The simple mental shift that leads to braver actionsSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1100 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT RANJAY — Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His pioneering work focuses on unlocking organizational and individual potential—embracing courage, nurturing purpose-driven leaders, driving growth, and transforming businesses. He is the recipient of the 2024 CK Prahalad Award for Scholarly Impact on Practice and was ranked as one of the top ten most cited scholars in Economics and Business over a decade by ISI-Incite. The Economist, Financial Times, and the Economist Intelligence Unit have listed him as among the top handful of business school scholars whose work is most relevant to management practice. He is a Thinkers50 top management scholar, speaks regularly to executive audiences, and serves on the board of several entrepreneurial ventures. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and a Master's degree from MIT. He is the author of Deep Purpose (2022) and How to be Bold (2025), both published by Harper Collins. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife and two children.• Book: How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage• LinkedIn: Ranjay Gulati• Website: RanjayGulati.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny in Business and in Life by Jim Loehr— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Strawberry.me. Claim your $50 credit and build momentum in your career with Strawberry.me/Awesome• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIO• Quince. Get free shipping and 365-day returns on your order with Quince.com/AwesomeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Mark Haney Show, I sat down with Dr. Luke Wood, President of Sacramento State, and I'll tell you — this conversation will change how you think about higher education. Dr. Wood isn't just running a university. He's rebuilding what college looks like. Under his leadership, Sac State has launched the nation's first Black Honors College, introduced a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in AI and Business Management, and created Combat U, a one-of-a-kind collegiate pathway into boxing and mixed martial arts in partnership with UFC legend Urijah Faber. We also talked about entrepreneurship, the future of career opportunities, and how the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship is helping students turn ideas into businesses that fuel Sacramento's economy. And of course, we covered the big energy around sports — from the push toward FBS football at Cal Expo to a men's basketball team now coached by NBA star Mike Bibby (and featuring Shaq's son on the roster). Dr. Wood's philosophy is simple but powerful: “Bite down on the mouthpiece and go.” That mindset is transforming Sacramento State — and inspiring a new generation of leaders, innovators, and doers. ______________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...  -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement. #thebackyardadvantage #themarkhaneyshow #entrepreneur  #PowerOfWith #SacramentoEntrepreneur #Sacramento #SacramentoSmallBusiness #SmallBusiness #GrowthFactory #Investor #Podcast

Interview date: March 9th, 2025Episode Summary:Melissa McGhee, Head Coach of The Ohio State University Dance Team and owner of Lineage Dance Company. With 13 national championships and nearly two decades of experience, Melissa is a leading figure in the collegiate dance world.Melissa shares her journey from a young studio dancer in Toledo, Ohio, to becoming OSU's head coach right after graduation, and later, a studio owner. She offers an inside look at the college dance team recruiting process, including timelines, audition requirements, and how OSU fills its highly competitive six open spots each year.Listeners will gain valuable insight into what coaches look for—technical skill, strong ballet foundation, versatility, professionalism, and a team-first mentality. Melissa discusses the importance of combining studio training with dance team experience, how to stand out in recruitment videos, and why NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals are helping dancers earn significant income while in college.She also emphasizes the role of character, mindset, and energy in selection decisions and offers advice for dancers navigating both performance and academics. This episode delivers essential guidance for dancers, parents, and coaches aiming for success in the collegiate dance world.Show Notes:(0:00) - Welcome to The Business of Dance Podcast & introduction to Melissa McGhee(2:10) - Melissa's early dance beginnings in Toledo, Ohio(4:15) - Dancing through high school and joining The Ohio State University Dance Team(6:30) - Transition from dancer to head coach immediately after graduation(9:10) - Building OSU's nationally recognized program and winning 13 championships(12:00) - Opening Lineage Dance Company in Upper Arlington, Ohio(14:20) - Balancing full-time coaching with running a dance studio(16:30) - How the college dance team recruiting model works(20:00) - Audition timelines, video submissions, and competition for six annual spots(22:45) - What OSU looks for in dancers: training, ballet foundation, versatility, professionalism(26:15) -Importance of combining studio and dance team experience(28:40) -NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities and how dancers are earning up to $20K annually(32:00) - Core values Melissa instills: hard work, maturity, consistency, kindness(35:30) - Tips for standing out in recruitment videos and following instructions(38:20) -Scholarship opportunities for dance team members(41:10)- Managing training schedules, academics, and performances(44:00) - Guest choreographers and style diversity in team training(47:30) - Career paths for dancers after graduation(50:00) - Current challenges in the dance team industry and collaboration solutions(54:15) - Final advice: character matters, the dance world is small, be a good human(57:00) - How to connect with Melissa McGheeBiography:A native of Toledo, Ohio, Melissa McGhee is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she obtained a B.S. in Business Administration. She is the current Head Coach of The Ohio State University Dance Team. Under her direction, the team won the program's first ever National Championship in 2018 and has thirteen total to date.After sixteen years of studio training, she now consults for dance studios and teams nationally and judges for numerous dance competitions including NDA, UDA, AmeriDance, Showcase America, Stage 8, OASSA, and USASF Dance Worlds. Melissa has been a speaker at the Varsity Dance Coaches Conference, National Dance Coaches Association Conference, CLI Studios and Intricate Training for Dancers. She was named National Dance Coaches Association (NDCA) College Coach of the Year in 2020 and served as the NDCA College President from 2020-2022. In 2022, Melissa opened doors to a dance studio in Upper Arlington, OH, Lineage Dance Co.Connect on Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/mmcghee65https://www.facebook.com/melissa.mcghee.39

Daniel P. Driscoll is the 26th Secretary of the Army, sworn in on February 25th, 2025, following his nomination by President Donald J. Trump and confirmation by the United States Senate. As Secretary of the Army, he oversees operations, modernization, and resource allocation for nearly one million Active, Guard, and Reserve Soldiers and more than 265,000 Army Civilians. A former Army officer and business leader, Secretary Driscoll brings experience spanning military service, law, and the private sector. Secretary Driscoll was commissioned in 2007 as an Armor Officer through the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School. While on active duty, he led a cavalry platoon in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, and deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009. His military awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Ranger Tab, and Combat Action Badge. After departing active duty, Secretary Driscoll attended Yale Law School and worked in Yale's Veterans Legal Services Clinic. He has held leadership roles in investment banking, private equity, and business operations, including as Chief Operating Officer of a $200 million venture capital fund. Secretary Driscoll holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, the Rotary Club, VFW Post 1134, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. A native of Boone, North Carolina, Secretary Driscoll comes from a family with a legacy of military service. His grandfather served in the Army during World War II as a decoder, and his father served during Vietnam as an infantryman. He is married to his high-school sweetheart, and they have two children. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: ⁠https://betterhelp.com/srs⁠ This episode is sponsored. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. ⁠https://bruntworkwear.com⁠ – USE CODE SRS ⁠https://calderalab.com/srs⁠ Use code SRS for 20% off your first order. ⁠https://meetfabric.com/shawn⁠ ⁠https://shawnlikesgold.com⁠ ⁠https://helixsleep.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://www.hulu.com/welcome⁠ ⁠https://ketone.com/srs⁠ Visit https://ketone.com/srs for 30% OFF your subscription order. ⁠https://moinkbox.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://patriotmobile.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://rocketmoney.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://ROKA.com⁠ – USE CODE SRS ⁠https://ziprecruiter.com/srs Dan Driscoll Links: X - https://x.com/SecArmy U.S. Army Bio - https://www.army.mil/leaders/sa/bio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices