Podcasts about Business value

What does a rising cloud bill actually tell you about the value your business is creating? Eight years after our first conversation, I welcome Kunal, co-founder and CEO of Unravel Data, back to Tech Talks Daily. We compare the data infrastructure he was optimizing during the Hadoop era with today's enterprise stacks built around Databricks, Snowflake, BigQuery, AI pipelines, and autonomous agents. Kunal says Unravel Data has analyzed over 10 billion workloads across hundreds of enterprises. From that work, he argues that data platforms and infrastructure can account for up to 60% of cloud spending at some global businesses, while 30% to 40% of data platform spending may produce no business value. These are company claims, but they frame a problem many technology and finance leaders will recognize. The cloud bill arrives after thousands of individual engineering decisions have already been made. We discuss where cloud waste hides, including oversized clusters, hot storage holding cold data, abandoned pipelines, inefficient queries, duplicate datasets, and development jobs consuming production-level resources. The people creating those workloads seldom see the price attached to their decisions, leaving technology leaders with an aggregated bill that explains what was purchased but not why it was needed. AI adds another complication. Humans create workloads at human speed, while agents can generate queries, launch infrastructure, and consume tokens around the clock. An agent is designed to complete its task, not worry about whether a single query costs $5 or $5,000. Kunal argues that machine-speed consumption cannot be governed through monthly human reviews. We also discuss the difference between cost cutting and cost optimization, why aggressive reductions can damage performance and reliability, and how FinOps must connect cost with business outcomes. Kunal explains why leaders should measure cost per pipeline, model, agent, successful run, customer report, and business result. Finally, we consider the benefits and risks of autonomous data platform optimization. Kunal describes autonomy as a dial, with bounded, reversible, and validated actions earning wider authority as trust develops. Does your cloud bill show healthy growth, or is expensive waste hiding behind the headline number? Share your thoughts with me.

Dave Garcia is originally from Barcelona, and recently moved stateside, to the East Coast. He started coding when he was 7 years old, on a Commodore 64, in BASIC language - and when he programmed an infinite loop, he was hooked. He's been curious about machines, and fixing them - even when they weren't broken. Outside of tech, he is married with a young family. He enjoys playing video games - mostly Dad games these days - and loves to do anything on the water, like kite surfing.A few years ago, Dave decided to take some time off to spend it with his family. When the AI boom started to happen, suddenly the technology became ubiquitous, where AI was changing the life of generations around him. After some investigation, he decided wanted to build something world changing, relevant to the world the knows - which is within the tech mgmt. world.This is the creation story of Pensero.SponsorsTiger DataLinkshttps://pensero.ai/https://www.linkedin.com/in/davebcnCheckout our episode stacks on Stacklist! https://stacks.codestory.co/ Hosted by Noah Labhart | Technical Founder & Startup Mentor.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jake Hoffman of Gnosis Freight talks about AI – trust; misconceptions; data; asking the right questions; measuring success; & why the real innovation isn't AI. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.08] The biggest misconceptions people have about AI in logistics. "There's a big misconception that AI itself is the differentiator, that if you have good AI that means all your problems go away. AI is just an amplifier of whatever is underneath the surface… People are learning that the hard way." [04.16] What being an AI-native company means for Gnosis Freight, why they've changed how they talk about AI, and how AI changed their understanding of how software would become cheaper and easier to build. "We use it so we can make ourselves better, so we can do more for the customer." [07.56] The origin of the name 'Gnosis'. [10.41] With more and more logistics platforms adding AI features, whether AI itself is becoming a commodity, and why real innovation isn't AI, it's the infrastructure behind it. "If you're not using it, you're behind… But sometimes it becomes a checkbox." [16.19] If AI is only as good as the data it's trained on, what separates good logistics data from bad logistics data. "It's a bunch of people optimizing a local system for a local maximum or minimum, but there's nobody that's orchestrating the entire thing to give you the entire system maximum and minimum." [18.59] As AI pilot failure continues to be a big issue, the questions companies should be asking vendors as they evaluate AI-powered logistics platforms, and the new strategies they should be embracing. [23.31] How companies should measure AI success – not just celebrate the launch of AI initiatives. [25.46] Where Gnosis sees AI making a measurable impact on cost, efficiency, and margins in logistics. [31.47] What autonomous execution looks like in practice for logistics teams, and which logistics processes are closest to being fully automated with AI today. [33.36] What needs to happen before businesses can trust AI to make operational decisions on its own. "Implementing AI with the right guardrails is key… Often our first implementation is a recommendation, not a final decision." [37.29] How AI will change the role of logistics professionals. [40.32] Jake's advice for supply chain leaders looking to invest in AI over the next few years. "Don't buy the product, buy the system. Don't pick the software solution, pick the partner." RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to Gnosis Freight's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Gnosis and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Jake on LinkedIn. Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Send us Fan MailIn the latest episode of the Exit Insights Podcast, Darryl Bates-Brownsword is joined by Kevin Harrington to discuss one of the biggest questions every business owner should ask themselves:"Will my business provide the retirement I've worked so hard for?"For many business owners, their business is their pension.Yet surprisingly few know what it's actually worth—or whether that value will be enough to support the next stage of their life.Understanding your business valuation isn't just about preparing to sell. It's about giving yourself the time to strengthen your business, improve its attractiveness to buyers and create more options for your future.Listen in as we discuss:

How do you protect your business's value when costs keep rising and uncertainty shows no sign of easing – and why does psychological safety matter in your workplace? In this week's episode, business sales and acquisitions expert Simon Bedard explains how rising costs, inflation and economic uncertainty are reshaping business value. Simon – who is Managing Director of Exit Advisory Group, and author of new book Exit Like an Expert - also unpacks why many owners are absorbing costs instead of passing them on, and where to focus to build a stronger, more resilient business. Then senior psychologist and managing director at Barrington Centre, Rhonda Andrews, explores why psychological safety is far more than a compliance issue. She explains how creating a workplace where people feel safe to speak up can improve performance, innovation and retention – and why doing nothing is now the biggest risk of all. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The following article of the AI Cloud & Data industry is: 'Analytical Maturity: The Missing Link to Business Value' by Adrián Álvarez del Castillo, Consultor, Infomedia. 

Has enterprise AI finally reached the point where impressive demonstrations are no longer enough? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Bruce McMahon, Chief Product Officer at CallMiner, about what he describes as the industrialization of AI: the move from experimentation and excitement toward repeatable processes, measurable ROI, better customer experiences, and technology that can operate reliably at enterprise scale. Bruce explains why business leaders are increasingly asking a much simpler question about AI: how is this going to create value? Drawing on CallMiner's experience analyzing hundreds of thousands of hours of customer interactions every day, Bruce discusses how AI can surface operational inefficiencies and customer insights that were previously difficult to identify. The opportunity is not simply generating more data. Organizations need processes that get the right insight to the right person so something actually changes as a result. We also discuss how AI is changing workforce expectations. Bruce sees curiosity and adaptability becoming increasingly valuable, particularly among technical teams. As AI takes on more routine work, employees who question outputs, experiment with new approaches, and apply human judgment can become more valuable than those who rely solely on established technical knowledge. The economics of enterprise AI present another challenge. Foundation models, capabilities, and pricing continue to change rapidly, creating questions around vendor dependency and long-term costs. Bruce explains why companies may increasingly use a mixture of commercial, open-source, fine-tuned, self-hosted, and proprietary models rather than relying on one provider for everything. Governance becomes even more important as AI agents begin interacting directly with customers. We discuss red teaming, bias testing, compliance, data protection, monitoring, and why organizations need to decide which actions can be fully automated and which decisions must remain accountable to a human. Bruce also examines how AI is changing customer experience and the BPO industry. Rather than choosing between humans and AI agents, he sees value in designing systems where both can work together, with people handling interactions requiring judgment while AI manages high-volume and repetitive work. For CIOs, CTOs, COOs, customer experience leaders, and anyone responsible for enterprise AI strategy, this conversation provides a practical look at moving beyond AI pilots and turning the technology into a dependable part of business operations.  

In this special episode of Cloud Wars Live, Bob Evans speaks with Manish Sood, founder and CEO of Reltio, about the rapidly changing relationship among enterprise data, AI, and business strategy following SAP's acquisition of Reltio. Sood explains why trusted, interoperable data is becoming increasingly important as enterprises embrace agentic AI and autonomous business processes. He also discusses why AI models themselves may increasingly become commoditized, how organizations can bridge legacy and next-generation technology, and the ideas behind his new book, Agentic Intelligence: Strategy at the Speed of Data. Data Powers Agentic AI Data Becomes the Differentiator: Sood argues that enterprises should stop viewing data simply as another asset and instead recognize it as an interoperable asset that becomes more valuable as it is put to work across the organization. This distinction becomes particularly important as AI capabilities spread. If businesses eventually gain access to broadly comparable AI models, competitive differentiation will increasingly come from proprietary enterprise knowledge: decades of customer information, operational history, relationships, and business context. AI Creates Unavoidable Urgency: Enterprise transformation once proceeded at what Sood describes as a relatively organic pace. AI has fundamentally changed that dynamic by creating an enormous pull on organizations to move more quickly. Executives might still feel uncertainty about AI, but another fear has become even stronger: getting left behind. That competitive pressure is creating urgency around experimentation, investment, and execution. Sood sees this as potentially healthy because it forces organizations to reconsider technology and processes that previously seemed difficult to change. Strategy Still Beats Shiny Objects: AI's extraordinary pace doesn't eliminate the fundamentals of good business strategy. Sood notes that every major technology cycle produces a new "shiny object" that organizations race to adopt, sometimes before determining the architecture, strategy, and business value required to make it useful. AI shouldn't become another example. Enterprises absolutely need to embrace the technology, but Sood argues that they cannot sacrifice disciplined thinking about what they are trying to accomplish. That idea sits at the center of Agentic Intelligence. The Big Quote: "Our thesis has always been that data is not just an asset. Data is the interoperable asset that needs to be used.” More from Manish Sood and Reltio: Follow Manish on LinkedIn and learn more about Reltio and SAP at the following links: Reltio: Agentic AI Readiness Research, SAP Business Data Cloud, and Reltio: Building a Foundation for Agentic AI Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Phelps Wood is a Senior Consultant at Continuity Family Business Consulting, where he helps enterprising families navigate leadership transitions, resolve conflict, strengthen governance, and preserve both their businesses and family relationships. With more than 20 years of experience as an operating executive, board member, and advisor, he works with families to identify shared values, establish realistic goals, improve collaboration, and build enduring legacies.Having grown up in a family business, Phelps understands firsthand the emotional and operational complexities of balancing business priorities with family relationships. He draws on his experience running a family-owned natural resource company and guiding the ownership transition of his own family's business to help clients approach difficult conversations with greater clarity, empathy, and purpose.Phelps holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, as well as an MA and a BA, cum laude, from Middlebury College. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he focuses his work on family business organization, strategy, succession, and conflict management.SHOW SUMMARYIn this episode of The Disruptive Successor Show, Jonathan Goldhill welcomes back Phelps Wood to examine the hidden financial and organizational cost of unresolved conflict in family businesses.Phelps explains that conflict itself is not necessarily the problem. Differences in goals, values, priorities, and leadership styles are unavoidable. The real danger emerges when family members are unable or unwilling to discuss those differences productively. Avoidance can lead to passive conflict, stalled decisions, executive turnover, failed integrations, resentment, succession problems, and declining business value.The conversation explores the distinction between estate planning and succession planning, the three major components of family conflict, and the importance of addressing the problem behind the problem. Phelps also shares practical examples of how family tension can delay major initiatives, drive talented employees away, and create existential risks for otherwise successful enterprises.Jonathan and Phelps discuss compensation, family employment policies, ownership structures, underperforming family members, and the emotional impact of grief during succession. They also explain why healthy family businesses need both structural solutions and personal growth.The episode offers a powerful reminder that addressing conflict is not a sign that a family is failing. It is an essential responsibility of family business leadership.KEY TAKEAWAYSConflict is unavoidable, but unmanaged conflict can threaten the entire enterprise.An estate plan determines where assets go, while a succession plan defines how ownership, leadership, and decisions will function.Family conflict often develops from opposing goals, incompatible values, and unresolved historical baggage.Passive conflict can be just as damaging as open arguments because it prevents families from making necessary decisions.Unresolved family tension can drive away talented executives and employees who feel unsupported or unable to succeed.The true cost of employee turnover includes recruitment, lost productivity, stalled initiatives, customer relationships, and missed opportunities.Structural solutions such as ownership meetings, family employment policies, governance processes, and clearly defined roles can reduce friction.Voting can create repeated winners and losers, while consensus-building helps families identify the interests behind each person's position.Succession becomes more dangerous when families delay conversations until illness, death, or another crisis forces a transition.Underperformance should be addressed through clear roles, measurable expectations, regular reviews, accountability, and appropriate support.Families must look beyond the issue being argued about and identify the deeper emotional, historical, or identity-based source of disagreement.The strongest family businesses learn how to collaborate, forgive, adapt, and commit to change across generations.QUOTES“An estate plan tells you where the assets are going to go. A succession plan is much more of an operating plan.”“Conflict is inherent in a family business. The problem is the inability to manage it.”“If a family is not able to talk about differences, over time it creates something that can be very destructive.”“Your A players will very quickly leave if they find that they are not being supported.”“The question is: What is the problem behind the problem?”“Voting has losers, and if it is the same loser over and over again, they start to harbor resentment.”“You have to make sure the business is running well, but the benefit of owning a family business is being able to do things that would not necessarily make sense for a regular business.”“It is never too early to start planning for succession. It is also never too late, but the later you go, the more your options constrict.”“Addressing conflict early is not an admission that the family is failing. It is part of responsible family business leadership.”“Family businesses are Shakespeare. You want to be the history. You do not want to be the comedy or the tragedy.”Connect and learn more about Phelps Wood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phelps-wood/If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, review, and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you're interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill's book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com

Know your numbers, fix your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar.Most business owners look at profit on their income statement and assume the business is doing well. But profit and value are not the same thing.In this episode Steve breaks down why the majority of businesses are not generating returns above their cost of capital, what that actually means for the health of your company, and the one question every business owner should be able to answer about their strategy right now.If you have been measuring success by the bottom line alone, this one is going to change how you look at your numbers._______________________________________Disclaimer:The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information.LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

What if some of your organisation's most valuable business intelligence came from space?  This episode explores how satellite data is helping organisations improve decision making, reduce risk and uncover new opportunities.  It explains why the commercial value of the space economy is no longer centred on launching rockets, but on using space-enabled data to solve real business challenges here on Earth.  From agriculture and mining to finance, sustainability and infrastructure planning, the discussion explores how Earth observation, AI and geospatial analytics are helping organisations make faster, more informed decisions.  Research backs up this opportunity.  A new Deloitte report, The Space Edge, argues that by 2030, Southeast Asia could unlock US$100 billion in economic value - not from launching into space, but from using space‑enabled technologies to improve decision-making across industries.  In this episode you'll learn:  Why the space economy has shifted from rockets to business intelligence  How satellite data supports better operational and investment decisions  Where competitive advantage may emerge over the next five years  How satellite data is already being used in agriculture, insurance, infrastructure and logistics  Why Southeast Asia is uniquely positioned to benefit  What business leaders should do now to take advantage  Listen in now to learn more insights.  Host: Elinor Kasapidis, Chief of Policy, Standards and External Affairs, CPA Australia  Guests: Michelle Khoo, Center Leader, Deloitte Center for the Edge Southeast Asia, where she leads frontier innovation initiatives spanning emerging technologies such as AI, quantum computing, and space technologies, helping organisations translate complex trends into practical action. Michelle has advised C-suites and Board members on navigating technological and societal disruption.  You can learn more about Michelle Khoo at the Deloitte Center for the Edge Southeast Asia website.  Additionally, check out Deloitte's report The Space Edge.  Loving this episode?  Listen to more With Interest episodes and other CPA Australia podcasts on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@CPAaustralia/podcasts  And don't forget to click subscribe to the channel for a wide range of content that will help your career.  CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting:  With Interest https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/with-interest  INTHEBLACK https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/intheblack  INTHEBLACK Out Loud https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/intheblack-outloud  Excel Tips https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts/excel-tips  Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au  Chapters: 00:00 Episode intro 00:21 CPA Australia With Interest Podcast: How Space Data Improves Business Decisions 01:03 Deloitte The Space Edge Report: US$100 Billion Southeast Asia Opportunity 02:03 SpaceX, Reusable Rockets and the New Space Economy Explained 04:02 AI, Satellite Data and the Business Value of Better Decision-Making 05:00 Agriculture, Crop Monitoring and Food Security with Earth Observation Data 06:11 Mining, Oil & Gas and Methane Leak Detection Using Satellite Constellations 08:29 Government Infrastructure Planning, Population Growth and Satellite Analytics 09:47 Flood Resilience, Climate Risk and Natural Disaster Management with Space Data 11:21 Flood Risk Assessment, Banking, Insurance and Geospatial Decision-Making 12:35 Green Loans, Solar Panel Analysis and Sustainable Finance Applications 13:54 Why Southeast Asia Is a Hotspot for Satellite Data Innovation 15:30 30-Centimetre Satellite Imagery and the Future of Earth Observation 16:41 How Business Leaders Can Identify High-ROI Satellite Data Use Cases 17:13 Infrared Sensors, SAR Radar and Advanced Satellite Imaging Technologies 19:28 Deloitte Audit Innovation: Monitoring Remote Assets from Space 20:56 How Satellite Data Creates Safer, Smarter and More Productive Operations 22:15 SpaceX, Japan Inc. and Ping An: Space as a Driver of Corporate Innovation 23:42 Key Takeaways: Satellite Data as Critical Business Infrastructure 24:21 Deloitte The Space Edge Report, Resources and Closing Remarks

In this episode, David and Chris speak with two of the world's leading experts on corporate sustainability, Aron Cramer, President and CEO of BSR, and Tensie Whelan, Distinguished Professor of Practice Emerita, the Center for Sustainable Business at NYU's Stern School. The conversation explores the origins of so much focus on the business case for sustainability, how this could be optimally framed, the way businesses can realize value from sustainability and why we need to be bold in advocating for it.

Manish Dasaur is a Managing Director at PwC with over 20 years in data and AI, having helped 100+ clients navigate AI disruption and extract real business value from data, AI, and agentic AI initiatives. In this episode, he breaks down why most enterprise AI programs stall — and the playbook the winners are using instead.Huge thanks to PwC for supporting this episode!

What separates an impressive agentic AI demonstration from a deployment that produces measurable business value across an entire company? In this episode, I speak with Frank Theisen, Vice President of IBM Technology across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, about how businesses can move AI agents beyond isolated pilots and into the processes where work actually happens. Frank believes the conversation has changed considerably. Most large companies are deploying some form of AI, yet many still struggle to demonstrate a significant commercial return. The difference comes from connecting AI with end-to-end business processes rather than creating another assistant that sits outside the systems employees use every day. IBM has attempted to prove this internally through its "client zero" approach, using its own technology across human resources, IT, procurement, sales and software development before taking those practices to customers. The company reports that AI, automation and hybrid cloud have contributed to $4.5 billion in productivity gains over three years. Frank explains how IBM's AskHR service handles common employee inquiries and helps managers complete administrative tasks without learning how to operate several separate enterprise applications. IBM reports that AI now resolves 94 percent of common HR requests automatically, while similar work is taking place across IT support and procurement. The discussion then turns to orchestration. As companies acquire agents from multiple software providers, the problem becomes far larger than creating individual assistants. Businesses need to understand how agents communicate, which systems they can access, what identities they use and who remains accountable for their actions. Frank expects the number of applications, agents and non-human identities to grow rapidly. Without orchestration and governance, companies risk recreating the same application sprawl they have spent years attempting to reduce, this time with software capable of making decisions and generating additional code. Data presents another barrier. Publicly trained models rarely contain the proprietary information that gives a company its commercial advantage. That information remains distributed across databases, applications, mainframes and cloud services. Frank argues that enterprises need a governed, federated way to bring AI to their data without repeatedly copying everything into another repository. We also discuss digital sovereignty across Europe and the Middle East. Frank describes sovereignty as a matter of control across data, operations and technology. Companies need to decide which workloads require isolation, which regulations apply and where dependence on one provider could limit their future choices. Wimbledon provides a timely example of these principles in practice. IBM Bob helped modernize the tournament's digital platform by mapping and migrating approximately 15,000 articles, videos, photographs and related metadata. IBM says work that would traditionally require four or five specialists over several months was completed by one engineer within four weeks, with the assets themselves extracted in 47 minutes. Frank closes with three practical priorities. Understand where AI could affect the business, determine how successful use cases can be automated across complete processes, then address security, governance and provider dependence before expanding them. If your company already has dozens of AI pilots, should the next investment create another agent or coordinate the ones you already have? Listen to the episode and share your thoughts with me.

In This Episode Successful businesses aren't built by accident—they're built intentionally. In this episode, Adi Klevit interviews Deborah Snyder, Senior Director of Partnerships at Cultivate Advisors, about helping business owners build companies that create freedom, increase enterprise value, and generate long-term success. Deborah shares lessons from both her own entrepreneurial journey and her work alongside hundreds of growing businesses, highlighting the importance of strategy, mentorship, and operational excellence. Adi and Deborah discuss why many entrepreneurs begin their businesses seeking freedom but eventually become consumed by day-to-day operations. Deborah introduces the concept of enterprise value as a guiding framework for making better business decisions. Instead of focusing solely on revenue, business owners should intentionally strengthen key value drivers—including financial performance, sales, marketing, leadership, recruitment, and productivity—to create healthier, more scalable organizations. The conversation also explores the importance of surrounding yourself with experienced advisors. Deborah reflects on mistakes she made while growing her own business, including making decisions based on instinct rather than financial modeling and scaling too quickly without the right support team. Both Deborah and Adi emphasize that trusted advisors provide objective perspectives that help entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes while accelerating growth. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that AI and technology are valuable tools, but they cannot replace human judgment, accountability, and relationships. Deborah believes that combining experienced advisors, peer networks, and intentional leadership creates the strongest foundation for sustainable business growth and greater freedom.  

Have you built yourself a business… or accidentally built yourself a very demanding job?   In today's episode, I share why owner dependency is holding your business back and how to build a business that can thrive without you.   Full shownotes at https://clarewood.com/podcast/episode382/

Today's guest is Martin Duffy, Head of GenAI at PWC Ireland. Founded in 1866, PwC Ireland is one of the country's leading professional services firms, providing audit, tax, consulting, deals and technology services. By combining deep industry expertise with a global network, PwC helps organisations drive transformation, solve complex business challenges and create sustainable value in an increasingly digital world.Martin is a senior data and analytics consultant with over 30 years of experience helping organisations harness data to drive better business outcomes. He specialises in analytics strategy, building high-performing analytics functions and advancing organisational analytics maturity. With extensive experience across the financial services, public sector and manufacturing industries, Martin helps organisations unlock the full value of their data and make smarter, data-driven decisions.In the episode, Martin discusses:0:00 His journey from early neural networks to modern GPT scale AI evolution2:08 How their Client Zero AI journey shifted to human-centric trust approach3:42 Their focus on automating tasks to drive AI adoption and trust7:05 How Personal AI wins drive adoption and organisational growth choices9:48 Top AI leaders combine governance, responsibility and growth mindset11:00 How AI success blends leadership and grassroots adoption12:01 Irish firms lag due to caution, process redesign and operating model maturity13:21 The need to choose mindset, lead visibly and prioritise people change

Send us Fan MailThis week on ASUG Talks, we learn about an AI framework developed by the software company to drive sales order processing improvements for a major agriculture company. Key InsightsHow SAP built the AI framework Business benefits driven by the frameworkHow other enterprises can embrace the framework. Related InsightsRead Mukesh's recent ASUG articleRegister for the July 28 Community Conversation webcast, "ABAP Platform in SAP S/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition 2025 – Overview & Highlights"Read OG&E's RISE with SAP projectMore from ASUG Subscribe the weekly First Five newsletterFind your local ASUG Chapter Register for ASUG Tech Connect

Why are companies spending heavily on AI tools while struggling to show meaningful improvements in productivity, revenue, or business performance? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Matt Cloke, Chief Technology Officer at Endava, about what it takes to become an AI-native business, why deploying thousands of AI licenses does not amount to an AI transformation, and how companies can move from experimentation to measurable business outcomes. Matt has played a central role in Endava's own adoption of artificial intelligence and the development of Dava.Flow, the company's methodology for applying AI throughout the technology delivery lifecycle. With more than 11,000 employees and clients operating across multiple industries, Endava has treated itself as "client zero," testing AI internally before advising other companies about how to introduce it across their operations. Matt shares the story of a CEO who proudly told him that his company had completed its AI transformation after purchasing 10,000 licenses for an AI tool. Twelve months later, the business had seen little return on its investment and returned for help understanding what becoming AI-native actually required. The story captures one of the biggest problems with enterprise AI adoption today: buying technology is easy, but changing how people think about problems, redesign workflows, and create business value is much harder. We discuss why Matt believes becoming AI-native is primarily a mindset. Rather than treating AI as another application added to the technology stack, employees should become curious about where AI can improve existing processes, remove unnecessary work, and create new ways of delivering value. Matt also explains his idea that AI works best when it becomes invisible. Instead of requiring employees to constantly interact with chatbots and standalone AI applications, software agents can operate inside existing workflows, monitor information, prepare responses, identify problems, and bring people into the process when human judgment is required. His own use of AI agents provides a practical example. While attending meetings that prevented him from monitoring email for several days, Matt used agents to review incoming messages, redirect requests, identify urgent communications, and prepare draft responses. Rather than handing complete control to automation, he determined which actions required approval and where AI could operate independently. This leads to a wider discussion about human oversight and accountability. Matt argues that managing AI agents may increasingly resemble managing teams. Leaders do not inspect every decision made by every employee, but they establish responsibilities, controls, escalation points, and circumstances where intervention is required. Companies introducing agentic AI need similar approaches to supervision. We also examine two mistakes Matt frequently sees companies make. The first is treating AI adoption as a software rollout, buying tools for employees and expecting productivity gains to appear automatically. The second is creating centralized AI centers of excellence and expecting a small group of specialists to determine how every department should use the technology. Matt argues that employees closest to business processes are often best placed to identify opportunities for improvement. At Endava, the legal team runs monthly AI hackathons to redesign its own workflows, supported by technology specialists but led by people who understand the work itself. For companies operating in payments, financial services, and other regulated industries, the conversation turns to reliability, auditability, traceability, and risk. Matt explains how Dava.Flow allows companies to translate regulatory requirements and operational controls into policies that AI systems must follow and demonstrate throughout the delivery process. Rather than searching for a single killer AI application, Matt recommends examining end-to-end business workflows. Companies can map how information moves between employees, departments, and systems, identify unnecessary handoffs and manual processes, and determine where AI agents can improve speed, cost, and performance without replacing entire technology platforms. Leadership is another major theme throughout the episode. Matt believes the companies that achieve meaningful results from AI will be led by executives who personally use the technology, understand its capabilities, and demonstrate the behaviors they expect from their workforce. He shares how Endava brought senior leaders from legal, technology, people, and other business functions together to build software agents themselves. The experience changed how executives thought about technology investments, including one leader realizing that an existing vendor contract might no longer be necessary because the company could build the required capability internally. For CIOs, CTOs, technology leaders, and business executives under pressure to demonstrate returns from AI investment, this conversation provides practical lessons on becoming AI-native, redesigning workflows, managing software agents, maintaining human accountability, operating AI in regulated industries, and moving beyond technology adoption toward measurable business value. The companies that succeed with AI may not be those buying the most tools or making the biggest announcements. They will be the ones whose leaders understand the technology, whose employees rethink how work gets done, and whose AI systems quietly become part of everyday business operations.

What if companies rushing to deploy AI agents are overlooking the basic problem that much of their business data is still trapped inside PDFs, emails, attachments, spreadsheets, and paper documents? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Sylvestre Dupont, co-founder and CEO of Parseur, about why successful AI adoption begins with making business data usable, why traditional automation can often outperform more sophisticated AI systems, and how he built a profitable global technology company with six employees across six countries without venture capital funding. Sylvestre introduces the concept of data liquidity, the ability to move information from the documents and systems where it is trapped into the applications, workflows, and AI systems that can put it to work. Companies may have years of valuable operational data, but if that information remains buried inside what Sylvestre calls "digital concrete," even the most advanced AI models will struggle to produce useful results. The conversation examines why structured data extraction has become increasingly important as companies invest in AI agents, copilots, and automated workflows. Sylvestre explains that better models alone cannot compensate for incomplete, inaccessible, or poorly structured information. Before businesses can expect AI to automate complex processes or support better decisions, they need reliable ways to collect, structure, and move data between systems. We also challenge the assumption that every business problem now requires an AI solution. Sylvestre explains why AI should be treated as one tool among many and why deterministic automation remains the better option for repetitive processes where accuracy, consistency, and explainability matter. Parseur itself combines AI-powered document processing with template-based extraction and traditional workflow automation, using each approach where it performs best. Drawing on Parseur's experience processing more than 100 million documents annually, Sylvestre describes the different stages companies move through as they mature their automation strategies. Some begin by manually uploading documents and downloading extracted data. Others automate document ingestion and connect information directly to accounting platforms, CRM systems, and other business applications. The most advanced companies add exception handling and human review processes for situations where automation cannot reliably complete the task. Data privacy and security are another major part of the discussion. Sylvestre shares the questions technology leaders should ask before sending sensitive company information to AI-powered platforms, including where data is stored and processed, whether customer information is used to train AI models, how deletion requests are handled, and whether vendors genuinely understand the regulations and security standards they claim to follow. For founders and bootstrapped entrepreneurs, Sylvestre also shares an alternative perspective on building technology companies. Parseur has remained profitable, globally distributed, and customer-funded rather than pursuing the venture capital model of rapid expansion. Sylvestre explains why he prefers customers to determine the company's priorities, how asynchronous communication supports a team operating across multiple time zones, and why building a sustainable business can offer founders greater control over product decisions and company culture. This conversation offers practical lessons for technology leaders deciding where AI belongs in their operations, operations teams trying to reduce repetitive manual work, and founders questioning whether venture capital is the only route to building a successful global software company. The message throughout the episode is simple: AI can be extremely useful, but companies still need reliable data, appropriate technology choices, strong privacy practices, and well-designed business processes. Sometimes the smartest technology strategy begins by solving the boring problems first.

In this talk, Ivan, Senior Engineering Manager at Personio, shares his deep expertise in the data and software space from his early days building traditional NLP systems and massive ETL pipelines to his current leadership role in Identity and Access Management (IAM). We explore the rapid evolution of Generative AI, the reality of managing AI agents in production, and the emerging field of context engineering to optimize developer workflows.You'll learn about:- The buy vs. build dilemma for AI infrastructure and local LLMs.- How AI agents are shifting workloads and evolving code reviews.- Why AI is currently better at fixing tech debt than building from scratch.- Measuring the ROI of AI integration using DORA metrics and cycle times.- Strategies to manage vendor lock-in and minimize AI provider dependency.- Using "context engineering" and specification-driven development to maximize LLM quality.- Why hiring junior engineers is still essential and how AI accelerates their onboarding.TIMECODES:00:00 Career Journey in Data Science and NLP07:37 Industry Adoption of Generative AI and Agents11:45 Buy vs Build Dilemma for AI Infrastructure15:46 AI Capability Limits in Fixing Tech Debt19:32 Developer Workloads and AI Code Contributions24:49 Experimentation with Open Source AI Agent Architectures30:06 Measuring ROI and Business Value of AI Integration35:10 Tracking AI Impact Using DORA Metrics39:51 Impact of AI Code Generation on CI/CD System Reliability43:00 Best Practices for Team AI Tool Adoption48:20 Managing Vendor Lock-In Risks with AI Providers51:27 Importance of Hiring Junior Software Engineers56:28 Accelerated Junior Developer Onboarding with AI Assistants01:00:12 Specification-Driven Development and Context EngineeringThis talk is perfect for software engineers, engineering managers, and technical leaders looking to practically integrate AI tools into their teams without sacrificing code quality or system reliability. It is especially valuable for tech professionals navigating the complexities of AI adoption, CI/CD pipeline management, and organizational scaling in the GenAI era.Connect with DataTalks.Club:- Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.html- Subscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r?cid=ZjhxaWRqbnEwamhzY3A4ODA5azFlZ2hzNjBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ- Check other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-events- GitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClub- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/datatalks-club/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/DataTalksClub - Website - https://datatalks.club/ Connect with Ivan:- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-bilan/ - Twitter - https://x.com/demiourgosua - Github - https://github.com/ivan-bilan - Website - https://github.com/ivan-bilan

There's an old saying in business: the day you start your company is the day you should start preparing to sell it.Whether your exit is five years away or thirty, the decisions you make today directly affect what your business will be worth tomorrow.Most owners focus on revenue, profit, employees, and systems, but today's buyers evaluate something else too: your online presence. Your Google reviews, website, search visibility, brand reputation, and digital assets all help shape how valuable, trustworthy, and transferable your business appears.In this episode, we give the practical steps you can take now to increase your company's long-term value. Even if you're not planning to sell anytime soon, building this asset today could pay off in a big way tomorrow.About Adam Duran, Digital Marketing Expert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Local SEO in 10⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is helmed by Local SEO expert Adam Duran, director of Magnified Media. With offices in San Francisco, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Los Angeles⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Walnut Creek, California, Magnified Media is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠digital marketing agency⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ focused on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠local SEO for businesses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠marketing strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠national SEO⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website design⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and qualified customer lead generation for companies of all sizes.Magnified Media helps companies take control of their marketing by:• getting their website seen at the top of Google rankings,• getting them more online reviews, and• creating media content that immediately engages with their audience.Adam enjoys volunteering with CoCoSAR, hiking and BJJ.About Jamie Duran, host of Local SEO in 10Local business owner Jamie Duran is the owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Northern California⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s top-rated solar company, which invites its customers to “Own Their Energy” by purchasing a solar panel system for their home, business, or farm.  You can check out the website for the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ top solar energy equipment installer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Solar Harmonics, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Have a question about Local SEO? Chances are we've covered it! Go to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website and sign up for our Newsletter!

We're taking a short summer break in July and August to focus on some exciting news — Ed's new book, Done Deal: Exit Without Regret. How to Prepare, Promote, and Protect the Sale of Your Business, launches on September 9. This is the ultimate guide for business owners who want a profitable, empowered exit without regret. Pre-orders are now open  [Pre-order link: https://a.co/d/0imeCz3D] — we'd love your support! We'll be back in September with fresh episodes. Thanks for being part of the Defenders of Business Value community — see you soon!  ────────────────────  Navigating the business world requires immense grit, but knowing how to transition from an owner-dependent operation to a highly standardized, thriving business is where true enterprise value is unlocked.   Chris Miller is the founder of Rev Up Manufacturing, a company dedicated to helping small and medium-sized manufacturers improve operations, increase profitability, and build scalable organizations. He breaks down the hidden operational power of process mapping, how to extract critical institutional knowledge from key personnel, and why business owners must stop wearing multiple hats to protect their exit value. Learn how to leverage visual systems, mitigate single-person risk, and transform the "secret sauce" of your business into a transferable asset.  In this episode, you will: Discover the visual process of "Money Maps" and how they expose hidden inefficiencies in your operations Learn why owner dependency triggers massive price discounts from buyers during due diligence Understand how to foster a safe company culture that excites floor workers to document and elevate their processes Highlights: (00:00) Meet Chris Miller (04:11) The hidden danger of tribal knowledge (05:27) How buyers assess transition risk (07:54) The three ways to look at core processes (11:17) Inside the operational blueprint workshop (16:09) The "Pete the Painter" story (19:09) Floor workers vs. executives: reactions to transparency (21:50) Finding waste and process drift (30:27) Advice for business owners planning an exit Resources: For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/ Follow Chris Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-miller-503a7139/ Explore Rev Up Manufacturing: https://www.revupmfg.com/  Follow Ed: Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

In this episode featuring Travis and producer Eric, the duo dives into a fascinating story shared by wrestling legend Dwayne Johnson about negotiating his WWE contract. What begins as a discussion about professional wrestling quickly turns into a practical lesson on compensation, business economics, and how employees can position themselves for higher earnings. Travis breaks down why understanding a company's financial realities is essential for anyone looking to increase their income, while Eric shares personal experiences from his early career that illustrate the importance of creating value before asking for a raise. On this episode, we talk about: The Rock's contract negotiation lesson from WWE Why understanding business economics leads to better compensation discussions How employees can create leverage before asking for a raise Common misconceptions about business owners and profitability Eric's experience creating additional value in a marketing role Why entitlement hurts career growth How learning new skills increases earning potential The realities of restaurant and small business profit margins When it's time to move on from an employer who doesn't recognize your value Viewing compensation conversations through the employer's perspective Top 3 Takeaways Learn the business before negotiating compensation. Understanding how a company makes money, what its costs are, and how your work contributes to revenue allows you to make a stronger case for higher pay. Create value first, then ask for more. The best raises often come when you've expanded your role, developed new skills, or increased the company's profitability beyond what you were originally hired to do. Think like an owner, not just an employee. When you understand the challenges, expenses, and risks involved in running a business, you'll be better equipped to identify opportunities that benefit both you and your employer. Notable Quotes "If you're going to get a good idea of what value you're going to bring to the organization, then you should probably get a good idea of what the bottom line looks like." "You have to ask the question: What's in it for them, not what's in it for me." "The next job that you get, you can start off at a higher threshold because you have more skills to bring to the table." Connect with Travis Website: https://travischappell.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who's looking to increase their income and advance their career. - Are you ready to start your own creatorjourney and make it big? Visitwww.fanvue.com today and launch yourcareer! - To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney -Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you think your warehouse full of inventory is the most valuable part of your home staging business?In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast mini-series, How to Sell Your Home Staging Business, Shauna Lynn Simon tackles one of the biggest misconceptions in the staging industry: the belief that inventory determines business value. While furniture, artwork, accessories, and decor are essential tools of the trade, buyers are not focused on what you spent. They are focused on what those assets produce.Shauna Lynn breaks down the difference between selling inventory and selling a business, explains why buyers evaluate earning power over furniture costs, and shares how productive inventory can support value while unproductive inventory can create drag. She also reveals why some home staging businesses sell for far more than the value of their warehouse contents and highlights the often-overlooked intangible assets that make a business truly attractive to buyers.Whether you plan to sell in the next year or simply want to build a stronger, more profitable company today, this episode will help you start viewing your business through a buyer's lens and make smarter decisions about growth, profitability, and long-term value.Timestamps:(00:09) - (04:27) - Why your inventory is not the same thing as your business value(04:28) - (08:50) - How buyers evaluate staging inventory based on revenue potential(08:51) - (13:28) - Why selling inventory alone is different from selling an operating business(13:29) - (17:37) - How inventory is handled in a business sale and what supports value(17:38) - (21:45) - The invisible assets that make your inventory more profitable(21:46) - (24:57) - How to build a more sellable business with stronger systems and assets Resources:Get your "Is Your Home Staging Business Sellable?" ebook free when you use promo code SELL100: https://slsacademy.com/sellreadyLearn more about the Sell Your Staging Business Bootcamp (and claim your spot): https://slsacademy.com/sellyourbiz

Do you know what your numbers are really saying about your home staging business?Many home stagers focus on revenue when measuring success, but buyers look at something very different when evaluating a business. In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast mini-series, How to Sell Your Home Staging Business, Shauna Lynn Simon breaks down the financial story behind business value and explains why revenue alone does not determine what your company is worth.Listeners will learn how buyers interpret financial statements, what profitability really means, and why understanding metrics like gross profit, net income, and Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) can dramatically impact a future sale. Even if numbers aren't your strength, this episode will help you understand the financial story buyers see when evaluating your business without getting lost in accounting jargon or complicated formulas.Whether selling is years away or simply a future possibility, this conversation will help home stagers look at their numbers through a completely different lens. You'll also learn why preparing your financials 2-3 years before a sale can significantly impact both buyer confidence and business value. The insights shared in this episode can lead to stronger decision-making, healthier profits, and a more valuable business long before an exit is ever on the horizon.If you're serious about building a staging business that creates both income and long-term value, this is an episode you won't want to miss.Timestamps:(00:08) - (04:48) - Why revenue is not the same thing as business value(04:49) - (09:31) - How buyers read your financials as a story of risk and profit(09:32) - (14:12) - Why clean books and service profitability matter before selling(14:13) - (20:18) - The difference between gross profit, net income, and real earning power(20:19) - (27:08) - How buyers value a staging business using SDE instead of revenue or inventory(27:09) - (40:00) - Add backs, valuation multiples, and how to increase buyer confidenceResources:Get your "Is Your Home Staging Business Sellable?" ebook free when you use promo code SELL100: https://slsacademy.com/sellreadyLearn more about the Sell Your Staging Business Bootcamp (and claim your spot): https://slsacademy.com/sellyourbiz

In this episode, we discuss how financial due diligence is different from your regular compliance bookkeeping and how to clean up your books to secure the highest possible purchase price. You'll discover how simple accounting mistakes can destroy trust with buyers, lead to sudden price reductions, and even kill a deal. View the complete show notes for this episode. Want To Learn More?  The Role of Accountants When Selling Your Business M&A Due Diligence Preparation Quality of Earnings in M&A – The Ultimate Guide Additional Resources Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today. Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business. Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to podcast@morganandwestfield.com.

By Moshe Beauford At NiCE World 2026, Moshe Beauford, Technology Editor at Technology Reseller News, sat down with Justin Robbins, CEO and Founder of Metric Sherpa, for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving role of AI in customer experience and decision-making process during the technology purchasing phase. Robbins shared insights into his entrepreneurial journey, the growth of Metric Sherpa, and his participation at the event. The discussion explores the current state of AI adoption, practical implementation challenges, strategies for evaluating AI investments, and how organizations can make smarter technology purchasing decisions in an increasingly crowded market.

This episode of The Times Tech Podcast is sponsored by KPMG.Businesses are spending heavily on AI, but is it actually changing how they work? Katie Prescott is joined by Paul Henninger, UK Head of Technology and Data and Global AI Leader at KPMG, and Professor Alan Brown from the University of Exeter Business School, author of Making AI Work for Britain, to ask why so many AI pilots fail to become real business value.They discuss the gap between hype and implementation, why the most useful applications of AI are often the least glamorous, and what leaders need to do before AI can reshape work across an organisation.Visit https://kpmg.com/uk/en/services/ai to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is delivering pockets of productivity, but far less business value than expected. In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Distinguished VP Analyst Fran Karamouzis explores why so much AI ROI remains stuck inside organizations, never reaching the bottom line. While many leaders expect gains in individual productivity to translate directly into financial outcomes, legacy processes, siloed structures and outdated operating models often prevent that value from scaling. In a preview of a recent standout webinar, you'll hear what it really takes to unlock measurable impact — from rethinking how work flows across teams, to redesigning end‑to‑end processes, and leading the organizational change required to make AI stick.   You'll learn: Why productivity gains alone don't guarantee financial returns Where AI value gets trapped inside workflows and operating models How to redesign work around end‑to‑end outcomes, not individual tasks What it takes to lead organizational change and consistently convert AI into ROI   Dig deeper: Register to watch the full "Value is Trapped" webinar Learn how to prove quantifiable value from AI See why Gartner is the world authority on AI  

Platform vendors are transferring liability and delivery responsibility for AI services onto MSPs by building structured AI practice frameworks, training programs, and service delivery methodologies. This approach is motivated by mounting economic pressures on vendors, as seen with large-scale infrastructure investments and the need for sustainable revenue models. PAX8, Ingram Micro Cloud, ConnectWise, and others are formalizing AI partner programs that enroll MSPs to deliver vendor-defined services, while shifting operational complexity and accountability downstream. The episode highlights PAX8's Managed Intelligence initiative, aimed at helping small and midsize MSPs deliver AI services to SMB clients with minimal prior expertise. PAX8 cites its own research, which notes that 62% of SMBs view AI as essential for competitiveness and 74% plan to increase AI spending in the coming year. The economics of AI scaling are underscored by data on projected data center buildout costs—up to $15 trillion by 2030 and requiring $1.75 trillion annually just to maintain. OpenAI's public offering, with an $850 billion valuation and $180 billion in funding, is attributed to the need for capital that private markets can no longer supply, prompting vendors to leverage channel partners for both revenue generation and market validation. Supporting developments include expanded programs at the distribution and platform levels: a PAX8-Nocdoc partnership providing managed NOC/SOC services for smaller MSPs, Ingram Micro Cloud's collaboration with PartnerStack to formalize AI service delivery infrastructure, and ConnectWise's introduction of an AI-native platform for predictive and autonomous IT operations. Research from Omnia and the IBM Institute for Business Value indicates underutilization of vendor market development funds and widespread deployment of AI frameworks despite only 11% of tech leaders feeling prepared—demonstrating the gap between vendor offerings and operational readiness. The implications for MSPs are significant. By enrolling in these vendor-driven AI programs, providers take on delivery risk, contractual accountability, and potential liability for AI outcomes they did not design. The structural split is clear: MSPs can either create and govern their own AI methodologies—pricing accountability as a service—or become vehicles for vendor frameworks, absorbing complexity without full compensation or control. Practical recommendations include updating service agreements for AI-related risks, building internal governance around AI deployments, and not allowing vendor or community consensus to substitute for explicit accountability for outcomes. 00:00 Channel AI Shift  03:59 Enrollment, Not Enablement 06:55 Methodology vs. Liability 10:01 Why Do We Care?  Supported by:  Zero Networks  CometBackup 

The three ways business owners lose the value of their businesses are conflict with co-owners, the loss of a critical owner, and failure to prepare for sale. Owners reading this might be surprised to learn that the threats are preventable.

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Lane Gordon, CEO of 733Park, to discuss how AI is reshaping software, payments, and business valuations. From merchant portfolios and SaaS models to vertical software strategies and acquisition trends, Lane shares what buyers are looking for today—and what business owners should be thinking about if they hope to build long-term value. The conversation explores the future of AI-powered software, why payments revenue remains so attractive to investors, how verticalization creates defensible businesses, and what separates companies that command premium valuations from those that struggle to find buyers. Plus, Patti Murphy's Today in Payments segment covers interchange legislation, crypto ATMs, international remittance taxes, emerging payment preferences, and other trends shaping the industry.

AI investment is growing fast, but proving its value remains one of the biggest challenges facing data leaders today. Dashboards are built, models are deployed, and yet when the budget question arrives, most teams still can't clearly demonstrate return on investment.Speaking on Don't Panic, It's Just Data with host Christina Stathopoulos, Nadiem von Heydebrand, CEO and co-founder of Mindfuel, identified where most organisations go wrong: the interface between data teams and the business. According to von Heydebrand, the reason is straightforward: no use case, no value."We get a demand, we believe we've understood it, and we start executing immediately," he explained. Months pass, and nobody can answer why the project exists or what problem it was supposed to solve in the first place. The fix isn't more technology. It's better use case management.The 3 Pillars of Effective AI Use Case ManagementOne of von Heydebrand's core principles is straightforward: before you build anything, you need to really understand the business challenge you're trying to solve. "You have to fall in love with the problem, not with the solution," he said. This matters more than ever in the era of generative AI. With token costs attached to every AI interaction, building the wrong solution isn't just a wasted effort; it's an ongoing financial drain. Use case management has moved from being a nice-to-have to an operational necessity. Good use case management, according to Nadiem, rests on three pillars:Demand exploration: Don't assume you understand the problem. Engage stakeholders, ask deeper questions, and uncover the real business challenge before a single line of code is written.Value management: Every use case needs a value hypothesis. What outcome is expected if this problem is solved? As Nadiem puts it: "The solution itself has a value of zero. Value lives in the problem space."Value tracking: Once live, track performance against the original hypothesis. Define a realistic ROI timeframe and review it consistently.Adoption Metrics Are Not Proof of ValueOne of the most common mistakes? Measuring AI success through usage and adoption data alone. "I have enough examples where usage is high, and value is zero or even negative," von Heydebrand warned.Clicks and logins are a proxy. Business outcomes are the goal. If there's no correlation between the two, the metric is misleading.Output vs. Outcome: The Shift That MattersThe most important distinction in the conversation was the difference between output and outcome. Data teams have historically been measured on output like model accuracy, number of dashboards, and features delivered. But output without impact is just activity. Outcome means the value created for the recipient of your work. Organisations that make this mindset shift from measuring what they produce to measuring what they change are the ones that change their data functions from cost centres into genuine value generators.For leaders under pressure to prove ROI from AI initiatives, Mindfuel's CEO advises a pragmatic approach: start now, start small, and be honest. As Stathopoulos summarised: "It all comes back to being intentional about what you build and why." For more information, visit mindfuel.ai, the platform built to help data and AI teams demonstrate, manage, and maximise business value.Connect with the guest:Nadiem von Heydebrand: LinkedIn | MindfuelTakeawaysThe importance of structured use case managementLinking AI initiatives to business valueThe impact layer and value tracking in AI projectsChapters00:00 – Introduction to Data and AI Impact Management03:16 – The Challenge of Connecting AI to Business Outcomes11:38 – Understanding Use Case Management17:40 – The Missing Value Layer in Data and AI Initiatives22:23 – Evolving Mindsets in Data and AI27:36 – Advice for Leaders on Proving AI ROI

The Institute of Internal Auditors Presents: All Things Internal Audit  In this Internal Audit Awareness Month special, internal audit leaders share the human side of the profession. Through stories of resistance, difficult findings, stakeholder trust, courage, and career-defining moments, the episode highlights how internal auditors add value by building relationships, asking better questions, and helping organizations see what they might otherwise miss.    HOST: Catie Brown Associate Manager & Producer, Content Development, The IIA  GUESTS   Asim Fareeduddin, CPA, CISA, CISM, CIPP, CISSP Head of Internal Audit & Assurance, RELX Ashanti Clark, CIA Executive Advisor, FedEx Express Corporation Jasdeep Gill, CIA, CISA, CISM, CFE Senior Manager, Internal Audit & Assurance, RELX Aadesh Gandhre, CIA, CISA  Chief Audit Executive, DTCC Chad Bourque, CIA  Global Director of Enterprise Risk Management, Gallagher Benefits Services Nam Phong Ho, CIA, CISA, CFE, CRMA, QILM, MBA Former Chief Audit Executive, Glencore / Independent Advisor   KEY POINTS: Introduction [00:00:02-00:01:42] Navigating Internal Audit Resistance [00:01:42-00:05:34] Preparing for Difficult Conversations [00:05:34-00:08:05] Emotional Intelligence and Cultural Awareness [00:08:05-00:09:53] Delivering Difficult Audit Findings [00:09:53-00:14:28] Leadership During Challenging Audit Moments [00:14:28-00:16:38] Communicating the "So What" [00:16:38-00:19:42] Active Listening and Stakeholder Trust [00:19:42-00:22:53] Building Real Relationships [00:22:53-00:24:21] Demonstrating Internal Audit's Business Value [00:24:21-00:27:48] Courage and Career Growth in Internal Audit [00:27:48-00:29:51] Internal Audit as a Mission [00:29:51-00:31:52] Reflecting on Value After Every Audit [00:31:52-00:32:48] Sharing Internal Audit Successes [00:32:48-00:33:41] IIA RELATED CONTENT:  Interested in this topic? Visit the links below for more resources: Discover Internal Audit Certifications May Sale Internal Audit Month Global Awareness Global Internal Audit Standards Vision 2035 Career Center   Visit The IIA's website or YouTube channel for related topics and more. Follow All Things Internal Audit: Apple Podcasts Spotify Libsyn Deezer  

Welcome to TBCY! In this insightful episode, we sit down with Reddy Mallidi, Chief AI Officer and COO at J&R Consulting, renowned for his practical expertise in implementing AI solutions across industries.Hosted by Stephen Ibaraki, this conversation explores the rise of agentic AI, practical AI adoption strategies, governance challenges, and how organizations can build trust in AI systems.Reddy Mallidi shares real-world lessons from deploying AI in enterprise environments, discusses the future of AI agents, and explains how leaders can move beyond the hype to create measurable business value.Key takeaways include:The future of agentic AI and autonomous workflowsOvercoming AI adoption challenges related to data, infrastructure, talent, and trustPractical frameworks for AI implementation and governanceReal-world use cases that demonstrate measurable business impactWhy curiosity, experimentation, and responsible AI practices matter

Send us Fan MailNonprofit conference strategy for fundraisers is not just about attending sessions — it's about turning time, travel, relationships, and learning into business value for your organization. Tim Sarrantonio, Founder of The Generosity Spectrum (and also a cohost of the Show), joins to share timely insights from the recent AFP International Conference and the broader conference landscape shaping nonprofit fundraising leadership.Tim brings a rare perspective as a sector educator, speaker, conference participant, and creator of game-based learning experiences for nonprofit leaders, boards, and communities. The conversation begins with AFP ICON — what it is, who attends, and why it matters — but quickly moves into a larger question: how can nonprofit professionals make conferences worth the investment?From the vendor hall to rooftop gatherings, from formal panels to side conversations, Tim explains why the strongest learning often happens outside the scheduled room. As he puts it, “Always, no matter what, ask yourself, why am I in this room?” That question becomes a powerful lens for fundraisers, CEOs, CFOs, board members, and development teams trying to maximize conference ROI.The episode also touches on the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, board education, sector trust, inclusive conference design, and the cautious optimism many nonprofit professionals are carrying into this next season. Tim notes, “People are ready to help. Vendors are there to help.” But he also challenges leaders to be thoughtful about where they spend their attention, energy, and budget.This conversation is especially useful for nonprofit professionals preparing for AFP ICON, Bridge Conference, AFP chapter events, vendor-hosted gatherings, or any sector learning experience. It offers a smarter way to think about nonprofit networking strategy, fundraising leadership development, and the business case for attending conferences.For nonprofit leaders, this episode is a reminder: don't just show up. Show up with purpose!! 00:00:00 Welcome And Why AFP ICON Matters 00:02:04 Tim Sarrantonio And The Generosity Spectrum 00:04:54 Creating A Practice Field For Nonprofit Leaders 00:06:54 What AFP ICON Is And Who It Serves 00:11:21 Why Executives And Fundraisers Attend 00:13:50 The Real Vibe At AFP ICON 00:18:01 Sector Confidence And Cautious Optimism 00:21:13 How To Maximize A Nonprofit Conference 00:24:24 Vendor Hall Strategy And Sponsor Value 00:26:33 Why Small-Room Conversations Matter 00:29:15 Local AFP Chapters And What Comes Next #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitFundraising #AFPICONFind us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.comVisit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Technology problems rarely start with technology. They start with leadership decisions, culture, and treating IT as an afterthought instead of a strategic asset. In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave speaks with Keith Tessler of CMIT Solutions about why smart companies are shifting from reactive IT support to proactive technology management and how those decisions directly impact risk, resilience, scalability, and enterprise value. The conversation explores the biggest cybersecurity threats facing small and mid-sized businesses today, including phishing attacks, business email compromise, and the growing misuse of remote-control software by bad actors. Keith shares practical, low-cost protections every business should implement, including two-factor authentication, password managers, employee awareness training, and stronger internal controls. Dave and Keith also discuss: When companies should move from “break/fix” IT support to a managed services model How IT infrastructure and documentation can affect M&A due diligence and succession planning Why clean, accessible data matters more than most owners realize The role culture and people play in cybersecurity and operational risk Practical applications for AI in business and where the hype exceeds reality A simple IT checklist business owners can use to improve resilience and reduce risk Whether you're preparing your company for growth, protecting it from disruption, or thinking about a future exit, this episode delivers actionable insights on how technology decisions can strengthen both operational performance and business value. Subscribe to Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed this conversation, please share it with your network and leave a review—it helps more business owners and advisors discover the show! About Our Guest: A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Keith says he learned more at the family dinner table than from his MBA courses. So it's no surprise he dove into the family business with gusto, taking it from a small, regional player to a nationwide company that became the largest firm in that industry. But after 25 years of 100-hour weeks, he sold that business and spent a couple of years coaching CEOs -  leaders of companies that ran the gamut from small tech start-ups to $3 billion corporations.  While he loved that work, he couldn't shake the technology itch. So today, Keith has hit his stride as the owner of CMIT Solutions in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, a business that marries his love of technology with his passion for helping businesses find better paths to successful growth.   If you want fresh perspectives on leadership, tech, and business, follow Keith on LinkedIn. And if you want to put tech headaches in the rearview mirror and work with an IT team you can love, reach out to Keith here. He's always ready to talk tech support, business growth, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and much more.  About the Host: Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and their advisors reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries.  Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers.  He's on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people's contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company's most valuable asset.” Dave's book, A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know, was recognized as a top new release in Business and Valuation and is designed to provide practical insights and tools to help understand what really drives business value, how to prepare for an exit, and just make better decisions. He's also the host of the highly rated Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder business podcast which is enjoyed in more than 100 countries.

How much cash is hiding in your business? See if you qualify for a Free Financial Health Check Financial Intelligence Toolkit Most business owners have a rough idea of what their business is worth. Usually it is based on what a friend sold theirs for or what feels right. But what a business is actually worth and what an owner thinks it is worth are almost never the same number.In this episode Steve breaks down exactly how a sophisticated buyer looks at a business, what the calculation actually reveals, and the specific things that can add or quietly destroy value before you ever get to the table.Whether you are thinking about selling someday or just want to build something worth owning, this one will change how you see your numbers._______________________________________Disclaimer:The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information.LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

Learn what happens when the executive accountable for data strategy is also the executive accountable for the business results that depend on it. Saugata Saha, President of S&P Global Market Intelligence and Chief Enterprise Data Officer at S&P Global, shares how he manages one of the world's largest financial data estates while driving business outcomes across public and private markets. He breaks down the four pillars of S&P Global's data strategy, the federated organizational model that connects data teams to business value, and why capturing ROI from AI requires deliberate workflow transformation. Key Moments Why Data Strategy Must Follow Business Strategy (04:57): Saugata challenges the idea that data and business strategy can run in parallel. Market trends, customer pain points, and existing capabilities must come first. Building an AI-Ready Financial Data Estate (15:10): Scale alone does not create intelligence. Saugata explains why semantic layers and graph databases are the hard work behind connected financial data. How AI Compresses Post-Acquisition Data Integration (18:29): Manual reconciliation of millions of records is no longer the only path. Discover how AI entity matching accelerated post-acquisition integration. The Federated Model That Connects Data to Value (22:49): Most large organizations either over-centralize data teams or leave them too embedded to scale. Saugata outlines the federated model that actually bridges both. Rethinking AI Productivity: From Marginal to Transformative (28:29): Most AI programs stop at training and tooling. Saugata explains why deliberately redesigning workflows is the missing step between AI investment and real ROI. Key Quotes “Data strategy and business strategy have to be very tightly connected. And if they're not, that's when value capture does not happen. In fact, I would go so far as to say data strategy actually follows from business strategy.” - Saugata Saha “Stop treating data as an afterthought or byproduct, but start thinking about data as a key ingredient for value creation and competitive advantage.” - Saugata Saha “We don't want everybody to become 10% more productive, because that's a little squishy. We want 10% of the people to become a hundred percent more productive so they can do other things.” - Saugata Saha “If a company can really use data at scale for better decision making, better client service, [and] better outcomes, that creates a lasting edge over the competition.” - Saugata Saha Mentions S&P Global Agrees to Acquire With Intelligence from Motive Partners for $1.8 Billion, Establishing Its Leadership in Private Markets Intelligence The Data & AI Chief: Why a Federated Data Team is Crucial for Business Value, with Dow Private Companies Wait Too Long to Go Public The Lex Fridman Podcast Guest Bios  Saugata serves as President of S&P Global Market Intelligence, leading the division's efforts to deliver essential insights and intelligence to clients worldwide. He is also S&P Global's Chief Enterprise Data Officer, responsible for driving innovation and excellence in the company's enterprise data strategy. Saugata is a member of S&P Global's Executive Leadership Team, contributing to the strategic direction and growth of the organization. Before joining S&P Global, Saugata was a consultant at McKinsey & Company's New York office, where he advised clients on strategy, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and operational improvements across various industries, with a strong focus on financial services. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Most business owners focus on profit—but profit alone doesn't make a business valuable. In this episode of The Idaho Business Podcast, Spencer sits down with Marc Spear, founder of XSpearience, to break down what actually drives business value—and why most owners are overlooking it. With nearly 30 years of executive leadership and entrepreneurial experience, Marc shares why up to 80% of a company's true value comes from intangibles like leadership, trust, communication, and team performance. They dive into: The difference between building profit and building value The hidden factors that make or break a business Why trust is lost in organizations—and how to rebuild it Where most managers fall short (and how to fix it) How to shift from a "career grind" to a "career adventure" mindset If you're building a business and want it to be stronger, more scalable, and actually worth something long-term, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and growth. Check Mark our here: https://xspearience.com/    If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you are!! If you'd like to be featured on an episode go to theidahobusinesspodcast.com to APPLY! Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

In this episode of Poised for Exit, Hilary Spreizer, Owner and CEO of The Latitude Group, shares her unexpected journey from employee to owner after purchasing the company during the uncertainty of COVID. She discusses the challenges of transitioning from leading sales and revenue generation to building the operational structure needed to scale a growing business.Hilary explains how strategic hires, stronger systems, and a focus on scalable infrastructure helped the company achieve significant growth and earn a Fast 50 award. She also shares lessons on leadership, surrounding yourself with people who know what you don't, and implementing frameworks like EOS to create accountability and long-term organizational stability.The conversation also explores how mid-market companies are approaching AI, hiring, and technology adoption. Hilary discusses why many businesses rush into AI tools without a clear strategy, the operational and privacy risks that can create, and why companies should focus first on identifying the business problem before investing in technology solutions.The episode highlights the connection between operational scalability and enterprise value, particularly for owners preparing for future growth or exit planning. Hilary shares why reducing founder dependency, building resilient teams, and slowing down long enough to create the right blueprint can dramatically improve long-term outcomes.Connect with Hillary Spreizer hereLearn more about The Latitude Group here Connect with Julie Keyes, Keyestrategies LLCFounder, Consultant, Author, Pod-caster and Instructor

The downside of powerful, autonomous models that can think and act?

In this episode, Carl sits down with George Sandmann of Growth Drive to discuss how business owners can increase the value of their company by building strategic capacity. They explore the gap between what owners think their business is worth and what it could be worth. The conversation highlights how improving leadership, systems, and execution can increase valuation multiples and create predictable growth. Key takeaways: Strategic capacity drives higher business value Revenue alone does not determine worth Most businesses are too dependent on the owner Private equity rewards structure and discipline Exit outcomes depend on preparation, not timing If you want to build a business that creates long-term wealth and runs without you, this episode gives you a clear path. Listen now and apply one idea this week. Connect with George:  Guest Assets:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-sandmann/  Book:  The Growth-Driving Advisor: Proven Strategies for Leading Businesses from Stuck to Best-in-Class  Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Driving-Advisor-Strategies-Best-Class/dp/164225875X  Website: https://www.growth-drive.com/ 

Antonio Taylor: Turning Tech Talk into Business Value Most organizations don't have a technology problem; they have an ownership problem. Today's guest, Antonio Taylor, has spent more than 26 years in IT and executive leadership helping companies confront exactly that. He's worked with organizations navigating growth, risk, and transformation, bringing executive-level clarity to technology decisions without adding unnecessary complexity or headcount. In this episode, we explore how technical professionals can communicate more effectively with nontechnical stakeholders to drive clearer decisions, stronger alignment, and better business outcomes.To learn more about Antonio, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniodtaylor/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Why do leaders make poor decisions - even with more data, better tools, and AI? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, host Dave Bookbinder speaks with leadership advisor and performance architect John Little about why judgment - not just data, tools, or experience - is the true differentiator in leadership, decision-making, and organizational performance. The conversation explores how leaders can operate effectively in real time, avoid common decision-making blind spots like projecting their own thinking onto others, and better identify and leverage the unique strengths within their teams to improve performance. They also examine generational dynamics, employee engagement, and leadership strategy in the age of AI. Rather than reacting with fear or taking a hands-off approach, John explains how leaders can adopt AI with intention - using clear strategy, guardrails, and human judgment to drive better outcomes. John shares practical frameworks for building confidence, including “name it, tame it, reframe it,” and reinforces a critical leadership principle: trust is the foundation of performance, retention, and long-term value creation. The episode closes with a clear takeaway - leaders who actively build and restore trust will make better decisions, strengthen their teams, and create more resilient, higher-performing organizations. Who this episode is for Business owners and entrepreneurs navigating growth and change Advisors, consultants, and executives focused on leadership and performance Anyone interested in improving decision-making, team effectiveness, and business outcomes About Our Guest: Big John Little has built a career as an Executive Leadership Performance Coach around 3 key outcomes: Overcoming the limiting beliefs that create bottlenecks in your career growth and promotion potential Developing a personal leadership brand that elevates your visibility within your organization and industry Providing models and frameworks to become confident, authentic leaders in your life and career John has been a leader of people and business for more than 25 years across multiple industries. About the Host: Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and their advisors reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries.  Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers.  He's on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people's contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company's most valuable asset.” Dave's book, A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know, was recognized as a top new release in Business and Valuation and is designed to provide practical insights and tools to help understand what really drives business value, how to prepare for an exit, and just make better decisions. He's also the host of the highly rated Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder business podcast which is enjoyed in more than 100 countries.

In this episode of the storytelling with data podcast, Amy talks with Shachar Meir, a data executive with more than 20 years of experience leading data teams at companies including Meta and PayPal. Together, they explore what it really takes for data professionals to move beyond producing dashboards and reports to driving meaningful business outcomes.Shachar shares why technology alone rarely solves an organization's data challenges and outlines the four areas he sees mattering most: technology, people, process, and culture. He talks about trust in data, the importance of understanding your audience, and why the best data professionals learn to speak the language of the business rather than the language of tools.You'll also hear practical advice for individuals who want to increase their impact: how to better understand the business, how to frame data work in terms of outcomes, and why stepping outside your data silo can be one of the most valuable moves for your career. This is a rich conversation for anyone who wants their work with data to be more strategic, more influential, and more closely tied to real business value.RELATED RESOURCESShachar's LinkedIn | YouTubeCareer unblocking mini-course: career-unblock.shacharmeir.com$1M data professional presentation

What does it really take to move AI from endless experimentation into something that creates real business value? In this episode, I sat down with Tom Alexander, Head of Innovation and Transformation at CrossCountry Consulting, to talk about why so many organizations still struggle to turn AI ambition into meaningful outcomes. Tom works closely with executive and CFO teams that are either unsure where to begin or frustrated that early AI efforts have not delivered what they hoped for. We talked about why this is rarely just a technology issue. In many cases, the real blockers are ownership, change management, weak alignment across the business, and a failure to connect AI initiatives to the problems that matter most. One of the big themes in our conversation was the need to treat AI as an enterprise-wide program rather than a collection of isolated tools. Tom shared how leaders can focus on business processes first, identify where automation can genuinely improve performance, and avoid getting distracted by hype. We also unpacked the growing accountability challenge around AI, including who should own it, how stakeholders can align, and why strong foundations in data, governance, and training matter so much. This episode is packed with practical takeaways for anyone trying to make sense of AI adoption inside a business. If you are trying to figure out where to start, how to scale, or how to avoid another stalled initiative, there is a lot in here for you. After listening, I would love to hear your thoughts. How is your organization approaching AI, and where do you think most businesses are still getting it wrong? Useful Links CrossCountry website Connect with Tom Alexander on LinkedIn Field Notes podcast

In this episode, Brian shares why documenting everything in your business is one of the most important moves you can make as an owner. From building SOPs to creating a rolling 12-month calendar of processes, these simple systems create clarity for your team, make growth easier, and build real long-term enterprise value in your company. Lawntrapreneur Academy (The #1 Resource for Starting, Growing and Scaling a Successful Lawn & Landscaping Company). - https://www.lawntrepreneuracademy.com/  Book a Granum Demo (use BRIAN25 to save!): https://www.Granum.com/Brian LMN & Coffee - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89495679453?pwd=m0wKa6prJWrARKClJKolBaJjl00OYn.1 Coast Pay Fuel Card: www.CoastPay.com/Brian