Podcasts about CCO

The Arc of Evolution returns with everybody's favorite villain color combination: Grixis! Find out if Universes Beyond infiltrated Grixis and took over all top ten slots of the most popular commanders of all time on Commander Cookout 554. Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Subscribe to Throwing Fits on Patreon. The kids are alright. This week, James is Zooming in from Greece one last time to chat with Lawrence about our screening and live podcast even next Tuesday, breaking your shoes in front of the 9-year-old you are also collecting rocks for, do you have the jawline for a YSL ad, Wiz Khalifa style shorts, Milli Vanilli lore, Supreme's CCO the legendary Erin Magee leaves after 22 years and people got mad about diversity, a quick snapshot of the streetwear landscape in 2026, Greek fashion has literally gone hood rich, the Jacquemus bucket hat as a status symbol, the King of Spain's (or is it Belgium's?) favorite gyro, slowly but surely becoming a boat guy despite taking part in a Triangle of Sadness reenactment on the vomit comet, the Millennium Falcon vs. The Maltese Falcon, you're gonna want to avoid single engine helicopters, what Nike's stock collapse can tell us about sneaker culture, Toteme launches menswear but who is it for, inside the mind of a 17-year-old hustlepreneur with a three ticket Richie on the hand, let's explore LARPing, The Shards, Tony, Nick Kyrgios got banned from tennis for doing blow, and much more.

Joshua Altman, founder of Beltway Media and former multimedia journalist at The Hill, joins Jeff Mains to unpack why "volume isn't a strategy" in PR and communications. Drawing on his experience seeing pitches from both the journalist's and strategist's side, Joshua explains why unsolicited press releases get ignored, how to target the right publications instead of chasing tier-one press, and why becoming "the signal, not the noise" matters more than shouting louder. The conversation dives deep into the fractional Chief Communications Officer (CCO) model, his Story-Narrative-Brand framework and Four Languages model (Read, See, Hear, Experience), how to measure something as intangible as trust, what makes a press release newsworthy, and how to build (and rehearse) a crisis communications plan before you ever need one.Key Takeaways4:41 — Unsolicited press releases have an open rate under 1%; solicited pitches (people who signed up for your list) get opened.5:20 — "Be the signal, not the noise": better targeting and relevance beat catchy subject lines.6:03 — Why front-page news is usually bad news, and why inside pages/push alerts are actually where you want to be.6:22 — Regional and trade publications (San Jose Business Journal, Austin Business Journal) often deliver better ROI than USA Today or the New York Times for 10–100 person, $2–25M companies.10:52 — Clients push back most on patience — results take 6+ months, not overnight.12:16 — The two things a fractional CCO focuses on: shaping perception and building/maintaining trust.13:14 — How to actually measure trust: ask "Would you refer us?" instead of "Do you trust us?", and analyze the tone of support complaints.14:58 — Buyers now need 30+ touchpoints to convert (up from the old 7–14), and most of those touchpoints get zero attribution credit.18:10 — What a CCO owns that a CMO doesn't: internal comms, investor relations, crisis comms — the "conductor" of the whole orchestra.27:05 — The Story-Narrative-Brand framework: story is what you tell friends at a bar, narrative connects the dots and gives the "why," brand is every touchpoint.28:52 — The Four Languages model: Read, See, Hear, Experience — and why founders should build all four from day one.31:26 — Why "Joe Smith is joining our board" isn't news, but "Elon Musk is joining our board" is — most founders overestimate what counts as newsworthy.35:00 — The ER wait-time app example: turning a feature ("we tell you wait times") into a story ("we've saved lives") by giving it a human frame.39:06 — Build your crisis communications plan like a fire drill — practice it quarterly, and always loop in lawyers and your insurance company from the start.42:02 — "It's not the crime, it's the cover-up" — say something fast, then use strategic silence only after your initial statement.45:40 — The question every founder should ask: "Are we building trust, or are we eroding it?"Tweetable Quotes"Be the signal, not the noise.""There's a reason they say, 'If it bleeds, it leads' — you don't want to be on the front page.""Every buying decision comes back to trust. No matter what business you're in, it comes back to trust.""It's not the crime, it's the cover-up.""Are we building trust? And follow that up with, are we eroding trust?""You could be putting out a lot of ads, but if you're spamming people, you're unintentionally eroding the trust you think you're building.""Story is what you tell your friends at the bar. Narrative connects the dots. Brand is every touchpoint people interact with."SaaS Leadership LessonsVolume isn't strategy. More press releases and louder shouting don't build trust — being worth paying attention to does.Target precision beats reach. A niche trade or regional publication read by your actual buyers often outperforms a national outlet.Measure trust indirectly. Use referral likelihood and complaint tone as proxies since trust can't be measured like an ad click.Build communications infrastructure early. Start with even 5 hours/month of fractional CCO support before you're at $3M+ revenue playing catch-up on your narrative.Every announcement needs a "why." A product update isn't news; connecting it to a larger story (industry trend, human impact) is what earns coverage.Plan your crisis response before you need it. Involve legal and insurance from day one, rehearse regularly, and always say something quickly rather than going silent.Guest ResourcesJoshua@beltway.mediabeltway.mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaialtman https://www.instagram.com/thecommschief/https://x.com/thecommschiefEpisode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/https://jeffmains.com/books/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

Major League Field Coordinator Toby Gardenhire joined Vineeta on our First Pitch segment to talk about the ebbs and flows of the past few weeks for the Twins. Noon pregame today vs. the Braves on CCO.

Major League Field Coordinator Toby Gardenhire joined Vineeta on our First Pitch segment to talk about the ebbs and flows of the past few weeks for the Twins. Noon pregame today vs. the Braves on CCO.

It's been a long, long time since we've gone on the adventure that is a CCO set review. Today, we do exactly that. We look at all of our favorite cards from MTG's latest trip to Middle-earth, the new abilities and how to collect everything. Join us on Commander Cookout Episode 553.Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Hank Crawford of Blue Collar Robotics and Paul Harker, retired CCO of Woolworths Group, on grocery store robotics a retailer can deploy today.There are 280,000 people walking the aisles of US grocery stores right now picking somebody else's order, and grocers cannot hire fast enough to keep up with the growth. That number comes from Hank Crawford, Co-Founder and CEO of Blue Collar Robotics, and it frames the whole conversation. Online grocery keeps growing. Labor keeps getting harder to find. And the two big swings the industry took at eGrocery fulfillment, the centralized fulfillment center and the micro fulfillment center, both left grocers with high CapEx, duplicated inventory, and people still picking most of the order. Hank is joined by Paul Harker, retired Chief Commercial Officer of Woolworths Group, Australia's largest retailer, who joined Blue Collar Robotics as a strategic advisor. Together with Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden they work through the economics of eGrocery fulfillment from the operator's side of the table: why the warehouse answer collapsed, what grocery store robotics has been getting wrong, and why a purpose-built robot with a remote operator behind it can drop into a supermarket that already exists. The mechanism is the interesting part. Blue Collar Robotics sells the picking as a service. A grocer pays a cost per pick, which moves the spend from CapEx into OpEx. The robot handles packaged center-aisle goods using vacuum suction, which is roughly 65% of a typical order, and store associates get redeployed to fresh, where care actually shows up in the customer's bag. Blue Collar reports eGrocery fulfillment cost reductions of as much as 50%. This is Season 6, Episode 10.In This Episode, You'll Learn•       Why centralized fulfillment centers failed for grocery on four separate counts: volume density, distance from the customer, fresh, and CapEx•       What Paul Harker says micro fulfillment centers still cannot solve, including duplicated inventory and picking "the uglies"•       Why over 80% of a grocer's business is still the in-store customer, and how eGrocery growth quietly degrades that experience•       The case for a human behind every robot, and why it is now standard practice for anything operating in an unstructured environment•       What robot etiquette means in a store aisle, and what China's hotel delivery robots taught Hank about how not to do it•       How the grocery store robotics buying conversation changes when the customer has no robotics team of its own•       Why grocery store robotics took this long to find product-market fit in a supermarket, and what changed•       Why the labor argument runs backwards here: there is no line of people waiting for picking jobs•       How remote operation opens picking work to people who could never physically do it, and opens a 24 hour picking clock for the store•       What Hank says is actually slowing adoption, and it is not the technologySupport our sponsorsThis Episode is Brought to You By RetailClub.Retail and brand leaders can attend RetailClub AI Festival completely budget-free, plus get $1,750 toward travel and hotel. From the founders of Shoptalk and Groceryshop, it's three days fully outdoors in Huntington Beach, September 22 to 24, with 2,000 senior leaders working through how AI is transforming retail. If you're shaping AI's future in retail, budget shouldn't be why you miss it. Register by August 28 at retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcast.Subscribe & FollowHow much did you love this episode? Drop us a 5‑star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods. Subscribe on YouTube so you never miss an episode and check out the other shows in the Retail Razor Podcast Network: Retail Transformers, Blade to Greatness, and Data Blades.Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utubeFeatured guestsHank Crawford. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-crawford-a4a9755/Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Collar Robotics. https://bluecollarrobotics.aiHank Crawford is Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Collar Robotics, where he leads the company's mission to make in-store grocery picking affordable for retailers through purpose-built robots delivered as a service, pairing AI-driven autonomy with human-assisted teleoperation. A technology entrepreneur and commercial leader with more than 35 years of experience in advanced composites, global manufacturing, and robotics, Crawford has founded companies in the United States and China including PURE Material Science, a Guangzhou-based pioneer of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites and has helped scale advanced technology businesses in senior engineering and commercial roles at Performance Materials Corporation (acquired by Toray), Daimler Trucks in both North America and China, TRB Lightweight Structures, and Avient. He holds multiple patents in composite materials and manufacturing.Paul Harker. https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-s-harker/Retired Chief Commercial Officer, Woolworths Group. Strategic Advisor. Blue Collar Robotics.Paul Harker has more than three decades of senior leadership experience across Australia's retail and FMCG sectors, including 33 years with Woolworths Group. Most recently, Paul served as Chief Commercial Officer for Woolworths Group, where he was accountable for the $51 billion Australian Food commercial portfolio. In this role, he oversaw commercial practices across more than 1,000 stores and helped lead large-scale enterprise transformation initiatives, including the modernization of digital systems and the integration of data-led analytics across complex supply chain networks. Paul's earlier executive roles at Woolworths included leadership across Replenishment, Supply Chain, and Store Operations, giving him a broad understanding of the full retail operating model – from store execution to enterprise-level commercial strategy.Chapters00:00 Teaser 00:48 Show Intro 05:34 Welcome Hank and Paul! 06:37 Why Warehouses Failed 09:02 Store Picking Tensions 10:28 Amazon Threat Reality 14:47 Robotics Hype vs Reality 16:34 Human in the Loop 18:34 Blue Collar Robotics Intro 19:46 Service Model Economics 22:35 How Store Deployment Works 25:48 Comparing Other Models 30:50 Automation and Jobs 32:35 Scaling Labor With Robots 33:43 24 Hour Store Operations 35:09 Accuracy And Quality Standards 36:48 AI Regulation And Safety 40:18 Robot Etiquette In Aisles 41:36 China Robotics Lessons 45:19 Selling To Risk Averse Grocers 49:36 Five Year Outlook And Jobs 52:19 Wrap Up And Where To Learn More 53:40 Show CloseMeet your hostsHelping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformationand the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! MusicIncludes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

Nick Truelson's career has taken him from a university work experience placement at Cadbury Schweppes, to senior leadership roles at some of Australia's most iconic sporting organisations. He has played integral roles at the AFL’s Essendon and Western Bulldogs football clubs, and now, he serves as CEO of the NBL’s Melbourne United basketball team. During his time as CCO of the Western Bulldogs, Nick played a pivotal role in the development of the Sons of the West Men’s Health Program, using the power of sport and community to support the health and wellbeing of men in Melbourne’s west. An achievement he reflects on as being one of his proudest to this day. You’ll hear Nick’s beautiful approach to leadership, including the importance of maintaining curiosity, and building genuine relationships with those around you. He also shares the powerful story of Melbourne United player Isaac Humphries coming out publicly, and what it meant to create an environment where a player felt safe enough to be his true, authentic self. This episode is a masterclass in what’s possible when you use your time to help others, nurture relationships, and work together to create something that really matters. … We’re so proud to have Nick as part of our Aleda Connect community. Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders like Nick? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Nichtern, founder & CEO of Dharma Moon, co-founder and CCO of Strawberry Moons Media, and Duncan's meditation teacher re-joins the DTFH!Join Buddhist teacher David Nichtern for a free online talk on Tuesday August 25 on the art of teaching meditation.Interested in becoming a certified mindfulness meditation teacher? Dharma Moon's 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training begins October 9th.Also beginning October 9th, David Nichtern's Intro to Mindfulness and the Path of Meditation is a weekend workshop for both newer and experienced meditators looking to learn or refresh the foundations of mindfulness practice.This episode is brought to you by: Buy two months of BlueChew Gold and get the third FREE with promo code DUNCAN. You also get an additional 10% OFF + Free overnight shipping on your first order.  Go to Quince.com/duncan for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/duncan and get on your way to being your best self. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at MintMobile.com/Duncan.

Marketing and comms lose leverage when the story, the proof, and the teams carrying them run in separate lanes.  That's how strong work gets less mileage than it should. Recognition stays in PR when demand could use it. Analyst proof misses the sales motion. Internal messaging sounds adjacent to the market story instead of connected to it. Bring the right lenses together early, and the narrative gets sharper, the proof works harder, and the brand voice becomes unmistakable wherever the business shows up.  In this episode, Drew talks with Clay Helm (At the Helm Consulting), Julia Goebel (Alight Solutions), and Marni Puente (SAIC) about what it takes to make marketing and communications work as one team behind the business story. They focus on trust, shared measurement, clear decision rights, and a healthy respect for what each discipline brings to growth.  In This Episode:  Clay shows what changes when comms plugs into pipeline, customer journey, and the daily rhythm of the business  Julia explains how leaders can honor each team's lens and make earned credibility work harder  Marni shows why unified leadership can sharpen brand alignment, culture, execution, and market impact  Plus:  Why one unmistakable brand voice matters across employees, customers, media, and the market  Why employee comms deserves C-suite attention in people-powered businesses  Why separate CMO and CCO roles need tight partnership and clear swim lanes  How to spot healthy integration before anyone has to force it  Listen in for how CMOs can bring marketing and communications into tighter sync and get more mileage from the story, proof, and credibility they already have.  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

Een nieuwe aflevering van Uniek Sporten Vandaag gemist? Met Fonds Gehandicaptensport directeur Nike Boor als sidekick, sprak Robert Denneman deze aflevering met de gasten over het belang van sporthulpmiddelen, over het project 'This Ability' en over het meedraaien in de wereldtop van drie sporten met Ehlers-Danlos-syndroom. Te gast waren René Martens, CCO van Medux, die zelf als kind na een ongeval een dwarslaesie opliep; sportfluencer Rowan Kilian en zijn broer Mycha, waarbij Rowan vijftig kilometer in een rolstoel gaat afleggen om meer awareness en acceptatie te creëren voor mensen met een beperking; en Esther de Roo, a.k.a. E.D.S.ther, die ondanks EDS meedraait in de wereldtop van het Crossfit, Hyrox en gewichtheffen. Uniek Sporten Vandaag hoor je elke tweede donderdag van de maand tussen 13:00 en 14:00 uur. In een uur tijd wordt je helemaal bijgepraat over alles wat met aangepast sporten te maken heeft. Met het laatste nieuws, interviews en studiogasten, van topsport tot breedtesport. Het programma is live te horen op ALLsportsradio en is na afloop als podcast beschikbaar via de bekende podcastkanalen. Uniek Sporten Vandaag wordt gemaakt in samenwerking met Fonds Gehandicaptensport.

We venture into the heartland to hear about the amazing work being done in Kansas City - Burger King, Frontier Airlines, Wendy's, Hills Pet Foods, Coco-Cola, and the Kanas City Chiefs. I'm joined by KC Chiefs CMO, Lara Krug, Jeremy Cline of Ryan Reynold's agency, Maximum Effort, Brad Jones, CCO at Barkley OKRP, Chris Cardetti, CSO at BarkleyOKRP and Howard Laubscher, CSO at VML. Thanks to Tracksuit, System1 and the Effies for supporting our live tour.

We continue the never-ending Arc of Evolution. Do Universes Beyond products come out on top again with Esper? Or do the classic commanders remain the preferred method of playing Blue/Black/White? Tune into Commander Cookout 552 to find out!Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Sommerferien er over og Flypodden er tilbake! Vi oppsummerer ordrer fra Farnborough, bransjefolk får nye jobber og Christian har vært på besøk hos Elfly på Torp og snakket med sjefsingeniør på Noemi Simon Bendrey. Velkommen ombord på flight 393!Bréguet 393T Farnborough-oppdateringBoeing 737MAX-7 endelig sertifisertAirbus har testet A350-1000ULR Avinor trafikktallIcelandair A320neoSlutt på dedikerte postflyVerdensrekord i antall flygninger på én dag Daniel Skjeldam blir ny CCO i easyJetFørste kvinnelige IATA-sjef Norse mister wetlease-kontrakten med IndiGo AKTUELT:UKENS TEMA: NOEMI på TorpVi har tidligere snakket med gründer Eric Lithun om hans NOEMI-prosjekt, og i sommer tok Christian turen innom hangaren på Torp der det aller første helelktriske amfibieflyet i Norge skal bygges. Sjekk også denne saken fra DN. 

We're running it back! Our friends over at EDHREC missed our memo that the Arc of Evolution was over. They sent us the stats for Bant, so we are going to continue for a couple more weeks. Join us to see how Bant has evolved from a color combination that used to only do a couple things to the powerhouse that it is today. Let us know what you think of the Arc of Evolution on any of the CCO Socials. Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Early morning rain for some in CCO land. WCCO TV Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer with the latest on the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar!

With Josh Tomolak, Vice President of Independent Advisor Services, Diamond Consultants Louis Diamond and Josh Tomolak unpack today's IBD vs. RIA landscape, explaining what has changed, where each model excels, and how to determine which path best supports the business you want to build. In Summary The independent wealth management landscape has changed dramatically, making the decision between an independent broker dealer (IBD) and an RIA more nuanced than ever before. Louis Diamond welcomes Diamond Consultants' Vice President of Independent Advisor Services, Josh Tomolak, for a practical discussion of how the independent space has evolved, what truly differentiates the IBD and RIA models today, and how advisors can evaluate which path best aligns with the business they want to build. The Storyline Not long ago, the decision to become independent was relatively straightforward. Advisors either remained with a traditional firm or pursued independence through one of a limited number of models. Today, the conversation is far more complex. Independent broker dealers have significantly expanded their capabilities, offering stronger technology, larger transition packages, greater flexibility, and even pathways to RIA ownership. At the same time, the RIA ecosystem has matured into a sophisticated marketplace supported by multiple custodians, outsourced service providers, institutional capital, and enterprise platforms that rival many of the industry's largest firms. As these developments have unfolded, the traditional distinctions between an IBD and an RIA have become less obvious. Advisors evaluating their options are no longer simply asking whether they should become independent—they're asking which model best supports the clients they serve, the business they envision, and the lifestyle they want to create. In this Industry Update, Louis and Josh unpack the realities behind the IBD vs. RIA decision. They discuss where the two models overlap, where meaningful differences still exist, and why factors like service, technology, economics, operational responsibility, enterprise value, and long-term optionality often matter more than labels alone. Whether you're considering changing independent firms, launching your own RIA, or simply want a better understanding of how the independent landscape has evolved, this conversation provides an objective framework for evaluating today's choices—and preparing for tomorrow's opportunities. Topics Covered Independent Broker Dealer (IBD) vs. RIA models The evolution of supportive independence Technology investments across the independent space Transition support and advisor mobility Capital solutions and recruiting economics Business formation and enterprise value Launching an independent RIA Multi-custodial platforms and open architecture Minority investments and succession planning Future trends shaping advisor independence > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why are already-independent advisors reconsidering their current model? (5:27) Josh explains why service, technology, economics, and growing optionality are causing advisors to reevaluate their existing affiliations. How have independent broker dealers and RIAs become more alike? (19:28) Louis and Josh discuss the growing convergence between the two models and why the distinction is becoming less obvious than many advisors assume. What really separates an IBD from an RIA? (25:04) A practical discussion of autonomy, compliance, flexibility, custody, economics, and advisor experience. What misconceptions keep advisors from launching an RIA? (36:29) Josh outlines the “Four Pillars” of launching an RIA and explains where advisors tend to either overestimate or underestimate the operational realities. Which advisors thrive most in each model? (33:12) The conversation explores why there isn't a universally “better” model—only one that's better aligned with an advisor's goals. What trends are quietly reshaping independence? (42:13) Minority investments, enterprise value, business formation, and changing revenue models may have an even greater impact than advisors realize today. Key Takeaways Independence has evolved from a destination into an ongoing strategic decision. Independent broker dealers have significantly improved technology, transition support, economics, and flexibility. The RIA ecosystem has matured into a highly sophisticated marketplace with broad outsourcing and support options. Choosing between an IBD and an RIA should begin with long-term business objectives—not industry perceptions. Building a valuable business depends more on business structure and scalability than simply growing assets. Advisors considering independence should evaluate models with an open mind rather than relying on outdated assumptions. The next decade will likely bring continued convergence between independent business models. https://youtu.be/jHDVso2TsmQ Quotable Moments “The question is no longer, ‘Do I want to go independent?' The question is, ‘What kind of independence makes the most sense for my clients, business, and goals?'” “Business formation is far more important than assets under management.” “The way you build your business will ultimately determine how valuable that business becomes.” “Everything in an RIA is going to cost you either your time or your money.” FAQs Is there still a meaningful difference between an IBD and an RIA? Yes. While the two models increasingly overlap, they differ in areas such as flexibility, compliance structure, operational responsibility, economics, and control. Why are more independent advisors changing firms today? Improved technology, stronger transition support, evolving economics, and better service models are prompting many advisors to reassess whether their current platform still fits their business. Is launching an RIA easier than it used to be? Yes. Supportive independence, outsourced service providers, and improved custodial resources have significantly reduced many of the historical barriers. Does every entrepreneurial advisor belong in the RIA model? No. The best fit depends on an advisor's appetite for ownership, customization, operational responsibility, and long-term vision. What matters more: assets under management or how the business is built? Josh argues that scalable business formation often has a greater impact on enterprise value than AUM alone. What's the biggest mistake advisors make when evaluating independence? Starting with assumptions instead of objectives. The most effective due diligence begins by defining the business you're trying to build, then identifying the model best suited to support it. Yes. While the two models increasingly overlap, they differ in areas such as flexibility, compliance structure, operational responsibility, economics, and control. Improved technology, stronger transition support, evolving economics, and better service models are prompting many advisors to reassess whether their current platform still fits their business. Yes. Supportive independence, outsourced service providers, and improved custodial resources have significantly reduced many of the historical barriers. No. The best fit depends on an advisor's appetite for ownership, customization, operational responsibility, and long-term vision. Josh argues that scalable business formation often has a greater impact on enterprise value than AUM alone. Starting with assumptions instead of objectives. The most effective due diligence begins by defining the business you're trying to build, then identifying the model best suited to support it. Related Resources IBD vs. RIA Comparison Guide IBD vs. RIA Revisited: Two Independent Pathways for Advisors to Consider NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… IBD vs. RIA: A Special Industry Update on Independence A conversation with Louis Diamond and Josh Tomolak, Vice President of Independent Advisor Services at Diamond Consultants.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is IBD vs. RIA: A Special Industry Update on Independence. It’s a conversation with Josh Tomolak, our Vice President of Independent Advisor Services. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is the Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: For a long time, going independent would suggest the destination. Today, it’s often the beginning of a different conversation. As the independent space has matured, advisors have more choices than ever before. Broker-dealers have expanded their capabilities. The RIA ecosystem has become increasingly sophisticated. Capital is more readily available and support models now exist that would’ve been difficult to imagine a decade ago. The result is that many advisors who are already independent are taking a fresh look at whether their current affiliation still aligns with what they’re trying to build. My guest is Josh Tomolak, Vice President of Independent Advisor Services here at Diamond Consultants and our resident expert on independence. Josh spends his days helping advisors evaluate independence in all its forms from independent broker dealers, the fully independent RIAs and everything in between. And his knowledge is critical because the distinction between these models is often blurred. Many broker dealers now offer pathways to greater autonomy while supported independence has made RIA ownership more accessible than ever before. So the question is no longer simply, “Do I want to go independent?” The question is, “What kind of independence makes the most sense for client, business, and goals?” Josh shares what he’s seeing across the landscape, the misconceptions that continue to shape advisor thinking and the factors that matter most when evaluating the next chapter of an independent business. There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s get to it. Josh, thanks for joining me today. Joshua Tomolak: Thanks for having me, Louis. It’s a real privilege to have come. This is a full circle moment for me going from being a student of your podcast, to working alongside you, to being a guest. So I appreciate you having me. Louis Diamond: Amazing. I’m excited for this one too, because you have a fresh and in the weeds perspective that a lot of our guests simply don’t have. So why don’t you start off, you spend your time helping advisors evaluate independence every day. So working with advisors who are already independent, for the most part. And to me, it feels like the independent space has really evolved dramatically over the last decade. I mean, this podcast is really the epicenter of that to prove that out, but give us a little background on your past roles in the space and then we can get into what you’re seeing right now. Joshua Tomolak: Yeah, I’d be happy to. So I took a very non-traditional path into wealth management. I spent a decade as a deep sea Navy diver, and upon completing my service there, I ended up working for TD Ameritrade. And in my role there, I spent about six years doing nothing but helping financial advisors explore the RIA space, whether that was to join or partner with an RIA, sell to an RIA, or in most cases, launch their own RIA. And one of the things that I ultimately came to terms with is it’s just not the right model for everybody. While I’m a huge advocate for it, we would often lose business to the major broker-dealers of the world. And at the time, I really didn’t understand why. In the last six years at Diamond Consultants has been a very interesting purview into what a lot of the broker-dealers have done and are doing to make themselves more RIA-ish and be very compelling to the right advisor. Louis Diamond: Perfect framing. Your background is incredibly germane to the folks you work with. So let’s start off with the softball here. What are you seeing right now? Joshua Tomolak: It’s not so different than the rest of the industry, the wirehouses, the regional firms, things of that nature, that if you took 10 firms, they’re all likely to go different directions, even if they were identical practices. That could be… A third would go from an independent broker-dealer to another independent broker-dealer. Certainly the supported RIA space is growing every day and has created a lot of very fun and unique solutions for advisors, very customized and curated. And then I think there’s still a lot of really great sophisticated teams and individual contributors that are making the decision to go hyper entrepreneurial and launch their own individual RIA. So the movement’s really all over the board from my perspective. Louis Diamond: It does feel like it’s no longer independence is an alternative option or it’s on the fringes. It’s very front and center whether for breakaways, which is a big topic on our podcast, but in general, the infrastructure has become much, much more sophisticated today than ever before. Advisors have way more tools in their toolbox to serve clients, whether in the private markets or through technology. And it’s no longer that if an advisor’s independent, they’re in the minor leagues where they don’t have the same ability to serve clients like they did if they’re at a big bank or a private bank or a wirehouse. Do you agree? Joshua Tomolak: I absolutely agree. And I’m reminded of a question I got one time from a great team that I worked with in New York. They asked me, “Are there really more options than ever before? Because all we see is one firm selling to another.” And I think that’s a really great point. There’s far less broker dealers on the street than there were even five years ago. But for every Commonwealth, for example, that sells to an LPL, up pops three or four really cool private equity-backed, sophisticated RIA platform firms that are built to service their own unique advisor base. Louis Diamond: I think that’s right. Sitting on the sidelines, sitting on top of everything going on in the industry, I feel like capital is always an interesting topic forever. If an advisor wanted to move within the independent world or break away from a big firm to go independent, the only way to get capital was to go to an independent broker dealer. So we still see that, but I feel like today between all these minority acquisition opportunities, we’re seeing firms acquire practices at time of transition, which is somewhat new. There’s debt solutions, recruiting deals are way up for firms that are paying forgivable loans. RIAs now would, in some cases, will pay a forgivable note. What are you seeing there as far as the availability of capital and just deals in general? Joshua Tomolak: It’s a great question and I didn’t want to take the low-hanging fruit, but capital’s been a huge innovation, I guess, in the last five years I’d say. Just to give you rough quotes, please don’t hold me to it, but traditional transition broker-dealer deals were five years ago, 40 to 60% of Trailing Twelve revenue today are somewhere between 90 and 120%, sometimes north of that for the right team. That’s really meaningful money for the team that is thinking about foregoing a wirehouse deal, for example. I’d also say a lot of these firms are getting hyper-creative in how they solve for capital. The minority investment piece that you mentioned is very interesting. We’re seeing a lot of privatized forgivable notes in the RIA space where third-party or private lenders are basically lending the money and the RIA is making the payments on that forgivable note as long as the advisor is affiliated with them. So there’s been a recognition among the RIA space to get away from the, “Oh, they just took a check” type of mantra, and to say, “Look, I understand there are capital needs. These people are taking a risk. We need to solve for that.” So we’ve seen a lot of that in the marketplace. Louis Diamond: Very interesting. I think another thing financially, and then we’ll keep the train moving, that I know I’ve seen, and maybe you can weigh in if you’ve seen the same, is the cost to an advisor or a business owner to join an independent BD or to join an RIA has come way down, probably in part because of Schwab going to zero on trading. That’s been a catalyst. But it feels like we used to say independent BDs were expensive relative to the RIA world. And in some cases, they certainly could be. And if you’re at scale, maybe you can pick up a point or two being in the RIA world versus a BD. But when you have some of these BDs that have a basis point admin fee or no admin fee at a certain size and the payouts I feel like are similar, maybe have gone up a little bit, but it’s more so like the administrator fees, the platform fees, the program fees. Anyone who’s not in that world, it’s like, “What are you talking about?” But basically the way that these broker-dealers make money, it seems like there’s been a pretty big differential in the exchange of value where advisors now get more services, better technology, get more money to join them and get it at a lower cost. Do you agree? Joshua Tomolak: I absolutely agree. I think that maybe that’s one of the larger changes that we’ve seen, and it’s probably one of the benefits from a lot of the industry consolidation on that independent broker-dealer side. The economies of scale of these folks have allowed them to increase their tech spend, increase their service capacities all while offering it to the advisors at a cheaper price. And when I was at TD Ameritrade, one of the biggest pitches was the idea of a 100% payout and you control the fixed expenses, your technology compliance, et cetera. But what’s changed is that broker-dealers are pretty darn comparable on the expenses. All of those admin fees and things you mentioned will still exist, but they’re on a much smaller scale. And I think the question a lot of advisors are asking is, “Am I getting congruent value from my broker-dealer for what I pay for?” And while that answer might’ve been no a couple years ago, today the answer is more often yes. Louis Diamond: Yeah, I would agree. A lot of times we work with advisors who are starting an RIA or affiliating with an RIA or going to a BD and they see how big the deals are in the independent BD world and the payouts are really high and the fees are relatively low. And honestly, it is a hard decision or calculus to make, like, “How does it make sense for me to turn down this extremely lucrative deal when my ongoing economics are going to be somewhat similar in the BD world versus in the RIA space?” I think it’s just an interesting dynamic and we’ll get more into that distinction. One of the stars of the show right here is we’ve seen a ton of advisor movement across the industry. Our annual advisor transition report said that in 2025, over 11,000 experienced advisors changed firms, which is a large number. A lot of those numbers are within the independent world. So advisors who are 1099 through a BD or through an RIA transitioning to another platform or organization or starting an RIA. So why do you think we’re seeing so many advisors reconsider their current firm or their platform or their broker-dealer today than in years past? Joshua Tomolak: It’s a jarring number. 11,000 is definitely a significant amount of advisor movements. To me, it comes down to a few things, but I will say that it’s almost always a conglomeration of pushes and pulls. Pushes being inherent frustrations with your status quo, pulls being the new sexy, shiny things that you see in the marketplace that could be really impactful for your business. To me, it typically comes down to one of three things, at least on the push front, that drives advisors to movement. Service being number one, technology being number two, and economics being number three. And if we were just going to unpack those, I think service being, “Can you call somebody that knows your business, that knows your name? Are you getting the correct answers? Are you being pushed through a phone tree? And even if you’re not doing it, is it taking up a meaningful amount of time of your staff’s free time?” On the technology front, there’s very significant tech spends happening in the industry right now. I think Raymond James and LPL reported, for example, they spent 500 million in 2025 on a tech spend. So advisors are going to the places that are making their life easier. People are looking for a mechanism to really scale their business without having to add staff and a lot of expenses to the bottom line. And technology is just the fastest, most efficient way to do that most times. And then economics, certainly a lot of advisors and teams have built phenomenal businesses and they’ve made a great living without really stressing out about the economics. And they eventually get to a point in their business where what they were giving up as a million dollar producer is far different than what they’re giving up as a $4 million producer. And back to the congruent value, it perhaps stops to make as much sense. Louis Diamond: Well said. I always say when the cost-to-value ratio is out of whack, that’s when advisors sit up and take notice. And not to name names of firms, but there definitely are firms that are more expensive. And even if you look at how much a wirehouse or a Ed Jones advisor paid their firm, it’s like, “What got me here is not necessarily what’s going to get me there.” And while the name on the business card, the resources were incredibly impactful, and I’m so grateful for what my firm, my broker-dealer did for me when I was just starting or when I was smaller. Now the business is bigger, I rely upon different resources or I don’t need the firm as much. So I’d rather plow the cost savings either into income for myself or invest it in areas that are most germane to my business. And it’s usually when that kind of light bulb moment goes off, that’s one of the major pushes that cause advisors to evaluate other options. So I agree with you, those are the major push factors, but then what are the pull factors? What are the major advancements or changes across the independent space that’s causing advisors to say, “Hey, okay, I might have some frustrations, but at the same time, I also need to find something that’s more than marginally better than the firm I’m at. Otherwise, why am I going to go through the hassle, take the risk, et cetera? So what are some of the pull factors that advisors are latching onto today? Joshua Tomolak: Sure. And I might say with one final push factor, there’s a straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back when you’ve been told for however many years that this change or that change is coming down the pipeline and it never happens. And it translates well into the pull factors is do they do what they say they’re going to do? The talking points really for the pull factors are exactly the same. So the counterpoint to service is perhaps having a direct relationship with the chief compliance officer at a firm or having a dedicated service representative that knows their stuff inside and out and can get you the answer even if they don’t know it off the top of their head. Having the technology to rebalance a household in two clicks instead of two hours. In economics, I think it’s really a transparency of economics. We’ve both worked with some really significant firms that have looked at their P&Ls and said, “where the heck is the money going?” And we’ve looked at the same P&Ls and said, “I have no idea,” because it’s so convoluted. People are happy to pay for good service, good technology, good products, but they just want to know where the money’s coming from. So I think it’s a yin and yang. The same things that they’re the push are often the pull. Louis Diamond: Definitely. I’ll give you a couple other from my perspective. I’ll say first specific to the independent BD world, and then we’ll dive into the RIA, I think it’s a little bit different. But I think some other will say innovations or changes that are causing advisors to really perk up and listen and really make the case to themselves that life will be better at this new organization than the status quo or staying put. We’ve seen major advancements in transition support, whether it’s being able to do a transition without a shred of paper, being able to… I mean, we’ve seen some independent advisors move their entire book within two weeks, which never would’ve happened before. So the firms that I’d say are playing offense, the larger firms that are winning, they have insane headcount around transitions and are always investing in technology, whether now on the AI front or in general. And we’ve seen transitions, they’re never easy. So that’s not a comment to say it’s easy, but a lot of the friction, a lot of the manual work has been taken away, which is massive. You definitely mentioned the significant technology spend. I mean, just the innovations going on across the industry. There’s definitely some firms that are laggards on technology and others that are light years ahead, whether because their tech is more integrated or they’ve built out their platform to be more, we’ll say modular, to plug in different third-party softwares where an advisor can really customize and create their own tech stack. I think there’s been some changes on compliance. It used to be if you’re at an independent BD, you had to be the OSJ by yourself or you had to roll up under an OSJ. But now most BDs offer home office supervision, so a big friction or pain point is taken away. And then I’ll give you a bridge to talk about what we’re seeing on the RIA side. But we’ve also seen, I would say, a real blurring of the lines between what you would traditionally think of as an independent broker dealer versus what was an RIA. So whether it’s an internal pathway where it’s like, “Start off on our independent BD platform, get the big deal, get the support, but then you can ditch that and just use this as a custodian or you can sell the business to us when you want to retire and convert to W2.” So in that vein, transitioning internally to an RIA, give me the same points like, “What are the major advancements or changes you’re seeing on the RIA side today?” Joshua Tomolak: I love that you said that because it’s been one of the most interesting changes to watch. Independent broker dealers becoming more like RIAs, and to your point, being more flexible, having more optionality, a more curated experience in some cases. And in many cases becoming closer to independent broker dealers with some of these massive shops that we’ve seen be created over the last five years that now have hundreds, if not thousands of advisors. To your question on the internal RIA slide as we sometimes call it, this really didn’t exist many places a few years ago. And I think it’s been created as both originally a retention tool in many places for the advisors that were with a major independent broker dealer and they ultimately wanted to have their own ADV and their own RIA. And the firm didn’t want to lose all the assets to an independent custodian so they gave them the green light to… And it’s ultimately became a sales tool in many cases. Just to use a couple of examples across the industry, I mean, Raymond James has Raymond James Custody Services, which has attracted a lot of really sophisticated teams. I know Wells Fargo Finance done something similar and even the counterparts over at Cetera and Osaic are trying to do the same thing. So it’s a recognition in my view that we want to keep the best talent possible. And if these folks are ultimately going to go RIA anyway, it’s less about the money and more about the flexibility and control that it offers them. So what can we do to keep those folks on board? And rightfully so, a lot of senior management of these firms have said, “Let’s not lose these teams. It’s going to be a lower margin business for us, but at the rate that they’re growing, it’s going to pay off in the long run.” Louis Diamond: Well said. RIAs are now more mainstream. And some of these RIAs, they’re either resembling independent BDs or I would even go so far to say the valuations that are even publicly available on some RIAs is definitely having people take notice. I mean, Cerity Partners recently raised capital at an over $8 billion reported valuation. Crescent was well over a billion. Firms like Mariner, Creative Planning, Mercer, Wealth Enhancement Group, and there’s many that I’m missing, are all worth a couple billion dollars or more and growing. Do you think that’s had an impact on the legitimacy or the staying power of the RIA model? Joshua Tomolak: Oh, absolutely. There’s no doubt about it. I mean, those groups that you mentioned and many more are winning some of the biggest teams on the street. I mean, if you pull up a run-of-the-mill advisor hub article, for example, you’ll see as many of those RIAs win significant businesses as you will their broker-dealer counterparts, partially in my opinion, due to the massive valuations these firms are fetching. And it’s much more of a partnership in the sense that joining a Crescent or a Wealth Enhancement Group, as you mentioned, you’re a part of a boutique group of maybe a couple of hundred very sophisticated high-producing advisors all playing under the same banner, all rowing in the same direction, and that creates substantial growth. Louis Diamond: Exactly right. I think two other things to me that’s driving the legitimacy or the growth of the RIA segment, there’s so many different outsourcing solutions that have popped up, whether it’s more of a… We’ll say a bundled or a package outsourcing solution through firms like Dynasty and Sanctuary. LPL has done a ton with having a shared services outsourcing model. So you have those. But you also have, I mean, probably 10 different firms I could think of that can be an outsourced chief compliance officer. You have tons of marketing agencies that specialize in helping RIAs. You have all these FinTechs popping up to support the RIA space. Really, it’s like anything and everything can be outsourced now. And even the big Wall Street banks like UBS, Merrill, et cetera, they’re attempting to sell and distribute product into the RIA space. Venture funds, private equity funds, anyone you talk to is trying to get a piece of the RIA space, which means there’s more product and platform availability than ever before. And I think it’s massive because one, it’s a catalyst for teams who say, “I love everything about the RIA world. I just don’t want to do it on my own,” or, “I don’t know where to start.” But also it means that they can look their clients in the eye and say, “Hey, not only do I have the same stuff that I had for you at XYZ firm, I can actually do more for you.” And even if you look at what the custodians are doing on the lending side now, Schwab owning a bank is massive and being able to facilitate mortgages, securities-backed loans, things that didn’t really exist in the past. I think it’s a very exciting time for advisors either that are independent or are considering the independent space because you have all these choices and it’s really like, “Choose your own adventure. Give me your top five things you want.” I’m sure it exists and we can find it and make it happen. And I don’t think we’d have the same confidence in that statement 5, 7, 10 years ago. Joshua Tomolak: I couldn’t agree more. That’s such a huge development is the marketplace of third party vendors in any kind of capitalism environment. There’s problems that people encounter and there’s really smart people that are trying to make a lot of money that go to market to solve them. And we’ve seen a ton of that over the last few years. Louis Diamond: Exactly right. Yeah, it’s like also… If an advisor looks around and says, “Hey, this is what I want,” and it doesn’t exist, oftentimes that’s a light bulb moment to be like, “Okay, I’ll go build it. I’ll do it on my own.” Whether it was Stewart Partners when they launched a number of years ago or Hightower, Dynasty, et cetera. They were all started by people that said, “Hey, I see a big gap in the ecosystem. Let’s create a business and raise capital to go solve it and then deliver this service to other like-minded advisors or business owners.” Honestly, it’s a treat to be able to watch all this happen in real time. We probably should have laid the groundwork with this next question, but I think it’s an important one. What’s the difference between a independent broker-dealer and an RIA? Really basic foundational. It sounds like the lines are blurred. There’s probably a lot of similarities. Advisors are successful in both. It’s not like one’s better than the other. How would you explain the differences, if a client of ours asked, “What’s the difference between an independent broker-dealer and IBD versus an RIA”? Joshua Tomolak: Get into the core of it. Again, the lines are blurred, and I’ll stay very high level on the strategic differences, but I like to use this example. I drive a Toyota Tundra. Really like the truck, gets me from A to B. Now, if I were getting to a point where I wanted a new vehicle, if I were to go get another Toyota Tundra because I really like a lot of aspects of it, but I want the one with the bigger screen and the bigger tires and the power seats, and I have rolled down windows because I have a fear of drowning. But if I want a lot of the bells and whistles, but I want to keep the foundation, that’s what I align to a independent broker-dealer to independent broker-dealer. You like the foundation of everything all under one roof. You like a lot of the resources, but you have some meaningful frustrations and you want to see if another provider in the market can solve for those or you can upgrade. If I instead, Louis, decided that I wanted a sports car or a Jeep Wrangler or something, I would be looking at a different category altogether. That’s how I articulate the platform space. They provide the same services and support in many cases that an independent broker-dealer does, think of marketing and a tech stack and regulatory oversight and a fellowship in a community, but they’re built on an RIA TC registered chassis. They’re typically far more customized so you can shop the street to get a lot more of the things that you like, though you are walking away from maybe some of the things that you’ve liked in the independent broker-dealer model. So I guess that’s the highest level I might explain it, just a little bit more minutia in any broker-dealer is going to be a FINRA registered, FINRA member broker-dealer. So they’re subject to the FINRA rules, which basically means it’s the compliance interpretation of those rules that they have to follow. So LPL’s rules may be slightly different than Cetera’s than Ameriprise’s because it’s based on their interpretations of the rules. In the RIA space, everybody really operates on the fiduciary standard. So it’s just a different lens that from a compliance standpoint, business is looked at. And a lot of people would make the argument that it’s just easier to get things done when you’re looking at something from that lens. I might’ve gone too compliance nerd on you there, but I’d be curious what you think some of the major differences are. Louis Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s right. I mean, it sounds like if you’re in the RIA world in some capacity that you as the advisor or business owner are going to have a little bit more control and autonomy and flexibility. One, do you think that’s true? And what are the reasons why that is? Is it platform? Is it strictly just compliance is easier? What are the different ways that an RIA would have more or less flexibility than someone who’s with an independent BD? Joshua Tomolak: Yeah, I think it’s overwhelmingly true, but it certainly depends on your business. Within most RIA platforms, you’re going to be one of a couple dozen, maybe a couple hundred, where you’re going to have people within that firm that really know your business. So the experience in getting things done is much less about, “Can I do this,” or, “Can I not do this?” And it’s, “Louis, I understand you asked for this. We’re going to run into these issues, but let’s figure out how to get to yes.” So it’s far more curated by people that are not operating on black and white rules and can actually figure out how to get to yes for your business. The other thing I would say is that most significant RIA platforms have multiple custodial options. So many times you’ll see as few as two or as many as five. So if an advisor or a team is trying to bring on a new piece of business or do something creative, that might be something they can use a different custodial relationship to accomplish. It might be something that Goldman Sachs does really well but is in its infancy at Fidelity, or it might be international business that’s approved on Pershing’s platform but not Schwab’s platform. So the RIA partner that you’re with can really look at those custodians agnostically and say, “What’s the best home for this business? What’s the best way to get this done for Louis?” There’s a couple examples of where I see the flexibility in practice. Louis Diamond: Yeah, I think one more too would be the concept of being able to shop the street. I’ve heard it described as becoming a buy-side advocate for your clients versus being a professional seller. So meaning, if I’m affiliated with an RIA or I’m operating my own RIA, there’s no selling away like there is at a wirehouse or at certain BDs. So if I have a client who’s trying to get a $10 million loan for a new building that they’re breaking ground on, if I’m at UBS, Merrill, Morgan Stanley, captive to a BD, I can go to my firm and say, “Hey, this $10 million loan, here it is. What are the terms? What are the rates? Will you take on this business?” And the firm will say, “Yes. No. Yes, here are the terms. Here’s the caveats, et cetera.” But it’s a very closed market process and an advisor has to live and die by what their firm says. Versus in the RIA world, it’s, “Okay, I have relationships with nine different banks and I can go to these different banks and private credit funds and whoever and really create either an option process for my client or really just help them in a fully agnostic open way.” And we see the same thing when it comes to alternative investments. No one at a wirehouse, let’s say, is complaining that they don’t have enough alts that they can offer clients. Those firms have done an amazing job with really boiling the ocean and having tons and tons of options for private investments, hedge funds, et cetera. But if you’re in the RIA world, you can take it to the next level and say, “Hey, this $3 million startup company that my friend is starting, I’m going to help them raise capital,” or, “My client wants to get a syndicate of investors together to have a direct investment into a qualified opportunity zone fund that they’re starting. Let’s do it when we can advise on it.” So it really expands what an advisor is able to do on behalf of clients. Like to me, that’s the most interesting or exciting part of the RIA model. You can get some of that within the BD world, but to me, when an advisor’s business becomes more sophisticated as far as what their end client’s needs are, it tends to translate better to the RIA world than the BD world. Not to say there aren’t ultra-high net worth focused advisors at BDs, but because of that additional flexibility, autonomy, customization, et cetera, that speaks more RIA. So again, absolutely not down at all on the independent BDs because I think there’s a massive home for them. Josh, let me turn it back to you. I’m rambling now. Give me the pitch for an independent BD. What are the things that are misperceptions that people have? What are the advantages that an independent broker dealer like an LPL or a RayJ or a Cetera have over RIAs or over other models in general? Joshua Tomolak: Absolutely. And I’d say I’ve learned more over the last six years from some of your ramblings than most people learn in an MBA course, so keep doing what you’re doing. But it’s funny being in this position now, having spent so much time sort of selling against the IBD model within TD Ameritrade, but what I’ve learned is it’s a good home for everybody. And a lot of times the advisors that they’re entrepreneurial enough where they like having their name on the door, but they’re not so entrepreneurial where they want to build everything out themselves, that’s where the independent broker dealers absolutely kill it. Their economics have gotten to a point where they’re really competitive. They offer transition capital that isn’t even going to be comparable in the RIA space unless you’re selling a minority share of your business. And you mentioned LPL, or we could really list all of the major ones, there’s not a department that they don’t have. It could be as nuance as finding 403(b) payroll slots or it could be as mainstream as fixed income or setting up events. There are all kinds of really neat departments that these all under one roof independent broker dealers have invested in. And a lot of times they make an effort to make you very much aware of all of the support because most people don’t use it. So I would say for the advisors that are looking to get their improved Toyota Tundra, then you can get probably 70 or 80% of what you want within the independent broker-dealer world. And you can also keep 20 or 30% of the stuff, maybe more that you really liked at your previous firm. So I think that’s where it really shines. I sometimes call it an incremental change rather than a transformational change. But for many advisors, incremental is really good enough if you get to keep the familiarity of how you’ve been doing business for the last 20-some years, but you’re able to get net improvement on the things that were really bothering you. Louis Diamond: Well said. Something that I’ve seen that’s been… I guess this could be either pro or con depending upon the advisor, but with some broker dealers, letting an advisor co-brand with them or really having a real consumer-facing brand, whether it’s, “I’m a franchise owner with Ameriprise,” or, “I’m independent through Raymond James,” or, “Running my own practice through Wells Fargo FiNet,” or, “I’m independent with Northwestern Mutual.” There’s definitely some brand cache or brand familiarity with some of those firms that may or may not be the same if you’re in the RIA world. So I would agree there’s a lot to like about the independent BD world and there’s a fit for people that is absolutely better with independent BDs than on the RIA side. Even if some people would say RIA is better, we’re cleaner, I wouldn’t say that. To me, it’s all about what an advisor’s goals are and then matching that up with what these firms do. And there’s never a perfect option. I jokingly say, “If there was a perfect firm, we wouldn’t be in business.” Every firm has their advantages or disadvantages. And depending upon where an advisor’s coming from, their style of business, their pain points, that’ll match up really well with on firm or one type of firm or one model than the other. Let’s pivot a little bit to the RIA world. A lot of your comments have been more about advisors affiliating or joining RIAs, this whole supportive version of independence concept. But what about advisors who want to go and start their own RIA? Either they’re leaving a captive firm and taking the entrepreneurial route and starting their own firm, or they’re leaving an independent BD to go start their own RIA. What do you see as some of the biggest misconceptions that advisors have about that move? Joshua Tomolak: That’s probably my favorite topic because there are the most misconceptions I think in this space. Louis Diamond: I’d agree. Joshua Tomolak: And I would say there’s 9 out of 10 conversations that I have with advisors and teams, they start off with the launching an RIA in mind or at least RIA curious and they want to understand what’s out there. And probably less than half the time do these folks end up actually launching their own RIA, which is okay because the ones that do are massively successful and they know they’re dang sure that’s exactly what they want to do. I think it gets a little bit romanticized sometimes that they’ll say, “Oh, I’ll just give Schwab a call,” or, “I’ll just give the custodian a call,” as if they were shopping independent broker dealers. That’s fine. You can do that and they will help you, but there’s quite a bit more to think about. And it’s not, in my opinion, the same as evaluating independent broker dealers. If it’s all right, I was taught the four pillars of the RIA model. I can go through that with you really quickly. So the way to think about the RIA space is in four pieces. And shout out to a friend, Eli Suarez, that taught me this years ago. The first pillar… Thinking of four pillars on a bar stool, if you will. The first one being administration. And this is your compliance, this is setting up your ADV, your LLC, all of your business formation documents. The second piece being technology, what do you actually want to use? Because the benefits of the broker-dealer world and the supported independent world is they’ve already built it for you. They’ve already paid for it and scraped their knees building it. In this case, you have to. And for some people, that’s really exciting to source financial planning software and portfolio management software and your CRM and tax software, et cetera. For some people, it just sounds like a huge headache. The third pillar being custodians. I have them third because you want to make sure that the right custodian can integrate properly with the technology that you’ve sourced that you’re passionate about. And then ultimately transition. What does a transition really look like? What are my legal and regulatory requirements? How does this work? What are the timelines? Things of that nature. So I guess I would say in closing that if those four things are things that you really want to own, then you’re in a really good position to consider an RIA launch. What do you think, Louis? Louis Diamond: I think that’s a great framework to break it down. Not just be like, “Okay, I can tolerate that,” or, “My team can do it,” but I think you have to be pretty excited about rolling up your sleeves and customizing and doing it yourself because in our experience, there’s a nominal differential between the economics of running your own RIA versus affiliating with an RIA or going to an independent BD. All the extra work and responsibility, you’re not really going to make it up, at least on the front end, on a higher net payout. So it has to be more about what the model means to you and having a vision that you don’t think anyone else can accomplish other than yourself. And looking at that crazy ever-expanding Michael Kitces’ FinTech map and there’s 500 different logos on it and being like, “Yes, that’s what I want. I want to go through this. I want to pick the seven pieces of my tech stack that work for me,” rather than getting, “Here’s the tech stack, take a demo, you like it, you don’t like it, take it or leave it.” To me, the two biggest misconceptions people have about the RIA world is one, “I’m going to have to be a full-time chief compliance officer,” and just that compliance is this boogeyman, this terrible, scary thing. In some ways it is. But the reality is most, especially startup RIAs will fully outsource compliance to a firm or they’ll hire a compliance consultant or firms that are big enough even will hire a CCO or repurpose someone on their team to be CCO. But compliance is much more streamlined and simpler than BD compliance. And ultimately, it’s compliance that’s being built for your business rather than compliance that’s being built for a publicly traded multinational company that supports 20,000 financial advisors. So I think compliance is always a big misconception. It’s definitely what a lot of firms will pry upon when they’re saying like, “Oh, you’re going to own all the legal and regulatory requirements. You could, but it’s definitely not a requirement.” And then I think another one is folks sometimes underestimate and overestimate the operational burden and how much work it is to start an RIA. Sometimes people just… They’re perfect for the RIA world, that’s their goal, but they get stopped in their tracks. They don’t really know what to do. But what we’ve seen, we said it earlier with so many different outsourcing solutions and different service providers that have popped up, if you have the fire in your belly to go build something, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it by yourself. I mean, that’s what firms like ours do. The custodians are very helpful. On the flip side though, I have seen advisors chasing payouts say, “Hey, I’m just going to go start an RIA because I want to make another 1 to 3%,” or whatever it comes to and they drastically underestimate what it really takes to build a successful firm. Joshua Tomolak: Exactly right. I think that’s my favorite one, Louis, overestimating and estimating the operational burden there is you could have the same conversation with two teams and it can go the completely different direction. Louis Diamond: Josh, let’s wrap here. I got one more question for you that I think is an exciting one, but give me three key trends or storylines that most people don’t know about or aren’t talking about that you’re passionate about or that you’re sharing with advisors or counseling today. Joshua Tomolak: Sure. This is the free advice portion. And I’ll tell you what, Louis, if it’s all right with you, I’ll give you two and I would love to hear one from you as well. The first one I’ve seen in both the independent broker-dealer and RIA space is the minority investor concept. A lot of folks will talk about the idea of taking chips off a table and starting to partially monetize your business. I think that’s all important, but what I’ve found is that a lot of advisors really want their partner, whether it’s an RIA broker dealer to help them grow. And that could be with M&A opportunities, that could be with traditional recruitment of advisors, that could be building a business plan. But the minority investment part really helps accelerate that for a lot of businesses because all of a sudden, not only are you cashing out a small part of your business, but you’ve just created an ally with the parent entity, it is now much more likely to help you grow in that capacity because they’re insulated from it and they profit when you profit. So I think it’s easy to be shortsighted and say, “Well, my equity’s going to keep growing. Why would I sell you a piece of this?” But I counsel folks often to really think about what that long-term strategic partnership is and making somebody a real equity partner rather than just a vendor that provides you with technology and regulatory coverage. The other one I’d say is that… And this one’s really important to me, that business formation is far more important than your assets under management. Said a different way, the way you build your business is going to make your business far more valuable than the number of dollars underneath your name. And what I mean by that is, just to use an example, a sophisticated, well-built, centralized, scalable and repeatable business, whether it’s an RIA with a broker-dealer that is going to fetch a far higher M&A multiple than a OSJ that’s five times the size that just has a bunch of 1099 independent advisors underneath the umbrella. What we’ve seen in the M&A space is that if you’re going to shell out 50, 60, $80 million for somebody’s business, you want to know that you have this business for the long term. So I would certainly counsel people that have been around maybe far longer than me to take a look at how you’re building this and put together a business plan on what those next 10 years should look like and not necessarily fall into the trap where your only revenue source is the override that you receive from a firm and then you in turn pay to the advisors on your team. Louis Diamond: Well said. I really like that line. We’d probably do a whole episode on what are the tips and tricks for building a business with the end in mind? Like the Covey quote, “Begin with the end in mind.” Transitions are like… They’re a bear. I mean, there’s no way to sugarcoat it. Advisors, when they hear transition, if you ask them, “Don’t think about it, give me your reaction.” “Terrible, risky, a lot of work. I’ll never do it again. My friend did it and it was terrible. What if my clients don’t come?” It’s all these negative emotions. And in many cases, I don’t blame an advisor because it is a big act. But to me, if someone is weighing making a transition, whether a wholesale business model change going from being an employee to being independent, going from being an advisor at an independent BD to starting an RIA, or even going independent BD to independent BD, it’s an opportunity if you rise to the occasion to build with this next act with intentionality. So whether it’s restructuring compensation for your team, converting people from 1099 to W2, putting in place new workflows, changing how investments, instead of it being each individual advisor doing investments to more of a centralized model, cleaning up workflows, really investing in data, investing in AI. It’s something that I think, again, we can have a whole episode on it, but I think it’s a great one. Build the business the right way. And obviously, businesses that are larger, theoretically, sell for more, but we’ve certainly seen businesses that are half the size of a larger one sell for a similar amount or more because they did all the right things and the larger one did the things that really turn off a buyer or detract from a valuation. Let me give you one more and tell me if you agree, but I think we’re in this moment when Altruist, the upstart, a new kid on the block custodian, they launched a basically tokenization of cash in a way to automatically agentically source or sort cash to the highest yielding money market. And you’re like, “This is fricking wonky. Louis, why are you telling us this?” I think this is an important one just to keep a watchful eye on. I have no idea how this is going to shake out, but really the biggest way that independent BDs or even custodians like Schwab and Fidelity really make money, it’s not on their overrides from practices or the admin fee or the custody fee. It’s really on net interest margin. So how much the broker-dealer or the firm is making on client cash and brokerage accounts relative to what they’re paying out the client. It’s essentially like free margin to these firms. And this concept, I think, has massive potential for disruption for the business model. Again, I don’t know what it’s going to look like, whether it means platform fees that are instituted at all these firms, whether it means certain models would be more beneficial than others, whether it means nothing’s going to change, which is probably the right answer given this industry. But it’s something to keep a watchful eye on just if your firm institutes a new platform fee or there’s a fundamental way in which your firm can no longer make money. How are they going to make it up? Are they now going to be uncompetitive? They’re not going to have as much scale or profits to invest in the platform. Is it going to cause even more consolidation in the industry? So to me, that’s the one pretty under the radar, pretty wonky storyline that I don’t think enough people are talking about, but has the biggest possibility for disruption across their space than anything I’ve seen in a while. Joshua Tomolak: Sure. That’s the whole iceberg. Not a lot of people are talking about it. It’s not poking out of the ocean, but it’s going to be continuously brought up. I think it’s a question that a lot of advisors are going to have to ask these firms. And at the end of the day, the firms aren’t the bad guys. They have to make money too to provide a quality product. So where the money comes from matters. Louis Diamond: Exactly. Josh, this has been awesome. I learned a lot talking with you and just having your objective consulting hat on what I think are really the differences between IBD and RIA and some of the key trends and storylines to watch has been instrumental. I’ll also give a plug that on our website and we’ll link to it in the show notes, we have a really helpful one-page reference guide going through the differences between independent BDs or IBDs and RIAs. So feel free to click on it. We’ll make sure it gets in your inbox. Josh, thanks again for joining us today. Joshua Tomolak: Yeah, thanks for having me, Louis. It was a pleasure. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibilities seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I stay or Should I Go? is a book written with you in mind. It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook. IBD vs. RIA: A Special Industry Update on Independence A conversation with Louis Diamond and Josh Tomolak, Vice President of Independent Advisor Services at Diamond Consultants.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is IBD vs. RIA: A Special Industry Update on Independence. It’s a conversation with Josh Tomolak, our Vice President of Independent Advisor Services. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is the Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: For a long time, going independent would suggest the destination. Today, it’s often the beginning of a different conversation. As the independent space has matured, advisors have more choices than ever before. Broker-dealers have expanded their capabilities. The RIA ecosystem has become increasingly sophisticated. Capital is more readily available and support models now exist that would’ve been difficult to imagine a decade ago. The result is that many advisors who are already independent are taking a fresh look at whether their current affiliation still aligns with what they’re trying to build. My guest is Josh Tomolak, Vice President of Independent Advisor Services here at Diamond Consultants and our resident expert on independence. Josh spends his days helping advisors evaluate independence in all its forms from independent broker dealers, the fully independent RIAs and everything in between. And his knowledge is critical because the distinction between these models is often blurred. Many broker dealers now offer pathways to greater autonomy while supported independence has made RIA ownership more accessible than ever before. So the question is no longer simply, “Do I want to go independent?” The question is, “What kind of independence makes the most sense for client, business, and go

Most people think advertising is about selling products. It's not. The best ideas change the way people see themselves and sometimes they change culture along the way. In this episode of Marketing People Love, Jacques Spitzer, CEO and CCO of Raindrop sits down with its newly appointed Creative Chairman Rob Strasberg, whose work has shaped some of the most influential campaigns of the last 25 years. From helping build the Truth campaign that changed how an entire generation viewed smoking, to launching MINI Cooper in America and reinventing iconic brands, Rob has spent his career proving that ideas can move far more than products. Together, they explore why creativity is really about psychology, how great teams unlock great ideas, the role identity plays in every purchase we make, and why the future of marketing belongs to the people willing to think differently. One idea, communicated at the right moment, can change a brand. Sometimes it can change the world. 

Today, we conclude the Arc of Evolution! After 15 weeks of MTG history, memories and learning about how Commander has changed over the years we have finaly made it to our last color combination: Boros. Join us on Commander Cookout 550!Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Welcome to the Hyperspace Heroes Podcast, where 3 Gen 1 Star Wars fans are just trying to make their way in the Star Wars podcast universe. HHP EP 176 Actor, Art Department and Musician Anthony Montemarano joins us to talk about his music career and how Instagram landed him a role in Star Wars Skeleton Crew! We wrap up with Collection Corner and SW Dad Joke of the Week.You can find Anthony on Instagram and other socials under the handle Shockthemonstorhttps://www.instagram.com/shockthemonster/Hyperspace Heroes Podcast does weekly livestreams on Thursday nights at 8pm eastern. Audio versions are posted on all the pod catchers the following Mondays. You can find all of our links for livestreams, podcasts and social media athttps://beacons.ai/brownsquadronIntro/Outro Music: Strange Signal (Instrumental) HoliznaCCO/ Licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcodeSource: Free Music Archive https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/straight-to-vhs/strange-signal/Support HoliznaCCO via hisPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HoliznaBandcamp: https://holiznaroyaltyfree.bandcamp.com/Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HoliznaVoice Over Work in Intro/Outro Performed by Milz Bowden & Henri GageYou can find Milz & Henri at https://youtube.com/@video4humans

Welcome to the Hyperspace Heroes Podcast, where 3 Gen 1 Star Wars fans are just trying to make their way in the Star Wars podcast universe. HHP EP 176 BL & DB go over their fantastic trip to Nashville and ICCC 2026. We wrap up with Collection Corner and SW Dad Joke of the Week.Hyperspace Heroes Podcast does weekly livestreams on Thursday nights at 8pm eastern. Audio versions are posted on all the pod catchers the following Mondays. You can find all of our links for livestreams, podcasts and social media athttps://beacons.ai/brownsquadronIntro/Outro Music: Strange Signal (Instrumental) HoliznaCCO/ Licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcodeSource: Free Music Archive https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/straight-to-vhs/strange-signal/Support HoliznaCCO via hisPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HoliznaBandcamp: https://holiznaroyaltyfree.bandcamp.com/Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HoliznaVoice Over Work in Intro/Outro Performed by Milz Bowden & Henri GageYou can find Milz & Henri at https://youtube.com/@video4humans

Welcome to the Hyperspace Heroes Podcast, where 3 Gen 1 Star Wars fans are just trying to make their way in the Star Wars podcast universe. HHP EP 178 Brown 36 ‘Wampa' Stephen Kaarbo returns to talk about this year's Excalibur Con 2026 in Duluth MN. We wrap up with Collection Corner and SW Dad Joke of the Week.You can find all the good work that Wampa does with Excalibur Con and the MNSWCA on their socials.https://www.instagram.com/mnswca.org_event_hq/Hyperspace Heroes Podcast does weekly livestreams on Thursday nights at 8pm eastern. Audio versions are posted on all the pod catchers the following Mondays. You can find all of our links for livestreams, podcasts and social media athttps://beacons.ai/brownsquadronIntro/Outro Music: Strange Signal (Instrumental) HoliznaCCO/ Licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcodeSource: Free Music Archive https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/straight-to-vhs/strange-signal/Support HoliznaCCO via hisPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HoliznaBandcamp: https://holiznaroyaltyfree.bandcamp.com/Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HoliznaVoice Over Work in Intro/Outro Performed by Milz Bowden & Henri GageYou can find Milz & Henri at https://youtube.com/@video4humans

Welcome to the Hyperspace Heroes Podcast, where 3 Gen 1 Star Wars fans are just trying to make their way in the Star Wars podcast universe. HHP EP 174 sees the return of Mark from Fight in A Box, their latest Kickstarter and Coruscant Nights. We wrap up with Collection Corner and SW Dad Joke of the Week.You can follow Fight in a Box on all of the socials, Kickstarter and you can find Coruscant Nights on your choice of podcast platformHyperspace Heroes Podcast does weekly livestreams on Thursday nights at 8pm eastern. Audio versions are posted on all the pod catchers the following Mondays. You can find all of our links for livestreams, podcasts and social media athttps://beacons.ai/brownsquadronIntro/Outro Music: Strange Signal (Instrumental) HoliznaCCO/ Licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcodeSource: Free Music Archive https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/straight-to-vhs/strange-signal/Support HoliznaCCO via hisPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HoliznaBandcamp: https://holiznaroyaltyfree.bandcamp.com/Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HoliznaVoice Over Work in Intro/Outro Performed by Milz Bowden & Henri GageYou can find Milz & Henri at https://youtube.com/@video4humans

Welcome to the Hyperspace Heroes Podcast, where 3 Gen 1 Star Wars fans are just trying to make their way in the Star Wars podcast universe. HHP EP 175 see the return of all three BS Boy-yos and we talk the new Mandalorian & Grogu Movie, Maul series and talk about our upcoming trip to ICCC 2026. We wrap up with Collection Corner and SW Dad Joke of the Week.Hyperspace Heroes Podcast does weekly livestreams on Thursday nights at 8pm eastern. Audio versions are posted on all the pod catchers the following Mondays. You can find all of our links for livestreams, podcasts and social media athttps://beacons.ai/brownsquadronIntro/Outro Music: Strange Signal (Instrumental) HoliznaCCO/ Licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcodeSource: Free Music Archive https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/straight-to-vhs/strange-signal/Support HoliznaCCO via hisPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HoliznaBandcamp: https://holiznaroyaltyfree.bandcamp.com/Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HoliznaVoice Over Work in Intro/Outro Performed by Milz Bowden & Henri GageYou can find Milz & Henri at https://youtube.com/@video4humans

Find out where and when rain could fall in CCO land this week. WCCO TV Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer stopped by to chat with Vineeta on The WCCO Morning News

Despite losing 4 straight, there is hope Twins fans. Check out what the Manager had to say to Vineeta on The WCCO Morning News on Wednesday morning. 5pm pregame tonight on CCO from Cleveland. Go Twins!

Before the conclusion of the Arc of Evolution, we take a week to dive deep into all the MTG previews we received from MagicCon Amsterdam. There's a ton to be excited about from a Universes Within  perspective as well as The Hobbit coming up in the next month! Join us for a fun and classic-vibe-feeling episode of Commander Cookout. Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Many corporate marketing teams struggle to build real customer connection because they rely on transactional, feature-heavy product copy that fails to break through crowded digital channels. Juliana Cobb, Chief Creative Officer, and Rich Santiago, Chief Strategy Officer at 72andSunny New York, break down how to optimize asset development and increase brand relevance by embedding inclusive creative frameworks directly into active cultural spaces.They share their operational playbook for compressing creation timelines through close client collaboration, running authentic creator-led campaigns that bypass forced corporate scripts, and using athletic competitive models to reduce development workflow strain across regional offices.Key tactical themes covered:Transitioning product campaigns into integrated experiential platforms.Bringing clients directly into strategic rooms to shorten production cycles.Differentiating legacy properties inside highly saturated online spaces.Activating employee advocacy networks and creator talent using their natural tone.Utilizing athletic team models to manage operational project strain.Juliana Cobb is the CCO and Rich Santiago is the CSO at 72andSunny New York, directing multi-market creative distribution and brand relevance strategy for premier global enterprises.Connect with us and our guests:Follow Juliana Cobb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianacobb/Follow Rich Santiago on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-f-santiago/Explore 72andSunny: https://www.72andsunny.com/Streamline paid social with Strike Social: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-paid-social-media-ads-outcomes/Connect with Host Dylan Conroy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/

Many corporate marketing groups experience poor campaign performance because they rely on fragmented regional agency silos that use confusing, jargon-heavy copy. Adam Reeves, Chief Creative Officer, and Julien Bissuel, Chief Executive Officer at 72andSunny Toronto, break down how to optimize asset development and increase brand relevance by deploying a borderless cross-office architecture.They share their operational playbook for combining multi-market production resources smoothly, deconstructing complex industry terms through candid human realism, and turning large-scale experiential real estate networks into high-yield engines for B2B new business acquisition.Key tactical themes covered:Transitioning regional campaign distribution into borderless network blueprints.Unifying cross-office production assets to execute seamless tech campaigns.Differentiating financial services brand messaging using radical simplicity.Embracing candid human conversations over complex corporate industry jargon.Preserving long-term client relationships through experiential B2B lead generation.Adam Reeves is the CCO and Julien Bissuel is the CEO at 72andSunny Toronto, directing multi-market content distribution and integrated account acquisition strategies.Connect with us and our :Follow Adam Reeves on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-reeves-7238a2b4/Follow Julien Bissuel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julien-bissuel-b2b3822/Explore 72andSunny Solutions: https://www.72andsunny.com/Simplify paid socail Strike Social automation: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-paid-social-media-ads-outcomes/Connect with Host Dylan Conroy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/

Brinks Home chief customer officer Veronica Moturi joins CX Decoded host Dom Nicastro to explain how a security and home automation company rebuilt its call center from the ground up. Moturi started as a customer service agent in 2012 and rose through retention and escalations before taking the CCO role. She breaks down why average handle time isn't a KPI, how issue resolution and first call resolution drive a 55 net promoter score, and how AI tools and a remote workforce cut agent turnover from 150% to 22%.

Commander Cookout's Arc of Evolution is nearing its final chapter. Join us with our favorite returning guest, and Izzet subject matter expert, Bald Tobi!Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

In the second episode of a special On Aon mini-series on the 2026 Human Capital Trends study, Aon's Human Capital leaders discuss why gaining a competitive advantage in an AI-powered future will depend as much on workforce readiness as it does on technology. While many organizations are accelerating AI adoption, lasting value comes from how leaders build the skills, culture and trust needed to put these tools to work. The conversation explores the leadership priorities that will shape the future of work, from developing critical capabilities and fostering adaptability to making better decisions in an increasingly AI-enabled environment. Key Takeaways:     AI success depends on workforce readiness and technology. Organizations that invest in skills, leadership and culture alongside AI adoption will be better-positioned to capture long-term value. Workforce readiness is becoming a strategic priority. Leaders who continuously build capabilities and help employees adapt to new ways of working will be better equipped to stay ahead as business needs evolve. Trust, transparency and wellbeing play a critical role in sustaining transformation. Clear communication and strong people practices help organizations build confidence, accelerate adoption and realize the full potential of AI. Experts in this episode:    Byron Beebe, CEO of Human Capital, Aon     Lisa Patel, Head of Health and Talent, EMEA, Aon John McLaughlin, CCO and Head of Assessment, Talent Solutions, EMEA, Aon Key Resources:  2026 Human Capital Trends Study Key Moments:     (01:10) Why organizations need leaders who can combine AI capability with critical thinking to make better decisions, manage risk and capture opportunity. (05:25) The risk of focusing on technology without investing in workforce readiness — and why culture, skills and employee experience remain central to AI adoption. (12:15) How skills-based talent strategies, continuous learning and workforce insights can help leaders build resilience and stay ahead of changing business demands. Soundbites:     Byron Beebe: "I do think the more senior leaders need to embrace AI, but I also think we'll have more junior colleagues who really drive a lot of the development in all organizations going forward." Lisa Patel: “One thing I'd say about all of this is that we can't look at any of these modules in isolation. So, if we truly want to unlock the full potential of AI, we need a holistic approach to the whole thing.” John McLaughlin: "You want people to be high on both critical thinking and AI capability. You want them to be able to spot and manage risks while taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them."

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This week on Commander Cookout's Arc of Evolution, we may have our more surprising color/color combination yet. We are looking at the Then vs. Now of Simic to see how commanders have changed over time. This was a beauty! Full of surprises and interesting take-aways. Join us on CCO 548.Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

The award-winning Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a compliance-related topic, literally going into the weeds to explore a subject more fully. Looking for some hard-hitting insights on compliance? Look no further than Compliance into the Weeds! In this episode of Compliance into the Weeds, Tom Fox and Matt Kelly discuss the recently released Radical Compliance, Case IQ, and Compliance Week-sponsored survey of more than 325 compliance professionals quantifying retaliation against compliance officers. Matt reports that 70% say they have suffered retaliation (79% including those unsure), 67% experienced it more than once, and women report slightly higher rates than men. Common retaliation includes exclusion from meetings (64%), being badmouthed (59.5%), and unwanted role changes (49%), while 28% report being fired. Fear is significant: 36% are uncomfortable raising concerns at their current employer, and 48% have been stopped from doing so at some point. Among those reporting retaliation to management, the responses were poor: 53% saw no action, 21% saw investigations without a remedy, and only 4% felt management supported them. Few go to regulators or sue, though two-thirds of the small group who sued after firing reported satisfactory outcomes. They suggest structural protections such as disclosure of CCO departures, contract/termination safeguards like those in Indian banking rules, and updates to DOJ guidance. Key highlights: Headline Findings Key Stats Breakdown Types of Retaliation Career Impact Stories Protection Ideas Human Toll and Caveats  Resources Matt in Radical Compliance  Tom Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn A multi-award-winning podcast, Compliance into the Weeds was most recently honored as one of the Top 25 Regulatory Compliance Podcasts, a Top 10 Business Law Podcast, and a Top 12 Risk Management Podcast. Compliance into the Weeds has been conferred the Davey, Communicator, and W3 Awards, all for podcast excellence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One more day for Steve Simpson after today. But listen for Steve's thoughts on retirement, along with greetings from Dave Lee, Frank Vascellero and Amelia Santaniello, Peter King from CBS News and a tons more fun. Tune in Thursday from 5-9 am for Steve's "Last Dance at CCO!"

We are finally joined by our super secret special subject matter expert. The topic of the week: The evolution of Golgari commanders! Join us during the Arc of Evolution on Commander Cookout Episode 547.Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

במשך תקופה ארוכה הפוקוס המרכזי של מאנדיי היה על צמיחה דרך לקוחות חדשים והגדלת ה-ARR. עם בסיס עצום של מעל ל-250 אלף לקוחות, רק קצה הפירמידה זכה לליווי צמוד ופרואקטיבי, בעוד שאר המשתמשים קיבלו מענה בעיקר כשכבר צצה בעיה בשטח. אבל כשהחברה הגיעה למאסה קריטית, היה ברור שהמשחק ההתקפי של רכישת לקוחות חדשים כבר לא מספיק לבדו. כדי להמשיך לגדול בצורה בריאה, מאנדיי הייתה חייבת לחזק את המשחק ההגנתי שלה, כלומר, להסתכל לאתגר של נטישת הלקוחות בעיניים וללמוד איך לשמור על הנכס הכי גדול שלה: הלקוחות הקיימים. מתוך ההבנה שלכל ארגון יש "דלי דולף" ושהרבה יותר זול ומשתלם לשמר לקוח מאשר לגייס חדש, הוקם לפני כשנה ארגון ה-CCO (Chief Customer Officer) במאנדיי. המטרה הייתה לאחד את כל גופי השירות, התמיכה והסאקסס שהיו מפוזרים בחברה תחת קורת גג אחת, ולפתור את בעיית ה-"Too many cooks in the kitchen", מצב שבו פונקציות שונות פועלות מול אותו לקוח במקביל ללא סנכרון. בפרק השבוע, דריה ורטהיים משוחחת עם עדי דר, ה-CCO של מאנדיי, על הדרך שבה הם פיצחו את האתגר והפכו את מערך השירות מריאקטיבי לפרואקטיבי. עדי מסביר כיצד ה-AI הפך למנוע, החל מפתרון אוטומטי של מעל 70% מתיקי התמיכה היומיים, ועד לשימוש ב-Risk Engine, מערכת שמזהה ירידה בשימוש וסימני שבר אצל הלקוח עוד לפני שהבעיה בכלל צפה. בנוסף, הוא משתף כיצד הם מייסמים סגמנטציה, איך מנהלים מערך Tech Touch שנוגע בעשרות אלפי לקוחות במקביל, וכיצד חיבור מודל הקומפנסיישן של אנשי השירות לתוצאות השימור בפועל שינה את התמונה.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The glitz of Cannes Lions often shines brightest on high-tech case study videos, but the real magic is happening out in the open air. In this special episode of Campaign Chemistry recorded live at the festival, Jameson Fleming sits down with Aaron Starkman, global CCO of Rethink and this year's Cannes Lions Outdoor Jury Chair. Starkman joined Campaign on Thursday, the day before the agency won Independent Network and Independent Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions. Starkman breaks down what makes the physical medium of outdoor so special. Starkman pulls back the curtain on the ethical tightropes and intense debates inside the jury room, explaining why a lighter volume of entries actually raised the stakes for world-class creativity. From iconic brands like Heinz and Heineken leaning into execution that feels "inevitable," to the crucial fight to prioritize raw human connection over hyper-polished award submissions, this conversation is a masterclass in what it takes to stop a consumer in their tracks today. campaignlive.com Music - Take you Out by Lucid Tides, courtesy of Triple Scoop. What we know about advertising, you should know about advertising. Start your 1-month FREE trial to Campaign US. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Arc of Evolution continues! This week, your Good Friend Ryan's favorite 2-color pair: Orzhov. Come see if his favorite, previous and future commanders make the list of then and now's most popular commanders of all time. All that and much more on CCO 546.Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Ella es la Presidenta del Jurado de Print & Publishing de Cannes Lions 2026.Chief Creative Officer de Wieden+Kennedy México, la primera oficina de la red en habla hispana, después de haber sido CCO de Ogilvy Latinoamérica, donde bajo su liderazgo la red ganó en Cannes Lions, D&AD y One Show, y fue nombrada Regional Network of the Year en 2022. Antes de ser directora creativa, empezó su carrera como productora en MTV LATAM. Este año preside el jurado de Print & Publishing en Cannes Lions 2026.Arranca Cannes 2026 y esto es una belleza que estemos ya en el primer día de premiación. Tuvimos la suerte de encontrarnos con nuestra queridísima amiga que ya nos va a presentar Marley para contarnos lo que vivió ella como presidenta del jurado de Print and Publishing en esta edición del festival. Fue una belleza porque pasamos hablando de cómo se eligió el Grand Prix. Hablamos de la importancia del print versus la pantalla hoy en día y como eso sigue vivo. Además tuvimos la suerte de escuchar de primera mano y antes que nadie, el discurso que iba a dar ese mismo día en la noche. Fue una belleza porque hablamos de muchísimas cosas, obviamente de todo lo que fue su proceso como presidenta del jurado, pero también de cómo a veces vale la pena tomarse un poquito más de tiempo en el craft antes de mandar una pieza a Cannes. Pero de una cosa muy linda que me gustó, que es cómo México trae la felicidad al mundo y cómo eso debería ser una de las cosas que tengamos en cuenta cuando estemos haciendo creatividad para el festival. Pero bueno, no quiero contarles demasiado. Mejor ya que comiencen las hostilidades y que arranque Cannes la y en 2026 con el Martínez Popup que se abre y se cierra durante esta edición del Martínez Podcast Bar. Desde Cannes Lions 2026.Visítanos en https://www.elmartinez.net/ y suscríbete en Spotify, Apple Podcasts o donde lo estés escuchando ahora. Síguenos en FB o IG @elmartinezpodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have super charged the fanbase, but Lara's goal is bigger - an entertainment company with a football product. We talk about her plans, why she joined from L'Oreal and Stella Artois, and how the NFL's strict no paid media rule is creating a culture of creative innovation. She's joined by BarkleyOKRP CSO, Chris Cardetti and CCO, Brad Jones.

What if giving customers more value is exactly what's making them leave? Kellie Snyder, Chief Customer Officer at LinkSquares, joins Josh Schachter after a two-year replatform to fully agentic contract management. She unpacks how AI reshaped their customer 360, the retention mistake hiding in their onboarding, why digital-first went too far, and how to bring human engagement back without losing scale. A candid look at retention, migration, and rebuilding human engagement in the AI era.Josh is writing a book on building customer relationships. Follow his journey and insights at www.joshschachter.com---What You'll Learn- How LinkSquares went fully agentic in contract management- Building a real customer 360- Why "show them everything" was killing retention- Migrating legacy customers without scaring them off- AI enablement when teams sit at different skill levels- Right-sizing human engagement after over-rotating on digital-first- Tying value realization to pre-sales business outcomes---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview and Meet Kellie Snyder1:50 - What LinkSquares does, new agentic platform3:10 - Kelly's remit as the CCO at LinkSquares3:50 - Rob's story and the golf scholarship6:06 - AI transformation inside the post-sales team7:39 - Building the customer 3609:09 - How Kellie personally uses Claude10:45 - Sharing skills and wins across CSMs11:30 - Biggest speed bump going AI-native13:48 - The two-year replatform & impact on post-sales18:29 - Migration & killing one-size-fits-all onboarding20:27 - Investing in customer education22:33 - Quantifying value realization23:23 - What's taken longer than expected25:40 - Success one year out26:52 - A question for other CCOs---Where to Find the GuestKellie Snyder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellieasnyder/ ---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

During the Arc of Evolution, we have been surprised so many times by both the new and the old of the most popular legends of all time. Come see how Selesnya's past and present do not buck that trend on CCO Episode 545.Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

133 million learners. 100% of the Fortune 100. And the woman steering go-to-market behind those numbers will tell you to stop chasing churn. Monika Saha, CCO of Articulate, doesn't trade in best-practice platitudes. In this episode she takes the sacred cows out back: why "customer education is a cost center" is half-wrong instead of all-wrong, when fighting retention is a flat waste of energy, and why PLG companies are quietly light-years ahead while everyone else optimizes the wrong thing. Host Josh Schachter pokes the bear. Co-host Samantha Murray pushes back. Monika doesn't blink. If you run customer success, education, or GTM and you're tired of being told what you already know, this one's built to make you uncomfortable in the good way.Josh is writing a book on building customer relationships. Follow his journey and insights at www.joshschachter.com---What You'll Learn- Why "customer education is a cost center" is partly true- How to standardize and modularize content so you stop reinventing the wheel- When improving churn is actually a waste of energy- How to segment a long tail so you invest where returns are real- Why PLG companies dominate in-app and digital motion- A simple QBR exercise to find AI-ready process bottlenecks- How to structure a number across a core product plus early cross-sells---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview and Meet Mac, Monika's dog1:08 - Meet Sam Murray, Gainsight & Monika Saha, Articulate2:11 - Articulate's Overview4:20 - Monika's remit as Chief Commercial Officer: trial to renewal5:37 - Lessons from her Gainsight CMO days9:00 - Customer education & internal enablement14:53 - Debate: is customer education a cost center?20:30 - Controversial take: when fixing churn is pointless23:43 - Why digital motion is foundational at a PLG company26:56 - Can non-PLG B2B companies experiment like this?28:48 - Embracing efficiency with AI32:30 - Hitting the number: core product vs cross-sell---Where to Find the GuestSamantha Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/Monika Saha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikasaha/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

AI investing is often focused on the obvious names: Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and the rest of the hyperscalers. But the AI buildout is creating massive demand across the entire infrastructure stack, from electricity and grid upgrades to cooling, data centers, semiconductors, uranium, industrial automation, and specialized software. In this episode, we unveil the TCI Podcast Index: Hidden AI Winners, built in partnership with Questrade’s new custom indexing feature. We explain how custom indexing works, why we chose this AI infrastructure theme, and then break down the 21 companies selected for the index. This episode also looks at why AI demand may benefit companies far beyond the usual tech giants, especially businesses tied to power generation, electrical equipment, liquid cooling, semiconductor manufacturing, data center construction, and nuclear energy. Tickers of stocks discussed: PWR, GEV, STN, TT, NET, VRT, NEE, GLW, FIX, CCO.TO / CCJ, ASML, ROK, ECL, CLS.TO / CLS, HUBB, QXO, SNPS, GNRC, ETN, CEG Questrade custom indexing contest: This information is for educational purposes only. Not intended to be financial advice. Paid partnership with Questrade. Not financial/investment advice. The creator is not a registered adviser. Views and experience shown are the creator's own; results are not representative. Custom Indexing is a self-directed product; Questrade does not recommend securities or assess suitability. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. FX and other fees may apply. Past performance is not indicative of future results. No purchase necessary. Open to Canada (age of majority). Skill testing question required. One Prize: 3-night Nimmo Bay (BC) retreat for 2 + 10 annual payouts of $7,000 CAD to winner's non-registered or TFSA account. ARV: $100,000 CAD. Odds depend on entries. Terms apply. See full rules: https://www.questrade.com/disclosure/remix-your-life-contest---terms-and-condition Subscribe to our Our New Youtube Channel! Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Our New Youtube Channel! Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Fiscal.ai for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Arc of Evolution reaches its zenith with Uncle Brando's favorite color combo: GRUUL. Come hear all about what he has to say about the evolution of Gruul in Commander on CCO Episode 544.Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

Think fresh-out-of-welding-school means starting at the bottom? Landon Earlywine (19) and Jackson Settler (18) are about to change your mind. Six months after graduating from the Kentucky Welding Institute, these two are working 60-hour weeks doing TIG stainless pipe fab for data center infrastructure up in Logansport, Indiana — earning $38/hr plus $120/day per diem. In less than seven months, they've pulled in $95,000 combined, started Roth IRAs, bought reliable trucks with big down payments, and are on track to blow past $150K in their first year. Jason sits down with both of them to find out how they got here — from a high school ag teacher who flashed some money at them sophomore year, to grinding the third shift at KWI, earning their golden arm certifications, and landing a stainless schedule 10 TIG test in Indianapolis the morning after getting the call. They talk about the real curriculum at KWI beyond the booth — financial management, CCO rigging, CPR, and OSHA 30 — and what actually separates the students who land good jobs from the ones who don't. Plus: a totaled '92 Sonoma, a story about driving from Kentucky to Texas at 82 mph at 6 AM, a job box that survived a crash, and why they're not going anywhere until they hit the $100K wall at school. Topics covered: • TIG stainless pipe fab for data center infrastructure — the new pipeline boom • Working 5x12s and 6x10s fresh out of welding school • $95K in 7 months at 18 and 19 years old • The golden arm at KWI — what it takes and what it means • Financial literacy in trade school: Roth IRAs, principal payments, and smart money moves • CCO rigging, OSHA 30, CPR, and the full KWI curriculum • How a wrecked '92 Sonoma led to the job of a lifetime • Why 7 KWI classmates are all on track to hit $100K in year one • The $100K wall — and what you have to prove to get your hood on it.

Each week during the Arc of Evolution, we are surprised. Not only by the lists themselves, but also how the most popular commanders of all time have changed... or stayed the same. Come see how we were surprised this week on CCO 543 where we cover RAKDOS.Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online. They're your source for all of your gaming needs. You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast? Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumYou can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodcast@CCOPodcast and @CCOBrando on Twitterhttps://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast

David Nichtern, Duncan's meditation teacher, founder & CEO of Dharma Moon, and co-founder and CCO of Strawberry Moons Media, re-joins the DTFH!Interested in getting certified to teach meditation? The Dharma Moon Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training begins on June 12th, 2026. Click here for more info about the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Click here to register now!On Tuesday, May 26th, join David and Professor Robert Thurman for a FREE live online event exploring the profound practices of mindfulness and the journey of becoming a meditation teacher. Click here for more info and to reserve your spot.Ohio family! Duncan is coming to Hilarities in Cleveland, May 8 & 9. Click here to get your tickets now. Thank you, and we love you!!This episode is brought to you by: Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew Gold with code DUNCAN. Visit BlueChew.com for more details and important safety information, and we thank BlueChew for sponsoring the podcast. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at MintMobile.com/Duncan.