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This week on Off the Shelf, Rob Burton, partner at Crowell & Moring LLP, joins host Roger Waldron to talk about the reorganization of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service (FAS).Burton outlines the six offices (Create, Deliver, Assist, Centralize, Optimize, and Transform) under the new FAS structure, highlighting the key features and functions of the offices. Of note, is the new Transform office that will focus on AI procurement and implementation. He also discusses the status of NASA SEWP, and outlines the next steps for the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul. Finally, Burton addresses the government's current procurement policy priorities. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Rob Zinkan shares how specializing in higher-ed marketing and communications led them into organization design, why “centralize vs decentralize” and “bust silos” are often unhelpful binaries, and how leaders can improve effectiveness by clarifying purpose, strategy, and ways of working. Key themes include influence without authority, integrating across silos, making trade-offs explicit, engaging people through co-creation (not just buy-in), and treating org design as an ongoing leadership discipline—especially amid hybrid work and AI. 00:00 Intro + Rob's path into org design via higher education 03:54 Why specialize (industry + function) and where it creates value 06:34 Marketing as an enterprise capability aligned to strategy 10:27 Universities, repeatable org units, and strategy tensions (research vs teaching) 11:59 Centralize vs decentralize; silos and horizontal integration mechanisms 15:30 Business model + operating model realities in universities 18:11 Moving from diagnosis to future-state operating reality; engaging people 20:49 When to apply org design principles (any size team; ongoing discipline) 23:11 One leadership skill: ask better questions (and listen) 24:25 Hybrid/AI shifts focus from org charts to operating models 26:17 Accountability, org charts, and codifying ways of working 30:21 Wrap-up The Org Design Podcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast/ Functionly https://www.functionly.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly/
Alana explores how HR can move beyond traditional talent management to become a true architect of opportunity. Alana shares her deeply held belief that every person has untapped potential, and that HR's role is to design the culture and conditions where that potential can be unlocked, at scale. Alana makes the case for building organisations where learning is central to culture - where curiosity, experimentation and even failure are actively encouraged. She shares practical examples of leaders learning new AI capabilities together in real time, and reflects on how organisations can shift from credential-led thinking to skills-based, capability-driven approaches in hiring, development and progression. Alana discusses how HR's influence extends beyond organisational boundaries, calling for a stronger sense of civic connectivity and shared responsibility for creating opportunity. Free online Lunch & Learn with Coca Cola and Kantar: AI in TA & Onboarding Tuesday 23 June 1-2pm BST Digitalising your Talent Attraction and Onboarding processes is one thing. Knowing where AI fits - and where it doesn't - is quite another. Many of your peers are at exactly this crossroads right now. Excited by the possibilities, but conscious of the risks. Keen to move faster, but not at the cost of the human moments that matter most. Join our free online lunch & learn, we'll share the findings from our research in partnership with The Talent Labs, and you'll hear from Heidi Eckersley, Global Talent Acquisition Leader at Kantar and Suzy Jearum, Global Digital Employee Experience Lead at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. From productivity gains to employee experience wins, you'll leave with insights and ideas you can consider for your organisation too. Join us! Book your place here Thank you to Deel for sponsoring this episode. What does HR look like when it's built for global scale? With Deel, HR teams can hire, onboard, and manage talent in 150+ countries without setting up local entities or managing multiple vendors. · Generate compliant contracts in minutes. · Automate onboarding. · Tackle performance reviews. · Centralize employee records, time off, and benefits in one place. Deel takes care of compliance and document management, so you can focus on people, not processes. From that first offer letter to ongoing support, Deel makes global HR feel local, fast, and easy. Visit www.deel.com/uplift today. Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Our book of the month for June is Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking, by Matthew Syed. We're all navigating more complexity than ever right now. AI, shifting workplace expectations, doing more with less, and still making work feel human. Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed provides a resource for how. His argument: the teams who solve the hardest problems aren't the ones full of the best individual thinkers, they're the ones who think differently from each other. A brilliant book on why diversity of thought helps us solve complex problems. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab your copy, and we hope you enjoy this month's Uplifting Book.
A lot of creators don't realize how much wasting money on podcast tools adds up until they finally stop and look at every subscription tied to their show. The morning show cast and crew talk about how easy it is to collect editing apps, AI platforms, analytics tools, and software you barely touch anymore while convincing yourself you still need all of it. There's a second layer too. Profit, not revenue. A $15 app feels different when it's $180 a year. A $5 tool times twelve months times five tools is money that wasn't actually generating anything back. Then comes the renewal email from something you forgot you had, and suddenly you're staring at the charge wondering when you last opened it. That's the moment it stops feeling like a collection and starts feeling like a real decision.Episode Highlights:[04:28] Software Stack Profit Leaks[05:49] How Many Subscriptions Is Too Many?[10:10] Overspending Categories[14:48] Forgotten Subscription Traps[18:36] The LinkedIn Premium Debate[22:35] Marketing Beyond Social Media[24:51] Sales Navigator as a CRM[26:37] Centralize and Audit Your Tools[27:41] Essential vs. Nice-to-Have Software[34:24] Spreadsheets, Not Apps[39:02] Monthly Money Review[46:07] Final TakeawaysLinks & Resources:Your Software Stack is Quietly Killing Your Profit Margins:https://www.contentcreatorsaccountant.com/blog/software-stack-killing-profit/Feature Your Podcast on the Podcasting Morning Show:https://PodcastingMorningShow.com/spotlightThe Podcasting Morning Show:www.podcastingmorningshow.comWays to Watch or Listen: https://www.podcastingmorningshow.com/joinus/Meet the PMS Cast and Crew:https://podcastingmorningshow.com/peopleJoin The Empowered Podcasting Facebook Group:www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredpodcastingBook A Free Call With Marc:https://calendly.com/ironickmedia/freestrategycallApplication To Submit Your Show For Evaluation:https://podcastingmorningshow.com/evalJoin us every other Monday at 8 AM ET for the Obsession Worthy Podcasts:http://podcastingmorningshow.com/owp/Join us LIVE every weekday morning at 8 am ET (US) on Clubhouse: https://podcastingmorningshow.com/clubhouseEPC3 Speaker Application: https://empoweredpodcasting.com/speakersPowered by iRonickMedia.com and ContentCreatorsAccountant.comSend in your mailbag questions: https://www.podcastingmorningshow.com/contact/ or marc@ironickmedia.comWant to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Show? Send me a message on PodMatch, here:https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b
Most organizations default to replicating data: copying it from source systems into warehouses and lakes so their tools can reach it. Anu Jain, founder and CEO of Nexus One, thinks that's the wrong answer. Malcolm isn't so sure and that's where it gets interesting.
The General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service updated its organizational structure to better reflect how agencies buy and vendors sell. The new setup features five new portfolios called: Assist, Centralize, Create, Deliver and Optimize. Each is bringing together sometimes disparate services and moving FAS out of its previous organizational structure that centered on category management. For more on what drove this reorganization, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller caught up with Laura Stanton, the acting commissioner of GSA's FAS.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
With a psychology-informed perspective, Sarah explores how HR can design more effective and fairer people systems by combining commercial thinking with evidence-based practice. Sarah explains why aligning profit and purpose is essential for HR to create lasting impact, and why inclusion must be embedded into systems rather than left to individual judgement. Providing an example in hiring approaches, Sarah describes how competency-based assessment, psychometrics and scenario testing help reduce bias and improve hiring quality. Sarah also explores the future of HR through an 'augmented' lens, where people, technology and business strategy are designed together. Sarah highlights the growing role of AI in removing administrative work and enabling more human, value-adding capability, alongside a strong call for HR to remain relentlessly evidence-based in everything it does. What do you think? AI vs Human in TA & Onboarding We're not anti-AI. But we do think there are moments in talent attraction and onboarding where human experience is the whole point. But what do you think?... In partnership with The Talent Labs we're running a short survey; the findings will sit alongside behind-the-scenes insights from BT Group, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Deloitte, Kantar and more. Could you help us make this the most useful research it can be? It takes just 3 minutes! Click here: The Human Edge in the Age of AI: Winning Talent Without Losing the Human Touch Survey And to say thank you, you'll enter our Prize Draw to win 5 Uplifting People gift sets for you and your team, worth £449! Thank you to Deel for sponsoring this episode. What does HR look like when it's built for global scale? With Deel, HR teams can hire, onboard, and manage talent in 150+ countries without setting up local entities or managing multiple vendors. · Generate compliant contracts in minutes. · Automate onboarding. · Tackle performance reviews. · Centralize employee records, time off, and benefits in one place. Deel takes care of compliance and document management, so you can focus on people, not processes. From that first offer letter to ongoing support, Deel makes global HR feel local, fast, and easy. Visit www.deel.com/uplift today. Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Our book of the month for May is The Working Parent Equation, Balancing small humans with big careers, by Georgie Rudd. Know a working parent? A colleague that has all the plates spinning, and you're not quite sure how they're managing? Or perhaps that's you?! The Working Parent Equation is an extra special book, packed with practical exercises for anyone to reflect on their own, personal, working parent equation, and wonderfully our very own Cecilia Crossley wrote the foreword. Here's her summary: It's an incredibly helpful tool for any working parent - one that will help you, your family, your organisation, and society – because each of us intentionally designing our own equations takes us a step closer to gender equality. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab your copy, and we hope you enjoy this month's Uplifting Book.
Preparing to retire after 40 years in HR leadership, Sue joins us to reflect on a career defined by commercial understanding, community engagement and a belief that inclusion drives performance. Sue shares that the heart of Markel's identity is the 'Markel Style', a set of principles connecting how the business operates with how it serves stakeholders and the wider community - and sits at the centre of employee experience. Sue makes the case that community engagement, through volunteering, board service and pro bono work, is one of HR's most powerful and underused tools for developing leaders, building empathy and sharpening decision-making. Sue leaves us with a clear message: when HR connects business performance and community impact, it creates stronger leaders and better business results. Thank you to Deel for sponsoring this episode. What does HR look like when it's built for global scale? With Deel, HR teams can hire, onboard, and manage talent in 150+ countries without setting up local entities or managing multiple vendors. · Generate compliant contracts in minutes. · Automate onboarding. · Tackle performance reviews. · Centralize employee records, time off, and benefits in one place. Deel takes care of compliance and document management, so you can focus on people, not processes. From that first offer letter to ongoing support, Deel makes global HR feel local, fast, and easy. Visit www.deel.com/uplift today. Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Our book of the month for May is The Working Parent Equation, Balancing small humans with big careers, by Georgie Rudd. Know a working parent? A colleague that has all the plates spinning, and you're not quite sure how they're managing? Or perhaps that's you?! The Working Parent Equation is an extra special book, packed with practical exercises for anyone to reflect on their own, personal, working parent equation, and wonderfully our very own Cecilia Crossley wrote the foreword. Here's her summary: It's an incredibly helpful tool for any working parent - one that will help you, your family, your organisation, and society – because each of us intentionally designing our own equations takes us a step closer to gender equality. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab your copy, and we hope you enjoy this month's Uplifting Book.
Jessica joins us to explore what fairness really means in a global workforce spanning 120+ countries. Drawing on more than 20 years in Total Reward, Jessica advocates that fairness cannot rely on manager discretion or good intentions alone - it has to be designed through clear frameworks, consistency and transparency – all powerful drivers of trust, fairness and organisational credibility. Sharing how Deel approaches equitable pay at scale, Jessica explains how standardised compensation for high-volume roles balances with local context and regulation, and reflects on the growing impact of pay transparency, already happening through social media, whether organisations are ready for it or not. Looking to the future of HR, Jessica makes the case for stronger commercial capability within the profession. From partnering closely with finance and sales teams to using AI for faster insight and better decision-making, Jessica believes HR's influence grows when it understands how the business makes money. Thank you to Deel for sponsoring this episode. What does HR look like when it's built for global scale? With Deel, HR teams can hire, onboard, and manage talent in 150+ countries without setting up local entities or managing multiple vendors. · Generate compliant contracts in minutes. · Automate onboarding. · Tackle performance reviews. · Centralize employee records, time off, and benefits in one place. Deel takes care of compliance and document management, so you can focus on people, not processes. From that first offer letter to ongoing support, Deel makes global HR feel local, fast, and easy. Visit www.deel.com/uplift today. Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Our book of the month for May is The Working Parent Equation, Balancing small humans with big careers, by Georgie Rudd. Know a working parent? A colleague that has all the plates spinning, and you're not quite sure how they're managing? Or perhaps that's you?! The Working Parent Equation is an extra special book, packed with practical exercises for anyone to reflect on their own, personal, working parent equation, and wonderfully our very own Cecilia Crossley wrote the foreword. Here's her summary: It's an incredibly helpful tool for any working parent - one that will help you, your family, your organisation, and society – because each of us intentionally designing our own equations takes us a step closer to gender equality. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab your copy, and we hope you enjoy this month's Uplifting Book.
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupFull Glass Wine Co.Neha Kumar joins the podcast to break down how Full Glass Wine Co. acquired 7 DTC wine companies, integrated them under one operating system, and scaled to a $200M platform in under two years.This wasn't a “buy brands and hope” strategy. Neha explains how COVID-era DTC brands overbought inventory, ignored unit economics, and optimized for growth over profitability — creating one of the biggest acquisition opportunities in modern ecommerce.For DTC founders scaling from $5M–$50M who want to improve retention, fix unit economics, and build operational leverage across brands.Inside the episode:Why subscription models quietly broke a lot of DTC wine businesses The exact operational changes Full Glass uses to make acquisitions profitable in 60–120 days How they centralized shipping, finance, SMS, and retention while preserving each brand's identity Why retention, not acquisition, became the core growth engine The hidden downside of emailing subscription customers too often How Wink's 7M-email quiz funnel became a massive acquisition asset Why customer segmentation matters more than product assortment in brand acquisitions The “three legs of the tripod” framework for building durable DTC companies: marketing, finance, and operations Neha's “Year of Yes” mindset shift inspired by Willy Wonka that changed how she built companies Who this is for:Operators, retention marketers, DTC founders, PE-backed ecommerce brands, acquisition entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to scale profitably after the cheap-CAC era ended.What to steal:Move from monthly shipments to higher-AOV quarterly bundles to fix shipping economics Centralize infrastructure, not brand voice Treat retention like the business engine, not an afterthought Timestamps:0:00 Intro to Full Glass Wine Co2:18 Why DTC wine brands struggled after COVID6:12 How Winc collapsed from inventory overload8:05 The 3-part formula for profitable DTC brands10:05 What Full Glass looks for in acquisitions13:05 Centralizing customer service across wine brands15:02 Building brands around customer identity17:42 The Willy Wonka “year of yes” mindset21:58 What happens after acquiring a company24:45 Why subscription models don't work for wine29:12 Storytelling vs transactional retention emails32:18 How Full Glass approaches retention marketing35:05 Managing inventory and cash flow in wine37:15 Trusting intuition as an operator40:18 How Full Glass is using AI internally42:05 Are the next generation of entrepreneurs ready?45:00 What's next for Full Glass Wine CoSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video
the Virginia Guardian app. The Guardian app would give family members, law enforcement and the public a place to track vital information about missing loved ones and serve as a hub for alerts such as Amber, CODI, Silver and Ashanti notifications.
6. Castle Garden Records and the Nativist Backlash In 1855, New York State opened Castle Garden to centralize immigration and protect new arrivals from urban swindlers. Hubert Glynn, a bilingual clerk, managed the station's meticulous records for nearly four decades. These records were far more detailed than federal manifests, documenting occupations and personal wealth, but they were tragically lost in an 1896 fire at Ellis Island. During this era, the Know-Nothing Party rose to power, fueled by anti-Catholic sentiment. They sought to disenfranchise the Irish by extending the wait for citizenship to 21 years, though the movement eventually collapsed as national focus shifted toward the slavery crisis. 61854 BELFAST
What if you could guarantee five-star reviews—without being on-site, glued to your phone, or buried in repetitive tasks? In this episode, AirDNA's Jamie Lane sits down with Sean McGregor, Founder of NoCodeSTR.com to unpack how automation, no-code tools, and AI are transforming what's possible in short-term rental operations.Sean McGregor helps short-term rental hosts and property managers “Automate the Annoying” parts of their business using NoCode tools, automation, and AI — so they can run leaner, deliver better guest experiences, and get their time back. He's the founder of NoCodeSTR.com (has hosted over 5,000 groups on Airbnb, and has maintained a 4.98★ rating since 2018. He even offers a 5★ Guarantee — meaning he doesn't take a commission if a guest leaves anything less than a 5-star review. All while running his business remotely from 40+ countries with his family).Sean shares how he went from manually managing a growing STR portfolio to building fully automated systems that deliver consistent, high-quality guest experiences—even while traveling internationally. By focusing relentlessly on guest satisfaction and eliminating friction through proactive communication, he created a system so reliable that he offered a bold guarantee: no five-star review, no commission.The conversation dives deep into the evolving tech stack—from tools like Airtable and Zapier to AI-powered messaging and custom-built workflows—and what it means for hosts and property managers today. Whether you're managing one listing or scaling to hundreds, this episode explores how to think about automation strategically, balance tech with hospitality, and unlock new levels of efficiency without sacrificing the human touch.You don't want to miss this episode!Key Takeaways for STR Hosts & ManagersAutomate proactively, not reactively: Anticipate guest needs (like check-in details or local recommendations) before they ask to prevent issues from turning into negative reviews.Use “second-day check-ins” to protect reviews: A simple automated message during the stay can surface problems early—giving you a chance to fix them before checkout.Centralize your data to unlock automation: Tools like Airtable can act as the brain of your operation, connecting bookings, messaging, maintenance, and guest insights.Start small, then layer complexity: Even a basic automation (like sending booking data to a spreadsheet) can spark momentum and lead to more advanced systems over time.Balance AI with human touch: Automate repetitive tasks, but stay personally available for high-touch moments—hospitality still matters.Sign up for AirDNA for FREE
Recorded live at Shoptalk Spring 2026 by host Isaac Morey, the conversation features Amera Khalil, Director of Strategic Account Management at Commerce — the parent brand behind Feedonomics, BigCommerce, and MakeSwift. Together, they cover what brands actually need to do to stay visible as AI-powered discovery takes over consumer behavior. It's a practical, no-fluff conversation that's worth your time whether you're running a lean SMB operation or managing enterprise-level feeds.Key TakeawaysData quality is the foundation. Before any AI strategy works, your product feeds need accurate titles, descriptions, sizes, and attributes.Enriched data isn't one-size-fits-all. Enrichment requirements vary by brand, category, and channel — and they need to match today's conversational search queries.Agentic commerce is already operational. Commerce built a fully functional agentic checkout experience for PacSun on Perplexity in under 30 days.Don't deploy AI for AI's sake. Without a clear business objective, AI implementation creates confusion rather than results.SMBs need to act now. LLM visibility isn't exclusive to enterprise brands — smaller businesses can start preparing today.Human oversight isn't optional. Quality assurance guardrails protect brand integrity and keep AI-generated content on point.Have AI conversations out loud. Brands strategizing behind closed doors miss partners who may already have the solutions they need.Episode SummaryAmera opened by describing Commerce's three-brand structure. Feedonomics handles intelligent product feed management, BigCommerce powers flexible e-commerce experiences, and MakeSwift enables agile front-end design. She described Feedonomics' core value simply: taking complex data, making it clean and structured, and distributing it intelligently across every relevant channel.From there, Isaac asked the big question: how is AI changing e-commerce? Amera's answer was direct. The traditional marketing funnel — performance ads, tracking, attribution models — is collapsing. Consumers are now using Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude not just for research but for actual purchase decisions. "The biggest change in e-commerce," she noted, "is the preparation to be visible on these LLMs while maintaining the quality of your data."She broke agentic commerce readiness into clear layers. First, brands need solid foundational data — accurate product titles, descriptions, brand names, sizing. Without that, nothing else works. On top of that, brands need enriched data that responds to how people actually search today. Nobody's typing "suitcase" anymore. They're saying something like, "I'm going on a trip, I want something light, and I tend to overpack." Product data has to meet that kind of specificity.Interestingly, she was candid about the complexity of getting onto LLM channels: "Just because you're a brand doesn't mean that your feed is going to be accepted." Approval processes are real hurdles, and the backend requirements — syncing inventory, enabling checkout, integrating payments — go well beyond what most marketing teams expect.The PacSun case study was the episode's standout moment. Commerce built a complete agentic checkout experience for PacSun on Perplexity in under 30 days, during the holiday season. Shoppers could find PacSun jeans, select their size, and check out via PayPal — receiving a confirmation email from PacSun directly. "This is thrilling," Amera said, "because it's changed the way that we are looking at our expectations as consumers."On AI risks, she stressed quality assurance. Feedonomics uses internal benchmarking systems that flag AI-generated content not meeting brand standards before it goes live. She also flagged a generational nuance: Gen Z consumers can detect cold, scripted AI content, and they don't respond well to it. Adjusting content based on audience expectations isn't a nice-to-have — it's essential.For SMBs, her advice was to start with a data audit. Centralize your assets, identify missing fields, and find a feed partner who can submit requests to LLMs on your behalf. As she put it, "even if you're small, medium, or you're the big kahunas in the industry, you have to be present and you certainly have to be visible."Final ThoughtsIn this new era, AI agents act on behalf of shoppers — searching, comparing, and even checking out across multiple channels, often without ever visiting a merchant's website. These AI-driven experiences are seamless, contextual, and increasingly the default for how consumers interact with commerce online. Amera's message throughout this episode is clear: preparation beats hesitation every time.So here's the question worth sitting with — if your brand's data isn't ready for an agent to read it, how feed-y is your commerce strategy for what's already here?This has been produced in cooperation with Content Cucumberhttps://www.contentcucumber.com/Chapters00:00:00 — Introducing Amera Khalil and Commerce00:00:22 — What Feedonomics Actually Does00:00:46 — BigCommerce and MakeSwift Explained00:01:09 — How AI Is Changing E-Commerce00:01:59 — How Consumers Are Using LLMs to Shop00:02:38 — The Rise of the Brand Agent as Consumer00:03:13 — How Brands Can Prepare for Agentic Commerce00:03:50 — Why Data Quality Is the Foundation00:04:28 — What Data Enrichment Actually Means00:05:15 — Matching Long-Tail Search Queries with Enriched Feeds00:05:52 — AI Risks and the Humans-in-the-Loop Element00:06:25 — Quality Assurance and Guardrails for AI Content00:07:15 — How Brands Are Adapting — Real Customer Journeys00:08:05 — Enterprise Brands Going Live on LLMs00:09:33 — The PacSun Agentic Checkout Story00:12:58 — Advice for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses00:14:54 — Why Every Brand Needs to Be Visible on LLMs by 202800:15:45 — The Feedonomics Framework for Readiness00:16:02 — Amera's Hot Take from Shoptalk00:16:56 — Final Thoughts and What's Getting Exciting Again
State leaders are reacting to Gov. Tim Walz's proposal to centralize the way Minnesota provides Medicaid services. This comes as part of the Governor's push for anti-fraud changes at the state Department of Human Services. Walz said the current system, which is split among counties, managed care organizations and the state, has become increasingly difficult to administer. He laid out a plan Wednesday that would have DHS take over eligibility determinations for Medicaid programs. He also said the state would take the lead in modernizing what he called an “outdated system.” The plan would need lawmaker approval. It received immediate pushback from both Republicans and Democrats. For reaction from the county perspective, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Julie Ring, executive director of the Association of Minnesota Counties. She also spoke with a Josh Berg, a board member with the Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota, or ARRM. He advocates for service providers that receive Medicaid funding.
On this Friday the 13th episode of Why We Vote, CannCon and Ashe in America welcome Rachel Alexander to break down the Kristi Noem Arizona hearing, the SAVE Act push, and growing federal scrutiny over election integrity. The conversation digs into Maricopa County controversies, third-party voter challenges, mail-in ballot concerns, and the role of NGOs like Runbeck in ballot processing. The centerpiece of the show is a deep dive into Mark Elias' latest video, where he outlines sweeping proposals to ban third-party voter challenges, centralize certification authority, restrict federal investigations around elections, and shield processes from local scrutiny. The hosts argue his recommendations would eliminate layers of oversight, streamline power to the state level, and block real-time investigations into election irregularities. From certification battles in Arizona and Georgia to debates over federal involvement and voter roll maintenance, this episode explores what the hosts see as an existential clash over transparency, decentralization, and the future structure of American elections.
My guests today are Alex Behring and Daniel Schwartz, Co-Managing Partners of 3G Capital. 3G has built one of the most distinctive firms in investing around a simple idea: there are only a handful of truly great businesses and even fewer great CEOs. Their model is to raise capital with the intention of making just one investment per fund, commit meaningful amounts of their own money alongside their partners, and focus all of their time and best people on that single opportunity. Their approach has produced a series of iconic deals, including Burger King, Tim Hortons, Hunter Douglas, and Skechers. They have also become known for developing talent early, giving young leaders real responsibility and ownership, and holding an unusually high bar. Once you've heard from Alex and Daniel, I highly recommend you read our in-depth profile on them and 3G Capital. They gave our managing editor Dom Cooke unprecedented access and the outcome is an excellent profile about the fifty year history of 3G and how the model began with Jorge Paulo Lemann in Brazil. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at colossus.com/subscribe. ----- Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, Vanta continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Visit vanta.com/invest. ----- WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. Visit WorkOS.com to transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- Rogo is an AI-powered platform that automates accounts payable workflows, enabling finance teams to process invoices faster and with greater accuracy. Learn more at Rogo.ai/invest. ----- Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit ridgelineapps.com. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Timestamps (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:02:43) Episode Intro: Daniel Schwartz & Alex Behring (00:04:03) The “One Investment Per Fund” Model (00:08:22) Great Businesses Own the Relationship With Their Customers (00:11:23) The Unique Structure of 3G Capital (00:13:36) How a Transaction Takes Shape (00:17:04) Why Hunter Douglas Was Appealing (00:21:34) The Advantages of Staying Small (00:23:58) Alex's Railroad Story (00:26:36) Ownership is Key (00:30:26) Centralize the What, Decentralize the How (00:31:55) The “Burger King is Run by Children” Story (00:34:21) Negotiating with Tim Hortons (00:40:39) Never Compromise on Quality (00:42:01) Talent Over Tenure (00:50:26) 3G's Operating System (00:57:14) When a Brand is Bigger than the Business (01:00:17) Why Burger King Was Undervalued (01:03:15) The Beauty of the Franchise Model (01:06:24) Kraft Heinz: A Case Study in Concentration Risk (01:09:07) Skechers: Great Product Meets Great Distribution (01:16:07) Finding Forever Businesses (01:17:52) Zero-Based Budgeting & When It Works (01:21:10) The Current State of Capital Markets (01:25:23) Misconceptions About 3G (01:32:01) The Power of Patience (01:33:39) The Kindest Thing
Tim Winkeler is the President and CEO of VIP Tires & Service, a multi-location tire and auto repair company operating nearly 80 locations across the Northeast. With decades of experience in automotive retail and operations, Tim has played a key role in scaling the business through disciplined growth, strategic acquisitions, and a strong focus on operational consistency.Under his leadership, VIP has prioritized long-term customer relationships, clean data, and systems that support both employees and customers at scale. Tim's perspective is shaped by running a large, complex organization while staying grounded in what actually works inside the store and after the vehicle leaves the bay.In this episode…Auto repair shops are under more pressure than ever to retain customers, protect their reputation, and operate efficiently across multiple locations. Yet many owners still treat what happens after the visit as an afterthought. This conversation focuses on why auto repair customer follow up has quietly become one of the most important growth levers in the industry and why ignoring it now comes at a real cost.Tim Winkeler explains how intentional communication, automation, and clean data change customer behavior without relying on discounts or constant promotions. The discussion highlights a growing gap between shops that deliver great service once and shops that stay connected consistently. For owners trying to improve retention, reduce no-shows, and build long-term trust, auto repair customer follow up is no longer optional.Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [01:03] Who is Tim Winkeler?[01:21] Discussion of repeat guest appearances and long-term industry relationships[08:09] Overview of VIP Tires & Service footprint and current store count[09:49] Decision to transition CRM and customer communication systems[10:34 ] Immediate impact of CRM change on Google reviews and customer engagement[14:07] Consolidating reputation management into a single platform[15:25] Challenges of CRM transitions and the importance of clean customer data[18:55] Integrating customer data with phone systems[20:44] Announcement of VIP Tires & Service approaching its 100th anniversary[22:24] Plans for customer and employee events tied to the centennial celebration[25:11] Why longevity and consistency matter to customers and employees[26:53] Emphasis on relationships as the foundation of auto repair service businessesResources mentioned in this episode:Tim Winkeler LinkedInVIP Tires & Service WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments:“I can tell you that the month that we turned over all of our CRM, our five-star Google reviews tripled.”“Our mission as a company is to earn a customer for life.”“So much of the experience is teed up prior to the visit and also post visit.”“Digitally, you have to be connected to your customers.”“Our customers are looking for reliability, stability, and consistency.”Action Steps:Audit your current auto repair customer follow up process to identify where communication stops after the visit.Implement automated appointment reminders to reduce no-shows and improve vehicle count.Clean and consolidate customer data to avoid duplicate records and inconsistent messaging.Centralize reputation management so reviews, feedback, and responses live in one system.Treat auto repair customer follow up as a core operational function, not a marketing add-on.
In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Marco Brucato, Head of eCommerce Europe - DTC Transformation at Beko Europe.Marco shares how he's scaled digital commerce across diverse European markets by applying a “freedom within a frame” mindset, centralizing strategy, governance, and KPIs while empowering local teams to adapt for cultural nuance and shopper expectations.He breaks down what it takes to make transformation stick inside large organizations, from securing leadership buy-in to making the cost of inaction tangible. Marco also explains why selling the problem matters more than selling the solution, how a test-small-scale-fast approach helps prove value, and why omnichannel should be a core operating principle — not a buzzword.Key takeawaysScale with structure: Centralize principles and governance while enabling local executionCreate urgency: Make the cost of inaction clear to unlock leadership buy-inProve value fast: Test ideas in small ways, then scale what works Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2025 - TALENT TECHNOLOGY Can you believe that we're at the end of another year in Brainfood? As is tradition, we're going to do a 4 part series to conclude the year - and I will be a 4 part series where we review the major events and trends which have occurred on all the topics which matter to us. To kick off the series, let's talk about the the talent tech landscape - what is going on the tools we rely on every day? - Investment landscape in Worktech - Sector breakdown...where is the VC going? - Rise of AI sourcing tools - Big deals, the M&A's - what does this mean? - Linkedin Hiring Assistant - Open AI jobs - Monster / Career Builder Obit - Mercor... - Indeed, what is going on? - Verticalised AI Agents, what are the implications for core platforms? - ATS / HRIS combo - didn't happen? - ATS / CRM - did happen? - Job Candidate use of AI vs AI Assessment - Rise of Verification / Background Checking - What else is under-the-radar that we need to talk about? We're with Alexander Chukovski, HR Tech Consultant, George LaRocque, Founder (WorkTech), Louise Triance, Founder (UK Recruiter) & friends on Friday 28th November, 2pm GMT Register by click on the green button (save my spot) and follow the channel here (recommended) to be noticed when we go live. Ep 346 is sponsored by our friends Greenhouse Feeling buried under a backlog of disconnected tools, spammy applicants, and stalled workflows? This latest guide from Greenhouse shares how their innovative platform brings simplicity and control back to recruiting. Discover how to: Centralize sourcing, scheduling, and reporting seamlessly Gain end-to-end visibility into pipeline health Cut through noise with fraud detection and smart automation Download to see how your team can hire with confidence
How does a three-person L&D team support 23,000 associates across seven states? In this episode, Chris Chappell, Director of Learning & Development at Weis Markets, shares how servant leadership, clear career paths, and just-in-time video microlearning are elevating the employee experience—and the customer experience—across retail, manufacturing, and logistics. Show Notes:Weis Market's Chris Chappell offers many key takeaways to empower team members to succeed. His top points include: Lead as a servant, not a boss. Chris Chappell centers L&D on servant leadership—meeting associates' needs, anchoring to mission, and role-modeling behaviors so people trust and follow. Career paths + strong leadership = retention. Provide clear growth paths and accountable leaders. Weis Markets' leadership development now spans five levels and correlates with higher engagement and reduced turnover that is 20–25 points lower than retail averages. Make learning “in the moment.” Snapshot video microlearning—accessed via QR codes embedded in SOPs—powers fast cross-training (e.g., moving a bakery associate to deli) and reduces friction during call-offs. Do fewer things, better. “Ruthless prioritization” keeps work aligned to mission, strategy, core operations, and compliance. The team consolidated ~1,798 courses to ~800 and is rebuilding high-value content for mobile delivery in Workday Learning. Build a distributed training network. Centralize standards and content, then empower expert trainers across departments to deliver. Add feedback loops with structured homework and report-outs so learners hold themselves accountable. Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry's Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com. Follow us on LinkedInLike us on Facebook
Episode: Use AI to Uncover What Your B2B Audience Is Really AskingHost: Donna Peterson, Owner & President, World InnovatorsLength: 25:46Episode SummaryMost brands still publish first and pray later. In this episode, Donna shows a better path: start with the exact questions your audience is already asking, then use AI to surface, validate, and organize those questions into high-performing content across podcast, blog, email, social, and newsletters.You'll learn simple, practical ways to capture questions from trade shows, sales calls, customer service, and transcripts, then turn them into long-tail, low-competition topics your team can rank for and build trust with- especially for high-consideration B2B offers like industrial equipment, executive education, and auctions. Donna walks through a lightweight workflow using ChatGPT, AnswerThePublic/AlsoAsked, SEMrush, and Fathom to: (1) mine questions, (2) check search viability, (3) outline content, and (4) repurpose it- without losing your human voice. She closes with a weekly cadence you can actually stick to: one question, one pillar, many derivatives.Key Takeaways You Can Implement Right Away:Lead with questions, not products. Your buyer journey starts in a search box- mirror their wording.Go where questions happen. Trade shows, hallway chats, sessions, sales calls, support tickets, meeting transcripts.Use AI as an assistant, not an autopilot. Let AI help mine questions, draft outlines, and keep message consistency- then add your expertise and tone.Target long-tail intent. Prioritize specific, low-volume queries you can actually rank #1 for and win qualified demand.Centralize questions. Keep a shared sheet so podcast, blog, email, and social all build on the same weekly question.Repurpose by design. One question → podcast → blog → LinkedIn posts → email → monthly recap newsletter.Align with services. Choose questions that help, and map to what you sell- value plus relevance.Keep it simple. Start with one question per week; consistency beats complexity.Episode Chapters:00:00 Why audiences respond to questions (and trust grows when you answer them)03:10 Where to find real questions: shows, sessions, coffee chats, sales & support07:05 AI toolkit: ChatGPT, AnswerThePublic/AlsoAsked, SEMrush, Fathom transcripts12:00 Turning questions into outlines, posts, emails, and a monthly recap16:15 Long-tail strategy for niche B2B topics (and avoiding broad, crowded keywords)19:20 Examples by segment: manufacturing, exec ed, industrial auctions22:10 Team workflow: shared question log, role alignment, and repurposing rhythm24:05 Don't overcomplicate: the “one question per week” modelTools Mentioned:ChatGPT (ideation, audience challenges, outline drafts)AnswerThePublic / AlsoAsked (question discovery)SEMrush (difficulty/volume checks, long-tail targets)Fathom (meeting notes + AI summaries to extract top questions)Call to Action:Want help building a “one-question” content system that consistently attracts the right leads? *** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.comif you'd like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams. *** Visit www.worldinnovators.comfor more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies. *** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.
Over the last five years, Steve Carroll scaled Kelso Industries from zero to $1.1–$1.2B top line with 3,500+ employees across mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) — powered by 29 acquisitions and an “empowered, decentralized” operating model. In this wide-ranging conversation, Steve and John unpack the Kelso flywheel (construction ➜ retrofit ➜ maintenance ➜ service), how to choose what to centralize vs. decentralize, why leadership pipelines matter more than playbooks, and the realities of integrating owner-led companies at scale. We also dig into data center demand, non-union strategy, and the “survival mode” moments that nearly derailed the journey.If you're thinking about multi-location expansion, commercial/industrial MEP, or acquiring while operating, this one's a blueprint.What You'll Learn-The Kelso flywheel: use construction as an entry point, expand into retrofit, sell maintenance, earn lifetime service-29 acquisitions without breaking culture: partnering with operators, light-touch integrations, and when to standardize-Centralize vs. decentralize: cash & risk centralization; empower branches on P&L, customers, and ops-Building leadership pipelines (trades & military) to keep growth from stalling-Data centers & industrial demand: where the growth is and what capabilities matter- How a billion-dollar platform still treats growth like survival
Former Vacasa founder and now Fairly CEO, Eric Breon, joins Jamie Lane to unpack what's actually driving bookings today—and why reviews now beat everything but rock-bottom pricing. Eric explains how the playing field shifted: pro photos, yield tools, and channel distribution are table stakes; sustained growth comes from a flywheel of 5-star guest experiences that boost ranking, conversion, and RevPAR. He also makes a provocative case that vacation-rental operations suffer diseconomies of scale—and outlines a model that blends centralized automation with hyper-local caretakers who know each home inside and out.You'll hear how Fairly separates “guest care” from “back office” to keep teams small, responsive, and review-obsessed while still benefiting from sophisticated distribution, accounting, and pricing. Eric shares candid lessons from scaling Vacasa, why they're building tech in-house (despite the cost), and where AI helps today (automation, comms assist) versus where human judgment still wins (on-the-ground knowledge and onboarding).Here are the practical takeaways you can use now: • Treat reviews as your core growth channel: a 4.9+ average materially lifts RevPAR and ranking, creating a compounding advantage. • Centralize what software does best (pricing rules, taxes, distribution, smart locks, messaging templates) and localize what guests feel (cleanliness, quick fixes, clear answers). • Price strategy should reflect owner goals: “hold high” for personal-use homes vs. “fill Tuesdays” for pure investments—your system should support both. • Start strong on launch: design, amenities, and first-wave reviews set your long-term trajectory. • Direct vs. OTA is a balance: repeat guests lock in future seasons, but channel conversion still matters for momentum.Don't miss this episode!Sign up for AirDNA for FREE
A new directive from the Office of Management and Budget is pushing federal agencies to consolidate how they buy goods and services, aiming to streamline procurement, reduce duplication, and improve efficiency. But this shift raises important questions about agency autonomy, innovation, and the role of small businesses in federal contracting. Here to unpack the implications is Emily Murphy, former Administrator of the General Services Administration.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Centralize, retain, and query high-volume, long-term security data across Microsoft and third-party sources for up to 12 years using Microsoft Sentinel's new unified data lake. Correlate signals, run advanced analytics, and perform forensic investigations from a single copy of data—without costly migrations or data silos. Detect persistent, low-and-slow attacks with greater visibility, automate responses using scheduled jobs, and generate predictive insights by combining Copilot, KQL, and machine learning. Vandana Mahtani, Microsoft Sentinel Principal Product Manager shows how to uncover long-running threats, streamline investigations, and automate defenses—all within a unified, AI-powered SIEM experience. ► QUICK LINKS: 00:00 - Microsoft Sentinel Data Lake 01:49 - Data Management 02:46 - Table Management 03:36 - Data Lake exploration 04:17 - Advanced Hunting 05:23 - Query retention data 06:16 - Automate threat detection 07:18 - Move from reactive to predictive 08:50 - Wrap up ► Link References Check out https://aka.ms/SentinelDataLake ► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics? As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft. • Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries • Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog • Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast ► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social: • Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics • Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/ • Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/ • Loosen up with us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@msftmechanics
Drowning in email? In this episode, Scott shares 5 powerful tactics to reduce your email load by up to 15 hours a week—without losing control or dropping the ball with clients. If email is eating your productivity, these tactics will help you win back time and improve client experience—all without working longer hours. You'll learn: Centralize with One Inbox - Combine your team's communication into a single email inbox to cut back on missed messages, unnecessary forwarding, and confusion. Flag What Matters - Have your assistant—or yourself, if you're solo—screen and flag only the emails that truly need your attention. Use AI to Draft Replies - Tools like Fixer.ai can read full threads and generate smart drafts that match your tone and style. It's easier to edit than create from scratch. Record and Summarize Meetings Automatically - Let tools like Fixer join your Zoom or Teams calls, take notes, and create summary emails—saving time on handoffs and follow-ups. Kill Feedback Loops with Video - Stop the endless back-and-forth. Use pre-recorded or custom videos to answer common questions with clarity and context. Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scottpeckford/ I Love Mortgage Brokering: www.ilovemortgagebrokering.com Find out more about BRX Mortgage: www.whybrx.com Subscribe to my 3-2-1 Thursday Email I Love Mortgage Brokering is in partnership with Ownwell. To see how top brokers are keeping clients engaged and generating leads from their database, visit ownwell.ca.
What if the smartest way to grow your Multifamily company was to build it with fewer people?In this sharp episode of the Multifamily Collective, Mike Brewer revisits a leadership lens every Multifamily operator needs to adopt—C.E.O. Thinking:Automate. Centralize. Eliminate. Outsource.Mike breaks down how this framework isn't just a buzzword—it's a blueprint for how to build faster, leaner, and more resilient Multifamily operations. Whether you're scaling to 5,000 units or just starting out, your competitive edge will come from knowing what to automate, what to centralize, what no longer serves you, and what to hand off to true subject matter experts.He calls out:Why accounting can be 100% outsourcedHow marketing is about to get flattened by cinematic, AI-driven automationAnd why even sacred cows in your organization may need to goThis isn't about eliminating value. It's about removing friction, inefficiency, and unnecessary payroll so your best people can do their best work.Are you building with a CEO mindset? Or are you just running today's playbook in tomorrow's world?Like. Subscribe. Share this with the most forward-thinking person on your team.
This MacVoices Live! discussion starts with Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet examining another piece of app store legislation, questioning its logic, potential impact, and the recurring influence of major players like Epic and Spotify. They explore the rumor of iPhone 17 price increases, debating whether tariffs, manufacturing shifts, or strategic messaging are driving the narrative. Wrapping up, the panel provide a PSA on Apple's shift away from legacy HomeKit architecture in iOS 19, including what users should check to stay compatible. MacVoices is supported by CleanMyMac Business, Centralize remote Mac fleet maintenance for your business. Try CleanMyMac Business for 14 days free for up to 30 devices. https://clnmy.com/MacVoicesCleanMyMacBusiness Show Notes: Chapters: 00:10 Intro to MacVoices04:26 App Store Freedom Act Discussion15:18 Apple Pricing Rumors25:29 Home Architecture Changes Links: Florida lawmaker proposes forcing Apple to allow third-party app stores like EUhttps://9to5mac.com/2025/05/06/florida-lawmaker-introduces-bill-to-break-apples-app-store-stronghold/ Apple may raise iPhone 17 prices but not blame tariffshttps://appleinsider.com/articles/25/05/12/apple-may-raise-iphone-17-prices-but-not-blame-tariffs Apple discontinuing support for older Home architecture with iOS 19https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/05/12/apple-discontinuing-support-for-older-home-architecture-with-ios-19 Guests: Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud. Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,' including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC). Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect: Web: http://macvoices.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner http://www.twitter.com/macvoices Mastodon: https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner MacVoices Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/ MacVoices Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe: Audio in iTunes Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss
The panel analyzes Tim Cook's recent comments on Siri and Apple Intelligence from the latest earnings call, debating whether Apple overpromised on AI capabilities. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Mark Fuccio, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet also revisit Apple's discontinued router line and the likelihood of a comeback in today's competitive market. The episode wraps with a discussion about Duolingo's decision to replace human content creators with AI, exploring both the potential educational value and the broader implications for language learning and job displacement. MacVoices is supported by CleanMyMac Business, Centralize remote Mac fleet maintenance for your business. Try CleanMyMac Business for 14 days free for up to 30 devices. https://clnmy.com/MacVoicesCleanMyMacBusiness Show Notes: Chapters: 00:03 Tim Cook's Siri Comments 13:33 AI in Language Learning 23:53 The Future of AI in Education 29:27 Panel Sign-Off Links: Tim Cook addresses Apple's delay of personalized Siri features https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/01/tim-cook-addresses-apples-delay-of-personalized-siri-features/ A new petition is asking for Apple to resume updates for its discontinued AirPort routers A new petition is asking for Apple to resume updates for its discontinued AirPort routers https://appleworld.today/2025/04/a-new-petition-is-asking-for-apple-to-resume-updates-for-its-discontinued-airport-routers/ Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI https://www.engadget.com/ai/duolingo-will-replace-contract-workers-with-ai-for-content-creation-123058970.html Guests: Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud. Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,' including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC). Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon. Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect: Web: http://macvoices.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner http://www.twitter.com/macvoices Mastodon: https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner MacVoices Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/ MacVoices Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe: Audio in iTunes Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss
Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Mark Fuccio, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet continue the of discussion the latest developments in the Epic vs. Apple legal battle. Adding to the court order is a recent interview with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney and his portrayal of his company as a defender of developers and seemingly contradictory statements about Apple vs. Epic's ambitions. and scrutinizes his recent interview. Thoughts on whether average users will even notice the changes and what comes next are topped off by Meta's entry into the platform power debate. http://traffic.libsyn.com/maclevelten/MV23219.mp3 MacVoices is supported by CleanMyMac Business, Centralize remote Mac fleet maintenance for your business. Try CleanMyMac Business for 14 days free for up to 30 devices. https://clnmy.com/MacVoicesCleanMyMacBusiness Show Notes: Chapters: 00:09 Introduction to the Podcast05:22 The Impact of Apple's Revenue Cut11:44 Legal Battles and Developer Rights15:04 Meta Joins the Fray18:02 Tim Sweeney's Controversial Interview23:59 The Open Platform Debate33:18 Epic's Disingenuous Strategy37:00 Conclusion and Listener Engagement Links: Meta reignites its fight with Apple over platform power & developer freedom https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/05/01/meta-reignites-its-fight-with-apple-over-platform-power-developer-freedom Tim Sweeney on The Lex Friedman Podcasthttps://lexfridman.com/tim-sweeney Guests: Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud. Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,' including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC). Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon. Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect: Web: http://macvoices.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner http://www.twitter.com/macvoices Mastodon: https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner MacVoices Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/ MacVoices Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe: Audio in iTunes Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss
Are you constantly juggling your family's calendar and feeling the weight of the mental load? In this episode of The Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks with Jessica Etting, founder of Jam, the AI-powered family organization app designed to help parents of tweens and teens lighten their mental load and foster independence.They explore how Jam helps families:Centralize and simplify family schedulesEmpower kids and teens to manage their own activitiesTransition from parental “policing” to supportive partnershipImprove family communication and reduce stressJessica also shares how the Jam Family Calendar integrates with existing tools, protects privacy, and encourages responsibility in tweens and teens. If you're a busy parent looking for smarter ways to stay connected and get organized, this episode is a must-listen.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage02:23 Introducing Jam: The AI Family Organizer05:35 The importance of Organization in Family Life 07:59 Empowering Kids with Jam11:47 Enhancing Family Connectivity thorough Organization15:35 Transitioning from Policing to Partnership16:50 Integrating Family Calendars21:46 Managing Privacy and Personal Schedules24:57 Subscription and Accessibility of Jam Family Calendar28:05 Mental Load And Emotional Well-Being32:03 Gratitude and Family SupportFind out more about Jessica Etting's App Jam here
Irrespective of the numbers, financial storytelling and strategic communication play a massive role in influencing market perceptions. Hamza Fodderwala, Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, joins CJ to discuss the critical role of CFOs in shaping and communicating a company's financial story. Hamza explains the role of storytelling in driving stocks, the significance of aligning company narratives with prevailing market themes, the metrics that software investor analysts do and don't want to see, the delicate balance of transparency in financial disclosures, and the art and science of giving good guidance. Hear how to balance long-term thinking with short-term market pressures and whether you should focus on managing expectations or results.If you're looking for an ERP, head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.—LINKS:Hamza Fodderwala on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamza-fodderwala-66997526/Morgan Stanley: https://www.morganstanley.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: http://mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:03) Sponsor – NetSuite | Planful | Subscript(05:54) Sell-Side” Versus “Buy-Side”(07:34) Some of the Companies Hamza Covers(08:23) The Role of Storytelling in Driving Stocks(12:29) How CrowdStrike Turned Its Investor Narrative Around(16:09) Sponsor – Rippling Spend | Vanta | Tropic(20:11) What Sets Good CFOs Apart When It Comes to Storytelling(23:57) The Metrics That Software Investor Analysts Want To See(25:10) Does a CFO Need To Understand the Underlying Technology(26:14) How Often a Company Can or Should Shift Its Narrative(28:14) How To Retire a Metric Gracefully(33:29) The Art and Science Behind Giving Good Guidance(37:29) Metrics That Can Be Retired(39:25) Separating Business Fluctuations From the Broader Economy(42:57) Long-Term Thinking Versus Market Pressures(46:33) Managing Expectations Versus Managing Results(47:52) An Example of Where the Market Misread a Company's Results(50:01) Hamza's Most Memorable Earnings Call(51:52) Investor Days: Net Positive or Neutral(54:00) The Buzzword Hamza Would Ban From Earning Calls Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
What's the real difference between a CFO and a COO? Can you do both roles simultaneously? And which title is more desirable from a career perspective? Today's guest, Colin Sims, who is currently the CFO of Hunters but has held both titles multiple times, joins CJ to answer these questions and to talk about channel sales. They discuss what it takes to build a successful channel sales model and how companies need to “feed the channels" before expecting them to feed the company in return. You'll hear about winning sales motions, what to look for in a CRO, and why transparency trumps democracy when it comes to business decisions.If you're looking for an ERP, head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—LINKS:Colin Sims: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinjsims/Hunters: https://www.hunters.security/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: http://mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:35) Sponsor – Planful | Subscript | Rippling Spend(06:39) The Real Difference Between a CFO and a COO(12:58) Why CFOs Are in Greater Demand Than COOs(16:48) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | NetSuite(22:21) The CFO-COO Hybrid Role(23:39) Skills To Be a Good COO(26:21) A Winning Sales Motion and the CRO(32:07) Intellectual Curiosity and the Ability To Learn and Adapt(34:48) CROs for Different Stages(36:32) Channel Sales Models That Rely on Partners(41:14) The Predicability of Channel Models(44:24) Where Channel Sales Go Wrong(47:05) The Different Types of Channels(49:03) Transparency Works, Democracy Doesn't(54:27) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Hiring Mistakes(55:56) Finance Software Stack(58:02) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
Nick Rose, CFO of Enable, joins CJ to discuss one of the most overlooked yet powerful levers for growth, trust, and alignment in B2B commerce: rebates. They talk about how rebates are often dismissed as accounting clean-up or mistaken for discounts, but they are actually critical pricing incentives that foster long-term relationships. Nick describes how he first came to Enable as a customer and how it helped him uncover more than $7 million in missed rebates. He breaks down how rebates differ from discounts, how they can exceed net profit, and why manual rebate systems are so complex and inaccurate. Nick also explains how Enable is building a new SaaS category, and the importance of becoming a business's top three priority as a SaaS platform.If you're looking for an ERP, head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.MUFG is the largest bank in Japan and a global banking powerhouse with a focus on empowering Growth and Middle Market stage companies in North America and Europe. MUFG provides comprehensive banking services for VC-backed, PE-backed, and public companies with revenues starting at $40M. The bank combines its global capabilities with deep operational understanding to help companies accelerate their growth trajectory. Contact group head Bob Blee at bblee@us.mufg.jp to find out more.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:18) Sponsor – Subscript | Rippling Spend | Vanta | Tropic(07:22) From Geography Major to CFO(10:44) How Nick Became an Enable Customer(13:45) $7–8 Million in Missed Rebates(17:01) Sponsor – MUFG | NetSuite | Planful(20:27) Complexity in Manual Rebate Systems(21:45) What Is a Rebate?(26:07) Rebates Exceeding Net Profit(27:30) Why Rebates Build Long-Term Relationships(28:43) Trust and Rebates(34:42) Channel Stuffing and Rebate Fraud(39:59) Bringing Rebates and Pricing Together(42:32) Rebates Versus Discounts(43:23) The Challenges of Creating a New Category(45:42) Becoming a Top Three Priority(48:53) Investor Thesis and Network Effects(51:08) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Bad Hiring Decisions(54:25) Advice to Younger Self(55:36) Finance Software Stack(56:45) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
Russ D'Argento, CEO and founder of FINTRX, sits down with CJ in this episode to discuss building a Data as a Service (DaaS) business while also sharing insight into the highly lucrative world of family offices. He explains what a family office is (name a billionaire, they probably have one), their roles in wealth management, and how he identified this niche. He sheds light on FINTRX, what it does, and why building a verticalized data business for a niche market can be both exceptionally complicated and rewarding. He delves into the nuances of DaaS business models, what makes them different from SaaS, why it's so important to own your own data, and the unique challenges one faces in a business like this. He also talks bout the fine art of workflow integration and how allowing customers to access FINTRX's data in other APIs has been surprisingly beneficial.If you're looking for an ERP, head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:57) Sponsor – Rippling Spend | Vanta | Tropic(07:23) What Is a Family Office(11:49) Why Family Offices Are an Attractive Place To Grow Your Career(14:06) Examples of Family and Multi-Family Offices(18:04) Sponsor – NetSuite | Planful | Subscript(21:13) The Founding Story of FINTRX(23:38) What FINTRX Does(25:02) The Data as a Service Business Model(28:50) The Challenges of Starting a DaaS Business(34:07) Broad Versus Narrow in DaaS(37:57) Building FINTRX's Ideal Customer Profile(42:20) Sourcing Your Own Data Versus Partnering With Others(46:09) Hiring for Engineering and Data Science(51:07) Using FINTRX's Interface Versus Accessing the Data in Another Tool(1:02:26) Advice for Someone Launching a DaaS Business(1:02:02) A Habit That Russ Swears By as a Founder(1:03:24) A Lesson From Something That Went Awry Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
QFF: Quick Fire Friday – Your 20-Minute Growth Powerhouse! Welcome to Quick Fire Friday, the Grow A Small Business podcast series that is designed to deliver simple, focused and actionable insights and key takeaways in less than 20 minutes a week. Every Friday, we bring you business owners and experts who share their top strategies for growing yourself, your team and your small business. Get ready for a dose of inspiration, one action you can implement and quotable quotes that will stick with you long after the episode ends! In this episode of Quick Fire Friday, host Amanda Jones interviews Theo Kapodistrias, from Theo Kapodistrias Speaking & Coaching, an experienced in-house lawyer, speaker, and author. Theo discusses several sneaky legal landmines that small to medium-sized businesses often overlook, such as automatic software renewals, potential breaches of Competition and Consumer Law through misleading product claims, and HR issues related to employment law. He emphasises the importance of establishing good operational processes for managing legal matters and maintaining a central repository for all business contracts and documentation. Furthermore, Theo highlights the value of having clear and easy-to-understand contracts to streamline negotiations and improve productivity. P.s The information shared in this episode is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For guidance specific to your circumstances, please consult a qualified legal professional. Other Resources: QFF: Mastering Leadership Communication with Theo Kapodistrias: Insights from a Successful Speaker and Communication Coach with Over a Decade of Experience, Helping Businesses Achieve Success and Generate Millions Revenue. (Episode 532- Theo Kapodistrias) A Way With Words: Advice from the TEDx frontline on how to cut the crap and deliver a killer message whatever the communication method by Theo Kapodistrias Key Takeaways for Small Business Owners: Watch for Sneaky Legal Landmines in Contracts: Many small businesses sign software agreements with hidden clauses like automatic renewals and early termination penalties. Always review the fine print or get legal help before signing anything. Clear and Simple Contracts Save Time and Money: Theo emphasizes using easy-to-understand legal documents. Avoid overly complex language—clear contracts reduce negotiation time and accelerate sales, directly boosting revenue. Protect Customer Privacy – It's Not Optional: Transparency in how you collect, use, and store personal information is crucial. Be explicit in your privacy policy, get proper consent (especially for images), and prepare for upcoming changes in Australia's Privacy Act that will likely affect smaller businesses too. Our hero crafts outstanding reviews following the experience of listening to our special guests. Are you the one we've been waiting for? Legal Doesn't Have to Be a Handbrake on Innovation: Legal advice is best brought in before launching new products or campaigns. It helps avoid IP issues (like trademark infringements), ensures compliance, and supports sustainable growth—especially important for tech or creative businesses. Create a Legal Safety Net Without Feeling Restricted: Even without an in-house lawyer, businesses can benefit from periodic legal audits. Focus areas should include intellectual property, consumer law, insurance, contracts, and property leases. Prevention saves time, money, and stress later. Centralize and Organize All Your Contracts: Theo's top actionable tip: gather all contracts into one secure, central location. This makes renewals, compliance checks, and future reviews easier, and helps avoid costly surprises. One action small business owners can take: The One key action that Theo Kapodistrias advises small business owners to take immediately is to find all the contracts that their business has signed up to and put them in one place. He emphasises the importance of keeping these records tight, secure, and knowing where they are so they can be checked to prevent things from going wrong or being missed. Having a central repository of contracts can also be a great document to refer to and can support the business if needed. Amanda Jones, the host, also acknowledges the wisdom of this advice, noting her own scattered digital files . Do you have 2 minutes every Friday? Sign up to the Weekly Leadership Email. It's free and we can help you to maximize your time. Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.
In this episode, CJ sits down with Rob Paterson, CFO of Employment Hero, to talk about smart growth, why not all revenue is good revenue, and Australia's startup scene. They start by discussing when to turn down growth opportunities and which financial metrics are more distracting than helpful. Rob explains the challenges of holding people accountable when you are a growth CFO and how to be a Chief Reality Officer instead of a “CF-No”. He offers a view into the Australian startup ecosystem, highlighting what sets it apart, the challenges local founders face, and why global expansion from day one is a must. Rob also outlines his approach to forecasting and cost control, including how he applies the 80/20 rule to revenue, before sharing a wild fraud story from his auditing days.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:18) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | NetSuite(07:06) Not All Revenue Is Good Revenue(14:09) Metrics: Overrated and Underrated(16:14) Sponsor – Planful | Subscript | Rippling Spend(20:18) Lifetime Value (LTV)(20:11) Vertical and Horizontal P&L(21:27) Chief Reality Officer: Holding People Accountable(24:37) Staying Approachable as a CFO(26:04) The Australian Startup Ecosystem(27:28) What Sets Australian Startups Apart(29:39) Going Global on Day One(31:47) The Remote-First Superpower(32:52) Competitiveness and Tall Poppy Syndrome(35:24) Mastering the 80/20 Rule(39:17) Building Strong Management(41:32) Long-Ass Lightning Round: The Fraud Story(46:10) Finance Software Stack(47:06) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
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Rick Smith, multi-time CFO, founder of Bonfire Advisory, and author, joins CJ to discuss the complexities and nuances of the CFO role in venture-backed companies. They delve into the dynamics of the CEO-CFO relationship and examine the qualities CEOs think they want in a CFO versus what they need. Rick introduces the concept of “The triangle of doom” that exists between the CEO, the CFO, and the board, and how to navigate situations when forced to pick sides. Having been a CFO of five different organizations across industries and stages, Rick then explains how he categorizes company stages relating to CFO needs. As the founder of Bonfire Advisory, Rick talks about how founders can set themselves up for financial success before they need a full-time CFO and breaks down some of the most common mistakes early-stage companies make.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)LINKS:Demystifying the Role of the CFO in Venture and Growth Stage Companies - https://www.amazon.com/Demystifying-Role-CFO-Venture-Companies/dp/B0DS9KF2C8Rick Smith on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-906939/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:13) Sponsor – Tropic | NetSuite | Planful(06:49) The Challenges of the CFO-CEO Relationship(12:59) What CEOs Think They Want in a CFO Versus What They Need(17:46) Sponsor – Subscript | Rippling Spend | Vanta(21:21) Hatred of Failure and Personal Accountability(24:38) Establishing Trust With a New CEO(28:21) Navigating Ethics When the CEO Is Dishonest(32:54) Picking Sides Between the Board & CEO(36:42) How To Exit When You Disagree With the CEO(38:19) Categorizing Company Stages(41:21) Why Early-Stage Companies Should Have Fractional CFOs(43:51) Common Mistakes for Early-Stage Companies(48:49) The Types of CFOs You Need at Different Stages(53:14) What Rick Likes About Working With Series A and B(54:54) Rick's Book(57:15) Anecdotes From Rick's Career(01:00:47) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Leases(01:04:49) Advice to Younger Self(01:05:38) Rick's Recommended Tech Stack(01:08:54) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
In this episode, CJ Gustafson sits down with Brad Channer, the CFO of UBIO and possibly the world's most interesting CFO and accountant. He describes his unconventional career path from acting to accounting and the he lessons learned from some entrepreneurial failures along the way. Brad also discusses communication and leadership, including how his acting background shaped his style in the boardroom. He breaks down the biggest mistakes CFOs make when explaining financials and why some accountants struggle to reach the C-suite even if they're brilliant on paper. He shares insights on neurodiversity in the workplace and how to unlock its advantages before unpacking why the UK has produced fewer tech giants than the US and the one regulatory shift that could potentially supercharge the industry.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:32) Sponsor - NetSuite | Planful | Subscript(05:39) From Actor to Management Accountant(10:25) Brad's Bold Move to the UK(13:02) His Journey into Entrepreneurship and Accounting(16:07) Sponsor - Rippling Spend | Vanta | Tropic(20:08) Reclaiming the F Word: Failure(23:37) Communicating Like a Human(25:42) Acting Lessons for Accountants(29:49) How to Understand Your Audience(35:36) Navigating Neurodiversity in Business(36:35) How to Adapt Your Communication for Founders(38:30) Why Some Accountants Don't Make it to the C-Suite(40:38) Learning to Ask Questions(43:29) Leadership in Large Companies Versus SMEs or Scale-Ups(45:24) The UK Versus US Tech Scene(47:10) Tall Poppy Syndrome in the UK(51:38) Long-ass lightning round: Do Your Research(55:14) Advice to Younger Self(56:15) Finance Software Stack(56:58) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
Rachit Kataria is the Co-Founder & CEO of Centralize (https://www.usecentralize.com/) an all-in-one deal collaboration platform for enterprise revenue teams backed by Y Combinator. In this episode, Rachit shares his career story, the origins of Centralize, and the AI opportunity for Enterprise Sales. SPONSORS:• Surfe (LinkedIn Prospecting Streamlined) - SP Promo link: https://www.surfe.com/?kfl_ln=jesse-woodbury• Fathom (#1 AI Notetaker) - SP Promo link: https://fathom.partnerlinks.io/salesplayersEPISODE LINKS: • Website: https://www.usecentralize.com/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachitkataria/CONNECT WITH JESSE: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessewoodbury/ • Website: https://jessewoodbury.com/HELP GROW SP: • Join Sales Players Slack Community: https://www.launchpass.com/saas_sales_players/free • Subscribe! • Leave a rating, write a review, and share • Check out the above sponsors, it's the best way to support the showGUEST HIGHLIGHTS:Morgan J. Ingram, Chris Orlob, Ian Koniak, Jeb Blount, Brandon Fluharty, Scott Leese, Sarah Brazier, Jamal Reimer, Jen Allen-Knuth, Andy Paul, Collin Mitchell, Tim Zielinski, Christian Banach, Rajiv 'RajNATION' Nathan, Belal Batrawy, Christine Rogers, Chris Beall, Patrick Baynes, Jeroen Corthout, Nate Nasralla, Gabe Lullo, Vince Beese, Brandon Bornancin, Girish Redekar, Guillaume Moubeche, Lloyed Lobo, Corey Quinn, Danny Delvecchio, Tom Slocum, Todd Busler, Richard Harris, Krysten Conner, Dan Goodman, Kris Rudeegraap© Sales Players, LLC
Sanjay Datta, CFO of Upstart and former senior finance exec at Google, joins CJ to discuss leadership, scaling, and the future of lending with AI. Sanjay spent 12 years at Google, helping grow it into an $80B global ads business. He sheds light on Google's monetization model, the simplicity of its forecasting, and the power of centralized analytics. He also reflects on scaling Upstart from $10M to $500M, going public, managing investor and employee expectations, and staying agile through macroeconomic shifts.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.MUFG is the largest bank in Japan and a global banking powerhouse with a focus on empowering Growth and Middle Market stage companies in North America and Europe. MUFG provides comprehensive banking services for VC-backed, PE-backed, and public companies with revenues starting at $40M. The bank combines its global capabilities with deep operational understanding to help companies accelerate their growth trajectory. Contact Bob Blee at bblee@us.mufg.jp to find out more.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:17) Sponsor – Planful | Subscript | Rippling Spend(05:39) Sanjay's Unconventional Career Path(07:55) Lessons From Google on Being a Leader(10:11) Managing an $80 Billion Revenue Ad Business(12:24) The Evolution of Google's Monetization Model(15:06) Sponsor – MUFG | Vanta | Tropic | NetSuite(21:04) Scaling Google Ads to $80 Billion(23:18) Google's Forecasting Model(24:48) Complexity and Scale at Google(28:03) The Science of Analytics in a Digital Company(31:06) Upstart's IPO(33:00) Managing Internal Expectations in Good and Bad Times(37:10) Why You Should Work Yourself Out of a Job Each Year(41:23) Things That Get Easier As You Scale(42:18) How Metrics Shift With Scale(43:35) Contingency Planning at Upstart(47:13) Why the Lending System Is Broken(49:44) How Upstart Keeps Its Credit Models Accurate and Ethical(54:31) Predictions on the Lending Market for the Next Year(58:35) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Wine Corking Business(1:01:17) Advice to Younger Self(1:02:26) Finance Software Stack(01:02:57) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
Centralize's Co-Founders Rachit Kataria and William Wang tackle one of the most common sales challenges: deals stall when teams fail to connect with the right stakeholders. Their solution? Visualizing relationship networks to identify gaps, leverage extended connections, and ensure engagement with decision-makers. Listen to this week's episode to learn how to turn relationship intelligence into a competitive advantage in high-stakes sales.3:10 - Why deals are won at the individual level, not account level5:30 - Common multi-threading challenges in complex sales7:15 - Visualizing relationship networks to identify gaps9:40 - Leveraging extended connections to reach decision-makers12:05 - Balancing feature richness with user adoption14:30 - Key takeaways for sales leadersYou're invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.
In this episode, CJ sits down with John Connolly, Managing Director at Spectrum Equity, to explore the evolution of consumer investing. They discuss how investor sentiment toward consumer companies has shifted over the past 15 years and why traditional SaaS metrics like net dollar retention (NDR) don't always apply in this space. John explains what signals indicate a strong consumer business, whether brand or product wins in the long run, and how consumer companies have adapted their monetization strategies over the last decade. Plus, John shares the story behind Spectrum Equity's investment in Teachers Pay Teachers and the craziest thing he's ever done to land a deal.If you're looking for an ERP, head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:32) Sponsor – Subscript | Rippling Spend | Vanta(06:04) The Evolution of Investing and Defensibility(08:50) Cooling Investor Appetite for Consumer Businesses(10:13) Efficiency Metrics for Consumer Businesses(12:24) How To Navigate Retention and Churn(14:12) Sponsor – Tropic | NetSuite | Planful(17:47) When Churn Is Necessary(19:15) Increasing TAM in Consumer Businesses(21:13) The Most Important Metric: Funnel Health(24:08) Celebrity Partnerships as a Competitive Mode(25:05) Why Brand Is Even More Important in B2C Than B2B(26:25) The Strongest Brands John Has Invested In(28:23) Changes in How Companies Monetize Over the Past Decade(29:52) Using the Supply Side To Bring You Demand(34:02) How COVID-19 Wreaked Havoc on Consumer Trends(38:11) Evaluating Consumer Businesses(39:04) The Craziest Thing John Has Done To Win a Deal(40:56) How To Pitch to Bootstrapped Founders(43:00) The Revolutionary Teachers Pay Teachers Marketplace(46:18) Wrap Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
While few plan for the demise of their startup, it's something that many face. In this episode, CJ is joined by Dori Yona, co-founder and CEO of SimpleClosure, to unpack the financial, legal, and emotional complexities of shutting down a company. Dori explains the options available when a company is running out of cash, what bankruptcy actually means, and the importance of budgeting for the end. The conversation covers acqui-hires, dissolution, returning capital to investors, hidden liabilities, legal pitfalls, tax implications, and more. Dori breaks down the differences between shutting down corporations versus LLCs and the timelines involved. They also discuss how to break the news to investors and why perseverance is sometimes overrated.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)@DoriYona https://x.com/doriyona (Dori)LINKS:SimpleClosure: SimpleClosure.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dori-yona-b8369877/Email dori@simpleclosure.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:44) Sponsor – Tropic | NetSuite | RightRev(05:32) The Inspiration Behind SimpleClosure(08:25) Three Scenarios When a Company Is Running Out of Cash(11:32) The Complications of Shutting Down a Business After Selling It(13:38) What Bankruptcy Actually Means and the Different Types(16:34) Sponsor – Planful | Brex | Vanta(20:16) Giving Money Back to Investors and the Pref Stack(24:31) How To Budget for a Shutdown(27:15) The Time It Takes To Shut Down a Business(29:24) SimpleClosure's Business Model: Serving Customers That Churn(32:00) The Velocity of SimpleClosure's Transactions(36:09) What “Piercing the Corporate Veil” Means(41:27) Shutting Down Corporations Versus LLCs(45:36) The Seasonal Nature of Startups Shutting Down(47:49) Communicating a Shutdown to Your Investors(54:35) Knowing When To Persevere and When To Move On(59:53) Wrap Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
In this episode, CJ is joined by Peter Benevides, CFO of Olo, a leading vertical SaaS company powering digital ordering, payments, and guest engagement solutions for popular restaurant brands. Peter explains how Olo successfully expanded into payments and used this as a strategic advantage. He breaks down how the company stacks S-curves through continued product expansion and adoption, and how this enables them to increase revenue without increasing the take-rate. The conversation also covers pricing strategy and how Olo balances subscription and consumption-based models. Peter also sheds light on what it's like selling into franchise businesses and lessons learned from other vertical SaaS companies like Veeva.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:53) Sponsor – NetSuite | RightRev | Planful(05:24) An Introduction to Olo(08:34) Reaching Larger and Smaller Enterprises(10:34) The Focus on Guest-Facing Technology(13:22) The Evolution of Payments at Olo(16:38) Sponsor – Brex | Vanta | Tropic(20:33) The Card-Not-Present Offering and Fraud(23:50) Knowing Who Your Guest Is and Olo's Extended Value Prop(32:04) Stacking S-Curves(33:30) Increasing Revenue Without Increasing the Take-Rate(36:27) How the Payments Module Makes Other Products Stickier(37:39) Advice to CFOs Looking to Add Payments(39:11) Pricing Subscription and Consumption-Based Products(42:35) Forecasting and the Predictability of This Model(44:43) Vertical Software Company Case Study: Veeva(49:06) Working with Franchises(53:42) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Planning for the Future(56:16) Advice to Younger Self(58:48) Finance Software Stack(59:24) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe
In episode 638, Leslie Shreve teaches us strategies for increasing efficiency and reducing stress during our workdays. Leslie Shreve is a workload management and productivity expert, and the Founder and CEO of Productive Day®, which was established in 2003. Leslie is also the creator of Taskology® The Science of Getting Things Done, a unique, proprietary, and all-encompassing system for workload management and productivity that includes the management of tasks, time, email, information, and more. Leslie works with corporate executives and professionals to show them how to increase efficiency and productivity by up to 300% in as little as 4 weeks, gain 1-2 hours back in their workday—EVERY day, spend up to 50% LESS time in their email Inbox, and reduce stress by up to 90%. In this episode, you'll learn how to centralize tasks using a digital system, how to create a streamlined process for email and information management and the importance of protected time blocks. Key points discussed include: - Centralize your tasks: Gather all your tasks from various sources (email, notes, calendar, etc.) into one central digital task list to improve planning and prioritization. - Protect your time: Block off dedicated time in your calendar each day for focused work on tasks and email management to avoid getting distracted. - Streamline your processes: Develop efficient systems for managing tasks, email, and information to save time and reduce stress. - Avoid paper-based task management: Using paper to track to-dos is less effective than a digital task management system. - Make quick decisions on emails: Process emails immediately and either take action, file, or delete them - don't let them accumulate in your inbox. - Categorize your digital files: Organize your documents, photos, and other digital assets into a structured folder system with main categories and subcategories. - Don't let your desktop accumulate: Build a habit of immediately filing or deleting temporary files like screenshots to prevent clutter. - Start small and work backwards: Even small improvements to your productivity processes can make a big difference. Connect with Leslie Shreve Website | Facebook
The Tigers have ended their SEC Conference losing streak. Looking ahead to the 2034 World Series. Doug's hot tub history with Randal Grichuk. Which former Cardinal would you wanna soak with?Jamie Rivers gonna be joining us. Blues back-to-backs. NHL scheduling. Jamie Rivers joins us. Tough loss last night in Minnesota. Falling behind early. The Blues changed their game a little bit after they took the lead. Playing with grit. Can you turn it on and off? Sticking with what's working. Hofer and Binnington.Chairman's harrowing tales of the commute this morning. His JeffCo roots saved him. Johnnie Gitto's. Discussing our karaoke songs. Jackson performs Fresh Prince. Brett Hull's Gloria performance. Unnamed Cardinal caller has some questions on the TV situation. Serious call til we got to the hot tub. Billiken and Bonnies.Some are saying this show propelled Nikki Glaser's career. NY Post reporting Glaser has a three year deal to host the Golden Globes. Is she Martin's surprise guest? More snow in the forecast in the STL for the weekend. CBS Sports article on players most likely to be moved before Spring Training. Centralize the streaming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Tigers have ended their SEC Conference losing streak. Looking ahead to the 2034 World Series. Doug's hot tub history with Randal Grichuk. Which former Cardinal would you wanna soak with? Jamie Rivers gonna be joining us. Blues back-to-backs. NHL scheduling. Jamie Rivers joins us. Tough loss last night in Minnesota. Falling behind early. The Blues changed their game a little bit after they took the lead. Playing with grit. Can you turn it on and off? Sticking with what's working. Hofer and Binnington. Chairman's harrowing tales of the commute this morning. His JeffCo roots saved him. Johnnie Gitto's. Discussing our karaoke songs. Jackson performs Fresh Prince. Brett Hull's Gloria performance. Unnamed Cardinal caller has some questions on the TV situation. Serious call til we got to the hot tub. Billiken and Bonnies. Some are saying this show propelled Nikki Glaser's career. NY Post reporting Glaser has a three year deal to host the Golden Globes. Is she Martin's surprise guest? More snow in the forecast in the STL for the weekend. CBS Sports article on players most likely to be moved before Spring Training. Centralize the streaming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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