Podcasts about certus

The US election is approaching quickly with implications for America's allies in the world. Professors Margarita Šešelgyte (Vilnius University), Daunis Auers (University of Latvia), and Andres Kasekamp (University of Toronto) join a roundtable discussion on the impact that a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump presidency could have on the security and future outlook of the Baltic countries and broader Europe, and how people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are feeling about the state of democracy in the US. This episode was recorded on September 25, 2024. TranscriptIndra Ekmanis: Thank you everyone for joining me in this discussion today. As we all know, the US presidential campaign has been rather unprecedented on many fronts this cycle. There's been the late change in the candidates at the top of the Democratic ticket from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris. And now we've had already multiple assassination attempts on the Republican candidate Donald Trump.And we know that whatever happens in November will certainly have effects on Americans, but it will also have reverberations around the world. And so I'm very glad to today be in discussion with you all about the potential impacts in the Baltic countries. But before we jump in, I'd like to ask you all to briefly introduce yourselves.Andres Kasekamp: I'm Andres Kasekamp. I'm the Professor of Estonian Studies at the University of Toronto. I used to be the Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute in Tallinn and a Professor at the University of Toronto.Daunis Auers: Hi, I'm Daunis Auers, a professor at the University of Latvia and also the director of a new think tank Certus in Riga.Margarita Šešelgytė: Hello, I'm Margarita Šešelgytė, and I'm a professor of security studies, but also a director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University.IE: Well, thank you all. So, I'd like to start with what is perhaps top of mind when people are thinking about the impacts of the US elections on the Baltic countries, and that's security, NATO, and Russia's war in Ukraine.So if we start with NATO: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania marked two decades in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this year. The alliance itself is now 75 years old, celebrating at its summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by president and at that point in time, still beleaguered Democratic candidate Joe Biden, where Biden underscored NATO unity. And during the summit, it was widely reported that the allies were working to “Trump proof” the Alliance as polls showed that Biden was slipping in the presidential race.Trump, of course, is remembered as deriding the Alliance, threatening to pull out entirely during his presidency. And at the same time, he is also somewhat credited with pushing member states to up their defense spending. With Biden out, of course, the calculus has perhaps changed a little bit.Vice President and now candidate Kamala Harris represents some measure of continuity with the Biden administration, though we know that her foreign policy experience is not necessarily as deep as Biden's. But a Harris presidency would be more compatible theoretically with the tradition of America as a stable leader in the transatlantic relationship.And obviously a strong NATO is critical to the security of the Baltic States. So, I wonder how you perceive the candidate stances on NATO and how they align with Baltic interests.AK: All right, briefly, Trump would be a disaster and Harris, indeed, would represent continuity with, with Biden. It goes back to the nature of the candidates, right, that Trump is a purely transactional individual, and doesn't seem to understand how NATO works.He's always said that the NATO countries owe the Americans money. It's not an organization where you pay a membership fee, so he simply doesn't get it. It is sort of partly true that European members who weren't doing enough spending on their own defense budgets, have been frightened into contributing more.Trump has something to do with it, but it has more to do with Russian aggression, in the region. So starting already in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea, European countries started increasing their spending. With the Harris presidency, it would be sort of more of the same, which is better than Trump, but it's certainly not as good as America could do, because Joe Biden has been failing Ukraine recently and placing these unreasonable restrictions on Ukraine's right to strike at Russian targets to defend itself.And hopefully Harris wouldn't continue that weak kneed policy.DA: I agree with what Andres has said, but I think it's quite interesting to look at the perspective also of Baltic Americans who after all will be voting in the election, unlike, I presume, the three of us—Margarita, Andres and I—who, as not being American citizens won't have a vote in the elections.And traditionally, there's been quite a lot of support for the Republican Party amongst the Baltic diasporas, because during the Cold War, the Republicans were seen as having the strongest backbone in defending Baltic interests. And much of this support actually carried over into the Trump era with a significant portion of Baltic Americans, especially from the older generation, still holding out support for Trump.And what I thought was interesting was that after Trump announced J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential candidate, the attitudes of many Baltic Americans actually changed because a lot of the affection for Trump is deeply personal, connected to his charismatic personality, the way he speaks, the way he does business, the way he calls back, sort of an ancient era of essentially a white America, from the 1950s.J.D. Vance doesn't have this affection. And when J.D. Vance was announced as the vice-presidential candidate, people were bringing out his notorious op-ed in the New York Times on April 12th, which was very defeatist in its nature, calling out various quotes that he had of not really caring who won in the war between Ukraine and Russia.And this was the moment that a number of Baltic Americans turned away from the Republicans and turned towards the Democrats. So, I would perhaps highlight the role of J.D. Vance in furthering support for the Democrats at least amongst the Baltic community in the United States.MS: I totally agree to what has been said already, but then I'd like to look from a more systemic perspective, and just to add to what has been said: We live in a very volatile security situation at the moment and this dynamism, security-wise, will not be changing pretty soon because there are some changes in the balance of power the rivalry between autocracies and democracies.So where do we stand as Baltic countries? We are small countries, and we have a major war in our region. And therefore, for us, it is essentially important to have our allies strong and to have our allies helping us. The United States is our main ally when it comes to security. Yes, we are members of NATO, but in terms of deterring Putin, one has to think about deterrence as a psychological concept.Putin is less afraid of NATO as overall organization than he is afraid of the United States of America. So having this in mind, the one who sits in Washington D.C. in the presidential position for us is essential as well. In Athena, we had already two elections this year, presidential and European Parliament elections, and the parliamentary elections are coming in October.But we're joking that the elections in the United States are more important than the elections in Lithuania and the change would be felt stronger of who comes to power in the United States.Interestingly enough, one of our media outlets just recently published a survey asking Lithuanians: Who would be a better president for Lithuania in the United States, Trump or, Harris? The majority of Lithuanians, 66 percent, said Harris and only 12 indicated that that could be Trump. So, for us, it's very important. It matters. We follow this election very, very closely.And I would say there are two points which are particularly important for Lithuania. Yes, NATO and US presence in the region. And we don't know what position Harris will take or if she will be more involved in the Pacific. But it's about stability. That's important.And another very important question, and it's very intertwined, is the war in Ukraine. And we already heard what Trump was saying about Ukraine, that when he becomes the president, he will seek for a certain deal. And for us Baltics, it's clear that no deal with Putin can be achieved at the moment, and it would be dangerous, and it would endanger our situation. So it's not acceptable.IE: You're actually running into kind of my next question here, which is exactly about Russia and Ukraine. And as we know, the Baltic states have been among the most ardent supporters of Ukraine following the full-scale invasion in 2022. Also, we know that the Baltic leadership has been quite hawkish warning about Russia for some time.And as you just mentioned, Donald Trump has refused to say that he wants Ukraine to end the war. He often talks about his rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Harris, on the other hand, has called Putin a dictator who would, “eat Trump for lunch.” She has condemned the Russia's actions in Ukraine as crimes against humanity and underscored the US commitment.But as you also mentioned, there has been a slow roll of US advanced weaponry and providing the ability for Ukraine to hit targets deeper into Russia, something that is actually being talked about right now at the UN General Assembly.Could you say a little bit more on the candidates' stances on Ukraine and Russia and in the war more broadly, what that means for Baltic leaderships and Baltic publics?DA: I think that the presidential debate, which I think looks like being the only debate between the two candidates, pretty accurately sketched in the difference, between the candidates. President Trump very much was hooked into the Kremlin narrative.He said that he was for peace, which we understand here in Europe as meaning you are for Russia because you bought into the narrative. He even mentioned that the United States holds some responsibility for the war as opposed for it to be a decision made by Russia to invade a sovereign country.I think we quite clearly saw that one of the candidates is, despite the macho image, quite soft on Russia. And the other one is fixing more clearly with the governing elites in the Baltic States perspective on, the war on Ukraine. One thing we should mention, however, there is an undercurrent of support for Trump in the Baltic States.In, Latvia, there is a political party named Latvia First—where did they get that name from—which sits in the parliament in opposition and is clearly Trumpian. They managed to have one MEP (Member of European Parliament) elected to the European Parliament. And in one of the debates, he was asked a very technical question about how he would vote on a trade deal with certain countries.He said, “well, I would do whatever Trump does. If it's good enough for Trump, it's good enough for me.” And he pretty much attached this to any other form of foreign policy. Now, this is a minority party, but we should recognize that there is some support for the Trumpian position albeit not in a governing position in the Baltic states. I'll hand over to Andres now.AK: Well, the same applies for Estonia, where the major opposition party EKRE (Conservative People's Party) on the far right is very clearly Trumpian. There's also, more alarming in this case, a lot of the mainstream media, like Postimees and the foreign news desk of the national broadcaster seem to normalize Trump.They don't point out his really deviant and demented behavior but treat him like a normal candidate. So, I also feel that there are plenty of people in Estonia who think that Trump has some good ideas, or at least they're so angry at the woke folks, that they're willing to entertain Trump, not recognizing the great damage that Trump would do to the Transatlantic Alliance and how he would put NATO deterrence, its credibility, in question.And I think that's what Margarita was saying earlier, right? Deterrence is psychological. It's not only what we do, it's what Putin believes, right? If Putin believes that the United States is ready to defend us, then he will be deterred. And that's, that's the bottom line.And with Trump, that's the one thing that's been consistent. I mean, he flip-flops on everything, criticizes everything, but the one thing he's been consistent on, he's never said a bad word about Putin, which really is not just odd, but quite alarming.MS: Well, I just want to add on what has been said in terms of the differences between the Harris and Trump. We don't know exactly what the policies of Harris will be because we don't know her so well, but for us, the most important thing is the stability, because if Trump becomes US president, it's not only what he does, but what kind of messages he sends.Andrus was already mentioning the messages for Putin, what's happening in Putin's head, understanding what Trump's messaging is. But also for the world, we are more secure and stronger together in European Union, in NATO, as transatlantic family and community.If Trump comes to power, the world will become a more dangerous place, because there will be more rifts and disagreements between allies, and we will be seen as weaker as a transatlantic community, not only by Russia, but by China, by Iran, by North Korea. So, it is a very dangerous scenario for us small states, because we cannot change the system. The system affects us.DA: And in the event of a Trump victory, I think there would be a much greater focus from policymakers in the Baltic states on the diaspora community in the United States. The diaspora community played a very important role in the Baltic accession to NATO in the late 1990s, early 2000s. And clearly one thing that Trump does listen to is voters, supporters, and interest groups in Washington. And I think the role of JBANC (Joint Baltic American National Committee) and also the three national lobby groups of American Latvians, American Lithuanian, and Estonian Americans will simply grow in importance, hugely. We can expect them to have quite a lot of communication and cooperation with our foreign ministries and with our embassies, even more so than at the moment.IE: Yeah, that's a really fascinating point too, that the impact of the diaspora lobbying groups in the United States. You all are touching on something that I also wanted to get at, which is the impact of the US elections on European solidarity. You mentioned how Trump's America first agenda has also emboldened right wing politicians in Europe and the Baltics.He has a close relationship with Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary. Who has also even spoken at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference in the United States, but has been in some ways a thorn in the side of the European Union particularly around Russia.During his presidency, Donald Trump also often tried to bypass European institutions, kind of favoring a bilateral approach and personal appeals to national leaders. Harris presidency represents more of a stable transatlantic relationship, but there's also the concern that, as Margarita mentioned, that there's going to be a shift in attention to the Indo-Pacific. The People's Republic of China is seen kind of as this coming-up threat.So, some questions here. What is the situation of the European Union? How united or divided might the block be with either candidate? How is Europe thinking about retaining the focus of the United States as opposed to a shift to other global regions?Where do the Baltic states fit into that? Maybe we start from the Lithuanian perspective this time.MS: It's a very tough question. I think that when the war in Ukraine started, the European Union has surprised itself by its unity. And over the last three years, I think that this unity pertained, and we continue to be united.We sometimes disagree on how fast Europe has to be in providing certain aid for Ukraine. We sometimes disagree on how strict we have to be on punishing Putin in terms of sanctions, et cetera, et cetera. But in general, there is a consensus that we're sitting in the same boat, and this is a European war andI think that this is very important.Therefore, there is an appetite to continue supporting Ukraine until the end of the war, until the victory. But the problem is that there is this unity, which is very strong on the decision takers, decision-makers' level. But if you scratch the surface, you see that there are many different opinions.Businesses, communities, general society, different players do not share the general decision-makers' opinion, not in every country. States of the European Union are facing their own economic, political, and identity problems. And what makes me anxious is the tide of radical populism in certain European countries, and in particular in the biggest countries who matter a lot in the decision-making of the European Union.And maybe in the next two or three years, we won't be seeing those radicals overtaking the government. Well, let's hope fingers crossed that in Germany, the elections will not bring AfD (Alternative for Germany) to power. However, it reduces certain policies, international policies, foreign policies, to a minimal level rather than emboldening them.So there could be some steps back, which might be quite dangerous in these final stages of the war, or what we are seeing now, when at least Ukrainian side is trying to search for certain agreements. So, yes, there is a unity that also benefits the Baltic countries.European countries are listening to what we said more and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, in her State of the Union speech, said we should have listened more to the Baltic countries. But I guess the appetite to listen to Baltic countries is shrinking a bit for the time and also when we propose certain solutions, they still seem very provocative and more provocative than some of the EU countries would like to take.AK: Let me just add that in American debate, when they talk about Europe, they talk about Europe as kind of lagging behind and being a slacker in support for Ukraine, which is absolutely false, right? The United States is obviously spending more in absolute terms than any other country in terms of military. But as a whole Europe is providing more altogether.And of course, we should really be looking at the contribution in terms of the percentages. And here, the three Baltic states, from the beginning, have been the leaders, along with some other countries like, like Denmark and Sweden, who have given a percentage of their defense budget to Ukraine, which is much greater than the percentage that the Americans are giving.Americans are actually being quite miserly, even though the sums sound huge. And of course, in the American case, the money, which in the US political debate seems that it's just being handed over to Ukraine, is actually going to American manufacturers. And a lot of the money is actually just nominal sums, which are old American armament, equipment, and ammunitions, which were destined to be written off. In any case they're given some monetary value.So, this is something that's really caught on in the narrative in the US: The Americans are paying so much, and the Europeans are doing so little, which is certainly not the case. When you look at the three Baltic states, which have been, continue to be in the lead, and that leads to what Margarita was highlighting.Our establishments, our political leadership in the Baltic States are very firm on Russia, but as a society, there's a cost to that. If we've all raised our defense spending, that means cuts in societal programs, and that leads to dissatisfaction and unrest.So, that's difficult for the governments to keep a check on.DA: Europe is changing. We see this in the European Parliament elections in 2024, that you have this growing support for political parties on the fringes, which we sometimes call as populists, and the support for the centrist mainstream parties, which we typically understand as the liberals, the center right, the Christian Democrats, or the European People's Party and the centrist socialists are declining.Now, they still make up a majority, and we see this in the European Commission as well. The European Commission, which is likely to be approved over the next couple of weeks under Ursula von der Leyen, is still a centrist European Commission, but Europe is changing. And I think it's quite interesting if we look at the Baltic States here.30 years ago, as the Baltic States were just beginning to build democracies and capitalistic systems after 50 years of Soviet occupation, they were quite crackpot, right? I was reading some newspaper articles from the early 1990s, and the one that stayed with me—it's a casual throwaway article written sometime in late 1992 about, oh by the way, 62 prisoners escaped to prison yesterday, and they haven't been caught yet.And the next day, it's not even on the front page of a newspaper, because there's some kind of mafia killing that's being reported on. And that's how things were 30 years ago. Today, the Baltic states are a sea of tranquility. We see that our political systems are actually far more stable, if you look at recent indicators, than the Nordic states.You look at the profile of our governments, the female prime ministers that we had in office in the summer, Europe's first, openly gay president. We have very progressive political systems, and it's Western Europe where democracy is declining in quality, where crackpot political parties are appearing, where you have extremely dodgy political leaders being elected to lead governments and extremely odd parties coming into governments or propping up minority governments.Europe is changing quite a lot, which is unfortunate for the Baltic States in a sense, because just as we have achieved a level of normality. Lithuania is achieving huge economic success as being the fastest growing economy in Europe in the 21st century, the rest of Europe is fraying.Fortunately, there's still a majority, let's say a mainstream majority, which favors support for Ukraine and whose policies broadly align with the very centrist and mainstream policies that all three Baltic governments have long been adopting. But things are changing and there is a risk that the longer the war possibly drags on in Ukraine, the more—I'm sure that opinion in the Baltic states won't change because this is such an existential issue for us—but elsewhere in Western Europe, we might see these radical populist forces rise even further and perhaps begin to fray away at the coalition, which is still broadly supportive of Ukraine. But it is being chipped away at almost monthly, I would say.IE: I want to put a pin in some of the things that you just touched on around the state of democracy, maybe we can turn back to that in a moment.Perhaps we can briefly turn to the impacts of either candidate on US trade policy and energy.MS: It's a global issue. And globally, it is important when it comes to the general situation in transatlantic community, the feeling of trust. But when it comes to Baltics, I don't that it has this direct link to what is important for us. I believe that neither decision-makers nor society are looking in particular what Trump or Harris are saying in terms of energy policy and trade.Okay, he [Trump] can increase tariffs for Latin products, but there are now so many going to the United States.DA: For the Baltic States, our biggest trading partners are our Western neighbors. In the case of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, are one and two. Then the Nordic countries, Poland, Germany, and so on.I took a look at the data for 2022, and the United States was Latvia's 11th biggest trading partner: small, single digits. Latvia for the United States was the 117th biggest trading partner. So, when it comes to economic relations, including also energy, it's not a critical relationship.Politically, the relationship is very, very important. But economically, when it comes to trade, it's marginal.AK: Well, let me just add that for the bilateral relationship, it's not important, but the tone that the US administration sets is not a good direction for the Baltic states. Trump initiated this protectionism, and Biden unfortunately has continued in that same vein.And we don't really know how Harris will continue Biden's legacy on that front. But in any case, the world has become more protectionist. And the three Baltic states have been amongst the biggest champions and beneficiaries of free trade, right? And for an open, globalized economy. This wave of protectionism, which Trump initiated, and Biden has continued in a general picture, is bad for the world and bad for the Baltic states.DA: There is an alternative view to that, Andres, which is that, because of the policies, the global value chains are becoming more compact, they're becoming more localized. And as the global value chains are, let's say, semi-returned to Europe, away from Asia, then the Baltic States together with Poland and other countries are expected to be the big beneficiaries of, say, manufacturing returning to Europe.I don't think it's such a black and white picture, but a collapsing global trade is necessarily bad for the Baltic States. It depends on the domestic policies which are adopted that can seize the opportunity in a sense.MS: And when it comes to energy, if the United States chooses to become the major player in the world in terms of energy supply, it could change and change in general, the picture of the world that we have.But that is a big question: the tracking issue, getting further away from the green plan or implementing this plan. There are advantages and disadvantages of either path.In order to stop climate change, I think fracking would be quite a bad decision because it's increasing dependency on this fuel. But when it comes to changing the power balance, that could be the way to end the war in Ukraine, pushing Russia to the corner, because the bulk of its budget comes from natural resources.This would add more competition: increasing the supply of energy resources in the world's market.IE: For a non-question, that actually was a quite interesting response.But to come back to the idea—Donna you were talking about people's feelings of democracy and the shift in the way that the Baltic states perhaps are perceiving or showing off their strength, in democracy—you all sort of mentioned attitudes on the ground.I'd like to explore that a little bit more. I mean, Margarita noted that people think of the American elections as potentially more consequential than the upcoming elections in Lithuania. Do you feel that on a day-to-day basis? Is it just in surveys or are people paying attention? Do they care?And how do they view the state of democracy in the United States, which I think is a big question on this side of the Atlantic.DA: Well, I think we clearly see that the media in Latvia, at least, are following this election much more closely than previous elections. Certainly, that's because of the nature of the election taking place at a time of war, not so far away from us.But it's also because of the candidates and especially Trump. I mean, Trump is news. He's magnetic. And there is a feeling about, “Wow, look at this guy.” Some people look at him in awe. I would say a majority look at him in confusion as to, as to why is it that he's so attractive to American voters.But certainly, the nature of the candidates, as well as the context of the election, is something which draws public attention. And we see a lot of newscasts, a lot of discussion shows, both on television and online portals, dedicated to the American elections more so than in previous years.AK: In fact, as soon as we finish recording this, I will have to go to an Estonian webcast to discuss the US election. So, indeed, there's plenty of interest and a realization that this matters to us in the Baltic states quite a bit, but that's been the case for previous US elections as well.Trump just adds this more of a circus atmosphere to it that was perhaps not present and a sort of polarizing view. But when you talked earlier about the impact of Trump on Europe, I can remember back to when Obama was elected, right?And the response in Europe was: Western Europeans loved him. Eastern Europeans were a little bit more skeptical, but even the Western Europeans who loved Obama were very disappointed by the man because he was focused on a pivot to Asia. And he didn't give the Europeans the deference and the time of day that his predecessors had.So that's already a shift that's been going on for quite some time and Biden has been the throwback to the way things were, but I think we can expect that Biden will be sort of the last real trans-Atlanticist American president.MS: Yeah, I just want to pick what Andras was mentioning in terms of the policies of the potential US leader, President Harris or President Trump, and the consequences for the Baltic countries. I think that this pivot to Asia is very consequential, and the consequences are increasing with time.And first of all, it was more economic and political, but now it's also related to defense. We've seen, one of the former advisors of Trump, Elbridge Colby, say that Taiwan and the security of Taiwan, would be a more important issue than the security of Europe or Eastern Europe and that he would advise Baltic countries to not stop at 3 percent spending from GDP, but continue spending more for defense and reaching perhaps 10 percent, which is a lot of money.And I don't think it's attainable in the near future. However, the US Pivot to Asia had an effect on Lithuanian policies. If your major ally pivots to Asia, you have to pivot there as well. I think that there is more Asia in Lithuania and there is more Lithuania in Asia in the Indo-Pacific at the moment.First of all, it started with the hosting of Taiwanese representation in Vilnius under the name of Taiwan, which became a major issue for China. A major argument with China ensued on economic, secondary sanctions that China was threatening with political ranting and a lot of other things.But then due to this disagreement, we discovered a lot of potential for cooperation in this area. At the moment, the economic relationships with Indo-Pacific countries are increasing quite speedily. And there are more of those countries, like South Korea and Japan, in Lithuania, both politically, but also economically.And we are also discussing our security corporation, particularly in the era of cyber security. I think that this is an important turn for Lithuania, probably for other Baltic countries to a less extent, but still, and this is also a certain security net for us. If there will be some more speedy pivot to Asia under the Trump presidency, we might also try to ask our friends in Taiwan to say some good words about Lithuania and our security to the ear of Trump, because Trump most likely will listen what Taiwanese are saying.IE: Well, you've kind of tackled the last question head on, which is what are the Baltic States doing to ensure their own futures? Regardless of who ends up in the White House in November. I want to open it up for any last words or thoughts on the subject.Any final conclusions that you'd like to share?DA: Well, I think a big development, possibly a positive outcome from the events in Ukraine, is the additional impetus for Baltic cooperation. Because Baltic cooperation really has lagged for the last 30 years. If we compare the way in which the Baltic states work with each other to our closest neighbors, the Nordics, we don't really cooperate. We've imitated some of the institutions of the North, but we haven't really enacted them. We haven't sort of like full-bloodedly, adopted them. But we can see that when it comes to defense, there are some very serious initiatives, which have moved ahead recently.I think procurement is one of the big areas where we see Latvia cooperating with Estonia, for example, in air defense systems, in buying training grenades. We also have a cooperation between Latvia and Lithuania on respirators. We have the Baltic defense line—although that seems to be being executed individually by each state—but it was still a common announcement with a common aim, and so on. It would be great if this was an impetus for even further Baltic cooperation, because there are many areas where we would benefit from cooperating with each other in a sort of Nordic style politically, economically, culturally, and so on.Because we are an extremely dynamic region of Europe, especially if we look at the Lithuanian economy, which is to an outsider, an amazing story. What's happened there over the last 20 years is a story to tell, and there is a common identity and common political structures which can be built upon, beginning with this enhanced military cooperation, but taking that to various political and economic levels as well.So that's one thing that I would end on attempting to be more positive.AK: I would just add and expand on Daunis, for the regional cooperation, of course, is much wider. It's a Nordic Baltic cooperation, which is the most intense and active at the moment. And the one good outcome of Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been Finland and Sweden joining NATO, which has given a real impetus to Nordic Baltic cooperation, which was already strong in all other fields.But now with defense cooperation also, we're all much closer together in the region and it's one of the most dynamic regions in the European Union.MS: I guess I'm obliged to step even further on the European level. I don't know how strong this political will and commitment in the European institutions and in some European countries will continue to be. I guess it will depend at the end of the day on the level of a threat—but we will not be living in a less threatening environment in the future—and the appetite to build strong defense industry and defense in Europe.That's a very, very important step forward. And if one thing is to come from the Ukrainian War, I would say that this would be a very, very important thing for the future of the European Union as the player in international politics.IE: Well, Professors Kasekamp, Šešelgytė, Auers. Thank you so much for your time for your commentary and we really appreciate you taking the time to speak on this subject. Thank you very much. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

On this episode, Certus Pest CEO Dave Bradford joins Dan and Donnie. He shares insights on the importance of employee and customer retention, data visibility and long-term value creation. They also cover growth opportunities for Certus and the company's unique approach to evaluating branch performance. Guest: Dave Bradford, CEO, Certus Pest   Hosts:  Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Tenemos programa especial, con Carlos Ortiz Batanero, papá de Carlos y Álvaro Ortiz, quien nos platica del nuevo vino de la estrella del LIV Golf: CERTUS, que estará ligado al golf mexicano. Escucha nuestra entrevista aquí:

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast inspired by the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System and designed to make navigating our ScaleUp journeys that little bit easier by learning from others' experiences. I'm Kevin Brent and this week on the show I'm joined by   Mark Sweeny the founder and CEO of De Novo Solutions, and who has founded and sold multiple companies. Key takeaways include prioritising cash flow, hiring for attitude, and the emotional rollercoaster of selling a business. Mark shares lessons from scaling Certus, strategic moves leading to acquisition, and insights on being a business angel. Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts. You can also nominate a guest for ScaleUp Radio if you know someone with an interesting ScaleUp story – you can find how in the show notes  Listen on for a concise and impactful conversation packed with entrepreneurial wisdom.    Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.   If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/apply   You can get in touch with Kevin here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk   Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!    Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.    More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/   Mark can be found here: linkedin.com/in/marksweeny https://www.de-novo-solutions.com/ contactdenovo@de-novo-solutions.com

97% of people start their search for a local business online (Linkedin, 2019). When someone looks up your business, what do they find? Are your images and videos up to date? Do you show what makes your brand special? Does your imagery convince searchers to pay you a visit? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Now, if you are thinking that you do not love the photos that show up when you google your business, it may be time to update your imagery! Your property is booming with interesting visuals that will entice future customers. Here are 3 categories to inspire your imagery refresh. 1. Showcase Your Values 70% of consumers want to know what the brands they support are doing to address social and environmental issues (Certus, 2019). Show them how your brand protects the people and the planet! If you've completed your Sustainable Story worksheet, half of your work is done. Grab your worksheet and your camera to create a visual version of your story. Electronic Worksheet | Printable Worksheet Here's how to show your Sustainable Story: ·         Focus on one value per week. Share photos and videos throughout the week or compile them into one mega-post at the end of the week. This strategy gives you nearly two months of content for your social media, blog posts, and Wine Club communications. ·         People love animals. Snap pics or videos of your wildlife visitors: bees, owls, butterflies, grazing sheep, or cattle. Your audience will love to see the diversity of creatures that call your property home.  ·         Feature your vineyard manager or winemaker. Ask them to explain what's sustainable about the task they're doing, and why it's important. Helping consumers understand specific sustainable practices and why they're important can increase their willingness to pay more for a wine (Kathleen Kelley, The Pennsylvania State University, 2021)! 2. Show Them a Good Time Have you ever visited your favorite business's website only to realize the photos are outdated, or don't sufficiently capture the atmosphere you know and love? Good imagery helps people to mentally put themselves in the space, and can ease anxieties they may have over entering a new environment. Here's how to replace outdated imagery to entice visitors: ·         Show off your romantic fireplace, mood lit cozy chairs, or a seating area overlooking the vineyard! Winetasting is an experience. A comfortable and inviting atmosphere makes all the difference. ·         Hosting an event? Guests wonder how to dress and if there will be seating. Share pictures of your guests having a good time at your next event to give valuable insights to future attendees!  3. Take Them Behind the Scenes A day in the wine industry may feel ordinary to you, but it is absolutely fascinating to the average consumer! “Food disconnect” is a term used to describe the average consumer's lack of knowledge about where their food comes from. When it comes to your brand, most people only see the finished product: what's in their glass. They don't know about all of the time and careful consideration that went into its production. Here's how to show them: ·         Walk your audience through the block-to-bottle process with photos and videos. Create a series that spans the year, and feature each process as it happens. ·         Give a glimpse into a day in the life! Show topping tanks, washing barrels, scouting for pests, a busy tasting room floor, and walking through the vines. Your audience will love a behind the scenes look at one of their favorite wine brands. SIP Tip! Include the whole team in this project! Ask everyone to take pictures and videos of the things they find most interesting. You'll have tons of fresh, unique media to feature. SIP Tip #2 (because it's too good not to share)! Share your customers' photos. User generated content is about as authentic as it gets. Sharing UGC has many benefits: it gives social proof to your audience, makes the creator feel part of your community, and gives you unique content! We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course.  Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff Vineyards SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team

Where are we now with satellite IoT, satellite M2M, and the IoT network market? Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control, joins Ryan Chacon on the IoT For All Podcast to discuss the current state of satellite IoT. They cover trends in the market, the challenges of satellite IoT implementation, how far away true satellite coverage for IoT is, deciding if satellite connectivity fits your use case, what to ask when researching satellite IoT, and what to look out for in satellite IoT. With an engineering background, Alastair MacLeod has spent the last 20 years in data/information services, deep tech, SaaS, and telecom-based roles, and since 2020, has ably led the 90+ strong team at Ground Control. He is a satellite IoT expert with a passion for solving remote connectivity challenges. Ground Control uses satellite and cellular technology to connect people and things - particularly hard-to-reach people and things. Their most popular IoT device is the RockBLOCK 9603, a compact, plug-and-play satellite transmitter. It's used by systems integrators and product developers to add satellite IoT connectivity capabilities to hundreds of devices, from drones to data buoys to weather stations. They've more recently launched the RockREMOTE and RockREMOTE Rugged; these devices use the Iridium Certus 100 service, which can be either IP- or message-based. Still designed for IoT applications, the Certus 100 service allows for much more data to be transmitted than the RockBLOCK, including compressed photographs, so it's being used for security applications, and where multiple sensors' data needs to be moved.  Discover more about satellites and IoT at https://www.iotforall.com More about Ground Control: https://www.groundcontrol.com Connect with Alastair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastairdgmacleod/  Key Questions and Topics from this Episode: (00:00) Welcome to the IoT For All Podcast(00:41) Introduction to Alastair and Ground Control(01:45) The state of satellite IoT(03:11) Trends in the market(05:34) Challenges of satellite IoT implementation(09:16) How far away is true satellite coverage for IoT?(12:42) Deciding if satellite connectivity fits your use case(14:40) What to ask when researching satellite IoT(17:37) What to look out for in satellite IoT(19:53) Learn more and follow up SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL: https://bit.ly/2NlcEwm​ Join Our Newsletter: https://www.iotforall.com/iot-newsletter Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iotforall Check out the IoT For All Media Network: https://www.iotforall.com/podcast-overview

Daf Yummy épisode 823. Nazir 49 : Pater Certus/ Père ou Mère ? Aux origines de la matrilinéarité by Myriam Ackermann Sommer

Lee Bowen is the owner of Certus Accounting & Tax Services. Prior to starting his own company, Lee was the CFO of a $2 Billion international corporation and has over 20 years of financial operations, strategy development, and leadership experience. In this week's episode, Lee talks about taking the leap to buying a business after retiring, how he identified the business he wanted to acquire, and why he chose it. He also talks about how he determined what that business was worth, the process of transaction and how the transition process was for the former owner and employees. Lee also shares his advice for people purchasing a business. Your Host: Roger Knecht, president of Universal Accounting Center Guest Name: Lee Bowen Lee Bowen is currently the owner of Certus Accounting & Tax Services and has over 20 years of financial operations, strategy development, and leadership experience. Prior to acquiring Certus, he served for three years as the Chief Financial Officer for Young Living Essential Oils where he oversaw financial planning and analysis, fraud management, treasury, banking, internal audit, as well as commissions services, human resources, payroll, tax, and risk management for the organization.   His previous experience includes working at Intel Corporation, Deloitte Consulting, an expatriate assignment in Panama as Regional Director of Finance at HILTI, and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for Nature's Sunshine. He is also fluent in Spanish. Lee earned an MBA and MSIM (Master of Science in Information Management) from Arizona State University and a BS in accounting with a minor in Spanish from Brigham Young University. Lee has been married to his wife, Tricia, for 24 years, and they have four children—three boys and one girl. He enjoys watching his children's sports competitions, running, playing golf, attending BYU athletic events and plays at the Hale Center Theater, where he serves on the Board. Sponsors: Universal Accounting Center Helping accounting professionals confidently and competently offer quality accounting services to get paid what they are worth.   Offers: *Train your staff to become professional bookkeepers; represents a person who is proficient in the day-to-day practical application of the accounting process in small to mid-sized businesses. QuickBooks, The Professional Bookkeeper's Guide to QuickBooks is designed to teach anybody how to use QuickBooks. *Learn CFO services Learn how to effectively price, market, sell business coaching services as a Profit & Growth Expert using BizBench to help your clients work ON their business.   *Universal Business Builder: UBB) program is unique within the accounting profession as it outlines the delivery of quality coaching services to business owners with an accounting emphasis.   BizBench, see what you can do to offer your clients benchmarking reports, allowing you to compare each to their industry norms based on their NAISC code using a report that provides actionable insights. Get a FREE copy of this book all accounting professionals should use to work on their business and become profitable.  This is a must-have addition to every accountant's library to provide quality CFO & Advisory services as a Profit & Growth Expert today: “Red to BLACK in 30 days – A small business accountant's guide to QUICK turnarounds” – the how-to-guide e-book for accounting professionals   For Additional FREE Resources for accounting professionals check out this collection HERE!   Be sure to join us for GrowCon, the LIVE event for accounting professionals to work ON their business. This is a conference you don't want to miss.   Remember this, Accounting Success IS Universal. Listen to our next episode and be sure to subscribe.   Also, let us know what you think of the podcast and please share any suggestions you may have.  We look forward to your input: Podcast Feedback   For more information on how you can apply these principles in your business please visit us at www.universalaccountingschool.com or call us at 8012653777

In this episode, I chat with Joe and James from CERTUS CrossFit, two experienced coaches who share their unique perspectives on what it's like to be a coach in the CrossFit world, including the challenges and rewards of running a gym and helping their clients reach their fitness goals. From programming workouts and managing a team to dealing with injuries and building a strong community, Joe and James offer valuable insights and advice for anyone considering a career in CrossFit. Whether you're a seasoned CrossFitter or new to the world of functional fitness, this episode has something for everyone. Tune in to hear from two of the best coaches in the business and get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to succeed in the world of CrossFit.

Dan is joined by Brandon Bautz, Sr. Group Director of Product Management, responsible for the Cadence silicon signoff and verification product lines in the Digital & Signoff Group. Dan and Brandon explore the substantial challenges faced by design teams needing to perform full-chip signoff at an accelerated pace for advanced… Read More

Coach James and Coach Joe, the two lead coaches of CERTUS CrossFit, talk about what it's like being a CrossFit coach. We talk about the highs and lows, the pros and cons, why CERTUS is unique, and why majority of the members have been at CERTUS for over 5 years. Enjoy!

Mike Givlin is the Co-Founder of Certus, a private equity backed pest and wildlife control company. In 2019, Mike partnered with Imperial Capital of Toronto to form Certus. Before that, Mike founded Bird Control International which he grew and eventually sold to Steritech in 2007. This episode is brought to you by Conserv. Interested in being a guest or want to hear about a particular growth topic? Email us Growth@ConservMail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wildlife-control-podcast/message

Modern life can be stressful. We've got work and, for many, commuting a decent distance. Commuting means traffic, and traffic means stress. We've got responsibilities at home, from family responsibilities to mowing the yard and washing the car. Plus, we know that social media is simply a stress generator for most people. It can be really difficult to find a place where we can have a few minutes of pure relaxation and pampering, but Human Touch is here with a solution.What is Human Touch?Do you feel run down? Stressed? A little older than you'd like to admit? If so, it might be time for you to invest in a Human Touch massage chair or recliner. Human Touch has been providing innovative massage technology for over 40 years, and its products are some of the best on the market. Not only do Human Touch products help you feel better physically, but they also provide a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation that can be hard to find elsewhere.One of the things that Human Touch does so well is that it allows you to customize your massage experience. You can choose the type of massage you want, the intensity, and even the location on your body. Plus, Human Touch offers a range of ergonomic seating options, so you can find the perfect chair or recliner for your own unique needs. Whether you're looking for a product to help with tension headaches or just want something to help you relax after a long day, Human Touch has got you covered.Human Touch productsHuman Touch offers a large range of massage chairs, recliners, and other massage products. At CES this year, the company brought two of their most loved chairs: Super Novo and Certus.Super Novo Massage ChairOne of Human Touch's newest products is the Super Novo Massage Chair. This top-of-the-line massage chair offers a full-body massage with 32 airbags, as well as heat and lumbar support. The Super Novo also offers three different massage programs, meaning this chair has everything you need to feel your best. You can customize your massage experience with three different programs, and the Super Novo even has a built-in music player so you can relax to your favorite tunes. If you're looking for a top-of-the-line massage chair, the Super Novo is the perfect option.Certus Massage ChairThe Certus Massage Chair is a great option for those who are looking for a more budget-friendly massage chair. This chair offers a full-body massage with airbags, as well as heat and lumbar support. You can choose from three different massage programs, and the Certus even has a built-in music player. If you're looking for a massage chair that offers a great value, the Certus is the perfect option.SummaryBot the Super Novo Massage Chair and the Certus Massage Chair are available now. Super Novo Massage Chair is available for $9,999 and the Certus Massage Chair is available for $7,999. To learn more about the product lineup or to purchase one for your home or business, head to their website.Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.Sponsored by: Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy. Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more. The most flexible tools for podcasting. Get a 30 day free trial of storage and statistics.

Modern life can be stressful. We've got work and, for many, commuting a decent distance. Commuting means traffic, and traffic means stress. We've got responsibilities at home, from family responsibilities to mowing the yard and washing the car. Plus, we know that social media is simply a stress generator for most people. It can be really difficult to find a place where we can have a few minutes of pure relaxation and pampering, but Human Touch is here with a solution.What is Human Touch?Do you feel run down? Stressed? A little older than you'd like to admit? If so, it might be time for you to invest in a Human Touch massage chair or recliner. Human Touch has been providing innovative massage technology for over 40 years, and its products are some of the best on the market. Not only do Human Touch products help you feel better physically, but they also provide a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation that can be hard to find elsewhere.One of the things that Human Touch does so well is that it allows you to customize your massage experience. You can choose the type of massage you want, the intensity, and even the location on your body. Plus, Human Touch offers a range of ergonomic seating options, so you can find the perfect chair or recliner for your own unique needs. Whether you're looking for a product to help with tension headaches or just want something to help you relax after a long day, Human Touch has got you covered.Human Touch productsHuman Touch offers a large range of massage chairs, recliners, and other massage products. At CES this year, the company brought two of their most loved chairs: Super Novo and Certus.Super Novo Massage ChairOne of Human Touch's newest products is the Super Novo Massage Chair. This top-of-the-line massage chair offers a full-body massage with 32 airbags, as well as heat and lumbar support. The Super Novo also offers three different massage programs, meaning this chair has everything you need to feel your best. You can customize your massage experience with three different programs, and the Super Novo even has a built-in music player so you can relax to your favorite tunes. If you're looking for a top-of-the-line massage chair, the Super Novo is the perfect option.Certus Massage ChairThe Certus Massage Chair is a great option for those who are looking for a more budget-friendly massage chair. This chair offers a full-body massage with airbags, as well as heat and lumbar support. You can choose from three different massage programs, and the Certus even has a built-in music player. If you're looking for a massage chair that offers a great value, the Certus is the perfect option.SummaryBot the Super Novo Massage Chair and the Certus Massage Chair are available now. Super Novo Massage Chair is available for $9,999 and the Certus Massage Chair is available for $7,999. To learn more about the product lineup or to purchase one for your home or business, head to their website.Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.Sponsored by: Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy. Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more. The most flexible tools for podcasting. Get a 30 day free trial of storage and statistics.

We are learning through real-time research how to help dementia and Alzheimer's patients naturally remember finding joy in daily living and family life. Josh Freitas, an award-winning memory care program developer, researcher, and author with CERTUS joins us to share some of the innovative studies that have shown progress helping caregivers to better connect, relate and enjoy this phase of life with their loved one in cognitive decline. Josh believes and advocates that a dementia diagnosis should not be viewed as the end of life, but merely as a new way of living.

In this episode we are so blessed to be speaking with an Uber talent, in perhaps the most impactful business fields today, the cutting edge of AI, crypto, and all things tech. A towering figure in the head hunting industry, Steven Skinner is humble when speaking about his contributions and accomplishments as only a true gentleman could be. From knowing the who's who, and having the rolodex to match any top 100 C-suit list in the world, when Mr.Skinner calls you're switching jobs! We are so pleased to learn about this elusive and exciting world, so listen close to gain some insider intel on the coming waves of technology, what to look out for, and how to stay ahead of the curve in this ever changing world.Steven Skinner, Founder of Millennium Solutions, is a 25 year veteran credited for helping build the most progressive Hi-Tech companies in the United States and around the globe. Venture Capitalists in Silicon Valley have relied on Mr. Skinner and Millennium Solutions for their most vital C Suite and Executive searches to ensure proper execution and long term success. Skinner's work has helped launch over 140 technology IPO's listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ which contributed over $7.1 trillion in market capitalization. As a supplement to hunting game-changing talent, Mr. Skinner had provided equity investments within specific Artificial Intelligence companies headquartered in the US, Romania, and Germany. Notable hits include - Amazon, Oracle, SAP, Salesforce, i2 Technologies, Metreo, Certus, OpenPages, Conversica, Coursera, Corio, USinternetworking, Agilera, Sabrix, Whoknows, Orchestria, LinkedIn, Deliv, Google, Facebook, SNAP, Vendavo, Boomerang Commerce, Tesla, Savi, Matrix, Zendesk, Currency, MessageOne, Dell, Nutanix, PSS Systems, Looker, Snowflake, MuleSoft, Slack, Vertex, Workboard, DruidAI, Bryter, and UiPath. Today, Skinner is called on by top Venture Capitalist for his proven go-to-market strategies and headhunting expertise. His passion is helping companies to achieve billion dollar valuations by his strategic directions and unmatched recruiting services. Skinner's most recent success is building the North American Sales program for UiPath. Skinner delivered over 200 hires including the top producers in Sales, Partner & Alliance, and Strategic program(s) which have resulted in over $300 million in ARR since 2016. Currently Steven Skinner is working behind the scenes to help launch new start-ups in the AI, Data Mining, and the No Code space. Millennium Solutions has offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Menlo Park, California. Steven Skinner can be reached at skinner@millenniumsolutions.com and 404-786-2007

Jeremy Shere, founder & CEO of Tribal knowledge Podcasting, talks with Rachel Lego, VP of Marketing at Certus, about the communication challenges related to acquiring companies quickly and onboarding employees. Stuff we discuss:Avoiding corporate jargon in favor of plain English when communication with employeesHow jargon can keep people at arm's length and undermine the value of what you're trying to communicateThe importance of listening in having productive conversations with new employees Learn more about CertusConnect with Rachel on LinkedIn

Hoy la Q.F.B. Ma. Eugenia Acevedo, Fundadora y Directora General de Certus Laboratorio, nos comparte información valiosa para tener una mejor calidad de vida y como prevenir enfermedades en tiempos de COVID

In this episode we talk to Konstantin Lomashuk, the founder of P2P, a secure, non-custodial staking service for your cryptocurrency. Konstantin's Twitter (https://twitter.com/Lomashuk) P2P validator provides highly-secure, non-custodial staking infrastructure for your portfolio optimization and guarantees a successful staking experience. P2P is one of the largest validators across the POS blockchain space, validating such networks as Cosmos, Polkadot, Solana, etc. We spoke to Konstantin about liquid staking, and: Custodial and non-custodial validation Building unicorn projects Distribution of voting power Timing and team quality. The 2 necessary components for a projects success Hiring people with the same values Fairlaunch Experiments in the blockchain space NFT's DeFi Interoperability and security Failures and mistakes DAO's Challenges of remote work The projects and people that have been mentioned in this episode: | Tendermint (https://tendermint.com/) | Cosmos (https://cosmos.network/) | P2P (https://p2p.org/) | Ethereum (https://ethereum.org/en/) | Tezos (https://tezos.com/) | IBC (https://ibcprotocol.org/) | Dfinity (https://dfinity.org/) | Solana (https://solana.com/) | Polkadot (https://polkadot.network/) | Binance (https://www.binance.com/) | Lido.fi (https://lido.fi/) | Kraken (https://www.kraken.com/) | Maker (https://makerdao.com/) | Commun (https://github.com/communcom) | Certus.one (https://certus.one/) | Stakefish (https://stake.fish/) | Staking Facilities (https://stakingfacilities.com/) | A16Z (https://a16z.com/) | Sushiswap (https://sushi.com/) | Uniswap (https://uniswap.org/) | Ethermint (https://docs.ethermint.zone/) | Zaki Manian (https://twitter.com/zmanian) | Aragon (https://aragon.org/) | Kava (https://www.kava.io/) | Terra (https://terra.money/) | Regen Network (https://www.regen.network/) | Swarm (https://swarm.ethereum.org/) | The LAO (https://www.thelao.io) | Vasiliy Shapovalov (https://twitter.com/_vshapovalov) | If you like what we do at Citizen Cosmos: Stake with Citizen Cosmos validator (https://www.citizencosmos.space/staking) Help support the project via Gitcoin Grants (https://gitcoin.co/grants/1113/citizen-cosmos-podcast) Listen to the YouTube version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGJD7HA1DGM) Read our blog (https://citizen-cosmos.github.io/blog/) Check out our GitHub (https://github.com/citizen-cosmos/Citizen-Cosmos) Join our Telegram (https://t.me/citizen_cosmos) Follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/cosmos_voice) Sign up to the RSS feed (https://www.citizencosmos.space/rss)

Tracy Judnich along with his two business partners, Joe and Jeremiah, led The Bug Guys to a solid (and speedy) exit. Certus has taken over, but looking back, what would Tracy do differently? Paul gives props to Tracy's unique capabilities. You'll be hard pressed to find a denser service map. That mad focus went straight to the bottom-line. Join the conversation as The Rule of 23 goes under the interrogation lamp. What top-line and bottom-line growth did his business have? How does it compare to Mike Rogers', Jim McHale's, and...Patrick's business?   The business had roots on the doors. In fact, he reveals his connection to a previous Buzz guest. The Bug Guys maximized sales at the door, but it wasn't on the doors. Tracy gives details to this specific concept plus other start-up advice. You'll hear his opinion on selling over the phone and experience with bundling sales. The funny thing is that Tracy can't turn off his salesmanship. Who knew explaining employee benefits would turn into a sales presentation? He describes how compensation is more than an hourly rate. Stick around to hear Paul preach on pricing again. Is it ever too little too late for a price increase? Uh oh. Does Paul need to call Bobby? It's 2am. What are you smoking? Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of hdaudiopost.com

The addition of Certus in the US to the acquisitions market is discussed. Operating only since spring 2019, this company has a declared intention of growing by acquisition so as to reach a top 10 position in the PCT top 100 company listing in the next few years. But as Paul highlights, this is a tough call when pitching against the existing four majors with their deep pockets. Regarding more practical advances, Paul predicts the use of digital technology will continue to grow albeit slowly and steadily by the smaller companies. He acknowledges that many of the activities of the pest control companies are based on the ‘old’ way of doing things, however the uptake of digital technology by the larger clients will drive acceptance forward. Talking Pest Management is a leading worldwide source of pest control news and opinion. It is designed for business leaders and opinion formers around the globe and explores current market situations and also innovative new technologies. Our videos feature interviews with prominent industry figures to bring you market-affecting insights, with the aim of helping people make informed business decisions in our industry and beyond. Subscribe to our channel to stay up-to-date on the latest insights on the pest management industry.

2021 is starting off on the right foot for the team at NST and Certus Technologies.  How? These two great MSPs have joined forces as of Jan 1, 2021, to expand their IT services across New York and New Jersey

Dr. Peter S. Tippett, founder and CEO of careMESH, a healthcare communication platform that enables hospitals and clinicians to securely share patient data with any other U.S. healthcare provider discusses how healthcare interoperability has changed over the years and how COVID accelerated the need for better patient-to-physician transfer of care. Dr. Peter S. Tippett is currently CEO of careMESH. He is a physician, scientist, business leader and technology entrepreneur with extensive risk management and health information technology expertise. One of his early startups created the first commercial antivirus product, Certus (which sold to Symantec and became Norton Antivirus). As a leader in the global information security industry (ICSA Labs, TruSecure, CyberTrust, Information Security Magazine), Tippett developed a range of foundational and widely accepted risk equations and models. He was a member of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) under G.W. Bush, and served with both the Clinton Health Matters and NIH Precision Medicine initiatives. Throughout his career, Tippett has been recognized with numerous awards and recognitions --- including E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Leadership in Health Care Award”, and was named one of the 25 most influential CTOs by InfoWorld.Tippett is board certified in internal medicine and has decades of experience in the ER. As a scientist, he created the first synthetic immunoglobulin in the lab of Nobel Laureate Bruce Merrifield at Rockefeller University. His PhD in Biochemistry (Case Western Reserve University) included among the first computer modeling of biologic processes. He also holds a B.S. in Biology from Kalamazoo College.

Zak and Certus talk about the last 100 episodes of this fine podcast, why J*ff B*z*s might be evil, and a very helpful update about your insurance. 100th Episode Spectacular! Episode 1 Poorly Prepared Peljmeni Relevant XKCD Into the Woods – Wikipedia Audacity Ferrite – App Store Bootleg Logic Pro Audio Hijack SuperAwesomeCorp Projects Evil … Continue reading Questionably Evil Centurion

Zak and Certus talk about new ways to stick things to other things, a game that is not new, reseting the elves, and nut pods. Gecko Tape – Wikipedia Microsuction Tape – Sewell Trackball Mouse – Kensington Repetitive Strain Injury – Wikipedia Zak’s Keyboard Tray – Amazon Meadowbrook Glitter Sizing Celeste Humble Bundle Celeste Speedrun … Continue reading Sizably Mountainous Pods

Zak and Certus talk about how much better Zak is at programming, how it’s still March somehow, what Zak actually meant by (Self)(Care), and bread law. HTML is kinda a CFG – Stack Overflow Zak’s App Request Swift UI Declarative vs Imperative syntax – Stack Overflow Scriptable Scriptable to Widget – Automators Forum Studio Neat … Continue reading Temporally Sugary Forks

Zak and Certus talk about a tale as old as time, some nice apps, the decline and fall of the theme system, and if Zak is going to get an iPhone. Setapp Dropzone 4 – aptonic uBar – Setapp Wont – Merriam-Webster Nova Themes A History of America in Ten Strikes – Indie Bound Citrus … Continue reading Cooly Pro 5G

Zak and Certus talk about how Liz Liz’s website is, why 5G is like fire and why Lexus is stimulating our brain, what Blaseball is, a review of a new oat milk, and briefly about Fall Themes. A Very Liz Website Gimlet Media Reply All Dynamically Inserted Podacast Ads – Rob Greenlee Zapped Candle – … Continue reading Commonly Dynamic Blases

Zak and Certus have an unstructured discussion about whatever we want, talk about how we could possible listen to all those podcasts, and make an announcement about Web Objects. Liz’s Gaming PC Switches are Sold Out – Business Insider Fortnite Switch – Hypebeast Amiibo storage cases – iMore What order should I play Zelda games? … Continue reading Forcefully Switched Deliveries

Zak and Certus talk about the exact amount of time until Black Future Month, pawning Zak’s PGP keys, Zak experiencing the ghost of cooking future, the multitude of ways to tell your Mac to take a nap, and our genuine concern for the healh of your battery. How Long ’til Black Future Month – IndieBound … Continue reading Sleepily Shopping Spectre

Zak and Certus talk about a future Apple sucking, whether or not we get cool stuff after building the guillotine, and how not to manufactuer toilet paper. Apple Vacuum Phil Shiller “Advances” – Apple ATP Episode 391 – Worse in Stupid Ways Das Kapital – Wikipedia Wobbly Tables and the Problem with Futurism – Medium … Continue reading Economically Constrained Creativity

Zak and Certus talk about decentralized baking, the super tiny blackhole train, how .NET is killing the internet, and laser removal. Blockchain Squad Great British Baking Show – Netflix Salt Fat Acid Heat – Netflix Salt Fat Acid Heat – Indiebound Yamaroku Soy Sauce – Oishi So Japan Hour Long Sourdough – Proof Bread on … Continue reading Hotly Copylefted Cube

Zak and Certus talk about the opposite of guitar, trust, closet space, and the fine details of plants. Bose Un-Guitar Headphones Lying to your Therapist The Laws of Robotics – Wikipedia Moving Instagram – XKCD Capsule Hotel – Wikipedia Synchronization of Metronomes – Harvard on YouTube Uglydoll – Wikipedia Plants Winter Berries Stamps – USPS … Continue reading Compactly Pointillist Lies

Zak and Certus talk about remote gaming, mountain gaming, dipping a toe in the waters of unit, how to achieve our dreams of labor, and the latest and greatest from SuperAwesome Corp. WWDC 2020 in 18 Minutes – The Verge on YouTube Steam Machines – Steam eGPU.io KVM Switch – Wikipedia Logitech Harmony Breakdown – … Continue reading Icily Tested Strawberries

Zak and Certus talk about how to send the bits, resisting from home, stealing money, collapsing Zak’s vibe, and Black Lives Matter (still). WiFi Eero Cabel Sasser’s Internet – Twitter AmpliFi Alien Ubiquiti DDWRT Router Database You’re Wrong About Y2K Spectrum Authorized Modems Unifi sunMax Know How – TWiT WiFi Versions – Wikipedia Netgear CM1000v2 … Continue reading Financially Amplified Gigablast

Zak and Certus talk about how it all sucks, but we’re fine mostly. Black Lives Matter This Is Fine – Twitter Boogaloo Boys – Wikipedia Little Brother – Craphound Themes Feeling Lucky Punk? – Wikiquote Cryogenics – xkcd Homeplace (A Site of Resistance) by bell hooks – libcom Minecraft Smallest mini excavators on the market … Continue reading Cryogenically Fine Meatball

When he’s not making maple syrup snow candy, sipping barely-drinkable coffee at Tim Horton’s, or waiting in a long line at Health Canada for his flu shot, Mike Givlin, CEO of Certus, is building the next US national pest control firm. In this episode, Paul Giannamore and Patrick Baldwin find out what it’s really like to raise private equity funding to build a business. In this interview, Mike holds nothing back, discussing his career trajectory and how he and his team are striving to put people first as they execute a buy-and-build strategy in the pest control industry.

Zak and Certus talk about that one part of town, Liz making the perfect almond milk, reviews of lesser almond milks, our summer themes, our new vacuum friend, and The Time. Wzwuzbyzwyz Street Dominos Paving for Pizza How does Google blur license plates – Quora Västerås Detail Plans – vasteras.se Turing complete – Wikipedia von … Continue reading Completely Milked Vacuums

Zak and Certus talk about Zak being “too secure”, a new way to get rid of pollutants, seasoned goals, robots that suck, and what Alexa wants things to smell like. Sidecar Now Kiss meme – Know Your Meme SafeType Vertical Keyboard Spawner – Minecraft Wiki Liz’s Minecraft Art Semesterly Themes Bad Screen Good Screen – … Continue reading Infuriatingly Expansive Poultice

Paul and Patrick discuss the importance of stay bonuses, and how one management team tried to extort $1 million from a seller at the closing of the sale of his pest control business. We also learn about what happened to the family of a seller who died of a heart attack the day before the sale of his business. Patrick and Paul also talk about the closing of Project Warrior with Certus last week and how activist hedge fund, Third Point, has acquired a 3.1 million share stake in ServiceMaster. Does this mean that ServiceMaster will be taken private or acquired?

Zak and Certus talk about how really very thankful we are that we are no longer 12, living in the trees, whether Yoda does it, and what things we should read. SlytherHuffleGryffinClaw hayhayyabaebae_ – Wattpad caitlin1 – Wattpad How do I disable right click – Stack Overflow Micronation – Wikipedia Talossa – Wikipedia Molossia List of Micronations … Continue reading Insularly Talossan Writings

Zak and Certus come to a shocking conclusion about lightning, talk about how super good we’re doing right now, make face covers, review some oatmilk, and protest the lack of chocolate bunnies. How Lightning Works Depth-First Search – Wikipedia Breadth-First Search – Wikipedia Gravity Visualized – YouTube A* Search – Wikipedia Franklin Rod – Franklin … Continue reading Electrically Zombified Enthusiasm

Zak and Certus talk about hunting with spreadsheets, what we mostly didn’t do over spring break, whether birds deserve rights, revolutionary makeup codes, and an instance of the 80/20 rule not applying. Video Games Fire Red Emulator Stardew Valley Minecraft Hedonic Treadmill – Wikipedia Skinner Box – Wikipedia CGP Grey on Seeing the Spreadsheet (@ … Continue reading Hedonistically Intersectional Rights

Zak and Certus talk about what we wished we had done over spring break, making spikey mangos, the end of the world, letting the robots pick the music, and being inside. Break Asymptomatic – Wikipedia The latest on COVID–19 – CDC Sub – Microsoft Docs Mr. (Dr.) Java – Wikipedia .NET Languages – The Microsoft … Continue reading Asymptomatically Greebled Zorbs

Zak and Certus talk about all the ways that keeping a semesterly theme is difficult, french circles, Zak’s shower dust, being 133t h@x0rs, and overhearing hot takes. How Loud Is My Home? Measure Noise Levels with Apple Watch – Apple Brake Dust considered harmful – BBC News Themes Zak’s Time Tracking Discourse – Culs-de-sac Cul … Continue reading Fundamentally Discursive Dust

Zak and Certus talk about really tightly woven fabric, everything that’s in the show but not in the show, space camo, medicine for queers, Zak finally tracking his time, and a review of Trader Joe’s non-dairy almond beverage. Alex Brower – Twitter Milwaukee Non-Partisan Primary Results Aftershow Subscribe to a private Patreon feed Space Force … Continue reading Reportedly Sexist Stars

Zak and Certus talk about Zines, Themes, and Check-Ins, a brand new recurring topic, Zak’s butter-color adventure, how Certus saved the Internet, and when we last heard from the government. Zines Last Time We Talked About Zines – Worrying Bugs Concussion (2015 Film) – IMDB Anniversary Gifts – A Practical Wedding Themes Thymine – Wikipedia … Continue reading Punctually Concussed Crimes

Zak and Certus talk about systems for filing, putting the brakes on winter break, which island we’re tryin to get to, our preferences for our systems, and a shocking revelation about trees. APFS – Wikipedia The Bell – ATP Winter Update Brain Impersonation – YouTube Something Productive OmniFocus Drafts Bug – Merriam-Webster The Birds Work … Continue reading Rather Semesterly Preferences

Have you listened to our previous show on Multiple Pillar Oracle Cloud Implementation Best Practices? Then you won't want to miss this follow-on HCM Talk Radio Show where Ena Singh, Oracle Director, EMEA HCM Cloud Center of Excellence and Tim Warner, Chairman of Certus Solutions, an Oracle Platinum Partner provide case studies of joint HCM and ERP Cloud implementations.

Are you interested in learning about HCM Cloud Time and Labor implementation best practices? Tune in to HCM Talk Radio and hear Richard Atkins, Executive Vice President, Oracle Cloud Applications Practice at Certus Solutions and Michelle Brown, Oracle Senior Principal Product Advisor, discuss Certus' first global implementation of Oracle HCM Cloud Time and Labor and the lessons learned.