Podcasts about chief growth officer

Retiring abroad sounds cheaper on paper. The real question is whether it creates the life you actually want.In this episode, Ari responds to a listener considering retiring in Thailand within the next few years. The appeal is obvious. Lower healthcare costs, lower living expenses, and the possibility of stretching retirement dollars much further than they would in the United States.But the conversation quickly shifts beyond the math. Ari walks through the tradeoffs people often underestimate when considering retirement abroad. Community, family, healthcare quality, lifestyle expectations, and whether saving money alone is enough reason to move somewhere permanently.The financial side matters too. Rental income, healthcare costs, withdrawal strategy, and cost of living all play a role in determining whether the plan is realistic. But even a perfect spreadsheet cannot answer the deeper question of where you actually want to build your life.Because retirement planning is not just about lowering expenses. It is about creating a life you are excited to wake up to every day.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

What a company is trying to reach is rarely a certificate. Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer at Steel Patriot Partners, treats the destination as the opening question rather than the closing one, and the firm orders its own priorities to match. Business owners first, engineers second, compliance and security people third. What does a secure and compliant business actually look like? It looks like whatever lets that business do what it set out to do. For one company it means entering a regulated industry it has never served. For another it means proving to itself and to an auditor that it is secure enough to work with a partner that will not move without evidence. The framework follows the objective. Before a framework gets named or a control gets selected, someone has to decide whether the trip is worth taking. Michael Parisi puts more than half of that work in the category of psychology, and describes the most fulfilling part as helping someone understand where they actually stand. He comes at it from several sides of the same decision, having spent about fifteen years with the Big Four, five and a half with a cybersecurity standards organization and certification body, and two in a similar role at an audit and attestation firm. How does a company know which route it is on? Steel Patriot Partners narrowed it to five positions and put three questions in front of them under the name Find Your Path. Growth has tapped out and a new industry looks like the way to keep going. Money is already committed to a direction someone else recommended. The decision is settled and the work needs a specialist. The open question is which partners and auditors to trust. Or the team needs sustained support rather than a project with an end date. What makes the answer usable is that the firm has nothing riding on it. Steel Patriot Partners stays agnostic relative to tools, software, and auditors, which keeps the opening question plain. Who do you like, and what do you already have? Personality and culture then carry weight alongside capability. Knowing the route also means knowing where it narrows, so Michael Parisi and CEO Jason Ford both press on what a client has not considered, then on what to watch out for. Sometimes the useful answer points somewhere else entirely. Find Your Path is not a robot, an LLM, or an AI tool, and the point is to give an organization enough value to lower its guard and talk directly. One of Michael Parisi's favorite outcomes is confirming that a company may not need to do the thing it walked in asking about, and when the work sits outside what Steel Patriot Partners handles, the firm connects them with someone who does. This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlight GUEST Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, Steel Patriot Partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/ RESOURCES Steel Patriot Partners: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com Find Your Path, three questions to start: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/find-your-path Steel Patriot Partners Insights: https://resources.steelpatriotpartners.com Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight KEYWORDS michael parisi, steel patriot partners, sean martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, black hat usa 2026, find your path, secure and compliant business, business enablement, cybersecurity strategy, grc, governance risk and compliance, agnostic advisory, audit readiness, fedramp, cmmc, entering a regulated market, vendor and partner selection

How do you lead well in a world transformed by AI? This week, Do Good to Lead Well tackles this question head-on, as I speak with Mike Sullivan, co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of OneDigital, and the co-author of the timely and insightful book, Workforce Intelligence. Throughout our conversation, Mike breaks through both the hype and the fear surrounding AI in today's workforce. As a champion of people-centered AI, he offers an inspiring roadmap for activating, not replacing, the human workforce.Listeners are invited into the story of “Ben,” a digital coworker, and how Mike and his team treat AI onboarding like hiring a real employee: with transparency, development, and high expectations. The result? A culture where humans and digital agents collaborate, learn, and continuously improve together. We also discuss how workforce intelligence is being redefined and how high-performing teams are built not on software alone, but on empathy, transparency, and courage.For leaders and organizations seeking practical strategies, this episode brims with actionable advice, from measuring workforce intelligence to ensuring HR has a seat at the AI table. It's a compelling argument for seeing the faces behind the headcount, and for cultivating trust as the cornerstone of 21st-century leadership.What You'll Learn- Start with honesty, not hype when it comes to AI.- Don't treat AI as ‘software': Treat it like a coworker.- Transparent roles & faces build trust.- What is your Workforce Intelligence (WI) score? The success metric.- Activation moments matter.- Top-down Is the only way forward.- People Always Come First.- It's not either/or. It's Human Intelligence (HI) + Artificial Intelligence (AI). Podcast Timestamps(00:00) – Personal Fear and the Human Side of AI(06:02) – No Code? No Problem – Mike's Personal AI Journey(10:05) – The Human Side of AI Deployment(12:29) – Hiring AI Coworkers: Internship to Full-Time(16:33) – Managing a Blended Human-AI Workforce(21:54) – HR's Role and Navigating Workforce Change(26:29) – Defining Workforce Intelligence and the WI Score(30:58) – Overcoming Employee Fears and Building Trust(37:43) – Leadership Activation and Empathy in the Age of AI(53:00) – Final Reflections and The Humanity TestKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, AI, Artificial Intelligence, AI Transformation, Workplace Intelligence, People-First Leadership, Human-Centric Organizations, AI Adoption, Digital Coworkers, Organizational Change, Employment Disruption, Job Automation, Human Resources (HR), Talent Management, Growth Mindset, Trust in Leadership, Empathy in Business, AI Onboarding, Blended Workforce, WI score, Transparency in AI, Disruption, Future of Work, Human-AI Collaboration, Managing AI Anxiety, CEO Success

In this special episode, we are joined by Mike Sullivan, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at OneDigital, and Vinay Gidwaney, OneDigital's Chief Product Officer, to discuss their new book, Workforce Intelligence: The People-First Playbook for Leading Your Company Through AI Transformation. Together, they offer a practical, pro-human framework for navigating a future where artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in how organizations operate.   We explore why leaders should focus on tasks rather than headcount, how AI can amplify uniquely human capabilities, and why companies may need to rethink how they manage their workforce. Mike and Vinay explain their concepts of reducible and irreducible skills, AI coworkers, workforce intelligence, collaborative AI use, and the importance of building an organizational intelligence layer. They also share practical lessons from OneDigital's own AI transformation—including why leadership activation, trust, reskilling, and a partnership between technical and non-technical leaders are essential.   This conversation offers an alternative to the prevailing narrative of AI-driven job elimination. Instead, it asks a bigger question: if AI can take on more of the work we currently do, what might humans become capable of doing next?   Key Points From This Episode: (0:00:00) Highlights. (0:00:25) Introduction. (0:01:23) Why AI adoption affects employers, employees, and financial markets—and why the conversation is relevant far beyond technology. (0:02:27) Two possible paths for companies: replacing people with AI or using AI to amplify human capabilities. (0:03:53) How PWL is already using AI to help financial planners and portfolio managers work more strategically and serve clients better. (0:06:22) Mike and Vinay's five-year partnership around deploying AI inside OneDigital. (0:09:07) The "radiating red dot": Why Mike's analysis suggested that up to 25% of OneDigital's workforce could be disrupted by AI. (0:11:09) "See faces, not headcount": The decision to pursue transformation by amplifying people rather than simply reducing jobs. (0:12:19) Why Mike and Vinay felt a responsibility to offer a more practical, human-first narrative about AI and work. (0:13:40) Vinay's realization that widespread access to AI makes human differentiation even more important. (0:17:22) Mike's first experience with an AI coworker—and the endless possibilities it unlocked for curiosity and exploration. (0:18:22) Human intelligence versus artificial intelligence: Why AI's greatest value may be its ability to help people think differently. (0:22:19) Why the future of work should be analyzed at the task level rather than through predictions about jobs disappearing. (0:23:58) The coming reskilling challenge—and why the allocation of work between AI and humans needs to be more deliberate. (0:25:12) Why Vinay believes companies that discard their human talent could lose their most important competitive differentiation. (0:26:30) Why AI transformation should be viewed as a "movie, not a snapshot," with work continually being reshaped. (0:28:10) What "workforce intelligence" means: Managing the combined intelligence of human talent and AI talent. (0:30:07) Why Mike and Vinay believe HR—not just IT—must play a central role in leading the transition to a blended workforce. (0:31:54) Reducible versus irreducible skills: Letting AI handle work that can be broken into processes while humans spend more time on judgment, experience, and other "squishy" capabilities. (0:34:10) Applying the framework to financial planning: AI for modeling and information processing, humans for judgment, relationships, and helping clients navigate life decisions. (0:37:00) How AI can reduce meeting preparation from hours to minutes while generating insights that would otherwise be missed. (0:37:48) The importance of trust and communication as employees try to understand what AI means for their future. (0:39:53) The Workforce Intelligence score: Treating AI as talent and measuring the evolving mix of human and AI work. (0:42:09) Transactional versus collaborative AI use—and why collaboration can be more amplifying for both people and organizations. (0:45:40) Why companies need agency over their AI systems and should think carefully about intelligence lock-in. (0:48:47) Codifying organizational intelligence: Building systems where human expertise improves AI, which in turn helps humans become more capable. (0:50:24) What it means to become "activated" by AI—and how using AI as a coach and teacher can expand human potential. (0:52:44) Ambient AI: Systems that continuously observe information and surface patterns when human judgment is needed. (0:54:11) The Charlotte-Denver redundancy and the challenge of making the best organizational intelligence available to everyone. (0:57:26) OneDigital's five-tier fluency model for developing AI capabilities across employees, advanced users, managers, and builders. (1:00:13) Why democratized software development creates a new governance challenge—and how AI may help manage it. (1:00:54) Why OneDigital gives AI coworkers names, faces, profiles, skill sets, and human managers. (1:04:01) Mike's belief in the dignity of work—and why employers need to approach the AI transition with humanity and care. (1:06:53) Vinay's belief in human potential and why the goal should be to expand what people are capable of doing. (1:08:56) Why organizations should avoid measuring AI success solely through cost cutting and instead consider human amplification. (1:12:41) The four questions for Monday morning: Turning big ideas about AI transformation into practical actions leaders can take immediately. (1:13:55) Why AI transformation needs leadership from the top and a partnership between someone who understands technology and someone who deeply understands the business. (1:15:40) Leadership activation: Why organizations are unlikely to change until their leaders personally experience how AI can transform their own work. (1:17:44) What we still don't know about AI—and why the guests believe we are still in the very early innings of this transformation. (1:18:55) The three-minute-mile analogy: AI may optimize human minds in ways we cannot yet imagine. (1:20:00) A final call for a pro-humanity, blended workforce—and the need to move faster in adapting to what AI makes possible.   Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Retirement planning often sounds like a math problem.But sometimes the most important question is not whether you can retire. It is what kind of life you want your money to support.In this episode, Ari Taublieb, CFP®, responds to a listener who is 52 year old and hopes to retire at 55 with approximately $2.8 million saved. On paper, he appears to be in a strong position. But like many people approaching retirement, he is trying to balance competing goals.He wants the freedom to spend more, travel, fly airplanes, and enjoy experiences he has worked decades to afford. At the same time, he is considering purchasing a home, navigating the Rule of 55, and figuring out how much is actually safe to withdraw without creating problems later.The challenge is not a lack of resources. It is deciding which priorities matter most.Ari walks through the tradeoffs involved when multiple goals compete for the same dollars. Buying a home may provide peace of mind, but it can reduce the assets available to generate retirement income. Spending more can create incredible experiences, but it may require accepting a different long-term outcome. Delaying retirement can improve the numbers, but it may come at the cost of years that can never be recovered.The deeper conversation centers around a mistake many future retirees make. They focus on reaching a specific net worth target instead of determining what income and lifestyle they actually need.By reverse engineering retirement around spending goals, future Social Security benefits, pension income, and personal priorities, a clearer picture begins to emerge.The takeaway is simple. Retirement is not about maximizing every financial decision. It is about understanding the tradeoffs, making intentional choices, and building a plan that supports the life you actually want to live.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

Olivier Roth, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at The Swarm, explains how relationship intelligence helps B2B sales teams turn hidden network connections into warm introductions. He shows how mapping investors, advisors, customers, and former colleagues surfaces paths CRM records alone can't reveal, and why treating LinkedIn as an audience rather than a network changes how teams should prospect. Learn more at https://www.theswarm.com/.

Steel Patriot Partners lists its priorities in an order much of the cybersecurity industry reverses. Business owners first, engineers second, security and compliance people third. Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, says the sequence is deliberate and shapes how the firm opens a client conversation. The order tracks the path the founders took. Jason Ford, Co-Founder and CEO, started in the late 1990s as a government contractor at the FBI, met FISMA and SAS 70 early, and built a platform for the Treasury that sold savings bonds online before PCI was a standard. He started his first company in 2004, took it through FedRAMP in 2013, and was acquired in 2017 holding 35 to 36 authorizations to operate across multiple agencies. What changes when an advisor is free to answer directly? Parisi spent about 15 years in the Big Four across PwC and Deloitte before joining Steel Patriot Partners. Auditors hold independence, which means watching a decision head the wrong way without steering it. In an advisory seat, he says, telling an organization that its preferred direction falls apart as a business decision becomes part of the work. How does a company find out where it actually stands? Ford says compliance is one outcome among many, sitting alongside operational maturity, better visibility, and integrating AI into DevSecOps. The common gap is not knowing where you sit on your own maturity journey. That finding cuts both ways, and some organizations learn they are further along than they assumed. Buying more tools rarely closes the gap. Ford argues the work is holistic and that each organization is unique, so what fits one may fit another poorly. AI does not settle it either, since a model fed your own assumptions will hand them back. The name follows the same logic. Steel is Pittsburgh, Patriot is Boston, and Partners is the operating model, since Steel Patriot Partners advises, deploys and operates environments alongside the client. Parisi closes by asking anyone weighing a path to verify it as a business decision rather than as an information security purchase or a price comparison. This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlight GUESTS Jason Ford, Co-Founder and CEO, Steel Patriot Partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-ford-5ab206/ Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, Steel Patriot Partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/ RESOURCES Steel Patriot Partners: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/ Find Your Path, the qualifier that helps you locate your starting point: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/find-your-path ROI Workshop: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/roi-workshop ITSPmagazine event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2026-cybersecurity-event-coverage-in-las-vegas Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight KEYWORDS jason ford, michael parisi, steel patriot partners, marco ciappelli, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, cybersecurity compliance, grc, fedramp, fisma, cmmc, maturity assessment, cybersecurity advisory, business risk, compliance strategy, security consulting, ai in devsecops, trusted advisor

UnitedHealthcare posted $5.5 billion in profit this quarter. Another state just opted out of physician supervision requirements. And CMS quietly gutted what's left of anesthesia's quality reporting program. Joseph A. Rodriguez, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Guide Anesthesia, is joined by Randy Moore, Chief Anesthetist Officer and Executive Vice President for Strategy, and Gary Keeling, VP Business Development at Coronis Revenue Cycle Management, for a wide-ranging read on where anesthesia economics are actually headed. They don't agree on how much of this changes practice on the ground. That's the point. Ohio becomes the 27th opt-out state, and the three break down why the practical impact rarely matches the headline. CMS's 2027 proposed rule drops the conversion factor again and dismantles MIPS reporting, Gary explains why almost nobody hits the threshold anymore. UnitedHealthcare's quarterly numbers spark a sharper conversation about what a 7% margin on $112 billion in revenue actually signals about the system underneath it, and about the difference between a flawed idea and a poorly executed one. A new rural healthcare bill promising higher CRNA and anesthesiologist reimbursement gets a clear-eyed "it won't work" from all three. Plus: the pre-op smoking conversation nobody has ever actually had, and why "productivity, not cost" might be the real headline healthcare keeps missing. TAKEAWAYS Opt-out status changes almost nothing for practice models outside of all-CRNA sites already considering the switch. The headline outruns the operational impact by a wide margin. MIPS in anesthesia has become a check-the-box exercise with no measurable link to patient outcomes. Most providers no longer even hit the reporting threshold. Every CMS reimbursement cut gets absorbed the same way: pushed onto facility subsidies, which raises the cost of entry for new and smaller groups and accelerates consolidation. A rural anesthesia reimbursement bump sounds like an access fix but doesn't change the math for anesthesiologists or hospitals. Small percentages of small numbers stay small. Extreme profit sitting next to a broken system is not proof that free enterprise failed. It's proof that execution failed. Confusing the two is what pushes public opinion toward bad solutions. Healthcare's financial strain reads as a cost problem when it's actually a productivity problem. Fix throughput and OR utilization, and a large share of the "cost crisis" narrative disappears. Want more Dr. Joe Rodriguez? Tik Tok: @jrodcrna21 Instagram: @jrod.crna & @abouttherestpod YouTube: @AboutTheRest Thanks for my co-hosts: Randy Moore (EVP & National Chief CRNA, NorthStar Anesthesia) Gary Keeling (VP of Anesthesia Services, Coronis RCM) To Learn More about Human Content Visit: ⁠⁠⁠http://www.human-content.com⁠⁠⁠ To Learn More about About The Rest Visit: www.abouttherest.com Got a Question? hello@abouttherest.com Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer at Steel Patriot Partners, connects with ITSPmagazine on location at Black Hat USA 2026 for a recap of the week. He describes Steel Patriot Partners in the order it sets its priorities. Business owners first, engineers second, compliance and security people third. A consulting and advisory company, he says, but really an engineering firm. What changed at this event? Parisi says the AI slop visible at RSAC Conference died down here, and that people are cutting through the noise and going back to a core group of tools and solutions with the capabilities to address the business challenges AI is creating. Non-human identities sit at the top of that list, the number one concern he heard relative to AI. Organizations recognize the risk and are working out how to solve for it. His observation is that many information security teams do not realize their traditional cybersecurity tools already carry the capabilities to do it. Who are security leaders asking before they decide? People they already know. Parisi describes CISOs going back to the individuals they have had long-term relationships with and sourcing guidance from them before decisions get made. Automation has expanded what can be done, but nobody got more hours in the day to evaluate everything arriving in front of them. The next move he points to is asking the question, either of the engineers at the provider or of a trusted advisor, and getting the configuration aligned to the business outcome it was bought to serve. This is a Brand Briefing. A Brand Briefing is an on-location conversation recorded on site at Black Hat USA 2026, putting a spotlight on the guest and their company and pairing it with the editorial reach of ITSPmagazine. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/performance/#briefing GUEST Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, Steel Patriot Partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/ RESOURCES Black Hat USA 2026 event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2026-cybersecurity-event-coverage-in-las-vegas Steel Patriot Partners: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com Find Your Path, three questions to start: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/find-your-path Steel Patriot Partners Insights: https://resources.steelpatriotpartners.com Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight ▶︎ Get your own Brand Briefing at an upcoming event: https://www.studioc60.com/buy-brand-briefings KEYWORDS michael parisi, steel patriot partners, marco ciappelli, brand briefing, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, black hat usa 2026, non-human identities, machine identity, ai risk, security tool configuration, trusted advisor, ciso decision making, cybersecurity engineering, compliance advisory, security tool sprawl, vendor noise Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kristin Wozniak, Chief Growth Officer and Data Officer at Cosmo5, formerly SVP Analytics and Strategy at Cossette Media. Kristin discusses why she believes many leaders have developed an unhealthy obsession with data, how "the need for certainty" stifles innovation, and Goodhart's law, which states "when a measure becomes a target, it's no longer a good measure." Key topics include:- The risk of constantly wanting more data and dashboards- The need for "buddy metrics"- Why you should link KPI's, compensation, and business results- The concepts of "AI Brain Fry" and "Hiding Behind the Data"Chapters

Retiring early is one thing. Trusting that you can stay retired is something completely different.In this episode, Ari responds to a listener who retired at 48 while her husband prepares to leave work as well. The numbers say they are in a strong position, yet the doubt still lingers. Are we really okay. Did we miss something. Should we keep working just to be safe.Ari explores why so many people struggle to trust their retirement plan even after years of disciplined saving and investing. Sometimes the issue is not the math. It is the emotional weight of making a decision that most people around you are nowhere near making.The conversation also touches on the real role of a financial advisor. Not simply managing investments, but helping validate assumptions, pressure test decisions, and bring confidence to a transition that can feel far bigger than a spreadsheet.Because retirement confidence is not about eliminating every doubt. It is about understanding your plan well enough to move forward anyway.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

File this under: things we genuinely did not realize we needed to know as parents.

Connect with us via text! Medical aesthetics has never been more technologically advanced, yet many practices are still struggling with disconnected systems, inefficient workflows, and technology that creates more complexity than clarity. In this episode Dr. Tiphany Hall, Chief Growth Officer of Aesthetic Record, Co-Founder and Clinical Director of Aesthetic Next, and a leading voice in medical aesthetics business strategy, breaks down the hidden costs of a fragmented tech stack and why the future of practice management may depend on bringing everything together. From the launch of AR ONE at Aesthetic Next 8.0 and the philosophy behind a “One Platform” approach to the evolving role of AI, operations, and practice growth, Dr. Hall shares what modern aesthetic practices need to rethink to build more efficient, scalable businesses.Follow DERMASCOPE:Instagram: @dermascopeFacebook: facebook.com/dermascopePinterest: @dermascopeTikTok: @dermascopeYoutube: @dermascopeFollow Aesthetic Record:Instagram: @aestheticrecordFacebook: facebook.com/aesthetic.rec Additional Links:Visit our website.Learn more about this podcast.Subscribe to the magazine.Read the August 2026 issue. Use code DERMMAG100 for $100 your Aesthetic Nezr 8.0 ticket! 

"Creativity is all about creating desire." So what makes people truly desire a brand?This week, we're back at the Havas Café for the second of our three-part series exploring Creating Desire. This conversation focuses on one of the most powerful drivers of all: creativity.Jim is joined by:Ryan Dullea, Chief Growth Officer at ReckittJennie Weber, Former Chief Marketing Officer at Best BuyMatthew Bull, Chief Creative Advisor at AB InBevTogether, they discuss how leaders create cultures where creativity can thrive, why teams need permission to take risks, how healthy debate leads to stronger ideas, and why AI should accelerate human creativity rather than replace it. Along the way, they share lessons from building some of the world's most iconic brands and explain why the best marketing doesn't just capture attention. It creates genuine desire.Recorded live during the Cannes Lions Festival, this conversation is packed with practical leadership lessons for anyone looking to build stronger brands, stronger teams, and more creative organizations.—This week's episode is brought to you by Havas and Infillion.—Meet The CMO Podcast On the RoadThe CMO Podcast will be on the road throughout Q4 2026, capturing conversations with the leaders shaping the future of marketing, leadership, and business. If you'll be attending one of these events, we'd love to connect. Let us know!BLINK Cincinnati | October 8-9ANA Masters of Marketing | October 19–22—Interested in partnering with The CMO Podcast?!Looking ahead to the rest of 2026 and into 2027, we're partnering with brands to create executive content platforms that extend far beyond a single event. From pop-up podcast studios and live recordings to executive roundtables, keynote conversations, and bespoke thought leadership programs, we work with partners to build meaningful experiences that connect with senior marketing leaders.Whether you'd like to partner with us at one of the industry's biggest marketing events or create a custom experience designed specifically for your brand, we'd love to explore what's possible. Reach out to learn how we can build something together.Email us at podcasts@vyve.co—Produced by vYveThe CMO Podcast is proudly produced by vYve Production, a full-service production and content studio specializing in podcasts, executive storytelling, branded content, and live experiences. vYve is a community of ambitious leaders dedicated to unlocking what's next in business and in life. Through executive coaching, transformative experiences, strategic content, and communities like The CMO Podcast, vYve helps entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and teams grow their businesses, strengthen their leadership, and build meaningful connections that last.Learn more about vYve and The CMO Podcast community at www.vyve.co.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sonia Garcia, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Amae Health, an integrated care company specializing in the treatment of severe mental illness that operates community-oriented clinics to deliver comprehensive psychiatry-led care. They provide continuity of care across multiple acuity levels, recognizing these conditions require long-term management. Amae is also advancing psychiatric care through research and partnerships by deploying wearables for health monitoring and investigating biomarkers and pharmacogenomics to improve treatment outcomes. Sonia explains, "Amae Health is an integrated care company that exists to treat the most complex mentally ill. So those that are suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder. And we do so through these community-oriented clinics that deliver comprehensive care that's psychiatry-led, but also incorporates therapy, primary care, social services, peer support specialists, dieticians for a lot of nutrition guidance, and health coaching. Then clinic care coordinators manage all the in-between things that need to happen to get somebody back on track and living a healthy, stable life."   "Another core pillar within the company that I'll just add is getting into technical research and innovation, with lots of work we can do to uncover what is causing this, what interventions we can deploy. How can we partner with others in the ecosystem, whether that's pharma or life sciences, to advance psychiatric care and see if we can get towards putting many of these conditions into remission?" #AmaeHealth #MentalHealthCare #SevereMentalIllness #IntegratedCare #MetabolicPsychiatry #Schizophrenia #BipolarDisorder #ValueBasedCare #ContinuityOfCare #HealthcareInnovation #Psychiatry amaehealth.com Download the transcript here

Sonia Garcia, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Amae Health, an integrated care company specializing in the treatment of severe mental illness that operates community-oriented clinics to deliver comprehensive psychiatry-led care. They provide continuity of care across multiple acuity levels, recognizing these conditions require long-term management. Amae is also advancing psychiatric care through research and partnerships by deploying wearables for health monitoring and investigating biomarkers and pharmacogenomics to improve treatment outcomes. Sonia explains, "Amae Health is an integrated care company that exists to treat the most complex mentally ill. So those that are suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder. And we do so through these community-oriented clinics that deliver comprehensive care that's psychiatry-led, but also incorporates therapy, primary care, social services, peer support specialists, dieticians for a lot of nutrition guidance, and health coaching. Then clinic care coordinators manage all the in-between things that need to happen to get somebody back on track and living a healthy, stable life."   "Another core pillar within the company that I'll just add is getting into technical research and innovation, with lots of work we can do to uncover what is causing this, what interventions we can deploy. How can we partner with others in the ecosystem, whether that's pharma or life sciences, to advance psychiatric care and see if we can get towards putting many of these conditions into remission?" #AmaeHealth #MentalHealthCare #SevereMentalIllness #IntegratedCare #MetabolicPsychiatry #Schizophrenia #BipolarDisorder #ValueBasedCare #ContinuityOfCare #HealthcareInnovation #Psychiatry amaehealth.com Listen to the podcast here

If you work with an agency, there are a few things you usually only learn once the campaign is already running. In this special in-person episode, Michael sits down with Belkins Managing Director Alex Sribnyi to talk about what actually happens behind the scenes of B2B lead generation: why some agency-client relationships work, why others fall apart, what companies often misunderstand about outbound, and how the role of an SDR is changing. Alex has spent more than 10 years in the industry, managed hundreds of SDRs and Account Managers, and worked across thousands of B2B client strategies. So this conversation goes well beyond theory. Michael and Alex get into:

Automation and AI have flooded the sales and marketing side of the market, and Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer at Steel Patriot Partners, says the security leaders on the receiving end were already past capacity. The pitch tends to lead with the product rather than the problem. So many CISOs have stopped taking direct sales calls and started asking a different question: what VAR do you work with, and who can I buy you through? That routing puts weight back on partners who know where a program has been and how to move it forward. Parisi describes a partner meeting during the week with RegScale and Wiz, with Steel Patriot Partners in the services role, and the recognition that the company is moving toward systems integration with engineering at the center. Software providers can supply the product. Aligning and configuring it against a specific set of business expectations is a different job. What happens when that job has no owner? Tools get bought and the return never shows up. Parisi sees organizations spending on best of breed and failing to recognize ROI because the tools are not being used or configured against the business objective. The correction is engineering work rather than another purchase. One client was told by its board to cut a significant portion of the IT and information security budget. Steel Patriot Partners looked for overlap, found three tools accomplishing the same business outcome, met the number, and exceeded it on cost savings. Parisi attributes the underlying problem to years of deferred maintenance on the stack, from teams with the appetite to buy tools and without the time to configure them. He expects the consolidation the cloud market saw a decade ago to reach cybersecurity tooling and GRC, and puts a number on it: 48 main GRC providers today, roughly five within five years. Good enough, configured appropriately, beats best of breed sitting idle. For CISOs building the next budget cycle, Parisi recommends bringing the sourcing closer in. Go to your anchor partners, ask what they are running next year and what worked this year, and skip the attempt to talk to everybody. Steel Patriot Partners co-founder Jason Ford has a line that fits alongside it. Have an open mind. This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlight GUEST Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, Steel Patriot Partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/ RESOURCES Black Hat USA 2026 event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2026-cybersecurity-event-coverage-in-las-vegas Steel Patriot Partners: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com Steel Patriot Partners at Black Hat USA 2026: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/events/black-hat-usa-2026 Steel Patriot Partners Insights: https://resources.steelpatriotpartners.com Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight ▶︎ Get your own Brand Briefing at an upcoming event: https://www.studioc60.com/buy-brand-briefings KEYWORDS michael parisi, steel patriot partners, sean martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, black hat usa 2026, ciso budget, channel partners, var, systems integrator, grc consolidation, security tool sprawl, licensing costs, roi, configuration, compliance, cybersecurity engineering, regscale, wiz Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us Fan MailGrowth in entertainment is no longer just about getting attention; it is about turning emotional connection into live experiences, licensing, merchandise, sports, and global partnerships without diluting what people loved in the first place. Veronica Hart, Chief Growth Officer of RWS Global, unpacks how leaders can build new revenue streams, protect brand integrity, and create momentum in complex markets while making sure women are not waiting for permission to claim their seat at the table.SHOW NOTESStrategic FocusThis conversation explores the discipline behind modern brand growth: how companies decide when an idea has enough audience demand to expand, how leaders build alignment across creative and commercial teams, and why women's perspectives are not a side conversation but a business requirement when companies are trying to reach the full market.Key Takeaways Brand expansion works when companies understand where fans are emotionally invested, then create products, experiences, and partnerships that feel like a natural extension rather than a cash grab.  Live experiences are becoming a serious growth channel because consumers need a compelling reason to leave the couch, show up in person, and participate in a story beyond the screen.  Women leaders bring a critical lens to growth strategy because companies often leave meaningful revenue untapped when they fail to account for women as consumers, decision makers, and cultural drivers.  Veronica's career shows the power of taking an opportunity further than assigned, especially for women who have been conditioned to ask for permission when the better move is to take the work, run with it, and raise the standard. GUEST CONTACT & CONNECTVeronica Hart is the Chief Growth Officer of RWS Global, where she leads growth strategy across live entertainment, brand experiences, licensing, merchandise, and global partnerships. Her career includes executive leadership roles at Paramount, CBS Consumer Products, Sesame Workshop, The Jim Henson Company, and HIT Entertainment, as well as service as Chair of the Board for Licensing International.Website: www.rwsglobal.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/rws-global/ Instagram: @rwsglobalofficialJoin the proveHER community and read the companion Blogcast for deeper takeaways from this conversation.---Subscribe and ReviewIf you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  Instagram: @badass_women_in_businessLinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in BusinessWebsite: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.comAthena: athenaac.com

Five million dollars sounds like more than enough to retire. The real question is whether it supports the life you actually want to live.In this episode, Ari responds to a listener planning to retire around age 55 with roughly $5.1 million and spending close to $16,000 to $17,000 per month. On the surface, the math looks close. A simple rule might suggest it works. But real retirement decisions are rarely that simple.The first layer is structure. How much of that money is in pre tax accounts versus a brokerage account. When most assets are locked inside retirement accounts, access, taxes, and flexibility all become part of the equation.The second layer is concentration. A portion of the portfolio is tied to company stock. That can create opportunity, but it can also introduce risk if too much of the plan depends on a single position. Diversification becomes less about theory and more about protecting the outcome.Then comes the part most plans skip. Lifestyle. Spending is not static. The early years often look different from later years. More travel. More activity. More flexibility. A flat monthly number rarely captures how retirement actually unfolds.Ari also challenges the idea that every dollar needs to be optimized. In some cases, working longer, spending differently, or even pursuing a hobby that costs money can improve quality of life more than maximizing an ending balance.The takeaway is simple. A strong portfolio creates options. The real decision is how to use those options in a way that aligns with your priorities, your time, and the kind of retirement you want to build.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

Most B2B event strategies don't fail because of budgets or venues, they fail because they're built around pitches, decks, and headcount instead of real conversations with the right people. Today's guest, Joseph Fontana, Chief Revenue Officer at Amzai and Chief Growth Officer at Buyer Foresight, has spent over 30 years building sales organizations and leading thousands of sales conversations. He's turned a simple but powerful idea into a scalable model: conversations move pipeline, not pitches. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Joe breaks down why we're living in a “golden era” for events, even as AI floods the market with low-quality content and buyers become more skeptical than ever. Instead of chasing massive conferences and overproduced webinars, Joe helps B2B brands design one-to-few executive dinners and small-format events where prospects talk honestly about their biggest pain points. No slides. No case study walk-throughs. No “quick demos.” Just carefully curated conversations that build trust, insight, and long-term pipeline. Joe explains where most companies get events totally wrong: talking at prospects instead of with them, making the night about their agenda instead of the buyer's, and pushing decks, collateral, and follow-up sequences that instantly kill trust. He shows how to flip that model by starting with one critical question: “What makes this person sweat the bed at 4 a.m.?” From there, Joe and his team craft tight messaging, smart outreach, and 6–7 sharp questions that get high-value prospects to happily show up, engage with peers, and open up about the real problems they're trying to solve. You'll also hear Joe's philosophy on simple systems that scale, the crucial difference between motivation and accountability, and why even the best event will fail without disciplined, thoughtful follow-up from the actual people in the room (not a random SDR three days later). He shares how his own chocolate-tasting events for marketers and sales leaders double as both a memorable experience and a live demonstration of his methodology in action, no hard pitch required. https://youtu.be/LvNl-OfwKsM?si=v8QDCY_6YZW4b5_d If you're tired of events that “look good” on a slide but don't turn into revenue, this episode will show you a different path. You'll learn how to design small, high-trust experiences that your buyers actually want to attend, how to listen more and talk less, and how to turn authentic executive conversations into predictable, high-quality pipelines. Quotes: “Sales has always been and always shall be a series of conversations that moves you from awareness to consideration, from life as it is today to life as it can be.” “There's nothing easy about a simple process, people see simple and assume they can ‘make it better,' and that's exactly how they break it.” “Your prospect doesn't care about you; they care about themselves, and the only time you enter the equation is if they think you might cost them their job.” Contact Details: Ready to Make Every Event Deliver More? Discover How Amzai Helps Organizations Connect with Joe on LinkedIn to Unlock Your Next Business Opportunity Love a Good Laugh? Subscribe to Joe Fontana's YouTube Channel! Fred Flintstone Selling in a George Jetson World on Amazon Turn Buyer Conversations Into Qualified Pipeline: Connect with BuyerForesight Today

From WEDI's 2026 Spring Conference, a panel of healthcare IT stakeholders will share real-world reactions and discuss the results of the 2025 DataSpring Index Report. Members of its Advisory Council will offer their unique perspective on the report and what it means for the industry and where opportunities and challenges remain. Hosted by Erin Richter Weber, Chief Growth Officer at DataSpring The Panel: Stanley Nachimson, Principal, Nachimson Advisors Heather McComas, Director, Administrative Simplification, American Medical Association Cat Douglas, Senior Manager, EDI & Health Technology Operations, Florida Blue

Sara Brooks is the Chief Growth Officer at BetterHelp, the world's largest online therapy platform. In her role, she leads global marketing, growth transformation, international expansion, and member acquisition, scaling the network to serve millions worldwide.With over 18 years of marketing leadership experience, Brooks has a proven track record of scaling consumer tech brands from early-stage startups through high-profile IPOs. Prior to joining BetterHelp, she held key growth and marketing roles at Meta (Facebook) and The RealReal during their pivotal scaling and public market phases.Known for combining hard performance data with empathetic brand storytelling, she has led landmark initiatives at BetterHelp, including the global "Feel Lighter" campaign and high-impact partnerships with figures like Lewis Capaldi and collegiate athletes to destigmatize mental health care.

Jason Leeds is Chief Growth Officer at Dartcor Enterprises where he helps organizations use hospitality to create workplaces that strengthen culture, connection, and employee engagement. Jason brings a unique perspective at the intersection of hospitality, commercial real estate, and the future of work, so Mike Petrusky asks him how hospitality helps people connect and thrive at work. They explore intentional, detail-driven experiences that can contribute to a sense of belonging and increase employee engagement as facility management leaders seek to reinvent workspaces and make them more attractive. Technology and AI, when used thoughtfully, can automate routine tasks and provide more space for genuine human interaction in the workplace, and Jason says collaboration across FM, HR, and IT is essential for delivering seamless workplace experiences. Small, consistent actions can create significant positive change in the workplace over time, and the future workplace will be more flexible, experience-based, and focused on human connection, so Mike and Jason offer practical advice and the inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-leeds-7b253a87/ Learn more about Dartcor Enterprises: https://www.dartcorenterprises.com/ Explore Dartcor Hospitality: https://www.dartcorhospitality.com/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

The growth playbook behind Mike & Ike's We Got'Chew with Meenakshi Trehan, Chief Growth Officer at Just Born   Meenakshi Trehan is responsible for growing some of the most iconic candy brands in the world, including MIKE AND IKE, PEEPS, HOT TAMALES and GOLDENBERG'S PEANUT CHEWS. As Chief Growth Officer at Just Born, she's helping beloved brands with decades-long histories find new ways to show up for today's consumers. In this episode of Question Everything with Meenakshi, we cover how MIKE AND IKE turned a product truth into the "We Got'Chew" brand campaign platform, the best ways to modernize legacy brands, and celebrity partnerships that actually build brand equity. What you'll learn in this episode:  How legacy brands should (and should not) use their heritage How MIKE AND IKE and Curiosity arrived at the new "We Got'Chew Platform" The four keys for a successful legacy brand Meenakshi's proven leadership advice for CMOs Why Knicks player Josh Hart was named President of Candy Operations The story behind Kenan Thompson's directorial debut for MIKE AND IKE's We Got'chew How family-owned companies like Just Born can outperform corporate machines Balancing playful creative with meaningful business results   Resources:   Learn more about MIKE AND IKE and Curiosity's We Got'Chew campaign Meet Josh Hart, MIKE AND IKE's President of Candy Operations See how PEEPS ignited social during this year's big game Learn more about the family-owned company, Just Born Connect with Meenakshi on LinkedIn  

Jim Fields is an American entrepreneur who has spent over 15 years living and building businesses in China. He speaks fluent Mandarin, began his career at Adobe in Silicon Valley, and moved to China, where he worked at Nokia and Reckitt Benckiser before founding Relay Video in 2016 - a Beijing-based creative marketing agency that helped Chinese tech companies including Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo tell their stories to global audiences. He later founded Relay Club, an influencer management platform for Chinese brands going outbound. He now serves as Chief Growth Officer at Nuon Medical and is involved with Oren Medical, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer within the Kaiyan Medical Group.In this episode, Jim talks about his journey from Silicon Valley to China, what he learned building Relay Video, and the most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when trying to go global. He explains why he pivoted from marketing into medtech, and breaks down both companies he works with today: Nuon Medical, which embeds clinical technologies like red light therapy, microcurrent, and PEMF directly into cosmetics applicators for brands including Clarins and Vagheggi, and Oren Medical, which manufactures red light therapy and medical wellness devices with over 300 patents across six FDA-cleared facilities.Jim also discusses his TEDx talk arguing that light is a fourth macronutrient alongside oxygen, water, and food - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy and why he believes it belongs in everyday consumer products. He covers the beauty tech market in China versus the West, how US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business like his, and what he's learned from 15-plus years of building across both markets. Discussion Points·       Jim's journey from Silicon Valley to 15+ years building businesses in China·       Relay Video's thesis: Chinese brands are the brands of the future but need help telling their stories globally·       The most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when going global, from working with Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo·       The pivot from marketing to medtech and how Jim's China background connects to his work in beauty tech·       Nuon Medical: embedding clinical technologies (light therapy, microcurrent, PEMF) into cosmetics packaging·       Jim's TEDx argument that light is a fourth macronutrient - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy·       Oren Medical: China's medical device manufacturing sophistication, 300+ patents, six FDA-cleared facilities·       Beauty tech market maturity in China versus the West and where China is leading·       How US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business built on Chinese manufacturing·       Lessons from 15-plus years building businesses that span China and the West

At Cannes Lions this year, the Media Lions grand prix went to Uber Eats' “Build your own Super Bowl commercial” by Special US, a campaign which acts as a form of entertainment for the viewers. This win followed Amanda Morrissey, Global President, iProspect and Chief Growth Officer of Media at dentsu, who was a juror on the Media Lions and said on The Campaign Podcast that judging the media category was more like judging an entertainment category. Plus, Publicis Groupe acquired sports and entertainment agency 160over90 this year, which will sit in the holding company's media division.Campaign's journalists discuss how much media is becoming more like entertainment, with insights from the jury press conferences. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with media editor Beau Jackson, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings. Further reading:Adidas UK wins Entertainment Lion Grands Prix for Oasis workCannes Lions 2026: Watch all the Grand Prix-winning workCannes 2026Cannes Lions debrief: how did the UK work perform?Cannes Lions entries rise 'reflecting strong global participation'Mindshare New York wins Media Lions Grand PrixGut's 'Handshake hunt' takes home Media Lions Grand Prix for Mercado LibreMedia Lions Grand Prix goes to Leo Burnett Sydney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes retirement planning is not about optimization. It is about rebuilding.In this episode, Ari Taublieb, CFP®, responds to a voicemail from a 52 year old widow whose life changed overnight. The plan she once built with her spouse no longer applies, but the desire to retire early and live intentionally is still there.On paper, she is in a strong position. Over $2.5 million saved across retirement accounts, no debt, a paid off home, and relatively low spending. The question is not whether she can retire. It is how to navigate the years before 59 and a half, when most of her money is not easily accessible.Ari walks through the real constraint. It is not total wealth. It is flexibility. With limited funds in a brokerage account, generating income in the early years requires careful coordination. That could mean drawing from taxable assets, adjusting spending, or continuing part-time work not out of necessity, but as a bridge that preserves long-term growth.But the deeper conversation goes beyond numbers.After a loss like this, the goal is not to build the most efficient plan possible. It is to build a life that feels meaningful again. Travel. Volunteering. Creating structure and purpose. The financial plan exists to support that, not replace it.There is also a quiet risk that shows up in moments like this. Playing it too safe. Delaying experiences out of fear of running out later, only to realize those early years were the ones that mattered most.The takeaway is simple. A good plan adapts when life changes. A great plan makes space for what matters now, not just what might matter decades from now.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

What if being more productive in your business had less to do with your personality - and more to do with your unique area of genius?In this episode of the Savvy Marketing for Small Business Podcast, I sit down with Sue Davis, certified Working Genius facilitator, speaker, and leadership strategist with 30+ years of experience. We talk about how understanding your natural strengths can help you work more productively, lead more effectively, and avoid burnout—without forcing yourself into someone else's way of doing business.-----------------Meet Sue Davis: Sue is a Speaker, Leadership Strategist, Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and Chief Growth Officer with more than 30 years of leadership experience. She helps individuals and organizations overcome burnout by aligning their unique strengths with the way they work and lead. Through powerful storytelling, practical tools, and genuine connection, Sue inspires audiences to stop simply surviving and start living a Genius Powered Life—one conversation, one decision, and one breakthrough at a time.Connect with Sue: Web page - https://suedaviscoaching.comLanding page for course - https://suedaviscoaching.com/your-genius-powered-lifeFacebook - https://facebook.com/sue.williams.davisLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandavisexecutivecoach?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

How are retail traders responding to a year dominated by geopolitical tensions, volatile oil prices and shifting market sentiment? Michelle Martin speaks with Dani Magner, Chief Growth Officer at Plus500, whose platform serves around 33 million users worldwide, about what trading data from Singapore reveals about investor behaviour in 2026. This discussion is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you franchise your business without weakening the company that made it successful? Brian Luciani explains the economics and founder mindset that separate scalable concepts from expensive mistakes. In this Franchise Fit Podcast episode, Lance Graulich sits down with Brian Luciani, Chief Growth Officer and Venture Partner at SMB Franchise Advisors, to answer the question many independent business owners ask: Is my business ready to franchise? Brian explains product-market fit, repeatable operations, unit economics after royalties, and founder responsibilities. He explains why becoming a franchisor means moving from player to coach, why the first franchisee can shape the culture for years, and why accepting the wrong candidate can cost more than walking away from a check.

FedRAMP has changed before. What makes the Consolidated Rules for 2026 different is that the dates are on the calendar and the fence sitters have run out of runway. Jason Ford, Co-Founder and CEO of Steel Patriot Partners, has been inside the program since Rev 3 in 2013. Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, comes at it from the business side. Together they map what changes and, more usefully, what it means for the decision in front of a provider right now. So what actually changes? The program consolidates into two paths, 20X and Rev 5. FedRAMP Ready moves to legacy status. Class A, B, and C pipelines open across a thirty to sixty day window, mandatory adoption arrives January 1, and new Rev 5 certifications close on June 11, 2027. Authorized becomes certified. Jason Ford also points out where the rules live: fedramp.gov, hosted in GitHub, which means they move with a commit. Reading them once is not tracking them. Why did FedRAMP need to change at all? Michael Parisi frames it as a supply problem. Agencies and primes have been working from a limited and aging set of technologies while better tools sat outside a process that was slow, rudimentary, and expensive. The action was warranted. His follow-up question gets less airtime: if the process moved faster, did responsibility move with it, and does the stakeholder now holding that due diligence know it yet? The engineering shift is real and it is the part most teams see coming. Jason Ford describes RMF thinking giving way to continuous DevSecOps, proving compliance in real time rather than at a point in time. Vulnerability remediation is where the compression bites. CISA's updated guidance drops severity score as the driver in favor of stepped prioritization, and windows that used to run 30, 60, and 90 days now land closer to three to twenty-one. What does this cost a business past the budget line? Time and capacity. 20X is faster than a Rev 5 process that once ran eighteen months, but faster is not instant. Retraining a couple hundred users inside a thousand-person organization is not a small endeavor, and if the transition eats half of the organization's capacity for a year, that is half as much capacity aimed at the business paying for it. Jason Ford is not arguing against the move. He is arguing that disruption belongs inside the decision. Then there is the internal work almost nobody has started. Mapping an existing Rev 5 ATO scope into a new certification level is not clear-cut, and past the mapping, marketing and sales both need re-education. Michael Parisi describes building a translation layer for customers: here is what we provided before, here is what it is now, and this change came from the program rather than from any reduction in assurance. Roughly half the time, Steel Patriot Partners tells organizations not to pursue certification at all. Michael Parisi treats that as one of the more valuable things the firm does. The opposite failure shows up just as often, with companies preparing to spend heavily on 20X because it sounds quicker and cheaper, when the agency or prime they are chasing expects a certification level. A lower bar only helps if the buyer accepts it. Where should a business start? With the business conversation. Michael Parisi notes the answer does not have to be yes or no today; it can be a maybe with defined trigger points. Jason Ford closes on posture: come with an open mind, and do not hand a multi-year commitment to a language model whose guardrails and training are not built for that call. Or, shorter: don't wait, and don't go it alone. Steel Patriot Partners built a three-question starting point for that first conversation at https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/find-your-path. This is a Brand Story. A Brand Story is a ~35-40 minute in-depth conversation designed to tell the complete story of the guest, their company, and their vision. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#full GUESTS Jason Ford, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Steel Patriot Partners On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-ford-5ab206/ Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, Steel Patriot Partners On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/ RESOURCES Learn more about Steel Patriot Partners: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/ FedRAMP's Consolidated Rules for 2026: What It Means for Cloud Providers: https://resources.steelpatriotpartners.com/fedramps-consolidated-rules-for-2026 Find Your Path, a three-question starting point for ISO, CMMC, and FedRAMP decisions: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/find-your-path Complimentary ROI Workshop: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/roi-workshop Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight KEYWORDS jason ford, michael parisi, steel patriot partners, sean martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, fedramp, fedramp consolidated rules for 2026, fedramp 20x, rev 5, fedramp certification classes, cloud service provider compliance, federal compliance, cisa vulnerability remediation, continuous monitoring, devsecops, ato, 3pao, govramp, cmmc, grc, federal marketplace, compliance roi Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Building real community as an adult is quietly one of the hardest things about modern life, and it gets harder when you're Childfree. The friends you assumed would always be around get busy, have kids, or move away, and one day you look up and realize the built-in social life adulthood promised never actually arrived. Maddy Roche sits down with four people who got tired of waiting and built the communities they couldn't find. Kari Cardinale of the Modern Elder Academy, Florence Wlodarski of Parallel Social Club, and Charlie and Ali Higgins of DINK Social each started from the same quiet ache, wanting people whose weekends were free and whose lives looked like theirs, and turned it into something thousands have now joined. Underneath it all sits a striking finding: the single biggest predictor of a long life is not diet or exercise, but the quality of the friendships you build in midlife.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why finding your people gets harder in your 40s and beyond, the specific friction points that make adult friendship so difficult, and how these community builders designed around every one of themHow three very different organizations approach the same need, from a midlife wisdom school to an in-person social club to an app built specifically for Childfree couplesWhy the first hangout is only the entry point, and how structured, smaller gatherings create the deeper "third vault" conversations that actually bond people togetherWhat it takes for an introvert to walk into a new community and get the most out of it, including why small, vetted, interest-based groups beat big networking-style eventsThe 80-year Harvard finding that the quality of your midlife friendships predicts a long life more than diet or exercise, and why that reframes community as a health priorityEpisode Guests:Kari Cardinale is a partner and Chief Content Officer at MEA (Modern Elder Academy), a midlife wisdom school with campuses in Baja, Mexico, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, plus a digital campus and an alumni community of 8,000 people across 60 countries, all built around navigating midlife and building new friendships.MEA (Modern Elder Academy): meawisdom.comFlorence Wlodarski is the co-founder of Parallel Social Club, a social wellness community in Los Angeles built for DINKs, SINKs, Childfree, and childless adults. Parallel hosts around ten small, curated in-person events a month, designed to remove the friction from adult friendship and help busy professionals actually connect.Parallel Social Club: parallelsocialclub.com Charlie and Ali Higgins are the co-founders of DINK Social, a social app built exclusively for Childfree couples to connect, discover events, and build real friendships. Launched in early 2026, the community-driven platform has already surpassed 2,500 couples.DINK Social: dinksocial.com Episode Host:Maddy Roche is the Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust®, where she leads all sales, marketing, and partnership initiatives and brings sharp insight to estate planning, LGBTQ+ legacy considerations, and Childfree financial decision making.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights delivers education for financial and estate planning without children. It supports people with no kids in making informed decisions about retirement, legacy planning, beneficiaries, and long-term care. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Healthcare organizations are under increasing pressure to improve patient outcomes while controlling costs—but doing both requires more than new technology or payment models. In this episode, Stewart Gandolf speaks with Michele Paige, Chief Growth Officer at Strive Health, about how patient-centered design, proactive care navigation, predictive analytics, and AI-powered engagement are helping healthcare organizations deliver more personalized care, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, and improve the patient experience. Using value-based kidney care as a real-world example, Michele shares practical lessons that healthcare leaders can apply across virtually any specialty or care setting.

For companies in the defense industrial base, a compliance deadline is not paperwork. It is the difference between winning contracts and watching them stall. In this Brand Feature, Jason LaPointe, Chief Technology Officer at Exostar, and Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer at Steel Patriot Partners, walk through what it takes to get FedRAMP ready without cutting corners. Exostar was born out of a consortium that included Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and its FedRAMP-moderate posture lets smaller suppliers keep working on Department of War contracts. How does that work? Instead of moving every server and mailbox into a secure boundary, a supplier inherits roughly 80% of the controls from Exostar, which shrinks the scope of its own CMMC audit considerably. The clock was real. At the time, a November transition date loomed, after which many suppliers could no longer self-attest. That specific timeline has since been paused, but the pressure to prove readiness has not gone away. Exostar needed to show it was FedRAMP-moderate and ready for an audit, and working with Steel Patriot Partners, the team pulled a January target in by nearly three months, not by skipping steps, but by moving with confidence. Why build a new platform instead of retrofitting the old one? Jason LaPointe describes a platform first initiative: build the new compliant home, then migrate customers into it. Trying to modernize inside a live production environment would have been disruptive, so the team built alongside rather than on top, which freed them to re-architect and retool without breaking customers. Michael Parisi frames the engagement as embedding, not staff augmentation. Steel Patriot Partners plugged directly into the product team through daily standups and leadership calls, delivered infrastructure as code and deployment pipelines, and kept the work with US citizens, a requirement once controlled unclassified information is in play. What makes an audit go smoothly? Preparation that extends to how questions get answered. Jason LaPointe compares the audit to a deposition, where an unsolicited comment hands an assessor somewhere new to go. Michael Parisi, who spent years in the assessor's seat and ran the practice for a large C3PAO, explains why knowing the auditors and presenting information cleanly protects the outcome. The business math is unforgiving. Miss the audit window and millions in direct contracts can be exposed, while auditors book out six to eight months. Exostar cleared it with a clean, no POA&M result, and the business is now seeing tailwinds through initiatives like Golden Dome. The lesson Jason LaPointe offers other technology and security leaders is about temperament. Every part of the organization gets touched, from R&D to HR to finance, and the willingness to change quickly becomes the governor on success. Having a clear voice at the table for what good looks like, as Steel Patriot Partners provided, is what accelerates the decisions. This is a Brand Feature. A Brand Feature is a ~30 minute in-depth conversation designed to go deep on a company's story, solutions, and customer success. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#feature GUESTS Jason LaPointe, Chief Technology Officer, Exostar Website: https://www.exostar.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlapointe Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, Steel Patriot Partners Website: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/ RESOURCES Learn more about Exostar: https://www.exostar.com/ Aerospace and Defense solutions from Exostar: https://www.exostar.com/industries/aerospace-defense/ Learn more about Steel Patriot Partners: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/ Find Your Path with Steel Patriot Partners: https://steelpatriotpartners.com/find-your-path/ Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight KEYWORDS Jason LaPointe, Michael Parisi, Exostar, Steel Patriot Partners, Sean Martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand feature, FedRAMP, FedRAMP-moderate, CMMC, CMMC 2.0, defense industrial base, DIB, controlled unclassified information, CUI, compliance inheritance, C3PAO, FedRAMP audit, platform modernization, GCC High, Department of War, defense supply chain, cybersecurity compliance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Too many producers operate from a place of scarcity - they walk into discovery meetings desperate for the win, giving off an energy that actually repels prospects. If you want to scale your book and become a true industry expert, you have to completely shift your mindset: stop needing the deal, and start making it entirely about the buyer.My guest, Jon Slusser, Chief Growth Officer at Gibson, joins me to discuss how to cultivate this "Elite Mindset." Jon shares his journey from being a self-described "turd" and selfish college soccer forward to becoming an ego-free, collaborative sales leader. We discuss the necessity of "detaching" from a deal, why new producers must operate with a sense of urgency (and avoid the "salary guarantee trap"), and how Gibson uses the "4 C's" to successfully integrate new talent alongside gray-haired veterans. Jon also opens up about his son Leo, a true "one-of-one," and how facing an unprecedented medical journey clarified his ultimate priorities as a father, husband, and professional.▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callhttps://completegameu.com/request-a-callTimestamped Outline(00:00) The Mastodons and Nepotism: How Jon Found His Way to Insurance(04:54) The Worst Teammate: A Harsh Soccer Lesson That Built a Better Leader(07:37) The Necessity of Coachability: Identifying Natural Curiosity and Humility(10:33) Shifting Mindsets: Detaching from the Deal and Leading with Abundance(13:00) The Unseen Force of Sales: How Prospects Feel Your Scarcity Energy(14:50) "If You Can't Be My Friend, You Can't Be in My Book of Business"(16:32) Advice for New Producers: Bring Your Future Forward and Ditch the Waiting Game(18:31) The Trap of Salary Guarantees: Finding the Sweet Spot of Urgency(21:40) Gibson's Training Strategy: Niche Focus, Defined Buyers, and Veteran Support(25:01) The 4 C's of Producer Development: Clarity, Connection, Contribution, and Commitment(26:44) The Tampa Bay Epiphany: Transitioning from Top Producer to "Hero Maker"(31:13) Leo's Story: Controlling the Controllables During a 103-Day NICU Stay(37:34) Jon's Lightning Round: The 4:30 AM Five Pillar Routine, Marathon Training, and The Purple CowCONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

In this episode, Molly sits down with Michael Di Gennaro, Chief Growth Officer and Head of Advisory at Law Practice Exchange, to explore what every law firm owner needs to know about selling a law firm, succession planning, law firm valuation, and the rapidly changing legal marketplace. You'll learn how to prepare your law firm for sale, increase your firm's valuation, build operational systems that buyers want, strengthen your marketing and referral pipelines, navigate private equity and MSO opportunities, and develop an exit strategy that protects your clients, your employees, and your legacy. Key Takeaways: Start your exit strategy years before you're ready to sell. Learn why succession planning should begin years in advance so you have time to increase your firm's value, identify the right buyer, and create a transition that benefits you, your clients, and your team. Discover how systems, leadership, marketing, and operational independence dramatically increase your firm's marketability. Learn the factors buyers evaluate—including recurring referral sources, predictable intake systems, employee retention, operational infrastructure, and transferable goodwill. Explore Private Equity, MSOs, and Modern Exit Opportunities. Today's law firm owners have more options than ever before. Every Hiring Decision Shapes Your Firm's Future Value. Your next hire isn't just filling a role—it's strengthening (or weakening) your firm's long-term value.   Quote for the Show:  "The sale of your practice is a financial and succession decision. Practicing law is an employment decision" - Michael Di Gennaro   Connect with Michael: Email: michael@thelawpracticeexchange.com Website: https://www.thelawpracticeexchange.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljdigennaro/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawpracticeexchange/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelawpracticeexchange/ Podcast: https://theexchangewithtomlenfestey.buzzsprout.com/    Links: Website: https://hiringandempowering.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiringandempowering Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiringandempowering LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiring&empoweringsolutions/ The Law Firm Admin Bootcamp + Academy™ : https://www.lawfirmadminbootcamp.com/ Get Fix My Boss Book: https://amzn.to/3PCeEhk   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://www.amazon.com/Hiring-and-Empowering-Solutions/dp/B08JJSLJ7N Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-and-empowering-solutions/id1460184599 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3oIfsDDnEDDkcumTCygHDH Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/hiring-and-empowering-solutions YouTube - https://youtu.be/bnzK_DjPFq4 

Most people think tax strategy is the starting point. It's not. It's the final layer that sits on top of a life you actually want to live.In this episode, Ari Taublieb, CFP®, responds to a listener with over $3 million across pre-tax, Roth, and brokerage accounts, plus a pension and future Social Security. On paper, everything looks optimized. In reality, he's stuck on a question that keeps a lot of high savers from moving forward.Should he use his brokerage account for income, for tax strategies, or to fund Roth conversions?The answer is not as simple as picking the most tax-efficient move. In fact, focusing on taxes first can lead to the wrong outcome entirely. Ari walks through why having too much income later in life can create a “tax bomb,” how required minimum distributions change the equation, and why Roth conversions can make sense when future tax rates are likely higher.But the real takeaway has nothing to do with spreadsheets.Before deciding on conversions, withdrawal strategies, or tax brackets, the first question is much simpler. How much do you actually want to spend? Without that clarity, even the best tax plan can lead to regret. With it, the right strategy becomes much easier to see.Because the goal is not to minimize taxes at all costs. The goal is to use your money in a way that actually improves your life while you still have the time and energy to enjoy it.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

Every so often, a conversation cuts through the noise and gets to the heart of what education leadership demands right now. This is one of those conversations.In this episode, Dr. Michael T. Conner is joined by Dr. Rick Fernandez, former superintendent, former high school principal, Chief Growth Officer at BlueKit Software, and co-host of the Boyz of EdTech podcast, for a powerful discussion on leadership, data, competition, and the future of learning.Dr. Fernandez brings a grounded, unfiltered perspective on the realities facing school districts today. From the pressure of school choice and vouchers to the blind spots hidden inside district data, he challenges leaders to think more honestly about what their systems know, what they assume, and what families are really asking for.This is not a surface-level conversation about trends. It is a call for sharper thinking, stronger systems, and a deeper commitment to preparing students for a future already being reshaped by artificial intelligence. Dr. Conner and Dr. Fernandez move with urgency, humor, and candor through the kinds of questions education leaders cannot afford to avoid.If you are a superintendent, principal, district leader, educator, or anyone invested in the future of public education, this episode will push your thinking and leave you with plenty to sit with.Dr. Fernandez's challenge for the next generation comes down to three words: curiosity, consistency, and entrepreneurship.

Loneliness carries the same health toll as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and for Childfree adults there is no built-in carpool lane to friendship. You build your crew on purpose. In this episode, Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW, Maddy Roche, Bri Conn, CFP®, and Alli Gage trade honest stories about the moments that forced them to rebuild their circles, from divorce and sobriety to cross-country moves, and the practical ways they found their people again. They get into why intergenerational friendships are a quiet superpower when your life is not organized around school pickups and playgroups, how to take the pressure off by letting not every friend be a best friend, and the small, repeatable habits, showing up a second time, raising your hand to volunteer, casting a wide net, that turn strangers into a community that fits the life you designed.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why friendship is a health requirement rather than a nice-to-have, and what the research on loneliness, the friendship recession, and the emotional-support deficit reveals about how common it is to feel disconnectedHow major life changes like divorce, sobriety, and moving can signal that your crew needs to change, and how to rebuild intentionally by getting clear on how you want to spend your time and who you want around youWhy intergenerational friendships are a particular advantage for Childfree adults, and how connecting across age groups brings perspective, mentorship, and a richer lifeHow to take the pressure off friendship by connecting over one shared thing, since not every friend has to be a best friend for the relationship to be deeply satisfyingThe practical, repeatable moves for finding your people, from hobbies, classes, volunteering, and faith communities to apps like Bumble BFF and Meetup, plus why going back a second time changes everythingEpisode Hosts:Melissa Holcombe, DSW, LCSW is a Senior Advisor at Childfree Trust® with three decades in social services across child welfare, public schools, and guardianship and probate. She is also one of the nation's first Certified Veterinary Social Workers, with deep expertise in the legal and emotional terrain that vulnerable individuals navigate.Maddy Roche is the Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust®, where she leads all sales, marketing, and partnership initiatives and brings sharp insight to estate planning, LGBTQ+ legacy considerations, and Childfree financial decision making.Bri Conn, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist at Childfree Wealth® and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. She specializes in financial management, life design, and estate planning, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, drawing on her own early financial challenges and recovery to fuel her work in personal finance education.Alli Gage is the Chief of Staff at Childfree Insights, the behind-the-scenes coordinator who keeps all the organizations running in an orderly fashion across the board.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights focuses on planning for solo aging and later life without children. It offers trusted education on financial planning, estate planning, and building support systems for people aging independently. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Send us Fan MailWhat if the companies profiting most from healthcare's data problem are also the ones best positioned to explain why it needs to be solved?In this clip from our episode “Health Data Is Broken And We're Paying For It”, host John Driscoll and Michael Meucci, CEO of Arcadia, break down why the free market has proven it cannot fix healthcare data fragmentation on its own, and what becomes possible when health systems stop spending so much money just moving data around.Listen to the full episode here

A foreign partner's payment has sat in a U.S. government account for nearly a year. The order still hasn't shipped. It's stuck in contracting. That kind of friction is exactly what Church Hutton, Chief Growth Officer at AV, has spent his career navigating: from Senate Armed Services and Appropriations staff, to Army Reserve officer, to leading growth at a company that just doubled in size by acquiring Blue Halo.Tyler and Church dig into:Why "cost per effect" is broken — the U.S. is shooting down $20K threats with million-dollar interceptorsWhy laser weapon systems are finally moving from prototype to production after decades of false startsThe historical parallel between the Army's interwar cavalry branch and today's Pentagon modernization fights__________Church Hutton has spent over two decades moving between Capitol Hill, uniformed service, and defense industry leadership, most recently steering growth at AV through its transformation into a full-spectrum autonomous systems company.Connect with ChurchLinkedIn: Church HuttonConnect with TylerLinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt

Having over a million saved does not automatically mean you can retire early. Where your money sits matters just as much as how much you have.In this episode, Ari walks through a real case of a 47 year old aiming to retire at 55. On paper, the numbers look strong. But most of the assets are tied up in retirement accounts, which creates a gap in the years before those funds are easily accessible.Ari explains why this is often called being “qualified rich” and how it can delay retirement even when you have done everything right. The conversation shifts to what actually creates flexibility. Brokerage accounts, cash strategy, and how to position assets so income can be generated when you need it most.The deeper question is not just whether retirement is possible. It is how early it can happen and what tradeoffs are worth making to get there.Because retirement is not about having enough on paper. It is about having access to your money when it matters.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

Send us Fan MailAmerican healthcare spends an estimated $110 per member per month just to administer itself, before a single service is ever delivered. Most of that cost exists because health data still cannot move freely between the systems that need it.Michael Meucci, CEO of Arcadia, joins host John Driscoll to discuss why two decades of interoperability policy have failed to solve the data fragmentation problem facing health systems and payers, and why liberating that data and redirecting the administrative spend it currently requires could be the single biggest lever available for improving both the cost and quality of American healthcare.

Olivier Roth is the Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at The Swarm, a go-to-network platform that helps companies and investors map, combine, and activate relationship networks for sales, recruiting, and fundraising. He helps lead the company's growth strategy, building systems that turn relationship data into warm introductions and stronger business opportunities. Previously, Olivier founded Timelapse, a strategic creative agency that worked with high-growth startups and brands, including LinkedIn, Lyft, and Stanford Research Park. His work focuses on helping teams use authentic relationships to create more practical, scalable paths to growth. In this episode… Cold outbound can create opportunities, but the strongest path to a deal often starts with a trusted relationship already inside your extended network. When teams can map those relationships, identify the right connectors, and ask for introductions with care, how can they turn relationship networks into a repeatable growth channel? Olivier Roth, a relationship intelligence leader who has spent years helping teams uncover warm introduction paths, says the key is treating networks as structured business assets rather than loose collections of contacts. He highlights the importance of mapping relationships among employees, investors, advisors, customers, partners, and industry friends to identify the most credible path to a target account. Instead of relying on cold emails or broad LinkedIn connections, Olivier explains how teams can use relationship data to identify stronger, more actionable introduction paths. The result is a more human go-to-market motion where AI helps surface the path, but people still build trust, protect social capital, and personalize the ask. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Olivier Roth, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at The Swarm, to discuss how relationship networks can become a stronger source of pipeline. Olivier breaks down warm introductions, reverse-engineered intro paths, and connector-driven network graphs. He also shares how AI, Claude, Salesforce, and Klarna fit into relationship-led growth.

What if the technology helping independent hotels compete with the biggest brands in the world shouldn't feel like technology at all? Cloudbeds serves tens of thousands of properties across more than 150 countries — giving its team a uniquely expansive view into how independent hotels are performing, what operators are struggling with, and how the way travelers discover and book stays is rapidly changing. In this episode, Zach sits down in person with Rafael Blanes, Chief Growth Officer at Cloudbeds, and Sébastien Leitner, VP of Partnerships, to unpack why they believe this is one of the most exciting moments yet to be an independent hotelier. Rafael and Sébastien explain why the traditional PMS is evolving into something much bigger, how fragmented hotel data prevents operators from making confident decisions, and why the industry's obsession with “AI” may be getting in the way of solving the problems hoteliers actually care about. They also share a look at Ask Signals, a conversational tool that could allow operators to ask questions of their property data, generate reports in seconds, receive explainable pricing recommendations, and eventually get a proactive daily briefing before arriving at the hotel. The conversation also explores why OTAs can actually help hotels generate more direct bookings, what independent properties must do to compete with the marketing machines of major flags, and why operators should never treat an OTA guest differently from someone who booked direct. Finally, Rafael and Sébastien share the story behind the Cloudbeds Collection — a portfolio of 100 distinctive independent properties around the world — and why Cloudbeds selected Journey as its loyalty partner to help those hotels share guests, strengthen direct relationships, and offer the benefits of a global loyalty ecosystem without sacrificing what makes each property different. You'll also hear why the next hotel Rafael builds will almost certainly have a marina, how Sébastien prepares a five-day roast chicken, and the remarkable story of the technology partner who worked through the night to help former Sonder properties keep their doors open. Alright friends, without further ado, get ready to meet Rafael and Sébastien. — Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world's top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks at boutique hotels, private residences, landscape hotels, glamping retreats, and so much more. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur with a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we'd love for you to apply to join the Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Wanting to retire in five years is a good goal. Knowing if you actually can is a different question.In this episode, Ari walks through a real case study of someone in their early fifties trying to determine if early retirement is realistic. The numbers look strong at first glance. But the real question is not how much you have saved. It is whether your plan supports the life you want to live.Ari breaks down how income would be generated in the early years, how account structure impacts taxes, and why having access to flexible funds can make or break an early retirement plan. He also highlights the tradeoff many people miss. Continuing to save more versus letting the portfolio do the work through growth.The takeaway is simple. Retirement is not just about hitting a number. It is about understanding how that number turns into income, adapts to change, and supports your lifestyle over time.Because the goal is not just to retire. It is to retire on your terms.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

Everyone tells you to get more visible. Post more content. Start the podcast. Book the speaking engagement. Land the collaborations. But what happens after the visibility? In this episode of Social Media Decoded, I'm joined by Annie Mossbacher, Chief Growth Officer at Dubsado, for an honest conversation about what happens when your business starts growing faster than your systems can support. If you've ever felt overwhelmed after signing new clients, struggled to keep up with emails and proposals, or wondered why success suddenly feels exhausting, this episode is for you. We talk about founder burnout, client experience, sustainable growth, and why systems aren't boring—they're freedom. In this episode you'll learn: Why visibility exposes broken business systems The hidden reason founders burn out after growth How to create a client experience people never forget The first system every service provider should implement Why doing everything yourself is costing you money How to stop overdelivering at the expense of your health What sustainable growth actually looks like Why authenticity is becoming your greatest marketing advantage Memorable Quotes "Visibility without systems will burn you out." "Growth isn't about doing more. It's about becoming ruthless with your priorities." "The business you prayed for shouldn't become the business that breaks you." Connect with Annie Instagram: @anniemossbacher Learn more about Dubsado: dubsado.com/?c=michellethames Resources Mentioned Dubsado Client Experience Business Systems Founder Burnout Service-Based Business Growth If You Enjoyed This Episode... Share it with another entrepreneur who is building a business behind the scenes. If this episode helped you rethink how you're growing your business, take 30 seconds to leave a review. Your reviews help more entrepreneurs discover the show. Want to support the podcast? Buy Me a Coffee and help us continue creating free content for entrepreneurs. Follow Michelle: Instagram: @michellelthames Thanks for listening to Social Media Decoded! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Six million dollars sounds like enough to retire. But that number alone does not answer the question.In this episode, Ari responds to a real listener wondering if they can retire at 59 with significant savings. The surprising truth is that the portfolio is not the starting point. Spending is.Ari walks through a simple way to reverse engineer retirement. Define what your lifestyle actually costs, layer in healthcare, travel, and one time expenses, then work backward to see what your portfolio needs to support. Without that clarity, it is easy to keep chasing a bigger number and delay retirement longer than necessary.The numbers matter. But so does the life you are trying to fund. What you are retiring from and what you are retiring to can change the answer just as much as any spreadsheet.Because retirement is not about hitting a number. It is about knowing what that number needs to do for you.--Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

At 44, Dominic isn't rushing retirement, he's designing his life toward it with intention. With a career in nonprofit fundraising, a young family, and a deep commitment to generosity and purpose, he's asking the questions many pre-retirees think about quietly: How much is enough? How do you balance saving for the future without sacrificing the present? And what does a meaningful retirement actually look like?In this conversation, Dominic shares his long-term vision for retirement, including extended travel, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, mentoring others, and continuing work that serves something bigger than himself. We talk about early retirement planning without a fixed date, the tradeoffs between saving and spending, building flexibility through brokerage (“superhero”) accounts, and why financial independence doesn't mean stepping away from contribution.You'll hear how he started saving at 21, how he and his wife approach money conversations, how giving fits into his financial philosophy, and why intentional decisions matter more than perfect ones. This episode explores retirement planning through the lens of values, impact, and freedom, not just numbers.If you're on the road to retirement and want clarity without pressure, flexibility without fear, and a plan that supports both life today and life later, this is for you.--Dominic is not a client of Root Financial Partners, LLC and received no compensation for participating in this video. His statements reflect his own opinions and experience and are not indicative of any specific client's experience and are not a guarantee of results. No cash or non-cash compensation was provided, and no material conflicts are known.Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA  is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.