Podcasts about Commerce

What if the biggest bottleneck in your commerce strategy isn't the strategy itself, but the time it takes your team to actually perform the actions to execute it?Agility requires not just having the right insights, but also the operational capacity to act on them at the speed the market demands.Today, we're going to talk about a critical bottleneck many brands face: the delay between data-driven insight and real-world execution. Commerce teams are often drowning in data but struggle with the manual, time-consuming work of implementing changes, whether it's updating product pages or optimizing media spend. This has led to a major shift, where brands are looking beyond traditional agency models and toward a new paradigm of 'agentic AI'—using automated agents to handle execution, freeing up human experts to focus on what they do best: strategy.We are here at eTail Palm Springs, and to help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Himanshu Jain, Co-Founder and Head of Product, and Bill Schneider, VP Product Marketing at CommerceIQ. About Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-schneider-b32a6a/ Resources CommerceIQ: www.commerceiq.ai The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

The Valley Persian Style ends its season with classy GG throwing wine at Sky because she doesn't like the valley. Good lord. Are they getting money from the Valley Chamber of Commerce or what? Literally no one has ever stood for the val this deeply. To watch this recap on video, listen to our bonus episodes, and get ad free listening, go to Patreon.com/watchwhatcrappens. Find bonus episodes at patreon.com/watchwhatcrappens and follow us on Instagram @watchwhatcrappens @ronniekaram @benmandelker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ The Shift from Attention to Trust In this compelling episode, Ashleigh Vogstad, CEO of Transcends, joins Vince Menzione to discuss the tectonic shifts occurring in the global partner ecosystem. Ashleigh shares her firsthand experiences studying AI at Oxford, the rise of the “Trust Economy,” and the controversial Amazon vs. Perplexity lawsuit. They dive deep into the practicalities of becoming a “Frontier Firm,” the importance of building proprietary AI agents, and the ways Gen Z and AI-driven marketplaces are revolutionizing the buyer journey. Whether you are looking to win Microsoft Partner of the Year or navigate the demise of traditional SaaS, this conversation provides a strategic roadmap for leading through the AI revolution. Key Takeaways The economy is shifting from a focus on human attention to a foundation of verified trust. Future commerce will involve “selling to machines” as AI agents begin making purchasing decisions on behalf of humans. Microsoft is prioritizing “Frontier Firms” that integrate AI into every customer interaction and internal process. Gen Z buyers are prioritizing product value and “dupes” over traditional brand names, with 75% of buyers expected to be Gen Z by 2030. To win Partner of the Year, organizations must publicly celebrate “better together” stories with validated customer wins. Modern leaders should transition from a “growth mindset” to a “frontier mindset” to keep pace with rapid technological change. https://youtu.be/xJmd43NvfnI If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags Trust Economy, Selling to Machines, Amazon vs Perplexity Lawsuit, Frontier Firm, AI Agents, Copilot Studio, Anthropic Claude, Microsoft Partner of the Year, B2B Marketplaces, Gen Z Buyer Behavior, Digital Freedom, AI Therapy, Ray Kurzweil Singularity, Substack Growth, Co-selling Partnerships, MCI Funding, Azure Accelerate, Agentic AI, Transcending Tech, Ashleigh Vogstad. Transcript Asleigh Vogstad Audio Podcast [00:00:00] Ashleigh Vogstad: The attention economy is about selling to human beings. Now, if you look at something like the Amazon versus Perplexity lawsuit, the whole underlying premise is around the shift of no longer selling to humans directly, but of selling to machines. [00:00:19] Vince Menzione: We just finished Ultimate Partners Winter Retreat here in beautiful Boca to a sold out crowd. Today I’m joined by Ashley Waad. The CEO of transcends for this compelling discussion. Ash, welcome back to the podcasts. [00:00:34] Ashleigh Vogstad: It’s so good to be here, Vince. Thank you. Uh, [00:00:37] Vince Menzione: so well, we’re back in Boca again and we were just here yesterday for the Ultimate Partner Executive Winter Retreat in person. [00:00:44] Vince Menzione: What a great event we had together. [00:00:46] Ashleigh Vogstad: It was phenomenal. Thank you so much for having us there and on stage and, and genuinely the community is like a family, so seeing so many familiar faces and spending some quality time was just great. [00:00:57] Vince Menzione: It has really, truly become like family. It really, I’m, I’m, I’m having so much fun with this and getting to watch. [00:01:04] Vince Menzione: Not just our business grow and our community grow, but to see all of our friends and, uh, organizations like Transcends that have been with us since the beginning, since the very first ultimate partner acting even before the first ultimate partner. And, uh. We were just talking about. I’d love to catch up with what you’ve been doing. [00:01:22] Vince Menzione: Like you just came, you’ve been on a whirlwind. I mean, you’re always, every time like it’s, where’s Ash? She’s, uh, she’s on a plane again, or she’s on, she’s on the slopes. But tell us where you were just this week. [00:01:34] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. The week started in a snowstorm, actually transporting myself from Whistler. I didn’t know if I would make it to the airport, but then down to Silicon Valley and [00:01:45] Vince Menzione: Nice. [00:01:46] Ashleigh Vogstad: Wow, that place is just inspiring and eyeopening. I mean, seeing the Nvidia campus, a MD, it’s really just other worldly and it had me reflecting on, it’s [00:02:00] Vince Menzione: not Whistler. Yeah, it’s [00:02:02] Ashleigh Vogstad: definitely not Whistler. Definitely not Whistler [00:02:05] Vince Menzione: about, [00:02:06] Ashleigh Vogstad: um, yeah, it just had me reflecting on being down there. I used to spend a lot of time in the Valley around 2017 and. [00:02:13] Ashleigh Vogstad: In this theme of AI and kind of what’s really coming, I was, I was thinking about, I had met this woman, Julia Moss Bridge, who’s a neuroscientist studying ai. She had a project called Loving Ai, and I was down there when they had borrowed Sophia, this humanoid robot from S and Robotics. [00:02:32] Vince Menzione: Oh yes. Yes. [00:02:33] Ashleigh Vogstad: Really interesting. [00:02:34] Ashleigh Vogstad: Sophia’s actually a citizen of Saudi. Mm-hmm. First, first robot to actually be made citizen of a country. So they had Sophia set up and the part that was just mind boggling at the time was that Sophia was hosting in real life therapy sessions with actual human beings sitting across the table. And what really struck me as. [00:02:59] Ashleigh Vogstad: Kind of just, you know, that was only eight, nine years ago. And that was esoteric. Wacky and [00:03:05] Vince Menzione: eerie. [00:03:05] Ashleigh Vogstad: Weird. [00:03:05] Vince Menzione: Eerie at the time. [00:03:06] Ashleigh Vogstad: Incredibly eerie. Yeah. I mean, a, a human getting, uh, you know, therapy sessions from a robot sitting across the table. Yeah. And it just had me thinking how far we’ve come today. In 2025, Harvard Business Review said that therapy is actually the number one use case for ai. [00:03:26] Vince Menzione: I’ve heard that. That is striking. I go back to COVID. We were having this conversation last night at at the dinner for the Ultimate Partner event, and I think that COVID allowed us to transcend, [00:03:42] Ashleigh Vogstad: mm-hmm. [00:03:42] Vince Menzione: No pun intended there, but actually accelerate where we are today, that the acceptance of AI and the acceleration, or the ability to accept change so quickly. [00:03:56] Vince Menzione: Started with COVID because we were so, so we were forced on whatever it was, March 10th I think, here in the United States to shut down everything and move to this remote life. [00:04:08] Ashleigh Vogstad: Mm-hmm. [00:04:09] Vince Menzione: And I think we’ve been shocked by that. I think our systems have all been shocked by that. And then here comes chat GBT in November of 2022 and we’re like. [00:04:20] Vince Menzione: Shocked in some respects, but like really everyone has embraced it in such a strong way, and now we’re getting. It’s almost daily update. You know, we’re gonna talk, I know we’re gonna talk about Anthropic and some of the things that’s been happening just in this last month that are striking and changing that have a lot of organizations trying to navigate, which is what, you know, you, you help organizations do. [00:04:43] Vince Menzione: But it feels like this is happening so fast and will continue to happen so fast. And as I said yesterday, I don’t know what this world’s gonna look like by 2030. [00:04:53] Ashleigh Vogstad: You know, and I think the thing is, is that nobody knows what the world is gonna look like in 2030. I’ve been reading Ray Kurz Well’s, the Singularity is nearer, so the original book, the Singularity is near and he’s known to be a very accurate predictionist on the future. [00:05:11] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. But even with someone like that, you know, there, there nobody really knows what the world is gonna look like. And when you talk about COVID. At transcends, we have a value of digital freedom. So I founded the business in 2018, which was pre COVID. I as a fully remote organization, and at the time that was, you know, more groundbreaking, but then very quickly with CI that, that became the so-called new normal. [00:05:37] Ashleigh Vogstad: But we’re always thinking about. You know, remote first doesn’t mean remote only, and I think in this tide of what you’ve talked about, technological change being more acceptable and the pace of change. One of the interesting things that we see as a go-to-market agency is that in-person events are increasing. [00:05:56] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:05:57] Ashleigh Vogstad: People want and crave the face-to-face. Just like with the ultimate partner series. [00:06:02] Vince Menzione: I felt it. So it was striking yesterday. It, it seems like it’s, again, this was event number nine for us, but to see the, um, uh, receptiveness isn’t the right term, but it was this, uh, people, the, the embracing. Of seeing each other and hugging each other and being in the same room with each other. [00:06:22] Vince Menzione: And even people that didn’t know each other, like by the, the, as the day evolved, this, uh, connection that they all seemed to have with one another during the sessions and participating, everyone actively participated in the sessions. And, um, I said this in the beginning, we’re not a Slack channel and we’re not like some post on LinkedIn. [00:06:43] Vince Menzione: Uh, we’re there, there’s no playbook that’s set today around partnerships or even go to markets and marketing that we could espouse and say, this is the playbook for the next year. Right. It’s, it’s changing so rapidly. [00:06:55] Ashleigh Vogstad: So rapidly, [00:06:57] Vince Menzione: and you’ve embraced it. And I, and what we’re gonna talk about right now, I mean, I, I, you know, you’ve embraced AI in such a strong way. [00:07:04] Vince Menzione: Um, personally and with your business, I want to, I wanna dive in here a little bit. First of all, a couple things For those of those who are listening who don’t know you, I think maybe just a moment about transcends and your role, and then I wanna dive in on how you’re thinking about ai because I know you’re doing some things personally. [00:07:22] Vince Menzione: I want you to share that with, with our listeners and viewers today. [00:07:25] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah, great. And I just wanna comment that it was a cool moment yesterday being up on stage with yourself and Mark Monday from ServiceNow and having the audience so engaged and active and Nina Harding from Microsoft stepping up and entering the conversation. [00:07:40] Vince Menzione: So cool. [00:07:41] Ashleigh Vogstad: It just made for such a collaborative experience, which was a cool moment, but yeah. Um, so. I founded this business, transcends a go-to-market agency after being at Microsoft myself. And really our differentiation is deep strategic partnerships with hyperscalers, whether that’s AWS, Google, Microsoft, and you know, that. [00:08:03] Ashleigh Vogstad: It comes with a challenge to be on the leading edge of technology. [00:08:08] Vince Menzione: Yes, [00:08:09] Ashleigh Vogstad: it, it’s really an imperative for our business and we are an AI first firm. Microsoft talks a lot about Frontier Firm, and I’ll take a, a different kind of angle on it. You know, when I think about Frontier. I now think about it as instead of the growth mindset, I now think about a frontier mindset. [00:08:28] Vince Menzione: Frontier mindset. You have to change my principles. [00:08:32] Ashleigh Vogstad: You know, maybe, like you said, the world is changing so rapidly. Yeah, it’s [00:08:36] Vince Menzione: changing rapidly. [00:08:36] Ashleigh Vogstad: And what a frontier mindset means is that as we’re approaching work for our clients, we are thinking about AI innovation in every single customer. Interaction, customer innovation. [00:08:49] Ashleigh Vogstad: So today we’re building AI agents into much of the work that we’re delivering for clients. And as a business owner and leader, I’ve been challenged to also think critically around how I’m choosing to run the company. And right now we’re going through a huge overhaul of where we have data sitting in silos and different applications. [00:09:09] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yep. And getting that into one place with one view so we can start layering on more insight. AI innovation. [00:09:17] Vince Menzione: Yeah. And data’s such an critical part, part of this, as we, we talked about yesterday. But you know, even the, what you said, which is, would, would’ve been striking a year ago to say, we’re an AI first, uh, agency isn’t as striking anymore. [00:09:32] Vince Menzione: Uh, we heard Nina when we were having this conversation on stage yesterday, say that it’s an imperative at Microsoft that the agencies that they choose to work with, the third party vendors that they work with have to be an AI first organization. I have to be a frontier firm, and so I’m a, I am sensitive to the word frontier firm. [00:09:53] Vince Menzione: I understand why Microsoft uses it and I understand the value of what we used to call, you know, customer zero or back in the day we used to say eating your own dog food, but essentially being an organization that has leaned in, in a way, and with ai. Even more so, so important to do it. So tell us, I know you’ve done some things personally as well, but tell, tell us what you’ve done with the organization. [00:10:18] Vince Menzione: Uh, you talked about data and making data available and having, having a true data state as opposed to silos of data, but then you also made some personal investments and sacrifices. I would say. [00:10:30] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. [00:10:30] Vince Menzione: Yeah. In terms of what you’re doing around ai, [00:10:32] Ashleigh Vogstad: so I mean, let’s start on the personal side. I’m the CEO of my organization, and you can read in books or news articles that it is critical for AI transformation to start at the C-suite and specifically in the CEO seat. [00:10:46] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:10:46] Ashleigh Vogstad: And that really. Landed for me and so I’m personally leading in About two weeks ago, I built an agent, just end-to-end on my own, got into copilot studio. Wow. Got comfortable with the interface. You know, I was clunky moving around in there at first, chose my model. You know, I went with one of the anthropic Claude models for this particular project and built up an agent that can deliver executive communications like. [00:11:14] Ashleigh Vogstad: Thought leadership blogs, uh, LinkedIn posts, but in a particular human being’s voice by ingesting things like their social profiles, their SharePoint sites, where they live and work. And it has been so surprising doing an ab test between just what a chat GBT or a copilot could produce. [00:11:32] Yeah. [00:11:33] Ashleigh Vogstad: In comparison with the authenticity of the voice coming from the agent. [00:11:37] Ashleigh Vogstad: Uh, it was just a really cool experience to roll up the sleeves and get in there. But also I think the, the investment that you’re referring to is, I made a big decision to return to school and uh, got accepted to go to Oxford. [00:11:52] Vince Menzione: Wow. [00:11:52] Ashleigh Vogstad: And I’m studying artificial intelligence there. [00:11:54] Vince Menzione: That is incredible. That is incredible. [00:11:57] Vince Menzione: Oxford, uh, we’ve heard of that school before here in the United States. [00:12:03] Ashleigh Vogstad: You know, it’s been a really great experience. It’s in person, so I’m traveling there about every 60 to 90 days and living on campus. I mean, really, Oxford isn’t. Formally a campus, it’s sort of a, a city and a university all, all ruled into one and the experience has been really powerful. [00:12:21] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yes. One of the things I wanted to get outta the program was a more global perspective, and it’s been fascinating to me that about half the faculty so far, or or professors, guest lecturers that have been coming into the program have been from China or very direct experience working in the Chinese market. [00:12:38] Vince Menzione: That is fascinating. [00:12:39] Ashleigh Vogstad: It’s been a completely different view. Or for example, you know, really digging into some of the legal cases that are driving precedence for how AI is interacting with corporations. [00:12:51] Vince Menzione: Mm. [00:12:51] Ashleigh Vogstad: One of the big ones for me has been looking at Amazon versus p perplexity. This is still a live case that’s happening right now. [00:12:58] Ashleigh Vogstad: And you know, I think it was Forbes magazine that the headline was the End of Commerce for this case because it’s really about. How human beings are being replaced with machines and hearing some of the world’s leading thinkers, leading AI researchers on these topics has just been really expansive. [00:13:19] Vince Menzione: It’s fascinating. [00:13:20] Vince Menzione: I mean, it’s, this started a couple years ago with, uh, Hollywood, in fact. Suing the industry or suing the technology companies with regards to, uh, employment, right? Mm-hmm. About the, the, uh, copyright infringement and what’s gonna happen in the entertainment industry. And I think that was just a one very small example. [00:13:40] Ashleigh Vogstad: You know, voice people think about DeepFakes. Yeah. And they think about video, but actually voice is a big issue. And you look at the, um, you know, the what happened between Scarlett Johansson and her voice in her, and then open AI rolling out a voice that sounded identical. Sounds like her. [00:13:59] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:13:59] Ashleigh Vogstad: To Scarlett Johansen and, and where that went. [00:14:01] Ashleigh Vogstad: It’s, it, this is a new ground for, for everybody that we’re going through right now. [00:14:07] Vince Menzione: It is. We can dive and go in so many different directions, but let’s talk about marketing and advertising since that’s kind of. Transcends core, and a lot of the people that watch and listen to us are in the partnership world. [00:14:22] Vince Menzione: They’re leading organizations, they own organizations, the the chief executives or CVPs of organizations. Let’s talk about advertising and where that’s going. [00:14:32] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah, great. [00:14:33] Vince Menzione: Yeah, [00:14:33] Ashleigh Vogstad: I mean, uh, I love Marshall McCluen. He’s a Canadian theor, uh, media theorist, and in 1964, he very famously said, the medium is the message. [00:14:43] Ashleigh Vogstad: And what that really means when you peel back the layers is that every type of communication medium has these inherent biases. And I think what we’re experiencing right now is this new medium of artificial intelligence, and I’m really interested in exploring what that means for the media world. So. If I gonna take you back to 1997, there’s this really famous, the Innovator’s Dilemma. [00:15:10] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yes. Kind of a classic business 1 0 1 type book by Clayton Christensen. Yes. And he talks about this theory of disruption where new technologies, emerging technologies start at the low end of the market. They gain this momentum and they eventually displace incumbents. And you know, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere. [00:15:28] Vince Menzione: Yeah. And Microsoft was a good example of this at that time. [00:15:32] Ashleigh Vogstad: Def, [00:15:32] Vince Menzione: yeah. [00:15:33] Ashleigh Vogstad: All the big players. All the big players. I mean, Google go for search as well, right? So that’s one of the classic examples. And so. If we look at storytelling technology, you have things like chat, GBT and Sora entering the scene. And in the beginning, you know, they’re producing a shitty first draft. [00:15:51] Ashleigh Vogstad: Uh, you know, it’s things like post-apocalyptic dogs with five finger human beings. Yeah. Things like this. But, you know, and they really lacked emotional resonance. But as we all know. That’s not the case anymore. No, it’s [00:16:05] Vince Menzione: not. [00:16:06] Ashleigh Vogstad: AI is increasingly producing content that is very powerful and is starting to resonate with people. [00:16:13] Ashleigh Vogstad: You know, I’m definitely not a neuroscientist, but if we, we look into the neuroscience, it’s your cortical sal circuit that. Kind of is responsible for pattern recognition and it compares what you’re seeing in the real world with what you expect to see. So when you take this into a space of advertising, you know, if there’s an ad that is AI generated, that is just weird and kind of. [00:16:38] Ashleigh Vogstad: Tweaking for you. [00:16:39] Vince Menzione: Like that robot we were talking about earlier, [00:16:41] Ashleigh Vogstad: like the robot we were Exactly, yeah. Like Sophia, you enter what psychologists call the uncanny valley, so it’s like what you’re looking at isn’t exactly what you’re expecting to see and the Spidey sense is, is tweaking. You know, that’s a low place of emotional resonance. [00:16:58] Ashleigh Vogstad: This world is changing really, really quickly and we’re seeing AI generated media make huge impacts in the market Now, tools like Luma Dream Machine, I mean, it’s incredible what they can achieve today. [00:17:11] Vince Menzione: It’s fascinating. We see it in, you know, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. That’s sort of the world of our business community, and you can very easily detect when someone is doing a post. [00:17:22] Vince Menzione: Or they’re writing an art, whatever they’re doing. Right. Some type of draft of something. Uh, and you can tell when it’s ai, I mean, it’s so easy to tell, and even people are generating reports and claiming that their research papers or studies or whatever they call them, uh, and it’s AI generated and it’s just the authenticity isn’t there. [00:17:39] Vince Menzione: The, the sense that this is real. That it can be trusted is not there. And I think trust is what we’re talking about here too, as well. [00:17:47] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. I mean, let’s go to authenticity ’cause that’s super important. Yeah. And I know a lot of your listeners, you come from the hyperscaler world of partnerships. You need to have that differentiated, better together story. [00:17:59] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. It’s really important to have an authentic voice in market. And I think about that also in terms of platforms and channels. We’re seeing a decrease in certain major social media platforms, and yet Substack spiked 48% in monthly active users last month. [00:18:15] Vince Menzione: That’s [00:18:16] fascinating. [00:18:16] Ashleigh Vogstad: Um, you know, and I think that one of the reasons is it’s viewed as a more authentic channel where you’re getting thought leadership from people that you’re, you know, genuinely interested in hearing their, their points of view. [00:18:28] Ashleigh Vogstad: And I think that’s really an important piece in here. [00:18:31] Vince Menzione: Yeah, you mentioned this yesterday and you had me thinking about it as well because we have used LinkedIn for everything internally, our newsletter, which has been around for six or seven years now. But that Substack is really, and I go to Substack too, to, if I really wanna dig in on a topic. [00:18:47] Ashleigh Vogstad: Mm. [00:18:47] Vince Menzione: And there’s a particular author that I like their point of view, I’ll follow, I’ll follow them on Substack. [00:18:53] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. I mean, and this comes, maybe brings us around to who is the buyer and who is the audience, and who do we need to be thinking about when we’re designing sales and marketing programs. And really we’re, we’re shifting into the place of the Gen Z buyer by 20 30, 70 5% of buyers are gonna be Gen Z. [00:19:12] Ashleigh Vogstad: They’re gonna control 12 trillion in. Spend [00:19:16] Vince Menzione: by 2030. ’cause we, we’ve been, we’ve been saying that the millennial is the new buyer the last three years. I think Jay said it right here at this stage. [00:19:23] Ashleigh Vogstad: Mm. [00:19:24] Vince Menzione: Um, so now it’s Gen Z. [00:19:27] Ashleigh Vogstad: And they’re buying online. Yeah, they’re buying in marketplaces. Yeah. So a stat recently was that roughly half of them made purchases on the social platforms of YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok in the last month. [00:19:39] Ashleigh Vogstad: I mean, that buyer behavior of being inside. Social type application and directly making a purchase. And I think in the B2B world, we need to take lessons from here and start thinking more front and center than we even have been around marketplaces. I mean, part of my reason for being in Silicon Valley this week was to celebrate a $12 million transaction that happened via Marketplace and two years ago that would’ve been a huge deal. [00:20:06] Ashleigh Vogstad: Huge, [00:20:07] Vince Menzione: huge. [00:20:07] Ashleigh Vogstad: And, and it still is a really big deal, but these things are becoming. More and more common experiences. Very much so. We need to be there and in that conversation. [00:20:16] Vince Menzione: So how are you thinking about it? How are you directing your clients to behave or act around it? What are you, what are you doing exactly that we could take to this community perhaps and share with them. [00:20:28] Ashleigh Vogstad: I’ll bring it back to the authenticity piece because you need to have a product that delivers value first and foremost. There is, there is no substitution for that. Yeah, and what I would say is. One of my professors at Oxford, Eric Zow, he has this theory that I’m really digging into and finding very fascinating, which is that for the last several decades we’ve been in the attention economy, and that’s shifting to the trust economy. [00:20:55] Ashleigh Vogstad: Now the attention economy is about selling to human beings. Yeah. It’s about the, the business model is essentially that you need human being eyeballs on lists of recommendation links. Yeah. Whether that’s from Google or from, you know, searching, shopping on Amazon, you get this list of recommendation links and the economic engine that drives that business model is advertising. [00:21:19] Ashleigh Vogstad: Now, if you look at something like the Amazon versus Perplexity lawsuit, the whole underlying premise is around the shift of no longer selling to humans directly, but of selling to machines, or in other words, agents who are making purchases, s on behalf on your behalf. And an agent isn’t going to be razzle dazzled by some inauthentic story. [00:21:44] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:21:44] Ashleigh Vogstad: They’re gonna be looking for third party validation on Exactly. You know, they need to be sure that they’re making the right decision. [00:21:51] Vince Menzione: They’re gonna look at surveys, they’re gonna look at customer comments. Like if I went through my Amazon site and I was looking to see what people said about the purchase or the product and specifically Exactly. [00:22:01] Vince Menzione: The agent’s gonna do this on my behalf, is what you’re saying. [00:22:04] Ashleigh Vogstad: This is what I’m saying. Yeah. And, and. I believe that to layer on top of, you know, Eric Z’s philosophy, I’ve been thinking about this in terms of the hyperscaler world, and I think that this is the time to lean into co-selling partnerships. [00:22:18] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah, because being third party validated by somebody like AWS Microsoft and having all that co-sell data, what are your recent wins? Yes, that’s really high integrity, trusted data source for an agent to make a purchasing decision, and marketplaces are a key part of that. [00:22:35] Vince Menzione: So we’ll move from AI will take a, a more active role in the marketplace. [00:22:40] Ashleigh Vogstad: I definitely believe so. [00:22:42] Vince Menzione: Which makes total sense. I, you know, we’ve been doing this for nine or 10 years now, and when I was at Microsoft, we started co-selling. In fact, it was, uh, Aaron Feiger was up on stage yesterday talking about it. Right? January of 2016, co-selling began. [00:22:55] Ashleigh Vogstad: Mm. [00:22:56] Vince Menzione: And there were only a few companies doing it. [00:22:59] Vince Menzione: Right. So she worked with one of the very first ones that were doing it. Uh, the challenge we have today is there are tens of thousands of partner organizations in the marketplace that are all trying to get the attention of the Microsoft sellers. Hmm. As, or the Google sellers or the AWS sellers and tell their story. [00:23:19] Vince Menzione: And a seller only has so many minutes in a day, they have a quota that they have to hit. These quotas are tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars of annual quota of cloud consumption. And I wanna sell my $50,000 widget, whatever it is. Yeah. Right. And I, I don’t understand why I’m not getting a callback. [00:23:38] Vince Menzione: And this, this is the dilemma we’ve faced because of, because of this, uh, scarcity of time and this over overwhelming of tech, you know. Tech, tech buyers trying to make this all happen, so now the AI can come in and help me solve for it as a seller, right? [00:23:55] Ashleigh Vogstad: The AI is definitely acting as an interface to make recommendations to field sellers in different organizations and. [00:24:04] Ashleigh Vogstad: To, to kind of take this on a, a tangent. Dupes. So a dupe. I know people of my generation, we’d think about this like a knockoff Right. You know, a knockoff handbag. [00:24:15] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:24:15] Ashleigh Vogstad: Dupes have exploded. [00:24:16] Vince Menzione: Fake. Fake Rolexes. [00:24:18] Ashleigh Vogstad: Exactly. The fake Rolex for sure. And I think it was in December, P WC rolled out a survey. 81% of Gen Z were planning to purchase a dupe this holiday season. [00:24:29] Vince Menzione: That’s wild. [00:24:30] Ashleigh Vogstad: Dupes can be, you know, we gave luxury, good examples, but Louis [00:24:34] Vince Menzione: Vuitton and yeah. So, [00:24:35] Ashleigh Vogstad: but furniture, these sorts of things. And the important takeaway here for tech is the same principle will land, is that people are looking for value out of a product, not necessarily a name brand. AI is accelerating this whole process, and agents are gonna be looking at the same thing. [00:24:56] Ashleigh Vogstad: They’re looking for that authenticity in terms of the actual product value. So, you know, beware there’s lots of disruption happening in the market right now with this dupe mentality, which is actually a cultural shift talking about I appreciate value over a superficial. Brand name. In some cases, there’s also a, a small contrary trend where certain luxury goods are rising because yes, things are never that simple. [00:25:22] Vince Menzione: So you work with a lot of these tech companies, a lot of SaaS companies, is we, we call them ISVs, we also call them, uh, software development companies. Now we keep changing these acronyms around. Uh, there’s been a lot of, uh, consternation in that segment, I would say, around ai. Right, because a lot of them are getting told that they’ll be outta business in a few years. [00:25:43] Vince Menzione: Mm-hmm. I think Satya Nadella famously said this last year that SAS will go away. Right? He’s predicting the demise. How do you help some of these organizations to differentiate? And there’s some of these are huge value organizations. We have have them in the room with us, ServiceNow and Veeam and Adobe. [00:26:01] Vince Menzione: Um, how do you help them achieve their results? ’cause that’s what you, you know, your organization is really helping these organizations to achieve their pinnacle as a partner. What do you, what do you say to them now and how do you help them through this time? [00:26:16] Ashleigh Vogstad: I’m on the side of the fence that I really can’t see an organization ripping out something like Salesforce, Adobe, ServiceNow. [00:26:24] Vince Menzione: Agreed. [00:26:24] Ashleigh Vogstad: I mean that the amount of change management and. The extent to which these, these platforms are embedded, actually running and operating organizations. I personally, if, if we’re calling those companies, SaaS companies, I don’t agree that that layer is gonna go away. I mean, we’re seeing these organizations lean into AI in a huge way to borrow Microsofts. [00:26:50] Ashleigh Vogstad: Term, you know, they’re all becoming frontier firms. [00:26:54] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:26:54] Ashleigh Vogstad: So where I would go to, to answer that question, we do work with many, you know, organizations on that caliber, on things like their marketplace strategy on how to light up the fields of different hyperscalers. It really does come down to things like having a strong drumbeat with the Microsoft field, celebrating your win stories. [00:27:15] Ashleigh Vogstad: Maybe that’s where I’ll land as Please do the marketer, because it sounds so simple, and I don’t know why we kind of continue to come back to this, but we’re talking about that third party validation and really, um, in order to have that, like what the hyperscalers want is you jointly celebrating success. [00:27:36] Ashleigh Vogstad: Here’s the kicker. Publicly. [00:27:38] Vince Menzione: Publicly, [00:27:39] Ashleigh Vogstad: you know, you need a customer story on your website, a press release that contains a quote from your customer. Ideally, also a quote from an executive at one of the hyperscalers. Like, actually lean in to live the value of your better together story. And when you do that, when you, when it comes around to partner of the year time, and we talk to you about, okay, what client stories are we gonna feature? [00:28:03] Ashleigh Vogstad: We’re even gonna know because when we Google you, we can see the public press of the joint wins that you’ve been celebrating. And I can tell you that that is a huge indicator on whether or not you’re well-placed to be in the 4% of partners who actually win Partner of the Year award’s. [00:28:20] Vince Menzione: Fascinating to me. [00:28:21] Vince Menzione: ’cause to me it would feel like table stakes maybe ’cause where we sit is ultimate partner and where this room sits with all the top partners that I just assume that everybody follows that. That, that guidance. [00:28:34] Ashleigh Vogstad: Mm. [00:28:34] Vince Menzione: And so this is really impactful and I want to get here because I know you spent a lot of time here and we’ve talked about it before, but I think the partner of the year awards, when we first met many years ago, that was a you, you’ve expanded the business, but that’s still a core mission and and value that you bring to the community and to the partner ecosystem is helping them through this process. [00:28:55] Vince Menzione: So I know that that’s gonna be coming up soon, so I thought maybe we’d spend a couple moments on that. [00:29:00] Ashleigh Vogstad: Partner of the Year awards, regardless of which partner, I mean, Salesforce has their own awards there. There’s more and more award programs coming out, and they’re a great way to celebrate the incredible work that your organization has done. [00:29:13] Ashleigh Vogstad: Jay McBain is brilliant on this. He’ll talk a lot about the increase in valuation. Yeah. The, the increase in stock valuation or the likelihood that if you’re looking to be acquired, that you’re acquired within 12 months of a partner of the year win it. It’s really impressive. There is strong business value there. [00:29:33] Vince Menzione: He like, he likes, he likes to tell the story of that when the award is handed to them and they go back into the audience, that the private equity people are all over them right then and there and making offers. I mean, that’s the visual that you get [00:29:47] Ashleigh Vogstad: and it’s very powerful. Yeah. Very powerful. It’s very powerful and it, it can make it worthwhile to invest in the process, but don’t invest in the process if you haven’t been investing in the process for the 12 months. [00:29:57] Ashleigh Vogstad: Prior, [00:29:58] Vince Menzione: exactly. [00:29:58] Ashleigh Vogstad: The Microsoft field or you we’re talking about Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. They need to know about your win that that needs to be top of mind for them. Yeah. How much Azure revenue is it driving? Was it a huge marketplace? Build sales and. You know, one of the questions I get asked a ton, everybody wants to know how do we get money out of the hyperscalers? [00:30:20] Ashleigh Vogstad: How do I get access to marketing development funds or all these different programs? Yeah. You know, at Microsoft, some of these programs are like EI and customer investment funds or Azure Accelerate, you know, and there’s millions and millions and millions of dollars in these, these buckets of funds, but. [00:30:36] Ashleigh Vogstad: An interesting point of view is that it’s actually a scorecard metric for many people at Microsoft who have partnership roles for you to be drawing down those funds. [00:30:45] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:30:45] Ashleigh Vogstad: You know, your interests are actually aligned here, and so again, when it comes to Partner of the Year awards, how much money have you pulled down? [00:30:54] Ashleigh Vogstad: How much have you been an activating partner of key Microsoft programs that they’re pushing? What are you doing with marketplace rewards? How are you resing? Those into your business. These are the types of things that you really wanna be thinking about. Sitting it. You know, this time of year we probably will get the awards were likely be due in July. [00:31:13] Ashleigh Vogstad: They haven’t officially announced timelines, but you’ve got a few months to start moving these pieces into place. [00:31:18] Vince Menzione: And there are quite a few of them. And to your point, Nina, when she was up on stage here yesterday, there were at least 10 or 12 award. Uh. Funding categories that were on her, that were on her slide. [00:31:31] Vince Menzione: Her partner, her partner slide. So, [00:31:33] Ashleigh Vogstad: and what great looks like for a partner is that you understand your end-to-end funnel as it is mapped to Microsoft’s SEM model, the Microsoft customer Engagement model. Mm-hmm. The first stage there, inspire and design. That’s really the marketing space of lead generation. [00:31:50] Ashleigh Vogstad: So how are you generating leads with webinars, in-person, event activations, digital campaigns, and then at the very end, in the fifth column, you have the Microsoft outcomes that you’re driving. Yes. Whether that’s Azure consumed revenue, marketplace build sales, co-pilot, monthly active usage, these sorts of things. [00:32:10] Ashleigh Vogstad: And in each of those SEM swim lanes. There’s Microsoft funding associated to it. And that’s one of the things that Nina Harding was showing yesterday. When and where does it make sense to make requests for EA funds versus Azure accelerate the MCI funding? There’s different workshop proof of concept funding, and those all fall at specific stages in that EM model. [00:32:33] Vince Menzione: And what you’re also pointing out in this conversation is that the co the partners need to understand that mm, they need to understand MM. We talked about it years ago. I’ve had, haven’t had anybody on stage recently talk about m You could probably take us through that if we wanted to devote some time here, uh, and then understand all of those categories and how to access those funds. [00:32:52] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah, it’s critical and. The number one place we point partners, if you want a quick overview of what that looks like is to Microsoft’s FY 26 solution playbooks. Nice. They’re available on the web for download. There’s, well, there used to be three, but they’ve added a few agen being, being one. So, so there’s a handful of, they had [00:33:11] Vince Menzione: simplified it, now they’re, now they’re expanding it back again. [00:33:14] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah, exactly. I think there’s now a breakout for security as well. Yes. So take a look at those playbooks. It will map programs and incentives very specifically to each solution area and to each sales play that are gonna be available to you. And then we’re always happy to guide people through the details [00:33:32] Vince Menzione: as well. [00:33:32] Vince Menzione: I love that. I love that. And reach out to the. Ashley is just amazing at this process. I’ve, I’ve watched her for years now, work with some of the top, what have become the pinnacle partners of Microsoft and with the award season coming up. So we wanna make sure we have a plug there. But I also wanna talk about like, podcasts with you. [00:33:50] Vince Menzione: Um, you’ve been on this podcast multiple times, been in the studio before doing this, and I understand you have your own podcast now. So tell us about that. [00:33:58] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah, Vince, I just wanna say. As a friend and a mentor. You’ve been so inspiring. Thank you. And I think from years ago when we met, there was this seed in my brain of, you know, I, I should really get out there. [00:34:13] Ashleigh Vogstad: And you talk a lot about growth mindset and fear setting is, is one of Tim Ferriss’s terms? Yes. And models. [00:34:21] Vince Menzione: I love Tim Ferris. I’ve been, been a fan of his for 10 years now. So that’s settled. We all got started with this. Sorry. Sorry, I [00:34:26] Ashleigh Vogstad: interrupt. No, no, not at all. [00:34:27] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:34:28] Ashleigh Vogstad: And. I think it’s just been, it’s been back there. [00:34:31] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. That I’m really passionate around having voice is how I think about it. And as a marketing agency, we’re really amplifying the voice, um, or helping companies to find their voice, particularly in hyperscaler partnerships. And what better way to assist, you know, authentically the amazing people in our network, in our community and our clients than with our own channel where we can celebrate their stories and success? [00:35:00] Vince Menzione: Very cool. [00:35:01] Ashleigh Vogstad: So the podcast is called Transcending Tech. It’s about [00:35:06] Vince Menzione: very cool transcending tech. Just so you don’t [00:35:08] Ashleigh Vogstad: transcending tech. [00:35:08] Vince Menzione: It’s out there now. [00:35:10] Ashleigh Vogstad: It, we just released our first episode. Okay. I think two days ago. [00:35:13] Vince Menzione: So by the time we’re live, yes. We’ll, we’ll be able to access it. Good. [00:35:17] Ashleigh Vogstad: You will be able to access it. [00:35:18] Ashleigh Vogstad: The first episode is with Alyssa Fit. Patrick from Elastic. [00:35:21] Vince Menzione: Oh my goodness. [00:35:22] Ashleigh Vogstad: And the concept of the podcast, it’s long form and it’s really about getting to the people behind the platforms. [00:35:29] Vince Menzione: Very cool. [00:35:29] Ashleigh Vogstad: And to the stories that transcend technology. So we’re here to get to know the human beings behind. Agents. [00:35:38] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:35:38] Ashleigh Vogstad: And taking the time to, to go in deep and really explore that. [00:35:43] Vince Menzione: So I am excited to see all the developments here with the, with the podcast. And you’re gonna be joining us again. You were just here, you in Boca. But you’ll be joining us again in Bellevue. Not too far a little bit. Closer ride or travel, uh, for you to come to Bellevue. [00:35:57] Vince Menzione: We’re gonna be hosting the first ultimate partner live, which is our larger events in this beautiful facility, this new Intercontinental hotel, which is fabulous. And, uh, you’re gonna be taking a more active role. Your leadership around AI is. Palpable and we’re gonna love to have you on stage and talking through some of the changes. [00:36:17] Vince Menzione: I, I suspect by the time we get to Bellevue we’ll have a lot more to talk about. That hasn’t even happened yet. [00:36:23] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah, I’m really excited. I’ll have been through my next cohort at at Oxford, kind of coming out hot from there back to the Pacific Northwest, and really excited to just share the learnings and Awesome. [00:36:35] Ashleigh Vogstad: Genuinely. It’s also helping me in my own research, really formulate particularly around the role of ag agentic AI in hyperscaler partnerships. [00:36:43] Vince Menzione: That’s so cool. And then what I’ll say is this, and I don’t know, we on the space perspective, and I’ll, the team will probably hang me for this because we haven’t done it yet, but if you wanna bring the podcast along with you, there might be, we’ll see if we can find an extra room for you to set up. [00:36:58] Vince Menzione: If you wanna do some interviews while you’re. In, at the event. So [00:37:02] Ashleigh Vogstad: you’re so generous, Vince. [00:37:03] Vince Menzione: That’s [00:37:04] Ashleigh Vogstad: amazing. [00:37:04] Vince Menzione: Thank you. Again, I can’t say for certainty yet, but, uh, let’s see, let’s see what happens with that. So, uh, let, let’s, uh, you know, I always, we, we have known each other for years and I just assume everybody knows this amazing Ashley sda. [00:37:19] Vince Menzione: But, um, we always, I like to ask this question because it helps us kind of dig in a little bit about you personally. And it’s my favorite question. I ask all my guests this question now, and it’s, um, you’re hosting a dinner party, Ashley, you are, pick a pace, place, you wanna have this dinner. We could talk about parts of the world. [00:37:36] Vince Menzione: You’ve traveled all extensively. Uh, and you can invite any three people, guests from the present. Or the past to this amazing dinner party you’re throwing. Whom would you invite and why? [00:37:52] Ashleigh Vogstad: It’s a beautiful question, Vince and. Instantly I go to a place in terms of the location, since you asked that part, which was surprising. [00:38:01] Ashleigh Vogstad: I, I like that is my home. I, I love where I live up in Whistler, Canada and [00:38:08] Vince Menzione: I hear it’s beautiful. I haven’t been yet, [00:38:10] Ashleigh Vogstad: it’s so gorgeous and it’s, it’s my own sanctuary. You know, I live on a plane 75% of the time and coming back to that place is really grounding for me. Yes. So, so I would love to have it at, at my home and to invite. [00:38:24] Ashleigh Vogstad: Pippa Malrin would be one. She, Pippa [00:38:26] Vince Menzione: Malrin. [00:38:27] Ashleigh Vogstad: Yeah. She’s sure. I get an advisor to the White House for many administrations. Okay. She’s an economist and she just has really interesting perspective on geopolitics. Uh, I follow her on Substack ’cause she’s a big substack. Okay, now [00:38:41] Vince Menzione: I need to look. This is awesome. [00:38:42] Vince Menzione: The [00:38:43] Ashleigh Vogstad: mal, she’s fantastic. I would say Dr. Lisa Sue, the CEO, Dr. Lisa of a md. [00:38:49] Vince Menzione: Okay. Yes, yes. I know a little bit about her. [00:38:51] Ashleigh Vogstad: So she was one of Time Mag, I think she was the only woman in Time Magazine’s, group of people of the year, which was basically this AI cohort in including, you know, the Elon Musks of the world. [00:39:03] Ashleigh Vogstad: Uh, it’s just so impressive what she’s doing with leadership in a MD. I don’t think it’s as public as. Anybody else who is on the cover of that magazine, but it’s incredibly powerful. [00:39:14] Vince Menzione: Yeah, they’ve made a com uh, turnaround’s probably not the right word, but it seems like they’ve made a tremendous, uh, gains turnaround probably in the last few years. [00:39:23] Ashleigh Vogstad: I would say that many would say turnaround. And then lastly is Dr. Fefe Lee, who. For those in the AI space, particularly AI research space. I mean, she’s arguably number one. Um, she’s leading at Stanford currently. [00:39:37] Vince Menzione: Wow. This is gonna be a heady conversation, but you know, I love conversations. So if you don’t mind, maybe I’ll bring dessert and come, come in for a few moments, maybe do some podcast interviews there. [00:39:48] Vince Menzione: How’s that? [00:39:49] Ashleigh Vogstad: That sounds absolutely perfect, Vince, [00:39:50] Vince Menzione: so, so good. So good to have you here today. So great. Good to have you in the studio again, and, uh, excited for transcends and all the great work you’re doing. Um. This time with ai. I think you, uh, we talked about this a little bit last night. I think you’ve made some really wise, personal and professional decisions about how to lead and how to take this forward and not kind of rest on your laurels, which you see so many organizations do People fear change [00:40:17] Ashleigh Vogstad: Hmm. [00:40:18] Vince Menzione: And you embrace it, which is just, it’s astounding to me that you do that and, um. I look forward to working with you in the future and for years and years to come. So I will ask you one more question though, because we are still at the precipice of these tectonic shifts and we’re still early in 2026. And so for our listeners and our viewers today, what would be the one thing you would tell them that they need to go do now that possibly they haven’t done yet as they prepare for 2026 and beyond? [00:40:52] Ashleigh Vogstad: The generic phrase would be, be curious, but if we want an action, it would be go build an agent. [00:40:59] Vince Menzione: Go build an agent [00:41:00] Ashleigh Vogstad: if, if you haven’t already. Yeah. And, and I’m, yeah. Speaking hopefully to like a business audience, you know, to, to anyone. Yeah. Really, um, find something that is interesting that you’re passionate about. [00:41:12] Ashleigh Vogstad: A, a use case that it doesn’t have to be some big thing. It could be quite mundane, but just something that’s gonna help you in your role. It’s, you know, what is creativity is an interesting question, and I can tell you that sitting down and hands-on keys and actually creating something is, is a beautiful, powerful experience. [00:41:32] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Awesome. All right. We’re all gonna go create agents this weekend, so thank you for listening. Thank you for viewing the Ultimate Guide to partnering on our YouTube channel, ultimate Partner, and on each end of your platforms at the Ultimate Guide to partnering. Thank you for being with us and supporting us all these years. [00:41:50] Vince Menzione: Thank you. Don’t forget, ultimate Partner Live is coming soon, May 11th through the 13th in beautiful Bellevue, Washington. I hope to see you there.

Washington Post personal finance columnist, Michelle Singletary, tells the moving story of how a visit to her grade school by the Reverend Jesse Jackson inspired her life and career as described in her column, “How the Rev. Jesse Jackson Taught Me to Keep Hope Alive." Then Ralph welcomes Professor Eric S. Fish from U.C Davis School of Law to explain how grand juries are no longer rubber-stamping frivolous cases brought to them by the Trump Administration. Plus, Ralph gives us his take on Trump's marathon State of the Union speech and the Democratic response.Michelle Singletary writes the nationally-syndicated personal finance column “The Color of Money,” which appears in the Washington Post on Wednesdays and Sundays. In 2021, she won the Gerald Loeb award for commentary. She has written four personal finance books, including, What to Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide and The 21-Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom.The Trump administration's destruction of diversity, equity, and inclusion—they misunderstand what that means. It doesn't mean that you're giving jobs to people who are unqualified. It means that you recognize that the playing field wasn't even, and let's even this playing field. I liken it to a football team. You can't have a football team of all quarterbacks and win. You have to have a quarterback, a running back, a linebacker, you have to have a good kicker. It's the same thing—your team has to encompass people that represent all kinds of abilities to have a winning team. So DEI isn't a giveaway. It isn't charity. It recognizes that when you have people from different backgrounds and different perspectives and different skill levels, you have a winning team.Michelle SingletaryEric S Fish is professor of law at the UC Davis School of Law. Professor Fish's primary research is in criminal law, with particular focus on the ethical duties of participants in the criminal process, the structure of immigration crimes, and the system's emphasis on administrative efficiency. He has also served as a public defender, first with the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, and later as a Federal Defender in San Diego.This has been a really remarkable series of rejections of the Trump administration's prosecutions by ordinary people serving on grand juries, and one that is largely unprecedented in modern American history. I can't think of another example of grand juries rejecting such high-profile cases (and so many of them). Nothing really comes to mind. So in a certain sense, one might say this is the grand jury's original purpose…Initially they were a democratic institution of governance. They were a local check on the colonial oppression of the British (at least in the early colonial period). They refused to indict prosecutions under the Stamp Act, under the revenue laws. They were a tool of anti-colonial resistance to British oppression, and this seems at least broadly analogous to that—local grand juries in places like Minnesota, Chicago, Washington, D.C. are rejecting the Trump administration's attempts to prosecute its political enemies and bring trumped-up charges against protesters.Eric S. FishAll in all, [the State of the Union address] was fodder for political scientists for years to come. A dictatorial serial law violator, self-enriching chronic liar, cruel, vicious to vulnerable people and people without power (which is a majority of the people) elected dictator. This speech—which went for one hour and 48 minutes, the longest State of the Union speech ever—will be analyzed for a long time with the question at the center of the analysis being: How could so many tens of millions of voters be taken in by Trump's mouth, his lies, his false statements, his fantasies, his fake promises, his lack of any kind of record, whether as a businessman where he used bankruptcies as a strategy…and his record as a politician in his first term? That's the question we have to ask ourselves. And it's too easy to say that the Trump voters couldn't stand the Democrats who abandoned them. That's not enough. They could have not voted for Trump. They could have written in a vote. They could have voted for the Green, Libertarian, or other minor parties. They can't use the Democrats as a 100% excuse for voting for Trump. And a lot of them didn't. They just liked Trump. They liked his prejudices. They liked his lies. They liked his fantasies. They liked his fake promises.Ralph NaderNews 2/27/26* Our top stories this week come to us from our southern neighbor, Mexico. First, on February 22nd, Mexican authorities announced they had successfully conducted an operation resulting in the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, aka “El Mencho,” who headed the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). In retaliation, the cartels launched a wave of violence throughout the country. Bafflingly, given the obvious enmity between the cartels and the government of Claudia Sheinbaum, Elon Musk implied that Sheinbaum is in the pocket of the very drug cartels with whom she is practically at war. Reuters reports Musk “responded to a 2025 video of Sheinbaum discussing cartel violence and alleged that she was ‘saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say.” Reuters notes that Musk did not provide further evidence. In fact, much of the strength of the Mexican cartels would actually be more accurately attributed to the United States. As USA Today writes, Mexican officials recovered a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 10 long arm [rifles], handguns, and grenades, from El Mencho's weapons stockpile. Mexican Defense Minister, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo estimated that about 80% of the recovered weapons were purchased in the United States and smuggled into Mexico. This represents just the tip of the iceberg of the so-called “iron river” of firearms flooding Mexico's black market from the U.S. As opposed to the lax gun laws in the states, gun ownership in Mexico is “tightly restricted…[and] There is only one military-run gun store in the country.”* Meanwhile, President Sheinbaum is bucking American pressure by continuing to send humanitarian aid to the tiny, embattled island nation of Cuba. AP reports that last week, “Two Mexican Navy ships laden with humanitarian aid docked in Cuba…two weeks after…President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island.” These ships carried 800 tons worth of bundles of “Made in Mexico” goods, including rice, beans, amaranth and crackers — complemented by a bottle of oil, large cans of sardines and canned peaches. Another 1,500 tons of powdered milk and beans are expected to be sent to Cuba in the coming days. The U.S. has taken a more bellicose line with Cuba than it has in quite some time, even taking naval action in the waters surrounding the island, making Mexico's support that much more critical.* In another Cuba story, a diplomatic incident is unfolding this week regarding a Florida-registered speedboat. According to the island's government, the boat, carrying 10 passengers, entered Cuban territorial waters and opened fire on Cuban soldiers. The Cubans responded in kind, killing four people aboard the craft and wounding six others. According to the Cuban authorities, most of the passengers “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.” These include Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, both wanted by Cuban authorities based on their involvement in “the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of…acts of terrorism.” The Cubans also claim to have arrested one Duniel Hernández Santos, who was supposedly “sent from the United States to guarantee the reception of the armed infiltration.” They claim Hernández Santos has confessed. American authorities have so far evinced confusion more than anything else, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying “We're going to figure out exactly what happened.” This from AP.* Whatever cloak and dagger games the administration may be playing in the Caribbean, they have been pointedly unsubtle about their saber rattling regarding Iran – and the reaction from Congress has been meager. While anti-war members in the House and Senate are pushing war powers resolutions, namely Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie along with Senator Tim Kaine, not even the nominal opposition party is supporting these efforts. According to Capital & Empire, Democrats are seeking to “dampen momentum” and even “prevent the Iran war powers vote from advancing.” Democrats Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz, both arch Iran hawks, have publicly stated they will not back the war powers resolution, and many others have sought to split the difference, saying Trump should only move on Iran after consulting with Congress. As the Hill notes, the Senate did pass a war powers resolution restricting the president's use of military force against Iran without congressional approval during Trump's first term, with eight Senate Republicans backing the Democrats in support of the bill. It is hard to imagine such a bipartisan show of force this time around.* In more disappointing congressional news, on Tuesday the House voted down the bipartisan ROTOR Act, which would have beefed up aviation safety standards, NPR reports. This bill was drafted in the wake of the deadly midair collision over Washington D.C. last year. This bill, principally authored by Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees transportation, would have required wider use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast – safety technology designed to transmit an aircraft's location to other aircraft. The Senate unanimously passed the bill in December, with the support of the Defense Department – now styling itself the Department of War – but the Pentagon yanked its support just before the House vote, citing “unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks.” The final House vote was 264 in favor and 133 opposed, 132 Republicans and Democrat Lizzie Fletcher of Texas. Despite the lopsided majority in favor, the bill needed a two-thirds vote to pass and was therefore defeated by the minority.* In another aviation related story, FBI Director Kash Patel is embroiled in a new scandal based on his alleged misuse of the FBI's Gulfstream jets for personal travel. CNN reports Patel's frequent jetsetting has even caused delays or issues in high-profile investigations, such as the assassination of rightwing commentator Charlie Kirk and the Brown University shooting last December. According to a letter authored by Senator Dick Durbin, Patel's incessant misuse of the official FBI planes for personal travel “has even frustrated White House and DOJ senior staff.” This story hits particularly hard at the present moment, with images of Patel chugging beer in the locker room celebration of the Olympic men's hockey team going viral. The FBI then had to spend days running cover for Patel, claiming the director was in Italy for “long-planned official business,” which just happened to coincide with the occasion.* Our next two stories concern AI. First, a new Public Citizen report documents how the AI industry is deploying a veritable army of lobbyists on Capitol Hill, absolutely dwarfing not only their opposition, but practically every other industry as well. According to this report, more than one quarter of all federal lobbyists are now lobbying on AI issues, representing a rise in lobbyist activity on AI issues of more than 265 percent over the past three years. This report finds the Chamber of Commerce hired the most AI lobbyists in 2025 at 91, followed by Microsoft at 63, Meta at 55, Intuit at 51, and Amazon at 48. This meteoric rise in AI lobbying activity is sure to give the industry massive firepower in the halls of Congress, ensuring a favorable regulatory environment for years to come. This will be particularly critical for data centers, which have faced a rash of local opposition. Per this report, that particular subset of the AI lobbying industry has expanded by a staggering 500 percent since 2023.* For all its newfound political clout however, the AI business seems to have found itself a formidable new opponent – Pope Leo XIV. This week, Pope Leo addressed priests from the Diocese of Rome and implored them to resist “the temptation to prepare homilies with Artificial Intelligence.” The pontiff argued “Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity.” He added that “to give a true homily is to share faith,” and that AI “will never be able to share faith.” This from Vatican News.* Turning to media news, this week, Paramount submitted a new offer to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount's new bid amounted to $31 per share and, following a period of consultation with the Warner board of directors, this offer was deemed “superior” to the proposed deal with rival bidder Netflix. This triggered a clause in the Netflix merger agreement giving the streamer four days to submit a new, superior offer. However, that same day Netflix issued a statement officially declining to submit a new, higher offer, with representatives writing “the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer,” means “the deal is no longer financially attractive.” With Netflix out of the way, Paramount, led by Trump-aligned billionaire scion David Ellison, will now proceed with their acquisition of Warner Bros., including their prodigious intellectual property back catalogue and the cable news titan, CNN. A friendly relationship with the Trump administration means regulators are unlikely to hold up this deal. The Ellisons have already acquired CBS News, installing Bari Weiss as “editor-in-chief.” It seems likely they will follow a similar playbook regarding CNN.* Our final stories this week concern the continuing fallout of the Epstein scandal. This week saw the arrest of former British-U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson, joining Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) in the collection of high profile British individuals arrested in connection with the Epstein scandal. Meanwhile, at Harvard, former University President Larry Summers will resign from his academic and faculty appointments, including his University Professorship, at the Ivy League school following the conclusion of this academic year. Until then, he will remain on leave, per the Crimson. Summers regularly exchanged messages with Jeffrey Epstein about topics ranging from women, to politics, to Harvard-related matters as late as July 2019, the day before Epstein's final arrest. But the most noteworthy Epstein-related news this week came from Chappaqua, New York. On Thursday and Friday, Bill and Hillary Clinton testified about their relationships with the late financier and sexual predator. After much wrangling, these potential blockbuster hearings were held behind closed doors on the Clintons' home turf. What exactly was said remains shrouded in mystery. According to the BBC, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said he hopes to make videos of both Hillary and Bill Clinton's depositions publicly available soon. Robert Garcia, the Democratic Ranking Member on the committee, said a “new precedent” had been set by calling a former president to testify and demanded that Trump be called to testify before the committee next. We shall watch this space.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

durée : 00:58:54 - Affaires étrangères - par : Christine Ockrent - Une semaine après l'invalidation par la Cour suprême des droits de douane décrétés par Donald Trump, la bataille pour leur remboursement s'est déjà engagée. Quels effets les nouveaux tarifs de 10% auront-ils sur les partenaires commerciaux ? Les accords conclus avec l'UE peuvent-ils perdurer ? - réalisation : Luc-Jean Reynaud - invités : Elvire Fabry directrice du programme “Commerce et sécurité économique” à l'Institut Jacques Delors; Anne Deysine Juriste et américaniste, professeure émérite de l'université Paris-Nanterre.; François Chimits Responsable des projets Europe à l'Institut Montaigne ; Sébastien Jean Professeur d'économie au Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers et directeur associé de l'initiative Géoéconomie-géofinance de l'Ifri (Institut français des relations internationales)

In this episode of Business Coaching Secrets, host Karl Bryan flies solo while Rode Dog is away, answering listener questions on where to find the best coaching clients, impressing business owners at networking events, and mastering the art of consistency to drive business coaching success. Karl packs the episode with actionable insights, practical frameworks (like the 10/10 frame), and real-world examples any coach can use to grow their practice and deliver more value to clients. Key Topics Covered The Power of Frame Control in Coaching Relationships Karl explains the importance of spending 10% of your meeting time in an "upper frame," 10% in a "lower frame," and the majority—80%—in an "equal frame" when interacting with potential clients. This dynamic helps build respect and trust, especially when dealing with more successful business owners. Best Sources for New Coaching Clients He breaks down multiple lead generation avenues, emphasizing that your "best client is you five years ago"—target businesses where you can deeply relate to their challenges. Karl lists practical places to find prospects, including businesses advertising locally, new business registries, joint venture partners, and business networking groups. How to Impress at Networking Events Karl shares tactics for being memorable: always have three "bombs" (unique, value-driven statements) to drop in conversation, use storytelling with conflict and a clear outcome, and focus on effort and process over just touting your success. Consistency as the Ultimate Key to Success He doubles down on the idea that consistency and discipline—not luck—attract ideal clients. Demonstrating reliability in your marketing, networking, and delivery helps draw high-caliber, growth-minded clients who value the same traits. Diagnosing and Fixing High Revenue, Low Profit Businesses Finally, Karl walks through a blueprint for helping businesses with strong top-line sales but weak profit margins. He advocates for a methodical review of all expenses, process improvements, pricing strategies, and creating recurring revenue models. Notable Quotes "Your best client is always going to be you five years ago." "To be valuable, you have to be memorable." "Success does not belong to the lucky; it belongs to the focused." "Consistency and discipline—if you want those clients, you have to demonstrate those traits first." "If you want to influence business owners, make them envious of who you are, not what you have." Actionable Takeaways Identify Your Ideal Client: Start with the person you were five years ago—target those business owners, as you'll understand their pain points and can speak their language. Expand Your Lead Generation: Look beyond social media—search for businesses advertising locally, check new business registries, join networking organizations like BNI or the Chamber of Commerce, and build joint venture partnerships. Impress Through Value and Storytelling: Come prepared to every networking event with three impactful concepts or stories that make people say, "Wow, I've never heard it explained like that before." Practice Relentless Consistency: Show up with discipline—whether it's weekly live events, ongoing content, or daily outreach. Your consistency will become your magnet for disciplined, high-value clients. When Solving Low Profit Margins: Go through each expense line to determine if it helps win or keep a client—if not, cut it. Review pricing, renegotiate with vendors, and design a recurring revenue model. Homework for Coaches: Pick a niche and list 50 ways you can help that type of business. This will boost your focus, readiness, and enthusiasm when prospecting. Resources Mentioned Profit Acceleration Software™ (by Karl Bryan) Business Networking Groups: BNI, local Chamber of Commerce, Oil & Gas clubs, yacht clubs, private schools Focused.com: Tools, training and community for coaches The Six-Figure Coach Magazine (free subscription: thesixfigurecoach.com/get-it) If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, share with a fellow coach, and leave a review. See you next week on Business Coaching Secrets! Ready to elevate your coaching business? Don't wait! Listen to this episode now and make strides towards your goals. Visit Focused.com for more information on Profit Acceleration Software™ and join our community of thriving coaches. Get a demo at https://go.focused.com/profit-acceleration

Dr. Jennifer Roback Morris, founder of the Ruth Institute, joins Ken to discuss the complex ethical and legal challenges surrounding surrogacy and reproductive commerce. The conversation delves into the commercialization of human reproduction, highlighting cases of ultra-wealthy individuals using surrogacy to create dynasties, and the moral implications of treating children as commodities. Dr. Morris emphasizes the need to focus on children's rights and identity, drawing parallels between surrogacy and historical practices of human trafficking and slavery. This episode is a thought-provoking exploration of the urgent need for ethical scrutiny and legal regulation in the realm of surrogacy.

Chaque mois, plus de 30 millions de Français passent par leboncoin. Pour chercher un appart, vendre un canapé, acheter une voiture... Simple, fluide, intuitif : on clique, on poste, on vend, on achète... Et ça marche. Mais derrière cette apparente simplicité se cache l'une des machines e-commerce les plus complexes de France.Dans cet épisode, Laurent Kretz reçoit Julien Jouhault, CTO de leboncoin, accompagné de Kévin Couvet, CTO de Cosa. Ensemble, ils parlent de ce qu'il se passe derrière l'écran : comment faire évoluer une plateforme utilisée par plus d'un Français sur deux chaque mois ? Comment l'IA s'invite dans les parcours, la recherche, le dépôt d'annonces ou la modération ? Et comment on optimise en continu le pricing et la performance du produit ? 00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:12 - leboncoin : 30 M d'utilisateurs, 153 M d'échanges, 27 Md € de volume d'affaire00:06:53 - L'app Leboncoin dans ChatGPT00:15:45 - Historique IA : premiers modèles dès 2014, 100 use cases d'IA “invisibles”00:18:48 - L'IA côté interne00:30:07 - Refonte de la stack00:33:43 - Passage du monolithe à plus de 1000 microservices : pourquoi ce choix00:40:32 - De petites annonces à premier site e-commerce français00:46:30 - Notifications et CRM : emails, push, logique de repeat00:50:30 - Enjeux d'international00:54:09 - Conclusion Et quelques dernières infos à vous partager :Suivez Le Panier sur Instagram @lepanier.podcast !Inscrivez- vous à la newsletter sur lepanier.io pour cartonner en e-comm !Écoutez les épisodes sur Apple Podcasts, Spotify ou encore Podcast Addict Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

There are some people who serve their community… and then there are those who seem to live in service to it. Today's guest is one of those rare individuals whose fingerprints are all over the growth, leadership, and direction for decades. From serving in the Georgia House of Representatives… to leading the Greene County Chamber of Commerce… to shaping downtown development, regional planning, and community initiatives, Terry Lawler has been in the room where decisions are made, and more importantly, where they're carried out. But what makes this conversation especially interesting is that Terry isn't just reflecting on the past, he's stepping back into the arena. He's planning to run for County Commission in Greene County, District 1, bringing with him a depth of experience that spans local, regional, and state leadership. So today, we're not just talking about titles or timelines. We're diving into perspective—what he's learned, what's changed, what he believes Greene County is getting right… and where he sees the greatest opportunities ahead. And along the way, we'll get a glimpse of the man behind the résumé, because after this many years in leadership, you tend to pick up a story or two… and a lot of wisdom worth sharing. This is a conversation about leadership, legacy, and what it really takes to serve a community well. Guest: Terry Lawler Email:electterrylawlercommissioner@gmail.com Phone: 770-310-1864 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrydlawler/ Sponsors: Tim Broyles State Farm Insurance https://mydowntownagency.com/ Lake Oconee Family Fitness & Fero Fit https://loffc.net/ Second Chance Boutique https://colinc.org/second-chance-boutique/

Ecoutez Olivier Dauvers : les secrets de la conso du 27 février 2026.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Wondering how to fill your March dance card in Montana? Whether you are wishing for an early spring or praying for one last dump of snow, the Daily Inter Lake's Local Events Podcast is here to help you navigate a wildcard month of festivals and fun. Join host Melissa Wells as she previews the top-tier events hitting Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls.Don your green for the 5th Annual Cloverfest on Saturday, March 15th, featuring a new location at the Columbia Falls Junior High School. For an admission fee of $10 per person or $30 for a family, you can enjoy a 5K run, a carnival in the school gym, live Irish dancing, and local food trucks. Visit Columbia Falls' Chamber of Commerce's website for the full list of events and register for races!The 19th Annual Gold, Gem and Mineral Show takes over the Northwest Montana Fairgrounds on March 15th and 16th with vendors, live demos, and a special Kids' Corner. Hosted by the Northwest Montana Rock Chucks, this family-friendly event costs only $5 for the entire weekend, and children 12 and under get in for free.Get the full scoop on all these events and more! Browse and plan your month at DailyInterLake.com/events.A big thank you to our headline sponsor for the News Now podcast, Loren's Auto Repair! They combine skill with integrity resulting in auto service & repair of the highest caliber. Discover them in Ashley Square Mall at 1309 Hwy 2 West in Kalispell Montana, or learn more at lorensauto.com. This summer, we followed the Brist family from their fifth-generation Montana farm to the bright lights of the Northwest Montana Fair. From early morning chores to the intensity of the show ring, their journey shows the hard work, tradition, and bittersweet goodbyes that come with raising livestock. Discover Season 4 of our Deep Dive podcast, From Farm to Fair — coming Sunday, September 21st! Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us! Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play.

SEO is dead — or so they keep saying. They've been saying it for 20 years. It's not dead. It's evolving, and if you don't adapt, you'll get left behind. Trevor Mauch, CEO of Carrot.com, is back on the show — and this time we're going deep on how AI is changing the way motivated sellers and buyers find you online. Google searches have nearly doubled in the past year. ChatGPT is sending real leads to websites right now. And the good news? A lot of what already works in SEO still works in AI search. Trevor breaks down exactly what you need to change — from entity-based content and FAQ sections to Chamber of Commerce backlinks and building your own AI-powered content engine that sounds like you. Connect with Trevor here.  

On this episode of America at Night with McGraw Milhaven, Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, examined how tariffs, persistent inflation, labor shortages, and the rapid rise of AI are impacting small businesses across the country. Bradley discussed the challenges employers face in hiring, pricing, and long-term planning amid economic uncertainty. Later, Professor Paul Gillingham of Northwestern University, author of “Mexico: A 500-Year History,” provided historical and political context to explain why Mexican cartels continue to wield outsized power and why migration pressures remain high despite Mexico being a top-15 global economy. Gillingham explored governance gaps, corruption, regional inequality, and cartel violence as key drivers pushing people toward the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Olympics may be complete, but this episode of Mind Your Business is all about how we pass the torch. In communities across the High Country, we see the emergence of a new crop of leaders that are ready to make their mark. Events like the 10th annual 4 Under 40 Awards help spotlight those who are ready to do more, whether it's within their own business or industry, or by impacting the community through the giving of their time and expertise.On this week's show, we visit with two of our past 4 Under 40 Award honorees. Joseph Miller was recognized in 2019 for his work as a owner of Cobo Sushi Bistro & Bar and Black Cat Burrito, and now nearly seven years later, this restauranter is one of the lead influencers of the Downtown Boone business community. We'll hear how this local product used examples from his business-minded parents, combined with his own unique experiences off the mountain, to create two signature brands within the Boone restaurant scene -- and what it takes to make these businesses work.Chelsea Helms is a Project Manager for STITCH Design Shop, and was our Rising Star honoree in 2025. She's used her Boonerang experience to establish community roots and fuel growth opportunities within her industry. Today, Chelsea and the team at STITCH are involved in some lasting, community focused projects, and the skills she learned in Boone are helping her shape the next version of this special place.We will also unveil the 2026 class of 4 Under 40 Award Finalists.Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.Support the show

In episode 241, Coffey talks with Neil Katz news and media items from the past month, including who HR is “for”, managing AI agents, and mental-health-related gaps in employment.  They discuss HR's responsibility to conduct impartial workplace investigations based on evidence; the misconception that HR exists primarily as employee advocates; aligning HR strategy with revenue, margin, and organizational mission; the decline of transactional HR through automation and outsourcing; fractional HR leadership for small and midsize businesses; managing autonomous AI agents within organizational structures; developing AI operational literacy and new leadership competencies; redefining KPIs in an AI-enabled workplace; and best practices for addressing employment gaps during hiring.  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP241  Media mentioned in this podcast:   If HR Isn't There to Help You, Who Is HR For? — Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog — February 9, 2026 To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers How do explain a gap year taken for mental health. : r/jobsearchhacks  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Neil Katz is the founder and CEO of Exceptional HR Solutions, a leading provider of fractional HR leadership for small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. With over 25 years of experience at the intersection of people and business strategy, Neil leads a national team of 20+ seasoned HR partners dedicated to helping companies scale, evolve, and thrive. His firm delivers end-to-end HR solutions—from talent acquisition and organizational development to compliance, culture, and leadership alignment.  Under Neil's leadership, Exceptional HR Solutions has become a go-to resource for growth-focused companies in industries ranging from retail and healthcare to manufacturing, technology, and professional services. He is widely recognized for building agile, scalable HR infrastructures that empower leadership, strengthen teams, and deliver measurable business impact. While his primary focus is on growing Exceptional HR Solutions, Neil also serves selectively as an executive advisor, helping founders, CEOs, and leadership teams navigate strategic and organizational change. He holds an MBA from Amberton University, a BA in Business Administration from Texas Lutheran University, and advanced training in executive coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is SHRM-certified and respected for his strategic insight and people-first leadership style. Neil is a frequent guest on industry podcasts and a sought-after speaker at conferences and webinars, where he shares practical insights on fractional leadership, scalable HR strategies, and the evolving role of human resources in high-growth environments.  Outside of his professional work, Neil serves on the board of Hope International, a Dallas-based adoption agency, and previously served on the board of directors at Halo Senior Care, a for-profit business focused on elder care. He has also served with nonprofit organizations such as Gift of Adoption, reflecting his deep commitment to service and community.  Neil Katz can be reached at  https://exceptionalhrsolutions.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/exceptional-hr-solutions https://www.facebook.com/exceptionalhrS https://www.instagram.com/exceptional_hr_solutions_ https://twitter.com/exceptional_hrs https://www.youtube.com/@ExceptionalHRSolutions  About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.  Learning Objectives: Understand how HR can balance legal compliance with business performance and employee trust. Identify emerging le...

LEGOLAND California Resort President Kurt Stocks returns to Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact with Bret Schanzenbach to share what's new, what's next, and how the resort continues to evolve year-round.Kurt recounts his journey from professional rugby in Australia to leading LEGOLAND Malaysia before arriving in Carlsbad in January 2020—right before the pandemic shutdown. The conversation covers the delayed (but hugely successful) opening of LEGO Movie World in May 2021, plus recent additions like the Ferrari build-and-race experience, Dino Valley, the LEGO World Parade, and Miniland expansions including SoFi Stadium and the new San Diego/Carlsbad cluster.The big headline: LEGO Galaxy, a major new land opening March 6, 2026, featuring the indoor family coaster Galactic Coaster, two additional rides, multiple themed food venues (including the newly reimagined UFO restaurant), new retail/build experiences, and the relocated—and upgraded—Driving School.They also highlight LEGOLAND's workforce impact, employing 2,000+ people at peak season, and Kurt shares a glimpse into the broader Merlin Entertainment pipeline, including global growth and new IP partnerships.

In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse podcast, Theodora Lau and Jas Randhawa discuss the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and implications for agentic commerce. They explore the challenges of chargebacks, the need for regulatory clarity, and the importance of consumer independence in the evolving landscape of e-commerce. While adoption is likely to grow, major risks include consumer manipulation, monopolistic outcomes, and the amount of personal data agents may require (buying, browsing, health, and other patterns), increasing privacy and security concerns. Now is the time to engage with policymakers and advocate for regulatory clarity and for the well-being of consumers. 00:00 Welcome Back to One Vision + Introducing Jas Randhawa (StrategyBRIX)01:10 What Is the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)? The Big Picture03:27 How UCP Works: Product Cataloging for AI Shopping Agents07:05 KYA (Know Your Agent): Identity, Authorization & Trust08:58 Chargebacks in Agentic Commerce: Who's Liable When Things Go Wrong?12:02 Fraud Detection Breaks: Geolocation, New Signals & Re-Engineering Controls13:44 Agent Independence & Consumer Protection: Bias, Collusion, and Oversight Gaps21:28 Regulatory Clarity (or Lack Thereof): The ‘Wild West' Phase + T&Cs Reality28:06 Time to Get Ready: Travel Use Cases, Audit Trails, and Dispute Proof33:26 Sanctions, VPNs, and High-Velocity Agent Behavior: Financial Crime Risks37:12 Are We Too Early? Will Consumers Adopt—and at What Cost?42:59 Privacy, Data Control & The Need for Neutral Standards Bodies (Wrap-Up)47:45 Final Thoughts#AI #AgenticCommerce #UCP #Agents #Fintech Hot take:  ”The amount of information this agent now needs to have about me is shocking and it scares me a little bit because you're talking about buying patterns, browsing patterns, sleeping patterns, health pattern. For this agent to be really effective, it just needs to know everything that's in my head, right? It's gonna be very effective, but that's again, a major risk because no one's watching out for the consumer.”Hot take: “ The future of this world is unfortunately not you or me. It's a lot of these younger kids, their ecosystem is a lot different. These products are being designed for them."More about our guest 

Ce jeudi 26 février, le report de la présentation du texte sur l'accélération industrielle, qui devrait notamment permettre de réserver une partie des marchés publics européens à la promotion des produits "made in Europe", et la question de la révision de l'assurance-chômage, ont été abordés par Guillaume Dard, président de Montpensier Arbevel, Jean-Marc Daniel, éditorialiste BFM Business, et Roland Gillet, professeur d'économie financière à l'Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, dans l'émission Les Experts, présentée par Raphaël Legendre sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au vendredi et réécoutez la en podcast.

What are the FTC’s 2026 priorities in the areas of consumer protection, privacy, and artificial intelligence? This panel will discuss FTC's enforcement, policymaking, and rulemaking priorities and how they may differ from those in the Biden Administration. The panel is happy to take questions from the audience in advance of the webinar. Please send any questions to matthew.sawtelle@fed-soc.org by February 12th.Featuring:Brian Berggren, Acting Associate Director, Division of Enforcement, Federal Trade CommissionSvetlana Gans, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLPTodd Zywicki, George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law, George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School(Moderator) Asheesh Agarwal, Antitrust Consultant, American Edge Project and U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Sylvia Pizarroso is a finance veteran with over 30 years of experience in commercial and business banking. Known for her expertise in business development, client relationship management, and risk mitigation, Sylvia has a strong background in credit analysis, cash management, and SBA lending. She has served as a trusted advisor to businesses of all sizes throughout her career. Sylvia holds a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in Finance. In April 2024, Sylvia joined the OCIE Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC) as the Finance Center Director. She came to the SBDC after a distinguished 14-year tenure at JP Morgan Chase, where she held several leadership positions, most recently as Executive Director in their Commercial Banking division. As Finance Center Director, Sylvia leads a team dedicated to providing critical financial support and guidance to small businesses. Her leadership extends to the community as demonstrated by her service as the 2022-2024 Board Chair of the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Deeply committed to empowering Latino youth, Sylvia is actively involved in mentoring and community outreach. She serves as the Mentorship Program Advisor for the Orange County Hispanic Youth Chamber of Commerce and is a board member of the Orangewood Foundation, an organization supporting youth transitioning out of the foster care system. An immigrant from La Paz, Bolivia, Sylvia's personal journey embodies the American dream. Her drive and dedication have fueled her success, and she is passionate about helping others achieve their professional and personal dreams. Sylvia is married and has two children, Michelle and Luke.   -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

The evolving technology of AI can be intimidating for many of us. We're learning that Utah is pushing forward a "pro-human" AI initiative. Margaret Busse, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce, and Jefferson Moss, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, join the show to discuss what this means.

Meta sent out a request for product (RFP) to third-party firms to help administer stablecoin-based payments, according to sources. Stripe, which acquired stablecoin firm Bridge last year, was mentioned by one source as a likely candidate for piloting Meta's stablecoin.Guest: Evan Cheng, Co-founder & CEO at Mysten Labs ~This episode is sponsored by Sui~Sui delivers the benefits of Web3 with the ease of Web2 - Visit ➜ https://bit.ly/SuiWebsite00:00 intro00:08 Sui One Year Later00:38 Meta Launching Stablecoin Again01:15 Stripe Acquiring PayPal?02:02 Meta Neighbors?02:24 Stripe's L1 Blockchain04:00 Meta Cash Size05:58 Transaction Volume Potential06:24 Sui Ad Tech Stack07:39 Apple Losing 30% of Meta Revenue08:30 Mark Zuckerberg Scheming?09:12 Stripe CEO: "We're only focusing on commerce"10:43 Commerce vs Defi Focus11:56 High Throughput Upgrades12:53 Zero AI Agent Fees15:08 First Agentic Bank on Sui16:50 eSui Dollar Vaults vs Kai Vaults18:04 Sui RWA Incoming19:24 LIGHTNING ROUND Qs27:13 outro#Sui #Meta #Crypto~Meta Launching Stablecoin!

Glen offers two more interviews from our continuing Finovate Europe coverage- a chat with GSMA Head of Industry Security Samantha Kight on the latest efforts to combat financial fraud on mobile devices, and the leaders of startup Hagbad unveil a savings circle app with echoes of credit unions' early days.  Also- card interchange solidifies its role as America's misunderstood punching bag.   Links related to this episode: Hagbad: https://hagbad.co.uk/ GSMA's Connected Fintech and Commerce page: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/industries/connected-fintech/ GSMA's Open Gateway financial API initiative: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/gsma-open-gateway/ Part 1 of our Finovate Europe coverage, including interviews with a pair of Best of Show winners: https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/   Finovate Europe demos are available for viewing: https://finovate.com//videos/?filtertype=&showtypes=FinovateEurope&videostartyear=2026&showletters=A-Z Our recent episode previewing GAC with Americas Credit Unions CEO Scott Simpson: https://www.big-fintech.com/small-businesses-big-policy-debates/ Jared Bernstein's proposed grocery affordability hack that pulls card interchange into the mix: https://econjared.substack.com/p/taking-a-stab-at-food-affordability  Check out CU Unplugged, an unscripted, participant-powered gathering designed to foster unfiltered conversation on the topics participants most critical. The event is open to all credit union leaders, but the group will be kept intentionally small for maximum impact. Join us March 30 – April 2 at Visa's Market Support Center in San Francisco- Visit https://www.cu-unplugged.com/  to learn more and register.   Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/  

From Dancing With The Newport Stars - (star) Chris Gardner is here with his pro Fran Huot as we talk about the show coming up at the Newport Opera House on March 13th and 14th.  Chris has been involved with the show for years, but this is his first time on stage as a Star dancing.  We talk about Fran's first time being a pro, does being in play & music productions at the Opera House help with this show, how the format will be this year, and lots more.  this is a co-production with the Newport Opera House Association and the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce.

In this episode, Dr. Phil Mintz, Director of NC State University Industry Extension Services, talks with Bogdan Ionescu, co-owner of OGC Stained Glass (Ordway Glass Company), a husband-and-wife–run stained glass studio based in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Bogdan walks us through how he and his wife Nicole built a thriving, award-winning business out of their garage—balancing art, family life, and purpose along the way. OGC Stained Glass was named the 2025 winner of the North Carolina Chamber's “Coolest Thing Made in North Carolina,” a remarkable achievement for a two-person operation focused entirely on hand-cut, one-of-a-kind stained glass art. This episode offers an honest and inspiring look at what it takes to build something meaningful—one piece of glass at a time. LINKS NCMEP | IES | Ordway Glass Company About the Guest Bogdan Ionescu is the co-owner of OGC Stained Glass, located in Fuquay-Varina, NC, alongside his wife Nicole—the primary artist behind the glass. Together, they create contemporary and traditional stained glass works that preserve heritage while pushing the craft forward.

In this episode, I am joined by Tony Falkenstein who will be sharing his experiences with the Topic of ‘Managing the People Issues'. Tony was born in Auckland, and has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland. He is a also serial entrepreneur, who has started over 50 companies.In 2003, Tony established New Zealand's first Business High School, at Onehunga High School, with a view to include ‘business and entrepreneurship' as a subject in the National Curriculum. In 2011 this goal was attained, and he has assisted the Ministry of Education with establishing Business High Schools throughout the country. In 2008, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. In 2010, he was appointed as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to business.In 2011, Tony received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Auckland. In 2012, he received the World Class New Zealand Award for ‘New Thinking'. Tony has been married to Heather for 39 years, and has one daughter. In this episode we learn from Tony:Why he says if he was able to go back in time he probably wouldn't choose to be an Entrepreneur againHow he took on swatch watches as his first business - with huge initial success & then spectacular failureWhy sometimes you have to let people go - how to do it easily & fairly.

On part ensemble découvrir l'une des plus belles régions touristiques du Québec: la Côte-Nord ! Réalisé en collaboration avec Le Québec maritime: https://www.quebecmaritime.ca et Tourisme Côte-Nord https://www.tourismecote-nord.com Script: Dominic Lagacé et Laurent Turcot Adhérez à cette chaîne pour obtenir des avantages : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4TCCaX-gqBNkrUqXdgGRA/join Pour soutenir la chaîne, au choix: 1. Cliquez sur le bouton « Adhérer » sous la vidéo. 2. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hndl Musique issue du site : epidemicsound.com Images provenant de https://www.storyblocks.com Abonnez-vous à la chaine: https://www.youtube.com/c/LHistoirenousledira Les vidéos sont utilisées à des fins éducatives selon l'article 107 du Copyright Act de 1976 sur le Fair-Use. Lieux visités: Ville de Tadoussac https://tadoussac.com/ Poste de traite Chauvin https://tadoussac.com/fr/activites-et-attraits/musees-et-centres-d-interpretation Hôtel Tadoussac https://hoteltadoussac.com Chapelle de Tadoussac https://www.chapelletadoussac.com Parc marin du Saguenay–Saint-Laurent https://parcmarin.qc.ca Centre d'interprétation des mammifères marins (CIMM) https://gremm.org/cimm-horaire-et-tarification/ Centre d'observation et d'interprétation de Cap-de-Bon-Désir https://parcs.canada.ca/amnc-nmca/qc/saguenay/visit/cap-de-bon-desir Croisières AML https://www.croisieresaml.com/ Sources et pour aller plus loin: Bédard, Éric, entrevue faite par Maxime Coutié, Aujourd'hui l'histoire, Radio-Canada Ohdio, 2019, 23 minutes, La Grande Tabagie de 1603, vrai début de la présence française au Canada | OHdio | Radio-Canada Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec, « Grande tabagie et première alliance franco-autochtone », [s.d], Grande tabagie et première alliance franco-autochtone | BAnQ numérique Camil Girard et Édith Gagné, « La Première alliance de 1603 à Tadoussac : des acteurs à redécouvrir » Groupe de recherche Histoire (GRH), Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2003, Encyclobec Frenette, Pierre et al., Histoire de la Côte-Nord, Laval, Presses universitaires de Laval, 1996, p.678. Gouvernement du Canada, « Centre d'interprétation et d'observation de Cap-de-Bon-Désir », [s.d.], Centre d'interprétation et d'observation de Cap-de-Bon-Désir - Parc marin du Saguenay–Saint-Laurent. Lessard, Michel, « L'Hôtel Tadoussac et le Manoir Richelieu. Villégiature et culture », Cap-aux-Diamants. La revue d'histoire du Québec, no 33,‎ 1993, p. 24–27, L'Hôtel Tadoussac et le Manoir Richelieu : villégiature et culture. Ministère de la Culture et des Chapelle de Tadoussac », Répertoire du patrimoine culture du Québec, 2024, Chapelle de Tadoussac - Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec Trépanier, Paul, « Tadoussac. Le grand hôtel à la toiture rouge », Continuité, no 40,‎ 1988, p. 30-31, Tadoussac. Crédits vidéo : Sébastien St-Jean/Le Québec maritime, Envato Merci tout spécial à Québec maritime, ainsi qu'à Croisières AML, Monique Tremblay, Méloé Trottier, Patrice Corbeil, Nathalie Bouchard, Nathalie Baillargeon, Éloi Bérubé et mon ami Benjamin Brillaud de ‪@notabenemovies‬‬‬‬‬‬ Autres références disponibles sur demande. #histoire #documentaire #cotenord #tadoussac #baleine #whale #quebec #beluga

In this episode of Not Just Buildings, host Foster Garrett sits down with Michelle King, co-owner of King's Rental Club, a family-owned tool rental business in Bedford, Virginia. Michelle talks about the inspiration behind their membership-based model, which provides homeowners and contractors access to a broad selection of tools and equipment. The conversation showcases the company's strong community ties, hands-on customer service, and dedication to helping locals complete their projects with ease. Foster also highlights upcoming Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce events, underscoring the value of community relationships and the people who power Bedford's growing business scene.This podcast lives on Media Squatch+ Your home for local voices, live shows, and nonstop audio.Listen free: https://mediasquat.ch/plus

We are diving into the absolute wrought that is the New Zealand power market. While families are rationing heat, the big electricity companies have banked nearly $2 billion in profit in just six months. Duncan is joined by Auckland Chamber of Commerce boss Simon Bridges to talk about the state of the economy, the lack of bold political leadership, and why it's time to break open the current system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Route 66 Centennial: Inside the Magic of the  Bagdad Café - Interview with Karla Claus, Jackie McKay, and Mark Bradley.In this episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series podcast! We're back at the iconic Bagdad Café in Newberry Springs, California, right off the historic Route 66—also known as the Mother Road—celebrating its 100th anniversary. We're joined by Karla Claus (aka "Mrs. Princess Route 66"), Jackie McKay, a new Mojave National Preserve resident, and Mark Bradley, one of the driving forces behind the cafe.You'll hear heartwarming stories about the magic and serendipity that bring people to the Bagdad Café, the vibrant local community, and the special role the cafe plays for both locals and travelers from around the world. You'll hear about the friendships that have formed, the famous Wonderhussey's impact, Andrea Pruett's legacy, and how Route 66 continues to inspire visitors with its unique spirit, and the mysterious connections that bring the right people together at the right time, and why so many European travelers have a special place in their hearts for the Bagdad Café.LEARN MORETo learn about Newberry Springs, CA, the Route 66 Big Birthday Bash, the Pistachio Festival, and much more, visit the Newberry Springs Chamber of Commerce at https://newberryspringschamber.com/ or on these social sites:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewberrySpringsChamberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbsp_chamberofcommerce/The Mother Road e-Newsletter: https://motherroadnewsletter.com/newsletter/The World Famous Historical Bagdad Café: https://bagdad-cafe-usa.com/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/30749046041IMDB | Bagdad Café: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095801/Wonderhussy YouTube Episdes:Spring 2025 Meetup and Party at the Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs on Old Route 66: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ag6-sncdyUReturn to the Bagdad Cafe: Visiting With Miss Andrea Pruett and Her Iconic Route 66 Roadside Diner: https://youtu.be/f1mrnH6rCdY?si=tL5Ibt_cWXL-k3pTNEXT STEPSVisit us at https://outdooradventureseries.com to like, comment, and share our episodes.KEYWORDSBagdad Café, Newberry Springs, Newberry Springs Chamber of Commerce, Route 66 Centennial, Wonderhussy, Outdoor Adventure Series, Podcast Interview #BagdadCafé #NewberrySprings #NewberrySpringsChamberofCommerce #Route66Centennial #Wonderhussy #OutdoorAdventureSeries #PodcastInterviewMy Favorite Podcast Tools: Production by Descript Hosting Buzzsprout Show Notes by Castmagic Website powered by Podpage Be a Podcast Guest by PodMatch Banner Customization by Nano Banana & Canva

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Toby Espinosa, VP of Ads at DoorDash. Toby shares how DoorDash built one of the fastest-growing retail media networks, and why the next phase of growth depends on making performance comparable across platforms, partners, and budgets.They unpack the tension between local trade dollars and national media budgets, how CPG organizations split ownership between sales and marketing, and what it takes to unlock both. Toby also explores how AI can accelerate integrations, lower the cost of connecting data, and raise the bar for targeting and outcomes across commerce media.Key takeawaysNational media budgets scale when incrementality is clear and performance is standardized.The biggest growth unlock comes from aligning trade and media dollars around shared outcomes.Consistent, comparable reporting builds trust and drives long-term investment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the process meant to deliver justice becomes part of the problem?Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, author of Radical Reparations and professor at UCLA, was denied even the chance to compete for Washington State's groundbreaking reparations study—not because his proposal wasn't strong enough, but because it allegedly got lost in malware. No portal. No receipt. No accountability. And when he pushed back, he was denied a required debriefing—twice.Dr. Hunter breaks down what went wrong in Washington, why it matters for every state considering reparations, and what we all need to do right now. They discuss the Department of Commerce's troubling patterns, the role of Attorney General Nick Brown, and why legendary economist Dr. William Darity was also shut out."Reparations is sacred work," Dr. Hunter reminds us, "and if the process is not governed with integrity, the repair cannot and will not be trusted." This episode is a call to action. Not on our watch.RESOURCES & TAKE ACTION:Read the Documents:Dr. Hunter's public records and analysis: marcusanthonyhunter.com/rolExtended coverage: AFRO.com article (search: Marcus Hunter Washington reparations)Request Washington State public records: Washington Department of CommerceContact Decision-Makers & Demand oversight of Department of Commerce procurement practices:Attorney General Nick Brown (WA's first Black AG). Email: email via AG website. Phone: (360) 753-6200Learn About Reparations:Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation by Dr. Marcus Anthony HunterFrom Here to Equality by Dr. William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten MullenH.R. 40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals: Congress.govNational Black Justice Coalition reparations resources: NBJC.org/reparationsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

Shamini Rajarethnam is the CEO of RATIONALE, the cult Australian luxury skincare house known for its science-first formulations and luminous-skin rituals. She joined RATIONALE in 2011 and became CEO in 2017, leading its transformation from a dermatology-aligned business into a modern luxury skincare brand with expansion into the US.Shamini holds a BA in Linguistics and a Master of Commerce, and is based in Melbourne with her young family. As both a mom of 3 and CEO, she speaks with us on balancing ambition and purpose, combatting imposter syndrome, showing up with a calm resiliency in both life/motherhood,  and championing women (especially mothers) in business.  Follow Rationale hereShop Rationale Skincare here Follow Shamini on Instagram Connect with Shamini on Linkedin  *Use code  THEBIGMOVE10 for 10% off your purchase on all Rationale products.Link to the one product I am always topping up on (the Rationale glow is REAL)Follow The Big Move Podcast hereFollow Host Em here  

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. This week's topics:CAGNY RecapBath & Body WorksWalmart Connect Q4 resultsWalgreens LayoffsCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

Kelly talks to Harvard professor Leslie John, whose research into self-disclosure provides a rich source of insights into how we can better build relationships, foster connection, and lead a more purposeful life when we are willing to be vulnerable and share details of our lives with others. “If in doubt, transparency is the safer bet.”  […]

“S” is for South Carolina Department of Commerce. The South Carolina Department of Commerce administers the state's economic development program.

Vender mientras duermes ya no es una promesa futurista, es una posibilidad concreta para las empresas que entienden cómo implementar Inteligencia Artificial de forma estratégica. Para Giuliano Genchi, emprendedor y desarrollador de soluciones con IA, la automatización no se trata de reemplazar personas, sino de optimizar procesos que hoy consumen tiempo, energía y dinero sin aportar verdadero valor diferencial. El punto de partida es entender qué significa automatizar. "Cuando automatizamos convertimos procesos manuales repetitivos de forma automática. Con esto podemos lograr aumentar en un porcentaje muy grande lo que es la eficiencia de ese proceso en sí", explica nuestro invitado. En una empresa existen múltiples tareas susceptibles de automatización: desde procesos internos como facturación y presupuestos, hasta procesos externos como agentes de Inteligencia Artificial que responden a los clientes en tiempo real. La clave está en identificar dónde la repetición está frenando el crecimiento. En el área comercial, la IA ya permite automatizar mensajes en redes sociales e incluso llamadas. "Se programa un agente de IA con información de la empresa, que va a responder de la forma en la que respondería la persona que se encarga de trabajar como asesor de ventas", describe nuestro experto. Sin embargo, Giuliano es claro en algo importante: la IA aún no reemplaza completamente al humano en el cierre. Por eso recomienda utilizarla estratégicamente en la etapa previa: prospección, cualificación de leads y acompañamiento hasta la llamada comercial. Es decir, todo lo que prepara el terreno para que el vendedor humano intervenga donde realmente agrega valor. Saber cuándo implementar IA también es parte de la estrategia. "Una empresa tiene que implementar IA cuando ve que esa tarea a automatizar ya está saturada", afirma nuestro invitado. Es decir, cuando el volumen de consultas o procesos empieza a desbordar la capacidad operativa. No obstante, también existen casos de negocios que deciden anticiparse y diseñar su estructura automatizada desde el inicio, evitando cuellos de botella futuros. En cuanto a herramientas, Giuliano menciona soluciones concretas que permiten construir sistemas robustos sin necesidad de programar desde cero. "La herramienta de IA que más utilizamos es N8N", cuenta Genchi, destacando que permite desarrollar agentes inteligentes sin conocimientos avanzados de código. También existen opciones más accesibles como Manychat, y soluciones como Chatbu, que funciona como CRM e intermediario entre el sistema de automatización y las redes sociales. Este tipo de integración no solo responde mensajes, sino que permite hacer seguimiento, medir resultados y organizar contactos de manera profesional. Más allá de la eficiencia operativa, Giuliano sostiene que la adopción de IA será una cuestión de supervivencia competitiva: "En un futuro no va a ser posible tener un negocio sin IA, porque el negocio de al lado que sí va a estar implementando IA va a estar por arriba en los procesos y los costos". La automatización reduce tiempos de respuesta, mejora la experiencia del cliente y optimiza recursos, generando una ventaja clara frente a quienes siguen operando de forma completamente manual. No obstante, el impacto más visible no se está dando en el departamento de Ventas: "El cambio más grande que se da ya hoy en día es en Marketing". La creación de contenido, la optimización de anuncios y la segmentación inteligente están evolucionando rápidamente gracias a la IA, haciendo que las campañas sean cada vez más eficientes y medibles. Pero quizás el punto más crítico está en la inmediatez: "Responder automáticamente no sólo exige ser amigable con el cliente… vivimos con una competencia gigante en el mundo del e-Commerce y con la ansiedad del cliente". Hoy el consumidor decide en segundos. Si encuentra un anuncio a la madrugada y no recibe respuesta inmediata, la oportunidad puede perderse antes de que el equipo humano comience su jornada laboral. La IA permite cubrir ese espacio, mantener viva la intención de compra y convertir la emoción del momento en una venta concreta. Automatizar con Inteligencia Artificial no significa eliminar el factor humano, sino rediseñar el sistema comercial para que funcione 24/7. Cuando la tecnología se encarga de lo repetitivo y operativo, el equipo puede enfocarse en estrategia, cierre y crecimiento. En ese equilibrio está la verdadera ventaja competitiva de vender sin límites de horario ni estructura sobredimensionada. Instagram: @giulianogenchi.ia

We talk to James Flaherty about his hunting journey with a rifle on public land in the Oregon Cascades, calling elk in rifle season. James started hunting with a 243 and a Nosler 95-grain Partition and hunted with a 7mm Mag and moved to the 30-06 and 165-grain Ballistic Tips. He talks about elk hunting in northeast Oregon too. And we talk about James's company Spring Pilot. Visit https://springpilot.com/If you want to support free speech and good hunting content on the Information Superhighway, look for our coffee and books and wildlife forage blends at https://www.garylewisoutdoors.com/Shop/This episode is sponsored by West Coast Floats, of Philomath, Oregon, made in the USA since 1982 for steelhead and salmon fishermen. Visit https://westcoastfloats.com/Our TV sponsors include: Nosler, Camp Chef, Warne Scope Mounts, Carson, ProCure Bait Scents, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Madras Ford, Bailey Seed and Smartz.Watch select episodes of Frontier Unlimited on our network of affiliates around the U.S. or click https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gary+lewis+outdoors+frontier+unlimited

Hey there, hero!What is your reaction when you see someone you know on TV?When a colleague pops up on the screen in a movie?When you hear that familiar voice in a spot?When you see the byline, and it's not you, but someone…just…like…you?And further, what kind of feelz well up when it's for something you submitted an audition?I'm sure there is a whole rainbow of reactions - and I'd love to know what you have as a go-to response.Let me know in the comments below.REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/how-do-you-feel-when-a-friend-gets-the-gig/#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #MarketingWant to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here's how I can help you......become a VO talent (or a more successful one): https://voheroes.com/start ...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you're an actor or VO talent): https://acxmasterclass.com/ ...narrate your own book (if you're an author): https://narrateyourownbook.com/ ...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent): https://mikesock.com/ ...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines): https://rehearsal.pro/...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac: https://audiocupcake.com/ The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with: BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout ...

Today on our show:Stripe's $140 Billion QuestionWhy Temu is the New Cross-Border StandardThe UPS $150k Exit: Strategic Rightsizing or a Teamster Trap?Is Agentic Commerce a Nothingburger? The Agentic Debate Series, presented by Logicbroker.- and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.watsonweekly.com/https://www.youtube.com/@WatsonWeeklyhttps://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse podcast, Theodora Lau and Jas Randhawa discuss the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and implications for agentic commerce. They explore the challenges of chargebacks, the need for regulatory clarity, and the importance of consumer independence in the evolving landscape of e-commerce. While adoption is likely to grow, major risks include consumer manipulation, monopolistic outcomes, and the amount of personal data agents may require (buying, browsing, health, and other patterns), increasing privacy and security concerns. Now is the time to engage with policymakers and advocate for regulatory clarity and for the well-being of consumers. 00:00 Welcome Back to One Vision + Introducing Jas Randhawa (StrategyBRIX)01:10 What Is the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)? The Big Picture03:27 How UCP Works: Product Cataloging for AI Shopping Agents07:05 KYA (Know Your Agent): Identity, Authorization & Trust08:58 Chargebacks in Agentic Commerce: Who's Liable When Things Go Wrong?12:02 Fraud Detection Breaks: Geolocation, New Signals & Re-Engineering Controls13:44 Agent Independence & Consumer Protection: Bias, Collusion, and Oversight Gaps21:28 Regulatory Clarity (or Lack Thereof): The ‘Wild West' Phase + T&Cs Reality28:06 Time to Get Ready: Travel Use Cases, Audit Trails, and Dispute Proof33:26 Sanctions, VPNs, and High-Velocity Agent Behavior: Financial Crime Risks37:12 Are We Too Early? Will Consumers Adopt—and at What Cost?42:59 Privacy, Data Control & The Need for Neutral Standards Bodies (Wrap-Up)47:45 Final Thoughts#AI #AgenticCommerce #UCP #Agents #Fintech Hot take:  ”The amount of information this agent now needs to have about me is shocking and it scares me a little bit because you're talking about buying patterns, browsing patterns, sleeping patterns, health pattern. For this agent to be really effective, it just needs to know everything that's in my head, right? It's gonna be very effective, but that's again, a major risk because no one's watching out for the consumer.”Hot take: “ The future of this world is unfortunately not you or me. It's a lot of these younger kids, their ecosystem is a lot different. These products are being designed for them.”More about our guest

In the words of our featured guest "Forgiveness is a Business" In this episode we discuss the joy found in forgiveness and so much more on the subject of forgiveness. Dionne Nicholls-Germain, widely known as The Chief Forgiveness Officer, is an executive coach, international speaker, and Forbes-featured author of The 90-Day Conquering Unforgiveness Journal. After a 20-year corporate career in luxury fashion, she transformed personal adversity into a global mission –helping leaders break cycles of burnout, conflict, and silent financial drain so they can build high-trust cultures where people and profits thrive.Dionne delivers keynotes, corporate training, and leadership experiences from Silicon Valley to South Africa, empowering executives, founders, and organizations to cultivate cultures of psychological safety, accountability, and resilience through the often overlooked skill of forgiveness. Her clients include PayPal, New York University, Mental Health Connecticut, the Senior Executive Women's Network, the Government of Canada, DisruptHR Portland and the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.Her work has landed her a Times Square billboard and a feature in the anthology Threads of Wisdom: Trailblazers for trailblazing the forgiveness movement in the corporate space and beyond. Learn more about the amazing things Dionne is doing in the world here: https://www.liveyourbestlifeforyou.com/about/https://youtu.be/sMPNyzyqgLI?si=HVbToF_7mPnhR0lVWe are excited for where LOVE will lead this Podcast in 2026, so stay tuned and be sure to subscribe and share the love with others!

We sit down with Chris Sulak aka CJ the DJ and dry camper Ron Alvarez to talk about a new initiative petition in Oregon, the 1847 Colt Walker, mailing a handgun to yourself, Ozempic, Bill Gates Butter and Sprinter Vans. And as a public service CJ the DJ delivers three Craigslist missed connections from Springfield and Salem, Oregon. And before you listen, we apologize.If you want to support free speech and good hunting content on the Information Superhighway, look for our coffee and books and wildlife forage blends at https://www.garylewisoutdoors.com/Shop/This episode is sponsored by West Coast Floats, of Philomath, Oregon, made in the USA since 1982 for steelhead and salmon fishermen. Visit https://westcoastfloats.com/Our TV sponsors include: Nosler, Camp Chef, Warne Scope Mounts, Carson, ProCure Bait Scents, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Madras Ford, Bailey Seed and Smartz.Watch select episodes of Frontier Unlimited on our network of affiliates around the U.S. or click https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gary+lewis+outdoors+frontier+unlimited

This is our sixth year of podcasting. Every year at this time we like to replay this story. John Nosler founded Nosler Bullets in 1948. Then Bob Nosler brought the company back to full family ownership. And the Nosler family still produces bullets for sportsmen including the classic Partition, the bullet that changed everything, revolutionizing big game hunting around the world. We tell the story here. And you can find the books at https://www.nosler.com/products/accessories/accessories/books.htmlIf you want to support free speech and good hunting content on the Information Superhighway, look for our coffee and books and wildlife forage blends at https://www.garylewisoutdoors.com/Shop/This episode is sponsored by West Coast Floats, of Philomath, Oregon, made in the USA since 1982 for steelhead and salmon fishermen. Visit https://westcoastfloats.com/Our TV sponsors include: Nosler, Camp Chef, Warne Scope Mounts, Carson, ProCure Bait Scents, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Madras Ford, Bailey Seed and Smartz.Watch select episodes of Frontier Unlimited on our network of affiliates around the U.S. or click https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gary+lewis+outdoors+frontier+unlimited

Want to live a better balanced life and win in marriage AND business at the same time? Purchase our (audio) book Tandem: The married entrepreneurs' guide for greater work-life balance. https://www.thetandembook.com/ Download the 5 Daily Habits to Thrive in Tandem https://marriedentrepreneur.co/5-daily-habits-download  Need some insight into how to balance it all? Schedule a free discovery call. https://marriedentrepreneur.co/lets-talk In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Thriving in Tandem, Robert and Kay Lee Fukui sit down with Ford Taylor, chairman of the U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce board and founder of FSH Consulting Group. Ford shares his remarkable journey from scaling a struggling two-employee screen-printing shop into a $300M, 2,000-employee enterprise to ultimately redefining success when business growth came at the cost of his marriage, family, and personal well-being. His story is a sobering reminder that external success can hide internal brokenness—and that unchecked ambition often extracts a hidden toll at home. At the heart of the conversation is a defining moment every busy entrepreneur needs to hear. Ford recounts the night his six-year-old daughter asked him, through tears and ice cream, an innocent question that became the wake-up call that saved his life, redirected his priorities, and forced a courageous decision to realign business leadership with family leadership. Ford candidly opens up about insecurity, burnout, infidelity, and the hard road of rebuilding trust—offering hope to couples who feel trapped between providing financially and being emotionally present. The episode closes with practical wisdom for married entrepreneurs who want to win at work and at home. Ford outlines the guardrails he and his wife put in place—clear communication, shared decision-making around travel and opportunities, season-based priorities, and values-driven clarity. He introduces a simple but profound framework for balancing family, income, health, and community, reminding listeners that success is not about doing everything, but about intentionally choosing what matters most. This conversation is both a warning and an invitation: you don't have to hit rock bottom to change course. Website: https://www.transformlead.com/  Podcast & Resources: https://fordtaylortalks.com/  Key Takeaways Success without alignment is dangerous: Business growth means little if it costs your marriage, health, or relationship with your children. Children often see what adults ignore: Honest feedback—even from a six-year-old—can reveal what success metrics miss. Clarity creates peace: Defining values, priorities, and boundaries before opportunities arise removes guilt, conflict, and indecision. Guardrails protect trust: Openly discussing travel, time, and commitments strengthens both marriage and business leadership. Seasons matter: There are times to lean into work and times to lean into family—agreement and communication make both possible. You don't have to break to rebuild: Learn from others' stories so change can happen proactively, not painfully. Bio Jerry "Ford" Taylor grew up in Paris, Texas before heading to Texas A&M, where he earned his BBA in Business Management—but his most unforgettable college credential wasn't academic. Ford and his soon-to-be wife, Sandra, became campus favorites by teaching disco and country western dance to thousands of students, a 16-year run that revealed an early gift for equipping people with confidence and connection. After graduation, Ford stepped into retail management, unaware that the entrepreneurial chapter ahead would redefine his career. In 1982, Ford and Sandra purchased a struggling two-employee screen-printing shop, C.C. Creations, and transformed it into a powerhouse. Through acquisitions and growth, Ford eventually became CEO of Brazos Sportswear, a 2,000-employee, $300-million leader in screen printing and embroidery. His business impact earned him recognition as Texas Small Businessperson of the Year and a top-10 finalist nationally. In 1998, after decades of building and leading high-growth companies, Ford pivoted toward leadership consulting—first as a Senior VP at Great American Insurance, then as an ordained minister committed to helping leaders remove constraints and build healthier cultures. Today, Ford is the founder of FSH Consulting Group and Transformational Leadership, training organizations across the U.S. and around the world. He has delivered leadership development and conflict-resolution training in more than a dozen nations, authored the best-selling Relactional Leadership, co-wrote The Hike, and hosts the podcast Ford Taylor Talks. A sought-after speaker and board member—including Chairman of the Board for the U.S. Christian Chamber—Ford continues to blend business excellence with servant-leadership influence. He and Sandra, married since 1981, have three daughters and a grandson, and their legacy continues to ripple through every leader, team, and city they serve.

Retail media is booming… But here is the real question for loyalty leaders: are you sitting on the most valuable media asset in your business? In this episode, Matt Hanlon from Boots, Paul Stafford from Very and Rosie Houston from SMG explore how loyalty data powers modern retail media — and why the next competitive edge is not ad inventory, it is customer insight. We discuss trust, first-party data, measurement, and what happens when loyalty moves from cost centre to growth engine. If you run a loyalty programme, this episode matters.

Here is a short, first-person podcast description based on your transcript:Episode Description:Are your MSP prospects ghosting you after you present their network assessment? It's probably because you're treating that assessment like a discovery call—and skipping the most fundamental part of the consultative sales process.In this episode, I'm breaking down a massive mistake I see IT sellers making: presenting problems instead of uncovering pain. A network assessment gives you facts and technical vulnerabilities, but facts don't motivate buyers—feelings and business impact do. People don't pay to fix problems that aren't causing them pain.Tune in to hear why all roads lead back to discovery, and learn how to properly structure your sales process so you can stop getting ghosted and start closing at a best-in-class rate.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Our guest Jennifer Barrera has been President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce since 2021. The venerable institution - founded in 1890 as the California State Board of Trade - advocates for pro-business policies and investments. Barrera is well known and well respected in the capitol community, and has been an effective messenger for the CalChamber's many causes, including reform of the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). She spoke with us about the Chamber's approach to the state's affordability crisis, the increasing calls to tax the ultra-rich and a ballot measure to reform CEQA.  1:27 What's on Capitol Weekly? 4:00 February 25, 1942: The Battle of Los Angeles 5:30 Jennifer Barrera 6:08 Thoughts and expectations for 2026 8:10 Affordability 10:28 CEQA ballot measure 19:29 Ballot measure process 24:39 PAGA reform 31:49 AI - Boon or bubble? 35:42 Taxing the ultra-rich 41:13 #WWCA Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/ Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang  "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He learned to hunt backwards. We talk to Lance Lupton who made 6 polar bear hunts and 2 elephant hunts with a 7mm Magnum and hunted all over the world with the rifle he calls Old Trusty. We hear about his NDE, thoughts on big game hunting, and tips on being a better hunter. Lupton started his hunting career in 1958 at the age of 7 and has hunted with longbow, muzzleloader and, of course, his 7mm Magnum Old Trusty.If you want to support free speech and good hunting content on the Information Superhighway, look for our coffee and books and wildlife forage blends at https://www.garylewisoutdoors.com/Shop/This episode is sponsored by West Coast Floats, of Philomath, Oregon, made in the USA since 1982 for steelhead and salmon fishermen. Visit https://westcoastfloats.com/Our TV sponsors include: Nosler, Camp Chef, Warne Scope Mounts, Carson, ProCure Bait Scents, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Madras Ford, Bailey Seed and Smartz.Watch select episodes of Frontier Unlimited on our network of affiliates around the U.S. or click https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gary+lewis+outdoors+frontier+unlimited

In this episode, we explore Reddit's strategic move into AI-powered commerce, leveraging its unique community discussions for shoppable experiences. We also discuss how Reddit is monetizing user data and integrating AI into its search and advertising functions, alongside its recent financial successes.Chapters00:00 Reddit's AI Commerce Move03:09 New AI-Driven Search Experience10:09 Industry Shift & Reddit's Growth15:13 AI Acquisitions and Revenue LinksGet the top 40+ AI Models for $8.99 at AI Box: ⁠⁠https://aibox.aiAI Chat YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JaedenSchaferJoin my AI Hustle Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustle