Podcasts about Deloitte

Who doesn't remember the Chili's jingle—“I want my baby back, baby back, baby back…”? Or maybe you've seen the viral TikToks about Chili's Triple Dipper. Chili's is back in culture in a big way, and much of that credit goes to their Chief Marketing Officer, George Felix.George is one of today's most dynamic marketing leaders. He started his career at P&G—where, like me, he worked on the legendary Old Spice turnaround—before moving on to Yum! Brands with KFC and Pizza Hut. Three years ago, he took on Chili's, and the results have been remarkable. Under George's leadership, Chili's has gone from not even being a national advertiser to becoming Ad Age's Brand of the Year, with George himself named CMO of the Year.In this episode, George shares his playbook for turning brands around, the importance of listening to frontline team members, and how to make a heritage brand cool again. And yes—we even take a detour into Taylor Swift.This conversation was recorded in person at the Next Gen CMO Academy at Deloitte University.---This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Title: Inside the Secret Network That Billionaires Use to Pay Zero In Taxes with Alex Sonkin Summary: In this episode of Raise the Bar Radio, Seth Bradley welcomes Alex, founder of the Due Diligence Project, to discuss the massive blind spot in tax strategy among CPAs and how his peer-reviewed CPA community solves that. Alex shares how traditional CPA firms, despite servicing ultra-high net worth clients, are often unaware of the vast number of advanced tax mitigation strategies available. His platform introduces vetted tax strategies reviewed by hundreds of independent CPA firms, much like an Amazon or Netflix model for financial services. Rather than relying on static, siloed in-house teams with mediocre solutions, Alex's vision is to empower CPAs and family offices through a Virtual Family Office model. This allows affluent individuals (not just billionaires) to access world-class, peer-reviewed tax and financial planning strategies while maintaining their trusted CPA relationship. The conversation emphasizes humility, proactive due diligence, and massive action as critical principles for success in tax planning and entrepreneurship alike. Links to Watch and Subscribe: https://youtu.be/v8RSrMRslHU Bullet Point Highlights: Most CPAs, even in top firms, are not deeply versed in advanced tax mitigation due to limited time and exposure. The Due Diligence Project functions as an independent, peer-reviewed network, allowing CPAs to tap into the collective knowledge of hundreds of top professionals. Traditional large CPA firms and Wall Street structures are siloed and don't provide open-source best-in-class strategies. The future CPA firm is a Virtual Family Office — proactive, advisory-driven, and built with world-class independent specialists instead of static in-house teams. The Virtual Family Office model brings elite wealth management strategies to affluent individuals (e.g., $10M-$50M net worth), not just billionaires. Humility, curiosity, and willingness to collaborate are essential for CPAs and advisors to truly serve clients at the highest level. Success requires massive action and consistent pursuit of better solutions — complacency kills innovation and wealth creation. Transcript: (Seth Bradley) (00:02.094) What's up, Builders? This is Raise the Bar Radio, where we talk about building wealth, raising capital, and all in all, raising the bar in your business and your life. This is the No BS podcast for capital raisers, investors, and entrepreneurs who are serious about scaling their business and living life on their own terms. I'm Seth Bradley, securities attorney, real estate investor, and entrepreneur, bringing you world-class strategies from the best in the game.   If you're ready to raise more capital, close bigger deals, build a better you, and create true financial freedom, you're in the right place. Let's go. Alex, what's going on, brother? Welcome to the show.   Seth, thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure.   man. Fellow San Diegan. So, appreciate that and appreciate that you you love the weather like I do.   best weather in the world, All of San Diego County, even if it gets like 10 degrees hotter, it's as good or as better anything else on the planet.   (Seth Bradley) (01:05.698) Yep, yep. Sometimes you gotta go outside of San Diego for a little bit to appreciate it because you forget that every single day is fantastic.   We're not going to get into the June gloom and the May gray because people outside of San Diego, don't want to hear that. uh, know, we get to complain between each other. everyone outside of San Diego, were like, we don't want to know about any of your problems.   Right, Exactly, exactly. All right, man. Well, let's just jump right in, Tell everybody a little bit about your background, about your story, and take it back as far as you like.   Sure, graduated University of Michigan Business School undergrad and became an options trader in Chicago as a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, the Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Options Exchange was a market maker down there for many years and came up with a couple ideas and moved to California. What we do now is we have the largest independent peer review community of CPA firms in the country. We support   hundreds of CPA firms who basically introduced their favorite resources, favorite tax attorneys, favorite strategies. And then as a community and independently, everyone independently vets out every strategy, every resource. And we rank and rate all of the strategies, all of the resources. Very similar to what you'd experience in Amazon or Netflix or the streaming services when you watch a movie or you buy a product on Amazon.   (Alex Sonkin) (02:35.534) you're going to go look for the 4.9 out of five stars and do a quick price comparison. So what we did is we've created essentially an independent peer-of-view ranking and rating system for sophisticated tax strategies and then cost mitigation strategies because the tax code is just way too big. No one knows how many pages there are in the tax code. It's constantly changing. we basically, we didn't even know we were doing this at the time because all we were doing was   putting together advanced tax planning institutes, filling them up with CPA firms, bringing speakers, specialists on to present their ideas. But the magic was happening in the hallway conversations between these tax attorneys and the CPAs in these Q &A sessions. And what we realized was that traditional CPA firms really have no clue how many pages are in the tax code, have no idea how many strategies there are that are available to them that have been fully vetted.   And they don't have the time and the resources to fully vet those strategies out. So we just realized we were onto something and we kept building and building and building. And we just had an event. Our last couple summits, diligence project summits had close to 700 CPA firms on one, close to 847 was our largest summit.   The more eyeballs, the more tax-focused CPAs are looking at the strategies and vetting out the strategies, the more refined the due diligence is and the more new resources they're able to introduce to our network. So we're able to go deeper, wider, and more refined in our due diligence when it comes to tax planning.   Yeah, that's awesome. So you you analyze and put a score on the actual strategy itself as well as the firm.   (Alex Sonkin) (04:25.76) Yeah, everything, right? Because you and I both know there's so many moving parts in our business. And when a CPA firm is dealing with their most, their highest net worth clients, billionaires, centi-millionaires, multi-millionaires, and they have, they're selling an appreciated asset, whether it's real estate or their company or shares in another company they've invested in, they want that sale to be tax efficient. Then they might want that money to be invested in other   parts of their portfolio. want that transition to be efficient. They want all the estate planning to be efficient asset to all these different moving parts. But the area where most CPAs and attorneys are the weakest is in the income tax mitigation part. There's a lot of decent estate planning out there, asset protection, other planning. It's really the income tax mitigation part where very few people are excellent at this.   Financial advisors, attorneys have very little experience with tax court, with audit. They should really not be involved in income tax planning. The CPA firms are the ones who are signing the tax returns. They have the experience with audit. They have the experience with tax court. But they're spread so thin just trying to produce tax returns and financial statements and meet all of the deadlines that they have to meet throughout the year. There's actually very little time for them to do proactive tax planning.   and to complete due diligence and even start the due diligence on a tax strategy. Where do we start? Who do we call? How do we find out if the client's going to go to jail? If there's issues with this? They really need to get their confidence level up at a very high level before they call their clients that you really need to look at the strategy and do this. So that's where we really live is we really there to support the tax focused CPA or the family office that's supporting that.   that ultra high net worth family that's led by a tax focused advisor, hopefully a CPA with at least 10,000, 50,000 hours of experience in auditing tax court, where they could look at the notes, look at, part of, join the due diligence project community, look at the notes, look at the strategies, meet the specialists, communicate with other CPAs in our network to really understand the risk reward of.   (Alex Sonkin) (06:48.088) the strategy when it as how it compares to other possible strategies or combination of strategies to bring to their client.   Yeah, yeah. I mean, I love the overall idea of kind of this Amazon marketplace for CPAs and tax firms and tax strategies. It's like, you know, I know when I'm looking for a new accountant or a new CPA with a different group, with a different real estate group or something, you know, I might have done some good business with one CPA and then some that I did not. And I don't have a consistent person to go to at this point. And it also depends on what we're talking about, right? This, the, the speciality of it. it's a   if we're talking W-2 tax mitigation or we're talking about real estate investment or we're talking about some sort of high cash flow entrepreneurial venture, it really depends. One CPA can't necessarily do all that. Maybe a large CPA firm that has all that stuff in house for sure. But when we're talking about your one CPA that you know that's been filing your tax return for the last 20 years, they're not very specialized in these sorts of things.   Here's what's interesting, Seth. You made some interesting points here. Here's what's interesting. Traditionally, people say, I need a CPA. My current CPA firm is not doing the job. That's kind of par for the course. They don't know what's wrong. They know something's wrong because they know that a lot of billionaires aren't paying any taxes. They're paying this 30, 40 % of their income in taxes. They feel something's wrong. So, I need a new CPA firm. So, what do they do? Hey, can you find me a great CPA firm that's local to me? Why is that important?   Why do you need someone that literally that is that's local to you right away? The business owner is already messing up. That is not the most important thing. Okay, then they'll want someone Okay, forget distance. I'm okay with just meeting them virtually. They need to be a specialist in real estate. That's fine Okay, you've got a real estate portfolio there, especially in real estate, but really That's that's a that's another that's a good question, but it's not the best question. It's not gonna get you to the promised land   (Alex Sonkin) (08:52.366) How fluent is that CPA firm in tax strategies? Are they plugged into a network like ours where they have hundreds and hundreds of independent CPA firms, former partners of KPMG, Deloitte, PWC, Ernst & Young, all proactively vetting strategies and introducing, unless you're part of a due diligence network like ours, you might be part of a very, very large CPA firm.   that also is part of other groups, other associations and none of them know, you know, three, four, five different strategies that would be perfect for mitigating taxes in a specific situation. So going to a large firm that has lots of in-house resources, are those resources the best? Do they have access to the best tax attorneys in the country? If those attorneys are in-house working for a CPA firm,   Or let's just say they're working for Jeff Bezos and Jeff Bezos' family office. Seth, do you think the best tax attorney in the country wants to be W-2 working for a CPA firm or working for a family   Right, right.   No, no. So right away, you've already discounted. You are not going to work with the best tax attorneys in the country. You're going to work with a static, the best attorney that's willing to be W-2, working for a CPA firm, working for a family office. If you look at the top 1000 tax attorneys in the country, you might now be working with number 945. Is that what you want to be like? No, no, no, we're fine. Our tax   (Alex Sonkin) (10:29.484) Our tax planning is done by my CPA and they've got this tax attorney that's the 945th best tax attorney in the country in their space. It's like saying, I'm building this orchestra and my trumpet player, instead of getting the very best trumpet player in the world, I have the 945th best trumpet player playing trumpet. You want to put that on your website? You want to market that? think your client's going to be like, this is going to be awesome. I'm going to have the 945th best.   You   (Alex Sonkin) (10:59.138) Resource in that space giving me planning ideas. Whereas I'm a business owner I've had to get to this point to have a tax problem here to overcome all these challenges and now you're gonna bring me a tax planning solution. That's like D minus That's what's going that's puts par for the course. This is what's going on. What we know is 18 % of Fortune 500 companies are zeroing out their tax returns Okay, just listen to this 18 %   of most profitable companies in the world have a team of attorneys and CPAs that zero out their tax return. That means 82 % have no idea what they're doing on a relative basis. those 82%, we're talking about 82 % of the most profitable 500 companies in the world. What we're saying is their tax planning from our vantage point, it's not that it's not good.   It's like average to below average, whereas their revenue and income is off the charts. That's like a big problem. It's like saying, you know what? We have a basketball team where our point guard, our forwards, and our two guard are really good, but our center is like garbage. You know, we've got like a high school level center, and then we have all-stars at all the other positions. That's not gonna work.   Yeah, yeah. mean, why is that? I mean, it's like, you know, they should have access to the best resources. They should be getting advised by the, you know, the top experts in the industry. But, you know, they're just not. Are they not putting the effort? Do they not have access? Do they not know, like, what's the...   Because the difference is when you look at Amazon and you look at Netflix and all the other streaming services that are providing an independent peer-review because back before Amazon and Netflix we had Blockbuster video and we had Barnes and Noble right and we did do diligence very differently going to all the different Blockbuster videos going into Blockbusters and Noble trying to find a book to buy right it's very different experience now we live in this very different world now with   (Alex Sonkin) (13:09.196) independent peer review and all these things. However, the financial services world was created by who? It was created by people like Bernie Madoff. It was created by Wall Street, right? So everything in the financial services world is really created by Wall Street, people like Bernie Madoff. And so Goldman Sachs doesn't want you to know what Morgan Stanley is doing. Morgan Stanley doesn't want you to know what JP Morgan's doing. And so really the financial services realm is   is kind of built in silos. No, come into the Goldman Sachs silo. Come into Ernst & Young. You don't need to worry about what our competitors are doing, what these other CPA firms are doing. We're Ernst & Young, we're Goldman Sachs, we're JP Morgan. You can have the products and services that we have in our back room. So essentially, when you look at JP Morgan, Ernst & Young, Pricewaterhouse, all these huge shops, they're just stores with back rooms. And it's like shopping at a store.   It's like going to Toys R Us. What do we have in Toys R Us? Well, what do we have in our back room? Whereas when you walk into Amazon, what do you have? When you walk into Netflix, you have the full scale universe, open source. So what we've done is we've basically taken the financial services industry and we've created this open source peer-reviewed model. And we started with sophisticated tax planning because that's where most people are really, really bad at it.   And then we've added cost mitigation and other resources. You know, we're not trying to compete with asset management and money managers and all those other, know, certainly we vet those people out. But, you know, there's millions of people that manage money and our financial advisors. And certainly we do our vetting and due diligence on those people. Where we really differentiate ourselves is the income tax planning resources and solutions. Because what we found is the top biggest   most profitable, most famous CPA firms and law firms, that's their blind spot. That's where they're really, really bad because they don't know how many are in the tax code. They don't have the time and the resources and they don't know who to call to actually start and complete a successful due diligence process for sophisticated tax structure.   (Seth Bradley) (15:29.708) Yeah, yeah. So when you say independent peer review, what exactly does that look like? mean, walk me kind of through that and how that works.   I'll show you like this is what you and any let's say if you're a real estate investor right and you're about to sell let's just say a 10 million dollar asset that has nine million dollars of gain in it you're gonna do the same thing that we've done if you're smart what are you gonna do you're gonna go out there and be like what are all the tax strategies that are possible to help me mitigate this huge tax liquidity event right then you're gonna get a bunch of ideas and then what are you gonna do   You're going to show those ideas to your most trusted financial people who are probably your CPA, your lawyer, your advisors, all these other people that you think are financial gurus and really most of them are not even qualified to comment on the tax structure except your tax-focused CPA who has at least 10,000 hours of experience in audit and tax courts. So really you should only bring this to your CPA. But now you brought it to your attorneys and your advisors.   So they're all going to comment on it because they're financial experts even though they have almost zero experience in auditing the tax court. So what do these people do with this idea? Some of them will like, oh, I don't know, just pay your tax. So you're going to get all sorts of answers. Now, you're the business owner. You have no idea how to quantify these answers. So you're really the tax expert trying to manage all this information and trying to be like, what do I do? And what are you going to do?   you're gonna basically go with what your CPA kind of tells you that they're comfortable with. Now your CPA doesn't know all the strategies, so they might know 10 % of the possible strategies. So you're gonna go with the most comfortable strategy that your CPA is comfortable with, that they've completed their due diligence on, which may be strategy number 443 out of the possible thousand strategies that are out there. And now you have the 443rd best idea.   (Alex Sonkin) (17:35.522) that you're implementing and your ROI on that is going to look just like that. Meanwhile, it's taking you all this effort to create $10 million of asset and it's going to take you just like this to completely give away the tax on that because your CPA is not plugged into an independent peer review environment where they can work with other CPAs who have experience with other resources, be able to ask your questions, get your questions answered, maybe ask another round of questions.   But really at that point, you really need to be dealing with the thought leaders in that space, not some local attorney or other CP that also has no clue what's going on. It has no idea how many pages there are.   Got it. So when somebody comes to, you know, they have that issue, right? And they're trying to find the right CPA that can help them with that specific situation and find that number one best tax strategy. You know, what do they do? Do they come to your website to try to find someone in the network? Because anybody in your network can tap into everybody else in your network and find that optimum strategy.   There's really two ways of doing it. They either find a CPA in our network, which is one of the easiest things to do, or they have their trusted CPA plug into our network and complete their due diligence. That's probably the best way because they are this way. This gives them another warm and fuzzy. Hey, I've had this relationship with my CPA for 20, 30 years. I really like them. I understand the challenges that they're under just because they haven't plugged into the network doesn't mean they're a bad CPA or bad person.   It's like having a, you know, I just bought a gold plated cell phone. It's the greatest cell phone iPhones ever produced. But if I don't plug it into Verizon, if I plug it into Bob's telephone network that only works in four locations in America, I'm gonna have this $5,000 cell phone that's basically just a brick that I could just use as a paper holder. But if I have a normal cell phone, I plug it into Verizon and I can make a phone call from anywhere.   (Alex Sonkin) (19:43.298) That's a much better experience. it's not the quality of it. It's partially the quality of the CPA, but it's more so the quality of the network. and certainly these, the CPAs that really are attracted to us are the ones who have these huge hearts that want to do the very, very best for their clients. And they know that they need to pick up every rock and flip over because they know their clients don't want tax returns and financial statements.   They need those. They don't want any of that. What they really want is proactive tax planning ideas. And what the CPAs don't have time for is that. So they have to create time. And we show CPAs how to create that time. We eliminate all, 95 % of the time. It takes them to complete the due diligence because we just show them the notes. We get them 90, 95 % there. Then they take the notes. They take the resources.   They jump into the tax code and then they complete the last 5-10 % of the due diligence process on their own because they're going to have to actually do a little bit of work to get this done. But we've reduced their time and increased their confidence level in completing this project by a factor of 10x, which is a huge value to them because they don't have the time and they don't have the resource to get this work done, but they want to get it   (Seth Bradley) (21:07.616) the interruption, but we don't do ads. Instead, know that if you're raising capital for real estate, my law firm, RaiseLaw, is here to give you the expert legal guidance you need to raise capital compliantly and structure and close your deal. And if you're looking for a done-for-you fund-to-fund solution, Tribest is the industry's only all-in-one setup and fund administration solution. Visit Raise.Law and Tribest.com to learn more.   Right. Yeah. And I can imagine it takes a certain degree of humility, right, from those CPAs to say, I don't know everything. I'm not just going to make up something. I'm not going to make it up. But I'm not going to do kind of half-assed research for a few minutes and tell you I know everything about the subject. Right? Like, I can admit that I don't know everything. I'm not an expert in every single tax strategy.   You nailed it. mean look we do a whole program about the ten pillars of extraordinary due diligence Curiosity is one of them independence is independence versus group think and you nailed one of those pillars. It's it's it's it's humility and You know being curious being humble when you're the tax expert as you know CPA that's been around for 30 years you like I've seen everything right? That's kind of how you feel   But if you have that idea, I've already seen everything. I already know everything. How many people, by the way, how many pages are there in the tax code? I have no idea. Well, that is that's not congruent. What's congruent is I've been in the industry 30, 35 years. Do I know the tax code? I don't know the tax code. It's constantly changing. I'm humble, but I'm working hard. Yeah, there are sections of tax codes that I know, but it would be awesome to be part of independent peer community of hundreds and hundreds of other tax geeks like me.   where we're chewing, know, we're eating this elephant one bite at a time and working together as a community. That's hard working humility. And if you think about it, those are the kind of people that are winning in every, in your profession, in my profession. Think about a basketball player. It's like the best basketball players, they are working to improve their game every day, every month, every year. As soon as you think, oh, I'm the best. Nobody does that. Kobe, Michael.   (Alex Sonkin) (23:25.034) Everyone was constantly improving their game every offseason even though they were achieving they were the grace of the world So when you see a CPA going, I already know everything. I'm not humble run for the hills You're in big trouble   Right, right. So I mean, I can see where this is. This could actually just change everything, right? I mean, it can change. Like if you get enough CPAs on this network and it's kind of the authority, the accepted way that things are done, it could really just change, you know, set the bar, right? So like, you know, where do you see the CPA firm or the future going? What does it look   Yeah, you know, we started out as the virtual family office hub. We're still the virtual family office hub. What we do is the due diligence project. So we've had a vision, you know, more than 15 years ago where the CPA firm of future, the CPA firm of today is no longer just a CPA firm, right? They're not just an accounting firm looking backwards. What does a CPA firm mean now? They're a proactive looking firm. So they're really   providing advisory services. They're bringing ideas to the table. That is not what accountants traditionally do. So right away, the CPA firm of the future in our world is a virtual family office led not by a money manager or an attorney or a financial advisor. It's led by a tax advisor who really has a tremendous amount of experience with audits, with tax court, with income tax planning.   that's plugged into this community. really let's build Wall Street underneath an elite tax advisor and let's give them vetted best in class peer reviewed resources for estate planning, money management, all the different resources underneath them. And let's make sure all these resources are trained to be part of a team that's led by the captain, which is the head of their family office. But in this case, it's a virtual family office because in our opinion,   (Alex Sonkin) (25:30.732) Like we said, the best people in the world don't necessarily want to be W-2 static living next to the family office or living next to the CPA firm that they support. These resources could be anywhere and everywhere. And it's like Lego pieces. Let's build out a custom build, a virtual family office with your favorite advisors, with your favorite CPA, plug them into due diligence project, and then maybe replace some of the resources with best in class peer reviewed.   I'm going to keep my estate planning attorney. I'm going to keep my CPA, but then let's build out the rest of my virtual family office with resources, specialists, specialized attorneys that my two estate planning attorney and my CPA need to help me do what I need to do and get from point A to point B.   Yeah, yeah, I love that. Let's let's unwind that a little bit. What what exactly is a family office? We have a lot of listeners that are, you know, high net worth individuals, wealthy, probably a high paying job of some sort. And, we still don't know what a family office is. Like, what is a family office? We hear about it all the time. People talk about it. You know, what is it? Is it just, you know, the Trumps and the Bidens that have them or what?   Well, look, when we first started doing this, we had to educate everyone. What is a family office? And there's still people that don't know what a family office is, and that's okay. So traditionally, what a family office is, is when a family or a business owner sells their business, and now they have a big pile of money instead of running their business where they don't need CFOs and C-level executives and marketing people. Now they have a big pile of money. Maybe they're building a real estate portfolio, private equity, various investments.   They, instead of having to make 17 phone calls, hey, I'm gonna call my CPA, I'm gonna call my attorney, I'm gonna call my advisors, they make one phone call to the head of their family office and their family office is gonna house their entire financial team. So their CPAs, their attorneys, their advisors are all part of a family office and there's usually a CEO of that family office.   (Alex Sonkin) (27:36.814) So that structure traditionally can cost anywhere from $250,000 a year up to $2,000, $3,000, $4,000,000 a year if you're dealing with very high net worth billionaires. our idea was to rebuild that structure and make it a virtual family office instead of a single family office or a multi-family office with everyone working W2 in a static place, was let's create a virtual family office environment where we can have a world-class tax attorney support   multiple virtual family offices led by CPAs around the country. And based on what their clients want and need, they may not need a full $250,000 or a million dollar yearly cost. Maybe they can have a family office with $50,000 worth of yearly expenses and they just need, you know, two, three advisors, six meetings a year, get their hands around what you're doing.   And they don't need check writing. They don't need a lot of these other services that maybe a ultra high net worth family needs where they just want to make one phone call instead of 17 phone calls and say, take care of this for me. In the virtual family office model, it's the same one phone call, except now the team underneath that person that's getting the call are vetted best in class peer reviewed resources who might be all around the world who will all get together on a virtual meeting.   to support the client when the client has, hey, I have a liquidity event or I have a tax event or I want to update my plan. Hey, let's bring the team together and let's look at all the moving parts and let's rebuild your plan. But now we're going to take advice and ideas from the smartest people in the world. We're all working together as part of a team.   Got it. Yeah. the virtual family office, makes it seem like that it offers wealth management, the best wealth management, more, it makes it more accessible to more people, right? Like not just billionaires, but maybe lower than that, right? Like maybe we've got $10 million or something like that and we can still get the best of the best.   (Alex Sonkin) (29:42.068) Exactly. And so our idea was, you know, you have these people who are worth $50 million and they can't afford a family office, but they want to, you know, the $50 million, they want to live life too. They want to be able to go play tennis. They want to give time to their synagogue, their churches. They want to do something else besides actually running their own, you know, basically overseeing their $50 million portfolio, which is a full-time job. the problem is they're not qualified to be doing that work.   Yet can they identify investments that they like? Sure. Can they identify the best planning around those investments? They're not schooled in that. So they really should not be involved in their family office. should identify a tax-focused CPA, have them build out a virtual family office for them. And then now they have the benefit of making one phone call instead of 17, which saves them lot of time. And they can now trust the fact that they have best-in-class peer-reviewed resources to give them the very, very best ideas.   So now what happens? Their confidence level goes up. So their time and planning goes down, confidence level goes up, the quality of the solutions goes up, and they're all of a sudden out, they can create a lot more wealth by doing world-class planning because we're seeing a lot of wealth just go away to state and federal governments and unnecessary taxes simply because the team does not know and has not completed their due diligence on all the possibilities.   That's we want.   Yeah, that's incredible, Alex. You know, I want to have you back on the show to maybe get into some of the more of nitty gritty stuff, right? Like what are some of these tax strategies that we might not know about or we might not hear about every single day because we tend to hear about the same ones over and over. And you've probably seen some pretty exotic ones, some very specific ones that people have never even heard of. But, you know, we're running out of time today. But, man, I would love to have a whole episode just kind of based on that.   (Seth Bradley) (31:40.91) But before we jump into the freedom four, you have one last gold nugget for our listeners.   Yeah, you know, just work hard, write your goals down, read your goals and update your goals. You know, there's a magic formula of being able to just writing down your goals, looking at your goals and just updating your goals. Be grateful. I know you get a probably get a lot of people just with gratitude and hard work and all that stuff. writing down your goals is something that very few people do. And of the people that write their goals down, a very high percentage of those people actually achieve those goals. So   simple way of getting successful and I do it and I recommend that little idea to every one of my friends and family.   Yeah, absolutely. you know, I think people sometimes they get caught up in, you know, the the mental stuff, they don't want to jump into that. But goal setting is more of a tangible thing. And all those things you hear about, like whether that's a vision board or affirmations or visualizations or setting goals, like it's all kind of the same, right? It's just even if it's like,   I want to update my tax planning. I want to have a better tax planning team. know, write that down. And every day you look down at all your goals and make them balanced. You know, some of it is they'd give back to the community, have strong relationships with my family members or have no relationships with certain families. I don't know, you know, what the goals are. But balanced goals where you're constantly reviewing those goals and then you're updating those goals. And every day you do something to take a step.   (Alex Sonkin) (33:15.278) towards achieving those goals. Those are little things. It's not a huge deal, but when you do that over time, there's a compound effect to it that is incredible that people just can't appreciate. It's been said, we think we can do a lot more than we do in a year, but we don't realize how much we can do in a five or 10 year period. It's incredible.   much we can do in a five or ten year period if we're just consistent every day for that period of   Absolutely, you get some momentum going over time. All right, let's jump into the Freedom 4. What's the best thing you do to keep your mind and body healthy?   I do strength training six days a week and I actually prefer using a rubber band training. This X3 bar program that's out there. There's a bunch of different competitors now, but it's like a 20, 30 minute training.   Nice, nice. With all your success, what is one limiting belief that you've crushed along the way and how did you get past it?   (Alex Sonkin) (34:18.968) Great question. You know, I think everyone experiences fears, fear of failure in different areas. And I think you have to attack your fear of failure. Whatever you're scared of, whatever's on your radar that's popping up as a fear, you have to literally identify it and attack it and just prove to yourself that you're really not scared of it.   Love that. What's one actual step our listeners can do right now to start creating more freedom?   They can take action. Action is the key. The real problem is people just sit around, they get in front of themselves. They're too much thinking, too much analysis. What I've seen is people who have achieved incredible, let's just say business success, those people weren't smart enough to know.   that how hard that business was actually going to be to build. They were actually not, if they were smarter, they would have never done the business because they were like, the odds of me actually achieving this business and creating it are so small. I'm just better off not doing it. They weren't that smart. So they just went ahead and jumped into it. And so what I found is just taking massive, massive action. Even if it's a failure, that massive action creates a pattern because it's going to   Success is going to require massive action. And when you have a pattern and know this is going to take massive action and it's okay if it doesn't work out, I'm going to go for it anyway. I'm just going to assume it does work out. So being positive, massive action. If it fails, boom, you learn something and you go do something else and you just keep taking massive action.   (Seth Bradley) (36:10.402) Perfect. Last but not least, how's passive income or entrepreneurship made your life better?   You know, I've been very blessed. 20 years ago, I came up with an idea based on a diet that cured cancer for my aunt, my mother-in-law. And I suggested to my wife and my mother-in-law that they start selling my mother-in-law's cookies that were based on a diet that cured cancer for my mother-in-law. And so now today, we have a company called Go Macro, MacroMars, that my wife and my mother-in-law built based on an entrepreneurial idea that   you know, that I had over 20 years ago. And as soon as we had a little bit of success in the beginning, I knew this was bigger and better than we had even thought of. And I just continually supported my wife and really just in every way I could to watch this opportunity grow. So to me, that's been my my passive, even though, you know, I'm married to this business owner, you know, supporting her and watching this idea grow and flourish into a really   Successful health food company called comacro where we sell these macro bars. They're super delicious   Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, it's passive for you, maybe not quite as passive for her. I have the same issue with the gyms. You know, they make really good money and it's passive for me, but my wife is running those things, so no.   (Alex Sonkin) (37:31.174) Exactly, well you know she's had to be there to support you so yeah so for her it's passive and it's a great story for her and it's a great successful story for you as well. know how hard it is to build.   Yeah, awesome Alex. The list has been incredible, man. We're gonna let you find out more about you.   DoDiligenceProject.com or info at DoDiligenceProject.com. You can introduce your CPA to us or you can reach out to us if you hate your CPA and want us to recommend a great CPA for you that's already plugged into our...   Easy enough, man, easy enough. All right, brother, thanks for coming on the show.   Seth, it's been my pleasure. Thanks so much for having me.   (Seth Bradley) (38:09.986) Absolutely.   (Seth Bradley) (38:13.944) Thanks for tuning in to Raise the Bar Radio. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Keep pushing, keep building, and keep raising the bar. Until next time, enjoy the journey.   Links from the Show and Guest Info and Links: Seth Bradley's Links: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethbradleyesq/ https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley/ https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradleyesq https://medium.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq?lang=en   Alex Sonkin's Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsonkin/ https://encoursa.com/presenters/alex-sonkin https://www.facebook.com/asonkin/

I had a conversation with Laura Chattington, a strategist who's helped companies with enough zeros to make your head spin. We didn't talk about prompts, plugins, or the latest hack for writing Instagram captions in 30 seconds flat. We talked about something much more important: how to make AI part of your marketing strategy instead of just your to-do list. Laura reframed the conversation around two powerful words: speed and leverage. Yes, AI can make things faster. That part's obvious. But where it really shines is in its ability to help you dig deeper, make better decisions, and build systems that scale without piling on more complexity. This episode isn't about robots taking your job. It's about how AI can support your brain instead of trying to replace it. Think of it as your intern who works 24/7, never gets tired, and doesn't whine about the coffee. Key Points AI is a wave, not a trend. Like the internet and social media before it, AI is reshaping business at high speed. This is not just a shiny new toy. It is the next normal. Speed helps you keep up. Leverage helps you pull ahead. AI doesn't just cut down your to-do list. It gives you the tools to see patterns, spot inefficiencies, and make better choices across your business. Think 80/20. Let AI carry the load for repeatable tasks so you can show up fully where it really matters. This is how you create more impact without adding more hours. Your experience still matters. AI can do a lot, but it can't replicate your instincts, your voice, or your years of experience. That's where your competitive advantage lives. Actionable Takeaways Audit your workflows. Start by identifying systems you run repeatedly. These are perfect candidates for AI support. Treat AI as a partner, not a tool. Go beyond content creation. Use it to analyze customer feedback, streamline proposals, and test new ideas. Train your tools. Feed your AI examples, past work, and data from your business. The quality of your input shapes the quality of your results. Let AI deepen your research. Whether you're fine-tuning an offer or building a customer journey, AI can help you uncover insights you might miss on your own. Stay in the driver's seat. Use AI to scale your thinking, not to replace it. Your voice and judgment still steer the strategy. About Laura Chattington Laura Chattington has run multi-million dollar campaigns for billion-dollar companies — working with individuals and teams at organisations like Oracle, Deloitte, Puma Energy and Facebook. She's trained and advised top founders and leadership teams around the world across tech, finance, and marketing. Today, she helps entrepreneurs simplify their strategy, design premium offers, and scale sustainably — without adding complexity. She's been mentored, coached, and works with the top 1% of coaches and consultants globally. Known for her conviction, strategic insight, and ability to pull high-value offers out of even the most complex business models, Laura helps founders upgrade, launch, and convert with confidence.   More about Laura www.SimplifiedMarketingLive.com www.LinkedIn.com/in/laura-elizabeth-c www.YouTube.com/@laura.chattington

Episode Summary: In this special episode, Solar Maverick Podcast co-host Li Wang turns the microphone on Benoy Thanjan, who shares his experience as a 9/11 survivor and how that day changed the course of his life. Benoy recounts being inside the World Trade Center when the first plane hit, the chaos of escaping, and the lasting impact of witnessing tragedy up close. He opens up about gratitude, resilience, and how the experience pushed him to pursue work that makes a difference. Key Takeaways Living with Gratitude: Surviving 9/11 instilled a daily appreciation for life and the present moment. Purpose Beyond Profit: The experience inspired Benoy to leave a purely financial career path and dedicate himself to renewable energy and making an impact. Legacy of 9/11: The tragedy continues to affect survivors' physical and mental health, but it also fuels determination to live with purpose.   Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $45 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar. Li Wang Better every day. That's the way I aspire to live. I was born in 1973 in Philadelphia. My parents immigrated from Taipei and my dad's first job out of graduate school was in Philadelphia. I'm a die-hard Eagles fan and being raised in that city has shaped my identity. Hip-hop culture served as my first artistic influence. Run-DMC, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys shaped how I created my own environment. During the summer of O.J. trial I interned at the Philadelphia Daily News. I became hooked on journalism. I went on to another internship at the Des Moines Register and started my career as a business reporter for the Times of Trenton. I was the arts editor for the Honolulu Weekly and then the film critic for the Harrisburg Patriot-News. Website design I could see the end of the print industry so I decided to get a professional certificate in digital marketing from New York University. I started an agency with a partner doing SEO, PPC , content creation and website design. My partner decided to focus on software development and I turned my attention to website design. Today I help small business owners shine online with compelling websites to resonate with their target audiences. Personal interests I'm a fitness enthusiast (CrossFit), watch collector (14060M, PAM112, SBGA085), and father (Matthew and Noemi).   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Li Wang Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/liwang22/ Website:  https://www.littleoxworkshop.com/

V jaké kondici se nachází česká ekonomika? Díky čemu roste čtvrtým nejrychlejším tempem v EU? Měli bychom upravit daňový systém? A proč je v české populaci relativně málo vysokoškolsky vzdělaných lidí? Vladimír Kroc se zeptal hlavního ekonoma společnosti Deloitte a bývalého poradce prezidenta republiky Davida Marka.

Send us a textAccess to healthcare in the U.S. is broken, with millions forced to choose between essential needs and seeing a doctor. Traditional clinics are too costly to scale, and telemedicine has hit adoption limits. In this episode of CareTalk, John Driscoll sits down with Karthik Ganesh, CEO of OnMed, to discuss how OnMed's “clinic in a box” is expanding access to care. Ganesh shares his journey across healthcare, why access has always been his passion, and how OnMed's innovative care stations blend the trust of in-person visits with the scalability of telemedicine to address one of the nation's most pressing healthcare challenges.

Detecting the Often Undetectable One family's insight into ovarian and uterine cancer, finding support, cherishing family and making change through philanthropy. Diane Trounson-Chaiken, PsyD Diane was born and raised in Long Island City, NY and as a true New Yorker did all of her schooling in NYC. She received her BA in Psychology and Education from Barnard College, Columbia University in 1988 then traveled downtown to New York University where she received her MA and Doctor of Psychology in Child Clinical Psychology in 1994. For many years she worked in early intervention with developmentally delayed preschoolers and their families. She also taught psychology graduate courses to Masters and Doctoral students at several universities, most notably Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Diane met her husband Warren in 1989. They were married in 1993 and moved to the Philadelphia area in 1994. They have two sons, Ben (27 years) and Josh (23 years). Ben graduated from Colgate University in 2020 and lives in Manhattan. Josh graduated from Wake Forest University in 2024 and currently lives in Chicago. Spending time with her husband and sons is what Diane loves most in life. Whether traveling the world, a passion they all share, or sitting on the beach at the Jersey shore, it's all about being together. In April 2023, Diane was diagnosed with Stage 3B Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer & Stage 1 Uterine Cancer. She is treated at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, recognized as a nationally leading cancer center for both clinical care and research. After surgery and chemotherapy Diane achieved remission in October 2023. A year later in November 2024 she suffered a recurrence that resulted in surgery.  Again, this summer in June 2025 she had a more significant recurrence with several areas of metasteses. Diane is currently undergoing chemotherapy which will be followed by surgery and continued chemo. She has learned that this journey is not a sprint but much more of a marathon and is so grateful for the love and support of  her family and many dear friends.  Following are several organizations and programs the Chaiken family supports philanthropically.  -Fox Chase Cancer Center, Ovarian cancer research -Unite for Her, a national organization that provides free services and support for breast and ovarian cancer patients -We Are Wake, a campus wide program at Wake Forest University that supports students' mental health. -Her Health Compass -Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America  Warren Chaiken is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience leading complex organizations and driving growth through strategic innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centric leadership. Most recently, Warren served as President & CEO of Almo Corporation, a leading national distributor of appliances, consumer electronics, and professional A/V equipment. Under his leadership, Almo experienced significant expansion, culminating in its successful acquisition by DCC Technology, a division of DCC plc. Warren began his career in accounting and finance before joining Almo, where he held progressive leadership roles across operations, logistics, and sales. As CEO, he championed a culture of service, integrity, and continuous improvement while fostering key partnerships and launching new business units, including Almo Professional A/V. His functional expertise spans strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain management, and go-to-market strategy. He is also recognized for his ability to build high-performing teams, guide family-owned businesses through transformational growth, and lead with vision in dynamic markets. Warren and Diane Chaiken are committed philanthropists. Together, they support the Philadelphia Board of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Unite for HER, Committee to Benefit the Children, and Swim With Purpose. They also endowed The Chaiken Family Ovarian Cancer Visiting Professorship at Fox Chase Cancer Center. In addition, they founded the Chaiken Cares Foundation to promote health and provide assistance for a variety of children's needs. Their past involvement includes serving on the Parents Committees of both Wake Forest University and Colgate University. Warren and Diane have been married for 32 years and are proud parents of two sons—Ben, 27, and Josh, 23. Warren holds a B.A. from Lafayette College and an MBA from Penn State University. He currently advises companies in the distribution and technology sectors. Sue Weldon, Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Unite for HER, founded the organization in 2009 following her breast cancer diagnosis at age 39. Her vision for accessible integrative cancer care has transformed the organization from serving 23 patients to helping thousands annually. A nationally recognized leader in health equity, Sue serves as a patient advocate advisor to the American Cancer Society, Lilly, AstraZeneca, Deloitte, Daiichi-Sankyo, Pfizer, Novartis, and AbbVie. She holds a BA from West Chester University and has received numerous honors, including AstraZeneca's Catalyst for Care Award and West Chester University's Distinguished Alumni Award. She has three grown children, Taylor, Evan and Corrine and resides with her husband, Chip in West Chester, PA Find Yonni & Heather here https://www.herhealthcompass.com/

Welcome to Motherkind, it's me, your host Zoe. This is the show about the woman behind the mother - the show where my incredible guests are going to show you how to thrive and grow in motherhood.  Thank you so much for being here. It means so much to me that you listen week after week - make sure you hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode - because we have some unbelievable episodes coming up for you.  Welcome to the September Reset series. I don't know about you, but September feels more like a New Year to me than a New Year, and I LOVE doing a reset in September, thinking about what's working, what's not working and what changes I need to make.  So today I have an incredible episode for you on how to actually change, how to make new habits stick.  Dr Heather Mckee is a behaviour change specialist - and she is employed by some of the world's biggest businesses like Starbucks, Deloitte and Unilever to help their staff make healthy changes that lead to big results. It was when Heather was running a healthy lifestyle clinic for hospital staff that she became obsessed with what makes well-intentioned people not stick to the right choices for them - this challenge had led Heather down a 10-year path of becoming one of the leading behaviour change specialists.  So if you want to exercise more, eat healthier, stop scrolling as much, change your mindset or even start a business - then this is the episode for you  You are going to learn the very specific things not to do when you're trying to instil a new habit and what makes someone successful at a change they want to make  Heather is also a new mum, so I love that she brings a very practical and realistic angle too.  I hope you love this episode - here it is.  Get your free 3 days of 5-minute Motherkind here  - 21 days to reset your energy, mood and mindset. Click Here to order your copy of 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations' Motherkind is sponsored by Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women's supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ MotherkindContinue the Conversation: Join our community over on Instagram for inspiration, tips, and sometimes a bit of humour to get us through our day - @zoeblaskey Join our mailing list to receive news, updates and new episode releases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it too soon to leverage agentic automation to drive AI transformation, streamline workflows, and boost productivity in finance? And how do you calculate the ROI of AI? Today's guest runs a high-functioning finance team at a company that's at the forefront of AI, where bonuses are tied to AI adoption. In this episode, CJ interviews Hitesh Ramani, Deputy CFO and Chief Accounting Officer at UiPath. After sharing wisdom from his years at Deloitte on the “muscle memory” that a company needs pre-IPO and mistakes to avoid after going public, he explains how his company is using its own technology to transform the finance function. He breaks down the difference between agents, robots, and workflows, describing what each does and how they interact. The conversation covers what it's like to manage org charts that include humans and AI agents, how to hire for the future of tech-savvy finance teams, and UiPath's vision for near-autonomous finance operations. Hitesh also reveals real-world AI use cases inside UiPath and offers lessons learned on embracing AI as a powerful productivity partner while maintaining trust and governance.—LINKS:LINKS:Hitesh Ramani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitesh-ramani-a4a78118/UiPath: https://www.uipath.comMeghan Curtin McKenna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-curtin-mckenna-%F0%9F%94%A5-66a5022b/ FIF Collective: https://www.fifcollective.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:04) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(06:19) Going Public Versus Being Public(09:50) The Need for a Company-Wide Operating Rhythm Pre-IPO(12:30) Top Mistakes To Avoid Before Going Public(16:01) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | Rillet(20:06) Common Foot Faults After Going Public(23:57) Robots Versus Agents(30:17) RPA Versus AI(31:09) Agents & Workflows(34:05) Accountability: Outsourcing Your Agency(39:46) How To Measure ROI on AI(45:06) Scaling With Robots & Agents(48:15) Budgeting for People and Automation(50:41) High-Impact Versus Low-Impact Ideas in AI Implementation(53:36) Hiring & Developing Tech-Savvy Finance Talent(57:36) Build Versus Buy & Building an Autonomous Workflow(1:00:15) The Future of Autonomous Finance(1:01:14) Use Cases for AI at UiPath(1:03:18) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake(1:04:25) Advice to Younger Self(1:05:58) Finance Software Stack and the Future of In-House Systems(1:10:14) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.#AutonomousFinance #IPOJourney #AIinFinance #FutureOfFinance #AIAdoption This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

In episode 217, Coffey talks with HRSouthwest Conference keynote speaker Steve Cadigan about the evolving nature of work.They discuss ongoing remote work debates; the evolution from hiring for skills to hiring for learning ability; the need for experimentation in remote team management; AI's role in skills analysis and internal talent mapping; building learning ecosystems between companies and educational institutions; the importance of knowing employee capabilities outside of their role-specific tasks; and HR's evolving role as facilitators of organizational awareness and AI governance.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:Steve Cadigan is a highly sought-after talent advisor to leaders and organizations across the globe. As Founder of his own Silicon Valley-based firm, Cadigan Talent Ventures, Steve advises a wide range of innovative organizations that include Google, Cisco, Intel, and The Royal Bank of Scotland, Manchester United Football Club, The Country Music Association and the BBC. He is also regularly retained by some leading VC (Venture Capital) and Consulting firms such as Andreesen Horowitz, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and Greylock Partners for his counsel on a wide range of talent topics.Since 2021 Steve has been recognized every year as a top 100 thought leader in the world of Talent and People.Steve speaks at conferences and teaches in major universities around the world. His work in helping shape the culture at LinkedIn led Stanford University to build a graduate-level class around this ground-breaking work. Steve is frequently asked to appear on global TV and is a frequent guest on Bloomberg West, CBS, and CNBC.Throughout his career, the teams, cultures, and organizations he has led and helped build have been recognized as exceptional, “world-class” performers by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine.Before launching his firm, Steve worked as an HR executive for over 25 years at a wide range of companies and industries including ESPRIT, Fireman's Fund Insurance, Cisco Systems, PMC-Sierra, Electronic Arts and capped by serving as the first CHRO for LinkedIn from 2009 through 2012, taking the company from a private firm of 400 employees, through an IPO and helping set it up to be the powerhouse that it has become today. In 2021 Steve received the high honor of being invited by both The University of San Francisco and Stanford University to deliver their commencement speeches.Today Steve serves on the Board of Directors to three companies and also sits on the Advisory Board of several other progressive organizations. His passion is helping leaders and companies build compelling talent strategies.In August of 2021 Steve published a ground-breaking book on the Future of Work titled Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working.Even before its official release it realized #1 on the Amazon list of Hot New Releases. In the summer of 2025 Steve launched a new podcast series called Workquake Weekly.Over his career, Steve has lived in Singapore, Canada, and the United States. He has interviewed, hired, coached and mentored thousands of employees and leaders within a wide range of industries and geographies. This is what sets Steve apart from others who speak about the future of work. Steve has lived deep inside the world of work as an employee AND as an employer. His experiences and achievements give him a unique and authoritative point of view, essential to all discussions about the future of work.Today Steve lives in California with his family. He is the father of four boys and the stepdad to two girls. When he is not speaking, teaching, or writing, you can find Steve coaching basketball, playing tennis, body surfing, driving his kids everywhere, or cheering them on at their activities.Steve graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in History and received a Master's Degree in HR & Organization Development from the University of San Francisco.Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working : https://a.co/d/3uORSF4Workquake Weekly Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/workquake-weekly/id1815731966Steve Cadigan can be reached at https://stevecadigan.com.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:1. Shift hiring strategies from evaluating what candidates already know to assessing their capacity to learn new skills quickly, as the shelf life of current competencies continues to shrink.2. Develop comprehensive internal talent mapping systems that identify employees' transferable skills and potential for different roles within the organization, similar to how companies track customer data.3. Create experimental approaches to remote work management rather than rigid policies, to determine what productivity and culture practices work best for specific team dynamics.

Episode Notes In this special TXL recap, we're bringing together the best insights from our Deloitte series — featuring Bhawna Bist, Brandon Kennedy, and Sue Cantrell. From AI-powered recruiting agents and interview intelligence to the evolution of candidate experience and the shifting role of leaders, each conversation sheds light on how HR teams can move beyond experimentation to real transformation. You'll discover where organizations are finding quick wins with automation, how they're balancing efficiency with personalization, and what's next as generative AI reshapes talent strategies. Together, these highlights capture Deloitte's forward-looking perspective on the future of work: a blend of human ingenuity and intelligent technology. Whether you're focused on closing skills gaps, building seamless candidate journeys, or preparing your workforce for a boundaryless world of work, this episode delivers the practical insights and bold ideas you need to stay ahead.

Fall is here, which means back to school, football season, crisp apples, and the world's biggest blend of tech conference and music festival: Dreamforce. Now in its 22nd year, Dreamforce 2025 returns to San Francisco on October 16–18, featuring headline speakers like the CEOs of Google and Starbucks, plus musical guests Metallica and Benson Boone.In this week's episode, Jim welcomes Ariel Kelman, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Salesforce, to talk about the power of Dreamforce, what it's like working under visionary founders like Marc Benioff and Jeff Bezos, and why rethinking organizational design with agentic AI at the core is critical for the future. With Salesforce leading the charge in cloud-based CRM and now AI innovation, Ariel shares his unique journey—from his early days at Salesforce, to Amazon Web Services, to Oracle, and back again—offering lessons in marketing leadership at scale.---This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Imagine getting paid for everything you already do on your phone — now it's possible.   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Dan Novaes, co-founder and CEO of Mode Mobile, who is transforming our perspective on smartphones and passive income. With over 50 million users, Mode Mobile is revolutionizing the mobile industry with its EarnPhone, enabling users to convert everyday activities like playing games, shopping, or charging their phones into actual income. From beginning by selling discounted polo shirts to developing an operating system that powers the Earn Phone, Dan's journey is characterized by pivots, lessons, and rapid growth, demonstrating that with the right mindset, you can build a business that truly benefits consumers.   Key Takeaways: → How Mode Mobile's users are paid for daily smartphone activities. → The secret behind Mode Mobile's exponential growth. → Why Mode Mobile targets budget-conscious consumers in emerging markets. → The challenges and rewards of crowdfunding and raising nearly $60 million. → How Mode Mobile is helping consumers earn and save money daily.   Dan Novaes is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mode Mobile, a company reshaping how people interact with technology. Under his leadership, Mode Mobile achieved a 32,481% revenue increase from 2019 to 2022 and secured the top position in Software on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 List. The company's flagship product, the Mode EarnPhone, enables users to earn passive income through everyday activities, with over 2 million five-star reviews and more than $325 million earned by users globally.   Connect With Dan: Website X   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unity isn't just a buzzword. It's the foundation for business growth and community impact. In this episode of Building Texas Business, I sit down with Jeff Williams, president of Graham Associates, to talk about how bringing people together drives both engineering success and civic transformation. Working with his firm who design iconic Texas projects including AT&T Stadium and Southlake Town Square, and during his three terms as Arlington mayor, he demonstrats how unity principles scale from boardroom to city hall. Jeff shares his approach to bridging generational divides through Friday "High Five" meetings that transformed skeptical baby boomers and millennials into collaborative teammates. His engineering firm rebuilt their office culture post-COVID by creating collaboration spaces and displaying core values throughout their workspace, showing employees they're not just designing roads but contributing to state-of-the-art hospitals. When people understand their larger purpose, engagement naturally follows. His upcoming book "The Unity Blueprint" captures lessons from leading Arlington through the pandemic faster than any other U.S. city, according to NYU research, and emphasizes that modern leadership requires teaching over commanding, with trust and value as non-negotiables for today's workforce. Success comes from transforming "my plan" into "our plan" through genuine input and buy-in, whether you're managing engineers or running a city. This conversation reveals how Texas businesses thrive by embracing partnerships over politics, with Jeff's $8 million citywide rideshare solution versus $50 million per mile for light rail proving that innovation beats tradition when unity guides decisions. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Discover how weekly "High Five" meetings turned skeptical senior engineers into collaboration champions, bridging baby boomers and millennials Jeff details how Arlington saved millions by implementing $8 million annual autonomous rideshare instead of $50 million per mile light rail Learn why being the first U.S. city to run autonomous shuttles attracted Uber, Lyft, and Via to compete for Arlington's contract Hear how post-COVID office renovations with collaboration spaces and visible core values brought remote workers back to rebuild culture Jeff shares how a devastating referendum loss taught him that expertise means nothing if political consultants silence your voice Understand why the Medal of Honor Museum chose Arlington over Washington D.C.—Texas builds in years what takes decades elsewhere LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Graham Associates GUESTS Jeff WilliamsAbout Jeff TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: In this episode, you'll meet Jeff Williams, CEO of Graham Associates and former mayor of Arlington, Texas. Jeff stresses the power of creating unity within a company to foster a strong culture and how training and developing your people it's critical to success. Jeff, I want to thank you for taking the time and welcome to Building Texas Business. It's great to be here. Jeff: Chris, it's always great to talk about Texas and especially business. Chris: Yes. So let's start with just introducing yourself and tell us what it is you do. What's your company known for? Jeff: Well, I own a civil engineering firm and we build communities. We design public infrastructure, highways, roads, utilities, but we also do sports facilities, churches, schools there. We've done a lot of different things. Some of our projects you might recognize in at and t Stadium, we were the civil engineers for it. And yes, we did work with the Jones family and we also also know Chris: Is Jerry World, right? Jeff: Absolutely. And it was an exciting project to work on and then it's amazing how well it's aged and still the top special event center here in the country. But then we've had South Lake Town Square, which was kind of the granddaddy of all of the town centers that's here and a really special place. Nebraska Furniture Mark. We got to work for Warren Buffett there and doing his grand scape development here in the Metroplex. But then we've also, we have Prestonwood Baptist Church, which one of the largest churches in the Southwest. So rewarding to be able to do that. And then we've got Westlake Academy, actually Westlake, Texas. We actually got to start from scratch there. It was a town that we got in on the very beginning. They had one subdivision and now they've got Fidelity's headquarters. Schwab is there, Deloitte, and then Viro, one of the most upscale developments in the state of Texas. So those are some of the fun projects that we've gotten to do. I think it's very rewarding. Chris: Yeah, no, I mean it sounds not just fun but impactful and kind of be able to look around and see how you've changed the landscape of your community, Jeff: Chris. That is so, so true. There's nothing better than to be able to take your family and friends to be able to show them what you've done, but even more importantly, to actually be at one of your projects and see people coming together and families enjoying a special place that we created. And of course that moves to unity and that's one of the things that I have grown to value more than anything else is bringing people together to make a difference. That's great. Well, Chris: We have the benefit here at Warrior Miller represent a lot of very successful real estate developers. And so I think I know our real estate team feels the same way is right working with the client to bring projects like that together and being able to, the benefit of doing the legal work for that and just see to go by years later and go, we worked on that project or that park or that building or that community center is really rewarding stuff. Jeff: Really is the mission of our company is to be an integral partner in building communities. Chris: I like that. So let's talk a little, I mean, what was the inspiration? Obviously you're engineer I guess by education, but what's been the inspiration for you to stay in this industry and build the company that you've Jeff: Built? Well, we just hit it. I feel like it's such an important part of being able to build these communities for people to live, work and play in. And then that actually led me to being actually recruited to run for mayor here in Arlington and to serve there. I served three terms as mayor. That's very unusual for engineers to move into that. I didn't realize it until after I was elected and there aren't many engineers that do that. But however, as an engineer, we have designed public infrastructure. We have to sell our projects to the citizens so many times we also understand schedules and budgets and being able to work through that. And so it really was a great fit for me there, although it's very challenging and people go, well, why would you do that? Well, the reason we'd do it, it's rewarding. It's the most rewarding job I've ever had. But it also is the hardest because you're working with so many different people. But it really increased my awareness that the last thing we need to be doing is to be having dissension and conflict all the time. Instead, we need to be bringing people together to make a difference and actually work on projects that can actually, people can get behind and have passion and discover their purpose. And then of course, the results of that have been actually to forge friendships. Chris: So I guess, how have you taken some of those lessons and lessons along the way and incorporated them into the company at Graham Associates to kind of build the team there? Jeff: Well, as I came out of serving as mayor, I ended my last term in 2021. We'd come out of the pandemic. There still were the lingering effects of it. People wanted to work from home. So however, in our business, in so many businesses, teamwork is a big part of what we need. Chris: Absolutely. Jeff: I read everything I could get ahold of because we are at the beginning of a technology revolution, but we also have societal changes that happen every few months or perhaps even sometimes monthly. So I needed to understand the young people, but also needed to figure out how to create an atmosphere to where our people wanted to be. So literally our offices, we redid everything in the way of so that we could be a very inviting place that our employees could be proud of, but also that our clients would want to come because those face-to-face meetings are still important. And then part of that impact too was that we try to create special places for collaboration and we have several collaboration rooms there. And so that was a key. But also in our Collins areas, we wanted to be uplifting. So in our kitchens we have those stocked, but we also put up positive phrases there that really epitomize our core values and we have our core values that our employees actually fed into. They're displayed everywhere. But then I ran into a roadblock because our older engineers said, Hey, why are we doing all of this? And then we started in on doing a Friday staff meeting where everyone came together and we call it our high five meeting, an opportunity for us to encourage each other and to be able to share some of the stories that happened that week. And man, my older engineer said, man, that's a whole hour of billable time that we could be having. And they didn't like it at all for the first couple of months. And then magic started happening. They started getting to know each other better. And so I had millennials getting along with the older baby boomers, they're an understanding each other and now they all look forward to it. And we do soft skill training and IT team building there also. But it is a time that we all look forward to and it built that camaraderie because we need teamwork and it helps to get them there. And so then I still allow my people to work one day a week at all. But then our project managers actually make the decision on how much more if someone wants to work from home more because it depends on the project and what we've got going, but yet our team understands now that they've got to be able to build those relationships. Well, I like what you pointed Chris: Out there is it's not a one size fits all game. You got to be flexible and listen. And I think as leaders, if you can communicate that so that your employees understand that they'll understand when you can't be as flexible as maybe they would like because the circumstances don't warrant that. But then when you can, you allow it, Jeff: Chris. That is so true, and you've got to value people and be able to listen to them. No longer can a manager when they ask you, why are we doing something? Because you can't say because I said so. Chris: No, Jeff: It's Chris: Because it's the way we've always done it. Jeff: Oh yes, that's another great line. That is a dinosaur that can't act more. But it's actually exciting to be able to share with our people why we're doing things and to be able to understand the big picture of that, Hey, this isn't that You're just designing a roadway to a hospital. You are contributing to the overall wellbeing of actually being a part of the team that constructs a state-of-the-art hospital that, Chris: Well, I think the other thing you've discovered, we see it here. It was certainly part of our culture before COVID and it's become an important part post COVID to regain connection. And that's getting people together in community, in the office, lunches, happy hours, breakfast, whatever, because then you use the word magic started to happen. I think that's right, that as we gain connection with our coworkers, that helps with retention, it helps with collaboration because we get to know each other a little better. Especially important I think not just in a post COVID world, but in the multi-generational office that we're dealing with. Right? Four and five generations in one office together don't necessarily see things eye to eye, but if you get to know somebody, you can break those barriers. Jeff: That's right. And that leads to something else that I've discovered. Even if you're an introvert and you think you don't need other people, it is amazing because God made us to live in community. And when you're coming together and aligning people with a purpose and you are working together, suddenly those barriers get broken down. And it doesn't matter the age difference, the color of your skin, all of those differences disappear because you're working together to make a difference. And suddenly, again, I'll mention you end up with friendships that are forged. In fact, if you think about it, probably your best friends are the ones that you worked on a project with. It might be for school, for church or in your work. And certainly it's awesome to be able to forge great friendships at your workplace. Chris: I love it. We haven't used the word really much, but it sounds like you're defining the culture that you're trying to build and nurture there. How would you describe the culture and anything else other than these kind of high five meetings and such that you're doing to try to help nurture the culture? Jeff: Well, I think the other part to round it out is that we have got to be focused on teaching and training. I think the culture has really got to be a teaching atmosphere. People don't respond to that type A manager that is forceful and raises their voice and all of that. It's more they've got to see that you value them, each one of these employees do. But then also it's not just in how you truth them. You need to take action in teaching and training them and show them how they are going to be able to help themselves and help the team overall by learning. And then of course, we also have to create that accountability because we aren't professional teachers. In fact, no matter what business we're in, most of us are not professional teachers. So we need our employees to be willing to ask questions and to be willing to be vulnerable, say, I really don't understand this. I need help on this. And that's where it's got to be a two-way street, but yet you cannot. You got to really foster that culture where they are willing to ask questions and to let you know that they don't know it there. But then we have the ability to focus in on what do they not understand and be able to get that training to help fill in that hole. Chris: Yeah, that's so important. So true. Let's just talk a little bit about technology and innovation. What are some of the things that you see and that you've tried to incorporate there from an innovative way of doing your work or how technology's changing the trends of how you go about your work? Jeff: Well, Chris, this is one of my favorite topics, and of course no surprise with me being an engineer, but we are really at the beginning of a technology revolution. In fact, I'll never forget, a few years ago I heard the head of IBM technology that was actually out of Belgium, and he said exactly that We are at the beginning of a technology revolution like the world has never seen, and we are going to see more change than we have ever experienced. Well, there is a little bit of a problem because most people don't like change. And yet we have got to be willing to adapt to that. And I challenge our engineers throughout when I'm speaking to engineering groups. So you guys have got to take the lead in that we, engineers are typically very conservative. They find a great way to do something or they want to stick with it. But however, because of new technology, we've got to be researching that technology. We've got to be looking to see what technology is good, what is not. We even need to be helping in the regulation of it. And so consequently, I'll say this, we have got to be researching AI and software that is coming out constantly. I have two people dedicated to that. Larger firms probably have whole departments that are dedicated because we have an opportunity to be able to do things better faster, but we've got to be able to be competitive. I don't want to wake up one day and all my competitors are being able to do things 30% cheaper than I can and beating my price point and actually able to serve the clients better. And I do equate it to when computers really came online in the eighties, we were all worried about, well, are we going to have a job? Oh, well. And then others would say, well, we're only going to work three days a week now because of computers. No, we saw ourselves become more productive and we will become more productive with AI and other technologies, but also even with the technology being able to incorporate how you use it. I'll give you an example of that. When I was serving as mayor, we were the first city in America to run an autonomous shuttle, a driverless shuttle there on a public streets. And it was amazing at work that we were all scared of it, but we actually challenged our city staff to be looking at new technologies that we could use to be able for transportation. And we said, Hey, let's open up our city as a laboratory. And so consequently, our staff came up with the idea that we really could have Uber and Lyft type process and actually have driverless shuttles that are seven passenger vans that could be going out throughout our city in a very cost effective way. That'd be much cheaper than high speed rail or light rail there. Of course, high speed rail is still a ways off. But anyway, long story short, we went out and did an RFQ, Uber, Lyft and a accompanied by the name of Via all proposed on it. And we ended up being the first city in America to implement technology rideshare and then added the autonomous vehicle to it. And now cities across America are doing that. And instead of paying 50 million a mile for light rail, we are end up calling actually covering our whole city 99 square miles for $8 million a year. It's an amazing thing and very cost effective. Everybody's business. We've got to look at how can we do things different and more cost effective utilizing the technology. Chris: Let's talk about a corollary to that. What are some of the trends you're seeing in your industry that we should be prepared for and maybe how is being based in Texas influencing those trends? Jeff: Well, it's growth, Chris. The growth is a big change in our business there because in growth is so big and so consequently the biggest resource we need or people, it's not, we can all buy our software, we can all buy our computers, but it's really about people. Every business I talk to, it's all about finding those people and then yet we've got to be willing to train them up there. And of course, really when you're hiring experienced people, many times that's just a stop gap because they don't quite fit what you need. So I think the big change that we're seeing trend that businesses are needing to train their workforce up and do that as fast as you can because we need more people to be able to fill those positions. So again, we've got to become teachers, we've got to be able to be efficient. And then I still think one of the biggest challenges in business and really in fact in America is that we have so much dissension. People have a tough time getting along with each other. Arguments come up and then suddenly that cancel culture comes and there's no forgiveness. It's I'm done with you. And that is a poison for business there. And none of us as managers want to spend all our time in conflict resolution. So to that, right? Chris: One of the things I talk about a lot is that if we can remember to give grace in the business world, we do have a personal life a lot, but for some reason we get into, then we think we switch and put the corporate hat on or business hat on and we kind of forget that. I think that is an important aspect to remember, to your point, it helps diffuse conflict. We're imperfect human beings. And so learning to have accountability but also with a touch of grace can help resolve conflict, avoid conflict mitigated in the workplace. Jeff: That's so true. Chris. I had an interesting thing happen along these same lines as New York University actually studied Arlington when I was mayor, and they got attracted initially that we had become the sports capital of the nation, but yet they looked at how we did things. And I needed help as a mayor, so I sought out people. I needed experts, I needed people that would work. I needed input from our citizens. And so we ended up working together to accomplish a lot of things. We had to work to keep the Texas Rangers here in town. There were a lot of other cities that wanted to move them out of our community. We also had not been bringing in jobs there. And in 2014, the year before I came in, the big headlines read that the DFW Metropolitan area had created more jobs in any other metropolitan area in the country, and Arlington was not doing that. And so we had to jumpstart that economy and then yet I needed to unite our leaders and we did that. And throughout the pandemic and so forth, New York University studied us and they believed we came out of the pandemic quicker than any other city in America, both physically and economically. And so they encouraged me to write a book on Unity and how you did it. And they also then took it a step further and they went to Forbes and I ended up signing a book contract with Forbes and were releasing the Unity Blueprint on September the ninth. That really is that plan. Therefore being able to bring people together in both your personal life, your life, and then even our civic involvement and so forth there. And that has been a big change for me really since I came into office. I always valued people, but now getting it, taking it to the next step of unity because how much time is wasted there when your employees are fighting with each other or arguing and then it's a lasting effect. They never work together as well. And so working and creating that culture and actually adding forgiveness to your core value I think is a very important thing. But then also getting people to adopt character values themselves, to have a foundation that they can work with. And when you see people working to be a person of character, there can be forgiveness, but there's not much room for forgiveness when it's constantly on the other person. It's a tough deal. Right. Well, Chris: I didn't realize about the book. That sounds, I'm excited to see it and read it, and I don't know if there's anything that kind of comes out of that as a tidbit that you might be able to share with us now the listeners about maybe obviously the lessons you've learned along the way, kind of that something that you've incorporated into your kind of leadership style that has helped foster unity within the organizations you've run. Jeff: Always amazed when a person gets appointed president of his company or gets elected to a position and many times they don't have a plan. And then in addition to that, if they do have a plan, many times they didn't get any input on it. They literally concocted a plan of their own versus the opportunity for you to work on a vision and a plan after you have researched it, and then you take it to your employees and get feedback from them. And suddenly that plan transforms from your plan to our plan. And it's amazing when you get that buy-in, how it can really work together, and you're not having to sell your plan all the time. They're doing it for you, and it makes all the difference. I'm very excited about being able to move out there around the country and pushing towards unity as a matter of fact, and our book has already reached the number one new release by Amazon. They're in both business and Christian leadership, so I'm pumped about that. That's awesome. Congratulations. But we're not perfect people. We all need the space, but if you're employees can see that you're working towards it, if your fellow employees can see you are working towards being that person of character and wanting to do it. Now, we landed in the middle of honor museum here in Arlington there. We were in a 20 city competition for that, and it's probably one of the greatest things I've ever been involved in. We had a six month journey there and competing against the other cities and it was a national museum. And you go, well, why didn't they go to Washington dc? Well, the reason they didn't is going to take 20 years to get it built. And we in Texas here, can get things built quick, can't we? Right. You've got great contractors, architects, engineers to make that happen. And real estate people, Chris real estate people, government. Chris: That wants to get stuff done, right? That's right. Yeah. Rather than being an impediment to getting stuff done. Jeff: Well, the middle of honor museum or the Medal of Honor recipients that were leading that recognize that very thing, they also saw that we are the center of patriotism and we can get things done. We have a track record do it. Chris: I had there's, we could do a whole episode I think just on that museum. I had the privilege, Texas Capital Bank did a little Texas tour and they hosted something here in Houston that I was invited to all about the museum, what it is, how it came about. Very unique, very special, very proud that it's going to be in Texas and hopefully more people will take time to get to know what this is all about and then go visit it once it opens. Jeff: Well, the thing that surprised me is when I actually visited with these Living Medal of Honor recipients, and each one of them has pledged to spend the rest of their life making more of a difference there. And what they're doing is they are pushing character values, integrity, sacrifice, courage, commitment, citizenship and patriotism. Well, that's what all of us need. And currently the state board of education here in Texas has adopted a two week curriculum that our students will study in school and then they'll be able to take a field trip to the museum or a virtual field trip. And I think that's gotten everybody excited that that is happening. And then of course, it's not just the youth, our adults too. So there are adult programs that are going on, but it had me reassess my core values. It had me to, I really wanted to reassess my character values and so forth. And in business it always starts with you got to do what you say you're going to do. But then I had an interesting thing happen and I pretty well knew the answer when I asked it, but I was speaking to 20 Chick-fil-A managers, and of course Chick-fil-A is number one in service, aren't they? Chris: Right? Jeff: I asked them, I said, guys, what are you looking for and you're leader? And they immediately spoke up and they said, we are looking for a leader that we can trust, and then we're looking for a leader that values us. I think that's where it starts for us then in Texas. We know that we get that right and we believe in partnerships and collaboration, and I think that separates us from so many other places in the country. Chris: So kind of tagging on with leadership, lots of theories and about how to become a leader, how to grow as a leader. I think you hit it on the nail on the head when you said you got to be a man of your word or a person of your word. Do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. It's kind of a foundational element, but I know from my own personal experience and talking to others, we learn a lot as leaders from mistakes we've made. And I'm just curious to know if you could share one of those rather than a mistake. I call it a learning moment where it didn't go as planned, but you learned from that and from that it actually probably accelerated your leadership skills because of it. Jeff: Yes, no doubt about it. That's very easy for me to say because one of the biggest disappointments I had in my career is we had worked on a Johnson Creek Greenway here in Arlington. It was a nine mile creek beautiful creek, and we also were going to be doing a river walk in the entertainment district around those stadiums and so forth. And we had done all the preliminary planning there. It got through the core of engineers, and we also had held major charettes. We were winning awards from all over the country. I was actually traveling and speaking on that. I had an incredible partner with me, a guy by the name of Jim Richards. I loved working with our team and I thought, this is what I'm going to be doing the next 10 years. But however, the city had to pass a sales tax selection to fund the project, and they hired a political consultant that came in and said, Hey, I think you guys ought to attach an arts referendum on this. The Johnson Creek project is so popular, the Riverwalk will go, let's attach that to it. And then there was one other thing that came in that was so unique, and that was that some of our people had actually gotten a agreement with Smithsonian to build a branch museum on this Johnson Creek river wall. And so they put that on the agenda there for an election, but the political consultants said, we don't want anybody doing anything. They said, we do not want Jeff Williams and my other partner going out and speaking, what if you make a mistake and you say the wrong thing or you stir people up? And then they also did not really realize that our refer referendum was very popular. We lost that election by a few hundred loaves. It was one of the most devastating things. And it's taken 20 years. A lot of it's been And it changed my whole career there because I had to study why did this happen? How did it happen? And I said, I have got to learn about how to handle sales tax and bond elections. And so I studied hard and in fact, I learned a lot on the Cowboys sales tax election because we had that coming up a few years after that. And we were prepared when we got into the Cowboys sales tax election. And I ran several school and city bond elections after that. There's times when you have to learn more and to be able to take control. And little did I know that it's going to prepare me for serving as mayor later on too. But I'll never forget, in 2008, we had a recession and y'all may recall that. And we had a bond program going on for public works and parks, and I was not mayor then of just engineer. And we were in trouble because if we didn't get these road projects through, and actually some of these parts projects, we had buildings that were in badly needed repair wreck centers, so forth, we had to again, engage more people and raise more money. And we went ahead with that sales tax or I should say bond program, and we were able to get it passed in the midst of that. And again, I think unity and learning about knowledge there played a huge pull. I'm a big researcher. I love to, and there are so many books out there, but also generally we never come up. We think that we come up with some creative idea that no one has ever done well, especially in business. Somebody has done it. Find them, find and you can learn from their mistakes and hopefully not make your own, but also learn from their successes. But great question, Chris. Chris: Yeah, no, you're so right. I mean, I tell people never stop learning. Be curious. We learn from our mistakes. We can learn from others and we can learn from our successes because sometimes we're successful despite ourselves or despite the plan. Lots of people will tell you it's good to be lucky every now and again. So sometimes that happens. But if you take the time to learn the why behind the success or the failure you will have learning and then that learning you will grow from Jeff: You just spur the thought that I think is so important as you are a success as you grow in your success in business. There, the ego definitely comes up. And then we all know that we've got to be careful and be humble, but I want to create a definition for humbleness because so many times when we hear humble, it goes, oh, well, you need to be modest. You never to don't need to show that confidence and so forth are really, I think the important thing about humbleness is that you need to realize that you are vulnerable and that we need other people. And you can't do it alone and you don't need to do it alone because you'll not really succeed as well. So as a leader, you walk along a cliff every day and we need people to be able to keep us from falling off. And I think you've got to continue to remember that every step of the way and there's always somebody that has a better idea. Let's go find it. Chris: Yeah, that's great. Jeff, this has been a great conversation. Just love your insights and your input. Can't wait to see the book. Unity. I want to turn just a little before we wrap up, is there a favorite spot in Texas that enjoy visiting or just kind of think about when are not doing all the engineering work and planning communities? Jeff: I love Texas. There are so many rural areas and cities, but I've got to share with you about three quick ones right here. One, Arlington, Texas has become the destination between Orlando and Vegas. And it is amazing how you can come now to the metroplex and you can see all kinds of events that are taking place there in our stadiums. And it may not be sporting, it may be concerts, it may be wrestling, who knows what it may be there going on. But then also we have the premier park in the state of Texas, I believe in River Legacy Parks, 1300 acres on the Trinity River bottoms and all of the tree growth and everything is still there. Amazing place with a world-class nature center there in it. But then you can go to Fort Worth and experience the Texas experience, the Stockyards, and then the world-class museum. And so we do staycations here because we don't want to take advantage of that. But then I'll hit two others real quick. Lubbock, Texas, I know you're going to go what in the world? Check out that restaurant scene and check out the music scene that is out there. And then Tex always got things going on, but of course we love Austin, San Antonio there in particular, Fredericksburg, east Texas and Tyler is awesome, but we have found a great beach in Port Aransas, har cinnamon chores for sure. We love it Chris: A lot to offer, right? Big state. A lot to offer. We accommodate all types and tastes. Right. Well that's one of the things I love about the state of Texas is if you can kind of find anything that any interest you have, we can satisfied. Jeff: That's right. That's Chris: Maybe not snow skiing. We hadn't figured that one out yet. But other than that, I think we got you covered. Jeff: Yeah, that's right. And of course Colorado's worried Texans are going to take over Colorado. We do head up there to do our skiing Chris: For sure. Okay, last question. Do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Jeff: Oh my goodness. I hate to make this choice, but I've got to talk barbecue. We have a really neat story here in Arlington with Harto Barbecue. This was a guy that was a backyard barbecue or Brandon, he's Texas monthly now has him in the top 50. But it was really neat. We had the first neutral World Series here in Arlington. You remember during the pandemic they picked us to in the LA Dodgers in Tampa came to town. The LA Dodgers found the small little barbecue spot of Hertado here in downtown Arlington and it went viral. They put it on social media. Everybody found Brandon Hertado, including Taylor Sheridan and Taylor Sheridan with Ellison started having him out to his parties and now he signed an agreement with four six's ranch that Taylor owns to supply the beef. And he's now got several restaurants. It's just a really neat story. And how many times is it so fun for us in Texas to discover that next new barbecue spot? Got 'em all over the place. It's awesome. That is a cool Chris: Story. I've not heard of that, but now I'm going to have to go try some, so love it. Well, Jeff, this has been great. I really appreciate you taking the time, love your story and just congratulations for all the success you've had, and I know you'll continue to that into the future. Jeff: Thank you, Chris, and look forward to continuing this relationship. And thank you for what you're doing here on the podcast. Chris: Absolutely. Jeff: And remember, let's build Unity and the Unity blueprint. Special Guest: Jeff Williams.

Ready to unleash the hidden greatness in your leaders? In this electrifying episode of Build a Vibrant Culture, Nicole Greer sits down with Greg Smith, General Manager of Franklin Covey's Executive Coaching Practice, whose coaching success rate blows past 97%! Greg brings over 25 years of experience guiding leaders at powerhouse companies like Walmart, Deloitte, and Disney. Together, Nicole and Greg crack open what really happens when coaching becomes the engine for building a culture where leaders thrive — and why coaching is THE secret weapon for preventing those painful leadership derailments.Nicole and Greg dive deep into the magic of assessments, the game-changing question every leader must answer (“What's it like to experience you?”), and the frameworks that turn good leaders into great ones. You'll discover how to harness process tension (yes, that's a good thing!), raise your self-awareness, and lead with energy, courage, and clarity. This episode will leave you inspired to invest in coaching — for yourself, for your team, and for the future of your organization.Vibrant Highlights:[02:18] Coaching & Culture: Greg explains why leaders must “eat, drink, and sleep” their company's culture and how coaching helps them align with it[07:22] The Big Question: Nicole shares the powerful coaching question, “What is it like to experience you?” and how it transforms leaders' self-awareness[16:22] Defining Coaching: Greg distinguishes coaching from mentoring, consulting, and advising—and why only 50% of so-called “coaching” achieves results[23:23] Framework for Change: Greg breaks down Franklin Covey's four-stage coaching process: alignment, data, coaching, and transition[45:51] Process Tension: Learn how to create accountability and sustainable behavior change by making your goals visible to your stakeholdersConnect with Greg:Website: franklincovey.com/coachingGreg's Article:  The Four Secrets to Managing Executive Transitions: https://www.fastcompany.com/91352305/how-to-successfully-manage-executive-transitions-management-executive-tarnsitionsLinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsmith-fc/LinkedIn Corporate: https://www.linkedin.com/company/franklincovey/Also mentioned in this episode:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: https://a.co/d/cjDUcJ0What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith: https://a.co/d/8YxQ20YThe First 90 Days by Michael Watkins: https://a.co/d/7jtXQEkHope Is Not a Strategy by Sirisha Bamidipati & Harish Kumar: https://a.co/d/1pCgMiQListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts!Learn more about Nicole Greer, The Vibrant Coach, at vibrantculture.com.

Kate English, Chief economist with Deloitte and Cliff Taylor, columnist with the Irish Times

On this Live Greatly podcast episode, Kristel Bauer sits down with Greg Smith, the General Manager of Executive Coaching at FranklinCovey.  Kristel and Greg discuss how to deal with feelings of imposter syndrome, how to navigate changing relationships in the workplace, mindset shifts to support inner confidence and lots more. Tune in now!  Key Takeaways From This Episode: How to deal with imposter phenomenon Tips to deal with feelings of loneliness as a leader Navigating shifting relationships in the workplace Suggestions to help with transitions to new roles in the workplace The importance of thinking about how people percieve you as a leader Navigating high pressure situations as a leader Mindset shifts to support inner confidence ABOUT GREG SMITH: Greg Smith brings over 25 years of extensive experience managing large, comprehensive leadership and assessment client engagements. These include global leadership succession, high potential development, executive coaching, executive team effectiveness, and acceleration initiatives. Greg serves as General Manager for FranklinCovey's Executive Coaching practice, where the coaching success rate exceeds 97%.Greg has held leadership roles in Human Resources, Business Development, and Consulting, providing unique insights to leaders and talent partners. Greg's client relationships have included Walmart, Deloitte, International Paper, Starbucks, FedEx, Robert Half, Walt Disney, Abbot, AbbVie, Dollar General Stores, and many others across all industries. Greg holds a Master's degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from The University of Tulsa. Greg is also a contributing writer for Forbes Coaches Council. Connect with Greg Smith Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsmith-fc/  FranklinCovey Executive Coaching: https://www.franklincovey.com/coaching/executive-coaching/  About the Host of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer: Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker and TEDx speaker supporting organizations and individuals on their journeys for more happiness and success. She is the author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business November 19, 2024). With Kristel's healthcare background, she provides data driven actionable strategies to leverage happiness and high-power habits to drive growth mindsets, peak performance, profitability, well-being and a culture of excellence. Kristel's keynotes provide insights to “Live Greatly” while promoting leadership development and team building.   Kristel is the creator and host of her global top self-improvement podcast, Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, and she is an influencer in the business and wellness space having been recognized as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer of 2021 in Forbes. As an Integrative Medicine Fellow & Physician Assistant having practiced clinically in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel has a unique perspective into attaining a mindset for more happiness and success. Kristel has presented to groups from the American Gas Association, Bank of America, bp, Commercial Metals Company, General Mills, Northwestern University, Santander Bank and many more. Kristel has been featured in Forbes, Forest & Bluff Magazine, Authority Magazine & Podcast Magazine and she has appeared on ABC 7 Chicago, WGN Daytime Chicago, Fox 4's WDAF-TV's Great Day KC, and Ticker News. Kristel lives in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area and she can be booked for speaking engagements worldwide. To Book Kristel as a speaker for your next event, click here. Website: www.livegreatly.co  Follow Kristel Bauer on: Instagram: @livegreatly_co  LinkedIn: Kristel Bauer Twitter: @livegreatly_co Facebook: @livegreatly.co Youtube: Live Greatly, Kristel Bauer To Watch Kristel Bauer's TEDx talk of Redefining Work/Life Balance in a COVID-19 World click here. Click HERE to check out Kristel's corporate wellness and leadership blog Click HERE to check out Kristel's Travel and Wellness Blog Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions.  Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations.  They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.  Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests.  Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content.  Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.

Money isn't just numbers - it's trust, culture, and retention. In this fiery episode of Don't Waste the Chaos, Kerri Roberts exposes the hidden dangers of staying silent about money inside your business. From solo cups sparking wild rumors to leaders unknowingly breeding distrust, Kerri unpacks why financial transparency is the leadership move that keeps your people engaged, loyal, and productive. You'll discover real stories, research-backed insights, and practical steps to shift from secrecy to clarity - without oversharing spreadsheets. If you want to reduce turnover, boost morale, and create a culture of ownership, this episode is your wake-up call. Tune in now and learn how to transform silence into strategy, fear into fuel, and chaos into clarity. Tune in to hear:  Discover the real risk of silence - why not sharing financial context leads to gossip, fear, and disengagement. Learn from real-world examples (yes, even solo cups!) on how small changes without explanation can spiral into chaos. Get the data that matters - studies from Deloitte, Marks-Elliot, and Financial Times proving transparency boosts trust, morale, and performance. Walk away with actionable steps - from open forums to cascading check-ins, learn how to communicate financials effectively. Protect your bottom line - understand the hidden “turnover tax” and how trust and engagement directly drive profitability. Resources Mentioned  Deloitte Study on Transparency & Trust https://www2.deloitte.com Marks-Elliot Study on Leadership Transparency https://www.markselliot.com (placeholder – confirm exact link if citing directly) Financial Times on High Involvement Culture https://www.ft.com HR in a Box Program – Salt & Light Advisors https://www.saltandlightadvisors.com  Love this episode? Let's stay connected! Work with Salt & Light Advisors. Partner with Kerri Roberts. Explore our favorite tools & exclusive discounts.https://www.saltandlightadvisors.comhttps://kerrimroberts.comhttps://kerrimroberts.com/lifestylefavoriteshttps://kerrimroberts.com/businessfavoritesSupport the show

BIO: As Co-Founder & CEO of Mode Mobile, Dan Novaes is leading the transformation of how people interact with technology. His “Earn As You Go” software empowers millions of consumers to turn daily habits into passive income.STORY: Dan decided to take the bold move of turning his treasury into a long-term crypto strategy. What started as $2 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum ballooned to $30 million, but the 2022 crash and business pressures forced him to liquidate at low prices—missing out on what could have been a $100 million windfall.LEARNING: Don't chase aggressive expansion without a clear path to profitability. Stick to your core business. Separate your business from speculative bets. “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Take a moment of deep thinking every week when things are going well, think about everything that could go wrong, and then reassess your position.”Dan Novaes Guest profileAs Co-Founder & CEO of Mode Mobile, Dan Novaes is leading the transformation of how people interact with technology. His “Earn As You Go” software empowers millions of consumers to turn daily habits into passive income. Under his leadership, Mode achieved 32,481% revenue growth from 2019 to 2022 and ranked #1 in Software on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 in North America.Worst investment everIn today's rapidly evolving and highly interconnected business world, companies are increasingly relying on external partnerships to drive growth and innovation.Dan's story begins in the early days of crypto. His company had raised funds through Bitcoin and Ethereum when Bitcoin was valued at just a few thousand dollars and Ethereum at only a few hundred. This early success in the crypto market was a testament to the potential for significant growth that these investments could bring.Once the business had a comfortable runway, Dan made a bold move—he turned their treasury, which is the accumulated profits and cash reserves, into a long-term crypto strategy, much like what companies like MicroStrategy would later become known for.Riding the waveAt first, the decision looked genius. That $1–2 million ballooned into $30 million. Dan was on CNBC, celebrating as Bitcoin crossed $10,000, and his company seemed unstoppable. They never had to fundraise again—until the 2022 crash.The crashIn 2022, Bitcoin's price fell from $63,000 to $18,000, and pressure mounted. Compounding the pain, many of Dan's advertising partners went bankrupt, leaving unpaid bills. This was a significant blow to the company's financial stability. To survive, Dan's company had to liquidate almost the entire treasury at depressed prices.Had Dan managed his growth and financials more cautiously, that crypto position could have grown to $100 million or more. Instead, he walked away with far less—and a bitter lesson.Lessons learnedGrowth at all costs is dangerous. Chasing aggressive expansion without a clear path to profitability can leave your company vulnerable when market conditions shift.Profit-taking matters. Riding the wave without ever securing gains turned paper wealth into a forced liquidation.Stick to your core business.Discipline is everything. Not letting market euphoria dictate strategy is critical to long-term survival.Andrew's takeawaysSeparate your business from speculative bets. Don't gamble with your excess cash on foreign exchange trades. Instead, hedge your risks because...

This week's interview is with Tim Hanley, a Milwaukee native & Titan 100 HOF whose career reads like a Hollywood script—until it didn't. From rising to partner at Arthur Andersen to navigating the collapse of the firm during the Enron scandal, Tim faced a leadership crucible that tested everything he believed about trust, transparency, and tenacity. But that wasn't the end. Years later, after retiring from Deloitte, Tim stepped into another storm—this time as interim dean at Marquette University just as COVID shut down the world. What he thought would be a one-year commitment turned into a 4½-year mission to guide a business school through unprecedented uncertainty.

Episode Summary: Tim Montague, host of Clean Power Hour and author of Wired for Sun: The Commercial Solar Playbook, joins Benoy to share how commercial solar projects can be structured for long-term success. The conversation covers how to quickly qualify opportunities, manage interconnection risk, and scope EPC contracts to protect margins. Tim also breaks down how the Big Beautiful Bill influences C&I project economics and what developers can do to scale repeatable business models in 2025 and beyond.   Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $45 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar. Tim Montague Tim Montague is a solar developer, solar & storage expert, coach, and consultant with over 30 years of experience in technology, sustainability, and triple bottom line business. As President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host and creator of the Clean Power Hour podcast, Tim has helped dozens of technology entrepreneurs and businesses grow and create a positive impact. His motto is "Let's grow solar & storage!"   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   TIm Montague  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleanpowerhour/ Website:  https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/ Wired for Sun Book:  https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Sun-Strategy-Step-Step-ebook/dp/B0FJSG8PVH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YQGJET8LZJZ1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lOW0xetQ9-e5e90Is3zg2u_EBixUOl0Uyc_jsS7vy1c-PnTltAG4CgFpskZnAU_6vGp-wONOQGFOnKmBs_DRkjRNa4A7QigAo9QP5bOBZJAL5IHLwLSBzR8Oui2tqMvvZ5_GL_mwVoEd4y2ljPsHME4z--Ik7kg2t8e3g997ncfuxdKtANXQBqpiBMgV2mDWIJ2vv1i32hMZLThNvc5PNTnvnOld_YK1nF0Eivd-k4U.9NObYCnV1_Y08b4ImlNskcKPcBhJ9_IZIhrQ18t1yS0&dib_tag=se&keywords=wired+for+sun&qid=1757334378&sprefix=wired+fo+r%2Caps%2C1389&sr=8-1

Plus Should We Let AI Speak For The Dead?Like this? Get AIDAILY, delivered to your inbox 3x a week. Subscribe to our newsletter at https://aidailyus.substack.comDating Apps Out, AI Boyfriends InWriter Patricia Marx test-drives digital romance with Replika, Character.AI, and JanitorAI—chatbots that flirt, console, and glitch their way through “relationships.” Her experience shows the weird, funny, and sometimes sad truth of swapping real-world intimacy for algorithmic affection. I Hate My AI Friend (It's Creepy)A wearable pendant called “Friend” (think AirTag crossed with snarky AI) listens to your life and offers real-time commentary. Built using Gemini 2.5, it often feels abrasive and socially awkward—so much so that WIRED writers ditched it fast due to the cringe vibes and privacy creep. When AI Speaks for the Dead, Should We Listen?An AI-generated video resurrected a murder victim—voiced and scripted by his sister—to speak at sentencing. Patricia Williams warns this chilling blend of technology and emotion risks blurring truth with scripted performances, unsettling legal testimony, memory, and the sacred silence of loss.AI “Slop” Is Clogging Your BrainBrace yourself—your feed is drowning in “AI slop”: low-effort, repetitive content flooding TikTok, Facebook, and Insta for clicks and cash. It's addictive, shallow, and mind-numbing—turning us into scroll zombies while cheap bots cash in online. AI Has No Clue What It's Doing—And It's Threatening UsA Charles Darwin University study slams unregulated AI for eroding human dignity—pointing to privacy violations, bias, and lost autonomy hidden behind “black box” models. Dr. Maria Randazzo warns that without human-centered, global governance, AI risks reducing us to mere data points.AI Boom Leaves Consultants in the DustEven though consultants poured billions into AI hype, firms like Deloitte, PwC, McKinsey, and Bain are struggling to deliver real results. With client teams now being just as skilled—or better—many PoCs never scale, and businesses are increasingly going in-house or using freelancers. Candidates Don't Trust AI RecruitersA March 2025 Gartner survey found only 26% of job candidates trust AI to evaluate them fairly—even as over half suspect AI is screening their applications. Fears cluster around bias, lack of transparency, and being treated as data points, while concerns over “ghost jobs” fuel skepticism about the legitimacy of postings.Brain-Inspired Chips Are the Real AI DisruptorsTraditional CPUs/GPUs powering AI juggle power, heat, and lag—not ideal for real-time stuff like robots or self-driving cars. Neuromorphic chips mimic the brain's event-driven style, crunching data locally with tiny energy use, no cloud needed. CIO says they might eclipse quantum for making edge AI smarter and greener. 

Madeline Mann shares insider tips and strategies for landing exciting new career opportunities.— YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The resume mistake high achievers make2) The simple tweak that dramatically nets you more inbound opportunities3) The interview hack that makes you sound like an expertSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1090 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT MADELINE — Madeline Mann is an HR & Recruiting leader who spun her insider knowledge of the hiring process into an award-winning career coaching empire, called Self Made Millennial. Mann is now known for turning job seekers into Job Shoppers, to enable any professional to land high-paying job offers for seemingly unattainable roles. Her clients have landed at companies such as Netflix, Google, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, NBC Universal, Amazon, and more. She lives in Los Angeles.• Book: Reverse the Search: How to Turn Job Seeking into Job Shopping• LinkedIn: Madeline Mann• Website: MadelineMann.com• YouTube: Self-Made Millennial— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists by Neil Strauss• Book: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini• Book: Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown• Past episode: 217: An Effective (but Rare) Strategy to Snag Your Dream Job with Kristen Berndt• Past episode: 664: Dr. Robert Cialdini on How to Persuade with the 7 Universal Principles of Influence• Past episode: 719: Liz Wiseman Reveals the Five Practices of Indispensable, High-Impact Players— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Strawberry.me. Claim your $50 credit and build momentum in your career with Strawberry.me/Awesome• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at linkedin.com/beawesome• Quince. Get free shipping and 365-day returns on your order with Quince.com/Awesome• Square. See how Square can transform your business by visiting Square.com/go/awesomeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with Daniel Dus, CEO of Clean Tech Industry Resources (CIR) and founder of Solar Fight Night. Daniel shares his unique perspective on how his company is reshaping solar development through “Development as a Service” and “Construction as a Service” models, making it easier for developers, financiers, and EPCs to scale projects efficiently. Benoy and Daniel dive into industry trends, lessons learned from years of experience, and how CIR is positioning itself as a critical partner in today's fast-changing renewable energy landscape. The conversation also highlights one of the largest renewable-energy fundraising events coming up at RE+ in Las Vegas, Solar Fight Night, and why community and collaboration are more important than ever.   Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $45 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar.   Daniel Dus 18 years in renewable energy C-suite and Board roles, overseeing the completion of over $1 billion worth of renewable energy projects spanning 23 states nationwide. MBA, Stanford Certified Project Manager, Villanova Certified Six Sigma Master Lean Blackbelt, Certificates in Energy Hedging, NERC, Grid Security and SCADA. Previously led the US division of a $32 billion top-three global, fully integrated renewable energy platform, which encompassed PV manufacturing to asset ownership, and was a vital part of a $100 billion multinational corporation. Achieved notable project honors, including a Congressional Certificate of Recognition from the US House of Representatives, Recognition for an Innovative Public-Private Partnership from The White House, and the title of Best Solar Collaboration by Solar Power Generation USA. Served a diverse array of clients, including JP Morgan Chase, Hertz, Westfield Malls, Bridgestone, UCLA, Intuit, Hilton, Panasonic, Macerich, CBS Studios, and numerous cities, such as Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Diego, Santa Monica, Breckenridge, Aurora, Orange, and Southbridge. Seasoned executive with extensive experience in the renewable energy sector. Recognized as the Founder of Shared Estates and Co-Founder of Solar Fight Night, the largest renewable energy non-profit fundraiser worldwide.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com    Daniel Dus Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrdus/ Website:  https://cleantechindustryresources.com/ Solar Fight Night:  https://www.solarfightnight.org/   This episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast is brought to you by Leo Berwick. Leo Berwick is a tax, valuation, cost segregation, modeling and financial due diligence advisory firm focused on infrastructure, energy, renewables, and private equity. They are a carefully curated team of top talent within each of these core disciplines. Their sector focus and coordinated teams allow them to move fast, stay efficient, and get deals done.  Whether it's tax structuring, due diligence, financial modeling, valuations, or post-deal support, Leo Berwick covers the full deal lifecycle.  With decades of experience and an acute awareness of commercial considerations that can make or break a deal, Leo Berwick is helping investors unlock value in some of the most important sectors of the future.  To learn more, visit leoberwick.com.

Episode 100 – Leadership Communication Expert, Arabella Macpherson

This week, The CMO Podcast is serving up a rich and flavorful conversation as Jim sits down with Jessica Padula, Vice President of Marketing and Sustainability for Nespresso USA. Nespresso, part of Swiss-based Nestlé, started in the 1980s with one bold idea: that anyone should be able to brew a café-quality coffee at home. Fast forward to today, and that idea has become an $8 billion global brand, with more than 13,000 employees across 81 countries, over 800 boutiques in 500+ cities, and a booming direct-to-consumer business.Jessica has been brewing her own journey at Nespresso for nearly a decade. For the past two and a half years, she's been leading both marketing and sustainability—two roles that blend perfectly like coffee and crema. A Boston University grad, Jessica first cut her teeth on the agency side, working with powerhouse Procter & Gamble brands, before bringing her passion for brand building and purpose to Nespresso.In this lively conversation, Jim and Jessica dive into her career journey, the art of balancing growth with sustainability, and how Nespresso continues to innovate without losing sight of its values. Grab your favorite cup and tune in—it's a coffee talk you won't want to miss.---This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ken Gee is the Founder and Managing Member of KRI Partners, a real estate private equity and investor education firm. With more than 26 years of experience in real estate, banking, and private equity, Ken has been involved in transactions valued at over $2 billion—covering acquisitions, management, and financing of multifamily projects. Before launching KRI Partners, Ken was a CPA with Deloitte's tax & M&A practice, serving some of the largest private equity and real estate firms in the country. Earlier in his career, he worked as a commercial lender at a regional bank in Cleveland (now PNC) and even operated certified Cessna Pilot Centers, training pilots for the Delta Connection program. In this episode, Ken shares how he transitioned from CPA to multifamily investor, why multifamily is one of the most reliable asset classes, and the mindset shift that led him to leave corporate life behind. We also explore how to overcome the biggest barrier new investors face, the formulas Ken uses to evaluate deals, and how both active and passive investors can build long-term wealth through multifamily real estate.     What You Will Learn: Who is Ken Gee, and how did his career path lead from CPA and commercial lending into multifamily real estate? What pivotal moment convinced Ken to leave Deloitte and pursue real estate full time? Why does Ken believe cash flow is king, especially for new investors? What's Ken's formula for evaluating multifamily deals and hitting return objectives? How do value-add strategies—like rent increases, storage, and garages—create exponential property appreciation? What holds most people back from buying their first multifamily property, and how can partnerships solve the “I don't have the money” problem? How does Ken help both active investors (who want to run deals) and passive investors (who want hands-off income)? Why does vertical integration in property management give KRI Partners an edge in execution? What free resources does Ken provide to help investors learn and get started? Ken's journey from CPA to multifamily investor offers a blueprint for anyone looking to transition into real estate, whether you want to be hands-on with deals or simply invest passively for steady returns.    

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.On today's episode, we're joined once again by Melissa Fors Shackelford, health marketing strategist, accomplished consultant, renowned keynote speaker, and now Amazon's #1 bestselling author with her new book, “Harnessing Purpose: A Marketer's Guide to Inspiring Connection.” Host Sara Payne leads a deep-dive conversation into the essential role of purpose in marketing, exploring how both personal and brand purpose are at the very heart of meaningful work and, crucially, business success.Melissa draws on two decades of shaping brand and growth strategies for healthcare organizations, including Optum, Hazelden Betty Ford, and Cigna's Evernorth, to share why connecting our personal “why” with the organizational mission isn't just aspirational, but also practical, powerful, and profitable. Together, Sara and Melissa unpack the realities of burnout and the so-called “soul-selling” reputation that sometimes haunts the marketing profession, contrasting it with Melissa's own purpose-driven approach. The episode explores how leaders and organizations can avoid performative platitudes, instead cultivating authentic, values-aligned cultures that foster engagement, resilience, creativity, and tangible business outcomes.Whether you're feeling disconnected from the “why” of your day-to-day or are a marketing leader looking to inspire deeper commitment within your team, today's discussion is packed with actionable guidance, real-world examples, and candid advice on harnessing purpose for both individual fulfillment and organizational growth.Key Takeaways:Aligning Personal and Brand Purpose Unlocks Engagement and Performance: Melissa emphasizes that the most effective marketing and the most fulfillment for marketers happens when personal purpose aligns with brand values. Marketers who understand both their own “why” and their organization's mission are more resilient, creative, and motivated, producing authentic campaigns that resonate internally and externally.Purpose-Driven Companies Outperform Competitors: The episode isn't just about feel-good motivation Melissa cites research (from the likes of HBR and Deloitte) that shows 85% of businesses with a clear purpose see sales increase, while 42% without purpose see stagnation or decline. Purpose-driven organizations attract like-minded employees and customers, resulting in higher engagement, loyalty, and performance.Authenticity and Consistency Are Essential to Building Trust: Saying the right things isn't enough; posting values on lanyards or walls without truly living them can actively erode employee and consumer trust. Melissa and Sara discuss why it's critical for leadership to model values and use them as a filter for decisions from hiring to service delivery, especially in high-stakes sectors like healthcare.Purpose as a Decision-Making Filter Empowers Employees: The ultimate goal is for every employee to use company purpose and values as a guide in daily and “in the moment” decisions, especially when leaders aren't around. This means purpose isn't just strategy, it's culture, empowering staff with clarity and confidence, and fueling both psychological safety and creative risk-taking.Marketing Can and Should Be a Force for Good: Melissa challenges marketing's manipulative stereotype by sharing real healthcare examples where marketing ethics and mission-driven approaches protect vulnerable populations and foster positive change. She encourages all marketers to use their role for good, highlighting the growing importance of authenticity in both B2C and B2B environments.To connect with Melissa Fors Shackelford or learn more about her bestselling book, visit harnessingpurpose.com or reach out on...

Après deux années marquées par des hausses exceptionnelles liées à la flambée de l'inflation, les salaires semblent retrouver un rythme plus « normal » en 2025. C'est ce que révèle l'étude annuelle publiée vendredi par le cabinet Deloitte, qui s'appuie sur l'analyse d'un million de données de paie issues de 300 entreprises françaises, de toutes tailles et de tous secteurs.Des hausses plus modérées mais supérieures à l'inflationEn moyenne, les salaires des ouvriers, employés, techniciens et agents de maîtrise (OETAM) progressent cette année de 2,5 %, contre 3,5 % en 2024. Du côté des cadres, la hausse atteint 2,3 %, après 3,4 % l'an dernier. Selon Deloitte, ces chiffres marquent un retour à des niveaux comparables à ceux observés avant 2020. « Après une période inédite liée à l'inflation, on revient à des évolutions salariales plus classiques », résume Sophie Lazaro, associée capital humain chez Deloitte.Un écart hommes-femmes en reculL'étude souligne également un fait marquant : l'écart de rémunération entre hommes et femmes se réduit sensiblement. En 2025, il s'établit en moyenne à 2,3 %, contre 3,8 % en 2024, pour des postes équivalents à temps plein. Cette tendance s'explique en partie par le durcissement du cadre réglementaire européen, avec la directive sur la transparence des rémunérations qui entrera en vigueur l'an prochain.Dans le détail, l'écart tombe à 1,4 % chez les OETAM, mais reste plus marqué chez les cadres (3 %) et particulièrement chez les cadres supérieurs (10,2 %). Autrement dit, si la convergence progresse dans les catégories intermédiaires, le plafond de verre demeure bien présent au sommet des organisations.Les inégalités territoriales persistentAutre enseignement : la géographie continue de jouer un rôle important. Le différentiel de rémunération entre l'Île-de-France et les autres régions s'accroît encore, passant de 4 % à 5,6 % en faveur de la région capitale. Cette fracture territoriale, déjà connue, confirme la concentration des emplois les mieux rémunérés dans la zone parisienne.Quelles perspectives pour 2026 ?Les entreprises interrogées se montrent prudentes pour l'avenir. Les prévisions d'augmentation pour 2026 sont revues à la baisse : 2 % en moyenne, contre 3 % anticipés il y a un an. À noter que seulement 40 % des employeurs ont communiqué leurs intentions, alors que ces estimations sont généralement établies dès l'été. Cette frilosité traduit un climat d'incertitude, lié aussi bien à la situation socio-économique et politique en France qu'aux tensions commerciales internationales.En résumé, si les salaires en 2025 continuent de progresser plus vite que l'inflation, la dynamique ralentit nettement. Derrière les chiffres se dessinent trois lignes de fracture : la persistance des écarts entre catégories socioprofessionnelles, la résistance des inégalités territoriales et la prudence accrue des employeurs face à un avenir jugé incertain. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Kann Europa im globalen KI-Wettrennen mithalten – oder verliert es den Anschluss?In dieser Episode des The Agenda Podcasts spricht Elisabeth L'Orange, Partner bei Deloitte und gehört zu dem Manager Magazin zu den 15 führenden Frauen im Bereich Künstlicher Intelligenz. mit Sherpany Podcast-Host Ingo Notthoff, über die Herausforderungen und Chancen der Künstlichen Intelligenz in Europa. Elisabeth L'Orange beleuchtet den aktuellen AI-Act und seine Auswirkungen, spricht über die Innovationskraft europäischer Unternehmen und teilt ihre Erfahrungen aus der Praxis. Zudem gibt sie wertvolle Empfehlungen für Unternehmen, die KI erfolgreich implementieren möchten.Diese Impulse erhalten Sie in dieser Episode:Die USA und China sind führend bei KI-InnovationenWarum Europa bei KI-Innovationen hinterherhinkt – und wo es seine Stärken hatDie Akzeptanz von KI in Unternehmen ist oft geringUnternehmen müssen KI strategisch implementierenDie Auswirkungen des AI-Act auf die Innovation von UnternehmenAufsichtsräte sollten aktiv in die KI-Transformation eingreifenWie sich der Einsatz von KI per KPIs messen lässtAus medizinischen KI-Anwendungen lernenAufsichtsräte und Vorstände müssen selbst KI nutzenThank you for listening! Visit us at Sherpany.com or follow us on LinkedIn for board, board committee, and executive meetings solutions.

Send us a textThe enterprise technology space is seeing a surge of innovation and strategic moves as vendors double down on AI, automation, and customer-centric solutions. Beroe expanded its procurement suite with the acquisition of nnamu, while Capgemini and NVIDIA, alongside Oracle and NVIDIA, announced new collaborations and integrations to accelerate AI adoption. Deloitte entered the spotlight with the release of its Zora AI Platform, and Hyland reinforced its customer focus by appointing a Chief Customer Officer. In the AI-driven automation arena, Kore.ai introduced the Kore.ai Agent Platform and Pipefy unveiled new AI agents to strengthen process automation. OneDigital launched its Impact Studio Platform to fuel digital engagement, while Precisely enhanced its Automate SAP Data API, and SAP showcased new Joule-powered AI capabilities. Rounding out the updates, SC Codeworks delivered enhancements to its warehouse management system, reflecting the broader trend of continuous improvement across supply chain and enterprise operations.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro SommFor more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. 

What if the real AI revolution isn't in the models — but in the reimagined systems beneath them? In this episode, Deborah Golden, U.S. Chief Innovation Officer at Deloitte, joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to rethink what powers (or derails) AI at scale. The conversation challenges conventional wisdom – proposing that the future of AI may hinge less on algorithms and more on the invisible infrastructure that surrounds them. Golden surfaces the hidden risks of silo systems, unchecked shadow AI, and the all-too-common “speed trap” mindset – making a bold case that infrastructure isn't just operational – it's strategic. From governance to cross-functional orchestration, this conversation explores what it takes to embed AI with resilience, trust, and sustained ambition. This isn't about chasing the next model. It's about elevating the questions we're asking – and reimagining the systems that will define whether AI fulfills its promise or fractures under pressure. This episode is sponsored by Deloitte. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast!

We're excited to bring you an encore presentation with Eric Larson, Co-Founder, Co-CEO, and Chairman of Tilia Holdings. Eric shares how his leadership legacy connects science, design, and business to transform the food supply chain, focusing on food safety, nutrition, and sustainability. He shows us that purpose is the gravity that holds organizations together and guides decisions, even in times of disruption. Through his clarity, innovation, and commitment to the “three P's”—public health, personal health, and planetary health—we see how leaders can inspire change, build stronger organizations, and create lasting impact.Takeaways1. The Power of a Leadership Legacy - Great leaders define their legacy by aligning purpose with every part of their life and work.2. Clarity Creates Gravity - A clear purpose grounds organizations and helps guide decisions through shifting dynamics.3. Innovation Through Collaboration - Breakthroughs often come when people and organizations work together across functions and industries.4. Capital Beyond Finance - Leaders should steward brand, human, and social capital—not just financial returns.5. Storytelling as a Leadership Skill - Clear narratives repeated consistently build alignment and inspire collective action.Resources MentionedThe Inspire Your Team to Greatness assessment (the Courage Assessment)How can you inspire our team to be more proactive, take ownership and get more done?You demonstrate and empower The Courage of a Leader. In my nearly 3 decades of work with leaders, I've discovered the 11 things that leaders do – even very well-intentioned leaders do – that kill productivity.In less than 10 minutes, find out where you're empowering and inadvertently kills productivity, and get a custom report that will tell you step by step what you need to have your team get more done.https://courageofaleader.com/inspireyourteam/About the Guest:Eric Larson, Tilia's Chairman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, has built a distinguished career in private equity since 1986. Before co-founding Tilia in 2017, he established Linden Life Science (now Linden Capital Partners), a leading healthcare-focused firm, where he served as Chairman and senior investment professional shaping its strategy and growth. Earlier in his career, he co-founded First Chicago Equity Capital (now One Equity Partners) and was a Partner and Investment Principal at First Chicago Venture Capital (now Madison Dearborn Partners).Beyond Tilia, Eric contributes his expertise to several technically oriented organizations. He is a member of the Nutrition Roundtable at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a trustee and Chairman of the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology, an Executive Fellow with the Center for Higher Ambition Leadership, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and actively engaged with the National Geographic Society.https://tiliallc.com About the Host:Amy L. Riley is an internationally renowned speaker, author and consultant. She has over 2 decades of experience developing leaders at all levels. Her clients include Cisco Systems, Deloitte and Barclays.As a trusted leadership coach and consultant, Amy has worked with hundreds of leaders one-on-one, and thousands more as part of a group, to fully step into their leadership, create amazing teams and achieve extraordinary results. Amy's most popular keynote speeches are:The Courage of a Leader: The Power of a Leadership...

Hear Workday CMO Emma Chalwin and Jannine Zucker, Deloitte global Workday practice leader, explore the evolving landscape of AI, its transformative role in the future of work, and its ability to empower people and support their growth potential while performing their roles with greater efficiency, speed, and clarity.

(0:00) Intro(1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel(2:13) Start of interview(2:53) Teresa's origin story(4:30) Her career path at Deloitte (37-year career)(7:40) Transition to Board Service(8:37) Joining the board of ServiceNow(10:57) Joining the board of Warby Parker and understanding Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs)(14:48) Joining the boards of Snowflake and Docusign(15:38) Insights on Audit Committees (*reference to E179 with Jack Lazar)(17:10) Evolving Responsibilities of Audit Committees(21:40) The Climate and ESG Discussion(24:15) Boardroom Diversity Trends(26:13) The Rise of AI in Business(30:18) Navigating Geopolitical Changes(33:36) Handling Crisis Situations (her experience with whistleblower case and special committee with outside counsel investigation)(37:28) Engaging with Activist Investors(38:40) Founder Mentality vs. Governance *Reference to VC-Board Academy (on October 28, 2025 in NYC)(42:10) The Future of Private vs. Public Companies (impact of IPOs) *Mention of CaaStle fraud case.(45:57) The Impact of AI on Human Capital(48:29) Work from Home Dynamics(50:05) Book that has greatly influenced her life: Outlive, by Peter Attia (2022)(50:50) Her mentors. Rich Fineberg(51:51) Quotes that she thinks of often or lives his life by.(52:24) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that she loves.(53:11) The living person she most admires.Teresa Briggs serves on the boards of DocuSign, ServiceNow, Snowflake and Warby Parker. She is a member of the audit committee for each company and is the audit committee chair of ServiceNow, DocuSign, and Warby Parker. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Dan Novaes is the CEO of Mode Mobile and creator of the EarnPhone. Mode Mobile is revolutionizing the mobile industry with its “Earn As You Go” software, enabling millions of users to turn daily smartphone habits into passive income. Under Dan's leadership, Mode Mobile achieved 32,481% revenue growth (2019–2022), earned the #1 spot in software on Deloitte's 2023 Technology Fast 500 List, and pioneered a fundraising model leveraging 30,000+ everyday investors. Now, they're on a mission to reach 1 million shareholders while tackling a $1 trillion market opportunity. In this episode Patrick sits down with entrepreneur and visionary Dan Novaes, co-founder of Mode Mobile. Dan shares how a string of early failures led to the creation of the “EarnPhone” — a platform that transforms everyday screen time into real income — and how he hyper scaled the concept from $100K to $25M in just three years. The conversation dives into Mode Mobile's evolving business model and ever-expanding opportunities to explore. Dan reflects on the challenges of building and restructuring teams, the importance of core values (AACCT), and the ways Mode Mobile has embedded recognition and feedback into its culture. From his curious and opportunistic entrepreneurial beginnings to his vision of taking Mode Mobile public, Dan opens up about leadership through turbulent times, leaning on mentors, and embracing accountability at the top. He also shares innovative ways for everyday users to become shareholders, including a first-of-its-kind points-for-shares option within the app. Packed with insights on resilience, innovation, and purpose-driven growth, this episode offers an inside look and important insights of what it takes to build a company, stay aligned with your values and bring relevant, forward-thinking solutions to a market that is ready for them!

Willkommen zur dritten Staffel der Change Management Rockstars!Ich bin der Maik und freue mich riesig, mit euch diesen Herbst in die 3. Staffel meines Podcasts zu starten.Wie manche von euch bereits mitbekommen haben, bin ich seit April in einem neuen Abschnitt unterwegs – raus aus der Komfortzone, hinein in die Selbständigkeit mit Pitstop Consulting.Ich helfe Führungskräften in neuen Rollen dabei, die Probezeit erfolgreich zu meistern – denn gerade die ersten 100 Tage entscheiden oft über langfristigen Führungserfolg. Und ich erlebe zu häufig, dass Menschen trotzstarker Kompetenzen und hoher Motivation oft mit Unsicherheit und Überraschungen konfrontiert sind. Das muss nicht sein. Und dafür habe ich den LeadershipPitstop entwickelt.Ein zentrales Element dabei ist das Stakeholder Management – ein Bereich, der so komplex undgleichzeitig so entscheidend ist, dass ich ihm die komplette Staffel 3 widme. Denn egal ob neue Führungskraft, Projektleiter, HR-Profi oder Geschäftsführer:Dein Erfolg steht und fällt mit der Fähigkeit, die richtigen Menschen zu erkennen, zu gewinnen und zu begeistern.Mit Pitstop Consulting habe ich basierend auf meinen 5 Jahren bei Deloitte und PwC eine eigene Methode entwickelt – die sogenannte Pitstop-Methode.Pitstop bedeutet Boxenstopp. Wie in der Formel 1 gilt: Zeit ist Geld. Deshalb setze ich in der Zusammenarbeit mit meinen Kunden immer auf pointierte, pragmatische Lösungen.Und beim Thema Gespräch sind wir natürlich auch schon bei der Gästeauswahl dieser Staffel: Unternehmer:innen, Solopreneure, Beraterinnen, Autor:innen, Coaches, HR-Profis und digitale Innovator:innen – Menschen auspulsierenden Großkonzernen, kreativen Mittelständlern, mutigen Start-ups und der Wissenschaft. Was sie alle verbindet: Leidenschaft für Führung undVeränderung und die Bereitschaft, Wissen, Fehler, Learnings und neue Perspektiven offen zu teilen.Was beschäftigt euch gerade am meisten? Du stehst selbst vor einer neuen Führungsrolle oder leitest eine Transformation? Dann lass uns reden! Schickt mir einfach euren Vorschlag über meine Website www.pitstop-consulting.de. Nutzt diese Chance und macht mit!Auf eine inspirierende, praktische und zutiefst menschliche dritte Staffel – hier bei Change Management Rockstars!Let's Pitstop together.

Episode Summary: In this episode, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with Dorian Hunt, Partner and Head of Renewables at Leo Berwick, to unpack the new safe harbor rules, the impacts of the Big Beautiful Bill, and what's coming next in tax and policy guidance for renewable energy. Dorian also dives into repowering projects, economic obsolescence, co-location strategies, bonus depreciation, and solar industry trends.  Dorian offers practical advice for developers and investors navigating today's fast-changing environment. Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MW of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $45 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MW of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar. Dorain Hunt Dorian leads Leo Berwick's Energy & Renewables tax practice.  Dorian has 20 years of experience in tax credit monetization, with clients including renewable energy project developers, tax equity investors, project lenders, insurers and syndicators. Prior to joining Leo Berwick, he was a leader in the Power and Utilities and Energy Transition practices of a Big 4 firm, where he focused on providing tax consulting services with respect to tax credit-driven project finance across, with a focus on renewable energy. Dorian is a thought leader in the tax credit space and has authored articles on topics including the potential implications for “direct pay” of renewable energy tax incentives and on the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on the US renewable energy industry.  He has also presented on these and other similar topics for organizations such as IPED, NARUC, and the Boston Bar Association. Dorian has experience with myriad energy incentive programs including Treasury 1603 grants, 48C advanced energy manufacturing studies, and the rapidly-developing field of 45Q carbon capture credits.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Dorian Hunt  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-hunt/ Website:  https://www.leoberwick.com/ Newsletter:  https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/energy-transition-insider-7197296760090750976/

Explore how evolving tariffs are influencing global markets and prompting new business strategies. Host Carrie Falkenhayn is joined by Deloitte specialists Theresa Walker, Douglas Tyler, and Darin Buelow for timely insights on what these changes mean for organizations worldwide.

Join host Kyle Forrest and Brandon Carson, chief learning officer at Docebo, as they discuss the company's strategic alliance with Deloitte and the exciting innovations they're bringing to market, including their AI-powered learning agent, Harmony.

Episode Notes In the third TXL episode featuring Deloitte, we welcome Sue Cantrell from Deloitte to dive into key trends from their 2025 Human Capital Trends report. Sue will break down what it means to design boundaryless work, harness generative AI responsibly, and empower people to co-create their work experiences. We'll explore how skills-first strategies, new leadership mindsets, and a focus on well-being can help organizations build resilient, future-ready workforces in an age of constant transformation.

This week, we're wrapping up the summer with the final episode recorded in the south of France at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Captured at Chez Vayner, this roundtable brings together three powerhouse leaders to explore how trust, courage, and community are driving the next wave of brand growth—and why the return of creative simplicity may be the key to long-term success.Joining Jim is...Jackie Jantos, President & Chief Marketing Officer of Hinge. Leading the dating app “designed to be deleted,” Jackie is redefining intentional connections for Gen Z and beyond. With past leadership roles at Coca-Cola and Spotify, she shares her insights on elevating young voices and keeping a brand true to its purpose.Lesley Scofield, Founder of Be LOVE. At her newly launched electrolyte beverage brand, Lesley is building around values of joy, connection, and community. Inspired by her own journey of growth and resilience, she's on a mission to spark meaningful real-world experiences.Gael De Talhouët, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer at Essity. A two-time Cannes alum, Gael has led groundbreaking work in feminine care and hygiene, including being the first to show red blood on TV. He credits consumer empathy, agency partnerships, and trust in creative teams as the foundation for bold, industry-shaping campaigns.Together, Jim and these leaders share a candid discussion on building brands that matter—across dating, wellness, and hygiene—showing how courage and conviction can cut through complexity and deliver lasting impact.---This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nitin Pachisia is the Founding Partner of Unshackled Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in immigrant founders while providing visa and employment support. Originally from India, he immigrated to the US in 2005 and built a career that spans Deloitte and experience as VP of Finance at ed-tech startup Kno, Inc., acquired by Intel. In 2014, Nitin co-founded Unshackled Ventures to help entrepreneurs overcome immigration barriers and accelerate growth. Under his leadership, the firm has invested in startups across AI, climate tech, and healthcare, closing multiple funds, including a $35 million Fund III. In this episode… Many ambitious entrepreneurs arrive in the United States with bold ideas but face significant obstacles when trying to start companies. Visa restrictions often force them into jobs unrelated to their skills, limiting their ability to innovate and create jobs. How can these driven individuals turn their vision into reality while navigating a system that seems stacked against them? Nitin Pachisia, an expert in early-stage investing and immigrant entrepreneurship, shares how determination, clarity of vision, and calculated risk-taking can overcome these challenges. Nitin explains the importance of identifying opportunities aligned with personal goals, building resilience through adversity, and seeking partners and investors who believe in your mission. He also emphasizes evaluating founders based on traits like obsession, curiosity, and self-awareness rather than just industry trends or current traction. Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Nitin Pachisia, Founding Partner at Unshackled Ventures, about empowering immigrant founders to launch and grow companies. Nitin discusses overcoming visa-related barriers, the mindset needed to identify and invest in high-potential founders, and the value of unconventional career choices.

In a world obsessed with hustle, Dr. Natalie Nixon invites us to rethink what it truly means to be productive. Drawing from her latest book, Move. Think. Rest., she offers a fresh, human-centered framework for work—one that integrates motion, reflection, and recovery as the fuel for creativity, innovation, and sustainable success.As burnout, remote fatigue, and digital overload rise, Dr. Nixon shares how leaders and teams can cultivate space for strategic thinking, resilience, and imaginative growth. This isn't about doing more—it's about doing what matters, better.

Bloody hell, perimenopause is a ride. I sat down with Karen Stein, ex-Deloitte partner turned leadership coach and menopause-at-work trailblazer, and we got real about the chaos, confusion, and silence that surrounds this stage of life. We talked about my own messy journey through HRT, testosterone, fatigue, and re-finding my 'sense of self,' and Karen dropped insights on why workplaces need to wake up to what their midlife women are going through. From the 48 symptoms no one talks about, to the Senate inquiry that revealed doctors only get one hour of menopause training, to why men need to be in this conversation too... this chat is equal parts eye-opening, practical, and validating. If you’ve ever thought you were losing your mind, burning out, or just being 'a bitch' for no reason… maybe, just maybe, it’s ya hormones, sister! SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au KAREN STEIN Website: karensteincoaching.com/ TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches/ Website: tiffcook.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiffaneecook/ Facebook: facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/rollwiththepunches_podcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/tiffaneeandcoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textThe enterprise software and services landscape is buzzing with fresh announcements that highlight the industry's accelerating shift toward AI, collaboration, and customer-centric innovation. Zoho launched Projects Plus, a new collaborative platform designed to streamline teamwork, while Accenture unveiled an AI Agent Builder to help enterprises create intelligent digital assistants at scale. Acumatica rolled out details of its 2025 R1 product release, reinforcing its momentum in the cloud ERP space, and Aisera expanded its reach with the debut of a global partner program. On the procurement front, Beroe strengthened its capabilities by acquiring nnamu, while Capgemini and NVIDIA announced a new collaboration that underscores the growing role of advanced computing in enterprise solutions. Deloitte entered the fray with the release of its Zora AI platform, and Hyland signaled its commitment to customer experience with the appointment of a Chief Customer Officer. Together, these moves paint a picture of an ecosystem evolving rapidly at the intersection of AI, collaboration, and industry-specific innovation.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro SommFor more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. 

John Norkus is the founder of chiefpricingofficer.com and has led pricing transformation teams at several large consulting companies including Deloitte and KPMG. He started his career as an aircraft engineer before transitioning into business, bringing his analytical mindset to understanding the behavioral economics of pricing decisions. In this episode, John makes a compelling case for why pricing professionals deserve a seat at the executive table, exploring the disconnect between pricing's impact on enterprise value and its typical organizational placement. He discusses his new platform designed to unite senior pricing professionals and elevate the discipline to C-suite recognition.   Why you have to check out today's podcast:  Discover why pricing professionals are typically buried 2-3 levels below the CEO despite controlling one of four key profit drivers. Learn the difference between traditional pricing roles and true chief pricing officer responsibilities. Understand how to position pricing as enterprise value creation rather than just cost management.   "Pricing may be part marketing, part analytics, part behavioral, part external, part internal, but it is the piece that aligns us on how we're actually squaring off against the market."  – John Norkus   Topics Covered:  01:43 – John's journey to pricing transformation: From aircraft engineer to behavioral economics and CRM to pricing strategy  05:18 – Positioning pricing as organizational connective tissue: Why pricing deserves equal footing with volume, cost, and mix initiatives 08:01 – The pricing control dilemma among departments: How sales, marketing, finance, and operations all claim ownership of pricing decisions  12:24 – Defining the Chief Pricing Officer's role: Executive alignment versus operational pricing work and transformation implementation  15:45 – Pricing strategies in business: Inside-out versus outside-in approaches and competitive intelligence versus customer willingness to pay  16:32 – Critical senior alignment in pricing projects: Why CEO buy-in as a top-3 initiative determines transformation success or failure  19:39 – Pricing and enterprise value analysis: Demonstrating 2-7% bottom-line impact within 12-18 months to justify executive investment  23:35 – The activist CFO and enterprise value: Finding CFOs who understand value creation beyond cost reduction and margin improvement  29:29 – Pricing as organizational alignment: How pricing serves as the ultimate test of market positioning and competitive strategy   Key Takeaways: "If the pricing transformation of the pricing program isn't number one on the CEO's list of one, two, or three most important thing they can do this year... then quite frankly, it's not as important and it doesn't have the kind of alignment that you thought it did." – John Norkus "Organizations who get it are the ones that we should be engaging with... change comes from within. And if somebody believes that this is the right thing to do and they just need somebody to help them do it and somebody who has done it before, that's where people like you and I actually succeed." – John Norkus "I consider 20% of everything we do in pricing to be analytics or data and objective based, and the other 80% to be about behaviors, either internal behaviors or external behaviors that need to be captured and understood." – John Norkus   People / Resources Mentioned:  Professional Pricing Society (PPS): Established organization for pricing professionals and education  Simon Sinek Four Drivers of Enterprise Profit: Volume, Cost, Mix, and Price - and their typical organizational reporting structures   Connect with John Norkus:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmnorkus/ Email: john@chiefpricingofficer.com  Website: https://www.chiefpricingofficer.com/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/  Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

You think using AI is your moat? Nope. Just using LLMs isn't enough to power your company's AI success. But do you know the real fuel? Having your data right is the ACTUAL key. So how do you do it? And how does your company's data strategy change with agentic AI? Find out from Deloitte's US Chief Data Analytics Officer, Ashish Verma.Newsletter: Sign up for our free daily newsletterMore on this Episode: Episode PageJoin the discussion: Have a question? Join the convo here.Upcoming Episodes: Check out the upcoming Everyday AI Livestream lineupWebsite: YourEverydayAI.comEmail The Show: info@youreverydayai.comConnect with Jordan on LinkedInTopics Covered in This Episode:Transformative Data Strategy for AI SuccessImportance of Data Strategy in AIDeloitte's Data Marketplace ApproachMulti-Agent Orchestration ChallengesStructured vs. Unstructured Data in AISynthetic Data and AI TransformationAgentic AI and Data Labeling EssentialsAI's Impact on Business Value ChainTimestamps:00:00 "AI Success Requires Data Strategy"05:27 Data Integration and Utilization Insights10:31 Contextual Data Marketplace Evolution13:06 Structuring Unstructured AI Insights17:02 Agent Reasoning and Orchestration Insights20:37 Data Annotation Challenges23:39 AI's Impact on Industry Evolution26:09 "Data Strategy: Begin with the End"Keywords:transformative data strategy, AI success, generative AI, non-technical people, data teams, data strategy, business leaders, companies, careers, unedited podcast, livestream, Deloitte, US chief data and analytics officer, data analytics, GenAI, data experiments, third-party data, synthetic data, data marketplace, data concierge, chief data officer, compute environment, deterministic, probabilistic, AI transformation, digital transformation, data minder, CFO, CMO, public domain data, business partner data, metadata, business glossary, technical catalog, agentic AI, multi-agent orchestration, agent registry, agent orchestration, open standard protocols, economic AI, digital transformation strategy, data advantages, structured data, unstructured data, hybrid data, PowerPoint, staffing optimization, resource management, query engine, relevance-ranked search, annotation, data regulation, governance, data procurement, data curation, data feeds, data platforms, information indexing, future predictions.Send Everyday AI and Jordan a text message. (We can't reply back unless you leave contact info)

In a world of constant disruption and global uncertainty, how can marketing leaders keep their teams focused, inspired, and moving forward? In this week's episode, recorded live at the Deloitte Digital Apartment during the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Jim welcomes four senior marketing leaders who share how they lead with resilience, creativity, and conviction across industries and borders.Mélanie Brinbaum, Chief Marketing Officer of Nestlé Zone Europe // With a career spanning some of the world's most iconic consumer brands, Mélanie has led marketing at Nespresso and KitKat and held senior roles at Coty, Procter & Gamble, and L'Oréal. Today, she is steering Nestlé's European portfolio through a period of rapid consumer change—balancing tradition with innovation.Daniele Calderoni, Global Head of Brand Marketing at Zurich Insurance // At Zurich, Daniele is reshaping perceptions of what insurance means to customers, emphasizing trust, purpose, and relevance. Her decade at Mars equipped her with a deep understanding of how brands create enduring emotional connections—a skill she now brings to an industry not always known for its human touch.Scott Mager, U.S. Chief Marketing Officer of Deloitte // As the U.S. marketing leader for one of the world's largest professional services firms, Scott is infusing humanity into a 180-year-old brand. His approach emphasizes empathy, storytelling, and connection—demonstrating how even legacy institutions can stay fresh and relatable in a crowded marketplace.Joy Allen-Altimare, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Saucony // Joy is driving Saucony into the future, connecting the beloved running brand with a new generation of athletes and lifestyle consumers. With past leadership roles in luxury, tech, and media, she brings a cross-industry perspective on building relevance and community in rapidly evolving markets.This episode is a masterclass in leadership during times of uncertainty—showcasing how bold brand leaders navigate complexity, inspire their people, and turn challenges into opportunities.---This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jimSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.