Podcasts about dow chemical

In deze uitzending van DNW Politiek gaan we dieper in op de fundamenten van de Nederlandse politiek en de maatschappelijke erfenis van de coronaperiode. Presentator en gasten doorgronden de blinde vlekken, ongemakkelijke waarheden en de technocratische keuzes van deze tijd.Te gast zijn internist Jona Walk en Ad Verbrugge. Eerst richten we de blik op de politieke actualiteit: de verschuivingen binnen het minderheidskabinet en de vakbonden, de verwachte impact van AI op de arbeidsmarkt (zoals bij Dow Chemical), en de oplopende spanningen in de zorg en het onderwijs. Is onze samenleving door financialisering en schijnbaar neutrale systemen aan het dehumaniseren? Daarnaast werpt het recente Nationaal Kiezersonderzoek een dwingende vraag op: waarom groeit het wantrouwen in de Tweede Kamer en stijgt de roep om een 'sterke leider'?In het tweede deel van het gesprek ligt de focus op de start van de parlementaire enquête corona. Jona Walk en Ad Verbrugge blikken terug op hun eigen ervaringen met censuur en de smalle marges van het publieke debat. Wat is het ware doel van deze enquête: diepe waarheidsvinding of het legitimeren van destijds gevoerd beleid? Van de overhaaste invoering van het Corona Toegangsbewijs (3G) tot de ethische kwesties rondom de vaccindruk bij tienerjongeren en institutionele tegenwerking bij dataverzameling. We analyseren de diepe, geslagen wond in het maatschappelijke klimaat.Haal je kaartjes voor de Theater Tour! ⭐ 16 juni: De Maagd, Bergen op Zoom: Willem Middelkoop: https://www.demaagd.nl/agenda/ondergang-van-het-avondland-de-nieuwe-wereld-4xn6

The role of a CEO is often seen as glamorous, but it comes with a unique set of challenges that can lead to profound feelings of isolation.  In this episode, Nancy MacKay speaks with Mark Becker, CEO of Dexterra Group, and Peter Aceto, a seasoned CEO and forum chair and strategic advisor at MacKay CEO Forums, discussing leadership, peer support, and the impact of AI on business. They share personal stories, strategies for overcoming loneliness at the top, and future trends shaping the industry. As CEO, Mark Becker guides the vision, culture, and performance of Dexterra Group in support of its strategy and growth objectives. He is passionate about people and enabling high-performance teams to succeed while delivering exemplary business outcomes. Prior to becoming CEO, Mark served as Dexterra Group's Chief Operating Officer (COO). Before joining Dexterra Group, he held executive positions at Suncor Energy across operations, major projects, and corporate strategy. He began his career with Dow Chemical in a range of progressive roles throughout Canada and the United States. Peter Aceto is a three-time CEO, a MacKay CEO Forums Chair, and a Strategic Advisor to the CEO of MacKay CEO Forums. He works closely with CEOs navigating complexity, growth, and leadership inflection points. In parallel, he provides select CEO- and board-level advisory and consulting services through Aceto Leadership Performance, supporting organizations during periods of transformation, scale, and strategic reset. Peter was a founding member of Tangerine Bank's (formerly ING Direct) senior leadership team and served as President and CEO from 2008 to 2017.  Order Nancy's New Book: Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team' today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH  Join a MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peer Group:  MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/ 

Americans throw away nearly 5 million tons of film and flexible plastic packaging every year, and less than 1% of it gets recycled, according to The Recycling Partnership. The salad bag, the potato bag, the pallet wrap behind every grocery store — all of it is technically recyclable, almost none of it actually is, and food contact applications make the math even harder, because the FDA requires rigorous migration testing before a single recycled pellet can touch what we eat. Kevin Kelly, CEO of Emerald Packaging, the largest supplier of retail flexible packaging to the U.S. produce industry, has spent decades on that problem from inside the industry. In December 2025, his Union City, California–based, third-generation family business announced that it had eliminated more than 1 million pounds of virgin polyethylene over the previous year by replacing it with post-consumer recycled (PCR) material, including, in partnership with Walmart, Idaho Package, and Wada Farms, the first 30% PCR potato bag approved for direct food contact. In this episode of Sustainability In Your Ear, Kevin walks through what it actually took to get that bag on a Walmart shelf, why most flexible packaging companies still won't try, and why the most ambitious recycling law in the country may push the industry in the wrong direction.[Food-grade PCR is a different animal from the recycled plastic in a milk crate or a contractor bag. To pass FDA scrutiny, the feedstock has to be traceable from a known, food-adjacent source. For Emerald, that mostly means pallet wrap collected from Walmart distribution centers, washed, dried, and repelletized by suppliers like Dow Chemical's Circulus mechanical recycling business and Canada's Nova Chemicals. Variation in any given load of recyclable plastic causes carbon buildup on Emerald's extrusion lines, forcing a shutdown every eight hours for cleaning, and waste rates are higher than with virgin resin. The company has had to audit its own suppliers in person, push back on competitors who hide non-food-grade PCR in the middle layer of multilayer films and call it sustainable, and walk produce buyers through what “food-grade” actually means before they sign on. Kevin describes Emerald as “the canary in the coal mine” for food-grade PCR — he can't find another bag in the store that's labeled the same way.The harder argument Kevin makes is about policy. California's SB 54, the most ambitious extended producer responsibility (EPR) law in the country, with a 65% recycling rate target and a 25% source reduction mandate by 2032, was supposed to drive exactly the kind of work Emerald is doing. But Kevin says the rulemaking went the other way. The pound-for-pound PCR credit that would have rewarded companies for replacing virgin resin with recycled content was stripped out, and the fees are low enough that producers can hit early reduction targets through agricultural film and other low-hanging fruit without ever switching to food-grade PCR. The deeper structural problem Kevin lays out is the capital story. Family-owned manufacturers freed from quarterly returns pressure, Kevin argues, are doing more to push food-grade PCR forward today than the capital pools that are theoretically supposed to fund the energy and sustainability transition.To find out more about Emerald Packaging, visit empack.com.

Iran has seized two MSC vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, bookings into the Persian Gulf have collapsed 66% year over year, and Somali pirates are back. The maritime risk picture is deteriorating fast.In this episode, Lars Jensen and Caroline Weaver cover:Transpacific NYFI movements by subtrade, including why Northeast Asia rates are more volatile than other originsWhy 20-foot and 40-foot rates on the Transatlantic have completely decoupled -- and what that means if you're shipping dense cargoAsia-North Europe spot rates weakening toward pre-crisis levels, while futures markets signal a recovery into MayIran seizing MSC vessels, the Hormuz closure, and the return of Somali piracyPlastics supply risk: why a Dow Chemical warning about ethylene and polyethylene shortages should be on every importer's radarOcean carrier reliability at 62% -- why the industry has systematically underperformed pre-pandemic norms, and what that means for global capacity

Join me and my guest James "Mac" McPartland (jamesmcpartland.com), a keynote speaker, author of the Unopened Gifts® series, and a Mindshift & Performance Coach. For over 25 years, he has been helping leaders and their teams access breakthrough performance and results. James has worked with organizations such as Bank of America, IBM, Nespresso, Kellogg's, Dow Chemical, Athletes First, and 24-Hour Fitness to transform their cultures into ones of exceptional collaboration and achievement. Our conversation emphasizes the need for courage in leadership and the significance of fostering an environment where employees feel valued and understood. SHOW NOTES  SPONSORED BY: Power of You! Find out more at https://leader.blainebartlett.com/power-of-you Summary In this conversation, Blaine and James McPartland explore the themes of personal growth, leadership, and the importance of understanding one's own gifts. They discuss the concept of 'unopened gifts'—the potential within individuals that often goes untapped due to fear and societal expectations. McPartland shares his journey of self-discovery and the realization that true leadership involves connecting with others on a personal level. The discussion emphasizes the need for courage in leadership and the significance of fostering an environment where employees feel valued and understood. Takeaways The soul of business is the only true differentiator. Understanding what matters to employees is crucial for engagement. Courage in leadership often feels uncomfortable. People hear what they see; actions speak louder than words. Unopened gifts represent untapped potential within individuals. Leadership is about influencing others to co-create a worthy ideal. Personal growth often involves facing uncomfortable truths. The hardest relationship to navigate is often with oneself. True leadership requires vulnerability and humility. Creating a culture of openness can lead to greater organizational success. #business #leadershipdevelopment #personalgrowth #unopenedgifts #courage #organizationalculture #coaching #self-awareness #transformation #employeeengagement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Joe DeMare discusses Easter and the often overlooked connections between the story of Jesus and the natural world. Next, he interviews Diane Wilson with the group San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeepers (SIBEW) on the 30th day of her hunger strike against Dow Chemical which is polluting the waters around Seadrift, Texas with plastic nurdles and plans to build 4 nuclear power plants. Rebecca Wood talks about eggs. Ecological News includes the Trump administration losing in court as it attempted to weaken the Endangered Species Act and Solar finally overtaking nuclear as an energy source.#ESA #Endangered Species #DOW #Diane WIlson #Hungerstrike #nurdles #antinuclear

Diane Wilson is a fourth-generation fisherwoman and a lifelong resident of Seadrift, Texas. Wilson has become a global folk hero over the course of her epic, decades-long journey from shrimp boat captain and mother of five to social and ecological justice warrior who took on a multibillion dollar corporation polluting the bays along her beloved Texas Gulf Coast. But the fight to save her home from industrial pollution is far from over. On March 2, Wilson began a hunger strike outside the Dow Chemical Company / Union Carbide plant in Seadrift. "I have a tent and am camping out 24 hours, 7 days a week," Wilson wrote in a letter to Dow CEO Jim Fitterling, "to impress upon Dow/Union Carbide our intense dislike and frustration of decades of plastic pollution being discharged into our bays and waterways." In this urgent episode, we speak with Wilson as her hunger strike enters its third week.  Guest:  Diane Wilson is a fourth-generation shrimper, boat captain, mother of five, author, and an environmental, peace, and social justice advocate. During the last 30 years, she has launched legislative campaigns, demonstrations, hunger strikes, sunk boats, and even climbed chemical towers in her fight to protect her Gulf Coast bay. She is a co-founder of CODEPINK, the women's anti-war group based in Washington, DC, and co-founder of the Texas Jail Project, which advocates for inmates' rights in Texas county jails. Since 2012, Wilson has been executive director and waterkeeper of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (SABEW) on the Texas Gulf Coast. Wilson is the author of numerous books, including: An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas; and Diary of an Eco-Outlaw: An Unreasonable Woman Breaks the Law for Mother Earth. Additional links/info:  Follow updates on Diane's hunger strike here Diane Wilson website  Diane Wilson, "Letter to DOW CEO Jim Fitterling" San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (SAWBE) website, Facebook page, TikTok, and Instagram Plastic Pollution Coalition, "Diane Wilson launches hunger strike after Dow requests legalization of microplastics discharge in Texas" Featured Music:  Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song Credits:  Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor 

Diane Wilson is a fourth-generation fisherwoman and a lifelong resident of Seadrift, Texas. Wilson has become a global folk hero over the course of her epic, decades-long journey from shrimp boat captain and mother of five to social and ecological justice warrior who took on a multibillion dollar corporation polluting the bays along her beloved Texas Gulf Coast. But the fight to save her home from industrial pollution is far from over. On March 2, Wilson began a hunger strike outside the Dow Chemical Company / Union Carbide plant in Seadrift. “I have a tent and am camping out 24 hours, 7 days a week,” Wilson wrote in a letter to Dow CEO Jim Fitterling, “to impress upon Dow/Union Carbide our intense dislike and frustration of decades of plastic pollution being discharged into our bays and waterways.” In this episode of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Wilson as her hunger strike enters its third week. Guest: Diane Wilson is a fourth-generation shrimper, boat captain, mother of five, author, and an environmental, peace, and social justice advocate. During the last 30 years, she has launched legislative campaigns, demonstrations, hunger strikes, sunk boats, and even climbed chemical towers in her fight to protect her Gulf Coast bay. She is a co-founder of CODEPINK, the women's anti-war group based in Washington, DC, and co-founder of the Texas Jail Project, which advocates for inmates' rights in Texas county jails. Since 2012, Wilson has been executive director and waterkeeper of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (SABEW) on the Texas Gulf Coast. Wilson is the author of numerous books, including: An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas; and Diary of an Eco-Outlaw: An Unreasonable Woman Breaks the Law for Mother Earth.Additional links/info: Follow updates on Diane's hunger strike hereDiane Wilson website Diane Wilson, “Letter to DOW CEO Jim Fitterling”San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (SAWBE) website, Facebook page, TikTok, and InstagramPlastic Pollution Coalition, “Diane Wilson launches hunger strike after Dow requests legalization of microplastics discharge in Texas”Featured Music: Jules Taylor, Working People Theme SongCredits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

On Friday's show: Texas is suing Dow Chemical Co., citing hundreds of water pollution violations at the company's facility in Seadrift along the coast south of Victoria. Dylan Baddour of Inside Climate News explains the lawsuit and how it could actually end up shielding Dow from tougher penalties.Also this hour: The nonprofit Sierra Club recently released its legislative scorecard for last year, measuring how well or how poorly state lawmakers supported various environmental needs, at least according to the organization's own measurements. We discuss the ratings and whether such assessments ever move the needle on the state's environmental concerns.Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And a new documentary called The Inquisitor explores the life and career of the late Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. The film airs Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. on Houston Public Media, TV 8. In conjunction, we reflect on Jordan's contributions to the political landscape.Watch

Layoff announcements have been coming fast and furious: 16,000 at Amazon; up to 30,000 at UPS; more at Dow Chemical, Pinterest, T-Mobile, and more. These latest workforce reductions won't show up in the January jobs report, but they do suggest a labor market under increasing stress. This morning, we'll dig in. But first, tech companies like Google are considering putting power-hungry data centers used to fuel AI into space. What would that look like?

Layoff announcements have been coming fast and furious: 16,000 at Amazon; up to 30,000 at UPS; more at Dow Chemical, Pinterest, T-Mobile, and more. These latest workforce reductions won't show up in the January jobs report, but they do suggest a labor market under increasing stress. This morning, we'll dig in. But first, tech companies like Google are considering putting power-hungry data centers used to fuel AI into space. What would that look like?

Send a textIn this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, Marcus Timson catches up with Joanna Stephenson, Managing Director of Think B2B Marketing, to explore how packaging, consumers and print are changing – fast.With nearly 30 years' experience across Dow Chemical, Sun Chemical, LINPAC and now her own specialist agency, Joanna shares a rare, 360-degree view of the packaging value chain – from R&D and compliance to brand strategy and marketing execution.Joanna explains why:Marketing must be treated as a growth engine, not a cost lineSustainability has moved far beyond “trend” status and is now a licence to operateNew regulations (EPR, PPWR, Scope 3) will radically change what brands demand from their suppliersGenerational shifts – from Gen X to Millennials and Gen Alpha – are reshaping how and what people buyConnected packaging and GS1's move to QR codes create huge opportunities for printers as enablers of digital experiencesAI and continuous learning will separate strategic partners from commodity providersIf you're a printer, converter, supplier or brand-side packaging leader trying to make sense of sustainability, regulation, connected packaging and AI – and what they really mean for your business – this conversation with Jo is packed with insight, challenge and practical direction.Listen on:Apple PodcastGoogle PodcastSpotifyWhat is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

The World Nuclear News team looks back over the most read articles in 2025 - with topics including Canada's ground-breaking SMR project, the 50th World Nuclear Symposium, the eventual signing of a contract for the Czech new nuclear project, China's SMR completing cold testing, and the drone damage to Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement.Then World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León picks out the key themes of the year, noting the fast-growing interest from the financial sector in investment opportunities in nuclear, plus the declaration from energy users such as Google, Meta and Dow Chemicals to support the goal of at least tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050.With a number of projects making progress in countries without recent experience of nuclear construction there has also been a lot of focus on developing supply chains, reflected in the success of the World Nuclear Supply Chain conference held in Poland.Looking ahead to 2026 there are big set-piece events to look forward to - such as World Nuclear Symposium in London, World Nuclear Supply Chain conference in the Philippines and World Nuclear Fuel Cycle conference in Monaco - with big moments also expected for the first units in Bangladesh and Turkey, a restart for Palisades as well as first concrete due to be poured for Hungary's Paks II project.Bilbao y León says the "stars are definitely aligned" for nuclear and the coming year "is the moment where the global nuclear industry really needs to be proactive and active and make the most of this opportunity". She says: "We really need to work together with our governments. We need to work together with the nuclear regulators, with the finance community, with large energy users. And we cannot leave behind civil society. We have seen major improvements in acceptance and interest in nuclear, but we need to continue to be very proactive to engage with civil society, to make sure that no question is left unanswered."Key links to find out more:World Nuclear NewsCanada's first SMR project: How is CAD20.9 billion cost calculated?World Nuclear AssociationEmail newsletter:Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-upsContact info:alex.hunt@world-nuclear.orgEpisode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Reporters Claire Maden and Warwick Pipe. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

Are you willing to ask God for the impossible?In this episode, Jeff and Bobby discuss: Tapping into the zone with God.Running a company on Biblical principles.The impact of a leader on a business.Having patience as our prayers are answered.  Key Takeaways:When you align with God and His will, you will see miracles happen.Get your kids involved with your ministry and stewardship from the beginning.To pass on a vision, it must be your vision, not one you're just following from someone else with no buy-in.God will put people in our paths when we're veering the wrong way. He will not forget us.Let God help you make your list of impossible things. The things that bother you and concern you, God cares about because He cares about you.  "What's a tip on how to be more generous? Ask him. It's going to be a different answer for everybody, depending on your situation." —  Bobby Mitchell Episode References: Fellowship of Companies for Christ International (FCCI): https://www.fcci-site.com/ About Bobby Mitchell: Applied Ceramics (ACI) is an international, high-technology manufacturing and development company, primarily focused on the semiconductor, environmental, healthcare, and aerospace industries. Utilizing his leadership skills in engineering, business, and management, Bobby became actively involved with the company's global Extrusion technology ventures with General Motors, Hyundai, Hitachi, Mead Westvaco, and Dow Chemical. He continues to lead ACI's business to become world-class by operating with excellence while focusing on its culture first.Bobby is a Partner of Applied Technology, LLP, a family-owned investment company. He serves in roles on the Board of Directors of the Realist Group and the Fellowship of Companies for Christ International (FCCI). He is a current member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO).In the past, Bobby was involved on the Board of Directors for Buckhead Baseball (a non-profit where he also coached over twenty-two different baseball teams). His other activities include a stint as Director on the Ceramic Glass and Industry Board, the Lovett School Alumni Board, the Capital Group Board, and the Movie Guide Board.He volunteered in various roles with Young Life, Young Life Africa Expeditions, Children's Healthcare, and Radical Mentoring, as well as the Lovett Lionbackers (Athletics), where he also serves as the Co-Chair of the annual golf tournament. He lives in Atlanta, GA, and holds degrees from Vanderbilt University (BS) and Georgia Tech (MBA). Bobby is married to Liz, and they have three boys: Robert, Michael, & Charlie, and are members of Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Connect with Bobby Mitchell - Owner, President & Chief Executive Officer, Applied Ceramics, Inc.:Website: https://appliedceramics.com/ & https://acicatalysts.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbymitchell1/    Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdvFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

The latest episode of Going Nuclear welcomes Dr. Benjamin Reinke, Vice President of Global Business Development and Deputy Chief Commercial Officer at X-Energy. X-Energy is a leading American nuclear reactor fuel design engineering company focused on developing the Xe-100, a generation four high temperature gas cooled small modular reactor. The Xe-100 is powered by proprietary TRISO-X fuel, engineered to be melt-proof, ensuring safe, clean, and scalable energy for electricity and industrial process heat applications. Reinke explains that the reactor's high operating temperatures expand its use cases beyond traditional base load power, offering opportunities like providing high-temperature process steam to heavy industry. This capability was first realized through X-Energy's partnership with Dow Chemical, marking the first industrial sale of nuclear power from a vendor to a global commodity producer. Additionally, X-Energy recently made headlines with its landmark deal with Amazon, which invested heavily in the company and committed to off-take power from a minimum of five gigawatts of Xe-100 reactors by 2039. The company is also pursuing fleet deployment internationally, having partnered with Centrica, the largest UK-owned utility, to target a six gigawatt deployment in the United Kingdom. With these significant commercial successes totaling over 11 gigawatts, Reinke emphasizes that X-Energy's current focus is now on project delivery, supply chain scaling, and the construction of their first commercial-scale TRISO-x fuel facility.

With over 20 years of experience at industry giants like Caterpillar, Dow Chemical, and Merck, Dana Dawsey's career has been anything but comfortable—by design! Dana is currently the Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety at Pentair, but like most guests, she didn't see safety as her future when becoming an industrial engineering student. Since then, she has implemented life-saving ergonomic improvements and spearheaded global EHS strategies. Dana's story is one of resilience, continuous learning, and a people-centric leadership style, enriched by her certification as a John Maxwell leadership coach. Whether you're an EHS professional or someone interested in leadership and organizational culture, Dana's insights on embedding safety and well-being as core values will leave you motivated and inspired.

With over 20 years of experience at industry giants like Caterpillar, Dow Chemical, and Merck, Dana Dawsey's career has been anything but comfortable—by design! Dana is currently the Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety at Pentair, but like most guests, she didn't see safety as her future when becoming an industrial engineering student. Since then, she has implemented life-saving ergonomic improvements and spearheaded global EHS strategies. Dana's story is one of resilience, continuous learning, and a people-centric leadership style, enriched by her certification as a John Maxwell leadership coach. Whether you're an EHS professional or someone interested in leadership and organizational culture, Dana's insights on embedding safety and well-being as core values will leave you motivated and inspired.

41 years after the world's worst industrial disaster, survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and their descendants face severe health issues, soil and water contamination and a wall of state and judicial apathy. Dow Chemicals, which bought over Union Carbide, refuses to implement a comprehensive cleanup or compensate adequately. Virtually none of those responsible have been brought to justice either. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 391 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Joseph Krause, Co-Founder & CEO of Radical AI. There are many benefits with the platform shift to AI, but one of the clear benefits that I'm seeing is how some of the most brilliant minds are working on incredibly meaningful and challenging problems. While yes, there is a need for lots of applications, even another photo sharing app, I've always strongly believed that the best entrepreneurs should leverage their intellect to work on something that could actually change the world. Meet Joseph, an entrepreneur who has built his career for this moment. He has a bias for action and a go-big or go home approach with a startup that is looking to completely reconstruct the scientific process and if successful, it will replace multi-national corporations like Dow Chemical. Radical AI is building a self-driving lab which will accelerate materials R&D to tackle the world's most pressing problems. Through the integration of artificial intelligence, engineering, materials science, and applied research, Radical AI is changing the way materials are designed, developed, and discovered. The company announced a $55M Series Seed+ led by RTX Ventures, joined by NVentures (NVIDIA's VC arm), noa, Infinite Capital, Eni Next (Eni's VC arm), AlleyCorp and many others. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * The details of Radical AI recommendations with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for the 2025 National AI Research and Development Strategy Plan. * Joseph's background story and experience in academia, DEVCOM Army research lab, & the National Guard. * How a cold email landed him a position in venture capital and his time at AlleyCorp. * The full story of Radical AI and how they are addressing material science challenges with an innovative approach. * The Self-Driving Lab concept and why Radical AI is a generation-defining opportunity. * Building a culture of action and hiring plans. * And so much more. Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

In this episode of the Cash Flow Academy Podcast, Andy, Corey, and Noah break down the ripple effects of tariffs on the stock market, the economy, and global trade. From a recent 9% market drop to companies like Dow Chemical delaying billion-dollar expansions, the trio explores how uncertainty—especially around government policy—can disrupt confidence, growth, and investor strategy. They also share how traders are responding to volatility and why preparation, not prediction, is key. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - How tariffs affect inflation, investment, and market volatility - Why Dow Chemical hit pause on a major project - What the VIX can signal about investor sentiment - The hidden geopolitical risks of trade policy - Why financial education beats financial advice - Tools and strategies from the Armor class for navigating market uncertainty Want to Learn More?
 Visit yourinvestingclass.com for free financial resources and to register for the Armor class—a step-by-step guide to protecting your portfolio when markets get rocky.

US President Trump said they will have straight, simple tariffs of between 15% and 50% on countries, while he added the US is in serious talks with the EU and if they agree to open up to US businesses, US will let them pay lower tariffs.Reports noted that the US and the EU were closing in on a trade deal with a 15% tariff rate, albeit this is yet to be officially confirmed, and White House Trade Adviser Navarro said to take the reports with a pinch of salt.EU member states are set to vote on EUR 93bln of counter-tariffs on US goods on Thursday and a broad majority of EU members would support using the anti-coercion instrument in the event of no US trade deal and US tariffs of 30%.Alphabet (GOOGL) shares rose 1.7% after-market following earnings whilst Tesla (TSLA) slipped 4.4% as CEO Musk warned of “rough times”.APAC stocks mostly extended on gains; European equity futures indicate a higher cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 1.3% after the cash market closed with gains of 1.0% on Wednesday.Looking ahead, highlights include Global PMIs, German GfK Consumer Sentiment, US Jobless Claims, Canadian Retail Sales, ECB & CBRT Policy Announcements, Speakers including RBNZ's Conway & ECB President Lagarde, Supply from Italy & US.Earnings from LVMH, BNP Paribas, TotalEnergies, STMicroelectronics, Dassault Systemes, Carrefour, Michelin, BE Semiconductor, Richemont, Nestle, Roche MTU Aero, Deutsche Bank, Lloyds, IG, Reckitt Intel, American Airlines, Blackstone, Dow Chemical, Nasdaq, Union Pacific, Honeywell & Keurig Dr Pepper.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

US President Trump said they will have straight, simple tariffs of between 15% and 50% on countries, while he added the US is in serious talks with the EU and if they agree to open up to US businesses, US will let them pay lower tariffs.European bourses continue to gain, albeit are off best levels; US futures mixed, GOOGL +3%, TSLA -6% in pre-market trade.GBP lags on soft PMIs, EUR eyes ECB and potential EU-US breakthrough.EGBs hit by trade updates, Gilts off lows post-PMIs, USTs await data.Crude rises on trade optimism and geopolitics, gold unwinds risk premium.Looking ahead, Global PMIs, US Jobless Claims, Canadian Retail Sales, ECB & CBRT Policy Announcements, Speakers including RBNZ's Conway & ECB President Lagarde, Supply from the US.Earnings from LVMH, Carrefour, Michelin, Intel, American Airlines, Blackstone, Dow Chemical, Nasdaq, Union Pacific, Honeywell & Keurig Dr Pepper.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

In this episode of The Skillwork Forum, hosts Brett Elliott and Kristen Cooper sit down with Lisa Williams, Senior Director of Operations, Talent Strategy, and Employee Experience at Dow Chemical, to explore how companies can rethink workforce planning in the face of a growing skilled labor shortage.They discuss Dow's innovative Total Workforce Strategy — a model that integrates contract labor and direct hires to build a more adaptable, future-ready workforce. Lisa shares how her background in engineering and leadership across multiple departments shaped her approach to solving complex talent challenges in manufacturing. The conversation dives into the role of mentorship, the importance of redeploying late-career workers, and why traditional hiring methods are no longer enough. Together, they unpack how collaboration between business, education, and government is essential to cultivating the skilled labor pipeline needed to meet tomorrow's demands.

Are you looking for a recession-proof investment? In this episode, Russ and Joey sit down with Fernando Angelucci, who shares how he transitioned from the traditional 9-5 grind to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the world of self-storage. Using innovative strategies like seller financing, Fernando explains how he scaled his self-storage portfolio to create consistent, passive income while minimizing risk.The conversation focuses on why self-storage is one of the most recession-resistant investments, especially compared to other real estate types. Fernando also shares practical tips on identifying undervalued properties and how to structure deals with investors to maximize returns.Top three things you will learn: -Self-Storage as a recession-proof investment-Three ways to acquire self-storage facilities-Building passive income with self-storageAbout Our Guest:Fernando Angelucci worked at Dow Chemical, a Fortune 50 company. At 23, he left the 9-5 world and started investing in residential real estate, moving to multi-family rental and later focusing on self-storage.Fernando is currently the CEO of SSSE (Self-Storage Syndicated Equities). This company builds institutional-grade self-storage facilities and buys value-add self-storage facilities nationwide, providing access to these tax-advantaged self-storage investments with an emphasis on downside mitigation and social stewardship to accredited and non-accredited investors.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and do not constitute financial advice. Always consult a licensed professional for financial decisions.This episode is sponsored by a podcast show partner. We may receive compensation if you use links or services mentioned in this episode.The hosts may have a financial interest in the programs or services mentioned in this episode.Connect with Fernando Angelucci:-Website - https://ssse.com/-Cellphone - (630) 408-8090Book Your Free Passive Income Game Plan Session:-https://wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/freecallWant to raise millionaire kids? Watch how Sharran Srivatsaa — former Goldman Sachs banker turned entrepreneur and investor — is building a generational wealth system with his kids, step-by-step. -https://go.wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/millionaire-kidsMaster Passive Income Podcast:-https://masterpassiveincome.com/podcastTurn Active Income Into Passive Income:-https://wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/piosWealth Without Wall Street New Book:-https://wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/newbookJoin Our Next Inner Circle Live Event:-https://www.wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/live-Promo Code: PODCASTIBC Webinar:-

US President Trump said it depends on China how soon tariffs can come down and they have spoken to 90 countries regarding tariffs already.US President Trump said if they don't have a deal, they will set tariffs and could set the tariff for China over the next two or three weeks, while he suggested that there is daily direct contact between US and China.White House Economic Advisor Hassett said the USTR has 14 meetings scheduled this week with foreign trade ministers and there are 18 written offers from trade ministers, while he stated China is open to talks.APAC stocks were ultimately mixed despite the positive handover from Wall Street - the risk momentum waned overnight as trade uncertainty lingered owing to the mixed signals from the US.Overnight, US equity futures marginally eased, DXY slightly softened, spot gold and 10yr UST futures rebounded from the prior day's troughs.European equity futures indicate a flat cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down U/C after the cash market closed with gains of 2.8% on Wednesday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Ifo, US Durable Goods, Jobless Claims, IMF/World Bank Spring Meeting; Speakers including ECB's Lagarde & Lane, Fed's Kashkari, BoE's Lombardelli & Riksbank's Seim; Supply from Italy, UK & US; Earnings from Alphabet, Intel, American Airlines, Freeport, Southwest Airlines, PepsiCo, Dow Chemical, Merck, Valero, PG&E, T-Mobile, Vale, Eni, Anglo American, Weir, BNP Paribas, Sanofi, Orange, STMicroelectronics, Air Liquide, Renault, Carrefour, Michelin, SGS, Roche & Nestle.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

US President Trump said it depends on China how soon tariffs can come down and they have spoken to 90 countries regarding tariffs already.US President Trump said if they don't have a deal, they will set tariffs and could set the tariff for China over the next two or three weeks, while he suggested that there is daily direct contact between US and China.European bourses are in the red amid the negative risk-tone; US futures also edge lower ahead of Alphabet results.USD is lower vs. all peers, EUR benefits from its liquidity premium.USTs and European paper benefit from the risk tone; Treasuries await a 7yr auction.Gold resumes upside amid ongoing trade uncertainty; crude modestly in the green following Wednesday's pronounced downside.Looking ahead, highlights include US Durable Goods, Jobless Claims, IMF/World Bank Spring Meeting. Speakers include ECB's Nagel, Simkus, Rehn, Lagarde & Lane, Fed's Kashkari, BoE's Lombardelli, Supply from the US.Earnings from Alphabet, Intel, American Airlines, Freeport, Southwest Airlines, PepsiCo, Dow Chemical, Merck, Valero, PG&E, T-Mobile, Vale.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Attorney General NJ v. Dow Chemical Co

This week we're in Chicago for C2E2 as we deep dive into what led to the confrontation of German and Irish immigrants vs the Chicago Police Department in 1855 and how 2 renegade tricksters managed to tank Dow Chemical's stock by giving a fake interview to the BBC. A listener email shares their Filipino family's own personal story of crossing paths with the Aswang.Episode Tabs:The Lager Beer Riot: Chicago's ‘First North Side War' https://brewedculture.org/2017/05/04/the-lager-beer-riot-chicagos-first-north-side-war/Meet the Yes Men Who Hoax the Worldhttps://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/dec/13/mondaymediasection5Listener Tabs:Atomic Gardeninghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_gardeningEmail your closed tab submissions to: 500opentabs@gmail.comSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7aSUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, host Jim Love kicks off his new profile series with a deep dive into the compelling career of Dr. Priscilla Johnson, an environmental advocate at the crossroads of technology and sustainability. Dr. Johnson discusses her work in building a data center in South Africa amidst a severe drought, her tenure as Director of Water Strategy at Microsoft, and her transition into cyber intelligence. She explains how her unique background and empathetic approach have informed her career decisions and advocacy for responsible resource management. The conversation also touches on the importance of situational awareness in cybersecurity, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersections of environmental engineering, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. 00:00 Introduction to the Series 00:29 Meet Dr. Priscilla Johnson 00:54 Challenges of Building a Data Center in Africa 01:16 Dr. Johnson's Background and Role at Microsoft 02:38 Addressing the Water Crisis in South Africa 06:34 Innovative Solutions and Collaborations 19:12 Dr. Johnson's Journey into Environmental Engineering 24:47 Discovering Texas and Dow Chemical 25:15 Environmental Impact and Agent Orange 27:00 Challenges in Environmental Management 29:00 Maternity Leave and Data Issues 34:46 Transition to Cybersecurity 37:19 Cybersecurity Threats and Preparedness 48:26 Mentorship and Career Advice 53:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed, “The only constant in life is change.” While change in our personal and professional lives is inevitable, adapting to it can be difficult and often leads to feelings of resistance. When it comes to organizational change initiatives, the ADKAR® model – which stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement – is renowned for guiding successful change, beginning at the individual level.  As a senior fellow at Prosci, the leading global change management research and training organization that developed the ADKAR model, Karen Ball has been helping individuals and organizations implement effective changes and achieve benefits not thought possible for over 40 years. Karen is an ACMP-certified Change Management Professional, a certified IDEO Design Thinking practitioner, and the author of Prosci's latest publication, “The ADKAR Advantage: Your New Lens for Successful Change.” In addition to her role as an executive instructor, Karen continues to develop Prosci offerings and engage with clients as a change advisor, working with organizations such as UNICEF, Wells Fargo, Bose Corporation, and Dow Chemical. In Episode 228 of The Mindset Game® podcast, Karen shares the following:  An overview of the ADKAR model and examples of how it might manifest in different contexts, as well as how it relates to the communication and training processes involved in organizational change initiatives Tips for individuals who may be resistant to proposed changes, as well as techniques their leaders can use to support them How ADKAR functions as a sense-making and way-finding tool that can help create a sense of calm and clarity for both individuals and organizations navigating complex change Why it's crucial for leaders to go through their own ADKAR journeys, as well as key steps that leaders must take in order to be effective sponsors of change   To connect with Karen, find her on LinkedIn, or visit https://www.prosci.com to learn more about the ADKAR model and explore other resources. To learn more about The Mindset Game® podcast, visit www.TheMindsetGame.com. To subscribe to The Mindset Game® podcast or leave a review, please visit https://apple.co/3oAnR8I. 

Europe's energy-intensive industries are struggling. The Antwerp Declaration, signed by industries almost a year ago, was a cry for help. A cry that will be answered next week when the European Commission presents the long-awaited Clean Industrial Deal. How bad is the situation? What should the deal include? And will it come in time? To answer these questions, I'm joined by Tabita Verburg, the President of DOW Chemical in Western Europe.

Hour 1 dives into the FDA's plan to ban Red Dye No. 3 by 2027/2028 and the growing concerns over processed foods and additives in the U.S. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey's lawsuit against China over COVID-19 and allegations of PPE hoarding is explored. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski discusses her work to secure compensation for Illinois communities, including Granite City, affected by Dow Chemical's radioactive waste. The hour also includes updates on the potential sale or merger of Granite City Works.

In Hour 1, the conversation begins with the FDA's plan to ban Red Dye No. 3 by 2027/2028, discussing growing concerns over processed foods and additives in the U.S. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey's lawsuit against China over COVID-19 and allegations of PPE hoarding are also explored. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski provides insights into her work securing compensation for Illinois communities affected by Dow Chemical's radioactive waste in Granite City. The hour concludes with updates on the potential sale or merger of Granite City Works. Hour 2 continues with Janet Ruiz from the Insurance Information Institute discussing the challenges of wildfire insurance in California, the role of the California FAIR Plan, and the complexities of insurance rates in high-risk areas. Janet also highlights the growing availability of private flood insurance as concerns about flooding expand beyond hurricane-prone zones. Matt Pauley joins the conversation to discuss the University of Missouri Athletics' $15 million budget deficit, the rising costs of college sports, and the ongoing struggles of St. Louis sports teams. This includes SLU's loss to VCU, Mizzou's win over a top-five opponent, and the Blues' push to stay in the playoff race. In Hour 3, Chris Rongey and Amy Marxkors continue the conversation on the ongoing Rams settlement saga, focusing on the two bills under consideration in St. Louis: one for immediate infrastructure spending and another to spread funds over time for matching grants. KMOX reporter Sean Malone provides an update on the St. Louis Police Department's 2024 crime statistics, reporting a decline in murders but an increase in shootings. He also explains how crimes are categorized under the new NIBRS reporting system and confirms the inclusion of hockey player Colin Brown's homicide in the 2024 homicide numbers. The discussion shifts to snow removal issues in St. Louis, with residents calling in to share their concerns about impassable streets, particularly in neighborhoods like Soulard and South City. The hosts highlight how these snow removal problems are a serious public safety issue, emphasizing the need for immediate action, especially with the city's current budget surplus.

“Stocks are pretty extended,” says Ted Weisberg, and it's up in the air whether we can see another record year. “The first thing you do when you enter the stock market is look for the exits,” he says, but right now he's still long stocks. He likes META “for the moment”, but is more focused on some of 2024's losers, including Nestle, Dow Chemicals, Schlumberger, Intel, and CVS. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribe Download the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185 Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7 Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watch Watch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-explore Watch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/ Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetwork Follow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetwork Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

The Cash Flow Academy team unpacks the latest changes to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, including the removal of Dow Chemical and the addition of Sherwin-Williams. Corey and Noah offer their expert take on what these shifts mean for investors and highlight the value of focusing on long-term strategies. The discussion explores the appeal of owning businesses with strong brands and limited competition, the "Dogs of the Dow" approach, and insights on companies like Intel and Boeing. Throughout, the team underscores the importance of prioritizing cash flow, dividends, and business fundamentals over short-term price fluctuations.

Imagining After Capitalism (Triarchy Press, 2025) is the culmination of a decade-long exploration of what comes next after capitalism. It leverages previous work in developing foresight methodologies, which are featured in two previous books: Teaching about the Future and Thinking about the Future (2nd edition), both with Peter Bishop. It also leverages my work in identifying long-term values shifts—which are pivotal to After Capitalism—that are highlighted in ConsumerShift: How Changing Values Are Reshaping the Consumer Landscape. Arguing that the absence of compelling positive alternatives keeps us stuck in a combination of fear, denial, and false hope, he offers three “guiding images” for the long-term future: an environmentally driven Circular Commons, a socially and politically driven Non-Workers' Paradise, and a technology-driven Tech-Led Abundance. Imagining After Capitalism argues “first things first.” Let us first decide where we want to go before building detailed plans for getting there. The three “guiding images” are not the answers, but are intended to provoke discussion about the possibilities. The book offers an alternative to the prevailing doom and gloom and suggests there are indeed positive alternatives out there and it's time to get started on crafting a different path to the future! Andy Hines brings more than three decades of experience as a futurist to the Imagining After Capitalism work. He has explored the future from multiple vantage points. He is currently an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator at the University of Houston Foresight program. He also spent a decade as an organizational futurist, first with Kellogg's and then Dow Chemical. His consulting futurists roles included Coates & Jarratt, Inc., Social Technologies/Innovaro and currently his own firm Hinesight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Imagining After Capitalism (Triarchy Press, 2025) is the culmination of a decade-long exploration of what comes next after capitalism. It leverages previous work in developing foresight methodologies, which are featured in two previous books: Teaching about the Future and Thinking about the Future (2nd edition), both with Peter Bishop. It also leverages my work in identifying long-term values shifts—which are pivotal to After Capitalism—that are highlighted in ConsumerShift: How Changing Values Are Reshaping the Consumer Landscape. Arguing that the absence of compelling positive alternatives keeps us stuck in a combination of fear, denial, and false hope, he offers three “guiding images” for the long-term future: an environmentally driven Circular Commons, a socially and politically driven Non-Workers' Paradise, and a technology-driven Tech-Led Abundance. Imagining After Capitalism argues “first things first.” Let us first decide where we want to go before building detailed plans for getting there. The three “guiding images” are not the answers, but are intended to provoke discussion about the possibilities. The book offers an alternative to the prevailing doom and gloom and suggests there are indeed positive alternatives out there and it's time to get started on crafting a different path to the future! Andy Hines brings more than three decades of experience as a futurist to the Imagining After Capitalism work. He has explored the future from multiple vantage points. He is currently an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator at the University of Houston Foresight program. He also spent a decade as an organizational futurist, first with Kellogg's and then Dow Chemical. His consulting futurists roles included Coates & Jarratt, Inc., Social Technologies/Innovaro and currently his own firm Hinesight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Imagining After Capitalism (Triarchy Press, 2025) is the culmination of a decade-long exploration of what comes next after capitalism. It leverages previous work in developing foresight methodologies, which are featured in two previous books: Teaching about the Future and Thinking about the Future (2nd edition), both with Peter Bishop. It also leverages my work in identifying long-term values shifts—which are pivotal to After Capitalism—that are highlighted in ConsumerShift: How Changing Values Are Reshaping the Consumer Landscape. Arguing that the absence of compelling positive alternatives keeps us stuck in a combination of fear, denial, and false hope, he offers three “guiding images” for the long-term future: an environmentally driven Circular Commons, a socially and politically driven Non-Workers' Paradise, and a technology-driven Tech-Led Abundance. Imagining After Capitalism argues “first things first.” Let us first decide where we want to go before building detailed plans for getting there. The three “guiding images” are not the answers, but are intended to provoke discussion about the possibilities. The book offers an alternative to the prevailing doom and gloom and suggests there are indeed positive alternatives out there and it's time to get started on crafting a different path to the future! Andy Hines brings more than three decades of experience as a futurist to the Imagining After Capitalism work. He has explored the future from multiple vantage points. He is currently an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator at the University of Houston Foresight program. He also spent a decade as an organizational futurist, first with Kellogg's and then Dow Chemical. His consulting futurists roles included Coates & Jarratt, Inc., Social Technologies/Innovaro and currently his own firm Hinesight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

In this episode, we sit down with Ralph Witcher, a dynamic leader with expertise spanning healthcare, estate planning, and community empowerment. Ralph is the Founder of WitcherWay Wellness Insurance Agency, where he has become a trusted authority in Medicare education and enrollment, serving nearly 1,000 clients across multiple states. With over 20 years of experience, Ralph has earned numerous accolades, including being named UnitedHealthcare's Agent of the Year for four consecutive years. We explore his journey from healthcare to estate planning, where he helps clients navigate both medical coverage and legacy protection, ensuring peace of mind for generations to come. Ralph shares insights from his roles in corporate strategy and sales, where he worked with industry giants like Salesforce and Dow Chemical, and his ongoing commitment to community leadership through volunteer work with organizations like the Rotary Club and Word of Life Church. In this episode, Ralph also reflects on his philosophy of growth and empowerment, inspired by the metaphor of a chess pawn – proving that with determination and strategic thinking, anyone can achieve greatness. Tune in to hear about Ralph's dedication to service, leadership, and his holistic approach to empowering individuals and organizations.

When is the last time you heard someone say, “I love email?” I would bet, probably never. Every day it seems like we're swamped with more spam. And when we do actually rely on email for something important, well, you know how that goes. You send someone an email and ask them three questions. They reply to one. You reply with a comment about their reply and re-ask your other two questions. They reply with a comment on a whole other subject and before you know it you've got a long list of back and forward messages you're scrolling through looking for who said what, when. It's just so totally inefficient. Now, imagine that you're an architect and you have to rely on this kind of communication with multiple contractors and sub-contractors to manage a construction project. This is what actually happens in the real world. It's crazy. And that's why Chuck Perret created a company called Centerline. Chuck says the goal of the company is, “to kill email.” Centerline is cloud-based data management for architects that pulls all of their project-related information out of their inbox and puts it into what's called a Project Information Model. Chuck launched Centerline in 2021, began taking clients in 2022, saw 350% growth in 2023, and today the company has architectural firm clients across the country. If  Centerline is a software solution that solves a problem for a specific industry, imagine a company that solves any kind of problem, by simplifying any kind of task with software solutions, for any industry. Oil and gas. Maritime. Healthcare. Even sports, and local government. You might be thinking, “That sounds a bit ambitious.” Well, sometimes shooting for the stars works, because that's what Kellen Francis's company, Codegig, does. One of Codegig's major clients is Shell. Not a local Shell gas station, but 30 different departments of Shell Oil, including the entire Gulf Coast. They also work with another couple of companies you may have heard of: Dow Chemical and Valero. Anyone who's ever had a job has had "one of those days" at work. One of those days where whatever we're doing is so tedious, or the opposite – so mind-bogglingly difficult – that you just stop in your tracks and think, “Theres' got to be a better way.” What happens after that, typically, is that we suck it up and get on with it. But every once in a while, guys like Chuck and Kellen come along and actually invent a better way. Ann Edelman sits in for Stephanei Riegel on this edition of Out to Lunch which was recorded live over lunch at Mansurs On the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.la.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Day in Legal History: Switzerland Federal Charter SignedThis day in legal history marks the anniversary of the signing of the Federal Charter on August 1, 1291, which laid the foundation for the Swiss Confederation. This historic agreement united three Alpine cantons—Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden—establishing a pact for mutual defense against external threats and maintaining internal peace. The Federal Charter, known as the "Bundesbrief," is one of the earliest examples of a written constitution in Europe, symbolizing the birth of Switzerland as a confederation.The signatories pledged to support each other in disputes and conflicts, emphasizing the principles of cooperation and self-governance. This alliance was crucial in resisting the influence of the Habsburg dynasty, which sought to dominate the region. Over time, additional cantons joined the confederation, expanding and strengthening the alliance.The Federal Charter's emphasis on mutual defense and collaboration laid the groundwork for Switzerland's longstanding tradition of neutrality and federalism. It remains a significant symbol of Swiss national identity and independence. The principles enshrined in the charter continue to influence Switzerland's political structure and commitment to direct democracy. Today, August 1 is celebrated as Swiss National Day, commemorating the unity and enduring legacy of the Federal Charter.Accounting regulators and industry leaders are drafting reforms to state CPA licensing rules to expand the profession's workforce by allowing new pathways to earn the credential. These changes may include skills acquired outside the classroom. Draft changes to model legislation, serving as a template for state regulations, could be ready for public comment by September. The goal is to finalize these changes before next year's legislative sessions, according to Sue Coffey, CEO of public accounting for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.The reforms aim to address declining graduation rates and a workforce that has shrunk by 17% since the pandemic. Proposed pathways for earning the CPA credential may include a mix of formal education and work experience, potentially eliminating the requirement for 150 college credit hours and specific schooling.A recent report suggests offering skills-based paths without traditional education requirements, which could attract more candidates, including minority students. The report also recommends increasing starting wages, improving the profession's image, and providing more flexible schedules.The pipeline task force is collaborating with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy to develop model language and outline essential skills for credentialed accountants. In September, a broader group of industry leaders will discuss advancing these recommendations and developing a scorecard to measure progress.States are already exploring flexible education requirements, with some proposing alternatives such as apprenticeships and different combinations of education and experience. Coffey emphasizes that any licensing reforms should maintain the rigor of the CPA license while accommodating state-specific solutions.CPAs Pitch More ‘Flexible' Licensing Rules to Expand WorkforceRudolph Giuliani has agreed to pay $100,000 in cash and use proceeds from future sales of his multimillion-dollar homes to settle administrative bankruptcy fees, concluding his Chapter 11 case. Giuliani and his largest creditors reached an agreement outlining how he will exit bankruptcy without having to testify about his finances. Despite a judge ruling that the case must be dismissed due to a lack of progress, Giuliani initially struggled to guarantee payment for an estimated $400,000 in fees. Under the proposed order, Giuliani will immediately pay $100,000 to Global Data Risk LLC, with the remaining fees to be covered by proceeds from the sale of his Manhattan penthouse or his Palm Beach condominium. GDR will have liens on both properties and may foreclose if fees are not paid within six months. Giuliani's Manhattan penthouse is listed for $5.7 million, and his Florida home is valued at approximately $3.5 million.Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in December following a $148 million defamation judgment. He has $10.6 million in assets but failed to provide full financial records during nearly seven months in Chapter 11. Additionally, he faces a defamation suit from Dominion Voting Systems, criminal cases related to the 2020 election, and a $10 million lawsuit from former employee Noelle Dunphy for sexual harassment and assault. The case is In re Rudolph W. Giuliani, Bankr. S.D.N.Y., No. 23-12055.Giuliani Reaches Bankruptcy Dismissal Deal to Pay Legal FeesCrowdStrike has been sued by shareholders, accusing the cybersecurity company of concealing inadequate software testing that led to a massive global outage on July 19, affecting over 8 million computers. The proposed class action, filed in Austin, Texas, claims that CrowdStrike misled investors about the reliability of its technology, which was proven false when a faulty software update caused significant disruptions worldwide, including to airlines, banks, hospitals, and emergency services. Following the outage, CrowdStrike's share price dropped by 32% over 12 days, erasing $25 billion in market value.Chief Executive George Kurtz is required to testify before the U.S. Congress, and Delta Air Lines has hired attorney David Boies to seek damages, reporting $500 million in losses from the incident. The lawsuit references a March 5 conference call where Kurtz described the software as "validated, tested and certified." CrowdStrike, based in Austin, denies the allegations and intends to defend itself vigorously. The lawsuit, led by the Plymouth County Retirement Association, seeks unspecified damages for holders of CrowdStrike Class A shares between November 29, 2023, and July 29, 2024.The case is named Plymouth County Retirement Association v. CrowdStrike Inc et al, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The aftermath of the outage and the subsequent drop in stock prices might lead to more lawsuits against CrowdStrike.CrowdStrike is sued by shareholders over huge software outage | ReutersPaul Hastings has recruited Brian Israel, the former chair of Arnold & Porter's environmental practice, to co-head its environmental litigation practice. Israel, based in Washington and Los Angeles, brings over 20 years of private practice experience and a decade of leadership in environmental law. He is known for representing major corporations such as BP in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill case, as well as companies like Chemours Co., CSX Corp., Dow Chemical, Honeywell Inc., Monsanto Co., and Motorola Solutions Inc.Israel's decision to join Paul Hastings came after collaborating with its lawyers on a significant environmental case, which convinced him of the firm's potential to become a leading force in environmental law. Paul Hastings' environmental practice is co-chaired by Navi Dhillon and has a strong presence in California. Israel sees his move as an opportunity to help build a nationally recognized environmental practice.This hiring continues Paul Hastings' trend of attracting top legal talent, including recent additions like a 12-lawyer white collar team in Paris, trial lawyer Renato Mariotti in Chicago, and cybersecurity expert Michelle Reed in Dallas. On the transactional side, the firm recently added an 11-partner private credit and restructuring team from King & Spalding.Israel noted that his area of focus is evolving due to national low-carbon initiatives and recent Supreme Court rulings, which have reshaped the environmental regulatory landscape. These changes are increasing demand for high-level expertise in environmental law, a demand that Israel is well-positioned to meet. He joined Arnold & Porter in 2000 after serving as a trial attorney in the environmental enforcement section of the US Department of Justice and has authored a leading treatise on Natural Resource Damages claims.Paul Hastings chair Frank Lopez stated that Israel's addition enhances the firm's capability to handle complex and important matters for its premier clients.Paul Hastings Lures Arnold & Porter Environmental Chair Israel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Charli has treat for you this week listeners as Heather Cykoski joins the pod. Heather Cykoski, Senior Vice President, Industrial and Process Automation, Member of the Executive Leadership Team, leads the Industrial Automation business in North America to be our customer's digital and automation partner for sustainability and resiliency. A passionate global business leader with 25 years of international experience leading multi-divisional, multi-cultural teams across the energy value chain, Heather brings a strong track record of excellence in both business and leadership. She began her career at the Foxboro Company in 1998, as a member of the Professional Leadership Program, with roles in engineering and business development.Starting in 2005, she held several leadership roles at ABB in marketing, sales, and strategic investments. Joining as North American Manager for British Petroleum and Shell in 2007, Vice President, Group Accounts, working with The Dow Chemical Company, successfully executing chemical plants and new investments in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. In 2010, she led ABB's partnership with Dow Chemical and Saudi Aramco's joint venture in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. A partner from concept through lifecycle. In 2012, she managed Group Strategic Project investments including East Africa's liquid natural gas and North America's gulf coast chemical and liquid natural gas investments. Most recently, leading ABB's global Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Industry business. In August 2023, Heather returned to Schneider Electric with a clear mandate to be an “impact maker” in energy transition, harnessing the full portfolio and strength of our company, AVEVA, and strategic partnerships. In addition to her professional experience, Heather is deeply involved in the community and is a fierce advocate of women in STEM. She serves on the Board of Directors of Fluitron and the World of Affairs Council. She has been honored with the Gamechangers Progress Champion Award in 2022 and 2023; WeQual Americas Leadership Excellence Award in 2021 and named a Global Leader of Influence, World Affairs in 2021; 10 Most Influential Women in Technology 2020 and a member of the Global Women's Forum for Economy & Society, Paris France. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University and IMD's Executive Leadership from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland. Read up at EmpoweringPumps.com and stay tuned for more news about EPIC in Atlanta this November!Find us @EmpoweringPumps on Facebook, LinkedIn,  Instagram and Twitter and using the hashtag #EmpoweringIndustryPodcast or via email podcast@empoweringpumps.com 

On this episode of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast, host Andrew Lewin is joined by Anthony Merante, Oceana Canada's senior plastic campaigner, to discuss the results of the UN Global Plastic Treaty's INC4 meeting held in Ottawa. Dive behind the scenes of the meeting and learn about the goals and outcomes of this significant event. Discover what actions are being taken to protect the ocean and how you can get involved in creating a better future for our oceans. Listen now to stay informed and inspired to make a difference! Check out the last episode where Anthony was interviewed before the UN Global Tratey meeting: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/show-179/ Follow a career in conservation: https://www.conservation-careers.com/online-training/ Use the code SUFB to get 33% off courses and the careers program.   Sign up for our Newsletter: http://www.speakupforblue.com/newsletter   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube The INC meeting for the UN Global Plastic Treaty in Ottawa brought together representatives from over 170 countries to negotiate the terms of the treaty. This meeting marked the fourth out of five sessions held in Ottawa, Canada, where countries collaborated to develop a global plastics treaty. The negotiations revealed significant divisions among countries, with some expressing ambitious goals while others were more conservative in their approach. Previous meetings in Budapest, Paris, and Nairobi set the foundation for the discussions in Ottawa, where progress was made, albeit not as swiftly as anticipated. Throughout the INC meeting, various contact groups were established to concentrate on key aspects of the treaty, such as setting production caps, phasing out harmful chemicals, and addressing single-use plastics. The negotiations delved into intricate topics like product design, the elimination of non-recyclable polymers, and the management of chemicals in plastics that pose risks to human health and the environment. Financial mechanisms and implementation strategies were also discussed to ensure fair execution of the treaty across different nations. The presence of lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries at the meeting aimed to advocate for their interests in the negotiations. These lobbyists emphasized the significance of plastics in various sectors, including healthcare and food packaging, to influence the negotiators. Conversely, environmental groups like Oceana Canada engaged in lobbying efforts to push for ambitious objectives in the treaty, focusing on reducing plastic pollution and promoting sustainable solutions. The INC meeting in Ottawa underscored the intricate and challenging nature of negotiating a global plastics treaty involving over 170 countries. The discussions covered a wide array of topics, from production limits to product design and the health concerns associated with plastics. The involvement of diverse stakeholders, including environmental groups and industry representatives, enriched the discussions and ensured a balanced approach to tackling the issues posed by plastic pollution on a global scale. Lobbying efforts from both environmental groups and industry associations played a significant role in influencing the negotiations during the UN Global Plastic Treaty meetings. Environmental groups, such as Oceana Canada, actively lobbied for ambitious goals within the treaty, advocating for regulations on plastic production, the phasing out of non-recyclable polymers, and the promotion of refill and reuse practices. On the other hand, industry associations, including companies like Dow Chemical, Exxon, Shell, BP, and Formosa, participated in lobbying activities to express their concerns about the potential negative impacts of the treaty on business, the environment, and the economy. The government of Canada adopted a balanced approach by considering perspectives from both environmental groups and industry associations. Stakeholder engagements, roundtable discussions, and meetings provided a platform for these groups to present their viewpoints side by side, fostering a transparent exchange of ideas. Environmental groups utilized these opportunities to question industry associations on their sustainability initiatives, recycling efforts, and waste management practices. The involvement of environmental groups and industry associations in the negotiations ensured a comprehensive discussion on the complexities of plastic pollution and the necessary measures to address it. Through lobbying activities, these stakeholders influenced the negotiation process, highlighted key issues, and advocated for their interests within the framework of the UN Global Plastic Treaty meetings. Transparency in plastic production and waste management is crucial for ensuring accountability among businesses and governments. The federal government of Canada's release of a federal registry of plastics, covering the entire lifecycle of plastic products, allows for tracking of production, usage, and disposal. This level of transparency promotes accountability and facilitates informed decision-making. Consumer-facing companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Pepsi have been advocating for regulations within the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations, supporting measures such as phasing out non-recyclable polymers and promoting refill and reuse practices. On the other hand, non-consumer facing companies, such as Dow Chemical, Exxon, and Shell, have been more resistant to transparency and accountability in the plastic industry. However, with increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of plastic pollution, there is a growing need for these companies to be more transparent about their practices. Overall, transparency in plastic production and waste management is essential for holding businesses and governments accountable. By providing clear information on plastic usage and waste disposal, stakeholders can work towards sustainable solutions for managing plastic pollution. This transparency fosters a culture of accountability, encouraging businesses to adopt environmentally friendly practices and take responsibility for their impact on the environment.  

Lake Jackson is a small town developed as a company town for Dow Chemical.

In this episode of Building Texas Business, we delve into the remarkable journey of Jason Hayes and his family's business, Top Coat Fabrication. Despite the tumultuous nature of the markets, they managed to emerge as an industrial leader, a testament to their resilience and adaptability. He shares Top Coat's blueprint for navigating change while excelling in oil, gas, and petrochemicals. Intentional culture-building through staff gatherings and challenges instilled trust and community, cornerstones of Top Coat's prosperity. In conclusion, his journey to company president wove together personal learning, workplace achievements, nurturing customer bonds, and proactive growth to create the powerhouse that Top Coat is today. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Jason Hayes discusses the transformation of Top Coat Fabrication from its sandblasting roots to becoming an influential player in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. We explore Jason's early involvement with the family business, starting straight out of high school and eventually becoming president, as he emphasizes the value of hands-on experience. Jason shares how Top Coat navigated the challenges of the oil industry's downturns and how strategic diversification into fabrication opened new opportunities in the petrochemical sector. Jason and I delve into the pivotal moment in 2010 when Jason embraced intentional leadership and continuous learning, transforming his personal and professional outlook. Jason highlights the cultural shift within Top Coat, illustrating how he cultivates a positive work environment through team-building exercises and weekly staff meetings. We discuss the significance of building strong customer relationships, with Jason explaining his personal approach to post-project follow-ups and the search for honest feedback. Jason reflects on the importance of networking and trusted advisors, detailing how open communication within the leadership team is essential for resolving conflicts and fostering growth. We delve into Jason's leadership style, his efforts to understand team members' goals, and his commitment to maintaining a balance between work and family life. Jason explains the importance of hiring for culture fit, noting that while skills are necessary, alignment with the company's ethos is crucial for long-term success. Personal anecdotes are shared, including Jason's love for Tex-Mex, his first job experiences, and his aspirations to travel more with his family. LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Top Coat Fabrication GUESTS Jason HayesAbout Jason TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: In this episode, you will meet Jason Hayes, president of Top Coat Fabrication. Jason is the second generation of leadership in a family-owned business and tells how he went from hope to learning to be more intentional about growth. Jason I want to welcome you to. Building Texas Business. Thanks for taking time to come on the show. Absolutely Glad to be here. So I think the best place to start is just tell us a little bit about Topcoat. What is the business and what? Jason: does it do? Okay, we're an industrial fabricator, so we fabricate oil and gas and petrochemical equipment, a lot of welding, piping, structural steel, pressure vessels pretty much anything you see when you drive by chemical plants. That's the type of stuff that we fabricate. Chris: Okay, and y'all been in business. Now for what? 40 plus years, 40 plus years. Jason: This is our 44th year. I think it started in 1980. Okay, yes, it started as a sandblasting and painting company, and that's how they got the name Top Coat. Chris: Oh, okay, that makes sense. And so started by your father, I believe. Mom and dad, okay, still 100% owners. Very good, so what was the I guess, the inspiration that had them start Top Coat to begin with? Jason: I think honestly, if I remember the story right, my dad was working for a contractor down in Freeport and I don't remember the whole story but he didn't get treated right so he got let go or whatever happened. So he decided he was going to start his own thing. So he did they and they started this blasting and painting and it just kind of took off. His work ethic combined with everything else and industry in our area, so there was a lot of oil and gas in our area at that time. Mobile had a big shore base down there, so his contacts led to him doing some blasting painting for mobile and then they asked him if he could do some work offshore on their platforms, because they have platforms out there. So that that led to that part of the business and it just kind of started growing a little bit from there so it's interesting. Chris: So many people that I've talked to have you know unique stories, but there's a there, there's some that have a common theme that it's kind of, out of that hardship or disappointment or something, they decide to go on their own and do it their own way. It sounds like that was the case for your dad. Jason: Yeah, absolutely. I don't know exactly what drove it, you know, but yeah, that's what led to it. Chris: Tell us a little bit then you know how did that lead to. You know what the company is today as it relates to you know the focus and the mission and the purpose of the company. How has those early days influenced where you are today, some 44 years later? Jason: Well, let me give you a little bit of history about that. So when he started working offshore for Mobile at some point, he was just doing sandblasting and painting, well, on a project. They had asked him if he had any welders or knew any welders, because they needed some welding done out there. So he said yes, as a matter of fact, I do so. Welders because they needed some welding done out there. So he said, yes, matter of fact, I do so that he started hiring welders and doing construction on the platforms as well. So the offshore oil and gas was our bread and butter for many years, 20 plus years at least. So that even when I came on board in 98, that was our biggest business was oil and gas offshore construction. We'd send crews to the platforms and do maintenance and platform installations, platform removals, kind of everything in between. So that was great. The downside was, you know, when oil and gas is great, it's great, but it's dead, very cyclical too, right Big time. So we had a lot of struggles and I didn't see any other struggles that they saw. My mom and dad went through so many downturns that it was everything they could do to survive, but they did Well. Then, after the BP spill, macondo incident. Then the government really cracked down on offshore industry. So pretty much all the platforms we used to work on started coming out of the water. So all the stuff that we used to do existed no more. So that's when we really had to decide and make a big pivot in the business and say you know what we've been doing? A little bit of fabrication that supports the oil and gas, the offshore let's, let's focus on that. We have the knowledge base, we had some experience in it. Let's let's focus on that. So we literally changed the name to top coat fabrication and we didn't do anything off-site anymore. We focused strictly on fabrication and we would ship our stuff, you know, kind of all over. So it opened another big door to us for the petrochemical industry, because down in our area, you know, we've had Dow Chemical, all these chemical plants right in our back door. But it was almost like we swore we'll never work for the plants, we'll never work in the plants, just because it has that stigma of okay, once you get in, you know your foot in Dow, you know it's, it can be great. But then they people say they own you or you know whatever, and so we never did. Well then now with just the fabrication, that's when we started reaching out to these chemical plants and started really digging in and started doing a lot of work for them. So, and then, another big blessing was not too long after that, we got approached by a big company that had property next to us, had a, a facility, and then they wanted to buy our facility for an expansion. So we were on the water, we were on the intercoastal canal because we had crew boats coming in and out. We did a lot of dock services, so none of that existed anymore. So this was just a huge place that we didn't need, so that we used that to actually buy a piece of property, built a brand new shop where we're at now, a brand new facility. We built it the way we wanted. That was, you know, based on fabrication. So that's where we still are. Chris: Okay, that's great. So you know, I guess, a good lesson in the adage of don't put all your eggs in one basket. Yeah, y'all learned to diversify pretty quickly, right? Yes, yeah, exactly. Jason: So now you know we still do oil and gas work, but it's fabrication. We do a lot of stuff for West Texas oil and gas and we ship our stuff out there. We do a ton for the petrochemical industry right in our back door. We're getting into commercial building fabrication now not the buildings themselves but the structural components that go into them. We're looking into the offshore wind generation, solar, anywhere. We can do our fabrication in different industries for that exact reason to diversify. Chris: It's a good lesson right for people out there that you know. Start a business, maybe with that one big customer, that focus. It can be good when times are good, but you got to think about you know what. If this goes away, what else do we have? That is a compliment to it. It's a big liability yeah, if you don't, yeah, it ain't no different than what you were saying if, if you got too far in with someone like Dow, that'd be no different than you know, kind of that singular focus. So let's talk a little bit. How did you get involved and kind of come up through the business? Because you're now the president, I definitely want to talk a little bit once I hear kind of the back story about at some point there was a transition in leadership, so I definitely want to dive into that. Sure. Jason: So right out of high school I worked for Topcoat for the summer between high school and college and I went off to college that next semester. I went to Texas A&M. I was in mechanical engineering program. I wasn't ready for college, so I was there for two semesters and then they suggested that I leave. So I left. After that I came home and started working in 98 at some point and started at the bottom, started as a helper. The summer before college I was just a weed eater. We had this huge facility on the shore basin. I literally just weeded it all summer pretty much. So then when I came back I was a helper, just doing whatever you know in the shop around the facility. At one point we also made a realization or my dad did, because I had nothing to do with management then, but he made a realization that we needed somebody that would take care of the safety. We always had good safety records and good practices, but we needed somebody that could take charge of the program. Right? So I got volunteered to be the safety man. There you go. So I did that for a few years. They call that voluntold. Chris: Yes. Jason: I was being polite, you're exactly right. So I did that for a couple years and then I don't remember how the transition it was kind of a slow transition into just kind of taking more of the reins of the management. So at some point I can't tell you when, but he named me as the general manager. Okay, so he was the president, I was the general manager and then so I had, you know, a couple of people that kind of reported directly to me and then all the work happened underneath them. So that, and that was the case for a pretty good while. And I mean I'll be brutally honest that I was not into leadership back then. I wanted to be the top dog, right, I wanted to be the guy in charge, but leadership as I understand it now was not in my repertoire. Chris: Yeah, well, I mean, it's easy to want to be the guy, yeah, but there's a lot that goes with it that not everyone understands. Right To do it, the right way To do it right? Yeah, I knew nothing about leading people. Well, what have you done to try to help educate yourself, get some experience to become a better leader? Jason: I think it started with a desire wanting to be better. When you hit that point in 2010, I hit a really low point in my life. That's when I turned my life over to God and became a Christian. It just really changed the way I was thinking. So that kind of led me into leading my family and at some point, you know, I started reading books, I started learning more, listening to podcasts, and that just literally flowed into work. Okay, there's a realization. Okay, now I need to be a better leader at work. And what does that look like? So I started going to conferences, reading books, listening, just consuming as much content as I could, yeah, and then just slowly started putting things into practice at work, which was awkward, you know, at times when you try to bring some new thought processes and stuff to the team where it's never been before. You know, this is the way we've always done it type of mentality, and I was the same way. Chris: So it's a struggle, it's a beautiful story. It's an easy trap to fall into, right For people. Well, we were just doing it this way, because we've always done it that way. That is a eventually that becomes a death sentence for a company because no one will. Eventually that becomes a death sentence for a company because no one will innovate or think differently. And so I definitely applaud you for coming to that point. And you know, and as you know, now it's a, it's an everyday. You know you got to keep learning and keep growing, yeah for sure. So let's go back to the kind of the transition, because at some point you become president I don't know what your dad's title is now, but you kind of take over the reins. Let's talk about how did that decision kind of come about? And then how did y'all manage through the transition where you became kind of the. Jason: It was gradually happening already, so my dad is still the CEO now and he was like saying he was the president back then and it was just I, I probably just. It was a combination of me taking more and taking more initiative and him being able to release more right. So there wasn't anything set like, okay, I'm going to give you more, I need you to take more. Chris: It was just kind of I started pulling and he started giving well the given parts, probably the hardest of those two, oh, I'm sure'm sure, allowing himself to let go and trust. How did y'all manage the communication within the company? Did you just let it happen by kind of osmosis? The actual? Jason: leadership just happened. So I've worked really closely with most of my leadership team for gosh I guess 16 or 17 years now several of them and so it just happened. We started really clicking together, growing. A lot of us have the same kind of mentality we want to get better personally, we want to get better in the business. We're, all you know, looking at the big picture type of thing. But the actual transition from me to GM to president, I didn't even know about it. So we have a staff meeting every Monday with the entire company. We have breakfast and I typically show some type of motivational video, tell the whole staff a few things that might be going on within the business. And in one of those meetings my mom shows up. And my mom, she just doesn't. She's never been involved in the business since I've been there. She's part owner but never been involved in it, and so she's. So you know, I said hi to her before I'm going to the meeting and I didn't think anything about it. Well, during that meeting my dad gets up and says okay, I want to announce that jason is now the president of the business and I'm he. I don't think he said this, but he was stepping up to the ceo. So it was like a we both kind of moved up okay. But he mentioned, you know, that he just that he just wanted to. He knew I was passionate about it, I was passionate about the business, passionate about the people, and he knew I wanted to take it to new places. So he named me president. So nobody knew, not me, not anybody else, it just happened one day oh, we don't. So it was a cool honor and you know it didn't change much. It didn't change much because the structure was already there. Yeah, it was just a matter of a title really then. But I think I started taking it even more serious then. Chris: Makes sense. So I guess we talk about as it exists today. Then you're still working with your dad, but more the responsibility for the day-to-day falls on you, Right? Yes, definitely. Jason: He's there almost every day. I mean he's there every day that he's around. If he's not, you know, gone out of town or something, he's there. He's typically in his shorts and flip flops or you know shorts and shoes and fishing shirt. But he is there, which is great to have him. I'm honored to be able to work with him. He still lets me pretty much do what I want. I mean trusts me. Chris: So one of the things I noticed in getting ready to meet you today was on your website, the company's website. You're very big on your people and your culture, so let's talk a little bit about how you would describe the culture at Top Coat and what are some of the things you think you've done to help kind of build to get to that type of culture. Jason: The culture is amazing at Top Coat and that's my passion. My passion is the culture. That's one of the biggest things I think spend most time thinking about. One of the first things I did was start having a just a like a weekly meeting with my, the leadership team. We started doing that, I would bet, six or eight years ago, Just a weekly meeting. We didn't really have any structure, I just wanted us to meet, put our heads together and talk about things going on. So that was the first thing I started. And then, after that, we started the full staff meetings. After we moved to our new place, we actually had a place we could meet, but we started having our full staff meetings once a week too, and we kind of used that as a transition. I don't remember how it came about, but we started doing a type of physical challenge where every Monday after our staff meeting, we'd have some kind of challenge where it would be, we'd do push-ups, we'd do dead hangs. We've done just about everything you could imagine. Some of them are physical, some of them are not, but we do that and it's we literally make the people pay. If you want to play five bucks, Everybody puts in five bucks and wants to do it. Winner takes all, unless it's a team sport. You know, we've done tug of war, We've done dodgeball tournaments and little things like that. It just creates like maybe 15, 20 minutes of fun and there's trash talking from all the you know, the audience and everything else. But it's that's just a tiny layer that just it just adds a little bit of fun into the workday. It makes it a little more human, right? Yes, and that's one of the biggest things my dad fought me on at the very beginning was doing these. You know his mentality was you know, think about what that's costing the company. You know you have this entire crew shut down for 30 minutes additional. What do you think that's costing us? And I wrapped my head around it and I thought about it and I understood. But at the same time I tried to make him understand. I think it's way more valuable to spend that time and spend that money on this time, because I think overall it's going to be well worth it. Chris: Yeah, kudos to you for that, because it's easy to look at the black and white and ensure there's a cost to that. But I think you're right when you evaluate it holistically. If you're creating engagement and fostering that environment where everyone kind of knows each other better and feels more like a team, I think the returns are exponential. Right, you can't necessarily put dollars on it, but you probably can't look at lack of turnover, maybe better productivity once they're back at work. So I think to your point it was it's a wise investment to making your people yeah, I agree, and I mean to this day. Jason: If you look on our LinkedIn page or Facebook, when I put up videos of the challenge that we do, that's even on LinkedIn. Those are the posts that get so many comments, so many shares. It's people connect with it and so many people say, man, I wish we did that at our place, or I wish my company would do stuff like that. And it's like it's those little things that people I don't know if they don't think about them or they just don't think it's worth it, but for us it's been kind of a game changer. Advert Hello friends, this is Chris Hanslick, your Building Texas business host. Did you know that Boyer Miller, the producer of this podcast, is a business law firm that works with entrepreneurs, corporations and business leaders? Our team of attorneys serve as strategic partners to businesses by providing legal guidance to organizations of all sizes. Get to know the firm at boyermillercom. And thanks for listening to the show. Chris: So one of the things you mentioned kind of as the company's evolved is, you know this diversification into fabrication and doing other lines of business. What are some of the things you do as the president of the company to kind of create those relationships with the new customers, new vendors, and maintain those strong relationships? Jason: We have a sales team that does a lot of the actual interaction. But most of our customers I'll know their name, I'll know their contact information and I'm the one that reaches out to them personally. For if we're going to do it, then let's say we sponsor a lot of golf tournaments, you know skeet shooting teams for fundraisers and that sort of thing, and I'm the one that normally reaches out to the people and ask them if they want to you know, participate with us. We had an industry night a couple of weeks ago and I call all the what the customers that I know and have the contact information. I'm the one that calls them and I also do customer follow-ups. With every project that we do that ships out, I do a customer follow-up call with everyone. I call them personally, just as me, thanking them, number one for their business and then number two just seeing if there's anything we can do to improve that I love. Chris: And I'll tell you we tried here and we're not consistent with it. Love, and I'll tell you we tried here and we were not consistent with it, but that kind of what I would call customer survey, satisfaction survey. So you've got it baked into your routine to do it on every order. Jason: That's amazing, I learned that from Mattress Mac. Okay, we bought some furniture from him and I think twice now, and every time sometime afterwards he calls personally and just thanks us for his business. Oh we darn. Chris: Yeah, Well, I think it's a great lesson for people you know that are listening to this and have their own business. That personal touch and that follow-up can go so far in creating that customer loyalty Right. So that's amazing. I guess you report back to your people on what you learned from that so that's amazing. Jason: I guess you report back to your people what you learned from that. Yeah, so we have a Teams, our Teams folder that we open up every day or every week in our leadership meeting and I keep the spreadsheets in there so we review it every week. Any ones that I call, you know, I'll be honest, I'll let them build up, because our project coordinator sends me. Every time we ship one out, he sends me the contact, you know, until I know what the project was, who the contact name is and so forth. And I will, all honesty, I let them build up because sometimes I'll procrastinate doing it, you know, because I'm like, oh, it's one more thing I gotta do, right, right. But then after I do, let's say, just the day before yesterday I called six, six clients and every time I do it I'm so glad that I did because I feel better, I'm sure you know, I feel better because I let them know, number one I that I them. Number two we're trying to ask them if there's anything that we can do to improve and be better. We want to know and I don't think. I think it's so uncommon that people don't people say they want feedback. But I think they want the five-star rating Right. They don't want the honesty, they just want okay, how many five stars can we get? Chris: Yeah, they want the high google rating, right right which it feels good to get that. Jason: But we're not going to get any better if, especially if there's a client that's not happy about something, some most of them aren't going to come and just out and tell us, hey, so and so went wrong. But if I ask, is there anything we could do to better, that's when they're going to say, as a matter of fact, there is. Yeah, I haven't got that yet, but we will sure you will. I mean, that's the point, that's what I want. Chris: I think that's great. You know, sitting here thinking I need to do more of that. You know that, as I told you before we came on, I learned from all the guests and I've at least learned that from you today. I think that's wise advice. Jason: And it has to come from the top. If my project coordinator is talking to the clients, you know 24 seven7. It's not going to be the same Right. Chris: That's right. So let's talk a little bit. I mean, it's been up and down in the economy the last few years. What have you experienced at Top Coat kind of as it relates to the last four or five years and kind of the you know turbulent environment, and what are some of the things you've done to kind of manage through? Jason: that We've stayed pretty steady the last several years. Now. Last year ended up being our best year in history revenue-wise. Revenue and profit-wise. Several stars aligned for that, some great projects from some longtime customers. But the few years before that we were okay, we were steady, right, and that's. I think that's one thing that Vistage taught me is to be proactive. I'd sit back for years and say, man, I hope this company grows, I hope this company grows. And then, with you know, the Vistage group and just everything that I've been involved in so far with that has just really taught me that you have to be intentional, you have to, we have to make it happen. So we going to grow, how are we going to make this happen? So that's where the big focus is now. I mean we since I've been there, you know, 26 years we've had some horrible years. I mean when we first take great story, when we first built our new facility beautiful shop, beautiful, everything we had no work, zero. We got down, I believe seven people in the company completely, and I remember just like it was. Yesterday we're having my staff meeting, so it's a small group, but I'm kind of telling them look, we literally had 75 grand in the bank and we said this is all the money we had left. We had all this money from selling our property, but we'd spent on this new facility and we had some money, but it had just dwindled down to nothing because the work had died, and so that was in 16, I think 2016, 2017. Okay, so I'm telling the whole team look, guys, I don't know what we're going to do. We're going to figure this out, but I really don't know what I do, what we're going to do. And then, literally during that meeting, our phone, our office phone, rang. There was nobody in the office, so I turned around and I answered the phone. Quick, five-minute conversation. It was a guy driving by our facility. He was an inspector for Chevron, phillips and Sweeney and he said I'm leaving the shop and I'm the inspector and I can't stand Something along the lines of I can't stand working with these guys. They keep lying to me, I need to find another shop and I've just been driving by your place. I want to see if I can come talk to you about doing some fabrication work for us. That led to us doing $2 million to $3 million a year for them almost every year since. Oh, wow, and so that was. It was like that was. Since I've been in the business, that was the lowest point that I felt, because I was really feeling that pressure of what am I going to do? What am I going to do? And there was no strategy to this. It was like it was a God moment of having him drive by all this stuff at the same time by having a new facility help? yes, absolutely if we had not been there, he never would have driven by our place, because where we were before nobody drove by right, so nobody knew so so that's it. Chris: I mean well, that's an incredible deal. So 2016 is seven employees, $75,000 in the bank. How did you end 2023? How many employees and what was your revenue? Jason: 2023,. We had $22 million in revenue and for most of the year we were probably around close to 100 employees. Wow. Chris: That's an amazing turnaround, congratulations. Appreciate it yeah, congratulations, appreciate it. So, yeah, I like what you said earlier, when it was you were hoping to grow and you've learned to go think about how to grow and be intentional, because that otherwise you hear there's another cliche hope's not a strategy, right? So sounds like you mentioned vistage, so you're a vistage member, that sounds like, and other vistage members, including myself. I know how valuable it can be to grow as a leader, but then how you think about your business. Jason: Sure, absolutely yeah. And, like I was telling you earlier, the network that you meet the people, the different people in every area of business yourself for legal, whether it's taxes, insurance, whatever has to do with business. There's people that I'm connected with, literally one-on-one, that I can call, I can sit down with. Most of them will just meet me for lunch. If I need to bounce an idea off of them. That's the biggest thing. Chris: Something I tell people that have businesses all the time is you've got to build a solid network of trusted advisors that you can reach out to, whether it's a banker, insurance person, accountant, lawyer, another entrepreneur or business owner right, that you can just reach out to, because even when you're having a bad day and maybe they can you know, hey, I've been there before, so you'll feel, because a lot of times you feel alone. What are some of the things I guess, as you've evolved as a leader that you've found to kind of whether it's a particular book or conference you go to that have really been valuable to you to kind of grow as a leader? Jason: I can't think of a specific book, but I think, the mentality of giving your people the tools that they need to do what they have inside their head. You know, I think so many times I've learned that even our leadership team at work they have so many ideas and great ways to do different things, but they don't always let them out. So I think creating number one, creating a safe place, like our leadership meetings that we have every Wednesday morning, that's a safe place. Whether it's a conflict that we have, whether it's an issue that they've been holding in, whatever it may be, that is the place where we draw those things out and we squash them or whatever we need to do. To me, that's probably been the biggest thing. Chris: It's a hard thing to do, but you're so right that safe place where people feel like they can share without being judged or criticized is unique, I think, but so important. Jason: And it's so simple, but we're all humans, especially at work. Yeah, and it's so simple, but we're all humans, especially at work. I'm sure we all swallow a whole lot more at work than we do anywhere else, because maybe we're afraid of our job, we're afraid of whatever. But I think it's been really good for us. We've solved so many issues just because we've created the structure for it. Chris: So one of the things I like to ask folks that come on is can you tell us a setback you've encountered in your professional life? Maybe it's your personal life, but something that sets you back. But you learned so much and you grew from it that you're better off because of it today. Man. Jason: I know there's plenty of them. Chris: That's what most people say. Jason: Yeah, there's plenty of them. Chris: I'm just trying to think what would come to mind, maybe something right after you kind of took over being either general manager or president at Topco, maybe something in those early days. Jason: I think one of the real struggles is it's not a moment but learning the business finances. You know I struggle a lot with okay, we need this piece of equipment to get better, we should just go buy it. Well, my dad has the finances and the history of the accounting behind it and I've struggled because he and I butted heads quite a bit on things I think would be a good investment and things he thinks wouldn't be a good investment. So that's become something we both had to work on. Really, I mean, I lean on him a lot for his knowledge and different things when we're purchasing, making big purchases or expanding our facility, whatever we're doing. But I think having those conversations was probably some of the toughest things we've had to do. Gotcha, and it's just like anything else, it's just like with the leadership team. It's creating a space that we can have those. I mean, he and I have worked together for literally 26 years, so we work well together and we communicate fine together. But it's me getting up the courage to ask those questions too. That's been a struggle. Chris: So what I hear you saying in that and I think it's a natural struggle for people in leadership because, like you said, from day one, you wanted to be the top dog. Sure, it's having the humility to ask your father or mentor someone that you don't know or don't know enough, right. Sure, so that takes a lot of humility, yeah, for you, and I think it's also a blessing that you have the courage to use it. Jason: Is you have a built-in, you know, advisor, mentor, right there, you know, letting you grow and being there to kind of guide you along the way yeah, and I don't utilize them as much as I should, but every time we have a conversation like this, it reminds me how much I should I, how much I do and should you know, put more value in that another thing that you mentioned was mentioned was y'all can butt heads. Chris: So what have y'all done? Because I guarantee I've had other people that have done what you've done on the show, that have taken over a family business. I guarantee there's people who are going to listen to this, that are doing that or see that in their future when you get to that place of how will you and your dad communicate on big issues. If you all kind of got it agreed upon, let's do this in private and really hash it out and not let other people see what's going on. I mean, is that something that's one that you all kind of have a practice of doing? If so, how does that work? Jason: Yeah, definitely. I mean, he's in our leadership meeting. He sits in our leadership meetings pretty much every week. He's pretty quiet, you know, off to the side, he's just mainly listening, but there's plenty of times where I'll you know if I have an issue with something he said, or vice versa. He'll either come to my office and shut the. I always, I constantly, have to remind myself that this is his baby. This whole company is. I've had a lot to do with the growth and where we're at in you know the current state, but at the end of the day, this is his and he. He created it and I'm just a part of it. Yeah, so I have to constantly remind myself of that. And then he I mean, he tells me multiple times that you know I'm doing a good job of running it. So he's constantly having to remind himself that he gave me the authority and the power to run it. But it's definitely a team effort. Chris: I think it would have to be. The other thing that comes to mind again, kind of unique to family-owned business and second generation of leadership of that family-owned business is how well do you and your dad do at leaving the issues at the office versus trickling over to the Thanksgiving table or anything like that? Jason: Yeah, he's probably better at that than I am, but even I don't know. From the time I was born, he and I have had an absolutely solid relationship always. He was gone a lot when I was growing up for many years because he was doing a lot of offshore work. So he was gone a lot when I was growing up for many years because he was doing a lot of offshore work. So he was gone a lot, but we always had just a top-notch relationship. Yeah, so I think without that it would have been a hundred times worse. Yeah, but I don't think I can't remember a single time where any tension between me and him ever stayed very long period, but certainly much less made it out the door. Yeah, yeah, we could have this tough discussion and then say, all right, let's go get some lunch yeah, you know that's good here and you know. Chris: The other thing is, I think when you're an entrepreneur and you own this business, you live and breathe it, so you you're going to be thinking about it when you're at home and those conversations could come up versus, just as natural, when they happen at the office right it. Jason: It always has. Yeah, I mean, whether we're at my house, his house, it's typically something with work is going to come up and we're going to talk about it. Chris: It just happens. So let me ask you this just about your own personal leadership style. How would you describe your leadership style today? How do you think it's evolved or developed over the last several years? Jason: I would say my style is to. This is just off the cuff, but I would say my style is to help anybody that I'm leading, make sure they have the tools to do what they need to do. You know I'm really passionate about I haven't been extremely proactive about mentoring all of my leadership team, but I want to know their goals, not just professionally but personally too, and I think a lot about like, what can I do to help them succeed? If the person is going after what they were put on this earth to do and I can be a part of that and help guide them to that, I think that is the ultimate definition of success when it comes to leadership. Yeah, so that's kind of my passion. I haven't been as good at the mentoring side and maybe the personal side. We talk about business roles and stuff quite a bit but I really want to be more involved with their goals in life overall. Sure, Not involved in them, but what can I do to help? How can I help? Chris: Well, at least understand them, so you know how you can be a resource. Jason: Yeah, and again, I want all my resources to be their resources too. Chris: So that brings up kind of a good subject. When you think about that, and maybe I'm going to ask you about yourself, what do you do to try to maintain some type of balance in your life right between work and family, knowing that you're always thinking about the business, right? Jason: I've done pretty good with that for the most part. I've never been a workaholic, just not me. I've been a huge family guy always. I have four kids, ages 15 down to 7, so we stay busy, sounds like it, but that's another. Passion of mine, too is just the kids and the family. I've never had a struggle with staying at work when I should be at home. Chris: Now having the leadership team that I have is what makes that possible. I was going to say you got to have some tools in place to help facilitate that. So hiring good leaders to work with you, Anything that you look for, or when you do interview or interview someone for a leadership position and or think about promoting them to one. Jason: Culture is the number one thing. That's what I always start with. Will this person be a fit for our culture? And that's typically if we're going to hire not just leadership team, but maybe even the level right. You know, underneath that, most of the time I'll. I want to know the person. I want to have a one-on-meeting. You know, I've met several people for coffee that we were interviewing for a project manager position, just because I want to just get to know the person. The resume says what they've done. The resume says everything that they've accomplished. But I want to know are they going to fit with us? And if they don't, then that's an immediate no. So I think that hiring for the culture is the number one thing. Chris: So many people, including myself, believe that right. Lots of people have skills that could fit with what you do, but are they a type of person that fits with who you are and who you want your people to be? Right, and I believe the people that are culture fit. Jason: You never know where they might end up, even with the company. We've hired a couple of people that were a great fit for us and they were doing one thing. Well then, as soon as we get, they get in and they're a great fit, and then we start seeing all the stuff that they're capable of. Then they start getting snagged by this person and next thing you know they're just keep moving up because everybody's starting to see. Chris: You know they're capable of yeah, but it started with the fit right. That's great. Well, jason, I love the story and the family transition. I think it's a beautiful story when they're done right. They're not always are. I want to always wrap up on a few off-topic personal things. Okay, what was your first job? Was it something at Top Coat or something other than that? Jason: Yeah, it was Top Coat, the one right after high school, so weed eating, yeah, it was great. Chris: So great. All right, what's your preference? Tex-mex or barbecue Tex-Mex? I could eat it every day. I mean, I didn't even finish the sentence. Jason: I know you jumped on that one, I know. Chris: No question. Jason: So I always ask people if you could take a sabbat Ooh 30 days, oh man, for at least a week I'd take my wife and we'd just sit on a beach somewhere. Yeah, without a doubt. Yeah, and then I would just do some traveling, a lot of traveling. I want to do a lot more traveling. The only place out of the states I've been is to Mexico, for me and my wife on our honeymoon. Okay, so I've got so many places I want to see, but I just don't make the time or make the plans to do it. Chris: Well with the four kids as you described, you got your hands full right. Yeah, well again. Jason, thanks for taking the time to come on the show. Really enjoyed getting to get to know you better and meet you. Jason: I appreciate the opportunity man. Special Guest: Jason Hayes.

Michael Alder is the owner and Senior Trial Attorney at AlderLaw, a leading Los Angeles firm that represents plaintiffs in personal injury and employment litigation cases. He is known as one of the top trial attorneys in California, an advocate for underdog clients, and a generous supporter of fellow trial attorneys, charitable causes, and community giving. Mr. Alder vigorously pursues all cases on behalf of his clients who have suffered injustices and takes pride in being personally involved in every case his firm takes on. Along with his team of lawyers and staff, he consistently breaks records and earns the praise of the press with significant settlements and impressive verdicts including the City of Modesto v Dow Chemical $60 million total verdict. To date, his firm has recovered over $2.1 billion in verdicts and settlements for his clients.Connect with Mike:Website: https://alderlaw.com/Social MediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/alderlaw/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlderLaw/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlderTalkCheck out our spring website promotion here: https://lbms.us/product/proweb-legal/General Info: Need help with your law firm's digital marketing? Check out these case studies of some killer results we have gotten for law firms just like yours.Click here to review the case studies: https://lbmsllc.com/lp-attorneys/Click here for a free online presence report and marketing analysis. Connect With Us On Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lbmsllcInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lbmsllc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lbmsllcLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/local-business-marketing-solutionsAlignable: https://www.alignable.com/fanwood-nj/local-business-marketing-solutionsConnect With Frank Directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fdemming/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lbmsllc

While much of the focus on inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community happens during Pride Month in June, it's important to recognize and bring attention to the issues impacting the community throughout the year. It's our responsibility to not only be better individually but force those around us to challenge their own biases to become more inclusive as well.  On this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman sits down with a handful of practitioners in the world of LGBTQ+ inclusion to talk about the paths they took and the roads they're forging ahead in this area at their respective organizations. This program was hosted by Buchanan's P.R.I.D.E. Affinity Group, the affinity group supporting our employees who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies.  Episode guests include Nicholas Bell, Counsel, Labor & Employment at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney; Brad Bidwell Senior Strategic Digital, Trademark, and Copyright Counsel at Dow Chemical; Maria Running Fisher Jones, Senior Legal Counsel, Manager at Google; and Russell King Senior Counsel, Commercial Litigation at McDonalds. The panel of experts provides valuable insights and actionable recommendations for establishing an inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ employees.  To learn more about Buchanan's Affinity Groups, please click here: https://www.bipc.com/affinity-groups.   Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I. 

Watch Alix and Paul LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Featuring: Dow CEO Jim Fitterling  Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence Chief US Interest Rate Strategist joins to discuss his latest Fed commentary, preview Fed day.  Phil Orlando, Chief Equity Strategist with Federates Hermes on the markets    Madison Muller, Bloomberg News health reporter, on how Oprah became weight-loss drugs unoffcial spokeswoman  Hosted by Paul Sweeney and Molly SmithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Reid is a corporate training designer, facilitator, and business owner who understands adult learning happens when you engage with people's belief systems. His career centers around the idea that traditional ways of teaching are ineffective because they focus on the idea rather than the learner. Even if your idea is worth sharing, the sharing isn't worth it if people can't learn. As a fourtime cancer survivor, John has focused all his energy on his passion – creating ways to engage and get adults to learn by fostering a learning mindset wherever he goes. John worked for both global (Dow Chemical, Elf Atochem) and smaller (LCP Chemicals) firms. Within the learning and development industry he has built a reputation for providing client focused solutions, achieving recognition and awards for his sales performance. He has engaged in providing an outsource solution for an existing training department; creating and implementing a learning strategy for a major pharmaceutical company, as well as designing and delivering a value selling program for a global industrial sales organization. Key client engagements that John has led include EY, DSM, SCA North America, Fox Entertainment Group and Proampac. He most recently released his first book “Moving from Models to Mindsets,” which is on Amazon. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with John Reid: Website: www.jmreidgroup.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmreidgroup LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jmreid-group/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmreidgroup/   *E – explicit language may be used in this podcast.