Podcasts about Expedia

Keith is joined by housing market intelligence authority Rick Sharga—a frequent guest on outlets like CNBC and Bloomberg who "quietly gets it right" rather than chasing clickbait crashes. Together, they dig into whether America really has a housing shortage and how that lines up with what you're seeing in prices and inventory.  They explore why entry-level homes are so constrained and what that means for both investors and homebuyers.  They also examine how mortgage rates, builder behavior, and demographic shifts could shape housing demand and investment opportunities over the next several years. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/596 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  1-937-795-8989 to speak with a freedom coach Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Keith, welcome to GRE I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, does America really have a housing shortage? And if so, how long will it last? Those answers and more, with an expert guest and I today on get rich education.   Speaker 1  0:19   Since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors and delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads of 188 world nations. He has a list show guests include top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki. Get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast, or visit get rich education.com   Keith Weinhold  1:03   the same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours. Ridge lending group and MLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequel and even chat with President chailey Ridge personally while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lending group.com that's Ridge lending group.com   Speaker 2  1:36   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:46   Welcome to GRE from Nantucket, Massachusetts to Pawtucket, Rhode Island and across 188 nations worldwide. America's favorite shaved mammal on a microphone has got his slack jawed act back on track for another wealth building week with you. I'm Keith Weinhold. This is get rich education. I'm still not wearing a pair of knockers, and I've returned here to bring you more value than your HOA dues. It's kind of crazy that America First put a man on the moon, and we're the first nation to put a man on the moon in 1969 and yet today, we have trouble housing our own people here on Earth. Shortly, we're going deep on does America really have a housing shortage first? Sometimes real estate investors can learn lessons from the stock market about the future direction of housing prices and demand and just simply what assets people have demand for, how AI is disrupting some stock sectors. Has been rather germane lately. One CEO made this perfect example. It's about how two different stocks travel search engine Expedia and Delta Airlines, those two stocks were once closely tied together. Their share prices used to be correlated, but they've gone in separate directions. See, Expedia offers you a service that can be replicated by bots, but delta has actual planes that take you somewhere, and it's hard for AI to replace that. This is why there's been a recent push toward more tangible stocks and tangible assets, a divergence, an attraction to assets that give you a share of either a tangible good, or, in the case of something like an airline, a service that's directly tied to something tangible. And similarly, commodities like gold, silver and copper cannot be replaced by AI. Neither can real estate. There is a growing sense to own things that can't be disrupted, dematerialized and demonetized by AI, like so much software can. In fact, as overall stock market valuations are lofty. You know, some people have become rather wary of an AI speculative bubble that perceptive to this demand. Just a few weeks ago, Goldman Sachs introduced an everything but AI index, yeah, where you can invest in a basket of companies that are sheltered from Ai disruption, this everything but AI index that's attracting investors. In fact, there's another trend that interfaces with real estate that just launched recently too today, you can wager on future homes. Prices through the platform, poly market, yes, place bets for profit or loss on the future direction of the median home price. In fact, one recent college graduate joked, I was born too late to afford a house, and born just in time to gamble on people who can buy a house? Yeah, you're probably familiar with poly market by now. It's the prediction market that lets you speculate on things like elections and Fed rate decisions and various geopolitical events and other real world outcomes. Well, they have launched a set of real estate markets that allow users to bet on future home values. The way it works is that you can wager on future home values in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Austin, Texas, as well as US national home values. So that's six different markets. Now I haven't gambled on Poly market, I had checked it at times to get an idea of where people really think markets are headed or what's going to happen next. Because, rather than major media, where sometimes as a hype machine, they create headlines that scare you in order to try to get clicks, well, instead of all that, regular people are placing their money on polymarket, and you can look at what that action is like, because that can be a more reliable harbinger of future price direction at last check with a national median home price of about 420k with the numbers, poly market is using one month from now, 66% of people think that home prices will rise. And it's more nuanced than that. You can bet on just what price range you believe home prices will fall into one month from now. And this is nothing that I recommend wagering on, but besides an interesting trend, yeah, you can get that idea of where real people actually believe markets are headed. As we're about to talk to national housing expert Rick sharga on whether or not we really have a housing shortage, we've got new data about the level of housing permits. Of course, housing permits are a gage of the level of future housing inventory, because after a permit is issued, it's typically six to 12 months until a single family home is built. But I'll share that with you near the end of the show, because it makes sense to cover this with you in chronological order. We'll discuss housing supply first, and then I'll tell you about the future supply direction based on housing permits. Now, you know from the inception of this show in 2014 I talked about the why of real estate investing before the how with anything in life, it's only when you truly know why you're doing something that you'll profoundly care about the how and you'll want to do it well. In fact, when I do an in person real estate presentation, one of the modules that I teach most often is simply called Why real estate. The biggest Why is not altruistic, although that matters, and that's part of it. But instead it's that real estate pays five ways. That's the biggest why any GRE devotee knows that the five ways are simultaneously paid, are appreciation, cash flow, ROA tax benefits, and not inflation hedging. But specifically inflation profiting. Yet I have found multi decade real estate investors that don't understand this, the most valuable hour that you can spend is knowing all the ways that you're paid and seeing and believing how your total rate of return of 20% 30% or even 40% is not far fetched or risky, but it's actually common and even estimated conservatively. If you're initiated on this, you already know, but if you aren't, it can sound a little hard to believe what I just said right there, I recently reshot the entire real estate pays five ways video course, and it's the most valuable hour of investing video content that you're likely ever to see. It's premium, masterclass level content. I'm just giving it away for free because people need to know this. And actually, on the newest shoot, I've condensed it down into just 40 minutes of content across the five videos, one instructional video for each of the five ways you're paid. The videos average eight minutes. So that's about 40 minutes total, and they build on. Each other. So at the end of each one, you get to see your cumulative rate of return. It just keeps adding up, and you know exactly where all of the numbers come from. That's why it's more conducive to video form than audio form. I know that many of you have seen it, but if not, it is foundational, and I cannot recommend it enough. It's free and available to you now. At get richeducation.com/course, get that now, while it's on your mind. At get rich education.com/course, more next, I'm Keith Weinhold, this is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  10:39   Flock homes helps you retire from real estate and landlording, whether it's one problem property or your whole portfolio, through a 721 exchange, deferring your capital gains tax and depreciation recapture, it's a strategy long used by the ultra wealthy now Mom and Pop landlords can 721, the residential real estate request your initial valuation, see if your properties qualify@flockhomes.com slash GRE, that's F, l, O, C, K, homes.com/gre.   Keith Weinhold  11:16   You know, most people think they're playing it safe with their liquid money, but they're actually losing savings accounts and bonds don't keep up when true inflation eats six or 7% of your wealth. Every single year, I invest my liquidity with FFI freedom family investments in their flagship program. Why fixed 10 to 12% returns have been predictable and paid quarterly. There's real world security backed by needs based real estate like affordable housing, Senior Living and health care. Ask about the freedom flagship program. When you speak to a freedom coach there, and that's just one part of their family of products, they've got workshops, webinars and seminars designed to educate you before you invest. Start with as little as 25k and finally, get your money working as hard as you do. Get started at Freedom, family investments.com/gre, or send a text. Now it's 1-937-795-8989 Yep. Text their freedom coach directly. Again, 1-937-795-8989,   Kathy Fettke  12:27   this is the real wealth network's Kathy betke, and you are listening to the always valuable get rich education with Keith Weinhold. You   Keith Weinhold  12:46   Is America really short millions of homes? If so, that doesn't mean every market is undersupplied, and prices can only go up because of it. If there's a housing shortage, why are prices falling in some cities? So the shortage? Is that something that's real, or is it just misunderstood, and you're gonna learn what it means to you? I'm get rich education's Keith Weinhold along with an intelligence authority today that usually gets it right. In fact, I found an old clip of him on Bloomberg where he suggested home prices bottoming in 2011 and as it turns out, they sure did today, together, we're answering the question, does America really have a housing shortage? And my guest has often appeared in major media, CNBC, Fox NPR. He's the founder of the CJ Patrick company. Hey, welcome back to the show. Rick sharga,   Rick Sharga  13:39   good to see you again. Keith, thanks for inviting me.   Keith Weinhold  13:41   You know, it's funny. Four years ago, Rick and I found each other, and we sort of checked each other out. I found him to be an authority that just doesn't go on saying this bombastic and absurd stuff just to get attention. Instead, he quietly gets it right, and when he knew I had a real estate YouTube channel, similarly, I resonated, because I'm not one of these people that's constantly saying that housing prices are going to crash just to get views and then those crash. People never follow up when they're wrong, and they've been wrong for about 14 years now. But Rick, rather than prices, we're here to understand if there's really a housing shortage today, most agencies believe we have a shortage. Moody's will tell you 2 million. Zillow, four to 5 million. Congressional Republicans have gone on to say 20 million. I sure don't know about that. And then yet, Rick sometimes at the same time, you do see these conflicting stats, where it says that sellers outnumber buyers today, which sort of flies in the face of a housing shortage. So what is your take amidst all this?   Rick Sharga  14:46   Well, Keith, I think what we're seeing is a fairly obvious example that if you torture data enough, you can make it say anything in the right you wanted to say. And there is a lot of confusion about how much. A housing shortage we really do have. It's not like we have 20% of the population unable to find anywhere to live. Most people still prefer to live indoors, and they've been able to do so, but the fact of the matter is that all of the math suggests that we are underserved in terms of the number of housing units available across the country, and we can go through some of the math. The big question, of course, is, how many houses are we short? How many housing units are we short? And the reason the numbers are all over the place, and as you suggested, let's set aside the Republican estimate of 20 million, because there's, there's certainly something political going on there, but the estimates range from around a million to as high as five or 6 million. And the reality is all of those estimates are counting something different. Some are counting housing growth versus population growth. Some are counting vacancy rates compared to historic levels, some are counting inventory available for sale today versus inventory available to sale in prior years. So each of these organizations, and they're all pretty reliable organizations, Moody's is certainly good. Zillow's research team is top notch. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac the National Association of Realtors. None of these people are hiring dime store economists. They're all good folks, but they're all measuring something slightly different, which is why these numbers come out all over the place, and the one of the fundamental challenges is trying to figure out housing shortages compared to what, or compared to when. All of these estimates assume that there was some point in history when we had exactly the right number of housing units to suit the needs of the population. So they start with some point in time, and I think if you did enough research, you find they all start at slightly different points in time, and then kind of work their way forward from that and come to very different conclusions, again, based on where they started and where they ended up, and what they count. The one thing I would push back on a little bit from some of your comments in the intro is that I am highly, highly skeptical, extraordinarily skeptical of the reports that talk about how many more sellers we have than buyers, because that makes some wild assumptions about the number of people that are actually interested in buying a house. And I've never seen any research methodology that's really nailed that number accurately. Because nobody knows if you're thinking about buying a house right now, until you go to an open house until you do a search on on Zillow, or realtor.com or homes.com until you actually are applying for a loan or making a deposit. So the notion of being able to mind read three 40 million Americans to figure out how many of them are interested in buying, I think, is a neat trick, but I do think it's at least in part one of those methods that people use to get a lot of clicks to their website   Keith Weinhold  18:05   right? This whole thing of and I think when we talk about sellers versus buyers, that's shorthand. What we really mean are, there are some stats out there that show that prospective sellers outnumber prospective buyers, in some cases, which, yeah, I think I agree with you there. I doubt that as well. And yeah, of course, I think you're getting on some of the nuance here. We're trying to predict how some people would behave. For example, how much pent up demand is there when we're talking about sellers versus buyers, and we're talking about a shortage, for example, say, the 28 year old living with their parents that could move out and afford to buy a home if mortgage rates hit 5% like for example, how do you count that? Or, how would you even know to   Rick Sharga  18:53   it's a valid point. Keith, and I think that fundamentally, is my question. With that particular report, you really can't count that person. We do have some metrics that we follow, and it's funny, you mentioned that 5% mortgage, because as we record this, mortgages have broken that 6% threshold for the first time in a number of years. And just about every kind of mortgage you could buy right now is below 6% so that's a good thing. And every time we've gotten close to that 6% mark. In recent years, since mortgage rates doubled back in 2022 we've seen a huge influx of people applying for purchase loans, for those mortgage loans to buy a house, those numbers are up somewhere between 13 and 15% year over year right now, and that's before we've really had these mortgage rates dip below 6% so to me, that suggests there really is pent up demand out there, and I judge that just based on what I see in terms of a number of people actively applying for a loan.   Keith Weinhold  19:54   Yeah, there's a lot of nuance here. HUD tells us that we have more. Homeless people than we've ever had in this nation. So that's sort of an extreme affordability problem. To your point earlier about how most people want to live indoors, and I'm sure not making light of homelessness. It's a sad situation, but we're always going to have homeless people regardless of whether we have excess housing or a housing shortage. We have about 146 million housing units in the United States. The census shows and suggests that 8 million of those 146 million are housing units where people have doubled up and are sharing space with non relatives. That's one way to think about the level of pent up demand within the shortage,   Rick Sharga  20:44   I don't know if that's a result of shortage necessarily, or if that's a result of having the weakest affordability for people looking to buy homes that we've had in over 40 years. The last time affordability was as bad was the 1980s and the reason affordability was bad back then was because mortgage rates were at 1819, 20% and it made it very difficult for people to afford homes. But we're coming out of a very unusual cycle, and this is a little bit off topic from our inventory question, but it's the only time in US history when two conditions have hit the housing market back to back, if you go back to covid, coming out of covid, we saw home prices go up nationally by over 50% in about 18 months. It was a huge, huge, unprecedented increase. Yeah, and right on the heels of that, as inflation started to get out of control, the Federal Reserve had to take pretty extreme measures to get that back down. So they started playing with the Fed funds rate, and we saw mortgage rates double in 2022 in the history of the country, according to Freddie Mac we've never seen mortgage rates double in a calendar year. And in 2022 They not only doubled in a calendar year, they doubled in the space of a few weeks. So we're coming out of a period where home prices went up by over 50% and then mortgage rates doubled, and it just crushed affordability. So the people that have been looking to buy a $400,000 house suddenly realized they could only afford a $200,000 house, and there were none of those around. It's really why home sales have gone down as rapidly as they had volume of sales. In 2021 we sold 6 million existing homes. In 2022 it dropped to 5 million. And for the last three years, we've been sitting at around about 4 million annual sales of existing homes. And again, that doesn't suggest a lack of inventory, a lack of homes, because there are fewer people buying, and there's more properties staying on the market longer. But the underlying numbers, the underlying metrics we would look at, are where we can start to kind of deduce that there aren't enough homes. For example, you mentioned that there are about 146 million housing units across the country. Most recent census data I have from the end of 2024 says it's about 140 748, 40 748 million. So it's up just slightly from your number. That represents a growth of about 6.7% in housing units between 2010 and 2024 during the same period of time, the population went from about 309 million to about 340 1 million, and that represents a growth rate of about 7.4% so if everything else stayed equal, your population grew at a faster rate than your housing units did. And that suggests that even if the number of housing units was ideal back in 2000 it's somewhere less than ideal by the time we got to the end of last year,    Keith Weinhold  23:42   we're talking with Rick sharga. He's the founder and owner of the housing market intelligence firm, the CJ Patrick company. We're answering the question, does America really have a housing shortage? We're getting a yes there. And before we're done, we're going to talk about, how long could the shortage persist? But Rick, you spoke to affordability, and I think that has a lot to do with the nuances within the shortage, and that brings up shortages within the luxury tier versus shortages in the entry tier. And the entry tier is really what a lot of our listeners and viewers are interested in, because we're used to buying those as rental properties. So can you tell us about that?   Rick Sharga  24:23   It's a great point, Keith. And what we've been talking about so far is kind of a structural shortage in the overall number of housing units that could be purchased, could be owner occupied, could be rented. And one of the culprits there, and I will answer your question, I promise, one of the culprits there is that builders simply haven't built that much. If you look at the long term average, like 2025 years, the average number of housing starts was somewhere between 1.3 and 1.4 million a year coming out of the Great Recession in 2010 so you look at that last 15 year period or so, 12. Of those years, they've started less homes than that long term average. So builders simply haven't been keeping pace, not only with population growth, but also with just the ability to create enough homes in general, to offset the number of homes that are obsoleted every year, that get bulldozed every year. So there is a structural shortage. To your point, if you look at inventory available for sale, we are up about 9% year over year, but we're still down about 15% from where we were prior to the pandemic. So there are fewer homes for sale than there were back when the market was functioning more efficiently. The most drastic shortage is at the entry level builders simply have not been making a lot of entry level properties. There's a reason for that. There's some independent research out there, including some research from Fannie Mae that suggests that the pre construction cost a builder has to absorb before they break ground is over $100,000 across the country, on average, higher than that, where I'm calling you from today, in California, it's about 120,000 there. If your table stakes are 100,000 $120,000 it's really difficult to make a profit on an entry level property. So the builders, I think understandably, have been focusing on higher dollar, higher value properties and not replenishing that supply that we need for first time buyers and the kind of properties that real estate investors tend to like. The other problem we've had, Keith, is that when those mortgage rates doubled, the people who had purchased those entry level homes refinanced into a two and a half 3% mortgage and are now sitting on a $300,000 property, let's say or $250,000 property with a two and a half percent mortgage. And if they wanted to trade up, they'd be trading up to a four or $500,000 house with a 6% mortgage. And they simply can't afford to do that. So the combination of entry level owners staying put at much larger numbers and builders creating new entry level homes at much smaller numbers has really created kind of a crisis of inventory at the entry level segment of the housing market.    Keith Weinhold  27:18   Yeah, when we talk about that crisis of inventory in what's available. I'm not talking about shortage numbers now. I'm talking about the active listing count. This means more or less available homes to buy. This includes single family homes and condos. We have an active listing count of around 1 million today. The historic average is around 2.2 million, and that peaked near 4 million during the global financial crisis. So today, only about one quarter as many active listings, available homes as at the peak,    Rick Sharga  27:54   yeah, only about half as many as, let's call it a normal market, and that's one of the reasons. I think the first time you and I spoke on your podcast, we were talking about all the online snake oil salesmen who were predicting a home price crash. But that's one of the reasons why home prices haven't crashed, and why they've kind of continued to grow, at least at a modest pace, and in some cases now are starting to decline a little bit. But that lack of inventory on the market. When you don't have enough inventory to meet demand, or just barely enough to meet demand, that means that seller doesn't really have to negotiate all that much. That means that buyers are kind of at a disadvantage, and so as long as that's the case, you'll see home price stability. That doesn't mean that every market is going to see prices go up. But if you look across the country right now, if you look at markets where home prices are down even marginally year over year, you're looking at the Gulf Coast states, you're looking at some other southern markets, Las Vegas, Phoenix, you're looking at some outlying markets like Boise, Florida, certainly, and Texas. And those are markets where inventory is actually considerably higher than it was a year ago, and in some cases, considerably higher than it was back in 2019, if you look at markets where prices are still going up a lot, Midwest, Northeast, those are still markets where there's not enough inventory to meet demand. So that relationship between available inventory for sale and demand is really what drives pricing    Keith Weinhold  29:23   this whole discussion, which is really about the supply, just in the economics one on one. Adam Smith of supply versus demand. A lot of people, just like including my dad, when I was telling him about housing, something he doesn't follow. And I told him that prices are up the most in the Northeast and Midwest. That surprised him. He was like, No, well, population growth is lower here and lower than Pennsylvania, where he lives. And that's when I brought up, well, they're under building there. So in parsing this by geography, Rick, I think another way that we can do it is parsing the housing shortage by the single family homes versus apartments, because it's. Pretty well documented that nationally, apartments could be seen as overbuilt, and single family is under built. Do you have any details with respect to that?    Rick Sharga  30:08   We talk a little bit about that, and quick shout out to both of our home state, Pennsylvania, yeah, Phil, Philadelphia actually had some of the highest annual price increases right in their home sales last year. But part of that isn't just because they haven't been building a lot in Philadelphia or the suburbs. It's because we see people moving from higher priced markets into lower priced markets. So we have people actually commuting to New York who have bought homes in Philadelphia or the Philadelphia area. They can get much more house for their money there. They're not subject to some of the wage taxes that happen in New York State. They just get on that Amtrak and train into the city every day. So there is some of that going on across the country too, as we still see net migration of people moving out of states like California, New York and Illinois into nearby states where the cost of living is much lower. That slowed down since covid, since a lot of companies have been requiring people to come work back at the office. But it is still happening. It is still happening in generally the same direction you raise the issue of inventory for rental units versus inventory for, let's say, owner occupied properties, we have seen a plateau in the number of single family rental homes. So the stuff you're hearing out of DC, that you're seeing the media about the really important ban on institutional investor buying is really much more sizzle than substance. Oh, right. Institutional investors are owned and are buying a fraction, but we've seen over a million apartment units come online in the last 18 months. It's about the largest number of apartments that have that have sprung up and in that shorter period of time on record. And we've gotten to a point where in some markets, there's actually a little bit of an oversupply of those apartment units now that will balance itself out over the next couple of years, because multifamily building starts are way down too so we're not seeing a lot of activity there as builders hold off, waiting for this new inventory to get absorbed. But to put it in perspective, vacancy rates went from near zero back during covid in those apartments to over 6% last year. Rental rates have gone down from 15% year over year, increases back in 2020, 2021, to negative numbers nationally in the last year, just talking apartments, just apartments. So we have a short term mini glut, if you will, of apartments. It will be absorbed rapidly. We have 92 million people between the ages of 26 and 54 who are have either formed households or are about to a lot of them would like to be homebuyers can't afford today's prices, so they're renting instead. And about 5 million people a year are turning 35 which is when, you know, we parents start literally kicking them out of the house. So I think that rental overage will resolve itself, really, in the next 12 to 18 months. And if the builders don't start building new inventory by that point, we'll wind up with another shortage on the housing front, I'm of the opinion that we're at least a million homes short compared to what demand should be. I think the number is probably somewhere between one and 2 million. And again, I'm doing that simply based on a slight decrease in vacancy rates, population growth and the aging of the population. What could throw all of our numbers off? Keith is one of the X factors in demographics and population, which is immigration. Population growth, if it's organic, if it's by birth, does have an effect on housing, to an extent, but it's it's more nuanced, and it takes longer to really show itself if you're dealing with adult immigrants coming into the country, particularly immigrants who are coming in for jobs and have income that they can spend on housing, your housing demand goes up quickly, and that can have some local market repercussions depending on where the immigrants are going.   Keith Weinhold  34:18   In Philadelphia is not a coastal city. Its cost of housing is surprisingly low to a lot of people, but it's not on a coast. Just look at a map. Well, Rick, as we're winding down here, how long could the housing shortage persist overall?   Rick Sharga  34:33   I think we're in a period of time right now where builders are reluctant to overbuild. They got caught in the great recession with about a 13 month supply of homes available for sale, and then as home prices crashed, they were competing with their own inventory from the prior year, and many of them took a real beating financially during that period of time. So I don't expect we'll see builders overbuild anytime soon. And that tells me that we're probably looking at at least another three to five years before we can have a rational conversation about housing numbers kind of leveling off to be where they should be. We mentioned immigration. That is an X factor that could extend the housing shortage. If we start to see more immigration coming into the country, it could mean that we don't need as many houses as I suspect, if we have fewer people coming into the country. And the other x factor here is the boomers, the baby boomers of any generational cohort, probably have the highest home ownership rates right now and ultimately will age out of their properties. They've stayed there longer than any prior generation has, and that's also contributed to the inventory shortage, as opposed to the housing shortage. But as a friend of mine said, and it's a little macabre, but as he says, boomers will eventually leave their homes, either vertically or horizontally, so that will bring some inventory back to the market as well   Keith Weinhold  35:58   housing supply. It is rather inelastic, and we're probably going to be in this shortage for a number of years. Well, Rick, tell us how and why people consult with you and then just how they can do that.   Rick Sharga  36:12   Yeah, I work with mostly companies that are in the real estate or mortgage industries. Keith, I typically prepare a lot of market intelligence reports to them. It's real estate data, economic data, mortgage data. For some clients, I do foreclosure reports. They know what's going on in terms of delinquencies and defaults. For others, I do research on investor purchase activity, what they're buying, what they're selling, what they're paying, where they're doing all this. So anything that's data related to real estate data, mortgage data, economic data, I'm kind of neck deep in and I'm very easy to find on either LinkedIn or x. So if anybody's listening today and wants to connect on those platforms, just reach out and tell me you saw me on the GRE podcast, and I'll know you're legit.   Keith Weinhold  36:56   Housing supply is coming up short, but Rick never does. It's been great having you back on the show.   Rick Sharga  37:02   We'll do it again soon, Keith, It's great talking to you.   Keith Weinhold  37:10   Do we really have a housing shortage? The answer is yes, and the number of units short is one to 2 million. The shortage is worst in the entry level home segment, which matters so much to us as investors, we are owning an asset that's going to have sustainable demand for quite a while into the future. Rick indicated that it could take perhaps three to five years just to get back into balance. Now, we recently learned that there were fewer housing permits issued last year than there were in any year since 2019 and housing permits are an indicator of the future home supply. They had their recent peak five years ago with 1.7 5 million, and last year, there were just about 1.4 million. So home permits issued are 19% lower today than they were back in 2021 this is a harbinger of supply, because from the time that a permit is issued, it takes six to 12 months to complete a single family home. It's about six months to build a tract home, and closer to 12 months for a custom home. For apartments, it can take in excess of 24 months to deliver that period of time from permitting to completion. So nationally, we should continue to see scarce supply in the one to four unit space, keeping upward pressure on prices again for the most valuable 40 minutes of educational real estate investing material around you can access my premium real estate pays five ways, master class of five videos, totally free. And you know how I operate. I don't try to upsell you to some paid course. Either. It's just truly free. I'll send it to you. You can access it at get rich education.com/course coming up on future episodes here on the get rich education podcast, we're about to go on a run. The next stretch of GRE is loaded. We've got fresh topics with some game changing monolog content that I'm going to share with you new guests, distinguished guests. Next week, the youngest guest to ever appear on the show is going to be with us. He's a 19 year old college student with a real estate investing related major. How does he see Gen Z's financial world? Is there any hope at all? The following week, we're going to break down an innovative way to sell properties that could completely change how you think about your exit strategy when it's all done, when it's time for you to retire from real estate, rather than a 1031, Exchange, which would just keep you in the real estate game and with more of it, do a seven. 21 exchange into a real estate fund. Have no more assets to manage, no more property managers to manage total capital gains tax deferral and still get financial upside. And then just four weeks from now, it's get rich education podcast episode number 600 debt is the American dream. So if you're serious about building wealth, be sure to follow or subscribe to the show. If you've already done that, I would really appreciate it if you told a friend about this show until next week. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.   Speaker 3  40:39   Nothing on this show should be considered specific personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively.    Keith Weinhold  40:58   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth, building, get richeducation.com

On this week's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down the latest headlines shaping travel and short-term rentals. They start with OpenAI walking back plans for in-chat checkout in ChatGPT, a move that shifts the platform back toward discovery rather than transactions and eases pressure on OTAs like Expedia Group and Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG). They also unpack comments from Expedia Group's CFO about how the company has “radically changed the direction” of the business with new performance metrics and strategic priorities. The team then looks at cancellation trends hitting vacation rentals in the United Arab Emirates, where regional instability is beginning to ripple through bookings, before diving into analysis on whether Airbnb may need acquisitions if it truly wants to “own the entire trip.” They also highlight Breezeway's recent funding news following the bonus interview with Jeremy Gall released earlier last week.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality This week's episode of This Week in Hospitality starts on a deeply human note, with the crew reflecting on the escalating conflict in Iran and the ripple effects being felt across the Middle East and global travel. Edwin, Scott, Ben, and Zach share firsthand accounts from friends and colleagues across Dubai, Kuwait, Doha, Beirut, and beyond — a sobering reminder that hospitality often becomes both refuge and frontline in moments of crisis. From bombed airports to stranded travelers to terrified interns far from home, the conversation grounds the industry in what matters most: people caring for people. From there, the episode pivots hard into one of the biggest questions facing travel right now: what happens when AI stops being a novelty and starts becoming the interface? The panel unpacks Skift's “Claude Effect” thesis — the idea that travel may be next in line for the same investor panic and business-model disruption already hitting legal, finance, and cybersecurity. Ben argues the OTAs are in the blast zone. Scott says the markets always overreact — but something big is clearly coming. Edwin drops a scorching hot take: the real endgame may not be Booking vs. Expedia, but an AI giant partnering with or buying one of them outright. The back half of the episode tackles hotel brand sprawl and whether the industry has finally reached a saturation point. Are soft brands actually helping, or have they become watered-down middle children that confuse consumers and dilute meaning? The crew debates whether AI-powered discovery will make “brand count” irrelevant and force hotel groups to compete on clarity, trust, and true personalization instead. Finally, the episode closes with a fascinating look at Kimpton, one of the rare boutique brands that seems to have scaled without completely losing its soul after acquisition. Scott and Edwin explain why Kimpton has worked when so many others have failed: separate teams, protected identity, and the discipline to let the back-end scale quietly without flattening the front-end experience. Oh, and in true This Week in Hospitality fashion, the episode wraps with a spicy final challenge for the industry: if you're a travel executive talking about AI but not personally using it every day, what exactly are you leading?   This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you're an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance   Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 15:15 — Story #1: AI's “Claude Effect” Comes for Travel Booking 34:53 — Story #2: Have Hotel Soft Brands Hit a Saturation Point? 45:58 — Story #3: Can Kimpton Scale Without Losing Its Soul? 53:12 — Spice of the Week     Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/   Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/   Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/   Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In der heutigen Folge sprechen die Finanzjournalisten Daniel Eckert und Lea Oetjen über einen Kursrutsch bei Renk, neue Exportregeln für KI-Chips und die Erholung der Online-Reiseplattformen. Außerdem geht es um Phillips 66, Valero Energy, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Nvidia, AMD, DHL Group, Merck KGaA, Hensoldt, Rheinmetall, Adidas, Puma, Berkshire Hathaway, Gaxos.ai, Expedia, Booking Holdings, VanEck Gold Miners (WKN: A12CCL), VanEck Junior Gold Miners (WKN: A12CCM), Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix und Micron Technology. Hier zur Newsletter-Anmeldung: https://www.businessinsider.de/informationen/newsletter/alles-auf-aktien/ Wir freuen uns an Feedback über aaa@welt.de. Noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" findet Ihr bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts und AAA-Newsletter. Hier bei WELT: https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html. Der Börsen-Podcast Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte! https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html

Google is pushing luggage tracking deeper into airline baggage systems, giving travelers a new way to share live bag location data directly with carriers. Accor is sounding the alarm from ITB Berlin, warning the industry not to let AI flatten hotel differentiation or hand the guest relationship to third-party interfaces. And Expedia is describing a dramatic internal pivot, tightening performance metrics and costs while doubling down on machine learning and AI to defend its position as distribution competition intensifies. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the real battleground is the interface — who owns the relationship, the data, and the moment of travel need. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lodgify!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

How did Las Vegas become the "Wedding Capital of the World" before Google even existed? In this episode, Matthew Campbell sits down with Las Vegas wedding icons Bri and Shawn Absher. From teaching themselves to code in the 90s to owning a chapel in the legendary Las Vegas Hilton, Bri and Shawn share the incredible evolution of wedding marketing in the desert.In this episode, you'll hear:The "Expedia" of Weddings: How Shawn launched the first online booking platform for chapels in 1997.Celebrity Vows: The inside story of officiating Mike Tyson's third marriage and how Mark Curry once surprised a bride at the altar.Old School vs. New School: Marketing weddings via travel agents and bingo magazines before the internet took over.Behind the Scenes at the Hilton: Doing 100+ weddings in a single Saturday and the logistics of high-volume chapel life.The Future of Marketing: Why Bri and Shawn insist that having your own website is still more important than any social media handle.Featured Locations:Valley of Fire & Red Rock CanyonThe Westgate (formerly Las Vegas Hilton)LVWC.com (Las Vegas Weddings)Links & Resources:Check out Bri and Shawn's work at LVWC.comNew Episodes: Every Thursday at 5:00 AM PST.Podcast Episodes: https://www.myweddingsongs.com/wedding-songs-podcast/For Wedding DJs & Entertainment Pros:Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring DJ interviews, song recommendations, industry tips, and wedding entertainment strategies.https://www.myweddingsongs.com/newsletter/

Hoy también lo hacen mejor Bolsas americanas que las europeas. Hay movimientos interesantes en determinados sectores. Salud lidera las caídas. Gana el energético y abajo viajes. Sin embargo, se disparan compañías de reservas como Booking y Expedia. OpenAI estaría reduciendo sus planes de pago de compras en plataforma para ChatGPT, lo que podría poner fin a las preocupaciones sobre la interrupción de las empresas de mercados de Internet. Por otro lado, un conflicto prolongado también podría interrumpir los suministros de materiales clave para la fabricación de semiconductores e impedir el despliegue de centros de datos por parte de los líderes de IA . Pese a Broadcom y sus previsiones, los valores de chips cotizan mixtos, con Nvidia bajando un 0,3% y Marvell subiendo un 1,3%. Los datos económicos, solicitudes semanales de subsidios por desempleo entre ellos, pasan desapercibidos. El conflicto sigue aumentando la preocupación por la inflación y complica las decisiones de la Reserva Federal. Small caps son las que más sufren. El análisis es de Javier Cabrera, de XTB.

92%ers, welcome to another episode of New Heights brought to you by Expedia!First, Travis and Jason take a look down memory lane with an NFL Combine then and now, Randy Moss joins the show to talk his basketball roots and journey from Marshall University to the Minnesota Vikings, Playing with Tom Brady and More! Check out all of our new merch at https://amzlink.to/az0JVda6JMjOrWatch and listen to new episodes of New Heights every Wednesday during the NFL season and follow us on Social Media for all the best moments from the show: https://lnk.to/newheightshowYou can also listen to new episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. ...Download the full podcast here:Wondery: https://wondery.app.link/s9hHTgtXpMbApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-heights/id1643745036Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1y3SUbFMUSESC1N43tBleK?si=LsuQ4a5MRN6wGMcfVcuynwSend something to the New Heights Mailbox. Don't be weird though. C/O New Heights Productions135 E OLIVE AVE, BURBANK, CA 91502Support the show: EXPEDIA: The one place you go to go places. https://www.expedia.com/PEPSI: Pepsi Zero Sugar: Let your taste decide! Visit https://www.pepsi.com/where-to-buy to find Pepsi Zero Sugar near you.HILL'S PET NUTRITION: Because you're only human, there's Hill's. Find the right food at https://www.hillspet.com/sciencedoesmorePLANET FITNESS: Rebound & Recover this March with the Planet Fitness Black Card. One membership, a number of ways to get strong. Learn more at http://planetfitness.com. Hours, amenities, and offers vary by club. Check out http://planetfitness.com or stop by your local club for more information. Must be 18 years old to enroll, or 13-17 with parent/guardian.ALLSTATE: Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://allstate.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's funny podcast kicks off with important cultural education: what exactly is a punchki (and why does it sound like something you shouldn't Google at work)? It's International Pancake Day, it's March 4th (the only holiday that's also a command), and somehow that spirals into Cardinals ticket math, dynamic pricing debates, and the realization that yes — $29 for unlimited ballpark hot dogs will absolutely test your personal integrity.Then we unleash one of the most chaotic listener games in show history: Two Truths and a Lie. Disturbed superfans who've never seen Disturbed. Woof Wednesday regulars who may or may not be hoarding dogs. A dude slimed on Nickelodeon who also traveled the country playing competitive dodgeball. We don't just guess — we overanalyze like it's a true crime doc.Meanwhile, Rafe returns from Trailer Trash Tammy's Pontoon 2 cruise with tales of:A completely full cruise jail.A man under house arrest at sea.Moo-moo themed fights.And a potential invitation to be indoctrinated into the Blackfoot tribe (yes, really).Somehow in the middle of all this, we also break down HBO's “DTF St. Louis,” debate whether St. Louis suburbs really look like Atlanta, and question why every fictional TV station west of the Mississippi still starts with a “W.” We're looking at you, Hollywood.There's celebrity chaos (Christina Applegate ditching Brad Pitt for Sebastian Bach), Twisted Sister news, casino roulette stories, and enough side quests to make your GPS give up entirely.If you're here for a funny podcast that blends daily comedy, pop culture commentary, weird news, St. Louis pride, and just enough chaos to make you question your life choices — congratulations. You found your people.This funny podcast is part morning show, part group therapy, and part “who let these guys have microphones?”And yes… we absolutely try to generate Rafe's Native American name on-air using a questionable internet quiz. Because of course we do.Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShow.Hear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.Expedia's New 2026 Air Hacks ReportNew Android App Called the Nearby Glasses Alerts Users to Smart Surveillance DevicesMeta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Expose Your Private Moments & Data to Offshore WorkersMan charged with committing child sex crimes at Kirkwood WalmartHome explodes after report of gas leak in ImperialBilly Idol says smoking crack helped him quit heroin: ‘It worked'All Hell Broke Loose': Disaster as Fencing Wire Gets Tangled in Spinning Car WashSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Beitel is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Zillow. David was previously the CTO and one of the earliest team members of Expedia. David joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. David and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, leading remotely, how leaders can leverage AI, how technical contributors can develop soft skills and as leaders, career success, product development, and more.

Dani Monaghan | Leading with Intelligence in the Age of AI | Inside Talent EP 5What does real leadership look like in global talent acquisition right now?In this episode of Inside Talent, Craig Fisher and Doug Berg sit down with Dani Monaghan, SVP of Global Talent Enablement at Expedia Group, to unpack what it means to lead with intelligence in an AI-driven hiring landscape.Dani brings experience from Microsoft, Amazon, Uber, Google, and now Expedia — operating at massive global scale while navigating the rapid evolution of AI in recruiting.In this conversation, we explore:What's fundamentally different about this AI moment in hiringGovernance, accountability, and the emerging legal landscapeThe shift from Talent Acquisition to Talent EnablementScaling candidate experience without losing trustHow TA leaders can elevate from operational to strategicAI is everywhere in hiring right now. But leadership? That's the differentiator.If you're a TA leader, CHRO, recruiter, or HR tech operator trying to understand what matters next — this episode is for you.Connect with Dani Monaghan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemonaghanHosted by:Craig FisherDoug BergPowered by Match2Subscribe for more candid conversations with leaders shaping the future of talent.#TalentAcquisition #HRLeadership #AIinHR #FutureOfWork #Recruiting #Expedia #Hiring #InsideTalent #CraigFisher #Match2

In questo episodio: due crisi geopolitiche in una settimana riscrivono le priorità del settore. L'uccisione di El Mencho paralizza gli aeroporti messicani a cinque mesi dai Mondiali FIFA 2026. Gli attacchi USA-Israele all'Iran chiudono lo spazio aereo del Medio Oriente e fermano Dubai, Doha e Abu Dhabi — i nodi di transito di mezzo mondo. Tre mila voli cancellati in pochi giorni.Poi: Booking Holdings chiude il 2025 con 26,9 miliardi di ricavi e il connected trip che finalmente funziona. Expedia e Booking.com sono già integrate in ChatGPT — 800 milioni di utenti, tassi di conversione superiori al traffico organico. TUI pubblica la prima governance AI del settore. Lo Skift Travel Health Index a 105 racconta una crescita che si sposta a Est. E il report "Too Many Brands" di Skift Research segnala che i grandi gruppi alberghieri hanno inseguito la scala — ora devono trovare il focus.Con i contributi di Silvia Moggia sull'analisi Bernstein sull'incertezza geopolitica e i titoli travel, e sulla frammentazione tecnologica negli hotel.**Fonti principali:**- Cirium / CNBC – Cancellazioni voli Iran: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/01/travel-iran-attack-middle-east-flights.html- Moodie Davitt Report – Impatto crisi Medio Oriente travel retail: https://moodiedavittreport.com/middle-east-crisis-travel-sector-faces-deep-impact-as-us-and-israel-strike-iran/- Skift Travel Health Index gennaio 2026: https://skift.com/- Booking Holdings Q4 2025 earnings (comunicato IR): https://ir.bookingholdings.com/- PhocusWire – ChatGPT apps Expedia e Booking.com: https://www.phocuswire.com/openai-chatgpt-apps-expedia-booking-tripadvisor- Skift – ChatGPT travel apps: https://skift.com/2025/10/06/expedia-booking-chatgpt-apps-openai/- Skift Research – Too Many Brands: https://skift.com/2026/02/27/too-many-brands-hotel-groups-chased-scale-now-they-need-focus/- Hotel Technology News – Frammentazione tech hotel: https://hoteltechnologynews.com/2026/02/why-hotel-technology-is-finally-breaking-up-with-fragmented-systems/- Investing.com / Bernstein – Geopolitica e titoli travel: https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/will-geopolitical-uncertainty-weigh-on-travel-stocks-bernstein-answers-4455035

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questa settimana il turismo globale ha vissuto tre grandi trasformazioni in parallelo. Airbnb ha fatto tre mosse contemporaneamente: ha dichiarato gli hotel un motore di crescita primario (non più un progetto collaterale), ha esteso globalmente il programma "Prenota ora, paga dopo" — adottato dal 70% degli utenti USA nel Q4 2025 — e ha annunciato il primo programma di fidelizzazione della sua storia. Fonte: https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-q4-2025-financial-results/ Wyndham Hotels ha stretto accordi diretti con Google, Anthropic e ChatGPT per distribuire il proprio inventario attraverso le piattaforme AI — primo caso documentato di una grande catena che bypassa le OTA in questo modo. Fonte: https://skift.com/2026/02/19/wyndham-works-with-google-and-anthropic-on-ai-bookings/ Expedia ha inserito l'AI agenziale come rischio esistenziale nel proprio 10-K. Sabre taglia 500 posti e investe 65 milioni per diventare "AI-native". E Booking Holdings cerca di riposizionarsi come fornitore di dati strutturati nell'era agenziale. Vrbo ha lanciato la garanzia meteo automatica con WeatherPromise: rimborso pieno se piove, senza dover cancellare il viaggio. Fonte: https://www.expedia.com/newsroom/vrbo-announces-partnership-with-weatherpromise/ Il turismo americano registra un calo strutturale del 5,4% degli arrivi internazionali nel 2025, con i canadesi in calo del 30% — mentre gli USA si preparano ad ospitare i Mondiali FIFA 2026 dall'11 giugno. Il travel tech indiano — MakeMyTrip e Ixigo — investe quasi un miliardo di dollari nel mercato occidentale, segnale che il baricentro globale del settore si sta spostando. Yanolja lancia con NOL World i K-Beauty Tour a Seoul: la bellezza coreana come driver primario di scelta della destinazione.Fonti citate nell'episodio: Airbnb Q4 2025 — https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-q4-2025-financial-results/ Wyndham + AI (Skift) — https://skift.com/2026/02/19/wyndham-works-with-google-and-anthropic-on-ai-bookings/ Wyndham + Anthropic (PhocusWire) — https://www.phocuswire.com/wyndham-ai-initiatives Vrbo + WeatherPromise (comunicato ufficiale) — https://www.expedia.com/newsroom/vrbo-announces-partnership-with-weatherpromise/ Vrbo + WeatherPromise (PhocusWire) — https://www.phocuswire.com/vrbo-partners-weatherpromise-add-weather-guarantee-booking-option WeatherPromise — https://vrbo.weatherpromise.com/details/ Trump Slump e turismo USA (The Conversation) — https://theconversation.com/will-a-trump-slump-continue-to-hit-us-tourism-in-2026 Trump Slump e FIFA 2026 (Fortune) — https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/trump-world-cup-tourism-international-visitors-not-coming-to-america/ Calo arrivi internazionali USA (NPR) — https://www.npr.org/2026/02/19/nx-s1-5704338/foreign-tourism-to-the-us-dropped-last-year Condividi, commenta, e iscriviti al podcast per non perdere nessun episodio.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi reveals the future of driverless cars, how he led Uber's financial turnaround, his family's escape from Iran in 1978, and the truth about AI, automation, and job loss! Dara Khosrowshahi is the CEO of Uber and successfully transformed the company from losing $3 billion a year to generating over $9 billion in free cash flow. He previously served as CEO of Expedia for over a decade, scaling the company into a global leader in online travel.  He explains:  ◼️The "wartime" leadership strategy he used to save Uber from collapse ◼️Why telling the uncomfortable truth is the only way to scale a company ◼️His undercover experience as a driver and why it changed the app ◼️Why 80% of jobs face total disruption from AI automation by 2035 ◼️The truth about autonomous vehicles and banning humans from driving (00:00) Intro (03:32) Why Escaping Iran Rewired My Appetite For Risk (10:15) The Brutal Truth About Raising Kids In An Uncertain World (16:50) Do Engineers Make Better CEOs — Or Miss What Really Matters? (18:09) How To Choose The Few People Truly Worth Betting On (19:16) The X-Factor That Turns Good Employees Into Game Changers (20:51) Why Rejection Is The Price Of Building Something That Matters (26:46) How To See Industry Shifts Before They're Obvious (32:51) The Jevons Paradox: Why More Efficiency Can Mean More Consumption (39:47) Why Transparency As A CEO Builds Power — Not Weakness (46:52) Can You Turn A Comfortable Culture Into A Hungry One? (49:42) Ads (51:10) The Advice Young People Need Before It's Too Late (57:36) How To Build A Culture That Improves Every Single Week (01:01:53) Why Most Teams Fail At Goals — And How To Fix It (01:06:56) What Happens When Strategy And Values Fall Out Of Sync (01:13:53) How AI Is Changing Our Company — And The Moves We're Making Now (01:18:52) Why 90% Of Our Engineers Use AI — And What That Signals (01:23:43) Will AI Replace 9.5 Million Uber Drivers — Or Reinvent The Job? (01:35:05) The Most Important Advice For Thriving In An AI-Driven Future Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com  Follow Dara:  X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8IAzCZd YouTube (Uber) - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/7dRAeeV  Instagram (Uber) - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/CtQISla  The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/  ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook  ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt  ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb  ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt  ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb  Sponsors: WHOOP: https://JOIN.WHOOP.COM/CEO for one month free Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett Wispr: Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/STEVEN

Whenever you want to travel you think you are outsmarting the system by booking on certain days, well Expedia came out to help us and put out an article with the best days to book trips, take flights, and timelines to help save us money!It is a Free Comedy Friday so we had our friend Finesse Mitchell and Charlie Berens in the studio! Finesse will be at Mic Drop Comedy tonight and Charlie will be at the Balboa Theater tonight!Thor is going to be jumping on this new trend instantly! Apparently TikTok moms found out that feeding their babies BUTTER before bed helps them sleep a lot better and well... Thor is the butter man...

Whenever you want to travel you think you are outsmarting the system by booking on certain days, well Expedia came out to help us and put out an article with the best days to book trips, take flights, and timelines to help save us money!It is a Free Comedy Friday so we had our friend Finesse Mitchell and Charlie Berens in the studio! Finesse will be at Mic Drop Comedy tonight and Charlie will be at the Balboa Theater tonight!Thor is going to be jumping on this new trend instantly! Apparently TikTok moms found out that feeding their babies BUTTER before bed helps them sleep a lot better and well... Thor is the butter man...

This episode with Carrie Fabris had me in tears during the episode, the kind of tears that are quiet and calm and feel like relief because Carrie just gets it. She understands what it means to feel the deep need to make what she calls a "passion pivot" and she did it. This episode is going to inspire you, I just know it!Carrie shares more about her journey of making major career changes and choosing what's best for her. She talks about "burning the boat back" and I know one of you (probably more!) need to hear this affirmation to go all in and leave it all out there. You can literally feel Carrie's calm confidence in this episode and it feels like she's talking to the listener directly. I am beyond grateful to start our year with this interview. Listen in!Carrie Fabris is the founder of CareerFrame, a Dallas-based leadership development and executive coaching firm dedicated to transforming leaders, teams, and organizational culture. She partners with high-performance organizations, including Axios Media, Mouser Electronics, Appfolio, Boingo Wireless, and Expedia, to elevate senior leaders, strengthen leadership teams, and cultivate accountable, thriving workplace cultures.With over 20 years of corporate experience and 15+ years in leadership roles at Google, Travelocity, Sabre, and Travel Leaders Corporate, Carrie combines real-world business insight with her expertise in CliftonStrengths®, EQ-i 2.0, and Situational Leadership®. Through her signature FRAMEit Method, she delivers high-energy, actionable coaching and workshops that help leaders bridge the gap between achievement and legacy, while maintaining balance, purpose, and impact in their professional and personal lives.Carrie is also the author of ALL IN: The Working Mom's Unapologetic Quest for a Juicy Life, sharing her personal journey of navigating corporate ambition, entrepreneurship, and motherhood without compromise. She holds a degree from UT Austin and resides in Dallas with her husband and two children.Instagram: @cdfabrisLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfabris-reframe-coaching-training/ Website: https://www.carriefabris.com/Buy Carrie's Book, ALL IN: https://a.co/d/coENdEP 

Aktien hören ist gut. Aktien kaufen ist noch besser. Unser Partner Scalable Capital ist jetzt Bank und bietet euch dadurch jetzt noch bessere Konditionen. Mehr Infos findet ihr unter: scalable.capital/oaws. Pinterest zeigt: Meta geht's gut. Coinbase zeigt: Instis sind stabil. Rivian zeigt: E-Autowachstum ist möglich. Außerdem gibt's Zahlen von Roku und Moderna. Und Sumitomo Forestry baut Häuser für Amis mit Tri Pointe Homes. Stecken wir in einem der krassesten Rohstoff-Superzyklen ever? Jeff Currie sagt: Ja. Airbnb (WKN: A2QG35) oder Expedia (WKN: A1JRLJ) - wer wird mehr von KI bedroht? Und was hat Walmart damit zu tun? Diesen Podcast vom 16.02.2026, 3:00 Uhr stellt dir die Podstars GmbH (Noah Leidinger) zur Verfügung.

When we started out making a show about New Orleans business, people – even in the business community – said, “Well that’s great, but what are you going to do after 6 weeks?” That was 2011. We’ve recorded a new episode of Out to Lunch almost every week since then. And we still haven’t run out of guests. In fact, there are so many people doing interesting things in New Orleans business that we rarely have anyone on the show more than once. But, once in a while, we like to check in on some of our earliest guests and see what they’re up to. Back in 2012, in our first year on the air, we met a young man by the name of Kenneth Purcell. Kenneth had some ideas that bridged the gap between the real world – that most of us lived in in those days – and the virtual world, that was beginning to stagger to its feet. To put this in context, in 2006 Apple launched a music player called the i-pod. In 2007 they launched the iPhone. In 2010 they launched the iPad. Locally, before all that, in 1999, Kenneth launched a company called iSeatz. iSeatz wasn’t a device, it was a then-revolutionary new way of making a reservation at a restaurant: Online. I won’t go through every twist and turn in the story, but basically, Kenneth’s company, which is still called iSeatz, went on to pioneer the back-end of online travel and financial services. Among other accomplishments, iSeatz was the company that came up with the idea of using air-miles to buy things other than air tickets. Today, iSeatz creates and provides the online travel engine for companies like Expedia, Trip Advisor, Avis, Hertz, Wyndham Hotels, and American Express. In 2014, at the Idea Village Entrepreneur Week, we met a young woman called Catherine Todd. Catherine and her partner had founded a business called Where Y’Art that had just won Idea Village’s entrepreneur prize for an arts-based business pitch. It was a then-innovative online art gallery: A curated marketplace where selected local artists would be introduced to people who buy art. Today, the company is called Where Y’Art Works and is focused on providing local art to organizations that want to decorate. Where Y’Art Works collaborates with interior designers, facilities teams, set designers, and industry professionals to put original art by local artists in spaces in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, North Louisiana, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. To date they’ve completed over 325 commercial projects - including putting art on the walls in the Sheraton Hotel, Fidelity Bank, and Ochsner and LCMC facilities. In the process, they’ve paid local artists, framers and installers over $6.5m. If we had to pin an exact date on the birth of New Orleans and give it an astrological sign, the city is probably Gemini. The twins. I say that because there seem to be two co-existing versions of the city. One is the city that never changes. You can leave for years and when come back, your favorite people and your favorite dishes at your favorite restaurants are still be here. The other New Orleans is the city that is constantly changing. New brass bands, new Mardi Gras parade groups, new types of king cakes, and new businesses that are growing, or getting bought and sold. Catherine and Kenneth have a foot in both camps. Their businesses are still growing, they’re changing and adapting, but they've been at it now for long enough to become local institutions. And even though they're still both young, they’re the entrepreneurial OG generation – the inspiration for a whole new generation of entrepreneurs. Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is available in audio format on the Let's Talk Loyalty podcast and in video format on www.Loyalty.TV.In this episode we are delighted to interview Ben Stirling, an experienced commercial executive with a track record of scaling loyalty platforms, transforming sales organisation and delivering GTM strategies that drive acquisition and ARR growth. He has led commercial transformation at Expedia, Tenerity and Capillary, launched new solutions, expanded into international markets and delivered results across multiple sectors.He is currently a fractional CRO at TenX Strategy and supports PE-backed and enterprise firms in building predictable revenue systems and exit-ready growth. His impact includes scaling Tenerity's loyalty marketplace solution to acquisition in two years, providing loyalty solution to Santander, C&A, British Gas, TD Bank and Frontier, and growing commercial channels at Expedia that delivered $200M+ in new revenue.In this episode, Ben shares his proven insights on how to sell loyalty internally, from aligning feature sets to user needs, to securing C-suite backing with ROI models, and ultimately winning board-level buy-in by linking loyalty to long-term enterprise value. We'll also be learning about his favourite books and highlights and key learnings from the programmes he has worked on.Hosted by Charlie HillsShow Notes :1) Ben Stirling,2) TenX Strategy3) TenX Strategy - Budget Sign Off PDF4) Hooked- Book Recommendation5) The Road Less Stupid - Book Recommendation

Amazon just axed over 2,200 workers in Washington State—software engineers, product managers, the whole tech bro army—and guess what? More cuts are coming. Seattle and Bellevue are hemorrhaging jobs while their socialist leadership proposes millionaire taxes, new payroll taxes, and every anti-business policy imaginable. What did they expect? Companies like Amazon, T-Mobile, and Expedia are slashing positions as Washington State screams "businesses get out!" from the mountaintops. Meanwhile, local politicians want employers to "responsibly support workers" while actively chasing those same employers out of the state. The billionaires have already fled to Florida and Texas—Jeff Bezos said see ya!—and now the middle-class tech workers are feeling the pain. Is anyone surprised that when you combine pandemic over-hiring, AI automation, and straight-up hostility toward business, you get a bloodbath? How many more anti-business policies does Washington need before companies stop pretending Seattle is business-friendly? Subscribe and hit the bell—this downturn is just getting started.

This week on Five Things Friday (US Edition), we unpack the momentum shaping US retail and brand marketing right now—starting with strong sentiment coming out of NRF and rolling straight into the biggest advertising moment of the year: the Super Bowl.After a positive “Big Show,” retailers and exhibitors are carrying unexpected optimism into 2025. AI is no longer theoretical—brands are showing how it's actually being used. That confidence sets the stage for how companies are investing, storytelling, and showing up during the Super Bowl.In this episode, we cover:Retail sentiment and exhibitor confidence coming out of NRFAI moving from theory into real, practical useWhy Super Bowl ads command nearly $10M for 30 secondsStandout campaigns from Instacart, Xfinity, Ring, Expedia, and AdidasPurpose-driven marketing at true scaleHow brands extend Super Bowl moments beyond game dayWhat retailers should be doing now to prepare for the World Cup in the USFrom dinosaurs saved by better connectivity to lost dogs reunited through AI-powered cameras, this episode looks at how brands turn technology into emotion—and attention into long-term value.

We're living through one of the biggest shifts in the internet since it began: a move from building content for people to building content for machines, on behalf of people. On this week's episode, Jim Stengel is joined by James Cadwallader, Co-Founder and CEO of Profound, and Daniel Shin Un Kang, Head of Organic and Agentic Search at Expedia, for a thoughtful, practical conversation about AI search, answer engines, and what this shift means for the future of marketing.James founded Profound in 2024, raising $60 million and earning recognition from Redpoint Ventures as one of the most promising private AI companies shaping applied artificial intelligence. Today, Profound works with brands like US Bank, Chime, Expedia, and DocuSign to help them navigate the transition from traditional search to a world of answer engines, agents, and AI-led experiences.After building companies and investing in high-growth technology businesses, Daniel moved from the venture world into operating at global scale. He now leads Organic and Agentic Search at Expedia, where he's helping redefine how one of the world's largest travel platforms shows up in AI-powered search and discovery.Together, James and Daniel unpack how brands actually appear inside AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini, why traditional SEO metrics no longer tell the whole story, and how CMOs should rethink visibility, content, and measurement in an AI-driven world.This episode offers a rare look at AI search from both sides of the table: the platform builder shaping the category and the operator putting it to work inside a performance-driven global brand. If you're a CMO wondering what to focus on now, this conversation is a strong place to start.—This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and the IAB.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it really take to build a treasury function from the ground up in a fast-moving tech company? And why is the mindset of “Fix the Now, Plan for Next” a game-changer for treasury leaders navigating scale and uncertainty?In this episode, we sit down with Michael Scott, Senior Director of Treasury at Toast, whose impressive resume spans industry giants like Dell, HomeAway, Expedia, Dropbox, and Fastly.Michael Scott is the Senior Director of Treasury at Toast where he leads global liquidity, capital markets, investments, and risk management. He's built his career around scaling treasury functions, strengthening financial resilience, and advancing automation across fast-growing technology companies.Before joining Toast, Michael led treasury teams at Dropbox, Fastly, Expedia, and Dell.His story is a masterclass in building, scaling, and future-proofing treasury teams that don't just survive - but thrive - through rapid change and disruption.In this conversation, Michael walks us through his approach to starting up treasury from scratch, shares how he led Expedia's treasury response to the COVID-19 crisis, and explains how those lessons are shaping his leadership at Toast today.What We Cover in This Episode:Michael's unconventional entry into finance from a career in radio and mediaHow his MBA experience clarified his path into corporate treasuryLessons from Dell's treasury team and its emphasis on mentorship and rotationBuilding a treasury function from the ground upHow Michael led the treasury response to COVID-19 at Expedia, helping raise $4B in capitalTransitioning to Dropbox and leading a cost-saving transformation projectWhy Toast's growth stage required hiring for scale and embedding a strategic mindsetHow Michael assesses treasury talent and builds high-performing teamsHis approach to implementing treasury technology and evaluating TMS platformsThe leadership shift from being a hands-on doer to managing parallel transformation streamsMichael's advice for junior finance professionals entering the treasury worldYou can connect with Michael Scott on LinkedIn.---

Ken Shreve and Ed Carson walk through Tuesday's market action and discuss key stocks to watch in Stock Market Today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A scathing new audit found ‘pervasive failures’ in the Washington Department of Ecology’s Digital Navigator Program. More layoffs hit Seattle’s tech sector in the form of Expedia. A 78-year-old man was the victim of a hit-and-run at a Seattle protest. // Tom Homan held a press conference in Minneapolis today after taking over the helm of ICE operations in the city. New video shows Alex Pretti engaged in another intense altercation with federal law enforcement 11 days before he was killed. // Thousands of Keurig decaf coffee K-cups have been recalled because they contain caffeine.

Barry Diller is a media executive and entrepreneur whose career has shaped modern television, film, and digital media. He helped redefine entertainment by innovating network programming at ABC, leading Paramount Pictures during a period of major commercial success, and later launching the Fox Broadcasting Company, establishing the United States' fourth major television network. He expanded his influence into digital commerce as chairman of IAC and Expedia Group, building and scaling companies such as Match, Expedia, and Vimeo. In recognition of his impact in media, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1994. ------ Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team: AG1 https://drinkag1.com/tetra ------ Squarespace https://squarespace.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Athletic Nicotine https://www.athleticnicotine.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Sign up to receive Tetragrammaton Transmissions https://www.tetragrammaton.com/join-newsletter

Ann visits with Endyia Sterns, President, Waco Symphony Council, and Bryon Barnhill, Board Member, about their upcoming event Chair of Savor the Symphony. Then she talks with Katherine Havens and Kyla Holman with Expedia Travel.

This week we're talking about the intersection of AI and creativity. Are copywriters still needed in corporations? We talk to Creative Director Sam Farquharson on her copywriting pet peeves, what some companies get wrong when designing a commercial, and her current tiktok spiral. All of this and your weekly news recap!Top Stories:1. Quick Update on Expedia voyeurism case2. Uwajimaya expands to Tacoma3. Blue Star Cafe closes4. Cider updates: Locust Cider shuts down taprooms & Seattle Cider is acquired by Two Towns5. Microsoft's response to AI data center oppositionAbout Sam Farquharson - Creative Director/Lead Writer, Ampersand:Sam is the Creative Director and Lead Writer for Ampersand as well as the Commercial Director for the production arm of Ampersand. She has a long history of working as a copywriter and creative director for a variety of well known companies including REI.About host Rachel Horgan:Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.Contact:Email: info@theweeklyseattle.comInstagram: @theweeklyseattleWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

Expedia (EXPE) is up 61% in six months, with digital traffic up 13% year-over-year. Likefolio's Megan Brantley explains that this growth is driven by premium travel and a unified loyalty platform. Expedia's Hotels.com and Vrbo brands are outperforming Airbnb (ABNB) in consumer sentiment. While the high-end consumer is doing the heavy lifting, Megan remains cautious about the stock's valuation ahead of earnings.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Boeing outlines a disciplined path to ramping up 737 production, the U.S. expands visa bond requirements to more countries, and Expedia signals its next phase of AI execution. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how Boeing's slower, quality-first recovery will shape airline growth, why expanded visa bonds could add friction just ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and what Expedia's new AI hires reveal about how artificial intelligence is moving from experimentation to core operations in travel. Articles Referenced: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Inside the Boeing 737 Factory Shaping the Pace of Airline Growth⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠U.S. Expands Visa Bond Requirement to 38 Countries⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠What Expedia's Job Listings Reveal About Big Travel's Next AI Phase⁠ Honorable Mention: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AskAConcierge on IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Text us your questions to answer on a future episode (if you want me to contact you, please include your email)Jennie is joined by small Alaska business owners Kierre Childers and Mandy Garcia to spill the tea about how things work behind the scenes at a small locally owned tour company and how it works when you book through an online travel agency (TripAdvisor or Expedia, for example). Thank you to this week's sponsor, Avens Alaska!Salmonberry Tours (Mandy's company)Revel Treks and Tours (Kierre's company)Support the show

A $20 billion AI deal while you were away?

Rick is joined by Daren Hornig of CourtsApp. CourtsApp, the first AI-powered marketing and booking platform built to modernize court marketing and reservations across the red-hot racquet sports industry, has announced its official launch throughout the New York tri-state area. Founded by New York entrepreneur and real estate developer Daren Hornig and creative executive Kate Daggett, CourtsApp is designed to eliminate the frustration and friction that have long plagued the tennis and pickleball communities, making it now seamless and easy to reserve a court in any racquet and paddle sport. CourtsApp also helps facilities grow. By making every court discoverable and bookable, the platform turns unused inventory into real revenue and delivers a steady stream of high-intent players to clubs. With seamless integrations with existing court management systems, full control over pricing and rules, CourtsApp gives operators a simple and efficient way to fill courts and expand their reach. CourtsApp provides its software to the facilities for free and makes a commission on the courts it books. Currently live to players with more than 1,500 courts across 150+ facilities already signed on throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, CourtsApp will expand from Maine to Florida by the first quarter of 2026 before expanding market-by-market as club density increases. Additional play-in markets, including Southern California, Texas, and the Pacific Northwest, are expected to come online throughout 2026. Clubs such as the John McEnroe Academy's flagship location at Sportime Randalls Island, Pickleball America, Padel Haus, all Sportime Pickleball locations and more are currently available for players to reserve courts. “CourtsApp was born from pure frustration,” said Hornig, Chief Executive Officer of CourtsApp and an avid tennis and pickleball player. “For years, me and my friends struggled to find open courts in real time and near where I wanted to play. We wanted a simple, reliable solution that matched how people already book restaurants, travel, or fitness. Now, with CourtsApp, they finally have one.” Hornig called CourtsApp the “OpenTable for courts. The Expedia of racquet sports,” and added, “Beyond convenience, CourtsApp connects people; helping friends meet to play, helping communities stay active, and making racquet sports more accessible to everyone. It is also a critical marketing tool for facility owners. Most operators lack the funds and expertise to market effectively in today’s complex digital environment, and CourtsApp does this for them and more. Our goal is to get players on the courts and help clubs keep their courts full. It's really a win-win scenario for all.” Daggett, CourtsApp's Chief Marketing Officer, resides in Connecticut and, like Hornig, is among the 25.7 million Americans who played tennis in 2024, according to the most recent statistics reported by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which was an all-time high and a surge of 1.9 million more than 2023. Pickleball has been consistently named the fastest-growing sport in the nation with an estimated 22.7 million players, an increase of more than 45 percent over the previous year. There are more than 68,000 dedicated pickleball courts in the U.S. “Racquet sports are booming, but the technology that supports them has not kept up,” commented Daggett. “Players expect the same ease they get everywhere else, and clubs need tools that help them grow. CourtsApp brings both sides together in a modern, intuitive experience that gets more people on the court, more often.” CourtsApp is also forging integrations with the leading court-management systems nationwide, enabling instant court bookings at participating facilities. CourtsApp is continuing to roll out integrations with leading pickleball and racquet-sport technology platforms. One of the first is DUPR, the pickleball rating system used by more than 1.6 million players and 8,000 clubs. This integration will allow players to bring their verified rating directly into the CourtsApp ecosystem and for players to book courts within DUPR. A Win for Both Players and Clubs For clubs, CourtsApp functions as a free, performance-based marketing channel. Facilities can join at no cost, with CourtsApp earning a commission on court time bookings. For players, CourtsApp provides: Easy search functions across tennis, pickleball, padel facilities, as well as table tennis, squash, badminton and racquetball Real-time booking confirmations Map View Secure payment via Stripe and Apple Pay A familiar, “OpenTable-style” user experience Players and clubs can learn more or join the platform at CourtsApp.com and download CourtsApp from the Apple App Store for iOS and Google Play Store for Android. Also… A Smarter Match: CourtsApp and DUPR Form Partnership To Power Verified Pickleball Play Everywhere Local Courts to Access National-Level Ranking Infrastructure, Building a More Connected Pickleball Ecosystem Where Every Match Counts CourtsApp also announced a strategic partnership with DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating), the global standard for pickleball ratings and verified match data. Together, the companies are building a more connected ecosystem for racquet sports, one where every match can count toward verified player progress and help clubs attract more engaged, repeat players. DUPR and CourtsApp share a common mission: reduce friction for players and facilities by connecting access, performance, and community in one integrated environment. “DUPR has become the gold standard for measuring skill in pickleball, and together we're making that progress visible right where the game happens, on the court,” said Daren Hornig, CourtsApp founder and CEO. “Clubs are the engine of that growth, and as CourtsApp continues expanding from the NY Tristate area into new markets in 2026, our work with more than 150 clubs and 1,500 courts shows how verified play helps clubs boost utilization and revenue without changing how they operate.” Through this partnership, CourtsApp will integrate DUPR's universal rating system directly into its platform, enabling players to: • Connect DUPR accounts through CourtsApp • Book courts on DUPR, powered by CourtsApp's real-time availability engine • Record match results automatically, creating verified rating histories • Receive enhanced matchmaking and performance insights over time For racquet sport facilities, the CourtsApp-DUPR collaboration unlocks new opportunities to: • Seamlessly integrate CourtsApp's AI-driven marketing and booking tools across 8,000-plus DUPR partner facilities nationwide • Host DUPR-eligible matches and Open Plays • Tap into DUPR's 1.5 million engaged pickleball players to drive visibility and participation • Leverage data-driven insights to boost pickleball court utilization and player retention • Drive incremental revenue as DUPR-engaged players seek more opportunities to play and log verified matches DUPR CEO Tio Machado said that CourtsApp is building the digital infrastructure that helps the sport grow. “We're excited to align on the shared mission of connecting players and verified play everywhere,” he said. Hornig added that when CourtsApp evaluates partnerships, the focus is on partnering with the very best companies in their respective spaces. “The alignment with DUPR is a trifecta as they work with facilities and players, which is the exact audience that CourtsApp focuses on, and within the CourtsApp platform we're able to add DUPR's rating to our expanding network of players,” he explained. Integration work is already underway, with new functionality expected to launch in an upcoming product release. The partnership represents a pivotal step toward a unified racquet sport ecosystem that connects access, performance, community, and technology while helping clubs grow with rising demand for verified play. DUPR announced it was partnering with USA Pickleball as the official ratings system of all USA Pickleball-owned events. CourtsApp is available for free in the northeastern United States with more than 150 facilities and 1,500 courts onboarded and accepting bookings for tennis, pickleball and padel courts. CourtsApp will extend from Maine to Florida by the first quarter of 2026 before expanding market-by-market as club density increases. Additional play-in markets, including Southern California, Texas, and the Pacific Northwest, are expected to come online throughout 2026.

Expedia Group's CEO Ariane Gorin joins Fortune's Diane Brady and Kristin Stoller for a deep dive on the technology, trends, and economic realities shaping travel today. Ariane explains how AI is already changing the way we vacation, how the company is trying to help visitors discover “off the beaten path” cities, and why taking a job no one wanted was critical to her success at Expedia.

What happens when curiosity, resilience, and storytelling collide over a lifetime of building something meaningful? In this episode, I welcome Nick Francis, founder and CEO of Casual Films, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, presence, and what it takes to keep going when the work gets heavy. Nick's journey began with a stint at BBC News and a bold 9,000-mile rally from London to Mongolia in a Mini Cooper, a spirit of adventure that still fuels how he approaches business and life today. We talk about how that early experience shaped Casual into a global branded storytelling company with studios across five continents, and what it really means to lead a creative organization at scale. Nick shares insights from growing the company internationally, expanding into Southeast Asia, and staying grounded while producing hundreds of projects each year. Along the way, we explore why emotionally resonant storytelling matters, how trust and preparation beat panic, and why presence with family, health, and purpose keeps leaders steady in uncertain times. This conversation is about building an Unstoppable life by focusing on what matters most, using creativity to connect people, and choosing clarity and resilience in a world full of noise. Highlights: 00:01:30 – Learn how early challenges shape resilience and long-term drive. 00:06:20 – Discover why focusing on your role creates calm under pressure. 00:10:50 – Learn how to protect attention in a nonstop world. 00:18:25 – Understand what global growth teaches about leadership. 00:26:00 – Learn why leading with trust changes relationships. 00:45:55 – Discover how movement and presence restore clarity. About the Guest: Nick Francis is the founder and CEO of Casual, a global production group that blends human storytelling, business know-how, and creativity turbo-charged by AI. Named the UK's number one brand video production company for five years, Casual delivers nearly 1,000 projects annually for world-class brands like Adobe, Amazon, BMW, Hilton, HSBC, and P&G. The adventurous spirit behind its first production – a 9,000-mile journey from London to Mongolia in an old Mini – continues to drive Casual's growth across offices in London, New York, LA, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong and Greater China. Nick previously worked for BBC News and is widely recognised for his expertise in video storytelling, brand building, and corporate communications. He is the founding director of the Casual Films Academy, a charity helping young filmmakers develop skills by producing films for charitable organisations. He is also the author of ‘The New Fire: Harness the Power of Video for Your Business' and a passionate advocate for emotionally resonant, behaviorally grounded storytelling. Nick lives in San Francisco, California, with his family. Ways to connect with Nick**:** Website: https://www.casualfilms.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@casual_global  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casualglobal/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasualFilms/  Nick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickfrancisfilm/  Casual's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/casual-films-international/  Beyond Casual - LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6924458968031395840 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:21 Well, hello everyone. I am your host, Mike hingson, that's kind of funny. We'll talk about that in a second, but this is unstoppable mindset. And our guest today is Nick Francis, and what we're going to talk about is the fact that people used to always ask me, well, they would call me Mr. Kingston, and it took me, as I just told Nick a master's degree in physics in 10 years to realize that if I said Mike hingson, that's why they said Mr. Kingston. So was either say Mike hingson or Michael hingson. Well, Michael hingson is a lot easier to say than Mike hingson, but I don't really care Mike or Michael, as long as it's not late for dinner. Whatever works. Yeah. Well, Nick, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're Nick Francis  02:04 here. Thanks, Mike. It's great to be here. Michael Hingson  02:08 So Nick is a marketing kind of guy. He's got a company called casual that we'll hear about. Originally from England, I believe, and now lives in San Francisco. We were talking about the weather in San Francisco, as opposed to down here in Victorville. A little bit earlier. We're going to have a heat wave today and and he doesn't have that up there, but you know, well, things, things change over time. But anyway, we're glad you're here. And thanks, Mike. Really looking forward to it. Tell us about the early Nick growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to get us started. Nick Francis  02:43 That's a good question. I grew up in London, in in Richmond, which is southwest London. It's a at the time, it wasn't anything like as kind of, it's become quite kind of shishi, I think back in the day, because it's on the west of London. The pollution from the city used to flow east and so, like all the kind of well to do people, in fact, there used to be a, there used to be a palace in Richmond. It's where Queen Elizabeth died, the first Queen Elizabeth, that is. And, yeah, you know, I grew up it was, you know, there's a lot of rugby played around there. I played rugby for my local rugby club from a very young age, and we went sailing on the south coast. It was, it was great, really. And then, you know, unfortunately, when I was 10 years old, my my dad died. He had had a very powerful job at the BBC, and then he ran the British Council, which is the overseas wing of the Arts Council, so promoting, I guess, British soft power around the world, going and opening art galleries and going to ballet in Moscow and all sorts. So he had an incredible life and worked incredibly hard. And you know, that has brought me all sorts of privileges, I think, when I was a kid. But, you know, unfortunately, age 10 that all ended. And you know, losing a parent at that age is such a sort of fundamental, kind of shaking of your foundations. You know, you when you're a kid, you feel like a, you're going to live forever, and B, the things that are happening around you are going to last forever. And so, you know, you know, my mom was amazing, of course, and, you know, and in time, I got a new stepdad, and all the rest of it. But you know, that kind of shaped a lot of my a lot of my youth, really. And, yeah, I mean, Grief is a funny thing, and it's funny the way it manifests itself as you grow. But yeah. So I grew up there. I went to school in the Midlands, near where my stepdad lived, and then University of Newcastle, which is up in the north of England, where it rains a lot. It's where it's where Newcastle Football Club is based. And you know is that is absolutely at the center of the city. So. So the city really comes alive there. And it was during that time that I discovered photography, and I wanted to be a war photographer, because I believe that was where life was lived at the kind of the real cutting edge. You know, you see the you see humanity in its in its most visceral and vivid color in terrible situations. And I kind of that seemed like an interesting thing to go to go and do. Michael Hingson  05:27 Well, what? So what did you major in in college in Newcastle? So I did Nick Francis  05:31 history and politics, and then I went did a course in television journalism, and ended up working at BBC News as a initially running on the floor. So I used to deliver the papers that you know, when you see people shuffling or not, they do it anymore, actually, because everything, everything's digital now digital, yeah, but when they were worried about the the auto cues going down, they we always had to make sure that they had the up to date script. And so I would be printing in, obviously, the, you know, because it's a three hour news show, the scripts constantly evolving, and so, you know, I was making sure they had the most up to date version in their hands. And it's, I don't know if you have spent any time around live TV Mike, but it's an incredibly humbling experience, like the power of it. You know, there's sort of two or 3 million people watching these two people who are sitting five feet in front of me, and the, you know, the sort of slightly kind of, there was an element of me that just wanted to jump in front of them and kind of go, ah. And, you know, never, ever work in live TV, ever again. But you know, anyway, I did that and ended up working as a producer, writing and developing, developing packets that would go out on the show, producing interviews and things. And, you know, I absolutely loved it. It was, it was a great time. But then I left to go and set up my company. Michael Hingson  06:56 I am amazed, even today, with with watching people on the news, and I've and I've been in a number of studios during live broadcasts and so on. But I'm amazed at how well, mostly, at least, I've been fortunate. Mostly, the people are able to read because they do have to read everything. It isn't like you're doing a lot of bad living in a studio. Obviously, if you are out with a story, out in the field, if you will, there, there may be more where you don't have a printed script to go by, but I'm amazed at the people in the studio, how much they are able to do by by reading it all completely. Nick Francis  07:37 It's, I mean, the whole experience is kind of, it's awe inspiring, really. And you know, when you first go into a Live, a live broadcast studio, and you see the complexity, and you know, they've got feeds coming in from all over the world, and you know, there's upwards of 100 people all working together to make it happen. And I remember talking to one of the directors at the time, and I was like, How on earth does this work? And he said, You know, it's simple. You everyone has a very specific job, and you know that as long as you do your bit of the job when it comes in front of you, then the show will go out. He said, where it falls over is when people start worrying about whether other people are going to are going to deliver on time or, you know, and so if you start worrying about what other people are doing, rather than just focusing on the thing you have to do, that's where it potentially falls over, Michael Hingson  08:29 which is a great object lesson anyway, to worry about and control and don't worry about the rest Nick Francis  08:36 for sure. Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, it's almost a lesson for life. I mean, sorry, it is a lesson for life, and Michael Hingson  08:43 it's something that I talk a lot about in dealing with the World Trade Center and so on, and because it was a message I received, but I've been really preaching that for a long time. Don't worry about what you can't control, because all you're going to do is create fear and drive yourself Nick Francis  08:58 crazy, completely, completely. You know. You know what is it? Give me the, give me this. Give me the strength to change the things I can. Give me the give me the ability to let the things that I can't change slide but and the wisdom to know the difference. I'm absolutely mangling that, that saying, but, yeah, it's, it's true, you know. And I think, you know, it's so easy for us to in this kind of modern world where everything's so media, and we're constantly served up things that, you know, shock us, sadness, enrage us, you know, just to be able to step back and say, actually, you know what? These are things I can't really change. I'd have to just let them wash over me. Yeah, and just focus on the things that you really can change. Michael Hingson  09:46 It's okay to be aware of things, but you've got to separate the things you can control from the things that you can and we, unfortunately aren't taught that. Our parents don't teach us that because they were never taught it, and it's something. That, just as you say, slides by, and it's so unfortunate, because it helps to create such a level of fear about so many things in our in our psyche and in our world that we really shouldn't have to do Nick Francis  10:13 completely well. I think, you know, obviously, but you know, we've, we've spent hundreds, if not millions of years evolving to become humans, and then, you know, actually being aware of things beyond our own village has only been an evolution of the last, you know what, five, 600 years, yeah. And so we are just absolutely, fundamentally not able to cope with a world of such incredible stimulus that we live in now. Michael Hingson  10:43 Yeah, and it's only getting worse with all the social media, with all the different things that are happening and of course, and we're only working to develop more and more things to inundate us with more and more kinds of inputs. It's really unfortunate we just don't learn to separate ourselves very easily from all of that. Nick Francis  11:04 Yeah, well, you know, it's so interesting when you look at the development of VR headsets, and, you know, are we going to have, like, lenses in our eyes that kind of enable us to see computer screens while we're just walking down the road, you know? And you look at that and you think, well, actually, just a cell phone. I mean, cell phones are going to be gone fairly soon. I would imagine, you know, as a format, it's not something that's going to abide but the idea that we're going to create technology that's going to be more, that's going to take us away from being in the moment more rather than less, is kind of terrifying. Because, I would say already, even with, you know, the most basic technology that we have now, which is, you know, mind bending, compared to where we were even 20 years ago, you know, to think that we're only going to become more immersive is, you know, we really, really as a species, have to work out how we are going to be far better at stepping away from this stuff. And I, you know, I do, I wonder, with AI and technology whether there is, you know, there's a real backlash coming of people who do want to just unplug, yeah, Michael Hingson  12:13 well, it'll be interesting to see, and I hope that people will learn to do it. I know when I started hearing about AI, and one of the first things I heard was how kids would use it to write their papers, and it was a horrible thing, and they were trying to figure out ways so that teachers could tell us something was written by AI, as opposed to a student. And I almost immediately developed this opinion, no, let AI write the papers for students, but when the students turn in their paper, then take a day to in your class where you have every student come up and defend their paper, see who really knows it, you know. And what a great teaching opportunity and teaching moment to to get students also to learn to do public speaking and other things a little bit more than they do, but we haven't. That hasn't caught on, but I continue to preach it. Nick Francis  13:08 I think that's really smart, you know, as like aI exists, and I think to to pretend somehow that, you know, we can work without it is, you know, it's, it's, it's, yeah, I mean, it's like, well, saying, you know, we're just going to go back to Word processors or typewriters, which, you know, in which it weirdly, in their own time, people looked at and said, this is, you know, these, these are going to completely rot our minds. In fact, yeah, I think Plato said that was very against writing, because he believed it would mean no one could remember anything after that, you know. So it's, you know, it's just, it's an endless, endless evolution. But I think, you know, we have to work out how we incorporate into it, into our education system, for sure. Michael Hingson  13:57 Well, I remember being in in college and studying physics and so on. And one of the things that we were constantly told is, on tests, you can't bring calculators in, can't use calculators in class. Well, why not? Well, because you could cheat with that. Well, the reality is that the smart physicists realized that it's all about really learning the concepts more than the numbers. And yeah, that's great to to know how to do the math. But the the real issue is, do you know the physics, not just the math completely? Nick Francis  14:34 Yeah. And then how you know? How are the challenges that are being set such that you know, they really test your ability to use the calculator effectively, right? So how you know? How are you lifting the bar? And in a way, I think that's kind of what we have to do, what we have to do now, Michael Hingson  14:50 agreed, agreed. So you were in the news business and so on, and then, as you said, you left to start your own company. Why did you decide to do that? Nick Francis  14:59 Well, a friend of. Ryan and I from University had always talked about doing this rally from London to Mongolia. So, and you do it in an old car that you sort of look at, and you go, well, that's a bit rubbish. It has to have under a one liter engine. So it's tiny, it's cheap. The idea is it breaks down you have an adventure. And it was something we kind of talked about in passing and decided that would be a good thing to do. And then over time, you know, we started sending off. We you know, we applied, and then we started sending off for visas and things. And then before we knew it, we were like, gosh, so it looks like we're actually going to do this thing. But by then, you know, my job at the BBC was really taking off. And so I said, you know, let's do this, but let's make a documentary of it. So long story short, we ended up making a series of diary films for Expedia, which we uploaded onto their website. It was, you know, we were kind of pitching this around about 2005 we kind of did it in 2006 so it was kind of, you know, nobody had really heard of YouTube. The idea of making videos to go online was kind of unheard of because, you know, broadband was just kind of getting sorry. It wasn't unheard of, but it was, it was very, it was a very nascent industry. And so, yeah, we went and drove 9000 miles over five weeks. We spent a week sitting in various different repair yards and kind of break his yards in everywhere from Turkey to Siberia. And when we came back, it became clear that the internet was opening up as this incredible medium for video, and video is such a powerful way to share emotion with a dispersed audience. You know, not that I would have necessarily talked about it in that in those terms back then, but it really seemed like, you know, every every web page, every piece of corporate content, could have a video aspect to it. And so we came back and had a few fits and starts and did some, I mean, we, you know, we made a series of hotel videos where we were paid 50 quid a day to go and film hotels. And it was hot and it was hard work. And anyway, it was rough. But over time, you know, we started to win some more lucrative work. And, you know, really, the company grew from there. We won some awards, which helped us to kind of make a bit of a name for ourselves. And this was, there's been a real explosion in technology, kind of shortly after when we did this. So digital SLRs, so, you know, old kind of SLR cameras, you know, turned into digital cameras, which could then start to shoot video. And so it, there was a real explosion in high quality video produced by very small teams of people using the latest technology creatively. And that just felt like a good kind of kick off point for our business. But we just kind of because we got in in kind of 2006 we just sort of beat a wave that kind of started with digital SLRs, and then was kind of absolutely exploded when video cell phones came on the market, video smartphones. And yeah, you know, because we had these awards and we had some kind of fairly blue chip clients from a relatively early, early stage, we were able to grow the company. We then expanded to the US in kind of 2011 20 between 2011 2014 and then we were working with a lot of the big tech companies in California, so it felt like we should maybe kind of really invest in that. And so I moved out here with some of our team in 2018 at the beginning of 2018 and I've been here ever since, wow. Michael Hingson  18:44 So what is it? What was it like starting a business here, or bringing the business here, as opposed to what it was in England? Nick Francis  18:53 It's really interesting, because the creatively the UK is so strong, you know, like so many, you know, from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones to, you know, and then on through, like all the kind of, you know, film and TV, you know, Brits are very good at kind of Creating, like, high level creative, but not necessarily always the best at kind of monetizing it, you know. I mean, some of those obviously have been fantastic successes, right? And so I think in the UK, we we take a lot longer over getting, getting to, like, the perfect creative output, whereas the US is far more focused on, you know, okay, we need this to to perform a task, and frankly, if we get it 80% done, then we're good, right? And so I think a lot of creative businesses in the UK look at the US and they go, gosh. Firstly, the streets are paved with gold. Like the commercial opportunity seems incredible, but actually creating. Tracking it is incredibly difficult, and I think it's because we sort of see the outputs in the wrong way. I think they're just the energy and the dynamism of the US economy is just, it's kind of awe inspiring. But you know, so many businesses try to expand here and kind of fall over themselves. And I think the number one thing is just, you have to have a founder who's willing to move to the US. Because I think Churchill said that we're two two countries divided by the same language. And I never fully understood what that meant until I moved here. I think what it what he really means by that is that we're so culturally different in the US versus the UK. And I think lots of Brits look at America and think, Well, you know, it's just the same. It's just a bit kind of bigger and a bit Brasher, you know, and it and actually, I think if people in the US spoke a completely different language, we would approach it as a different culture, which would then help us to understand it better. Yeah. So, yeah. I mean, it's been, it's been the most fabulous adventure to move here and to, you know, it's, it's hard sometimes, and California is a long way from home, but the energy and the optimism and the entrepreneurialism of it, coupled with just the natural beauty is just staggering. So we've made some of our closest friends in California, it's been absolutely fantastic. And across the US, it's been a fantastic adventure for us and our family. Michael Hingson  21:30 Yeah, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the US, and I hear negative comments about one place or another, like West Virginia, people eat nothing but fried food and all that. But the reality is, if you really take an overall look at it, the country has so much to offer, and I have yet to find a place that I didn't enjoy going to, and people I never enjoyed meeting, I really enjoy all of that, and it's great to meet people, and it's great to experience so much of this country. And I've taken that same posture to other places. I finally got to visit England last October, for the first time. You mentioned rugby earlier, the first time I was exposed to rugby was when I traveled to New Zealand in 2003 and found it pretty fascinating. And then also, I was listening to some rugby, rugby, rugby broadcast, and I tuned across the radio and suddenly found a cricket game that was a little bit slow for me. Yeah, cricket to be it's slow. Nick Francis  22:41 Yeah, fair enough. It's funny. Actually, we know what you're saying about travel. Like one of the amazing things about our Well, I kind of learned two sort of quite fundamentally philosophical things, I think, you know, or things about the about humans and the human condition. Firstly, like, you know, traveling across, you know, we left from London. We, like, drove down. We went through Belgium and France and Poland and Slovenia, Slovakia, Slovenia, like, all the way down Bulgaria, across Turkey into Georgia and Azerbaijan and across the Caspian Sea, and through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, into Russia, and then down into Mongolia. When we finished, we were due north of Jakarta, right? So we drove, we drove a third of the way around the world. And the two things that taught me were, firstly that human people are good. You know, everywhere we went, people would invite us in to have meals, or they'd like fix our car for not unit for free. I mean, people were so kind everywhere we went. Yeah. And the other thing was, just, when we get on a plane and you fly from here to or you fly from London, say to we, frankly, you fly from London to Turkey, it feels unbelievably different. You know, you fly from London to China, and it's, you know, complete different culture. But what our journey towards us, because we drove, was that, you know, while we might not like to admit it, we're actually quite, you know, Brits are quite similar to the French, and the French actually are quite similar to the Belgians, and Belgians quite similar to the Germans. And, you know, and all the way through, actually, like we just saw a sort of slowly changing gradient of all the different cultures. And it really, you know, we are just one people, you know. So as much as we might feel that, you know, we're all we're all different, actually, when you see it, when you when you do a drive like that, you really, you really get to see how slowly the cultures shift and change. Another thing that's quite funny, actually, was just like, everywhere we went, we would be like, you know, we're driving to Turkey. They'd be like, Oh, God, you just drove through Bulgaria, you know, how is like, everything on your car not been stolen, you know, they're so dodgy that you Bulgarians are so dodgy. And then, you know, we'd get drive through the country, and they'd be like, you know, oh, you're going into Georgia, you know, gosh, what you go. Make, make sure everything's tied down on your car. They're so dodgy. And then you get into Georgia, and they're like, Oh my God, you've just very driven through Turkey this, like, everyone sort of had these, like, weird, yeah, kind of perceptions of their neighbors. And it was all nonsense, yeah, you know. Michael Hingson  25:15 And the reality is that, as you pointed out, people are good, you know, I think, I think politicians are the ones who so often mess it up for everyone, just because they've got agendas. And unfortunately, they teach everyone else to be suspicious of of each other, because, oh, this person clearly has a hidden agenda when it normally isn't necessarily true at all. Nick Francis  25:42 No, no, no, certainly not in my experience, anyway, not in my experience. But, you know, well, oh, go ahead. No, no. It's just, you know, it's, it is. It's, it is weird the way that happens, you know, well, they say, you know, if, if politicians fought wars rather than, rather than our young men and women, then there'd be a lot less of them. Yeah, so Well, Michael Hingson  26:06 there would be, well as I tell people, you know, I I've learned a lot from working with eight guy dogs and my wife's service dog, who we had for, oh, gosh, 14 years almost, and one of the things that I tell people is I absolutely do believe what people say, that dogs love unconditionally, unless they're just totally traumatized by something, but they don't trust unconditionally. The difference between dogs and people is that dogs are more open to trust because we've taught ourselves and have been taught by others, that everyone has their own hidden agenda. So we don't trust. We're not open to trust, which is so unfortunate because it affects the psyche of so many people in such a negative way. We get too suspicious of people, so it's a lot harder to earn trust. Nick Francis  27:02 Yeah, I mean, I've, I don't know, you know, like I've been, I've been very fortunate in my life, and I kind of always try to be, you know, open and trusting. And frankly, you know, I think if you're open and trusting with people, in my experience, you kind of, it comes back to you, you know, and maybe kind of looking for the best in everyone. You know, there are times where that's not ideal, but you know, I think you know, in the overwhelming majority of cases, you know, actually, you know, you treat people right? And you know what goes what goes around, comes around, absolutely. Michael Hingson  27:35 And I think that's so very true. There are some people who just are going to be different than that, but I think for the most part, if you show that you're open to trust people will want to trust you, as long as you're also willing to trust Nick Francis  27:51 them completely. Yeah, completely. Michael Hingson  27:54 So I think that that's the big thing we have to deal with. And I don't know, I hope that we, we will learn it. But I think that politicians are really the most guilty about teaching us. Why not to trust but that too, hopefully, will be something we deal with. Nick Francis  28:12 I think, you know, I think we have to, you know, it's, it's one of the tragedies of our age, I think, is that the, you know, we spent the 20th century, thinking that sex was the kind of ultimate sales tool. And then it took algorithms to for us to realize that actually anger and resentment are the most powerful sales tools, which is, you know, it's a it's something which, in time, we will work out, right? And I think the problem is that, at the minute, these tech businesses are in such insane ascendancy, and they're so wealthy that it's very hard to regulate them. And I think in time, what will happen is, you know, they'll start to lose some of that luster and some of that insane scale and that power, and then, you know, then regulation will come in. But you know whether or not, we'll see maybe, hopefully our civilization will still be around to see that. Michael Hingson  29:04 No, there is that, or maybe the Vulcans will show up and show us a better way. But you know, Nick Francis  29:11 oh, you know, I'm, I'm kind of endlessly optimistic. I think, you know, we are. We're building towards a very positive future. I think so. Yeah, it's just, you know, get always bumps along the way, yeah. Michael Hingson  29:24 So you named your company casual. Why did you do that? Or how did that come about? Nick Francis  29:30 It's a slightly weird name for something, you know, we work with, kind of, you know, global blue chip businesses. And, you know, casual is kind of the last thing that you would want to associate with, a, with a, with any kind of services business that works in that sphere. I think, you know, we, the completely honest answer is that the journalism course I did was television, current affairs journalism, so it's called TV cadge, and so we, when we made a film for a local charity as part of that course. Course, we were asked to name our company, and we just said, well, cash, cash casual, casual films. So we called it casual films. And then when my friend and I set the company up, kind of formally, to do the Mongol Rally, we, you know, we had this name, you know, the company, the film that we'd made for the charity, had gone down really well. It had been played at BAFTA in London. And so we thought, well, you know, we should just, you know, hang on to that name. And it didn't, you know, at the time, it didn't really seem too much of an issue. It was only funny. It was coming to the US, where I think people are a bit more literal, and they were a bit like, well, casual. Like, why casual, you know. And I remember being on a shoot once. And, you know, obviously, kind of some filmmakers can be a little casual themselves, not necessarily in the work, but in the way they present themselves, right? And I remember sitting down, we were interviewing this CEO, and he said, who, you know, who are you? Oh, we're casual films. He's like, Oh, is that why that guy's got ripped jeans? Is it? And I just thought, Damn, you know, we really left ourselves open to that. There was also, there was a time one of our early competitors was called Agile films. And so, you know, I remember talking to one of our clients who said, you know, it's casual, you know, when I have to put together a little document to say, you know, which, which supplier we should choose, and when I lay it on my boss's desk, and one says casual films, and one says agile films, it's like those guys are landing the first punch. But anyway, we, you know, we, what we say now is like, you know, we take a complex process and make it casual. You know, filmmaking, particularly for like, large, complex organizations where you've got lots of different stakeholders, can be very complicated. And so, yeah, we sort of say, you know, we'll take a lot of that stress off, off our clients. So that's kind of the rationale, you know, that we've arrived with, arrived at having spoken to lots of our clients about the role that we play for them. So, you know, there's a kind of positive spin on it, I guess, but I don't know. I don't know whether I'd necessarily call it casual again. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that or not, but, oh, Michael Hingson  32:00 it's unique, you know? So, yeah, I think there's a lot of merit to it. It's a unique name, and it interests people. I know, for me, one of the things that I do is I have a way of doing this. I put all of my business cards in Braille, so the printed business cards have Braille on them, right? Same thing. It's unique completely. Nick Francis  32:22 And you listen, you know what look your name is an empty box that you fill with your identity. They say, right? And casual is actually, it's something we've grown into. And you know it's we've been going for nearly 20 years. In fact, funny enough for the end of this year is the 20th anniversary of that first film we made for the for the charity. And then next summer will be our 20th anniversary, which is, you know, it's, it's both been incredibly short and incredibly long, you know, I think, like any kind of experience in life, and it's been some of the hardest kind of times of my entire life, and some of the best as well. So, you know, it's, it is what it is, but you know, casual is who we are, right? I would never check, you know? I'd never change it. Michael Hingson  33:09 Now, no, of course not, yeah. So is the actual name casual films, or just casual? Nick Francis  33:13 So it was casual films, but then everyone calls us casual anyway, and I think, like as an organization, we probably need to be a bit more agnostic about the outcome. Michael Hingson  33:22 Well, the reason I asked, in part was, is there really any filming going on anymore? Nick Francis  33:28 Well, that's a very that's a very good question. But have we actually ever made a celluloid film? And I think the answer is probably no. We used to, back in the day, we used to make, like, super eight films, which were films, I think, you know, video, you know, ultimately, if you're going to be really pedantic about it, it's like, well, video is a digital, digital delivery. And so basically, every film we make is, is a video. But there is a certain cachet to the you know, because our films are loved and crafted, you know, for good or ill, you know, I think to call them, you know, they are films because, because of the, you know, the care that's put into them. But it's not, it's, it's not celluloid. No, that's okay, yeah, well, Michael Hingson  34:16 and I know that, like with vinyl records, there is a lot of work being done to preserve and capture what's on cellular film. And so there's a lot of work that I'm sure that's being done to digitize a lot of the old films. And when you do that, then you can also go back and remaster and hopefully in a positive way, and I'm not sure if that always happens, but in a positive way, enhance them Nick Francis  34:44 completely, completely and, you know, it's, you know, it's interesting talking about, like, you know, people wanting to step back. You know, obviously vinyl is having an absolute as having a moment right now. In fact, I just, I just bought a new stylist for my for my record. Play yesterday. It sounded incredible as a joy. This gave me the sound quality of this new style. It's fantastic. You know, beyond that, you know, running a company, you know, we're in nine offices all over the world. We produce nearly 1000 projects a year. So, you know, it's a company. It's an incredibly complicated company. It's a very fun and exciting company. I love the fact that we make these beautifully creative films. But, you know, it's a bit, I wouldn't say it's like, I don't know, you don't get many MBAs coming out of business school saying, hey, I want to set up a video production company. But, you know, it's been, it's been wonderful, but it's also been stressful. And so, you know, I've, I've always been interested in pottery and ceramics and making stuff with my hands. When I was a kid, I used to make jewelry, and I used to go and sell it in nightclubs, which is kind of weird, but, you know, it paid for my beers. And then whatever works, I say kid. I was 18. I was, I was of age, but of age in the UK anyway. But now, you know, over the last few 18 months or so, I've started make, doing my own ceramics. So, you know, I make vases and and pictures and kind of all sorts of stuff out of clay. And it's just, it's just to be to unplug and just to go and, you know, make things with mud with your hands. It's just the most unbelievably kind of grounding experience. Michael Hingson  36:26 Yeah, I hear you, yeah. One of the things that I like to do is, and I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I am involved with organizations like the radio enthusiasts of Puget Sound, which, every year, does recreations of old radio shows. And so we get the scripts we we we have several blind people who are involved in we actually go off and recreate some of the old shows, which is really a lot of fun, Nick Francis  36:54 I bet, yeah, yeah, sort of you know that connection to the past is, is, yeah, it's great radio. Radio is amazing. Michael Hingson  37:03 Anyway, what we have to do is to train some of the people who have not had exposure to old radio. We need to train them as to how to really use their voices to convey like the people who performed in radio, whatever they're doing, because too many people don't really necessarily know how to do that well. And it is, it is something that we're going to work on trying to find ways to get people really trained. And one of the ways, of course, is you got to listen to the old show. So one of the things we're getting more and more people to do when we do recreations is to go back and listen to the original show. Well, they say, Well, but, but that's just the way they did it. That's not necessarily the way it should be done. And the response is, no, that's not really true. The way they did it sounded natural, and the way you are doing it doesn't and there's reality that you need to really learn how to to use your voice to convey well, and the only way to do it is to listen to the experts who did it. Nick Francis  38:06 Yeah, well, it's, you know, it's amazing. The, you know, when the BBC was founded, all the news readers and anyone who appeared on on the radio to to present or perform, had to wear like black tie, like a tuxedo, because it was, you know, they're broadcasting to the nation, so they had to, you know, they had to be dressed appropriately, right, which is kind of amazing. And, you know, it's interesting how you know, when you, when you change your dress, when you change the way you're sitting, it does completely change the way that you project yourself, yeah, Michael Hingson  38:43 it makes sense, yeah, well, and I always enjoyed some of the old BBC radio shows, like the Goon Show, and completely some of those are so much fun. Nick Francis  38:54 Oh, great, yeah, I don't think they were wearing tuxedo. It's tuxedos. They would Michael Hingson  38:59 have been embarrassed. Yeah, right, right. Can you imagine Peter Sellers in a in a tux? It just isn't going to happen. Nick Francis  39:06 No, right, right. But yeah, no, it's so powerful. You know, they say radio is better than TV because the pictures are better. Michael Hingson  39:15 I agree. Yeah, sure, yeah. Well, you know, I I don't think this is quite the way he said it, but Fred Allen, the old radio comedian, once said they call television the new medium, because that's as good as it's ever going Nick Francis  39:28 to get. Yeah, right, right, yeah. Michael Hingson  39:32 I think there's truth to it. Whether that's exactly the way he said it or not, there's truth to that, yeah, but there's also a lot of good stuff on TV, so it's okay. Nick Francis  39:41 Well, it's so interesting. Because, you know, when you look at the it's never been more easy to create your own content, yeah, and so, you know, and like, in a way, TV, you know, he's not wrong in that, because it suddenly opened up this, this huge medium for people just to just create. Right? And, you know, and I think, like so many people, create without thinking, and, you know, and certainly in our kind of, in the in the world that we're living in now with AI production, making production so much more accessible, actually taking the time as a human being just to really think about, you know, who are the audience, what are the things that are going to what are going to kind of resonate with them? You know? Actually, I think one of the risks with AI, and not just AI, but just like production being so accessible, is that you can kind of shoot first and kind of think about it afterwards, and, you know, and that's never good. That's always going to be medium. It's medium at best, frankly. Yeah, so yeah, to create really great stuff takes time, you know, yeah, to think about it. Yeah, for sure, yeah. Michael Hingson  40:50 Well, you know, our podcast is called unstoppable mindset. What do you think that unstoppable mindset really means to you as a practical thing and not just a buzzword. Because so many people talk about the kinds of buzzwords I hear all the time are amazing. That's unstoppable, but it's really a lot more than a buzzword. It goes back to what you think, I think. But what do you think? Nick Francis  41:15 I think it's something that is is buried deep inside you. You know, I'd say the simple answer is, is just resilience. You know, it's, it's been rough. I write anyone running a small business or a medium sized business at the minute, you know, there's been some tough times over the last, kind of 1824, months or so. And, you know, I was talking to a friend of mine who she sold out of her business. And she's like, you know, how are things? I was like, you know, it's, it's, it's tough, you know, we're getting through it, you know, we're changing a lot of things, you know, we're like, we're definitely making the business better, but it's hard. And she's like, Listen, you know, when three years before I sold my company, I was at rock bottom. It was, I genuinely thought it was so stressful. I was crushed by it, but I just kept going. And she's just like, just keep going. And the only difference between success and failure is that resilience and just getting up every day and you just keep, keep throwing stuff at the wall, keep trying new things, keep working and trying to be better. I think, you know, it's funny when you look at entrepreneurs, I'm a member of a mentoring group, and I hope I'm not talking out of school here, but you know, there's 15 entrepreneurs, you know, varying sizes of business, doing all sorts, you know, across all sorts of different industries. And if you sat on the wall, if you were fly on the wall, and you sit and look at these people on a kind of week, month to month basis, and they all present on how their businesses are going. You go, this is this being an entrepreneur does not look like a uniformly fun thing, you know, the sort of the stress and just, you know, people crying and stuff, and you're like, gosh, you know, it's so it's, it's, it's hard, and yet, you know, it's people just keep coming back to it. And yet, I think it's because of that struggle that you have to kind of have something in built in you, that you're sort of, you're there to prove something. And I, you know, I've thought a lot about this, and I wonder whether, kind of, the death of my father at such a young age kind of gave me this incredible fire to seek His affirmation, you know. And unfortunately, obviously, the tragedy of that is like, you know, the one person who would never give me affirmation is my dad. And yet, you know, I get up every day, you know, to have early morning calls with the UK or with Singapore or wherever. And you know, you just just keep on, keeping on. And I think that's probably what and knowing I will never quit, you know, like, even from the earliest days of casual, when we were just, like a couple of people, and we were just, you know, kids doing our very best, I always knew the company was going to be a success act. Like, just a core belief that I was like, this is going to work. This is going to be a success. I didn't necessarily know what that success would look like. I just but I did know that, like, whatever it took, we would map, we'd map our way towards that figure it out. We'd figure it out. And I think, you know, there's probably something unstoppable. I don't know, I don't want to sound immodest, but I think there's probably something in that that you're just like, I am just gonna keep keep on, keeping on. Michael Hingson  44:22 Do you think that resilience and unstoppability are things that can be taught, or is it just something that's built into you, and either you have it or you don't? Nick Francis  44:31 I think it's something that probably, it's definitely something that can be learned, for sure, you know. And there are obviously ways that it can there's obviously ways it can be taught. You know, I was, I spent some time in the reserve, like the Army Reserve in the UK, and I just, you know, a lot of that is about teaching you just how much further you can go. I think what it taught me was it was so. So hard. I mean, honestly, some of the stuff we did in our training was, like, you know, it's just raining and raining and raining and, like, because all your kits soaking wet is weighs twice what it did before, and you just, you know, sleeping maybe, you know, an hour or two a night, and, you know, and there wasn't even anyone shooting at us, right? So, you know, like the worst bit wasn't even happening. But like, and like, in a sense, I think, you know, that's what they're trying to do, that, you know, they say, you know, train hard and fight easy. But I remember sort of sitting there, and I was just exhausted, and I just genuinely, I was just thought, you know, what if they tell me to go now, I just, I can't. I literally, I can't, I can't do it. Can't do it. And then they're like, right, lads, put your packs on. Let's go and just put your pack on. Off you go, you know, like, this sort of, the idea of not, like, I was never going to quit, just never, never, ever, you know, and like I'd physically, if I physically, like, literally, my physical being couldn't stand up, you know, I then that was be, that would be, you know, if I was kind of, like literally incapacitated. And I think what that taught me actually, was that, you know, you have what you believe you can do, like you have your sort of, you have your sort of physical envelope, but like that is only a third or a quarter of what you can actually achieve, right, you know. And I think what that, what the that kind of training is about, and you know, you can do it in marathon training. You can do it in all sorts of different, you know, even, frankly, meditate. You know, you train your mind to meditate for, you know, an hour, 90 minutes plus. You know, you're still doing the same. You know, there's a, there's an elasticity within your brain where you can teach yourself that your envelope is so much larger. Yeah. So, yeah, you know, like, is casual going to be a success? Like, I'm good, you know, I'm literally, I won't I won't stop until it is Michael Hingson  46:52 right, and then why stop? Exactly, exactly you continue to progress and move forward. Well, you know, when everything feels uncertain, whether it's the markets or whatever, what do you do or what's your process for finding clarity? Nick Francis  47:10 I think a lot of it is in having structured time away. I say structured. You build it into your calendar, but like, but it's unstructured. So, you know, I take a lot of solace in being physically fit. You know, I think if you're, if you feel physically fit, then you feel mentally far more able to deal with things. I certainly when I'm if I'm unfit and if I've been working too much and I haven't been finding the time to exercise. You know, I feel like the problems we have to face just loom so much larger. So, you know, I, I'll book out. I, you know, I work with a fan. I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic assistant who, you know, we book in my my exercise for each week, and it's almost the first thing that goes in the calendar. I do that because I can't be the business my my I can't be the leader my business requires. And it finally happened. It was a few years ago I kind of, like, the whole thing just got really big on me, and it just, you know, and I'm kind of, like, being crushed by it. And I just thought, you know what? Like, I can't, I can't fit other people's face mask, without my face mask being fit, fitted first. Like, in order to be the business my business, I keep saying that to be the lead in my business requires I have to be physically fit. So I have to look after myself first. And so consequently, like, you know, your exercise shouldn't be something just get squeezed in when you find when you have time, because, you know, if you've got family and you know, other things happening, like, you know, just will be squeezed out. So anyway, that goes in. First, I'll go for a bike ride on a Friday afternoon, you know, I'll often listen to a business book and just kind of process things. And it's amazing how often, you know, I'll just go for a run and, like, these things that have been kind of nagging away in the back of my mind, just suddenly I find clarity in them. So I try to exercise, like, five times a week. I mean, that's obviously more than most people can can manage, but you know that that really helps. And then kind of things, like the ceramics is very useful. And then, you know, I'm lucky. I think it's also just so important just to appreciate the things that you already have. You know, I think one of the most important lessons I learned last year was this idea that, you know, here is the only there. You know, everyone's working towards this kind of, like, big, you know, it's like, oh, you know, when I get to there, then everything's going to be okay, you know. And actually, you know, if you think about like, you know, and what did you want to achieve when you left college? Like, what was the salary band that you want? That you wanted to achieve? Right? A lot of people, you know, by the time you hit 4050, you've blown way through that, right? And yet you're still chasing the receding Summit, yeah, you know. And so actually, like, wherever we're trying to head to, we're already there, because once you get there, there's going to be another there that you're trying to. Head to right? So, so, you know, it's just taking a moment to be like, you know, God, I'm so lucky to have what I have. And, you know, I'm living in, we're living in the good old days, like right now, right? Michael Hingson  50:11 And the reality is that we're doing the same things and having the same discussions, to a large degree, that people did 50, 100 200 years ago. As you pointed out earlier, the fact is that we're, we're just having the same discussions about whether this works, or whether that works, or anything else. But it's all the same, Nick Francis  50:33 right, you know. And you kind of think, oh, you know, if I just, just, like, you know, if we just open up these new offices, or if we can just, you know, I think, like, look, if I, if I'd looked at casual when we started it as it is now, I would have just been like, absolute. My mind would have exploded, right? You know, if you look at what we've achieved, and yet, I kind of, you know, it's quite hard sometimes to look at it and just be like, Oh yeah, but we're only just starting. Like, there's so much more to go. I can see so much further work, that we need so many more things, that we need to do, so many more things that we could do. And actually, you know, they say, you know, I'm lucky enough to have two healthy, wonderful little girls. And you know, I think a lot of bread winners Look at, look at love being provision, and the idea that, you know, you have to be there to provide for them. And actually, the the truest form of love is presence, right? And just being there for them, and like, you know, not being distracted and kind of putting putting things aside, you know, not jumping on your emails or your Slack messages or whatever first thing in the morning, you know. And I, you know, I'm not. I'm guilty, like, I'm not, you know, I'm not one of these people who have this kind of crazy kind of morning routine where, like, you know, I'm incredibly disciplined about that because, you know, and I should be more. But like, you know, this stuff, one of the, one of the things about having a 24 hour business with people working all over the world is there's always things that I need to respond to. There's always kind of interesting things happening. And so just like making sure that I catch myself every so often to be like, I'm just going to be here now and I'm going to be with them, and I'm going to listen to what they're saying, and I'm going to respond appropriately, and, you know, I'm going to play a game with them, or whatever. That's true love. You know? Michael Hingson  52:14 Well, there's a lot of merit to the whole concept of unplugging and taking time and living in the moment. One of the things that we talked about in my book live like a guide dog, that we published last year, and it's all about lessons I've learned about leadership and teamwork and preparedness from eight guide dogs and my wife's service dog. One of the things that I learned along the way is the whole concept of living in the moment when I was in the World Trade Center with my fifth guide dog, Roselle. We got home, and I was going to take her outside to go visit the bathroom, but as soon as I took the harness off, she shot off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog. Asked the veterinarians about him the next day, the people at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and they said, Well, did anything threaten her? And I said, No. And they said, there's your answer. The reality is, dogs live in the moment when it was over. It was over. And yeah, right lesson to learn. Nick Francis  53:15 I mean, amazing, absolutely amazing. You must have taken a lot of strength from that. Michael Hingson  53:20 Oh, I think it was, it was great. It, you know, I can look back at my life and look at so many things that have happened, things that I did. I never thought that I would become a public speaker, but I learned in so many ways the art of speaking and being relaxed at speaking in a in a public setting, that when suddenly I was confronted with the opportunity to do it, it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Nick Francis  53:46 Yeah, it's funny, because I think isn't public speaking the number one fear. It is. It's the most fit. It's the most feared thing for the most people. Michael Hingson  53:57 And the reality is going back to something that we talked about before. The reality is, audiences want you to succeed, unless you're a jerk and you project that, audiences want to hear what you have to say. They want you to be successful. There's really nothing to be afraid of but, but you're right. It is the number one fear, and I've never understood that. I mean, I guess I can intellectually understand it, but internally, I don't. The first time I was asked to speak after the World Trade Center attacks, a pastor called me up and he said, we're going to we're going to have a service outside for all the people who we lost in New Jersey and and that we would like you to come and speak. Take a few minutes. And I said, Sure. And then I asked him, How many people many people were going to be at the service? He said, 6000 that was, that was my first speech. Nick Francis  54:49 Yeah, wow. But it didn't bother me, you know, no, I bet Michael Hingson  54:54 you do the best you can, and you try to improve, and so on. But, but it is true that so many people. Are public speaking, and there's no reason to what Nick Francis  55:03 did that whole experience teach you? Michael Hingson  55:06 Well, one of the things that taught me was, don't worry about the things that you can't control. It also taught me that, in reality, any of us can be confronted with unexpected things at any time, and the question is, how well do we prepare to deal with it? So for me, for example, and it took me years after September 11 to recognize this, but one of the things that that happened when the building was hit, and Neither I, nor anyone on my side of the building really knew what happened. People say all the time, well, you didn't know because you couldn't see it. Well, excuse me, it hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. And the last time I checked X ray vision was fictitious, so nobody knew. But did the building shake? Oh, it tipped. Because tall buildings like that are flexible. And if you go to any tall building, in reality, they're made to buffet in wind storms and so on, and in fact, they're made to possibly be struck by an airplane, although no one ever expected that somebody would deliberately take a fully loaded jet aircraft and crash it into a tower, because it wasn't the plane hitting the tower as such that destroyed both of them. It was the exploding jet fuel that destroyed so much more infrastructure caused the buildings to collapse. But in reality, for me, I had done a lot of preparation ahead of time, not even thinking that there would be an emergency, but thinking about I need to really know all I can about the building, because I've got to be the leader of my office, and I should know all of that. I should know what to do in an emergency. I should know how to take people to lunch and where to go and all that. And by learning all of that, as I learned many and discovered many years later, it created a mindset that kicked in when the World Trade Center was struck, and in fact, we didn't know until after both towers had collapsed, and I called my wife. We I talked with her just before we evacuated, and the media hadn't even gotten the story yet, but I never got a chance to talk with her until after both buildings had collapsed, and then I was able to get through and she's the first one that told us how the two buildings had been hit by hijacked aircraft. But the mindset had kicked in that said, You know what to do, do it and that. And again, I didn't really think about that until much later, but that's something that is a lesson we all could learn. We shouldn't rely on just watching signs to know what to do, no to go in an emergency. We should really know it, because the knowledge, rather than just having information, the true intellectual knowledge that we internalize, makes such a big difference. Nick Francis  57:46 Do you think it was the fact that you were blind that made you so much more keen to know the way out that kind of that really helped you to understand that at the time? Michael Hingson  57:56 Well, what I think is being blind and growing up in an environment where so many things could be unexpected, for me, it was important to know so, for example, when I would go somewhere to meet a customer, I would spend time, ahead of time, learning how to get around, learning how to get to where they were and and learning what what the process was, because we didn't have Google Maps and we didn't have all the intellectual and and technological things that we have today. Well intellectual we did with the technology we didn't have. So today it's easier, but still, I want to know what to do. I want to really have the answers, and then I can can more easily and more effectively deal with what I need to deal with and react. So I'm sure that blindness played a part in all of that, because if I hadn't learned how to do the things that I did and know the things that I knew, then it would have been a totally different ball game, and so sure, I'm sure, I'm certain that blindness had something to do with it, but I also know that, that the fact is, what I learned is the same kinds of things that everyone should learn, and we shouldn't rely on just the signs, because what if the building were full of smoke, then what would you do? Right? And I've had examples of that since I was at a safety council meeting once where there was somebody from an electric company in Missouri who said, you know, we've wondered for years, what do we do if there's a fire in the generator room, in the basement, In the generator room, how do people get out? And he and I actually worked on it, and they developed a way where people could have a path that they could follow with their feet to get them out. But the but the reality is that what people first need to learn is eyesight is not the only game in town. Yeah, right. Mean, it's so important to really learn that, but people, people don't, and we take too many things for granted, which is, which is really so unfortunate, because we really should do a li

Dena Enos is the Founder and CEO of StrongHouse, a strategic marketing consulting firm that transforms organizational growth and talent development. With over 15 years of senior leadership experience, she has led global teams in customer acquisition, brand marketing, and analytics, having served as Vice President of Traffic Acquisition and Revenue Management at TripAdvisor and CMO at Hopper. Dena was also part of the original startup teams for OneTime and VirtualTourist, both acquired by Expedia in 2008.  In this episode… Many professionals struggle to balance their career ambitions with a deeper sense of purpose, often feeling disconnected from the impact they want to make. How can women entrepreneurs create a business model that aligns with their personal values? Marketing expert Dena Enos built a mission-driven business that bridges her professional expertise with her passion for social impact. She advises leveraging your existing skills to make a broader impact and maintaining authenticity and empathy in your marketing efforts. Through optimized marketing, businesses can focus on specific channels and create authentic and empathetic messaging to build trust and foster genuine connections.  Tune in to this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston chats with Dena Enos, the Founder and CEO of StrongHouse, about aligning personal and professional endeavors. Dena discusses the importance of values-based leadership, strategies for optimizing marketing efforts, and how resilience shaped her entrepreneurial journey.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Oliver Winter, CEO and Founder of a&o Hostels, for an inspiring conversation about his entrepreneurial journey, from traveling on a shoestring budget to building one of the largest hostel brands in the world. We talk about his focus on being a cost leader, not a price leader, and how that translates to a guest experience that works for small pockets while still serving the needs of his guests. Oliver also shares his passion for sustainability and how his company has been able to move from an 18-kilogram per guest carbon footprint to just a 3.8-kilogram per guest carbon footprint. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Oliver turned his personal travel experiences into founding one of the largest hostel brands in Europe Why being a cost leader (rather than just a price leader) shapes a&o Hostels' unique value proposition and guest experience What makes the hostel guest experience distinctive, especially in terms of shared spaces, social atmosphere, and accommodation variety How a&o Hostels attracts diverse customer segments―from student groups to families, digital nomads, and backpackers―and the distribution strategies that work for them Why sustainability became a central focus for a&o Hostels, and how they've reduced their carbon footprint by over 80% per guest overnight What's next for a&o Hostels, including the big announcement of a new luxury budget brand to extend their reach and serve evolving traveler needs Creating Value Without Compromise One of the cornerstone philosophies for a&o Hostels is being a "cost leader," not just a "price leader." This means that they streamline operations and get rid of unnecessary frills while keeping the essentials, like comfort and safety, readily accessible. The hostels boast large capacities (an average of 800 beds per location), centralized operations, and shared facilities, striking a balance between affordability and a vibrant, social guest experience. Rather than confining the traveler's experience to private rooms, a&o focuses on engaging common areas, such as 24/7 bars, kids' zones, and flexible working spaces. These communal amenities give great opportunities for people to connect, appealing to families, digital nomads, student groups, and backpackers. The model values shared spaces over luxury and, in doing so, builds community. Evolving Guest Profiles and Modern Distribution Channels a&o Hostels caters to a wide range of guests, with profiles shifting based on season and day of the week. Midweek guests are often student groups and school tours, while weekends and holidays attract families and independent travelers. The brand is found on major OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia, but has also cultivated a strong direct booking channel via their own website. The flexibility in room types, from single or twin rooms for teachers and families to dorm-style accommodations for groups, further enhances their accessibility. This adaptable approach enables a&o to welcome anyone from school-aged travelers to budget-conscious business guests. Sustainability as a Core Company Value Beginning in 2015, Oliver and his team took a pioneering approach by closely tracking and reducing their carbon footprint per guest. Initially, a&o's footprint was already lower than average (18kg CO₂e per overnight stay, compared to 25kg at home), primarily thanks to shared spaces and efficient building use. But instead of settling, a&o set their sights higher. Through targeted operational changes—reducing waste, switching to renewable energy contracts, limiting disposables, and leveraging automation—they slashed their footprint by 80% to just 3.8kg per guest. What's more, many sustainability initiatives actually resulted in cost savings, debunking the myth that going green is always expensive. Resources: Website: https://www.aohostels.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-winter-berlin/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aohostels/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more o​f. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahncke break down Booking Holdings (ticker: BKNG), the world's largest travel company. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:24:07 - What are the subtle differences between Expedia, Booking, and Airbnb 00:26:18 - How Booking.com established a foothold in Europe despite Expedia's dominance in North America 00:55:59 - What Alphabet could do to seriously disrupt Booking 01:01:14 - How Booking uses price parity to protect its value-add to customers 01:03:56 - Whether Booking can be disrupted by AI 01:09:50 - About the flawed approach the company has taken with its management comp 01:19:04 - Why the global travel industry should continue to outpace GDP growth 01:22:09 - How to think about modeling BKNG's intrinsic value 01:23:53 - Whether Shawn and Daniel add BKNG to their Intrinsic Value Portfolio *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES The Investors Podcast Network is excited to debut a new community known as The Intrinsic Value Community for investors to learn, share ideas, network, and join calls with experts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the waitlist(!)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Intrinsic Value Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to track our Portfolio. Shawn & Daniel use ⁠⁠Fiscal.ai⁠⁠ for every company they research — use their ⁠⁠referral link⁠⁠ to get started with a 15% discount! Our colleagues Clay Finck and Kyle Grieve's discussion of BKNG on ⁠⁠We Study Billionaires⁠⁠. How Booking's management⁠⁠ thinks about stock-based comp⁠⁠. Interview with Booking's CEO on the ⁠⁠promise of AI in travel⁠⁠. Booking's CEO interview with ⁠⁠Time Magazine⁠⁠. Explore our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paypal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uber,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Nike,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reddit,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airbnb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSMC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alphabet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ulta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LVMH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Madison Square Garden Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Related ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠books⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ mentioned in the podcast. Ad-free episodes on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium Feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy exclusive perks from our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠favorite Apps and Services⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠best business podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Public.com⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Vest Season… So we tracked the history of Corporate America's fave fashion to 1666.Duolingo's stock had its worst day ever… because its Owl Mascot wasn't unhinged *enough*.Expedia's stock jumped to an all-time high Friday… changing the narrative on the economy.Plus, the newest trend in Podcasting is Pawdcasting… AI dogs are topping the charts.$SBUX $DUO $GS $EXPENEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.