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Sponsored by Wycliffe: There are still people whose Bibles are blank, while millions of others have incomplete stories. Help make God's Word accessible. Give today at: https://bit.ly/3Thk8SHTop headlines for Thursday, August 20, 2026A former priest faces charges of stealing $740,000 from churches and his own mother. Pastor Greg Locke describes a pre-dawn federal raid on his Tennessee home. Thieves take $80 million in Renaissance masterpieces from a Sicilian museum. Plus, the Kendrick brothers reimagine Flywheel in Brazil.0:11 Church raids and the law: A look at federal invest1:01 Ex-priest charged with stealing over $740K from churches, his mom1:56 Navy SEAL who rescued 9/11 victims reflects on 'gratitude'3:40 Hundreds to attend ecumenical gathering on AI and human agency4:34 Child Evangelism Fellowship fires director facing charges5:30 Custodians facing disciplinary action after Sicilian museum heist6:28 Alex Kendrick on resisting pursuit of his own glorySubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsEx-priest charged with stealing over $740K from churches, his mom | U.S.Navy SEAL who rescued 9/11 victims reflects on ‘gratitude' | EntertainmentHundreds to attend ecumenical gathering on AI and human agency | Church & MinistriesChurch raids and the law: A look at federal invest | U.S.Child Evangelism Fellowship fires director facing charges | U.S.Custodians facing disciplinary action after Sicilian museum heist | WorldAlex Kendrick on resisting pursuit of his own glory | Entertainment
In the second episode of our Big Shift series, Emma sits down with Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer at Flywheel, to explore how fragmentation shows up in a brand's creative experience.Phil explains why fragmentation is more than disconnected teams or KPIs. It can also break the brand story consumers experience across creators, retail media, ecommerce, stores, and the shelf. He breaks down why consistency does not mean repeating the same message everywhere, how physical and digital retail should play complementary roles, and why the store still matters as a place for reassurance, immersion, and relationship building.The conversation also covers creative commerce, AI's impact on real-time commerce, what Total Commerce means in practice, and why brands should take a closer look at how their integrated agency teams are actually collaborating.This episode builds on ideas from The Big Shift: From managing to mastering fragmentation. Read the full whitepaper for the complete story.
The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer at Flywheel, the commerce acceleration division of Omnicom.Follow Phil on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-camarotaFollow Flywheel online at: http://www.flywheeldigital.comPhil answers these questions:1. Walk us through what it actually means to be Jury President — how much of it is scoring work versus managing a room of strong personalities with different creative instincts?2. Before you even got to Cannes, what did the prep work look like — building a "shared language" or judging framework with your jurors before deliberations began?3. Creative Commerce is a relatively young category compared to Film or Print — did that shape how you approached defining what "great" looks like this year?4. You've talked about expecting "AI tension" going into this year's judging — where did that show up in the room, and how did the jury navigate it?5. With jurors from Singapore to South America to Europe, how do you reconcile genuinely different regional definitions of great commerce creativity into one Grand Prix?6. Were there moments where you, personally, had a strong point of view on a piece of work but had to hold back because — as you put it — you're "not the arbiter of taste"?7. Commerce creativity spans everything from in-store experience to retail media to end-to-end digital journeys — how do you judge fairly across such different formats and channels?8. You're Global CCO at Flywheel, one of the biggest players in commerce creativity — how did you handle the optics and reality of judging a category so close to your day job?9. Were there conflict-of-interest guardrails Cannes puts in place for Jury Presidents whose own agencies or clients might have submitted work?10. Did anything from your Flywheel vantage point — pattern-spotting across retailers and brands — sharpen or distort your lens as a judge?11. What did last year's Grand Prix winner, VML's "Preserved Promos" for Ziploc, teach you about what separates good commerce work from truly great work — and did that shape your criteria this year?12. Now that it's behind you, what's one thing about the jury process that surprised you, and what would you tell next year's Creative Commerce Jury President to expect?CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.
Cardinal Health (CAH) CFO Aaron Alt joins Morning Movers to discuss his company's earnings, which includes a reaffirmation of guidance and margin expansion. He also elaborates on Cardinal's recent acquisitions and ways it expands future earnings prospects. Aaron touches on the revenue miss as one that isn't significant, saying the company's many business arms add enough muscle to ensure growth continues. ======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe 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
This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.----------------------------------------This episode of Investing in Impact is a little different from the conversations I usually have on the show.Social Leverage is not an impact investing firm in the traditional sense. It is a seed stage venture capital firm investing primarily in fintech, financial infrastructure, wealth technology, and vertical AI.But impact does not always fit neatly inside an impact investing label.Capital allocation shapes which companies get built, which founders get opportunities, where wealth is created, and what happens after successful entrepreneurs and employees gain experience, relationships, and financial resources.That idea became one of the most interesting parts of my conversation with Matt Ober, Managing Partner at Social Leverage.Matt described a flywheel the firm sees repeatedly across its network: a founder builds a company, eventually has an exit, and later returns to their hometown or another community where they want to build a life. They begin mentoring and supporting other entrepreneurs.Those entrepreneurs build companies of their own, and some eventually become new investment opportunities.Successful companies can create much more than financial returns for investors.They can create wealth for employees, produce experienced founders and operators, build networks, and recycle knowledge and capital back into communities and future companies.That broader definition of impact is what makes this conversation particularly interesting.Matt brings a unique perspective to the discussion. Before joining Social Leverage, he worked at Bloomberg, led data strategy at quantitative hedge fund WorldQuant, helped launch WorldQuant Ventures, and later served as Chief Data Scientist at Third Point.Today, he invests at the earliest stages of companies building across fintech and AI.In our conversation, we explore how Social Leverage evaluates founders, why venture investing is still fundamentally about people despite the rise of data and AI, and how technologies like AI are changing the economics of building companies.We also discuss several Social Leverage portfolio companies, including Fiscal AI, Slash Experts, and SyntheticFi, the evolution of wealth management technology, agentic trading, the role of financial advisors in an AI driven world, and why the next generation of professionals will need to become deeply proficient with AI.At its core, this conversation is about how capital, technology, entrepreneurship, and networks compound over time, and how the effects of a successful company can extend far beyond the original investment. ----------------------------------------Investing in Impact is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.
Book the podcast. Do the interview. Move on to the next one. That's the default playbook for most podcast guests — and according to this week's guest, it's leaving most of the value on the table. Dustin Riechmann, founder and CEO of 7 Figure Leap, and host the the 7 Figure Leap Podcast, has spent the last four years helping coaches, consultants, and agency owners turn podcast guesting into a genuine growth engine — not just a lead-gen tactic. His argument: in a "trust recession" flooded with AI content and social media noise, the real currency isn't reach, it's trust. And trust, done right, scales. Peter and Dustin dig into what that actually looks like in practice. It starts with borrowing trust — the audience a host has spent years building extends some of that credibility to any guest who shows up and delivers. But the bigger opportunity, Dustin argues, is what happens after the mic turns off: the relationship with the host, the access to a guest list full of potential referral partners, and the content that can be repurposed for months. That's where the conversation turns pointed. Peter shares a stat that should make every podcast guest wince: only about 60% of guests actually share their episode after it airs, despite the host doing the legwork to book, produce, and promote it. Dustin calls it a strategic blunder as much as a hygiene issue — because the guests who do the simple things (leave a review, share the episode once, say thank you) become the ones hosts refer business to. The two also unpack the difference between hiring a podcast booking agency to check a box and building a deliberate, relationship-first guesting strategy — and why one podcast a week, done with intention, can outperform a hundred done without it. If you've ever wondered why some guests turn a single appearance into years of referrals while others get nothing out of dozens of interviews, this episode lays out exactly what separates the two. Three Key Takeaways: • Trust is the new currency, and it scales through borrowing. In a noisy, AI-saturated market, audiences no longer take credibility at face value — appearing on a trusted host's platform lets guests borrow that trust instantly, then build their own with the audience over time. • Sharing your episode isn't optional, it's strategic. Roughly 40% of guests never promote the interviews they're given, and that gap is exactly what separates a forgettable guest from the one a host refers to future opportunities. • The real ROI is relational, not transactional. A single interview compounds into referral partnerships, guest-list networks, and repurposable content — but only for guests who treat the host relationship as a two-way investment rather than a 20-minute box to check. Every guest on this show has wrestled with the same question: how do you turn deep expertise into lasting influence, not just a moment of visibility? That question is exactly what The Thought Leadership Handbook answers. Bill Sherman, Peter Winick, and Naren Aryal distilled patterns from more than 700 conversations on this very podcast into practical frameworks for building a body of work that scales — covering everything from your core ideas to the platform that carries them. If you're ready to move from insight to real impact, this is the field guide. Learn more and order your copy at thoughtleadershiphandbook.com.
Most electricians do this backwards. I break down why firing bullets first, at one hyper-specific target market, is what actually brings ideal clients into your electrical business.
Simplified Sparky is limited to 41 electrical business. Don't wait.Allan Dibs Books - HERE
95% of electricians market video content the wrong way!Focusing on the work itself instead of the problem they're solving for clients. Learn why raw phone video is the future of trades marketing, why fancy equipment doesn't matter, and how to stand out in a crowded market.
Advertisement Get More at LVwithLOVE.com! Musikfest Preview Night arrives Thursday, July 30, followed by 10 days of music, food, art and nearly unavoidable reunions throughout Bethlehem from Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 9. For the fifth annual Mayor's Musikfest Preview Podcast, we set up at StadtPlatz outside Bethlehem City Hall with Mayor J. William Reynolds and eight guests who plan the festival, perform on its stages, volunteer behind the scenes and help create the community around it. The 43rd Musikfest features more than 400 performers and 500 performances across 16 stages, 15 of which are free. Mayor Reynolds described Musikfest as a shared experience that cannot be recreated through a screen. “You can't one-up somebody else's experience. What happens there is that it brings people together, and it shows us what's possible when we're focused on people.” Building a temporary city ArtsQuest President and CEO Kassie Hilgert started with the people responsible for turning more than 50 acres of Bethlehem into the country's largest free music festival. “It takes 5,000 people to put this festival up and to tear it down. You've got volunteers that are taking 10 days from their vacation time at work to support this festival.” Hilgert also made a direct appeal for people to support the vendors, restaurants, hotels, artists and cultural organizations that keep events like Musikfest alive. Patrick Brogan, ArtsQuest's Chief Programming Officer, said more than 2,000 artists applied to perform this year. The final program includes 417 artists presenting 512 sets, with roughly one-third of the festival changing each year. His advice is simple: “Follow your ears through the festival.” Turn a corner, stop at an unfamiliar stage and stay long enough to find the artist who could become your next favorite. “The soundtrack of Bethlehem” Miguel Perez-Soto has experienced Musikfest as an ArtsQuest board member, a musician, a B. Braun Medical employee and a supporter who has been attending for 25 years. He has also watched Musikfest and ArtsQuest's year-round programming grow to represent more of the cultures found throughout Bethlehem. “Musikfest is the soundtrack of Bethlehem. We're going to have a great time doing this for the next 10 days, but throughout the year, Bethlehem always has the initiative to reinvent itself and put events together for the entire family, for the entire community.” A place where everyone can Fest Richard Liu helped lead the creation of SoberPlatz, the inclusive alcohol-free space that returns to the SouthSide for its second year. Located near Americaplatz and the Flywheel, SoberPlatz offers room to relax, activities, recovery resources and a community that does not revolve around drinking. Everyone is welcome. The only request is that visitors not bring alcohol into the space. Liu shared the response that showed exactly why SoberPlatz was needed. “I've had people tell me they didn't feel like they could Fest until SoberPlatz was there.” For Liu, Musikfest ultimately comes back to people. “It's the volunteers that I see year after year and become friends with. It's the friendships with performers who come back year after year. It's the community members who I see and become friends with. It's the people.” Learn more about SoberPlatz and its 2026 activities. Community voices and volunteers WDIY Executive Director Margaret McConnell described the station as another community organization powered largely by volunteers. WDIY was built by community members who wanted their own radio station. Its programming still reflects that original mission. “Picking hand-curated music, no algorithms involved. Very little automation. This is really led by this community, for this community.” ArtsQuest ambassador-level volunteer Robin Sherrerd has poured beer, sold tickets, worked with the Eco Squad and served as a site supervisor. “I worked my way up to site supervisor and enjoyed every bit of it because of the camaraderie that we have with all of the other volunteers.” Those relationships continue after the tents come down. Sherrerd said many volunteers have become friends who see one another and spend time together throughout the year. Two Bethlehem artists step onto the stage Bethlehem country artist Lilly Moss opens for Russell Dickerson at the Wind Creek Steel Stage on Friday, July 31. She returns Sunday, August 2 for a free Main Street performance. Two years ago, Moss opened a fortune cookie while attending the Maren Morris concert at Musikfest. “I opened a fortune cookie and it said, ‘You will make a name for yourself.'” She kept and framed the fortune. Now she plans to carry it onto the largest stage she has ever played. Moss said she no longer becomes more nervous as the crowds grow. “As the crowds get bigger, I get more excited. I feed off the energy and the adrenaline.” Jenny Founds performs with Ruby Dear at Zinzenplatz from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, August 2. The Bethlehem alternative-rock trio is expanding for a special Ruby Dear Big Band performance featuring additional musicians from Start Making Sense. Founds performs original music with Ruby Dear and Talking Heads music with Start Making Sense. She sees value in both. “I've had people come up to me and say, ‘I've never heard you before, but I can relate to your lyrics, and I've never felt seen like that.' So both are valid, and both give opportunities to musicians.” A free Musikfest stage gives original artists something particularly valuable: people who were walking past, heard something interesting and decided to enter the tent. The Musikfest must-do list Mayor Reynolds and George also shared a few rules for getting the most out of Musikfest: Put the phone away. Spend time with someone you unexpectedly run into. Buy at least one thing. Watch an artist perform original music. Show someone your favorite Musikfest spot. Try a food you are not completely sure about. Leave one night open and see where Musikfest takes you. Musikfest Preview Night is Thursday, July 30. The full festival runs Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 9. Get the complete schedule and download the official app at Musikfest.org. Advertisement Sign up for our Newsletter! Thank you to our Partners! WDIY 88.1 FM QuoteAhead.com Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Banko Beverage Company Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to our email list
This episode is brought to you by KWI.Instacart recently crossed $1 billion in quarterly revenue, and alongside its impressive marketplace growth, it's also evolving into a powerful technology partner for retailers while continuing to redefine the digital grocery experience.In this episode of Retail Remix, Kate Robertson speaks with Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer at Instacart, about the company's expanding role across marketplace services, enterprise technology, retail media and AI. Ryan explains why trust has become the foundation of digital grocery, how Instacart is helping retailers modernize their digital infrastructure and why the future of grocery depends on connecting online and in-store experiences—not choosing between them. Key TakeawaysHow Instacart's marketplace, enterprise technology, retail media and AI businesses work together to fuel long-term growth Why trust—from accurate substitutions to reliable fulfillment—is the biggest driver of customer loyalty in digital grocery How AI is improving both the customer experience through shopping assistants and store operations through computer vision and shelf monitoring Why retailers should focus on building connected omnichannel experiences instead of treating digital and physical stores as separate businesses Why Instacart believes enterprise technology represents one of grocery retail's biggest opportunities over the next several years Related LinksLearn more about Instacart's platform and enterprise technology solutions for retailersDon't miss RTP's latest reports on Instacart: CEO Chris Rogers Shares AI and Ad Strategy as Instacart Revenues Reach $1 Billion in Q1; Instacart Acquires Arpalus Shelf-Scanning TechnologyGet more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPointsSubscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail RemixKWI is the best-kept secret in retail. Find out what the secret is at kwi.com/RTP. ----KWI is the best-kept secret in retail. Find out what the secret is at kwi.com/RTP.
This sermon was preached by Mike Hampton at Common Ground Church Rondebosch on the 26th of July 2026.Series: Standalone MessageSermon Title: A Flywheel Vision of Faithfulness from Generation to GenerationScripture: Psalm 78:1-8‘Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.' (1 Timothy 4:13)
This sermon was preached by Mike Hampton at Common Ground Church Rondebosch on the 26th of July 2026.Series: Standalone MessageSermon Title: A Flywheel Vision of Faithfulness from Generation to GenerationScripture: Psalm 78:1-8‘Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.' (1 Timothy 4:13)
I got to speak with Sam McGuire from MPS Electrical the OG Member #001. Inside Simplified Sparky.Sam already had the bones of a electrical business. He just needed a little bit more structure, and that structure has skyrocketed his business for efficiency with systems, efficiency, and profitability. Rebranding, plugging in softwares, systems and more. Watch it on YouTube
Commerce is more connected than ever for consumers, but more fragmented than ever for the brands trying to reach them. In the first episode of our Big Shift series, Emma sits down with Mike Feldman, SVP of Commerce at Flywheel, to unpack one of the central themes from Flywheel's latest whitepaper: fragmentation. Fragmentation is not just operationally frustrating, it is costing brands real growth.Mike breaks down how brands got here, why disconnected teams and KPIs create waste, where frequency management exposes the cost of fragmentation, and how better commerce data, clean rooms, and aligned planning can help brands move from managing complexity to mastering it.This episode covers some of the key ideas from The Big Shift: From managing to mastering fragmentation. Read the full whitepaper for the complete story, and stay tuned for next month's episode with Phil Camarota covering the impact of fragmentation on your brand's creative efforts, and the importance of a Total Commerce approach.
Mike Switzer interviews Peter Marsh, founding partner at Flywheel in Greenville, SC.
Canada produces world-leading science, engineering, and AI research. So why does so much of that research still commercialize outside of Canada?In this episode of TechSurge, host Nic Brathwaite puts that question to four leaders at two of Canada's top research universities: Mary Wells (Dean of Engineering) and Chris Houser (Dean of Science) at the University of Waterloo, and Heather Sheardown (Dean of Engineering) and Gianni Parise (VP Research) at McMaster.At Waterloo, Mary Wells traces how the university's origin produced one of the world's most influential co-op programs and a creator-owned IP policy that lets inventors keep their ideas, making the school a talent engine for global tech. The group digs into Canada's AI paradox, foundational research and talent but far less of the economic value, and what quantum, robotics, and advanced manufacturing show about getting research to market.McMaster runs a different model, built on health sciences, nuclear research, and problem-based learning. Heather Sheardown explains the McMaster Method and why it matters in an AI-shaped future. Gianni Parise argues for commercialization as a core university function, with work spanning AI-assisted drug discovery, inhaled vaccines, critical-mineral-free motors, and a campus nuclear reactor that supplies much of the world's iodine-125 for prostate cancer treatment. They also unpack Fusion Pharmaceuticals, the McMaster spin-out acquired by AstraZeneca, and what it reveals about university commercialization.Together, these conversations ask what universities must become in an era defined by AI, deep tech, national competitiveness, and the urgent need to move ideas from the lab into the world.Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits and future episodes.Speaker Profiles and LinksMary Wells - University of Waterloo Profile: https://uwaterloo.ca/engineering/about/dean-engineerinChris Houser - University of Waterloo profile: https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-environmental-sciences/profile/chouserHeather Sheardown - McMaster Engineering profile: https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/chemeng/faculty/dr-heather-sheardown/Gianni Parise - McMaster Experts Profile: https://experts.mcmaster.ca/people/parisegChapters: 0:00 Highlights0:56 Welcome 2:39 Waterloo's origin story 4:51 Creator-owned IP and the Waterloo model 7:42 The Co-op Flywheel 8:56 Canada's AI paradox: world-class research, slower domestic value capture 10:21 AI, Regulation, Trust, and Canadian Competitiveness 17:09 Rethinking the PhD for Commercialisation 21:43 Inside Waterloo's labs 30:14 What Waterloo wants to be in ten years: builders of the country 32:39 Meet McMaster: health sciences, nuclear capability, and research intensity 34:12 The McMaster Method 35:11 Research, Health, and Commercialisation 40:45 McMaster Labs: Heat, Motors and Health Innovation 47:13 Bioinnovation, Nuclear Research and Fusion Pharmaceuticals 58:43 The university of 2035: less lecture, deeper societal impact References Mentioned and Further ReadingUniversity of Waterloo Policy 73 - Intellectual Property Rights: https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/policies-procedures-guidelines/policies/policy-73-intellectual-property-rightsUniversity of Waterloo - Our IP policy: https://uwaterloo.ca/entrepreneurship/our-ip-policyUniversity of Waterloo Co-op programs: https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/co-opUniversity of Waterloo - Academy of Research Commercialization: https://uwaterloo.ca/conrad-school-entrepreneurship-business/graduate-students/academy-research-commercialization-arcOpen Quantum Design: https://openquantumdesign.org/Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/institute-for-quantum-computing/CIFAR - Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy: https://cifar.ca/ai/Government of Canada / ISED - Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en/pan-canadian-artificial-intelligence-strategyStatistics Canada - Understanding Canada's innovation paradox: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2024007/article/00002-eng.htmCouncil of Canadian Academies - Innovation and Business Strategy: Why Canada Falls Short: https://cca-reports.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2009-06-11-innovation-report-1.pdfKPMG / University of Melbourne - Trust, attitudes and use of artificial intelligence: https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/ca/pdf/2025/07/trust-in-ai-en-report.pdfMcMaster - Our approach to teaching and learning / Problem-Based Learning: https://provost.mcmaster.ca/teaching-learning/our-approach/McMaster - Evidence-based medicine: https://fhshrwelcome.mcmaster.ca/did_you_know/evidence-based-medicine/McMaster Nuclear Reactor - Medical Isotopes: https://nuclear.mcmaster.ca/medical-isotopes/McMaster Industry Liaison Office - IP and commercialization FAQ: https://research.mcmaster.ca/mcmaster-industry-liaison-office-milo/ip-education/intellectual-property-guides/faqs/McMaster - AstraZeneca to acquire McMaster-supported Fusion Pharmaceuticals: https://news.mcmaster.ca/astrazeneca-to-acquire-mcmaster-supported-fusion-pharmaceuticals/Fusion Pharmaceuticals - FACIT investment and CPDC spin-out background: https://fusionpharma.com/facit-announces-investment-in-fusion-pharmaceuticals-and-alpha-emitting-radiotherapeutics/PubMed - Evidence-based medicine and problem-based learning at McMaster: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31617018/ScienceDirect - Fifty Years on: The first problem-based learning programme at McMaster:
How Fast Can You Spin Up the Flywheel Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors want several things from a startup. Here's a list for investors to consider when investing: Team -- They want a strong team that can not only build the product but also sell it. Product-market fit -- This is a focused solution for a clearly defined problem. The users are engaged, and traction is underway. Large market potential -- The market is big and growing, and there are inflection points that catalyze it. Vision -- the team can see the vision beyond the current problem solution to the next level up. Competitive advantage -- the company has a unique solution or capability that gives them an edge over the competition. Quality investors -- the company has investors who provide value and can help propel the startup forward. Fast start -- finally, the company can spin up the flywheel quickly. Investors want a startup that knows how to build a business and generate revenue in short order. Look for these elements in a startup for funding. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Only 17% of podcasters make it to episode TEN....that's scary! A big part of why this is happening is because podcasters are OVERCOMPLICATING everything! In this episode I map out my three phase Content Flywheel Strategy that helps me: Put out a new podcast episode every single week for 11 years in a row. Publish a newsletter every week for 8 years in a row. Post on social media 6-10x per day. All while: -Working 2.5 days per week. -Not using a VA -Not using any AI ********* Join my new Podcasting Business School community on Skool! https://www.skool.com/podcastingbusinessschool/about
Google traffic to publishers is down over 30%. AI Overviews are answering the questions your articles used to. Social referral is a shadow of what it was.The one thing nobody can scrape from you is a direct relationship with your audience. This episode walks through the Publisher Flywheel: a 4-step system Pete has built with hundreds of publishers to convert anonymous traffic into known, engaged readers, and turn that audience into revenue.You'll see it working live on The Spanish Eye, a regional English-language news publisher in Andalusia that grew active users 800% in 12 months. Pete breaks down exactly which levers they pulled, in what order, and how you can start with a loose registration wall and tighten over time as confidence builds.What you'll learn:Why the average site sees 1.7 pages per session, and what that means for where your registration wall has to sitHow registration walls convert anonymous traffic 2-7x faster than pop-upsThe two-newsletter setup (free list + paid list) and what each one is actually forWhy your newsletter is a product, not a promo channel, and the cadence that actually convertsHow to target logged-in free readers with the right upgrade message at the right momentThe insights that matter: paywall hits, quiet readers, failed payments, and how to automate follow-upWhen (and whether) to lock down completely against AI bots and searchResources mentioned:The Publisher's AI Survival Guide (free): publisherrevenue.comThe Spanish Eye: thespanisheye.comLeaky Paywall: leakypaywall.com/list-builder/List Builder: leakypaywall.comLeaky Paywall Insights: insights.leakypaywall.com
Most membership owners treat their marketing like a straight line with a finish line at the end. Get the traffic. Build the list. Make the sale. Done. But that model is fundamentally broken for subscription businesses, because the sale isn't the end - it's the beginning.The membership marketing flywheel flips that thinking completely. Instead of treating new members as the end product, it treats your existing members as the fuel that powers your growth. It's a cycle - not a funnel - and once you understand how it works, it changes how you think about every decision you make in your membership business.In this episode, I break down the three stages of the membership marketing flywheel: attract, engage, and delight. More importantly, I get specific about what's happening inside each stage, why most memberships stall at the same point, and what you can actually do to keep the flywheel spinning.If you've been pouring effort into traffic and lead generation but struggling to get real momentum, this episode is for you.In this episode:Why treating the sale as a finish line creates a leaky bucket - and what to focus on insteadHow to build an attract stage that brings in the right people, not just more peopleWhat the engage stage actually requires beyond just having an email listWhy the delight stage is where most memberships fall down, and what fixing it unlocksHow happy members become your most powerful marketing asset and fuel every other stageWant a practical framework for mapping your own flywheel and identifying exactly where it's breaking down? Grab the free Membership Marketing Flywheel Tracker at membershipgeeks.com/482.And if you want a broader view of where the gaps are across your entire membership business, the free Membership Healthcheck gives you a clear picture in about two minutes.Key Quotes & Takeaways:"Marketing your membership successfully is not about getting sales at any cost. That's where so many people go wrong. They chase big numbers, they're constantly chasing more traffic, more signups, more leads, and they end up with the wrong kind of people.""I would gladly take 1,000 highly active, highly aligned people on my email list over 100,000 who only subscribed because we were giving away an iPad. The size of your list is irrelevant.""Member advocacy is the secret weapon to the membership marketing flywheel because when a stranger sees a member talking about your membership, that's worth a hundred times more than anything you could say yourself.""Content fuels traffic, traffic fuels leads, leads fuel sales, sales fuel your member experience, member experience fuels retention, retention fuels social proof, and then social proof fuels everything else at the top of the funnel. It's one big cycle."You might also find useful:Discover the 12 Universal Truths of Membership MarketingHow To Use Content Marketing To Sell Your Online MembershipAvoid These 6 Common Member Retention Mistakes9 Membership Marketing Tactics That'll Get You More MembersThank You For ListeningWe really appreciate you choosing to listen to us and for supporting the podcast.We would be eternally grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show.They're extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and we read each and every one personally!Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure that you never miss an episode.
Recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit, this keynote features Crystal Maggelet outlining her journey from a childhood trailer in Willard, Utah, to managing a multi-billion dollar diversified retail empire. Crystal delivers a masterclass in corporate survival, detailing her sudden appointment as CEO of FJM just three weeks into a massive, free-fall bankruptcy in 2008. She breaks down the strict operational discipline and strategic restructurings required to fully repay the company's massive obligations and successfully exit the crisis. The discussion maps out her subsequent focus on expanding Maverick, transforming it from a traditional fuel station into an experiential quick-service restaurant (QSR) powerhouse. She details how organic cash flow fueled their aggressive multi-state growth, culminating in the massive acquisition and total rebranding of 400 Kum & Go locations. Managing a diverse corporate portfolio spanning energy refineries, banking, hotels, and med spas, Crystal delivers the ultimate blueprint on decentralized executive leadership, corporate board structuring, and building a legacy rooted in employee profit-sharing and social impact.
When you order coffee on your phone, you're experiencing the most successful app pattern in retail: the Starbucks flywheel. Skip the line, earn points, get personalized suggestions, repeat. Rob Tedesco has spent years helping restaurant brands replicate this formula at Dutch Bros, Shake Shack, Carl's Jr, and dozens more. But here's what surprised him: not every restaurant actually needs all four pieces of that engine.Join hosts Nick Paladino and Chuck Moxley as they explore why passwordless login is suddenly the number one priority for QSR apps everywhere. We also unpack a counterintuitive truth: robots are better at upselling than humans. A cashier forgets to ask about fries. An app never does. That algorithmic upsell catches sales humans miss.We dig into how Dutch Bros turned stickers into a collectible experience that hit number one in the App Store, and why the app had to feel as fun as the brand itself. Plus the uncomfortable truth about app security in QSR: these businesses are targets for credential stuffing attacks, and that affects how seriously they take authentication.Key Actionable Takeaways:Passwordless login removes the biggest friction point - Six-digit passcodes beat magic links and device fingerprinting because they're what customers already knowBuild for your frequency, not Starbucks' frequency - Texas Roadhouse doesn't need loyalty programs because they compete on value and hospitality, not habitsAlgorithmic personalization beats human memory every time - Let machines handle upsells; your employees will forget anywayWant more tips and strategies about creating frictionless digital experiences? Subscribe to our newsletter!https://www.thefrictionlessexperience.com/frictionless/Download the Five Step Site Speed Target Playbook: http://bluetriangle.com/playbookRob Tedesco's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcharlestedesco/ Nick Paladino's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/npaladino Chuck Moxley's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckmoxley/Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(02:20) The QSR flywheel explained (05:00) Starbucks blueprint vs Texas Roadhouse (08:55) App fatigue and Amazon exception(11:00) Passwordless login becoming standard(13:20) Device fingerprinting explained(14:30) Security threats in QSR(16:00) Why restaurants have apps(16:54) Dutch Bros sticker strategy(19:30) 10-second app design(20:00) Legacy POS complexity(22:00) Conclusion
In this episode, Kim Maida joins the podcast to talk about DevRel, AI, developer experience, and measuring what actually matters. We also dive into her developer empowerment flywheel and how Keycard is approaching identity and access for AI agents.Links: • Kim Maida • Keycard • Kim Maida on LinkedIn • Kim Maida on X
Corporate dentistry can copy more than most dentists want to admit.The equipment. The software. The scripts. The offers. The polish. Even the people.So what's left?In Day 29 of The Flow Protocol series, Dr. Dave reveals the advantage that never shows up on a balance sheet but shows up the moment a patient walks through the door.In this episode:Why patients feel the difference between a team that works near each other and a team that moves as oneHow flow turns an ordinary appointment into differentiation patients talk aboutWhy referability is the most underbuilt growth engine in independent dentistryListen to Day 29 and learn how to build the practice code corporate dentistry can't crack.━━━━━━━━━Busy isn't the same as Irreplaceable. One fills your schedule. The other protects your time, your income, and the team that has your back.Ten questions. Four minutes. See where your practice is strong, where it is exposed, and what to build next so you can work less, earn more, and be ready for what is coming.Take the Commoditization Threat Assessment: assessment.irreplaceablepractice.com
En este episodio #145 hablamos de Strategy, Michael Saylor y el riesgo detrás de su estrategia con Bitcoin; del marketing de Noruega en el Mundial, de la nueva marca de ropa “Democracia” del Gobierno, del coste del absentismo laboral en España y del negocio oculto detrás de las tarjetas de crédito. También hablaremos de las suscripciones que pagamos sin aprovechar y el concepto de Flywheel de Jim Collins aplicado a empresas, contenido y crecimiento a largo plazo. Invierte de forma segura y recibe un 3% sobre tu efectivo con Trade Republic: https://trade.re/spicy4tuna Invertir conlleva riesgos, los rendimientos no están garantizados. Aplican T&Cs. Prueba gratis la Cuenta de empresa de Qonto y simplifica las finanzas de tu negocio: https://bit.ly/4lPuNxU Accede a las formaciones In Company de CEF.- UDIMA: https://bit.ly/4wYmp4i CEF: https://bit.ly/3PyE16i UDIMA: https://bit.ly/4u4SEMH Contacta con el equipo de Executive Lab para acceder a nuestra formación de Inteligencia Artificial para Empresarios y Ejecutivos: https://executivelab.ai/ Crea tu Página Web con Hostinger: https://www.hostinger.com/spicy4tuna Cupón de 10% de Descuento para planes de +12 meses: SPICY4TUNA Prueba GRATIS la app de Odoo y gestiona todo tu negocio desde una misma aplicación: https://www.odoo.com/r/Avs Inspecciona tu futura vivienda y evita que se convierta en una pesadilla: https://hausum.com/?utm_source=spicy4tuna&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=premier Invierte en inmuebles de forma pasiva y sin dolores de cabeza con Inversiva: https://inversiva.com/invierte-en-inmuebles/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=spicy4tuna ════════════════ ️ Accede a la Web de Spicy4tuna y Suscríbete a nuestra Newsletter: https://www.spicy4tuna.com Contacto para Sponsors ➡ https://tally.so/r/nrPNE5 Email de Contacto ➡ podcast@spicy4tuna.com ════════════════ Todos los episodios completos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9XxulgDZKuzf6zuPWcuF6anvQOrukMom ════════════════ REDES SOCIALES DE SPICY4TUNA ➜ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/spicy4tunapodcast/ ➜ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@spicy4tuna ➜ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/spicy4tuna ════════════════ ️ ESCUCHA SPICY4TUNA EN FORMATO PODCAST Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2QPC17Z9LhTntCA4c3Ijk9?si=39b610a14bb24f1f iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/spicy4tuna/id1714279648 iVoox: https://www.ivoox.com/escuchar-audios-spicy4tuna_al_33258956_1.html ════════════════ ¿QUIÉNES SOMOS? · Euge Oller: https://www.instagram.com/euge.oller/ · Willyrex: https://www.instagram.com/willyrex/ · Marc Urgell: https://www.instagram.com/marcurgelldiaz/ · Alvaro845: https://www.instagram.com/alvaro845/ ════════════════ 00:00:00 A continuación... 00:00:30 La cola de Álvaro y el coste de oportunidad 00:08:48 Mundial, Trump y polémicas de la FIFA 00:13:21 Noruega: el marketing vikingo del Mundial 00:23:28 La marca de ropa “Democracia” del Gobierno 00:32:13 Suscripciones que pagas y no aprovechas 00:34:06 Tarjetas de crédito, estatus y ventajas ocultas 00:42:28 Strategy, Saylor y la tesis de Bitcoin 00:48:10 ¿Puede Strategy hundir Bitcoin? 00:54:52 El plan de Saylor para sobrevivir 01:05:06 El coste del absentismo laboral en España 01:14:35 Por qué las bajas golpean más a las pymes 01:21:57 Permisos, fraude y el sistema de bajas 01:30:26 Twitter, sorteos y el hate 01:44:37 El Flywheel de Jim Collins aplicado a negocios
Austin shares the one question that can lead to a flywheel effect for your networking!Time Stamped Show Notes:[0:25] - Create a networking flywheel[0:49] - Start with a conversation[1:15] - Build that relationship[1:44] - Ask this magic question[3:26] - Rinse & repeatWant To Level Up Your Job Search?Click here to learn more about 1:1 career coaching to help you land your dream job without applying online.Check out Austin's courses and, as a thank you for listening to the show, use the code PODCAST to get 5% off any digital course:The Interview Preparation System - Austin's proven, all-in-one process for turning your next job interview into a job offer.Value Validation Project Starter Kit - Everything you need to create a job-winning VVP that will blow hiring managers away and set you apart from the competition.No Experience, No Problem - Austin's proven framework for building the skills and experience you need to break into a new industry (even if you have *zero* experience right now).Try Austin's Job Search ToolsResyBuild.io - Build a beautiful, job-winning resume in minutes.ResyMatch.io - Score your resume vs. your target job description and get feedback.ResyBullet.io - Learn how to write attention grabbing resume bullets.Mailscoop.io - Find anyone's professional email in seconds.Connect with Austin for daily job search content:Cultivated CultureLinkedInTwitterThanks for listening!
The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Christine Gambino, CEO of Omni, Omnicom's next-generation marketing and sales intelligence platform. It connects strategy, creativity, media, CRM, commerce, data, and AI to help brands grow with greater clarity, speed, and measurable business impact.Follow Christine on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-gambino-59683ab8Follow Omni online at: https://www.omc.com/omni/Christine answers these questions:Christine, you came up through Flywheel — one of the most commerce-native organizations in the industry — and now you're operating at the platform level as CEO of Omni. What did that journey from commerce practitioner to enterprise platform operator teach you about what CPG brands actually need from a marketing intelligence system?Your move from Flywheel to Omni was a deliberate cross-capability appointment. What was the mandate when you stepped into the CEO role, and what did you see as the biggest operational gaps you needed to close?At CES you demonstrated Omni live — walking through a campaign brief in real time, from media budget breakdowns to synthetic audiences to creator suggestions. For a CPG brand team watching that demo, what's the "aha moment" you're trying to create? In other words, What should click for them?You've been clear that Omni is additive, not a replacement — your words were: "It's meant to give real-time insights to teams and brands through our agentic environment." For CPG marketers who are worried about what AI means for their jobs, how do you make that case authentically, not just rhetorically?Omni now integrates Acxiom's 2.6 billion consumer profiles, Flywheel Commerce Cloud, and IPG's data and technology assets. That's a massive data convergence. How are you ensuring that consolidation creates clarity and speed for CPG clients rather than complexity?Omni is reported as having 41+ frontier LLM models and 24,000 monthly active users across 77 countries. What does it actually mean operationally to manage a platform at that scale — and how do you govern consistency of outputs when so many models and markets are in play?Flywheel's Commerce Cloud is described as the largest digital transaction data set in the world. Now fused into Omni, that commerce signal is live inside a broader marketing intelligence platform. For a CPG brand running retail media across Amazon, Walmart, and a dozen other RMNs, how does that change what's possible from a targeting and measurement standpoint?Omni includes what you're calling "Return on Consumer" — tracking consumer progression through Opportunity, Awareness, Interest, Purchase, and Loyalty — rather than just campaign metrics. That's a fundamental reframe. How ready are CPG brand teams to actually buy into that measurement model, and what's holding back adoption?There's a real tension in the industry right now between AI as efficiency play and AI as growth driver. Omnicom's own data points to 25-55% faster production times. But CPG CMOs are being asked to prove incrementality, not just efficiency. How does Omni help brands make that leap from "we're saving money" to "we're growing share"?GEO — Generative Engine Optimization — is becoming a major conversation as AI-driven search displaces traditional keyword rankings. Omni appears to have a point of view here through AI Optix on the PR side. How is the broader Omni platform thinking about brand visibility in an era where the algorithm deciding what consumers see isn't Google anymore?You are sitting at the intersection of the largest data asset in advertising, the largest commerce platform, and a next-gen agentic interface. If you had to name the one capability that CPG brands are most dramatically under-utilizing today — what would it be, and why?Christine, you came from Flywheel, which has deep roots in CPG. What's your message to the brand leaders, the commerce managers, and the retail media practitioners in our audience about what Omni means for them specifically — not for the holding company, but for them, in their day-to-day work?CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.
When Walmart builds a global flywheel like Amazon's, and you're only selling on one platform, you're at risk. Neil Twa dives into why ignoring Walmart's structural shift is a mistake for ecommerce operators. He shares the story of David, who was doing $30,000 a month on Amazon with six SKUs, and how expanding to Walmart changed his business. Neil outlines three critical moves to prepare your catalog for Walmart, emphasizing immediate action. This episode is a must-listen for sellers at every level who want to stay competitive in a multi-platform world. Ready to implement with us? Join the Voltage Business Builders cohort at voltagedm.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep317 See your Amazon numbers in one place and protect your margins with Caiman Data at voltagedm.com: https://voltagedm.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep317&learn_mcp=1
In this month's episode, Emma and Danny Hoffman, Senior Director of Global Retail Strategy at Flywheel, break down three commerce shifts brands should be watching: what Amazon overtaking Walmart on the Fortune 500 signals about its push to become the everything company, how Amazon's latest content updates are pushing brands toward cleaner, more AI-friendly PDPs and shopping experiences, and why Walmart's Google, VIZIO, and Vibe.co moves point to a bigger full-funnel bet on connecting media, stores, data, and commerce outcomes.Learn more about Flywheel's new GEO Optimization service here.
In this episode of The Marketing Rapport, host Tim Finnigan sits down with Amie Owen, Chief Client Officer at Flywheel. They explore how brands can connect with consumers through a stronger commerce strategy. Amie says marketers need to treat commerce as more than a media buy.She maps that idea across four pillars: media, creative, technology, and retail readiness. The conversation shows how those parts work together to shape the full purchase journey, from the first message to the product page and store shelf. She also explains why teams need shared goals, strong measurement, and better coordination.The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of ActiveProspect. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.This podcast is not intended to replace legal or other professional advice. The Lead Intelligence, Inc. (dba InfutorData) and ActiveProspect LLC names and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.ACTIVEPROSPECT DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
For today's special bonus episode, Morgan spoke with filmmaker Philip Byron about his documentary, "Spin Wars" which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. "Spin Wars" explores the history of indoor cycling which evolved into such phenomena as SoulCycle, FlyWheel, and Peloton - for example. Smart, funny, and thoughtful, "Spin Wars" boasts captivating interviews woven with archival footage to paint a tapestry of the electric, complicated, and at times toxic industry. In their conversation, Philip discusses his decision to direct, the editing process, and the artist who inspired him. You can follow Female Gaze: The Film ClubInstagramBlueSkyWebsite
Is Your Supplement Brand Looking at TikTok Shop All Wrong? Most supplement and health brands treat TikTok Shop as an isolated sales channel. They look at direct dollars spent versus immediate revenue out, and if the margins aren't instantly positive, they call it a failure. That legacy mindset is costing brands millions in lost growth. In this video, I'll break down why a performance-siloed view of TikTok is holding you back, and how the fastest-growing brands are using it to fuel a massive, multi-channel flywheel effect. TikTok Shop is currently the 4th largest health ecommerce retailer in the US, generating over $800 million in the vitamins and supplements segment alone over a recent 52-week period. But the real value isn't the sales inside the app. And I'll discuss the predictable multi-channel consumer loop that begins with a massive surge in Amazon branded search volume, shifts towards an ecommerce windfall on Amazon, and then that viral online discovery spills over into physical retail, leading to a massive lift in offline revenue and total distribution points. But to unlock this, leadership has to abandon traditional DTC playbooks, give up absolute creative control, and embrace a "loose reins" affiliate strategy to scale content volume. Watch the full video to learn how to let the algorithm act as your ultimate creative director and achieve true attention arbitrage.
Events can be one of the most effective ways for breweries to drive traffic, increase customer visits, and create stronger community connections. In this episode, SkylerLewis from Evently joins our Taproom Success monthly expert to discuss how breweries can build event programs that create predictable recurring revenue. Key Takeaways:Private events have become a critical growth lever for breweries in today's market - learn how to streamline the planning process to turn inquiries into solid bookingsThe event formats and programming strategies that are generating the strongest results right now.How successful breweries think about event ROI beyond ticket sales, including guest spend and repeat visits.Common event mistakes breweries make and practical ways to improve execution and attendance.ResourcesConnect with Skyler from Evently, skyler@planevently.comGet the Brewery Profit Brief - tips, tactics and strategies to build a more profitable brewery businessThis episode is brought to you by Secret Hopper. One of the hardest things in the beer business is seeing your business through your customer's eyes. Secret Hopper helps breweries uncover what guests actually experience from first impressions and service to cleanliness, atmosphere, and whether guests are likely to come back. Their mystery shopping and customer feedback tools give you practical insights and action steps to improve the guest experience and drive repeat visits. To lReady to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.
Philip Byron has five Emmy Awards, a Broadway producing credit, and a background teaching spin classes at Flywheel. He is also the director behind the Spin Wars documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2026. Crystal and Tom sat down with Philip to talk about how the Spin Wars documentary came together, what got cut, and what it was really like inside the boutique fitness world that gave rise to SoulCycle, Flywheel, and Peloton.Philip breaks down how the project started as a series pitch, why it took years to get made, and what it felt like to finally land at Tribeca. He shares behind-the-scenes details about the instructor pay structure at Flywheel, his own experience auditioning and teaching, and why so much compelling material had to stay on the cutting room floor. Crystal and Tom also share their reaction to watching the Spin Wars documentary and why they think the story matters far beyond the world of indoor cycling.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Retail War Games, I sit down with Natalie Roberts, the Director of Business Development at Easy Healthcare Corporation. Natalie transitioned from a corporate background at 3M to join a startup that completely disrupted and dominated the highly competitive fertility landscape with their flagship brand, Premom. We pull back the curtain on how Easy Healthcare achieved rare-air status in consumer goods, delivering over 680 million tests across 150 countries. Natalie explains their ultimate competitive differentiator: a physical-digital flywheel that combines high-quality physical testing products with an incredibly powerful tracking app under one roof. We also dive into the brutal realities of scaling into major retail chains like CVS, how to navigate aggressive payment terms, and why building a bulletproof foundation with smaller retailers is the ultimate way to de-risk your supply chain.
Episode 304 reunites The Analysts — Remarkable Retail's celebrated panel of Forrester's Sucharita Kodali, Guggenheim's Simeon Siegel, and GlobalData's Neil Saunders — to take stock of retail coming out of earnings season. Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc open on the paradox of 2026: results are largely strong, sentiment is dismal. Simeon argues the link between the two is "tenuous at best" — people talk one way and spend another. Neil has the data: roughly 60% of shoppers who expect the economy to worsen still spent more than a year ago, propped up by spring tax refunds that won't repeat. Then the K-shaped economy. Higher-income households drive most of the real volume growth; middle-income shoppers prop up value growth mainly because prices are higher. Sucharita revisits "peak ambiguity" and the "vibe session," noting record sales barely outrun stubborn inflation. The panel unpacks the standouts — Ross's 17% comp, Victoria's Secret up 15% — and debates GLP-1's role in surging apparel and beauty: wardrobe replacement, new confidence, trading up to statement pieces. On turnarounds, Simeon lands the episode's sharpest thesis: brands "ubiquitize" and peak around $3–4 billion in the US. Lululemon got too big, over-distributed, and over-earning — so the bad sales have to "walk out the door" before the brand can re-elevate, the same lens that frames Nike's long reset. He and Sucharita draw the Gap parallel ahead of Simeon's on-stage interview with Mickey Drexler, noting Old Navy now dwarfs Gap itself. Neil makes the case for Macy's under Tony Spring — basics fixed first, satisfaction and visitation improving — while Steve stays skeptical of the pace. Next, the DTC reckoning. Simeon reframes his old "DTC is not all it's cracked up to be" call as "anti-anti-wholesale": outside high-margin luxury, nearly every brand needs a healthy wholesale business — and stores remain the best channel because "the customer is your employee." Sucharita pushes back on the AI narrative, reminding everyone it's far more than generative hype, as the panel digs into why scaled players — Amazon, Walmart, Costco, off-price — keep compounding through retail media, marketplaces, and flywheel economics. It closes on the wealth effect, trillion-dollar market caps, and whether a market correction could rattle high-end spending — then rapid-fire hot takes: brands to watch (Cozey, Ross Stores, Goyard) and what's on each analyst's radar, from inflation and surging oil prices to a quiet "middle of the doughnut" news lull and an election year's hunt for stability. Join us at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York June 23rd and 24th with this exclusive discount code for 10% off general admission tickets and FREE retail tickets: Your code is "REMARKABLE" . See you in the Big Apple! About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.
Doug Erwin sits down with Tristan Pollock, Managing Director of Generator's Electrify Nevada program, to talk about Reno's growing startup ecosystem, Nevada's strategic advantage in energy and hard tech, and why the region is positioned for a new wave of founder growth. They cover Tristan's path from startup founder to accelerator operator and investor, the role of AI in entrepreneurship, and how Nevada can turn speed, infrastructure, lifestyle, and deep-tech talent into a durable startup flywheel. Show notes In this episode of Growth Pioneers, Doug talks with Tristan Pollock about the next phase of Reno's startup ecosystem. Tristan shares how his journey from Minnesota to Silicon Valley, 500 Startups, climate investing, and global accelerator work eventually brought him to Reno. Now leading Generator's Electrify Nevada program, he is focused on helping energy, battery, manufacturing, industrial AI, and hard-tech founders break into Nevada's ecosystem faster. The conversation explores why Nevada has become such a compelling place for founders: proximity to Silicon Valley, fast permitting, major industrial infrastructure, lithium and geothermal strengths, renewable energy, the Tahoe/Reno lifestyle, and a growing base of startup success stories like Positron, Redwood Materials, Ampersand, and SendCutSend. Doug and Tristan also dig into AI's impact on founders, fundraising, outreach, and company building. Rather than treating AI as just better prompting, they talk about it as a new operating layer for entrepreneurs: helping people research, build, automate, and scale faster than ever before. The episode closes with a broader conversation about optimism, social impact, the future of work, and why curiosity may be the most important entrepreneurial skill in a period of rapid technological change. Key themes • Reno's ecosystem is moving from potential to sophistication. • Electrify Nevada helps founders speedrun market entry into Nevada. • Nevada's edge is strongest in energy, batteries, mining, manufacturing, logistics, hard tech, and industrial AI. • AI is changing how founders build, raise capital, find customers, and operate. • The next regional win is building a self-reinforcing startup flywheel: talent, capital, exits, reinvestment, and local founder density. • Optimism and curiosity matter in a moment where technology is changing faster than institutions can adapt.
Michael Saylor controla más del 3% de todos los bitcoins que existen, unos 700,000 BTC en la tesorería de Strategy. Esta es la historia de cómo lo hizo y por qué su máquina financiera es tan brillante como peligrosa. En este clip desarmamos el flywheel de Strategy pieza por pieza: del colapso del 99% en el dotcom que marcó a Saylor para siempre, a la deuda convertible al 0% que lo convirtió en el mayor acumulador de Bitcoin del planeta. ▸ El crash de 2000 que forjó su aversión patológica a la fragilidad financiera ▸ Por qué anticipó a las Magnificent 7 desde 2008 (y por qué eso lo llevó a Bitcoin) ▸ Cómo funciona la deuda convertible al 0% y el arbitraje detrás de la tesorería ▸ El flywheel: emitir acciones sobre NAV para comprar más BTC — y cuándo deja de hacer sentido ▸ El conflicto de interés que nadie puede ignorar al escuchar a Saylor ▸ Por qué solo habrá un "MicroStrategy" por activo digital ─ LA INFORMACIÓN DE ESTE PODCAST NO ES UNA RECOMENDACIÓN DE INVERSIÓN. Nada de lo contenido en este podcast constituye asesoría fiscal, contable, regulatoria, legal, de seguros o de inversiones, ni representa una oferta, solicitud o recomendación para comprar, vender o realizar cualquier operación con valores, esquemas de inversión colectiva, instrumentos financieros o servicios.
Title The Founder Freedom Flywheel: Why Growth Alone Won't Give You Your Life Back Show Notes Most founders don't start a business because they want more stress, more complexity, and more dependency on themselves. They start because they want freedom, impact, financial strength, and a better life for the people they love. But here's the hard truth: a business can be growing and still be unhealthy. A founder can look successful and still feel trapped. A leadership team can be busy and still fail to execute well. In this episode of the TriMetric Roadmap Podcast, Scott and Jeff unpack why founder freedom is not created by fixing one isolated part of the business. Better meetings, cleaner roles, dashboards, and documented processes can all help, but they do not solve the whole problem by themselves. That is why Business Freedom Advisors uses the TriMetric Flywheel to look at a founder-led company through three connected lenses: Business Health — Is the company structurally healthy? Executive Performance — Is the leadership team functioning at the level the business now requires? Life Quality — Is the business producing the life the founder actually wants? Scott and Jeff explain how these three areas work together, and why ignoring any one of them can create hidden costs in the business, the founder's marriage, family, health, energy, or freedom. They also unpack the simple but powerful rhythm of the TriMetric Flywheel: Truth → Alignment → Action First, get honest about what is really happening. Then create alignment with the right people. Then move into focused action through a 13-week execution cadence. This episode is especially relevant for family-focused founders who want to grow without sacrificing the people and priorities that matter most. In This Episode Scott and Jeff discuss: How business growth can hide deeper dysfunction Why founder freedom requires a holistic view The difference between business health, executive performance, and life quality Why executive performance sits between business health and founder freedom How truth, alignment, and action create momentum Why outside diagnostics help reveal blind spots The danger of living and leading from empty How 13-week CSIs turn strategy into focused execution Why the goal is not just a better business, but a better life Key Takeaway Founder freedom does not come from more revenue alone. It comes from building a healthier business, stronger leadership infrastructure, and a life that stays aligned with what matters most. Call to Action Start with the Business Health Diagnostic at BHD4Me.com and get a clear snapshot of where your business may be broken, leaking, constrained, or overly dependent on you.
Most authors treat the book launch as the finish line, instead of the starting one. As we celebrate The Miracle Hour landing on the USA Today bestsellers list, this episode breaks down exactly how she's continuing to monetize the book and use it to grow the business (and why a book is one of the only standing assets that keeps paying you back for years: speaking, licensing, corporate contracts, program sales, and more book deals). Kelly walks through the strategy she calls "engineering the system as the celebrity," the post-launch monetization roadmap, and long term strategies for increased community-led growth. In this episode: Why the book launch is actually the beginning of your growth strategy Why live streaming is making a massive comeback The full post-launch monetization roadmap (reviews, community teaching, UGC, ads, licensing) Strategies for relaunching a book you already have The street team and community-led growth model What's next for Kelly's books Timestamps 03:15 — Books as standing assets 04:30 — Engineering the celebrity of the system: the Live Launch book story 06:30 — Understanding the trust recession and moving Live Launch to low-ticket 10:15 — Running the Miracle Hour Experience as a one-day live launch 11:30 — 2,100 live, lowest spend, and VIP upgrades covering ad spend: the behind-the-scenes strategy 13:00 — Why live streaming is back 14:30 — The June 24th live experience 20:15 — Relaunching a book you already have 21:00 — Street team and community-led growth strategy 21:45 — Why books are worth it RESOURCES: Grab your copy of the USA Today best-selling book The Miracle Hour: https://a.co/d/02zSyw1N Register for The Miracle Hour Experience on June 24th: https://accelerator.virtualbusinessschool.com/miracle-hour-june-24-experience-social Subscribe to Kelly's Substack for behind-the-scenes content from The Sacred Art of Selling: https://kellyroachofficial.substack.com/subscribe Join Kelly's Virtual Business School membership: https://www.virtualbusinessschool.com
Click Here to Get All Podcast Show Notes!Raising wealthy kids isn't about giving them a big allowance. It's about teaching them to create, own, and grow. In this episode, Sharran introduces the Millionaire Kids Flywheel, a six-step framework designed to help children develop financial literacy, ownership, and confidence in their abilities. Unlike traditional allowance-based models, Sharran emphasizes teaching kids to earn, invest, and make real decisions with real money.He explains how to teach children the value of work, build something tangible, turn skills into income, and structure their finances through trusts and LLCs. Sharran also shares strategies for teaching access to capital, converting income into ownership, and instilling generosity as a core value. Using real-life examples from his children, Sharran demonstrates how this flywheel creates a system where kids learn to think like entrepreneurs, understand investment, and make money decisions responsibly.Today's episode offers practical guidance for parents who want to create wealth-minded children rather than just financially dependent ones.“Teaching your children how to work is more valuable than any money you could leave behind.”- Sharran SrivatsaaTimestamps:01:23 - Why kids' wealth isn't about allowance or piggy banks01:52 - Step 1: Teach children how to work with pride07:11 - Step 2: Build something real for children10:18 - Step 3: Turn skills into income13:52 - Step 4: Teach access to capital19:19 - Step 5: Convert income into asset ownership22:17 - Step 6: Teach generosity as a way of life24:10 - What generational wealth really meansResources:- The Millionaire Mindset I'm Teaching My Kids - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISQkh8bu6EU- The Next Billion by Sharran Srivatsaa - https://sharransrivatsaa.substack.com/- Acquisition.com - https://www.acquisition.com/- Board Member: ARC Multifamily Real Estate Investing - https://arcmf.com/- Board Member: The Real Brokerage - https://www.joinreal.com/Connect with Sharran:- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/likesharran- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharransrivatsaa/- X - https://x.com/sharran- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharran- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzpl_gT1bVB1iNZl9yQbWuA?sub_confirmation=1- Threads - https://www.threads.com/@sharransrivatsaa
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small‑Cap Spotlight, Zak Calisto, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Karooooo, joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Eric Goldstein to discuss the global connected vehicle and fleet intelligence platform built on Cartrack, a SaaS telematics leader with more than two decades of operating history. With 2.6 million subscribers across four continents, Karooooo delivers real‑time vehicle tracking, driver behavior analytics, and workflow automation on a highly recurring subscription model. FY2026 was a record year, with Cartrack subscription revenue up 19%, ARR reaching USD 325 million (up 38% in dollar terms), and the Board raising the annual dividend 20%. FY2027 guidance points to continued subscription revenue acceleration and 21% EPS growth at the midpoint.
https://youtu.be/tU0kHdf7oXo Drew Allen, CEO of Grace Technologies, is driven by a mission to lead a life of adventure and impact. At Grace Technologies, that impact is tangible: the company develops electrical safety and predictive maintenance solutions that help industrial teams prevent downtime, improve productivity, and, most importantly, send workers home safely at the end of the day. We explore Drew's Product Engineering Framework — Clarify the Problem You're Solving, Understand the Constraints, Think from First Principles, Build a Prototype, and Iterate within a Time Limit — a practical approach to innovation in technical product development. Drew explains why rapid iteration beats overbuilding, how constraints can unlock better engineering decisions, and why time-boxing product development prevents teams from getting stuck in endless perfectionism. He also shares how Grace Technologies is expanding into the data center market, where rising power density is creating new safety challenges and new opportunities for growth. — 5 Steps to Engineering Breakthroughs with Drew Allen Good day, dear listeners. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and today’s guest is Drew Allen, the CEO of Grace Technologies—the leading innovator of electrical safety products and predictive maintenance solutions that help companies maximize productivity and foster a safety culture. Drew, welcome to the show. Hey, thanks for having me, Steve. I’m excited. I’ve really enjoyed your books, and they’ve had a big impact on our business. So it's great to have this conversation today. Yeah, glad to have you here. So if you enjoyed the book or read Pinnacle and Summit OS perhaps, then you’re going to be familiar with this question. What is your personal “Why,” and how are you manifesting it Grace Technologies? So my personal “Why” is to lead a life of adventure and impact. And I think that manifests in our company. We try to be as innovative as possible. Typically, around 30% of our annual sales come from products released within the last two to three years. We try to take risks, not in kind of a willy-nilly way, but we try to be smart about our risk-taking, but still make sure that we’re taking risks and we’re on the forefront of the technology edges. In our business, it’s really easy to see the impact that we have. Not many businesses get to say that we literally send people home at the end of the day. We literally save lives, and we don’t take that responsibility very lightly. And so it’s a little way that we can kind of make a dramatic impact in the world. We get a lot of stories of people who have been going to go to work on an electrical system. They were just moving throughout their day, trying to do their work, and all of a sudden they saw that our unit was indicating and they were about to put their hand on that bus bar or that cable, and they stop and realize, “Oh, there's still power there.” And they could have been either severely injured or dead. And so we get those stories quite frequently, and so it's really impactful to hear that, to know that we're doing that kind of good in the world.Share on X Yeah, I love that. And yes, I mean, it’s dangerous. My son actually worked for an electrical contractor last year, and they told him the story that they were in big industrial facilities and one of their workers was trying to fix a light and he got shocked. And the only way to save him was to kick the ladder out from under him. He ended up breaking his leg. So it was kind of funny story afterward, but also a very dramatic one at the same time. So yeah, you definitely want to avoid situations like that. 100%. And I think what you do is really great, and focusing on the safety aspect is very important as well. What I'm wondering—because I'm a framework guy and I'm always looking for new frameworks people have developed—and obviously within the Pinnacle system there are a lot of frameworks. But you’ve been doing this for a few years, and I’m sure that you have come up with your own. So what is your favorite framework—something simple enough for listeners to understand in maybe three to five steps—that could help them improve their business? My favorite framework really comes from Jim Collins' work on the Flywheel. And I think you reference it in your book as well, Steve. I think if people can see their business—or even their life—through the lens of a flywheel, it becomes really useful. So in our business, our flywheel is relatively simple. And I think there are probably only a limited number of flywheel models companies really operate under. Our version of a product flywheel works like this: We start with amazing new products and services. If we do that well, we naturally excite our channel partners. When our channel gets excited, they can't help but get us specified by customers. Once we're specified by customers, it grows our revenues, unit sales, and customer base.Share on X And as that happens, it expands the power of the brand, which allows us to set high prices and deliver higher gross margins to be able to reinvest into R&D for amazing new products and services. And I think while maybe there’s a couple of pieces in ours channel-specific or whatever, we found that most of my focus as CEO is just constantly figuring out how do I push those pieces of the flywheel, and where is the current bottleneck in the flywheel? Is the bottleneck getting the specifications? Is the bottleneck the wrong product? One of the challenges in our business is that we have a 12-month product development cycle plus an 8-to-12-month sales cycle for products. So if I miss, I'm basically down for two years. And I don't really know it early enough unless I'm paying close attention to the leading indicators—which we've become much smarter about over the last few years. A lot of business people tend to focus only on lagging indicators, and they're not always clear on what the leading indicators are in their business—or how correlated those leading indicators are to the lagging results. I'll say this: the most recent releases of Claude have made it incredibly easy to input a bunch of variables and figure out how strongly your leading indicators correlate with your lagging success. I probably haven't done that kind of work since college and deep regression analysis or logarithmic modeling. And now Claude makes it so easy. So if you can identify the leading indicators tied to your future success, and you know there's an 80% or 85% correlation, then that leading indicator is almost as valuable as the lagging indicator itself. And if your lagging indicator is revenue, that gives you a pretty strong signal about what you should actually be focusing on.Share on X Yeah. That's a great way to reverse-engineer those leading indicators from the outcomes you're targeting. I love that. So when you say that one of the flywheel cogs is for people to specify your product, what do you mean by that exactly? We come out with a product, and then we get meetings with large end-user customers. Okay? Our products are really sold into two major markets. One is the industrial market—everything from where things come out of the ground, like oil and gas, pulp and paper, and mining—to all the downstream processing industries, including automotive, tire and rubber, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, all those kinds of industries like shipbuilding, naval yards, and all those kinds of environments. All of these places have complex electrical and control systems. And when a factory or facility is being designed or upgraded, someone is writing a specification document. That specification literally defines how everything should be built—including the machinery and the electrical systems. So we want to make sure our products, from an electrical safety perspective, are included in those specification documents. We've been really fortunate to get into some of the world's largest companies' control specificationsShare on X companies like Amazon, Procter & Gamble, GM, and Ford. These large organizations really see the value in our products from both a productivity and a safety standpoint. And that's really the key to our success: driving specifications with large end-user customers. Yeah. So it sounds like when you get specified, then essentially you’re baked in to their product, and then you kind of have, at least for the time being, you have a monopoly of supplying them. Is that the case? Yeah. And some specifications are a little more open. They may specify our type of device, or they may even list competitors as alternatives. And then it becomes a little more of a street brawl when we're competing. But either way, we want to grow the overall market for products like ours—not just our own products—because we're in the safety business. And I think it's really shortsighted to be selfish about that. I think we have much more opportunity if the overall pie grows than if we focus only on increasing our individual slice of the pie. Of course, I'm going to do the best I can to grow our share. But ultimately, electrical safety and electrical reliability in factories are still major problems. And the number of deaths, injuries, and life-changing accidents we hear about—it continues. We hear those stories all the time, and we don't want those things to happen. Yeah. Love it. So your business is innovation-driven, and you are designing these electrical appliances that increase productivity, reduce risk. What is the major success factor in being able to come up with new products along these lines? Yeah, so I guess I'll tell you my biggest failure. Okay? I'll use the failure to illustrate the point. That's good. I think I was about 25 or 26 years old, and I was working with a customer—a very large publicly traded company. They liked our product, but they needed it in a different form factor, which meant we had to re-engineer the product, retool it, and go through all the certification processes again. And I just took it hook, line, and sinker. I thought we were really onto something. I probably had delusions of grandeur and thought I was some Steve Jobs-like figure who could just wave a magic wand. And by the way, I don't think that's actually what Steve Jobs did, so I want to put that out there for a minute. I think what we see from the outside as consumers is often not the reality inside the company. So I just want to say that. But anyway, instead of taking small iterative steps and quickly prototyping and getting feedback, I did a full design based only on feedback from that one customer before cutting tooling and paying all the certification costs. It ended up being about a $400,000 project. And I think we still have inventory from that project—and this was probably 12 years ago or something. Oh my gosh. So what have I learned now? The best innovation happens through rapid iteration. A lot of your listeners have probably seen the Elon Musk SpaceX Raptor engine images, right? You have this incredibly complex engine that goes up into space, and then the next version looks much simpler, and the third one looks like it came out of a sci-fi movie. It's almost like the Picasso bull sketches. There are nine different bulls until Picasso eventually gets it down to two lines, and you still understand it's a bull. Okay? And I think that's what iteration looks like. What you see as a final product from Apple is actually the result of thousands of prototypes, iterations, and constant testing behind the curtain. For me, I want to test with customers directly, because you get much better feedback that way. I think the more rapidly you can prototype, the more rapidly you can iterate and get real customer feedback, the more innovative your product is going to be. I really think that when you try to make too big of a leap all once, you usually can't get there. And I think 10% compounded over time is a much better strategy than trying to go 10X in a single shot. Yeah. It's kind of the Kaizen principle of continuous improvement through small steps. But actually, I was listening to an interview with Jensen Huang, and he said he hated Kaizen because he wanted more first-principles thinking—completely rethinking things from the ground up. And I think Elon Musk does that too. Although honestly, I think he does both, which is really interesting. But I love Kaizen. I think it's a wonderful concept to continually improve things. We do work with SpaceX. We don't do much with NVIDIA—a little bit, but not much. And while you can think from first principles, you still have to iterate on the prototypes, right? Yeah. You have to constantly try things. So you may have a first-principles vision of where you want to go, but you're not going to get there by designing the perfect thing 100% upfront. You get there through iteration. Yeah. So you really need both. That’s a really good point. So Drew, what is it that you are trying to figure out in your business right now? So over the last 12 to 18 months, our largest orders have started coming through the data center sector. Back in 2015 or 2016, I tried to push into data centers, and we just had no product-market fit. None. Everybody kept talking about the data center business, and I was like, “Well, they're just not using our products. We tried…” But what suddenly changed was the increase in power density inside data centers. And what I mean by that is this: You can now have a hundred megawatts in a traditional data center hall. That's basically the equivalent of multiple oil and gas refineries worth of electrical load inside a single data center hall. A hundred megawatts—yeah. And so the electrical risk profile has really changed. And because of that, now there is product-market fit. So now I'm trying to figure out: How do I set up the right distribution channels? How do I build the right sales network? Because data centers definitely buy differently than our traditional industrial customers. And then, as CEO, you always have to decide where you're going to focus your time. I've been very intentional about not losing the core identity of Grace through our industrial business. So I've had to build a separate group that really focuses on the data center market. That also means bringing in a board member who really understands the data center space. Right now, though, it's a huge growth area for us, so figuring that out has been super important. The other thing is that over the last few years, we've launched an incredible number of new products. But a lot of those were what I'd call necessary innovations—things we had to execute on quickly. So now we're finally getting to a point with the engineering team where we can start from a clean sheet of paper again. We can think more deeply about where we really want to go—maybe even from first principles. Because honestly, I feel like we've been operating in a reactive mode for the last few years. So it's going to be really exciting to finally have some white space again and be able to innovate more intentionally for the future. Yeah. So you want to have that sci-fi engine for Grace Technologies that SpaceX has for the rockets, right? Yeah. That's the goal. And our mission is to accelerate the industrial world to zero downtime and zero harm. Until we get there, it's a pretty lofty goal. And I think it's going to require a lot of innovation to achieve it. So what's the process when you're trying to get to that kind of innovation—when you're rethinking something from first principles? Is there a process you can follow or work through? Or is it more about letting your imagination wander? Like when Albert Einstein came up with the theory of relativity—he was daydreaming in the patent office and suddenly had these insights. What's your process for getting there? So first, we want to be really clear on the problem statement. Getting absolute clarity on what problem we're solving is the first step, right? If you don't know what problem you're solving, there's no amount of engineering you can throw at it that's going to make sense. Second is understanding the constraints. For one of our new product development efforts, we decided to move away from a digital platform and go to a fully analog electrical platform because we realized one of the main constraints was size. And size is really determined by the power supply. When you run a digital circuit, you're operating at something like 100 to 300 milliamps. If you go to an analog circuit, you're operating at the microamp level. So you're literally at around 10% of the power requirement. And if you're at 10%, you can make the power supply about 90% smaller. Now, it's much easier to do things digitally because you just program the microcontroller. You're not dealing with the art of analog circuitry. So I think that's a good example of thinking from first principles. Okay—we're solving this problem. One of the major problems inside that problem is the size of the unit. How do we reduce the size? Well, we have to reduce the power supply. How do we reduce the power supply? Reduce the power draw from the circuit. How do we reduce the power draw? Go analog. And that's how we got there. But even then, the amount of prototyping and iteration we've done on that over the last 12 months has probably involved 75 major iterations of the circuit, tons of prototypes, tons of testing, and countless tweaks that probably never even hit my radar. I know I'm getting a little nerdy for the podcast, but I think it's a really good example. And if you take it out of engineering for a minute and look at our sales engine, it works similarly. Ultimately, what drives sales? You have to have unique selling conversations with customers. So everything I focus on becomes: How do I maximize those conversations? Getting people interested in the product and actually getting to the point where we can sit down and fully tell our story—that's kind of my North Star.Share on X I know that if we increase the number of those conversations, sales will increase. And of course, there's optimization on both sides of the meeting—follow-through, follow-up, competitiveness, lead quality, all of that. But the big North Star in our sales function is: How many unique selling conversations are we having with customers? Okay. I love it. So this is a framework that I’m more excited about than the flywheel because we are almost 400 episodes in. Here is what I heard. So be clear on the problem, step number one. Understand the constraints, step number two. Think from first principles, that’s step number three. Build the prototype, step number four, and perform iterations. Step number five, essentially the optimization. And with the sales engine, it’s kind of a similar process that you described, but less technical perhaps. Yeah. And one other piece too is that all of this has to be time-constrained. What do you mean by that? I think people miss that point. If you don't have a time constraint, it will literally take forever. So inside of your framework, you need a time box, and I think that's really critical. I like what Elon says about timelines. He assigns timelines that he believes have about a 50% probability of being achieved. I think that's actually a really smart way to think about it. And that means that about 50% of the time, you're going to miss the target. But that's okay, because you want that level of tension and flexibility in the system. You still have to be aiming at something. If you don't put a time box around iteration, if you don't set launch dates, product development can drag on forever. For example, we have a major trade show every fall, and we always try to have products ready for that event. That creates a really effective natural time box for us. And if your business doesn't already have natural time boxes, then as CEO, you need to create them. Yeah. Otherwise, iteration, product development, and even sales initiatives can lose momentum. Sales naturally has monthly, quarterly, and annual cycles. But in engineering especially, having that time box is really important. Yeah. And what I read about Jensen Huang is that one of the innovations he introduced was creating two overlapping time boxes. So instead of having just a single one-year cycle, he created two teams working on separate one-year cycles that were staggered by six months. That way, they could effectively iterate on the product twice as fast. I thought that was amazing. And I also had a client—an engineering software company—whose challenge was that they couldn't launch a product for three years because they were such perfectionists. So we talked about putting a stake in the ground and committing to a release every year. Maybe the scope would have to change, maybe they'd have to narrow it or simplify it, but the release date itself would become a forcing function. And once they did that, their product suddenly started gaining much more traction. That's a fantastic point. Yeah. I was advising one of the companies we're invested in. I was actually on a call with them yesterday, and they're starting to run out of time a little bit, right? And that was literally the conversation we had. “Okay, we had this wish list. We had this dream product-development idea. Now what can we realistically get done in three months?” So we started stripping out everything that couldn't be completed in that timeframe, and those items will move into the next iteration cycle. But I think it's super critical. You've got to put a stake in the ground and force things through. Yeah. Constraints create creativity. Yeah. that's fantastic. So, penultimate question—I have one more just to wrap things up. If you had a magic wand, what would be the one thing you'd want to fix inside your company over the next 12 months? I think we have a lot of relatively new and young salespeople. We operate in a very technical field, and trying to get them to really understand the application space from a technical perspective is difficult. And when you're selling to engineers, they can immediately tell if you don't know what you're talking about. So the challenge becomes: How do you compress 20 years of experience into a brand-new sales or business development person in just a few months? Trying to accelerate that learning curve is probably one of our biggest challenges. We're trying to use AI to help visualize the kinds of equipment our products go on. And frankly, even after doing this for years, I still run into things I don't fully understand. But I have enough experience that I can have a relatively technical conversation, understand the constraints, and work through the problem set. But compressing that knowledge into a faster training process—that's definitely been hard. I'm also opening a sales and engineering office down in Austin, so I'll be moving there in June. The plan is to build out another R&D facility there. That's one of my major time boxes over the next 12 months—getting that operation fully up and running. But from a more holistic perspective, I think really solving that sales knowledge-transfer problem is critical. And on one of our product lines, honestly, I'd love ideas from listeners. We have an IoT condition-monitoring product, and we've been very successful at selling pilot programs. What we've found, though, is that it's been much harder than expected to convert those pilots into broader expansion deployments. So we're asking ourselves: Are we making the barrier to entry for the pilots too low? Are we attracting the wrong type of customer—people who don't actually have the authority to make a larger purchase decision? Or are we missing something in the sales process that would better position the expansion after the pilot succeeds? Those are a few of the areas we're really trying to figure out right now. Yeah. Love it. That’s fascinating. So if the listeners would like to learn more about Grace Technologies—or maybe you spark something in their mind and they want to reach out and communicate to you, or have access to someone in your company to answer the questions about the products. Maybe they want to have more safety and more productivity with their electrical safety equipment. Where should they go, and where can they find you? Yeah. You can reach me at drewa@gracetechnologies.com or find me on LinkedIn. I think it’s Allen-Drew is my handle, but Drew Allen on LinkedIn. I love hearing from people. I really enjoy advising startups, especially in the industrial electrical space. If you have a product idea or you’ve got a startup, I do a lot of advisory work, and we’ve invested in a number of startups as well. We’re really passionate about having more innovation in the industrial world. I believe that the reindustrialization of America is super important, and I’m a big proponent, and so love to support companies that are doing cool things in our space. Oh, that’s fantastic. So if you’re listening to this and you have a startup in the engineering space, then definitely this is your opportunity to get mentored by Drew, and maybe to get opportunities that you don’t have yourself. So reach out to him. And if you just enjoyed this conversation with an entrepreneur who’s innovating fast and who is working from first principles and time boxes and and leveraging constraints, then definitely stay tuned on this channel because I have more wonderful guests coming on every week. So thank you Drew for coming, CEO of Grace Technologies, the leading innovator of electrical safety products and predictive maintenance solutions. So thanks for sharing your wisdom and thanks for listening. Important Links: Drew's LinkedIn Drew's website Drew's email: drewa@gracetechnologies.com
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Alex Hillman, co-founder of Indy Hall.Alex reflects on growing up in small-town Pennsylvania, the entrepreneurial influence of his father, and how his mother introduced him to the power of organizing and advocacy through simple but meaningful lessons at a young age. From navigating isolation as a freelance web developer to discovering the importance of connection, Alex explains how his search for community ultimately became the foundation for everything he would go on to build.Alex also dives into the evolution of Indy Hall, the psychology behind strong communities, and why curiosity plays such a critical role in bringing people together. He delves into the realities of entrepreneurship, the challenges of scaling community-focused businesses, and why he eventually stepped away from consulting within the coworking industry despite helping shape it globally. Now focused on learning from local organizers, artists, and adjacent creative communities, Alex shares insights on sustainable business models, authentic leadership, and creating spaces where people genuinely feel valued, welcomed, and inspired to contribute.Discover Alex Hillman's perspective on meaningful work, sustainable communities, and staying energized through change in this episode of The First Customer!Guest Info:Indy Hallhttps://indyhall.org/Alex Hillman's LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhillman/Connect with Jay on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/The First Customer Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcastThe First Customer podcast websitehttps://www.firstcustomerpodcast.comFollow The First Customer on LinkedInhttp://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/
NEW BOOK -- The Price of Becoming Buy it -- www.LearningLeader.com/Becoming The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire one person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world has the hustle and grit to deliver. Jim Collins is the author of some of the most influential business books ever written — Good to Great, Built to Last, and Great by Choice. His concepts have become part of the leadership vocabulary. Level 5 Leadership. The Flywheel. First Who, Then What. The Hedgehog Concept. He spent more than a decade at Stanford as a professor and has advised CEOs, four-star generals, and heads of state. His new book is What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire, and the Self-Knowledge Imperative. It is the product of ten years of research and is the most personal thing he has ever written. We flew to Boulder, Colorado, to record this one in person with Jim. Key Learnings Jim's grandfather wrote his own death story. Jimmy Collins was a test pilot in the 1930s. He told Jim's grandmother, Dolores, that if he died, she should pull the last chapter from his desk and publish it. He died in a test crash. After the service, she pulled out the chapter. The title was "I'm Dead." The last chapter, written in first person, described the plane coming out of the sky, the screaming wings, the crash. The final words, by his own pen: "I am dead now." For seven decades, his grandmother never cried. When Jim asked her in her nineties to tell the story of his grandfather, she cried and said, "Thank you for that. I've never cried before." She'd been a single mom in the middle of the Depression. Of all the things Jim feels good about in his life, asking her to tell that story before she died at almost 100 years old is one he's most proud of. A cliff is an event that alters the trajectory of your life and forces you to reconstruct everything that comes after. Jim's first big cliff: he lost his father while his father was still alive. Jim's father took the family to San Francisco in the 1960s. They lived a few houses down from Haight Street. When a man was shot dead on their doorstep, Jim's mom moved them to Boulder. They lived in a cold basement with cots and a hot plate. They couldn't afford a Christmas tree, so Jim and his brother rolled a boulder into the basement and called it their Christmas rock. The Greyhound bus moment. In high school, Jim took a Thanksgiving turkey on a Greyhound bus down to New Mexico, where his father was living in an adobe hut with a dirt floor. He had this romantic vision: they'd cook the turkey, share Thanksgiving, bond as father and son. The whole weekend, his father had no interest in him. He spent it trying to convince Jim to convince his grandmother to give him money. On the bus ride home, looking out the window into the fog, Jim realized: there will never, ever be a father there. No male role models. No frameworks. No guidance. "I've got this one life. What do I do with it?" The inflection point in Jim's life is Joanne. They got engaged four days after their first date. He'd admired her from afar for years but never had the courage to ask her out. Once they were together, Jim began a conscious process: I need to become a person worthy of being married to her. He didn't know exactly what that meant or how to get there. But he knew that was the work. Forty-six years later, it's still a never-ending journey. What Joanne does brilliantly: she sees what needs attention. Jim is encoded to hear it. Someone once asked Joanne what she thought Jim's greatest strength was. She said: "Jim takes critical feedback better than any person I've ever met." Joanne sees what needs attention. Jim hears it. Then they adapt and adjust. That's the inner flywheel of their marriage. Circle the wagons together. Guns pointing out, never at each other. When life gets really difficult, whether it's disease or other cliffs. You are always together. Always on the inside of the wagons. Never aimed at each other. Joanne won the 1985 Hawaii Ironman by 92 seconds. With a hamstring injury that limited her running training to 16 miles a week, she came off the bike with a 10-minute lead. Then mile by mile, the lead shrank. Nine minutes. Eight. Seven. With a few miles left, she stopped in the middle of the lava field, massaging her legs, almost pleading with them to run. She looked up at the sky. Then her gaze fixed somewhere down the road. She started to run. You're racing for self-respect. Joanne told Jim afterward: in the end, you're racing to know that you couldn't have run a step faster. Only you'll know. If you know you couldn't have run a step faster, that's actually winning. When Jim writes, he's on the lava fields. When he finishes a book, he wants to know he couldn't have written one sentence better. When you're on the lava fields, this is the moment you want to quit. Don't. Writing is thinking. When the writing isn't working, the thinking isn't clear. Go back to the data. Find the through-line. There are three types of luck: What luck. A cancer diagnosis. A guitar left in an empty house. An event that breaks your way. Who luck. The people who walk into your life. Joanne. Morten Hansen. Jerry Porras. Bill Lazier. Zeit luck. When what you're doing intersects with the surrounding zeitgeist. Jimmy Page was in Surrey when the British rock explosion happened. Luck is an event you didn't cause, with significant consequences, and an element of surprise. The big winners weren't luckier. They had a higher return on luck. What you do with luck events matters more than the luck itself. Bill Lazier: the closest thing to a father Jim ever had. Jim ended up in Bill's class at Stanford because the class he was trying to take was full. The random course-sorting mechanism threw him into the first class Bill ever taught. Pure WHO luck. Jim did not cause that. Discover your encodings. An encoding is a durable capacity of your intrinsic construction that resides within, awaiting discovery through the experiences of life. Jim has done over 300 online courses on every imaginable subject. Constitutional law. Napoleon. World War I. The history of China. He started them to learn how to teach. Then his curiosity took over. That's what an encoding looks like in the wild. You have a constellation of encodings. Like stars. When your life captures a bright set of those encodings, you're in frame. When it doesn't, you're out of frame. The same person can look amazing in frame and not very amazing out of frame. The most important finding from this book: don't follow anyone else's advice. Their advice is well-meaning. It may have worked beautifully for them. But it worked for them because it flowed from their encodings. And their encodings are not your encodings. Barbara McClintock and Grace Hopper. Two women who won the Nobel Prize and shaped computer science. McClintock was encoded for solitary work. She didn't even have a phone. She heard about her Nobel Prize on the radio. Hopper was encoded to work through people. She kept a pirate flag in her office and once stole furniture for her team in the middle of the night. Two completely different encodings. What they shared: their lives were in alignment with their encodings. Leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what must be done. It's not a trait. It's a choice. Anyone in any organization can lead, depending on their desire to make a difference. Nobody needs to wait for a title. Ryan's encoding is "the relentless persistence of invitation." Jim observed that Ryan has incredible encodings for what he'd describe as attractive persistence. Not pushy. Not aggressive. But persistent and welcoming. The invitation never goes away. The way you lead should be different from everyone else. Because you are encoded differently. Trust your encodings, not their playbook. Roger Sherman saved the U.S. Constitution. Twice. He created the bicameral legislature compromise. He insisted the Bill of Rights be amendments, not rewrites. Yet most people don't know his name. He almost never spoke. He listened in committees and waited for the precise moment to introduce just the right point to turn American history. Quiet. Behind the scenes. Uncharismatic. Unglamorous. Enormously effective. That was his encoding. You should largely ignore what other successful leaders did. It's marvelous to listen to. It might give you ideas. But everything that worked for them reflected their encodings, not yours. The work isn't to copy their playbook. The work is to discover your encodings and trust them. The color of Jim's fire changed. When he was younger, his fuel was rage, fury, and a sense of terror with no safety net. He used to worry that if he ever lost it, he'd lose his drive. What replaced it was a different kind of fire: the joy of curiosity, of being lost in giant projects, of marvelous conversations, of sharing what he's learned. His drive is higher than ever. It just feels a lot better now. The 3x3 reflective practice. After almost any conversation, teaching moment, or significant interaction, Jim writes down three things that went well and three things he could have done better. He's done it for years. He's now systematizing it. He doesn't pause to celebrate. He pauses to learn quickly and move on. At the top of Jim's notes for this conversation: "The biggest reminder for today, reconnecting with an old friend." That's the celebration. What could be a better celebration than reconnecting with somebody you've had marvelous conversations with? Reflection Questions What is your most significant cliff? What did you reconstruct on the other side, and what are you still rebuilding? What are your encodings? Not what you've been told you should be, but what genuinely flows from your intrinsic construction. When have you felt most in frame? Like Jim with Joanne, is there a person or purpose you are actively trying to become worthy of? What would that work look like this week? More Learning #397: Jim Collins - Creating Your Generosity Flywheel, Make the Trust Wager (Part 1)#398: Jim Collins - Creating Your Generosity Flywheel, Make the Trust Wager (Part 2) #216: Jim Collins - How to Go From Good to Great
A caterpillar tunnel costs $1,400. One harvest of lettuce at $6/lb produces 400–425 pounds — $2,400 in revenue. The tunnel pays for itself in a single harvest. From that point on, it's free infrastructure. Click here to learn more about farmer Elliot and Fair Share Farm. Click here to watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights! Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower: Instagram Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Carrot Cashflow Farm Small Farm Smart Farm Small Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast The Urban Farmer Podcast The Rookie Farmer Podcast In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books: Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
For years, growth has been built around a simple idea. Drive traffic into a funnel, move people through stages, convert, repeat. But that model was built for a different time. A time when brands controlled information and buyers followed predictable paths. That is no longer the reality. Today, people explore, pause, research, ask communities, trust creators, and make decisions on their own terms. They don't move in straight lines. They move in networks. That shift is exactly why funnels and pipelines are no longer enough on their own. In this episode, we break down what changed, where traditional models still work, and where they fall short. More importantly, we introduce a new way to think about growth through Conscious Growth Pathways™. Instead of forcing people through linear systems, this approach focuses on building environments, ecosystems, and connections that people naturally move through. It's about awareness, trust, culture, and community driving momentum. We also unpack a six-phase growth cycle that helps identify where your growth is actually breaking and how to fix it, from investigation and initiation to innovation and introspection. If your marketing feels heavy, inconsistent, or stuck, this will reframe how you think about growth and what it actually takes to win today. Beyond The Episode Gems: Buy My Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business: StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy: Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com