Podcasts about General Motors

Ahead of Ford (F) earnings, "it's all about the guidance," says CFRA's Garrett Nelson. The U.S. automaker reports 2Q earnings after Wednesday's close. CFRA has a hold rating on Ford with an $11 price target. Garrett says valuation is a concern for Ford as it trades "to a premium compared to General Motors" and says Ford trails GM in domestic auto sales. Later, he turns to Tesla (TSLA) saying it should be viewed as a tech company based on its valuation and business lines its entering beyond automotive.======== 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 – / schwabnetwork Follow us on Facebook – / schwabnetwork Follow us on LinkedIn - / schwab-network About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Deb responds to a column in the Toronto Star Plus - Where are we at with tariffs ahead of the August 1 deadline? GUESTS: Laura Metcalfe - Co-Chair of the Women’s Committee of the Criminal Lawyer’s Association David Paterson - Ontario’s Representative in Washington. former VP at General Motors and Blackberry, and was chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Brian Lilley - Toronto Sun columnist

General Motors' CFO says they won't raise prices despite the tariffs and Pres. Trump announced a new tariff deal with the European Union.  Alexandra Svokos, the digital managing editor of Kiplinger, talks about what some economic indicators say about the effects of the new tariffs.

General Motors' CFO says they won't raise prices despite the tariffs imposed by Trump's White House, and the retaliatory tariffs imposed by the US's global trade partners.On Today's Show:Alexandra Svokos, the digital managing editor of Kiplinger, talks about what some economic indicators say about the effects of the new tariffs.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports GM sales in China were up almost 20% in the first half of the year and the automaker is fighting back with competitive electric vehicles. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Luke welcomes his longtime friend Mike Sanocki, a third-generation General Motors executive from Detroit, Michigan. They dive into Mike's journey navigating the high-pressure automotive industry, his commitment to mentoring, and the profound impact of fatherhood, offering listeners actionable insights and heartfelt inspiration.Mike shares his experiences leading in a "pressure cooker" industry, managing thousands in massive factories where every minute counts, costing up to $50,000. From his roots in a GM family to his current role in the dynamic electric vehicle (EV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) propulsion sectors, Mike's career reflects resilience and adaptability. Beyond work, he opens up about raising triplets born at 27 weeks, overcoming early health challenges, and fostering deep emotional connections with his children through intentional time and mentorship. Luke, a personal development coach, also shares how his work with Mike's teams at GM and their friendship—sparked at a men's conference eight years ago—has shaped their growth. For more on Luke's coaching and to connect, visit Luke Kayyem's website to schedule a call and explore his transformative programs. YOU NEED IT!LukeKayyem.comSchedule The $%cking Call!Luke Kayyem - InstagramLuke Kayyem - FacebookScottsdale Podcast

Driving the Cadillac Lyric SUV today – General Motors luxury brand arriving backin our market after a long hiatus despite several attempts by Holden some 17years ago to introduce the Cadillac CTS sedan. The Lyric however, Cadillac’s firstelectric model is a handsome large SUV, an all-wheel-drive dual motor luxury SUVwith strong performance and with an official range of 530km – two models withthe same powertrain, the Lyric Luxury at $122,000 and the Lyric Sport for another$2,000. Price levels where there is some significant and excellent Europeancompetition with a proven track record. Step inside the Lyric and it feelsunderdone for a vehicle at this price point, roomy but with materials and seatingthat don’t exude luxury. Performance in a straight line impressive but once youpoint this 2.7 tonne SUV into some fast-moving corners it lacks polish andsophistication. To me the torsional rigidity of the body also feels underdone, bestdemonstrated on my steep driveway, which has a twist at the top - such that Icould not open the power rear door until the car returned to a level surface.Certainly, there’s much to like with the Cadillac Lyric but unfortunately it does notextend to its on-road dynamics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26 Jul 2025. Damien Reid and Naz Chaudry unpack the week’s car news - from cruise control crash claims to a 1,200km EV. Plus, Damien reviews Toyota’s hybrid Land Cruiser and Lexus LX700h. And Alan Boyter returns with his Dubai Ducati, chasing a land speed world record.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Epstein; Tariffs; GM; Fed; Energy; Sugar; Cronyism; Russia; China; Fusion; AI |The Yaron Brook Show | July 22, 2025 In this packed and provocative episode, Yaron dives into the latest headlines—from the moral rot surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and the cowardice of those in power, to the destructive resurgence of protectionism in the form of tariffs. He takes on General Motors and the growing web of corporate-state entanglement, lambasting the Federal Reserve for its continued economic manipulation. In segments on energy and sugar, Yaron exposes the deep-rooted cronyism distorting prices and crushing innovation—all while enriching the politically connected.The conversation then turns global, with sharp commentary on Russia's aggression, China's authoritarian ambitions, and the West's philosophical disarmament in the face of both. Yaron explores the promise and peril of emerging technologies—like the bold (but dubious?) claims of nuclear fusion breakthroughs, and the race to harness AI without sacrificing individual rights and human purpose. Can the West still lead? Only if it reclaims its moral and philosophical foundations.**Live Questions:**In a dynamic and wide-ranging Q&A, Yaron answers questions about the psychology behind public shaming and resentment, the loneliness epidemic, the relationship between logic and reason, and whether a love of money is virtuous. Viewers asked about favorite rockstars to resurrect (hello, Freddie Mercury), Kurosawa films, NYC boroughs, and even the ethics of eternal post-death consciousness. One question explored how proximity to people who refuse to truly *Live* can affect your own ability to thrive. As always, thoughtful, unscripted, and unapologetically rational.Key Time Stamps:05:00 Jeffrey Epstein10:15 Tariffs15:15 General Motors19:10 Federal Reserve27:00 Energy30:45 Sugar35:55 Cronyism44:20 Russia48:40 China53:40 Fusion1:03:00 AILive Questions begin at 1:08:18---

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through this week's announcement of AppleCare One and automakers' opting out of CarPlay Ultra. AppleCare One is Apple's new subscription for customers to cover multiple devices with a single plan. It starts at $19.99 per month for up to three products, with the ability to add more for $5.99 per month for each additional device. The plan incudes all of the benefits that come with ‌AppleCare‌+, such as unlimited repairs for accidents, priority support, battery coverage, and more.  Subscribers can freely move their devices in and out of the plan at any time. ‌AppleCare‌ One also enables users to add products they already own that are up to four years old, providing they are in good condition, extending beyond the current 60-day window to purchase ‌AppleCare‌+. When a customer trades in a covered product with Apple, it is automatically removed from their ‌AppleCare‌ One plan and replaced with the new device.  ‌AppleCare‌ One also expands theft and loss protection to the iPad and Apple Watch. Previously, it was only available for the iPhone.  ‌AppleCare‌ One's pricing is the same regardless of the products that are covered. Apple says that a customer who enrolls their ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Apple Watch could save up to $11 per month versus enrolling in separate ‌AppleCare‌+ plans for each device. Customers in the United States can now sign up for AppleCare One on their ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Mac, or by visiting an Apple Store. We also discuss the news that automakers including BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, Renault, and General Motors will not support ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra. It seems to be a major retreat from Apple's 2022 announcement, which originally named 14 automakers as future ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra partners. ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra goes far beyond traditional ‌CarPlay‌ by taking control of the entire dashboard experience. The system displays vehicle information like temperature, speed, and fuel levels alongside ‌iPhone‌ apps, creating what Apple calls "a unified and consistent experience across all the driver's screens." Currently, only Aston Martin offers CarPlay Ultra in production vehicles. Hyundai and its Kia and Genesis cars remain committed partners, while Porsche plans future support. Other originally announced brands like Ford and Nissan have provided no updates on their ‌CarPlay‌ Ultra plans.

Find out who our gold, silver, and bronze winners are this week. We'll take a look at earnings from General Motors, Intuitive Surgical, and Enphase Energy, and we will also discuss the recent tariff deal struck between the US and Japan. Companies mentioned: GM, ISRG, ENPH Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Lou Whiteman, Matt Frankel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Scott Becker discusses a rare dip in NVIDIA’s stock and a much steeper drop for General Motors.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson sent home Congress members early to avoid a vote on releasing files on Jeffery Epstein, Nigeria's recalculated GDP reflects a 30 per cent growth of its economy, and US President Donald Trump's tariffs have hit General Motors' profits. Plus, global pharma companies have spent a record amount on Chinese biotech this year and Coca-Cola is putting cane sugar back in Coke.Mentioned in this podcast:Mike Johnson shuts US House early to avoid Epstein voteNigeria's economy 30% bigger after GDP recalculation Big Pharma is increasingly reliant on Chinese biotech advancesGM profits hit by Trump's tariffs while EV sales more than doubleCoca-Cola to launch cane sugar-based Coke in US this autumnToday's FT News Briefing was produced by Sonja Hutson, Katya Kumkova, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Kelly Garry and Michael Lello. Our acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Our intern is Michaela Seah. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textShe's the legal powerhouse behind IBM's AI ethics strategy — and she makes law fun. In this encore episode, we revisit a fan favorite: Christina Montgomery, formerly IBM's Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, now Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, GM. From guarding the gates of generative AI risk to advising on global regulation, Christina gives us a front-row seat to what's now, what's next, and what needs rethinking when it comes to trust, synthetic data, and the future of AI law.

Send us a textShe's the legal powerhouse behind IBM's AI ethics strategy — and she makes law fun. In this encore episode, we revisit a fan favorite: Christina Montgomery, formerly IBM's Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, now Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, GM. From guarding the gates of generative AI risk to advising on global regulation, Christina gives us a front-row seat to what's now, what's next, and what needs rethinking when it comes to trust, synthetic data, and the future of AI law.

In this episode, Scott Becker discusses a rare dip in NVIDIA’s stock and a much steeper drop for General Motors.

In der heutigen Folge sprechen die Finanzjournalisten Nando Sommerfeldt und Holger Zschäpitz über die Stargate-Ernüchterung, miese Lockheed-Martin-Zahlen und geben Euch noch schnell ein paar Steuertipps mit auf den Weg. Außerdem geht es um Nvidia, Microsoft, TSMC; Broadcom, Micron, AMD, Texas Instruments, Softbank, General Motors, RTX, Northrop Grumman, Philip Morris, Medpace, Fortrea, Charles River Laboratories, Thermofisher, Invesco NASDAQ Biotech ETF (WKN: A12CCJ), Sartorius, Oracle, Kohls, Workday, Salesforce. Wir freuen uns über Feedback an aaa@welt.de. Noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" findet Ihr bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts und AAA-Newsletter.[ Hier bei WELT.](https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html.) [Hier] (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6zxjyJpTMunyYCY6F7vHK1?si=8f6cTnkEQnmSrlMU8Vo6uQ) findest Du die Samstagsfolgen Klassiker-Playlist auf Spotify! Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? [**Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte!**](https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien) Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html

We bespreken de resultaten van AkzoNobel, NXP Semiconductor en General Motors met Ilse De Witte van Trends Beleggen.In Trends podcasts vind je alle podcasts van Trends en Trends Z, netjes geordend volgens publicatie.  De redactie van Trends brengt u verschillende podcasts over wat onze wereld en maatschappij beheerst.  Vanuit diverse invalshoeken en met een uitgesproken focus op economie en ondernemingen, op business, personal finance en beleggen.  Onafhankelijk, relevant, telkens constructief en toekomstgericht. 

Carl-Peter Forster is Chair of Vesuvius plc and Keller Group plc. Tune in to hear his thoughts on: What experiences from your executive career have shaped your non-executive career? (2:09) How would you counsel a new CEO coming into a business looking to set up their own team? (7:06) What lessons did you learn from the General Motors crisis? (10:12) What did you learn from your time at Tata Motors? (13:56) How do you advise a headstrong founder? (17:11) How do you navigate different business cultures? (21:16) What's been the most difficult board conversation you've had as a CEO? (22:36) What frameworks best help a new NED navigate an industrial company? (26:57) How useful is spending money on R&D? (31:05) What risks should boards be most alert to in the defence industry? (35:47) And the ⚡Lightning Round⚡ (40:48)Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Alex Fish Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kolt Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

President Trump weighing a plan to remove cap gains tax on housing sales. Why one chief economist thinks the move could send home prices spiking. Plus, a Netflix bull worries about the streaming giant after last week's quarterly results. And earnings season continues, with Texas Instruments, General Motors and Lockheed Martin making moves.   Fast Money Disclaimer

Plus: The Justice Department is looking to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate. And Coca-Cola is giving President Trump what he wants: sweetening some of its drinks with cane sugar. Alex Ossola hosts.  Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shares in retailer Kohl's jumped as investors discussed whether it was the next meme stock. Coca-Cola reported mixed quarterly results. Philip Morris quarterly revenue missed forecasts. Lockheed Martin 's quarterly profit was hit by more than $1.7 billion in charges last quarter. And, General Motors saw net income shrink 35% last quarter, as tariffs weighed. Charlotte Gartenberg hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earnings season officially kicking into high gear: Sara Eisen, Carl Quintanilla, and David Faber kicked things off with a breakdown of where things stand on the tariffs front – and how  companies are navigating the impact across the autos, the homebuilders, and the defense complex. Key names? General Motors, D.R. Horton & Pulte, along with Northrop, Lockheed Martin, and RTX. Coca-Cola a laggard following results there as well – hear Chairman & CEO James Quincey breakdown the numbers, plus their shift into cane sugar this hour… And why NXP Semiconductor's disappointing results could be a canary in the coal mine for other chip stocks.  Plus: U.S. debt will be riskier ahead, according to Goldman's Credit Chief Jonny Fine – he joined the team at Post 9 with his take on the markets… And don't miss a deep-dive with the CEO of PNC on the heels of a new crypto partnership with Coinbase. 

David Faber rejoined Carl Quintanilla and Jim Cramer at Post 9 at the NYSE for today's show to help breakdown another busy day of earnings. One of the biggest movers included General Motors, which moved lower despite topping earnings estimates. CEO Mary Barra said in a letter to shareholders that the automaker is working to ‘greatly reduce' its tariff exposure. The desk also watched shares of Kohl's spike at the open, with the stock jumping as much as 100% in early trading. Also in the hour; Faber broke down all the potential M&A news swirling around the railroad sector.  Squawk on the Street Disclaimer

Today on CarEdge Live, Ray and Zach discuss the latest news from General Motors. Tune in to learn more!

Ben and Tom discuss earnings for KO, GM, PM, DHR, LMT, RTX, and NOC. Song: Mr. Brightside- The KillersFor information on how to join the Zoom calls live each morning at 8:30 EST, visit:https://www.narwhal.com/blog/daily-market-briefingsPlease see disclosures:https://www.narwhal.com/disclosure

Defense stocks are on the move after earnings. Lockheed Martin (LMT) moved to the downside after posting a big profit miss, not helped by a one-time $1.6 billion pre-tax loss. Jenny Horne takes a closer look at the sharp sell-off and how peers like Northrop Grumman (NOC) are rallying Tuesday morning. She also talks about General Motors' (GM) tariff tactics, which includes absorbing $1.1 billion in costs.======== 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 – / schwabnetwork Follow us on Facebook – / schwabnetwork Follow us on LinkedIn - / schwab-network About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

AP correspondent Jennifer King reports on General Motors' second quarter results.

En el episodio de hoy de VG Daily, Eugenio Garibay y Andre Dos Santos analizan a fondo los resultados trimestrales de Coca-Cola y General Motors publicados este 22 de julio de 2025. El programa examina cómo Coca-Cola enfrenta el debate del azúcar de caña frente al jarabe de maíz tras anunciar el lanzamiento limitado de su versión “cane sugar” en EE.UU., evaluando el impacto potencial en precios, márgenes y la reacción del consumidor. En la segunda parte, el equipo desgrana el informe financiero de General Motors, señalando los desafíos que enfrenta por aranceles, el giro hacia los vehículos eléctricos y la presión sobre márgenes, con una visión comparativa respecto a Ford y Tesla. Con datos frescos, contexto político y sus opiniones expertas, Eugenio y Andre dejan claro lo que esconden los balances de ambos gigantes y qué puede venir para las próximas semanas en consumo y automotriz.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports both Ford and General Motors are working to have EV's priced in the mid 20-thousand dollar range. But questions remain about how many people will be them.

Stargate. Het had hét project van de toekomst moeten zijn. Een AI-project van 500 miljard dollar, van SoftBank, OpenAI en de Amerikaanse regering. Er zou volgens president Trump 'gelijk' 100 miljard worden geïnvesteerd en er zouden 100.000 banen bijkomen.Je raadt het al. Dat is niet gebeurd. Sterker: Volgens The Wall Street Journal is er nog geen enkel datacenter gebouwd. SoftBank en OpenAI zouden ruzie met elkaar maken. Dat is slecht nieuws voor Trump, voor de Amerikaanse economie en voor aandelen. Welke, dat hoor je deze aflevering.Krijg je ook een update over de tarieven van Trump. Zijn onderhandelaar wil meer tijd om er met de Chinezen uit te komen. Ondertussen werken de Europeanen aan een tegenaanval.Deze aflevering stellen we een aantal slachtoffers aan je voor. Slachtoffers van Trump, allemaal op hun eigen manier. Om te beginnen met NXP. De chipmaker ziet al vijf kwartalen de omzet én winst dalen. En het leed is nog niet voorbij, want NXP denkt dat de omzet ook in dit kwartaal (in het derde kwartaal) afneemt.AkzoNobel kampt vooral met de zwakke dollar. Die raakt de winst van Akzo. De omzet die in dollars wordt gehaald, is minder waard in euro’s. General Motors spant echter de kroon. Dat wordt gigantisch geraakt door Trumps tarieven. Het kost ze ruim een miljard dollar, voor heel dit jaar denken ze aan 4 tot 5 miljard dollar. En het meest bizarre: ze gaan het niet doorberekenen aan klanten. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the three months ended June 30, GM earned $1.89 billion, or $1.91 per share. A year earlier the company earned $2.93 billion, or $2.55 per share. WWJ's Jackie Paige and Chris Fillar have your Tuesday morning news. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Michael Carrier is one amazing person! From an educational perspective, after graduating from high school in Michigan, he spent a year at DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago. Then he went to Central Bible College (later named Evangel University) in Missouri, getting his bachelor's degree in Bible. Because of his excellent grades there, he was then awarded a fellowship in Semitic Languages at New York University in Manhattan, NY. Unfortunately, as he was working on his PhD dissertation there, political turmoil in the early 1970s rocked the campus and prevented him from getting his doctorate. Ultimately, Mike returned to Michigan with his dear wife Evie and began to work for a security company. Within a year he was made general manager of the second largest security company in West Michigan. Then, a few years later, Mike started his own security firm that he ran for about 30 years. He did contract work for the Military, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), General Motors, and other large and small corporations, along with thousands of private individuals. It was while Mike was running his security firm that another chapter in his life came alive: He wrote and self-published his first book entitled WIND.  We will chat more about this in a minute. But about 15 years ago, Mike developed a heart condition that prompted him to sell his security business. Yet, not liking the boredom of “retirement,” Mike began to write what he calls his “hardboiled thrillers” marketed as “murder mysteries set in the Midwest.” To date he has published 18 of them with his author name Michael Carrier. Yes, Mike is one amazing dude! In this podcast Mike tells how a miraculous event with his radio of all things led him to understand the deep need in our nation for revival. And that, in turn, started him on a faithful routine of fervent prayer one day per week for revival to happen. Then along came self-publishing his book on revival entitled “Wind” followed by 18 fiction books. Truly, Michael Carrier is one unique and wholehearted follower of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Tech names underperformed last night but there was ultimately little change across the broader market. Tariffs continued to gain attention with the US and Philippines coming to a tariff agreement and General Motors seeing a hefty decline, and earnings data has investors on tenterhooks with Alphabet and Tesla set to be examined closely. Lockheed Martin made headlines following their earnings data, as did D.R. Horton, and Kohl’s more than doubled their share price. The content in this podcast is prepared, approved and distributed in Australia by Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814. The information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the appropriateness of the information before acting and if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julián Coca, gestor del Fondo Aliena Global, pone el foco en los resultados estadounidenses, Lockheed Martin, Coca Cola, Phillip Morris, General Motors y JPMORGAN CHASE

Tiny rare-earth magnets are used for building phones, electric cars, and submarines, but nearly all of them are mined and made in China. One U.S. company is trying to change that. WSJ's Jon Emont spoke with MP Materials' CEO about his goals for the mine, which has now made deals with the Pentagon, General Motors, and Apple. Can this industry come back the U.S.? Jessica Mendoza hosts.  Further Listening: -Why Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals  -Greenland Has Tons of Minerals. So Where Are All the Miners?  Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was it like to learn from Dr. Deming himself -- a decade before his name became legend in U.S. business circles? In this deeply personal episode, William Scherkenbach shares with host Andrew Stotz what it was like to sit in Deming's classroom in 1972, join him for late-night chats at the Cosmos Club, and help ignite transformational change at Ford and GM. Learn how Deming's teachings shaped a lifetime of purpose, and why Scherkenbach, now in his 80th year, is stepping back into the arena with lessons still burning bright. TRANSCRIPT 0:00:02.3 Andrew Stotz: My name is Andrew Stotz, and I'll be your host as we continue our journey into the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Today, I'm here with featured guest William Scherkenbach, and he is known as one of the men who has spent a huge amount of time with Dr. Deming, as he mentioned to me previously, starting from 1972, over a thousand meetings and many other activities that he's been involved in. So, Bill, welcome to the show. Why don't you give us a little background about you?   0:00:39.5 William Scherkenbach: Oh, okay. Good to be here, Andrew. Well, I'm going to start with, since it's about Deming, in '72, I was newly married in April, but had been accepted to NYU Graduate School of Business, and I don't know, I never found out who wrote the course syllabus, but whoever did wrote something that it sounded like a darn interesting course, sampling, manufacturing. I was a protocol officer at the United Nations at the time and was going to night school at the New York University Graduate School of Business. So, I said, this sounds like a good course, interesting course. Had no idea who Dr. Deming was, and I walked into the first class, and there was an old, I'm 26, so he was 72 in 1972, and he was one of the first, one of the only old person who didn't say, I used to be, and I don't want to stereotype all of my peers now that I'm 79, but hopefully I don't fall into the, well, I used to be and what happened. But he did tell, I mean, statistics can be a very technical subject, and the way he taught it, I had courses in some theory of sampling, which was one of his books.   0:02:52.2 William Scherkenbach: He had three, I said three courses. The other course that I took was based on his lectures in Japan in 1950, and in fact, two of them. The third course was an extension of that. So, he was, he would teach the statistics, but he was able to tell the history of the people behind all of the thoughts and the formulas and approaches, and I found that extremely, extremely interesting. And he handed out tons of papers and material, and it was just a very, very good experience. I know he had, and he had, in my opinion, a great sense of humor, but then statisticians, what's our status? Yeah, we're like accountants, in any event. .   0:04:12.2 Andrew Stotz: Why was he teaching? I mean, at 72, most men, you know, maybe women also, but most of us are like, it's the twilight of our years, and we now know he had 30 more years to go, but why was he teaching? And also, what's interesting is when I think about Deming, I think about his overall system of what he's teaching, whereas it's interesting to think about how he taught one relatively narrow subject.   0:04:43.7 William Scherkenbach: I'll get to that as to why I think he was teaching. But yeah, back then there were no 14 Points, no glimmer of Profound Knowledge. It was, not theoretical statistics, but applied statistics with a theory behind it. And he still was really expanding on Shewhart 's work with the difference between enumerative and analytic. He used his own. Now, why he was teaching, years later, probably 1987, so yeah, a bunch of years later, when I was at Ford and I had attended at the time, I attended a senior executive week-long get-together in order to get constancy of purpose or more continuity in the senior executive group. One of the people we brought in was Dr. Peter Kastenbaum. And I found as I attended his lecture in that week-long meeting, he was a student of CI Lewis. And CI Lewis, Deming learned about from Walter Shewhart and his work in the epistemology theory of knowledge. And in any event, Deming, when he was asked, and at the time it was still in the '30s, I think, when he was at the School of Agriculture, or the agriculture department, and bringing in Shewhart, he had tried to get CI Lewis to come talk. And CI said, I would love to, but I have a commitment to my students. And so I can't adjust my schedule.   0:07:33.9 William Scherkenbach: And the students, the people who wanted to learn were sacred. And I think that had a huge impact on Dr. Deming. I mean, he spoke about it a lot. And the way, you know, in a lot of the videos that Clare Crawford-Mason did, lovingly called the old curmudgeon. But for students, he had the greatest empathy and charity for, he just didn't suffer fools gladly. If you showed him that you weren't willing to learn, he took great joy in letting them know where they, where they stood.   0:08:43.1 Andrew Stotz: And one of the things when I went into my first Deming seminar in 1990, so now we're fast forwarding 30 years from when you first met him. It was almost like there was a safe harbor for workers, for young people, for people with open minds. I mean, I didn't, I watched as he didn't suffer fools, but I'm just curious, when you go back to 1972 in those classes, I'm assuming that he was pretty gentle with the students, encouraging them and all that was...   0:09:19.0 William Scherkenbach: Oh, absolutely. In my experience, I mean, if you were by, you know, in a student in graduate school, even though the graduate school of business in New York, down on 90 Church Street, Wall Street area, there were very few people going directly from your bachelor's to the master's program. And so these were people that had probably 10 years experience in business doing stuff. And yet by going to the class, absolutely were willing to learn, listen to different points of view, which is absolutely crucial. As you progress with theory of knowledge to be able to get different perspectives on whatever it is you're trying to look at.   0:10:23.2 Andrew Stotz: I would like to continue on this period of time just because it's a snapshot we don't get that often or that easily. You mentioned CI Lewis, a man who lived from about 1880 to about the year I was born, around 1964-65, and he was known for his understanding and discussion about logic and things like that. But why was CI Lewis someone that was interesting to Dr. Deming? What was the connection from your perspective?   0:10:59.6 William Scherkenbach: Well, my understanding is Shewhart referred to him, and Lewis was a professor at Harvard, and he was in the Peirce, I believe it's called. It looks like Peirce, but it's Peirce School of, or Chair of Philosophy, and Charles Sanders Peirce was a huge, huge influence in epistemology. And so that whole chain of thought or train of thought interested Deming, but it really was, he was introduced to it by Walter Shewhart.    0:11:48.3 Andrew Stotz: There's a famous quote, I believe, by Deming about CI Lewis and his book Mind and the World Order.   0:11:56.0 William Scherkenbach: Mind and the World Order, yeah.   0:11:59.9 Andrew Stotz: Deming said he had to read it six times before he fully understood and could apply its insights. And sometimes I think maybe Dr. Deming was truly inspired by that because when I think about his work, I'm still reading it and rereading it. And just listening to the video that you did many years ago with Tim talking about reduced variation, reduced variation, what he was talking about. Sometimes when we see the big picture, there's many different components of Deming's teachings. But if you had to bring it down to kind of its core, you know, he mentioned on that video that I just watched this morning, he mentioned reduced variation, and that will get you lower costs, happier customers, more jobs. How would you say, after you've looked at it from so many different angles over so many different years, how would you say you would sum up Dr. Deming's message to the world?   0:13:01.5 William Scherkenbach: Well, that's a difficult thing to sum up. Back then, when we did the video, which was in the early '80s, maybe '84, again, he had his 14 Points by then, but he hadn't, it hadn't really, the Profound Knowledge part of that wasn't there. Now, he had used what Shewhart said, and he had read, tried to read CI Lewis, and when he spoke about the connection between theory and questions, that's what he got from Shewhart and, well, and from Lewis, and a bunch of other pragmatist philosophers. So, he, you know, he was influenced by it, and, well, that's all I can say.   0:14:27.5 Andrew Stotz: So, let's go back in time. So, you're sitting in this classroom, you're intrigued, inspired. How did the relationship go at, towards the end of the class, and then as you finished that class, how did you guys keep in touch, and how did the relationship develop?   0:14:51.0 William Scherkenbach: Well, that is an interesting story. I usually am, well, I am introverted. So I had, after I moved from New York, I got a job at Booz Allen and Hamilton in Washington, DC. So in '74, when I got the degree from NYU, we moved to Silver Spring. And obviously, he's lived on Butterworth Place since there was a Butterworth Place. So we were able to, one of the things, and this is, well, I will say it, one of his advice to me, although he gave everyone an A, I later kidded him, he didn't remember that he gave me a B. No, he gave me an A. In any event, but one of his piece of advice was, you really don't need to join ASQC. You know more about quality than any of those inspectors. And so he had learned from the '50s in the past 20 years from the 50s that inspection wasn't going to do it. Well, I didn't take his advice, and I joined ASQC, and I was reading...   0:16:36.1 Andrew Stotz:Which for those who don't know is the American Society for...   0:16:41.6 William Scherkenbach: Quality Control, back then, now it's just the American Society for Quality. I had recommended when we did a big recommendations and forecasts for the year 2000 that quality, it should be the Society for Quality worldwide, but it's ASQ now. Let's see.   0:17:07.7 Andrew Stotz: So he recommended you don't join and you didn't follow his recommendation.    0:17:12.1 William Scherkenbach: I don't join, and I read an article, and it was by a professor in Virginia Tech, and he was showing a c-chart and the data were in control, and his recommendations were to penalize the people that were high and reward the people that were low, which is even back then, Dr. Deming was absolutely on track with that. If your process is in control, it doesn't make any sense to rank order or think that any of them are sufficiently different to reward or penalize. And I had never done this, but it was, I wrote a letter to quality progress. I sent a copy to Dr. Deming, and he said, "By golly, you're right on, that's great." And so I think it probably was '75, yeah, 1975. So I had been a year or so out, and he started inviting me over to his place at Butterworth, and we would go to the Cosmos Club. And that was a logistical challenge because at the time he had, well, his garage was a separate, not attached, it was in the backyard and emptied onto an alley. And he had a huge Lincoln Continental, the ones with the doors that opened from the center.   0:19:29.0 William Scherkenbach: And he would get in and drive and then park it in back of the club and someone would watch over it. But those were some good memories. So that was my introduction to keep contact with him. As I said, I had never done that. I don't think I've written a letter to an editor ever again.   0:20:04.8 Andrew Stotz: And you're mentioning about Butterworth, which is in DC.   0:20:12.6 William Scherkenbach: Butterworth Place, yeah.   0:20:14.7 Andrew Stotz: And Butterworth Place where he had his consulting business, which he ran, I believe, out of his basement.   0:20:18.3 William Scherkenbach: Out of the basement, yep, yep, yep.   0:20:21.2 Andrew Stotz: And just out of curiosity, what was it like when you first went to his home? Here, you had met him as your teacher, you respected him, you'd been away for a little bit, he invited you over. What was that like on your first walk into his home?   0:20:38.5 William Scherkenbach: Well, went down the side, the entrance to the basement was on the side of the house, and Seal had her desk set up right by the door. And then, I don't know if you can see, this is neat compared to his desk. It was filled with books and papers, but he knew where everything was. But it was a very cordial atmosphere.   0:21:25.2 Andrew Stotz: So when you mentioned Cecelia Kilian, is that her name, who was his assistant at the time?   0:21:36.3 William Scherkenbach: Yes, yes.   0:21:38.0 Andrew Stotz: Okay, so you...   0:21:38.8 William Scherkenbach: Yeah. For Jeepers. I don't know how long, but it had to be 50 years or so. So I don't, I mean, back in the '70s, I don't know of any other. He might have had, well, okay. He, yeah.   0:22:01.1 Andrew Stotz: I think it's about 40 or 50 years. So that's an incredible relationship he had with her. And I believe she wrote something. I think I have one of her, a book that she wrote that described his life. I can't remember that one right now but...   0:22:14.2 William Scherkenbach: Yeah. A lot of, yeah, it contained a lot of...   0:22:16.6 Andrew Stotz: The World of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, I think was the name of it, yeah.   0:22:20.6 William Scherkenbach: Okay. It contained a lot of his diaries on a number of his visits to Japan and elsewhere.   0:22:32.1 Andrew Stotz: So for some of us, when we go into our professor's offices, we see it stacked full of papers, but they've been sitting there for years. And we know that the professor just doesn't really do much with it. It's just all sitting there. Why did he have so much stuff on it? Was it incoming stuff that was coming to him? Was it something he was writing? Something he was reading? What was it that was coming in and out of his desk?   0:22:55.7 William Scherkenbach: A combination of stuff. I don't know. I mean, he was constantly writing, dictating to seal, but writing and reading. He got a, I mean, as the decades proceeded out of into the '80s, after '82, the NBC white or the '80, the NBC white paper calls were coming in from all over, all over the world. So yeah, a lot of people sending him stuff.   0:23:35.8 Andrew Stotz: I remember seeing him pulling out little scraps of paper at the seminar where he was taking notes and things like that at '90. So I could imagine he was just prolific at jotting things down. And when you read what he wrote, he really is assembling a lot of the notes and things that he's heard from different people. You can really capture that.   0:23:59.0 William Scherkenbach: Yeah. He didn't have an identic memory, but he took notes and quite, you know, and what he would do at the end of the day before retiring, he'd review the notes and commit them to memory as best he could. So he, yeah, very definitely. I mean, we would, you know, and well, okay. We're still in the early days before Ford and GM, but.   0:24:37.6 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. And I want to, if I shoot forward to '90, '92, when I studied with him, I was impressed with his energy at his age and he was just on a mission. And when I hear about your discussion about the class and at that time, it's like he was forming his, you know, System of Profound Knowledge, his 14 Points. When do you think it really became a mission for him to help, let's say American industry?   0:25:09.0 William Scherkenbach: Oh, well, I think it was a mission when Ford began its relationship with him. The ability of a large corporation, as well, and Ford at the same time Pontiac, the Pontiac division, not the whole GM, but Pontiac, was learning as well. But the attachment to Ford was that you had Don Peterson at the time was president of Ford, and he was intellectually curious, and he and Deming were on the same frequency. Now, I don't want to jump ahead, but if anyone has, well, you've read my second book there, you'll know that I have mentioned that the way to change is physical, logical, and emotional. And when you look at the gurus back then, there was Deming, who was the logical guru. You had Phil Crosby, who was the emotional guru. You go to the flag and the wine and cheese party, and Deming would say, "No," and Joe Juran, who was interested in focusing on the physical organization, you report to me kind of a thing. And so each of these behemoths were passing each other in the night with the greatest respect. But, but, and so they had their constituents. The challenge is to be able to broaden the appeal.    0:27:33.8 Andrew Stotz: So we've gone through '72, and then now '75, you've written your piece, and he's brought you into the fold. You're starting to spend some time with him. I believe it was about 1981 or so when he started working with Ford. And at that time, the quality director, I think, was Larry Moore at the time. And of course, you mentioned Donald Peterson. Maybe you can help us now understand from your own perspective of what you were doing between that time and how you saw that happening.   0:28:13.4 William Scherkenbach: Well, I had, my career was, after Booz Allen, mostly in the quality reliability area. I went from Booz Allen and Hamilton to, I moved to Columbia, Maryland, because I can fondly remember my grandfather in Ironwood, Michigan, worked at the Oliver Mine. There's a lot of iron ore mines up in the UP. ANd he would, and his work, once he got out of the mines later on, was he would cut across the backyard, and his office was right there. And so he would walk home for lunch and take a nap and walk back. And I thought that really was a good style of life. So Columbia, Maryland, was designed by Rouse to be a live-in, work-in community. And so we were gonna, we moved to Columbia, and there was a consulting firm called Hitman Associates, and their specialty was energy and environmental consulting. So did a bunch of that, worked my way up to a vice president. And so, but in '81, Deming said, you know, Ford really is interested. He was convinced, and again, it's déjà vu, he spoke about, when he spoke fondly about his lectures in Japan in 1950 and onward, that he was, he was very concerned that top management needed to be there, because he had seen all the excitement at Stanford during the war, and it died out afterwards, because management wasn't involved.   0:30:42.8 Andrew Stotz: What do you mean by that? What do you mean by the excitement at Stanford? You mean people working together for the efforts of the war, or was there a particular thing that was happening at Stanford?   0:30:51.7 William Scherkenbach: Well, they were, he attributed it to the lack of management support. I mean, they learned SPC. We were able to improve quality of war material or whatever, whoever attended the Stanford courses. But he saw the same thing in Japan and was lucky to, and I'm not sure if it was Ishikawa. I'm just not sure, but he was able to get someone to make the call after a few of the seminars for the engineers to make the call to the top management to attend the next batch. And he was able, he was able to do that. And that he thought was very helpful. I, I, gave them a leg up on whatever steps were next. I'm reminded of a quote from, I think it was Lao Tzu. And he said that someone asked him, "Well, you talk to the king, why or the emperor, why are things so screwed up?" And he said, "Well, I get to talk to him an hour a week and the rest of the time his ears are filled with a bunch of crap." Or whatever the Chinese equivalent of that is. And he said, "Of course the king isn't going to be able to act correctly." Yeah, there are a lot of things that impacted any company that he helped.   0:33:07.6 Andrew Stotz: It's interesting because I believe that, I think it was Kenichi Koyanagi.   0:33:15.8 William Scherkenbach: Koyanagi, yes, it was.   0:33:17.8 Andrew Stotz: And it was in 1950 and he had a series of lectures that he did a series of times. But it's interesting that, you know, that seemed like it should have catapulted him, but then to go to where you met him in 1972 and all that, he still hadn't really made his impact in America. And that's, to me, that's a little bit interesting.   0:33:44.4 William Scherkenbach: Yeah, and quite, my take, I mean, you could tell even in '72 and '3 in classes, he was very frustrated that he wasn't being listened to. I mean, he had, his business was expert testimony in statistical design of surveys. He did road truck, truck transport studies to be able to help the interstate commerce commission. And made periodic trips back to Japan, well known in Japan, but frustrated that no one really knew about him or wasn't listening to him in the US. And that was, I mean, for years, that was my, my aim. And that is to help him be known for turning America around, not just Japan. But it's usually difficult. I mean, we did a great job at Ford and GM and a bunch of companies, but it's all dissipated.   0:35:25.9 Andrew Stotz: It's interesting because it's not like he just went as a guest and gave a couple of guest lectures. He did about 35 lectures in 1950. About 28 or almost 30 of them were to engineers and technical staff. And then about seven of them were to top level executives. And, you know, one of the quotes he said at the time from those lectures was, "the problem is at the top, quality is made in the boardroom." So just going back, that's 1950, then you meet him in 1970, then in '72, then you start to build this relationship. You've talked about Booz Allen Hamilton. Tell us more about how it progressed into working more with him, in particular Ford and that thing that started in, let's say, 1981 with Ford.   0:36:22.0 William Scherkenbach: Well, again, he was very enthusiastic about Ford because Peterson was very receptive to this, his approach. And again, it's, I think the British philosopher Johnson said, "there's nothing like the prospect of being hung in the morning to heighten a man's senses." So he, Ford had lost a couple billion bucks. They hadn't cashed in like Chrysler. GM lost a bunch too, but that, and Japan had lost a war. So does it take a significant emotional, logical, or physical event? For some folks it does. So he was very encouraged about what he was seeing at Ford. And he had recommended that Ford hire someone to be there full time to coordinate, manage, if you will. And I was one of the people he recommended and I was the one that Ford hired. So I came in as Director of Statistical Methods and Process Improvement. And they set it up outside, as Deming said, they set it up outside the quality. Larry Moore was the Director of Quality and I was Director of Statistical Methods. And that's the way it was set up.   0:38:08.0 Andrew Stotz: Were you surprised when you received that call? How did you feel when you got that call to say, "Why don't you go over there and do this job at Ford?"   0:38:18.6 William Scherkenbach: Oh, extremely, extremely happy. Yeah. Yeah.   0:38:23.1 Andrew Stotz: And so did you, did you move to Michigan or what did you do?   0:38:27.7 Andrew Stotz: I'm sorry?   0:38:29.4 Andrew Stotz: Did you move or what happened next as you took that job?   0:38:32.0 William Scherkenbach: Oh yeah, we were living in Columbia. We moved the family to the Detroit area and ended up getting a house in Northville, which is a Northwest suburb of Detroit.   0:38:49.9 Andrew Stotz: And how long were you at Ford?   0:38:53.8 William Scherkenbach: About five and a half years. And I left Ford because Deming thought that GM needed my help. Things were going well. I mean, had a great, great bunch of associates, Pete Chessa, Ed Baker, Narendra Sheth, and a bunch of, a bunch of other folks. Ed Baker took the directorship when I left. That was my, well, I recommended a number of them, but yeah, he followed on. Deming thought that there was a good organization set up. And me being a glutton for punishment went to, well, not really. A bunch of great, great people in GM, but it's, they were, each of the general managers managed a billion dollar business and a lot of, difficult to get the silos to communicate. And it really, there was not much cooperation, a lot of backstabbing.   0:40:25.0 Andrew Stotz: And how did Dr. Deming take this project on? And what was the relationship between him and, you know, let's say Donald Peterson, who was the running the company and all the people that he had involved, like yourself, and you mentioned about Ed Baker and other people, I guess, Sandy Munro and others that were there. And just curious, and Larry Moore, how did he approach that? That's a huge organization and he's coming in right at the top. What was his approach to handling that?   0:41:02.1 S2  Well, my approach was based on his recommendation that the Director of Statistical Methods should report directly to the president or the chairman, the president typically. And so based on that, I figured that what I would, how we would organize the office, my associates would each be assigned to a key vice president to be their alter ego. So we did it in a, on a divisional level. And that worked, I think, very well. The difficulty was trying to match personalities and expertise to the particular vice president. Ed Baker had very good relations with the Latin American organization, and, and he and Harry Hannett, Harold Hannett helped a lot in developing administrative applications as well. And so we sort of came up with a matrix of organization and discipline. We needed someone for finance and engineering and manufacturing, supply chain, and was able to matrix the office associates in to be able to be on site with those people to get stuff, to get stuff done.   0:43:09.5 Andrew Stotz: And what was your message at that time, and what was Dr. Deming's message? Because as we know, his message has come together very strongly after that. But at that point, it's not like he had the 14 Points that he could give them Out of the Crisis or you could give them your books that you had done. So what was like the guiding philosophy or the main things that you guys were trying to get across?   0:43:35.9 William Scherkenbach: Well, I mean, he had given in, I think, Quality, Productivity, Competitive Position back in the late '70s, and he was doing it through George Washington University, even though Myron Tribus at MIT published it. But it was a series of lectures, and he didn't really, even in the later 70s, didn't have the, the, the 14 Points. And so those came a couple years later, his thinking through, and Profound Knowledge didn't come until much later over a number of discussions of folks. But the, I mean, the key, I mean, my opinion of why it all dropped out is we dropped the ball in not working with the board. And at Ford, we didn't, weren't able to influence the Ford family. And so Peterson retires and Red Poling, a finance guy, steps in and, and everything slowly disintegrates. At least not disintegrates, well, yes. I mean, what was important under Peterson was different. But that happens in any company. A new CEO comes on board or is elected, and they've got their priorities based, as Deming would say, on their evaluation system. What's their, how are they compensated?   0:45:46.8 William Scherkenbach: And so we just didn't spend the time there nor at GM with how do you elect or select your next CEO? And so smaller companies have a better, I would think, well, I don't know. I would imagine smaller companies have a better time of that, especially closely held and family held companies. You could, if you can reach the family, you should be able to get some continuity there.   0:46:23.5 Andrew Stotz: So Donald Peterson stepped down early 1995. And when did you guys make or when did you make your transition from Ford to GM?   0:46:38.5 William Scherkenbach: '88.   0:46:39.6 Andrew Stotz: Okay, so you continued at Ford.   0:46:42.1 William Scherkenbach: The end of '88, yeah, and I left GM in '93, the year Dr. Deming died later. But I had left in, in, well, in order to help him better.   0:47:07.8 Andrew Stotz: And let's now talk about the transition over to General Motors that you made. And where did that come from? Was it Dr. Deming that was recommending it or someone from General Motors? Or what...   0:47:21.4 William Scherkenbach: Yeah, Deming spoke with them and spoke with me. And I was a willing worker to be able to go where he thought I could be most helpful.   0:47:41.9 Andrew Stotz: And was he exasperated or frustrated that for the changes that happened in '95 when Peterson stepped down, he started to see the writing on the wall? Or was he still hopeful?   0:47:55.4 William Scherkenbach: No, Deming died in '93, so he didn't see any of that.   0:47:58.9 Andrew Stotz: No, no, what I mean is when Peterson stepped down, it was about '85. And then you remain at Ford until '88.   0:48:08.0 William Scherkenbach: No, Peterson didn't step down in '85. I mean, he was still there when I left.   0:48:14.0 Andrew Stotz: So he was still chairman at the time.   0:48:17.3 William Scherkenbach: Yeah.   0:48:17.6 Andrew Stotz: Maybe I'm meaning he stepped down from president. So my mistake on that.   0:48:20.3 William Scherkenbach: Oh, but he was there.   0:48:24.3 Andrew Stotz: So when did it start...   0:48:25.9 William Scherkenbach: True. I mean, true, he was still there when Deming had died.   0:48:31.3 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, okay. So did the whole team leave Ford and go to GM or was it just you that went?   0:48:39.1 William Scherkenbach: Oh, just me. Just me.   0:48:42.8 Andrew Stotz: Okay. And then.   0:48:44.0 William Scherkenbach: Yeah, because we had set up something that Deming was very pleased with. And so they were, everyone was working together and helping one another.   0:48:59.5 Andrew Stotz: Okay. So then you went to General Motors. What did you do different? What was different in your role? What did you learn from Ford that you now brought to GM? What went right? What went wrong? What was your experience with GM at that time?   0:49:16.5 William Scherkenbach: Well, I've got a, let's see. Remember Bill Hoagland was the person, Hoagland managed Pontiac when Deming helped Pontiac and Ron Moen was involved in the Pontiac. But Bill Hoagland was in one of the reorganizations at GM was head of, he was group, group vice president for Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac. And so I went over and directly reported to him and each of the, I mean, Wendy Coles was in, Gypsy Rainey, although Gypsy was temporary, worked for powertrain and Pontiac and still, but powertrain was where a lot of the expertise was and emphasis was, and then Buick and Cadillac and so, and Oldsmobile. So we, and in addition to that, General Motors had a corporate-wide effort in cooperation with the UAW called the Quality Network. And I was appointed a member of that, of that and, and helped them a lot and as well as the corporate quality office, but focused on Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac.   0:51:18.6 Andrew Stotz: And then tell us about what was your next step in your own personal journey? And then let's now get into how you got more involved with Deming and his teachings and the like.   0:51:32.8 William Scherkenbach: Well, I mean, he would be at GM two and three days a month, and then every quarter he'd be here for, just like Ford, for a four-day seminar. And while at Ford and at GM, I took uh vacation to help him as he gave seminars and met people throughout the world. Even when he was probably 84, 85, I can remember, well, one of the, he always, not always, but he would schedule seminars in England over the Fourth of July because the English don't celebrate that, although he said perhaps they should, but right after the Ascot races. And so he would do four-day seminars. And on one case, we had one series of weeks, the week before Fourth of July, we did a four-day seminar in the US and then went to London to do another four-day seminar. And he went to South Africa for the next four-day seminar with Heero Hacquebord. I didn't go, but I went down to Brazil and I was dragging with that, with that schedule. So he was able to relish and enjoy the helping others. I mean, enjoy triggers a memory. We were at helping powertrain and Gypsy was there, Dr. Gypsy Rainey.    0:53:59.2 William Scherkenbach: And she, we were talking and goofing around and he started being cross at us. And Gypsy said, "Well, aren't we supposed to be having fun?" And Deming said, "I'm having fun." "You guys straighten out." Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, yeah.   0:54:40.6 Andrew Stotz: And for the typical person to imagine a man at the age of 80, 85, traveling around the world. And it's not like you're traveling on vacation in London, you're walking into a room full of people, your energy is up, you're going and it's not like he's giving a keynote speech for an hour, give us a picture of his energy.   0:55:09.5 William Scherkenbach: And over in London, it was brutal because the hotel, I forget what hotel we're in. When he started there, I think it was Dr. Bernard that he wanted to help. And Bernard wasn't available. So he recommended Henry Neave. And so Henry was a good student, a quick learner. So he helped on a few of them. And I can still remember, I mean, the air, it was 4th of July in London and the humidity was there. There's no air conditioning in the hotel. I could remember Henry, please forgive me, but Henry is sitting in his doorway, sitting on a trash can, doing some notes in his skivvies. And it was hot and humid and awful. But so it reminded Deming a lot of the lectures in Japan in 1950, where he was sweating by 8 AM in the morning. So, yeah.   0:56:30.6 Andrew Stotz: What was it that kept him going? Why was he doing this?   0:56:39.5 William Scherkenbach: I think he, again, I don't know. I never asked him that. He was very, to me, he was on a mission. He wanted to be able to help people live better, okay, and take joy in what they do. And so he was, and I think that was the driving thing. And as long as he had the stamina, he was, he was in, in, in heaven.   0:57:21.1 Andrew Stotz: So let's keep progressing now, and let's move forward towards the latter part of Dr. Deming's life, where we're talking about 1990, 1988, 1990, 1992. What changed in your relationship and your involvement with what he was doing, and what changes did you see in the way he was talking about? You had observed him back in 1972, so here he is in 1990, a very, very different man in some ways, but very similar. How did you observe that?   0:57:56.6 William Scherkenbach: Well, toward the end, it was, I mean, it was, it was not, not pleasant to see him up there with oxygen up his nose, and it just, there had to have been a better way. But Nancy Mann was running those seminars, and they did their best to make life comfortable, but there had to have been a better way to, but I don't know what it was. He obviously wanted to continue to do it, and he had help doing it, but I don't know how effective the last year of seminars were.   0:59:01.1 Andrew Stotz: Well, I mean, I would say in some ways they were very effective, because I attended in 1990 and 1992, and I even took a picture, and I had a picture, and in the background of the picture of him is a nurse, and for me, I just was blown away and knocked out. And I think that one of the things for the listeners and the viewers is to ask yourself, we're all busy doing our work, and we're doing a lot of activities, and we're accomplishing things, but for what purpose, for what mission? And I think that that's what I gained from him is that because he had a mission to help, as you said, make the world a better place, make people have a better life in their job, and help people wake up, that mission really drove him.   0:59:57.8 William Scherkenbach: Yeah, and it, it really did. But for me personally, it was just not pleasant to see him suffering.    1:00:09.6 Andrew Stotz: And was he in pain? Was he just exhausted? What was it like behind the scenes when he'd come off stage and take a break?   1:00:18.7 William Scherkenbach: Yeah, yeah.   1:00:20.8 Andrew Stotz: And would he take naps or?   1:00:23.2 William Scherkenbach: In the early days, we'd go to, well, at Ford and GM, we would go out to dinner just about every night and talk and enjoy the conversation. We'd, my wife Mary Ellen, went many, many times. He enjoyed Northville, some of the restaurants there, and enjoyed the Deming martinis after the meetings at the Cosmos Club. So very, very much he enjoyed that, that time off the podium. So, but he couldn't do that in the, in the later years.   1:01:28.7 Andrew Stotz: And let's now try to understand the progression as you progress away from General Motors and did other things. How did your career progress in those years until when you retired or to where you are now? Maybe give us a picture of that.   1:01:51.4 William Scherkenbach: I tried to help. I've developed my view on how to operationalize change, worked for, was vice president of a company in Taiwan, spent a couple of, and before that had helped Dell, and would spend probably ending up a couple of years in PRC and Taiwan, and growing and learning to learn, in my opinion, there's too much generalization of, well, Asians or Chinese or whatever. There are many, many subgroups, and so change has to be bespoke. What will work for one person won't work for another. For instance, trying to talk to a number of Chinese executives saying, drive out fear, and they will, oh, there's no fear here. It's respect. And so, yeah. But that was their sincere belief that what they were doing wasn't instilling fear. But it broadened my perspective on what to do. And then probably 10 years ago, my wife started to come down with Alzheimer's, and while we lived in Austin, Texas, and that I've spent, she died three years ago, but that was pretty much all-consuming. That's where I focused. And now it's been three years. I'm looking, and I'm a year younger than Deming when he started, although he was 79 when he was interviewed for the 1980 White Paper.   1:04:36.3 William Scherkenbach: So I'm in my 80th year. So, and I'm feeling good, and I also would like to help people.   1:04:46.6 Andrew Stotz: And I've noticed on your LinkedIn, you've started bringing out interesting papers and transcripts and so many different things that you've been coming out. What is your goal? What is your mission?   1:05:02.3 William Scherkenbach: Well, I also would like to take the next step and contribute to help the improvement, not just the US, but any organization that shows they're serious for wanting to, wanting to improve. On the hope, and again, it's hope, as Deming said, that to be able to light a few bonfires that would turn into prairie fires that might consume more and more companies. And so you've got to light the match somewhere. And I just don't know. Again, I've been out of it for a number of years, but I just don't know. I know there is no big company besides, well, but even Toyota. I can remember Deming and I were in California and had dinner. Toyoda-san and his wife invited Deming and me to a dinner. And just, I was blown away with what he understood responsibilities were. I don't know, although I do have a Toyota Prius plug-in, which is perfect because I'm getting 99 miles a gallon because during my, doing shopping and whatever here in Pensacola, I never use gas. It goes 50 miles without needing to plug in.   1:07:00.6 William Scherkenbach: And so I do my stuff. But when I drive to Texas or Michigan, Michigan mostly to see the family, it's there. But all over, it's a wonderful vehicle. So maybe they're the only company in the world that, but I don't know. I haven't sat down with their executive.   1:07:26.4 Andrew Stotz: And behind me, I have two of your books, and I just want to talk briefly about them and give some advice for people. The first one is The Deming Route to Quality and Productivity: Roadmaps and Roadblocks, and the second one is Deming's Road to Continual Improvement. Maybe you could just give some context of someone who's not read these books and they're new to the philosophy and all that. How do these books, how can they help them?   1:07:58.8 William Scherkenbach: Well, the first book, Deming asked me to write in, I think it was '84. And I don't remember the first edition, but it might be '85, we got it out. But he asked me to write it, and because he thought I would, I could reach a different audience, and he liked it so much, they handed it out in a number of his seminars for a number of years. So.   1:08:40.7 Andrew Stotz: And there's my original version of it. I'm holding up my...    1:08:47.0 William Scherkenbach: Yeah, that's a later version.   1:08:49.7 Andrew Stotz: And it says the first printing was '86, I think it said, and then I got a 1991 version, which maybe I got it at one of the, I'm sure I got it at one of the seminars, and I've had it, and I've got marks on it and all that. And Deming on the back of it said, "this book will supplement and enhance my own works in teaching. Mr. Scherkenbach's masterful understanding of a system, of a process, of a stable system, and of an unstable system are obvious and effective in his work as well as in his teaching." And I know that on Deming's Road to Continual Improvement, you do a good amount of discussion at the beginning about the difference between a process and a system to try to help people understand those types of things. How should a reader, where should they start?   1:09:42.8 William Scherkenbach: Well, not with chapter six, as in CI Lewis, but well, I don't know what... I don't remember what chapter six is. As I said, the first book, and a lot of people after that did it, is essentially not regurgitating, but saying in a little bit different words about Deming's 14 Points. What I did on the first book is arrange them in the order that I think, and groupings that I think the 14 Points could be understood better. The second book was, the first half was reviewing the Deming philosophy, and the second half is how you would go about and get it done. And that's where the physiological, emotional, and all of my studies on operationalizing anything.   1:10:55.4 Andrew Stotz: And in chapter three on page 98, you talk about physical barriers, and you talk about physical, logical, emotional. You mentioned a little bit of that when you talked about the different gurus out there in quality, but this was a good quote. It says, Dr. Deming writes about the golfer who cannot improve his game because he's already in the state of statistical control. He points out that you have only one chance to train a person. Someone whose skill level is in statistical control will find great difficulty improving his skills.   1:11:32.1 William Scherkenbach: Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, well, you're old enough to know the Fosbury Flop. I mean, for all high jumpers did the straddle in jumping and made some great records, but many of them had difficulty converting their straddle to the Fosbury Flop to go over backwards head first. And that's what got you better performance. So anything, whether it's golf or any skill, if you've got to change somehow, you've got to be able to change the system, which is whether you're in production or whether it's a skill. If you're in control, that's your opportunity to impact the system to get better.   1:12:40.3 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, and this was Dick Fosbury in 1968, Mexico City Olympics, where he basically went in and blew everybody away by going in and flipping over backwards when everybody else was straddling or scissors or something like that. And this is a great story.   1:12:57.0 William Scherkenbach: You can't do that.   [laughter]   1:12:58.8 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, and it's a great story of something on the outside. An outsider came in and changed the system rather than an existing person within it. And that made me think about when you talked about Ford and having an outsider helping in the different departments. You know, what extent does that reflect the way that we learn? You know, can we learn internally, or do we need outside advice and influence to make the big changes?   1:13:29.7 William Scherkenbach: Yeah. I mean, we had a swim coach, Higgins, at the Naval Academy, and he was known for, again, following in Olympic swimming. And I'm probably going to get the strokes wrong, but there was no such thing as a butterfly stroke. And he used it in swimming the breaststroke, and supposedly the only criteria was recovery had to be underwater with two hands. But I'm screwing up the story, I'm sure, but Higgins rewrote, rewrote the book by doing something a little bit different or drastically different.   1:14:25.4 Andrew Stotz: I'd like to wrap up this fascinating discovery, or journey of discovery of you and your relationship also with Dr. Deming. Let's wrap it up by talking about kind of your final memories of the last days of Dr. Deming and how you kind of put that all in context for your own life. And having this man come in your life and bring you into your life, I'm curious, towards the end of his life, how did you process his passing as well as his contribution to your life?   1:15:08.1 William Scherkenbach: That's, that's difficult and personal. I, he was a great mentor, a great friend, a great teacher, a great person, and with, on a mission with a name and impacted me. I was very, very lucky to be able to, when I look back on it, to recognize, to sign up for his courses, and then the next thing was writing that letter to the editor and fostering that relationship. Very, very, very difficult. But, I mean, he outlived a bunch of folks that he was greatly influenced by, and the mission continues.   1:16:34.1 Andrew Stotz: And if Dr. Deming was looking down from heaven and he saw that you're kind of reentering the fray after, you know, your struggles as you've described with your wife and the loss of your wife, what would he say to you now? What would he say as your teacher over all those years?   1:16:56.3 William Scherkenbach: Do your best.   1:16:59.0 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, wonderful.   1:17:01.4 William Scherkenbach: He knows, but he knows I know what to do. So, you need to know what to do and then to do the best. But I was, I mean, he was very, he received, and I forget the year, but he was at Ford and he got a call from Cel that his wife was not doing well. And so we, I immediately canceled everything and got him to the airport and he got to spend that last night with his wife. And he was very, very appreciative. So I'm sure he was helping, helping me deal with my wife.   1:17:56.4 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Well, Bill, on behalf of everyone at the Deming Institute and myself personally, I want to thank you for this discussion and opening up you know, your journey with Dr. Deming. I feel like I understand Dr. Deming more, but I also understand you more. And I really appreciate that. And for the listeners out there, remember to go to Deming.org to continue your journey. And also let me give you, the listeners and viewers, the resources. First, we have Bill's book, which you can get online, The Deming Route to Quality and Productivity. We have Deming's Road to Continual Improvement, which Bill wrote. But I think even more importantly is go to his LinkedIn. He's on LinkedIn as William Scherkenbach and his tagline is helping individuals and organizations learn, have fun, and make a difference. So if you want to learn, have fun, and make a difference, send him a message. And I think you'll find that it's incredibly engaging. Are there any final words that you want to share with the listeners and the viewers?   1:19:08.9 William Scherkenbach: I appreciate your questions. In thinking about this interview, we barely scratched the surface. There are a ton of other stories, but we can save that for another time.   1:19:26.1 Andrew Stotz: Something tells me we're going to have some fun and continue to have fun in these discussions. So I really appreciate it and it's great to get to know you. Ladies and gentlemen.   1:19:36.7 William Scherkenbach: Thank you, Andrew.   1:19:37.7 Andrew Stotz: You're welcome. This is your host, Andrew Stotz, and I'm going to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Deming, and that is that "people are entitled to joy in work."    

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports General Motors and Ford are investigating in new kinds of battery chemistries because the future is all about EVs. (Photo: Getty Images)

Shoot us a Text.Description: Episode #1096: We cover GM's shift away from EVs at Orion, the end of a 112-year family legacy at Ohio's oldest Ford dealership, and how new AI tools are challenging the finance industry's most iconic software.Show Notes with links:General Motors is officially reversing course at its Orion Assembly plant, which had been idled since late 2023 for a planned conversion to electric vehicle production. Instead, the automaker now says the factory will build gas-powered versions of the Escalade, Silverado, and Sierra starting in 2027.Originally, Orion was to build EV versions of the Silverado and Sierra, aligning with GM's electrification strategy.Production was delayed twice amid shifting consumer sentiment and cost considerations.The move is part of a broader $4 billion investment across three plants to increase output of gasoline-powered vehicles.GM cited “continued strong customer demand” for ICE models as the driver behind the pivot.“These moves will further strengthen our manufacturing footprint,” GM said, reaffirming its commitment to Michigan manufacturing.After 112 years under Chapman family stewardship, Ohio's oldest Ford dealership has been sold to Coughlin Automotive, marking the end of a storied chapter in Marysville.Originally opened by grocer George Butler Chapman in Plain City in 1913, Bob Chapman Ford was one of the first Ford dealers in Ohio, selling Model TsOver four generations, the Chapman family expanded: new facilities in 1918, 1935, and 1978, plus ventures into Firestone stores, Chryslers, RVs, even founding local airports The current 28,000-square-foot facility includes 24 service bays, a Quick Lane center and proudly displays an original Model T on its showroom floor as a nod to its century‑plus legacyJoe Chapman described the sale as “one of the most emotional and important decisions of my life,” praising Coughlin's deep respect for the dealership's legacy and community roots.New AI platforms like Claude and Perplexity are digging into the finance world, offering powerful features that could make Bloomberg's industry standard $25K-a-year terminal feel outdated.Claude now combines real-time market data with internal company info to answer complex questions instantly—no more juggling multiple systems.It can run simulations, build trading models, and handle huge documents without analysts hitting roadblocks.Major firms like Bridgewater, AIG, and Norway's sovereign wealth fund are already seeing big productivity boosts.Perplexity targets a broader market with tools starting at $0, offering fast research summaries, stock comparisons, and even crypto integrations through Coinbase.Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

In this thought-provoking episode, Greg Verdino and Geoff Livingston sit down with media ecologist, leadership expert, and author Jack Myers for a wide-ranging conversation on the intersection of AI, leadership, creativity, and Taoist philosophy. Drawing on insights from his latest book, The Tao of Leadership, Jack shares why 3,000-year-old Taoist wisdom might be the perfect guide for navigating today's era of AI and exponential technological change. The conversation explores how principles like “leading by following” and “fusion flow” can help leaders move more fluidly through uncertainty, disruption, and accelerated innovation. Rather than building slow, rigid bridges to a future that keeps shifting, Jack advocates for fast-moving portals that help teams adapt in real time, led not just by technology but by deeply human values. Jack, Greg and Geoff also unpack the creative implications of AI, arguing that the real power lies not in replacement but in remix: combining machine-generated suggestions with human intuition, emotional nuance, and originality. Along the way, they touch on education, culture, risk-taking, and what it takes to lead through fear, data deluge, and systemic stagnation. With stories drawn from marketing, media, music, and even (wait for it…) Second Life, this episode offers a human-centered lens on a fast-evolving future and invites listeners to rethink not just how we work but how we imagine what's possible. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:57 The Relevance of Taoism in Leadership 05:30 AI and Technology: Embracing Change 08:08 Portals vs. Bridges: Navigating Change 10:43 Decisive Leadership in a Rapidly Changing World 16:17 Balancing Data and Humanity in Decision Making 19:04 Creativity and Innovation in the Age of AI 27:36 The State of Creativity in Media 29:13 AI as a Creative Partner 32:33 The Resistance to AI in Creative Fields 35:42 AI's Ubiquity in Everyday Tools 40:35 The Future of AI and Education 43:22 AI Reshaping Organizational Models   About Jack Myers Jack Myers is a pioneering media ecologist and influential thought leader whose work has put him at the forefront of technological, cultural, and generational change. Known for his visionary insight into emerging trends and deep expertise in organizational dynamics, he has served as a trusted advisor and coach to leaders at many of the world's most innovative companies, including General Motors, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Microsoft, CBS, TJX Corp, Aegis/Carat, Campbell Soup, Warner Bros. Discovery, Active International, and The Walt Disney Company. As the founder of The Myers Report and MediaVillage Education Foundation, the media industry's premier knowledge exchange platform, Jack helps organizations navigate disruption, unlock growth opportunities, and align strategy with the future. He is also a senior lecturer, award-winning author, and recipient of honors including a Peabody Award, International Book Awards, UJA Humanitarian Award, and Oscar and Emmy nominations. A graduate of Syracuse University and NYU Steinhardt, where he studied under media scholar Dr. Neil Postman, Jack brings a rare combination of media literacy, cultural fluency, and strategic foresight to leaders preparing their organizations for the age of AI, machine intelligence, and accelerating change.  For More About Jack, His Work, and The Tao of Leadership ·     https://www.jackmyers.com ·     https://www.jackmyers.com/themyersreport/ ·     https://www.mediavillage.com/ ·      https://www.jackmyers.com/visionary-blueprint-for-thriving-in-the-age-of-ai/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Driveway Beers PodcastWeight Loss and The Yukon!!We've been saying that we'd update you on our weight loss for 3 episodes now and we failed to come through. But this week, we fullfill the promise and give an update on Mike and Alex's weight loss (or gains) since the last episode. And the saga of the 04 Yukon Denali continues. Did Alex finally get it sorted out?? Why won't he just buy a new car already?? #cars #suv #weight #loss #weightloss #health #ozempic #zepbound #drugs #conservative #liberal #GeneralMotors #autos Please subscribe and rate this podcast on your podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify as it helps us a ton. Also like, comment, subscribe and share the video on Youtube. It really helps us get the show out to more people. We hope you enjoyed your time with us and we look forward to seeing you next time. Please visit us at https://drivewaybeerspodcast.com/donate/ to join The Driveway Club and buy us a bourbon! Buy us a bottle and we'll review it on a show!Leave us a comment and join the conversation on our discord at https://discord.gg/rN25SbjUSZ.Please visit our sponsors:Adam Chubbuck of Team Alpha Charlie Real Estate, 8221 Ritchie Hwy, Pasadena, MD 21122, www.tacmd.com, (443) 457-9524. If you want a real estate agent that will treat your money like it's his own and provide you the best service as a buyer or seller, contact Adam at Team Alpha Charlie.If you want to sponsor the show, contact us at contact@drivewaybeerspodcast.comCheck out all our links here https://linktr.ee/drivewaybeerspodcast.comIf you're looking for sports betting picks, go to conncretelocks.com or send a message to Jeremy Conn at Jconn22@gmail.comFacebook Page https://www.facebook.com/drivewaybeerspodcast/#podcast #whiskey #bourbon

Originally uploaded Jan14th, fixed error reloaded July 1st. Chris Holman welcomes back Jason Cords, Executive Manager, Shaheen Chevrolet, Shaheen Cadillac, Lansing, MI. Welcome back, Jason, remind the Michigan business community about Shaheen Chevrolet/Cadillac? What were some 2024 highlights for Shaheen? What were some 2024 highlights from dealership end of things or noteable General Motors news? Hybrids or EVs which is stronger for the upcoming year? What do you expect for 2025? Are any models selling better than anticipated originally by GM and Dealerships? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Time now for our daily Tech and Business Report. GM is once again increasing its EV battery production. The company along with LG Energy Solution plans to start making more of its lower-cost batteries at its plant in Tennessee. For more, KCBS Radio anchor Holly Quan spoke with Bloomberg's David Welch.

If your client was riding in your car all day, would they see you as a dedicated professional, or just someone running errands? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes welcomes Sharon Mills. Sharon is one of Northeast Florida's leading realtors. Sharon dives deep into her journey, highlighting how her early corporate experiences at General Motors shaped her into a meticulous professional dedicated to client service and relentless attention to detail. She shares invaluable lessons learned from transitioning through multiple industries—including owning an interior design firm—to becoming a top-producing luxury real estate agent. Throughout the conversation, Sharon emphasizes the importance of treating real estate like a true profession, investing deeply in self-education, and knowing your market inside and out. From setting clear boundaries with clients to maintaining consistent work ethics even during downturns, Sharon delivers actionable advice on building resilience and establishing yourself as a go-to realtor for life. Want to set yourself apart in the competitive world of real estate? Tune in, learn Sharon's proven strategies, and commit to investing in yourself. Subscribe to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast now and elevate your real estate career!   Highlights: 00:00 - 14:20 Sharon Mills Early Career and Life Experiences Sharon's journey from Buffalo to Jacksonville Working at Liberty Mutual as a teenager Corporate growth at General Motors Importance of mentors and early responsibilities Transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship 14:21 - 28:50 Building a Real Estate Career Amid Challenges Entering real estate during the 2006 downturn Consistency and discipline during tough markets Learning short sales and foreclosures Rising to the top 1% of agents Reinventing yourself to stay relevant 28:51 - 43:15 Treating Real Estate as a Serious Profession Structuring your business day effectively Setting clear professional boundaries with clients Defining work hours and customer expectations Importance of business mindset and planning Creating worklife balance through scheduling 43:16 - 58:00 Importance of Continuous Learning and Preparation Educating yourself beyond basic real estate skills Understanding the nuances of luxury homes Attending seminars and training events nationwide Developing confidence through knowledge Building relationships through informed conversations 58:01 - 01:11:40 Establishing a Loyal Client Base Providing genuine value and consistent followup Understanding client needs and preferences Becoming the go-to real estate professional for life Maintaining integrity and honesty in transactions Using knowledge as the foundation of relationships 01:11:41 - 01:26:43 Advice for New and Growing Agents Developing market expertise early Managing downtime effectively Leveraging your network and community involvement Avoiding comparison and focusing on personal growth Committing to continuous selfimprovement and adaptability   Quotes: "You have to have a passion for what you do and keep reinventing yourself." – Sharon Mills "Customer service isn't just customer service—it's people service." – Sharon Mills "The biggest mistake agents make is assuming success will just fall into their laps." – Sharon Mills "If you don't know your value, others will define it for you." – Sharon Mills   To contact Sharon Mills, learn more about her business, and make her a part of your network, make sure to follow her on her Website and Instagram.   Connect with Sharon Mills! Website: http://sharonmills.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonmills10/   Connect with me! Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com   Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com    SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW as we discuss real estate excellence with the best of the best.   #RealEstateExcellence #SharonMills #LuxuryRealEstate #RealEstateCareer #TopAgent #CustomerService #RealEstateAdvice #FloridaRealEstate #MillionDollarAgent #AgentTips #RealEstateSuccess #RealtorLife #RealEstatePodcast #JacksonvilleRealtor #RealEstateEducation #BusinessMindset #RealEstateAgent #HomeSellingTips #ContinuousLearning #PodcastEpisode

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is suing General Motors over the sale of its customers' data to insurance companies.

Attorney General Mike Hilgers Files Lawsuit Against General Motors for Deceptive Collection and Sale of Nebraskans' Driving Data LINCOLN — On July 8, 2025, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced that the State of Nebraska has filed a lawsuit against General Motors LLC and OnStar LLC for unlawfully collecting, processing, and selling sensitive driving data from Nebraskans without their knowledge or consent. The lawsuit, filed in Lancaster County District Court, alleges that GM engaged in deceptive and unconscionable business practices in violation of the Nebraska Consumer Protection Act and Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act. According to the lawsuit, GM installed telematics systems in its vehicles that tracked a wide array of data points, including speed, seatbelt usage, driving habits, and location. GM then packaged and sold that data to third-party data brokers, who used it to create “Driving Scores” for millions of drivers. These scores were later sold to insurance companies and used to raise rates, deny coverage, or cancel policies, all without Nebraska drivers ever knowing such data was being collected or used against them. Among the key allegations: * GM deceived consumers at the point of sale by misrepresenting the nature and scope of the OnStar-connected services. * Consumers were often misled into believing enrollment in OnStar was mandatory to access basic safety features. * GM failed to adequately disclose that enrollment in its mobile apps or Connected Vehicle Services would allow the company to collect and sell detailed personal data. * Dealership employees were incentivized to enroll customers without proper disclosure and, in some cases, without any consent at all. “Nebraskans deserve to work with companies that are truthful and honest about what they are doing,” Attorney General Hilgers said. “That is not what happened here, and we filed this lawsuit because one large company decided that it wouldn't honestly tell Nebraskans that their data was going to be used to impact their insurance rates. This is wrong. Our office will hold companies that mislead Nebraskans accountable, no matter how large.” The complaint seeks civil penalties, restitution for impacted Nebraskans, and injunctive relief to prevent GM and OnStar from continuing these practices in the state.

Jill and Tom opened the show discussing the demise of the federal electric-vehicle tax credit. The new and used credits expire on September 30. As a result of the credit situation, Nissan has officially announced the delay of two EV crossovers, one each for Nissan and Nissan luxury-division Infiniti. The hosts also discussed Q2 EV sales results. Tom noted a significant increase in electric-vehicle sales at General Motors, while Tesla sales continue to decline. Jill and Tom discussed the impact—or lack thereof—of recent product updates by Tesla. Listen in for details. In the second segment Jill and Tom welcome Brian Yoeckel of Nissan to the show. Brian shared plans for the recently redesigned Armada premium large SUV, including the new-for-2026, high-performance Armada NISMO. Listen in for details. In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom's “60 Second” quiz. How many Mercury models can Jill name in one minute? Tom wrapped up the show updating Jill and listeners on his Volkswagen Taos/Apple CarPlay experiment. 

In this powerful episode, co-hosts Santana and Haley sit down with Chief Beverly Cook of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, to discuss the toxic legacy of industrial contamination along the St. Lawrence River. They explore how pollution from General Motors, Reynolds Metals, and Alcoa Aluminum led to dangerously high levels of PCBs in the water—and how that contamination ultimately made its way into women's breast milk. Chief Cook shares powerful insight on the intergenerational impacts of environmental harm and the urgent need for trauma informed practices & responses.

Industrial expansion has left an indelible mark on our natural world, fundamentally altering landscapes and ecosystems for the sake of material progress and modern convenience. This transformation has created an environmental challenge of unprecedented scale. In today's show, we'll connect the dots between the raw materials that make up our planet and the industrial forces visually altering our contemporary landscape in a chat with a photographer who's documented these profound global changes firsthand for the past 50 years. Applying visual principals rooted in abstract expressionist painting, Edward Burtynsky has explored a wide range of photographic tools in his image making—from large format film to high-res digital cameras mounted to the most sophisticated of drones. Included among our many discussion topics are his distinctive approach to translating a 3-D landscape to the flat plane of a photograph; his various methods for capturing aerials using either a helicopter, fixed wing aircraft, or various types of drones; and the early business epiphany that led him to open a photo lab as an income stream, rather than work as a camera for hire. As Burtynsky shares during our chat, about the connection between nature and industry: “You know, materials are an incredibly key part of modern society. And yet we need to go to sources in nature, where these materials are found. And I'm just reconnecting a reality that we still live in a material world, and our cities are built of molecules that came from somewhere, and I'm taking you to those places that are vast and huge.” Guest: Edward Burtynsky Episode Timeline: 2:58: Burtynsky's early interest in abstract expressionist painting combined with the magic and rituals of composing images with a large format camera 5:28: Planning for aerial views, the shift from using a minerals map in the past to Google Earth today, plus Burtynsky's shooting preferences between a helicopter and a drone and shooting open air. 10:22: Burtynsky's approach to translating a 3-D landscape to the flat plane of a photograph. 17:17: The planning and research behind Burtynsky's work vs the need to pivot in the field. 19:45: Adapting to technology over a 50-year career, and how it's shaped Burtynsky's process—from large format film to high end digital on a drone. 23:16: Episode Break 23:59: Burtynsky talks about permissions to access mines and industrial sites and how this has changed over time. 31:44: A wrong turn on the highway in 1981 and the photos that led Burtynsky to an epiphany about human-altered landscapes.  35:48: Burtynsky talks about forming his photo lab Toronto Image Works as a ballast to provide income in printing for other photographers while pursuing personal fine art photo projects. 43:38: Burtynsky's retrospective exhibit at the ICP in New York, his thoughts about the future of technology, plus recent collaborations with a young artist working in Artificial Intelligence.   Guest Bio:  Edward Burtynsky has spent more than 40 years bearing witness to the impact human industry on our planet. Regarded as one of the world's most accomplished contemporary photographers, Burtynsky's work is included in the collections of more than 80 museums worldwide and featured in major exhibitions around the globe. Born in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1955, Burtynsky's early exposure to a nearby General Motors plant and ships navigating the Welland Canal in his hometown captured his imagination, helping to formulate his ideas about the scale of human creation he would later capture in photographs. These images explore the collective impact we as a species have on the surface of this planet. A select list of Burtynsky's many distinctions include the inaugural TED Prize, the title of Officer of the Order of Canada, the International Center of Photography's Infinity Award for Art, a Royal Photographic Society Honorary Fellowship, and the World Photography Organization's Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. Burtynsky currently holds nine honorary doctorate degrees, and in addition to his work in photography, he was a key production figure in the award-winning documentary film trilogy Manufactured Landscapes, Watermark, and ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch. All three films continue to play in festivals around the world. Stay Connected: Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Linktree    - Host: Derek Fahsbender  Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens