Podcasts about growth engine

In dieser Folge spricht Tim mit Gordian Braun (Head of Growth EMEA, ElevenLabs) darüber, wie die Growth Engine eines der am schnellsten wachsenden Unternehmen Europas aussieht. Gordian gibt Einblicke in den Maschinenraum von ElevenLabs, das in unter vier Jahren über 600 Millionen ARR erreicht hat, und erklärt, wie sie ihre eigene Voice AI durch das komplette Go-to-Market integrieren und mit welchem Aufwand sie Demos und Touchpoints hyperpersonalisieren. Außerdem geht es darum, wie ElevenLabs in über 50 Ländern skaliert, wie sie beim Hiring vorgehen und warum menschliche Beziehungen für ihn mehr zählen als jede Automatisierung. Jetzt reinhören!

HR isn't just supporting the business. It may be one of the biggest places leaders are leaving growth, profitability, and enterprise value on the table. Nikki sits down with DeeAnn Palin, founder of ONPOINT Business Solutions, to unpack why people strategy should be treated as business strategy. Drawing from decades of experience coaching CEOs and supporting founder-led and private equity-backed companies, DeeAnn shares how smarter decisions around talent, compensation, benefits, leadership, and retention can uncover millions in hidden value. From reducing costly turnover to building stronger leadership benches and using AI to strengthen HR decision-making, DeeAnn challenges leaders to stop viewing HR as a cost center and start seeing it as a growth engine. Because a profitable company and a people-first culture aren't competing priorities. The right strategy can create both.   Additional Resources: Connect with DeeAnn on LinkedIn Meet with DeeAnn for resources or a conversation Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube! Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Nikki's Key Takeaways: People strategy can become your strongest lever for growth. HR should drive business outcomes, not just manage compliance. High turnover quietly drains profitability and enterprise value. Strategic total rewards can attract and retain stronger performers. Great HR partners balance people, performance, growth, and risk.

In this episode of PIEcast, Katie Fisher discusses how account-based marketing has evolved with AI, why sales and marketing alignment remains critical for growth, and how marketers can adapt as technology changes the profession. She also shares insights on client feedback, building strong business partnerships, and the importance of ethics, judgment, and credibility in modern marketing.

Evan Huck, CEO and co-founder of UserEvidence, opens up about the hard decision to shift from a tried-and-true outbound sales playbook to a long-term brand-building strategy. After eight straight quarters of flat pipeline growth, Evan had to trust the process, convince his board to stay the course, and rethink how UserEvidence reached its ideal customers. In this conversation, he shares what it takes to stay patient when results don't come fast, how to balance short-term pipeline needs with brand investments, and why the payoff was worth the wait. Evan also shares: - Why eight quarters of flat pipeline tested their commitment to brand over quick wins - How UserEvidence narrowed its ICP to unlock stronger growth - Why creative, one-to-one outreach can still break through with enterprise buyers - How Slack communities helped build credibility and generate early enterprise demand - Why product marketing came before demand generation in building the GTM engine - How customer advocacy became an increasingly powerful source of growth Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Evan Huck and UserEvidence 04:31 From SDR to CEO: Evan's GTM Journey 07:54 Why UserEvidence Bet on Brand 09:31 Eight Quarters of Crickets: Waiting for Brand to Pay Off 12:30 Narrowing the ICP to Unlock Growth 13:51 The CEO Hustle Behind Enterprise Growth 16:00 Building Credibility Through Communities 18:00 Why the Right Team Matters 19:14 Why Product Marketing Came First 20:39 Turning Customers Into a Growth Engine 22:07 The "Chill, Humble" Leadership Philosophy 22:43 Evan's Favorite Book for Founders Try UserEvidence: userevidence.com

Welcome to The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and Ideas. In this episode, hosts Bela Musits and Mike Wasserman sit down with business growth expert Brad Fisher, founder of Scalable Leadership.Many midsize companies hits a wall where growth stalls, operations clutter, and founders find themselves working 80 hours a week just to keep up. Brad explains how to identify if you are stuck in the "scalability trap" and outlines exactly what it takes to break free. If you want to transform your business from a boss-centric operation into a self-sustaining asset, this episode is a must-watch.Key Concepts Discussed in This EpisodeThe First Leap vs. The Second Leap: The first leap is the courage it takes to quit your job and start a company. The second leap is shifting from a stage-one, founder-dependent boutique structure to a scalable, stage-two structure where a leadership team runs day-to-day operations.The Scalability Trap: Typically hitting companies around $5 million to $15 million in annual revenue, this occurs when complexity outgrows centralized command-and-control systems, leading to founder exhaustion.The Leadership Leverage Ratio ($T/H$): A framework explaining that individual contributors focus on maximizing personal effort ($H$ for Hero), whereas executive leaders must minimize the hero factor and maximize team capacity ($T$ for Team)."Who, Not How": Shifting your mindset from "How am I going to solve this problem?" to "Who is going to solve this problem for me?"The 6 Scalabilities of a Company: Brad introduces the blueprint for building a functional organizational chart: Leadership and Culture, Growth Engine, Business Model and Finance (Money Machine), Human Capital, Technology and Infrastructure, and Operations and Innovation.Takeaways for Business LeadersBela and Mike share their final takeaways on the importance of outside perspective, executive coaching, and learning self-compassion. The ultimate test of your business structure is simple: Can you take a full month off from work without negative consequences to your company?Connect With the HostsHave questions about scaling your business or making your own second leap? Reach out to Bela and Mike directly!Email: bela.andmike@gmail.comIf you found this conversation valuable, please remember to hit that LIKE button and SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories from entrepreneurs who are paving their own path to innovation. Leave us a review in the comments below to help other leaders discover the channel!

Today on "The Building Code," Carly and Jordan sit down with Kevin Nguyen, founder and owner of Capital Development in Kennesaw, GA.   Kevin started the company as a way to pay for college -- knocking on doors to replace mailboxes -- and in seven years has grown it into a firm running three business lines at once: custom residential, commercial retail buildouts for national brands and full design-build. Capital Development has moved more than $75 million through those three lines and built over two million square feet across metro Atlanta, all under one operating system.   In this episode, you'll learn:   How Kevin structures a week that has a custom home client, a retail buildout and a design-build project all moving at once Why he splits production meetings by division, then brings leadership back together mid-week How an open-book, profit-sharing structure keeps project managers accountable to the numbers The early hiring mistake that almost broke the business, and the two weeks he took away to rebuild it right   Follow Kevin and Capital Development:   Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok     Join "The Building Code" Facebook group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebuildingcodecrew/   FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/buildertrend/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/buildertrend/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Buildertrend/ YOUTUBE: / @buildertrend https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7SI6btsZPc1jJJIemoH-A LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/buildertrend   #Buildertrend #TheBuildingCodePodcast #ConstructionLeadership #CommercialConstruction #CustomHomes #DesignBuild #BuilderLife #ConstructionBusiness #CapitalDevelopment #AtlantaBuilders

In this Cannes special episode of Future Proof, Jane Ostler speaks with Dina Liu, Global Head of Brand Product Marketing at TikTok, about how AI is reshaping brand discovery and growth. From creator-led marketing and AI-powered content recommendations to the challenge of building salience in a fragmented media landscape, Dina shares how TikTok is helping brands stay relevant in an increasingly automated world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many niche banking initiatives rely more heavily on tailored messaging and distribution than on fundamentally differentiated financial products. But building a real growth engine requires a clean slate, a willingness to innovate at the product level, and deep research into the customers a bank wants to serve. Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with Mary Kate Loftus, President, Impressia Connect, CNB Bank, to break down the tactical playbook for truly serving women entrepreneurs. They unpack how to spot hidden gaps in your commercial loan book, build bespoke products like fertility financing, and scale high-touch relationships using sharp digital discipline.

Colleen Kuesel, Chief Marketing Officer at Chartis, joins the PIEcast to discuss client-centered marketing, the evolving role of AI in professional services, and how marketers can have a greater impact on firm strategy. From early career lessons in leadership to practical insights on brand building and growth, Colleen shares ideas that marketing leaders can put into practice right away. 

Adobe Digital Insights' Vivek Pandya discusses the rapid rise of AI-driven commerce, highlighting that AI-referred shoppers spend 53% more and are more likely to complete purchases. He also explains how growing consumer trust in AI is boosting conversion rates across retail and travel, creating new opportunities for brands.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

The following article of the Tech industry is: 'Automated Collections: The Growth Engine for Mexican SOFOMES' by Tomás Mindlin, CEO & Co-Founder, tapi.

Henry Magun is the CEO and co-founder of Hansa, a company he launched in 2023 to help businesses grow through innovative technology solutions. Prior to founding Hansa, Henry was a venture capital investor at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), where he focused on early-stage enterprise technology companies and supported founders through investment and board involvement. He also served as the New York Chapter Lead for EVCA and gained experience in product management at Nebia and expansion at WeWork. Henry holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, where he was selected as a Mayfield Fellow through the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. Outside of work, Henry enjoys cycling and building furniture in his woodshop, reflecting his passion for both precision and creativity in everything he does.  During the show we discuss: Why having business credit doesn't automatically mean you're building business credit. Why you should ask your lender if they report. How to get your lender to start reporting. Why business credit reporting is so fragmented. Why business identity makes reporting difficult. Why business credit bureaus make contributors go through credentialing. How lenders can simplify business credit reporting. How business owners can help change the industry. Resources: https://www.withhansa.com/

Matt Swulinski is one of the best growth leaders in AI. He is currently Head of Growth at Viktor, the Accel-backed AI coworker. Previously, he was Head of Growth at Wispr Flow, where he was marketing hire #1 and built the growth function from pre-launch to millions of users. Matt also built the AI-powered marketing OS that automated 100 newsletter sponsorships a month and enabled a lean team to scale dramatically faster. Before Wispr Flow, Matt worked in growth at Superhuman. AGENDA: 00:00 Why SaaS Founders Should Steal the E-Commerce Growth Playbook 04:47 How Does PLG Change When AI Agents Become the Customer? 07:46 When Should an Early-Stage Founder Start Spending on Paid Growth? 10:36 How Do You Build the Tracking Stack to Know Whether Paid Is Working? 17:38 How Much Should You Spend on Creative—and How Do You Produce 500 Ads a Month? 23:10 How Long Should You Test Paid—and How Do You Scale Meta, Google and YouTube? 39:38 How Do You Build Referral, Paywall and AEO Loops That Compound? 49:46 How Do You Hire and Structure an AI-Native Growth Team? 1:04:27 Which Growth Channels Are Most Underrated—and Most Overrated? 1:09:28 How Do You Build an AI Operating System That Makes Your Work Compound?  

In this episode, we sit down with DeeAnn Palin, founder and CEO of On Point Business Solutions, to explore how talent strategy can either drain a business or become a powerful driver of growth. Known as the CEO Whisperer, DeeAnn has spent more than 20 years in executive leadership and over a decade helping founder-led companies avoid costly talent mistakes, improve EBITDA, and prepare for strategic growth and transition. Drawing on her experience leading operations, turnarounds, and transformational growth initiatives, DeeAnn shares why HR is often misunderstood as an expense instead of being leveraged as a strategic business asset. During our time together, we discuss:Why traditional HR is often viewed as a cost center—and how that mindset limits growthThe concept of the “Million Dollar Mistake” and how hidden talent problems quietly erode profitabilityThe role HR should play in helping CEOs achieve long-term growth objectivesHow modern assessment tools and AI can improve leadership effectiveness, team performance, and hiring decisionsWhy organizations should rethink their total rewards strategy rather than focusing solely on compensationHow to solve talent gaps without overspending on the wrong benefits, incentives, or hiresA real-world case study showing how one organization transformed culture, performance, and financial outcomes through strategic talent managementThe importance of Jim Collins' Hedgehog Concept in aligning talent with organizational successThis episode provides practical insights for leaders who want to unlock hidden value in their workforce and build people systems that accelerate business growth.To learn more from DeeAnn visit www.onptbiz.com Request a business X-ray assessmentLearn more about Aptiv Index and strategic talent solutionsConnect with the On Point Business Solutions team

For most of his 20+ career, Josh White watched supply chain get treated like every other retailer treats it: a cost to be minimized. But as Chief Supply Chain and Logistics Officer at CVS, he's spent his tenure rewriting that narrative: repositioning supply chain as a growth enabler that his Chief Merchandising Officer now calls “his supply chain.” This week, Josh tells Zero100's Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah how he pulled off both transformations at once. The growth piece required automation that punches above its weight, AI-powered demand sensing, and flexible systems built for future capabilities. But winning over merchandising required something harder: a shift from “that plan will break our network” to “here's what it would take to make that possible.”

Jacob Parks and Erika Flowers sit down with Bob Robertson, Chief Marketing Officer at Jackson Lewis, to discuss the lessons that have shaped his career in legal marketing and business development. Drawing on an early role focused on market research and consumer insights, Bob explains why understanding clients, competitors, and market dynamics remains critical to growth. He shares how law firm marketing has evolved, where firms still fall short, and why proactive business development, client intelligence, and cross-functional collaboration are essential for building stronger client relationships. Bob also offers practical career advice on bringing the voice of the client into an organization, identifying your unique value, and developing the trust and internal relationships that drive long-term success. 

"Procurement's future is bright, when we continue to do it the right way for the right reasons." - Travis Hodge, Director of Enterprise Sourcing & Procurement at nVent Procurement is no longer just a back-office function. As business models shift and digital transformation accelerates, procurement leaders face more pressure (and more opportunities) than ever to become true business partners.  Supplier experience, strategic talent, and AI-enabled efficiency are fast becoming the new playbook for teams aiming to drive results in hyperscale markets. This episode features Travis Hodge, Director of Enterprise Sourcing and Procurement at nVent, who shares how his organization is reinventing both its processes and culture to keep pace with customer needs and rapid growth. Recorded at Ivalua's 'Procurement Innovation on Tour' Summit in Chicago, Travis offers candid insights on supplier segmentation, why executive sponsorship matters, and the operational and emotional impact of genuine employee engagement. His approach starts with treating suppliers as partners and ensuring procurement is measured not just on savings, but on real business value delivered in order to position procurement as a growth engine. In this episode, Travis discusses: -Reframe supplier experience as a cornerstone of transformation and value -Leverage executive sponsorship to unlock strategic change -Connect AI, automation, and data strategy to tangible business outcomes -Prioritize employee experience as a real differentiator   Links: Travis Hodge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-hodge-phd-612139125/  Procurement Innovation on Tour: https://www.ivalua.com/procurement-innovation-on-tour/  Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe  Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement   

Branch networks in the United States are growing again, yet only 9% of consumers name branches as their preferred way to bank. Both facts are true because the branch's job has changed from acquiring new customers to deepening relationships with the institution's existing customers. Jim Marous examines what the largest banks are actually doing with physical distribution. Chase reports that half of the new checking relationships in its expansion markets come from existing credit card customers. Bank of America clients booked roughly 10 million appointments with specialists last year, with 90% of interactions digital, and the bank reports a 50% increase in digital sales in markets where it opens a financial center. Research from Curinos and Adrenaline finds accounts opened in a branch carry higher balances and are 25% more likely to remain open after a year. The episode argues that branch business cases should not begin with projected households and deposits, and that branches should be measured on a market P&L rather than a lobby P&L. It closes with a framework for deciding whether to build, remodel, or close, applied market by market rather than building by building. Hosted by Jim Marous, co-publisher of The Financial Brand and host of the Banking Transformed podcast.

Osaic's Aida Dillman speaks with Chief Revenue Officer Marc Dorfman about the powerful tool - Vanilla - and what it can do to revolutionize your practice.  Marc shares how to rethink estate planning, and really think about multi-generational planning leveraging AI. Create summary docs in minutes, saving time for more critical, beneficial tasks around the office. Visit JustVanilla.com for more information.

Robert Brill, CEO of Brill Media, explains how businesses can implant a complete growth engine that attracts ideal customers, converts more leads, and scales sustainable growth through a proven marketing framework. Under his leadership, Brill Media has been recognized 11 times by the Inc. 5000 and the Financial Times 500 for helping businesses grow through precision advertising, strategic messaging, and performance marketing. In this conversation, Robert introduces The Growth Engine Framework—Setup, Awareness, Conversion, Closing, and KPIs. He explains why businesses must first define their Super Consumer, build a compelling proprietary system, and deliver messaging that differentiates them in crowded markets. Robert also shares how overcoming the “81% Gap” through nurture marketing, leveraging AI-powered tools, and documenting repeatable systems enable organizations to scale more efficiently while helping founders transition from operator to owner. — Implant a Complete Growth Engine with Robert Brill  Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint, and my guest is Robert Brill, the CEO of Brill Media, a leading media buying agency specializing in precision advertising for business growth. Under his leadership, Brill Media has been recognized 11 times by the Inc. 5000 and the Financial Times 500. Robert, welcome back to the show.  Steve, thanks for having me. It’s great to be back. Good to see you again.  Yeah, good to see you after two and a half years. Lots of things happened. So we’re going to dive into all of those things, but let’s start with your personal ‘Why’ and how you’re manifesting it in your business, Brill Media?  I mean, my personal 'Why' is I'm focusing on becoming an owner, not an operator. Spend more time with family, less stress, more happiness.Share on X Because if I think about the last five years, the most cherished times that I think about are the times that I’ve spent on vacation, going to Disneyland, or going to baseball games with my family—all the fun stuff. And it’s not about the fun stuff necessarily. It’s about the fun stuff with family. So, more of that.  Yeah, you’re absolutely right. Those times with the kids don’t come back. The business is going to be around for a while longer, much, much longer. So prioritizing this is a really good idea. So tell me what happened over the last two and a half years since we talked together. What has changed in your business?  You know, we’ve really focused on evolving our solutions. For many years, we’ve been focused on agencies, and we continue to be focused on agencies. If you search for white-label media buying on Google, we’re one of the top one or two results. That’s because we’ve carved out a really strong position helping agencies do media buying, earn revenue, create stickier client relationships as a result of the work we do, and complement their work.  What we've learned over the years is that no amount of good media buying can overcome the wrong messaging.Share on X Even if you look at search engine optimization or social media, at the end of the day, it’s just an amplification of an existing message. If you’re spending lots of time, energy, and, notably, money delivering the wrong message, worst-case scenario, you’re confusing the marketplace. Best-case scenario, you’re only losing money. But obviously, neither of those is the desired outcome.  So before we help clients buy advertising space, post on social media, do SEO, or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), we really want to dial in the types of messages that are most interesting to them. The next part is this: even if you have the right message and you have the best media buying in the world through Brill Media, none of that matters if you have a leaky bucket. The leaky bucket is when you pay a lot of money to run a Google Search ad, someone clicks, and then they never hear from you again.  At the end of the day, it takes more than one touch—or even a few touches—to get someone to buy from you. So our responsibility has evolved into building this growth engine of understanding the motivation behind why people buy from your company, then delivering the message, then getting people to convert, overcoming what we’re calling the 81% Gap—we can talk about that—and then getting people to see you everywhere so that you become the inevitable choice. The fifth step is understanding the KPIs—the success metrics—for every step of the process. So it’s not just media buying anymore.  Yeah. No, I definitely noticed that it’s not just media buying. It’s not just precision advertising. It sounds like you help them strategize what the right message should be and then convert those leads into customers. So essentially, it’s the whole growth engine that you’re building for companies. Is that right? That is exactly right. It’s the growth engine.  So what is the framework? Because, remember, this is a framework podcast. So describe to me. You actually mentioned step four and step five. I don’t know what the first three steps are. So can you go through the five steps and share with the listeners what that looks like?  So, step one: Setup. Who are you talking to? What’s unique about your audience? What’s unique about your business, and how do you help them achieve transformation? When we talk about setup, there are a few subsections. There’s the Super Consumer. We talk about the Super Consumer as someone who will evangelize for your company. They will pay you what you’re asking, and, in my opinion, most importantly, you like working with them.  So basically, you want to find the Super Consumer, you want to articulate who the Super Consumer is, and then target your growth engine to the Super Consumer?  The first step of the Growth Engine is simply defining who your Super Consumer actually is. So step one is Setup. Inside Setup, there is your Super Consumer, your Unique Advantage Point, and your Proprietary System. The reason we talk about the Super Consumer is that a lot of companies, especially big corporations, talk about the Total Addressable Market—everyone who can possibly buy from you. It’s too broad.  They also talk about small and mid-sized businesses, and commonly people talk about the Ideal Customer Profile, which is anyone who can extract value from your company. In our opinion, that’s too broad as well because if you dial in to the Super Consumer—if you understand the people you want to work with, who will evangelize for you, and who will pay you what you’re asking—you have a subset of people.  When you define them, there's a clear, describable transformation that you can provide that helps you become the inevitable solution for that group of people.Share on X When you know what those people want, what their desires are, what keeps them up at night, what they’re experiencing on a day-to-day basis, what they’re saying to themselves, what they’re saying to other people, and what they’re searching for—when you understand the psychology behind the person—you can actually carve out a position that is highly valuable.  The key part for us is that this is about commoditization and decommoditization. When you talk about lawyers, doctors, dentists, accounting firms, or any retail location, most of these businesses are commoditized. What commoditization means for us is that if you’re an accountant or CPA, your website says something that every other CPA in the area says. If you’re a dentist doing Invisalign, you’re saying something that every other dentist in the area says. That means you can swap out the logo and swap out the photos of the people, and it’s exactly the same.  The consumer can’t tell the difference between one dentist and another, or one accountant and another, because they’re all saying the same things. So the way you decommoditize is by talking about your Super Consumer—who you actually want to serve—and then carving out a unique position for those people.Share on X An example would be an accounting firm we spoke with that really focuses on the trucking industry because they happen to have a large degree of experience in that space. So don’t say you’re a generic accountant who does bookkeeping, taxes, and everything else. Say, “We’re the number one accounting firm for truckers in America.”  Love it.  That’s unique.  Yeah. Love it. Okay, so step one is Setup. Who you’re serving, who your Super Consumer is, what your Unique Advantage is, your Proprietary System, and decommoditization. What’s step two?  Step two is Awareness—driving awareness with your message. Our idea is that now you know exactly who you’re talking to and how they can achieve transformation with you. When you have the ability to really define how they’ll engage with you and what they’ll get from you that’s different from anyone else in the area or the country, that’s when you deliver the message. That’s when you run ads, post on social media, and say things that are going to attract people.  There’s a whole subset of activity behind that related to levels of awareness. The number one mistake businesses make on social media is posting content that’s irrelevant to the audience. That irrelevance comes from how aware the audience is. When people are unaware they have a problem, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a problem. It just means they don’t realize they have one. Your responsibility, when speaking to people who are unaware, is simply to help them understand that they have a problem.  You’re not trying to get them to start now, book a call, or get your free diagnostic. You want to trigger something in their head so they say, “Oh, I’m dealing with this type of experience. I’m a trucking company, and I really don’t have good accounting. I didn’t realize I had a problem.” The success of your marketing is simply when that person says, “Oh, I actually have a problem now.” You’re not going to see that in HubSpot.  You’re not going to see that in any meaningful metric. But when you consistently post content on social media that highlights the problem you solve, three, four, or six months from now, you’ll start to see that wave of marketing activity result in activity inside your HubSpot or CRM. So step two is Awareness—simply delivering the message. Okay.  Step three is Conversion. Conversion is simply, “Hey, click on this ad or see my post and download the guide, take the diagnostic, take the interactive quiz, watch a video,” whatever it is, in exchange for an email address, name, phone number—that type of thing. Now, here’s a key insight. People are not ready to buy after they submit their contact information. That’s another meaningful point that businesses overlook.  They think, “Whoa, a lead just came into HubSpot. Well, clearly they’re ready to spend $50,000 with me.” But think about the experience. Maybe I spend two and a half seconds on an ad. I spend 20 seconds on a landing page. No one’s going to spend any meaningful amount of money after 22 and a half seconds of engagement.  Yeah.  All they’re saying is, “Hey, for a moment in time, what you said to me was relevant.” And that’s it. This is where a lot of companies stop. They say, “Well, I’m getting bad leads. They’re not converting into business.” Or they say, “I got a click, and they visited my website.” It’s not turning into business because you’re not warming people up. And then the solution to that is you’ve got to overcome this 81% Gap, right?  So after someone converts—and for e-commerce it’s slightly different. People maybe visit your site, or they add something to the cart and they don’t purchase yet. But going back to B2B and professional services, you’ve got to overcome this 81% Gap. There’s a study by 6sense, the account-based marketing firm, that says 81% of buyers will only talk to a vendor after they’ve decided to work with the vendor. The implication of that is staggering. The number is going to increase by 2030 to, like, 95% or 98%.  What that means is companies are not going to get a chance to sell people anything. There’s no sales conversation. There’s no credibility. There’s no case studies. There’s no testimonials. There’s no, “Hey, here’s why you should work with us.” Which means all the information that would’ve been supplied by the salesperson now needs to be supplied by marketing. All the case studies, the testimonials, the credibility markers, you’re a member of the Chamber of Commerce—all of that needs to be delivered in marketing. It’s no longer going to be delivered in a sales conversation.  Interesting. Yeah.  So step four is Close.  After conversion, don’t we have a nurture step?  Well, we’re calling Close the nurture. Close is effectively the nurture step.  Okay. Got it.  So it’s the activity to achieve the close, which is the nurture. What we’re saying is: retargeting ads. Again, here’s another common mistake businesses make. Many businesses will pummel people with the same ads that got them into the funnel. That’s worthless because you’ve already delivered that message.  The user’s beyond that. What the user needs to see are the case studies, the testimonials, the credibility markers—all the reasons why your company should be the company they choose. The user needs to see the email marketing—up to 45 emails over the course of 100 days, somewhere around there.  Forty-five emails?  Yeah. Twenty-five to 45, but we recommend 45. The reason is, first of all, the user’s not going to read all of them. Secondly, the user’s only going to pay attention to the things they’re actually interested in. So: retargeting ads, email marketing, and professional services. The last component is LinkedIn Social Preheating. LinkedIn Social Preheating is the simplest thing that anyone listening to this can take action on this today.  Go to Sales Navigator. Create a list of all the people who are in your CRM. Find them on LinkedIn. When they post something, like their post. That’s it. Spend 20 minutes a day in the morning liking posts from people who’ve expressed interest in your business. Or, alternatively, do the same thing for people you want to work with who don’t know you yet. The reason that’s valuable is because, number one, they get notifications and sometimes emails saying, “Steve Preda liked your post.” Steve Preda. Steve Preda. Steve Preda. Over the course of two weeks: “I’ve got to pay attention to Steve Preda. That name sounds familiar.”  Yeah.  Oh, and here’s the ad from Steve Preda, and here’s the email about the transformation he provides. So by the time you or your people call them: “Steve Preda… I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” Or they call you and say, “Steve, I see you everywhere.” The LinkedIn activity, combined with the email marketing and the retargeting ads, makes you the inevitable choice. To a small group of people.  Because you’re not trying to get millions of customers unless you’re in retail or e-commerce. You’re trying to get 20 customers who are going to pay you $10,000 to $50,000. To those 20 people—and the hundred people who maybe don’t convert—you’re everywhere. You’re the inevitable choice. The fifth step in this process is setting KPIs at the beginning. How many sales-qualified calls do you need? How much revenue per month do you need? There are clients who are members of ProVisors.  I’m a member of ProVisors. How does your marketing impact your ProVisors relationships? The core idea is that we see a lot of companies going into the marketplace with point solutions. “Hey, I’m going to try Facebook ads.” “Ah, it didn’t work.” “I’m going to try Google Ads.” “Ah.” “I’m posting on LinkedIn.” “Ah.” They try all these different things and wonder, “They should work. Why don’t they work for my business?” The answer is because you don’t have a unifying strategy. They all serve different roles in the marketing process.  When you know the difference between an unaware consumer and what they need to hear versus a solution-aware consumer who’s on Google, you know you need different metrics and KPIs. We want to prevent companies from going from one point solution to another for years, spending lots of money and getting very frustrated. Instead, have one unifying strategy and then deploy activities that are actually going to benefit the growth…Share on X  Love it. So the five-step framework is: Setup—Super Consumer, Unique Advantage, Proprietary System. Number two, Awareness—ads and social. Then Conversion, which is basically email capture, a diagnostic, a video, a white paper, whatever. Then Close, which is the nurture: retargeting, email sequence, LinkedIn Social Preheating. Interesting. And then KPIs. How do you measure? What are your targets? And how do you get there? That’s  Yeah. That’s the Growth Engine.  So one thing that you mentioned: Proprietary System. What do you mean by that?  The only truly unique things that exist in the world are technological innovations. The iPhone—when Apple created the iPhone—that was unique. When Ozempic came out, that was unique. I’m not talking about that. What I’m talking about is this. I’ll give you an example. If you’re a lawyer, a dentist, or an accountant— If you’re a lawyer, you cannot deviate. You’re literally dealing with the law.  What you have to do as a lawyer has been dictated in legal documents for a long time, depending on the field of law that you study. You cannot deviate from that. You have a process that you have to follow. But what is unique is the way you think about it, the processes inside your organization that ensure you’re successful, and the way you steward clients. Look at marketing. We’re a highly commoditized industry. There are a million people on Upwork who do some sort of marketing work.  There are 40,000 or 50,000 agencies in the United States that all do some type of marketing work. If I go to the marketplace and say, “Hey, I do Facebook ads,” guess what? There are 10,000 people who also do Facebook ads. That’s not unique. What is unique is the systems and processes we’ve developed around how we do Facebook ads and how we think about marketing. The first step we take with our clients is developing a Proprietary System—the thing that's unique about the way they approach the world.Share on X  I was just doing some thinking about roofing. I have some notes here. The Roof Guard Lifetime Protection System. What is that? I don’t know. But you know what? A roofing company needs to have something called the Seven-Point Storm Shield Inspection or the Precision Roof Blueprint. The idea is that you have something no one else has, such as this Precision Roof Blueprint, that you can point to and say, “Look, you can get roofing from anyone, but only we have the Roof Guard Lifetime Protection System.”  Yeah. Yeah, got it. So it’s not a marketing system. It’s more about productizing and branding your services.  Exactly. You need a three-, five-, or seven-step system that you can point to. When we have sales conversations, we have a visual for the Growth Engine. The reason that’s important is because you need to be able to hook into the buyer’s mind. One of the ways you hook into the buyer’s mind is by the buyer saying, “Look, they have this thing called the Roof Guard Lifetime Protection System. I don’t know—that sounds real.  Here are the seven things you get when you get the Roof Guard Lifetime Protection System.” It’s a way for people to not just get excited about your business, because that lasts a very short period of time. They need to go to their husband or wife, or they need to remember a very pithy, short summary of what the conversation was about. “Oh yeah, they have the Roof Guard Lifetime Protection System. Here’s what it is. Here’s a visual of it.”  Okay. That makes sense. So, switching gears here a little bit. Things are changing very fast in this business, and you want to make sure you put your family first. What is one thing that you’re actively trying to figure out in this business going forward?  I mean, the most fascinating and exciting thing I’m doing right now is something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the skills for—and now I suddenly do—which is building actual software that’s valuable for us and our clients. For example, we have a framework for LinkedIn. In very simple terms, you like the posts of the people you want to sell to. From the perspective of the LinkedIn algorithm, that’s very low value.  It’s good from a sales perspective, but from the algorithm’s perspective, it’s not that interesting. You post content on LinkedIn that has to have a unique perspective—an opinion. A lot of people can write with AI. You don’t write with AI. You say something that’s unique to your perspective. Maybe AI helps you write it more eloquently in little bits and pieces. But even that by itself, it’s hard to get traction. The way you get traction on LinkedIn right now is through comments. I’ll get 80 to 100 views on a post.  I’ll get 400 to 800 views on a comment. The comment is the engine behind more visibility on LinkedIn. This goes back to the question you asked. The key point on LinkedIn is you’re not just saying, “Hey, great job.” “I like that.” “I totally agree with you.” Or posting the raised-hands emoji and saying, “This is amazing.” That’s not the kind of comment I’m talking about because that’s low value. It’s also not AI-written content because that’s low value. It’ll deprioritize your content.  When you comment on LinkedIn, you have three sections: Compliment. Expand. Ask. Compliment: “You’re right. Marketing is highly commoditized. I fully agree with you there.” Expand: “When we work with clients, especially highly commoditized businesses like doctors, lawyers, and accountants, the first thing we do is help them decommoditize their business.” That’s the second section. That’s Expand. The third section is Ask. “What’s the first step you choose when you come across a highly commoditized business?” Compliment. Expand. Ask. Now guess what? We built an app that I’m using. All you need is five to eight posts a day. It’s AI-powered. I put in a link for Opus 4.8. It gives me a perspective on what I could say. I get three options. I copy one, write my own commentary around it so it’s not fully AI-written—because I want it customized to me—and then I post it. After that, I go back to the app and put the content I wrote back into the app.  A few things are happening. Number one, any of our clients can now use this app to write highly engaging commentary on LinkedIn. It starts to learn your voice and how you write so that the AI becomes better at writing in your style. I don’t know what it’s called—a micro app, a business app. This isn’t something I’m going to take to the marketplace and say, “Here, spend $10 a month to buy this service.” It’s simply an added value for our clients.  Love it.  Those types of apps are super powerful. I get on sales conversations. I understand the business problems that businesses have.Share on X I build apps. Like right now, I’m in the process of building a media planning app that actually becomes a replacement for how we develop proposals. One component of that app is going to have a diagnostic section, which means you give me some information, and it’ll spit out information about what you should do for your marketing that, number one, follows our framework, the Growth Engine, and, number two, is based on the historical knowledge we have across all of our clients—but generalized by industry, not specific client names.  It takes the best of what we do and makes it so easy that someone who doesn’t have a great deal of knowledge in digital advertising can get a highly pertinent proposal and diagnostic ready for them with the click of a button after talking to someone for 15 minutes.  Very impressive. So you’re building these apps, and essentially you’re empowering your business with these apps so some of the things you’ve done in the past can be automated. So, Robert, if you had a magic wand and you could fix one thing in your business in the next 12 months, what would that be?  I mean, look, just to be completely honest, I understand the difference between an owner and an operator. The short answer to that question is I want to be an owner, not an operator. I’m looking at an operator as someone who’s in the day-to-day. They’re the practitioner. I mean, I’m 23 years into the advertising business. I’m 13 years into my business. I love this business. You’re not going to see me become a real estate agent, and I’m not going to be hawking…  I think I probably said this last time. I’m not going to be hawking crypto or whatever the case is. This is my life, and this is my passion. For so many years of my life, I’ve dedicated my interests, my hobbies, and my professional time to becoming a better practitioner. My goal now is to become an owner, which means the business operates without me. I get to focus on the projects that I want to focus on, which I’m already doing to a degree.  I have a phenomenal Director of Accounts. Her name is Linda Flores. She is k*ller. She scares me sometimes. We’re on calls, and I’m like, “Holy cow, if I was not the owner of the business, I’d be scared. In fact, you’re scaring me, Linda.” You’re getting things going. People should be scared of you. That’s what a good Director of Accounts—an operations person—does. She’s phenomenal. But at the end of the day, if I choose to be on an island for six months out of the year, the business operates fine. We’re not there yet. That’s what I’m focusing on.  So what’s missing? You said you’re already spending some of your time developing these apps—the stuff you love. What would you have to let go of in the next 12 months to get there?  I recently read the book The E-Myth about a year, year and a half ago. One of the most insightful perspectives I got from The E-Myth is this—and people are going to hate this. People who are not entrepreneurs will look at me like I’m the devil. Okay? But this is not my idea. This is from The E-Myth. The idea is that processes, systems, and standard operating procedures are effectively the safety net for the success of a company.  Which means instead of hiring incredibly expensive people inside your business, you can hire, for many roles, people with the minimum level of qualification. The standard operating procedure becomes the safety net that helps them succeed. I was like, “Holy cow, that’s fascinating.” Because as a business owner, I’m looking at myself. I’m hiring highly qualified, very expensive people to do the work. The sign of a good business, in my opinion—or at least from what I understand—is a business that has such phenomenal standard operating procedures that it can hire people with the minimum level of qualification, and they can still be effective.  Frankly, I think we have good standard operating procedures, but we need better ones. And frankly, the AI tools that I'm building help us get there.Share on X The media planning tool that I’m building means I could hire someone with two, three, or five years of experience in marketing and advertising. Through the AI system, they get the benefit of all of our clients’ knowledge and insights that we’ve talked about over the years. They get the benefit of what I know about marketing.  They get the benefit of all the data that’s flowed through the pipelines of our business. All of that information becomes the baseline from which someone with two, three, or four years of experience in marketing develops a phenomenal strategy. Because they’re not relying on two, three, four, or five years of experience. They’re relying on my 23 years of experience delivered through an AI pipeline.  So essentially, what you’ve accumulated over the years—institutional knowledge—maybe it’s in your head, but you can download it. You’ve written things. You’ve produced a bunch of videos. You can put that into an AI database or knowledge base, and that can power some of the systems you’re developing. Other people can come in, run it, and follow your process.  Yeah. And it’s not just ours. I mean, look, it’s any system that I believe is valuable that should be piped into that AI knowledge base. But the value there is me as the curator. That’s when you get to the point where the business is still an authentic reflection or extension of the owner. One of the most important things, especially for professional services businesses, is that the business will be successful if it’s an authentic representation—or extension—of the owner, and you like the people you’re working with.  Love that.  Which goes back to the Super Consumer. The most important part of our whole process is: Who are the people you love working with? Just as an aside, what’s funny is there are two paths. There’s the path of people you love working with who don’t pay you as much, but it really fills your soul. You like them. You’re helping them. They’re very grateful for it.  Then there are the people you like working with less, and they pay you a ton of money. You need both. I think every professional services client we have who starts paying attention to this discovers that same dichotomy of clients.  Well, if you can have them be the same people, that’s the ultimate, isn’t it? That’s the ultimate.  Yeah. By the way, I really love this E-Myth reference. I had Michael Gerber on this podcast about 10 months ago, and he might actually like to hear how you’re refining his system in The E-Myth. So it’s pretty cool. Robert, if people are hearing this and they want this Growth Engine to be developed in their business, and they want access to the other software components you’re developing that could amplify their business—maybe the LinkedIn warm-up system and things like that—where should they go, and how can they learn more and connect with you?  Yeah. So the site that’s most relevant right now is: strategy.brillmedia.co. Again, that’s strategy.brillmedia.co. That breaks down what we do for businesses and what we do for agencies. You have pricing on there. To get a blueprint for your business—the diagnostic and strategy—we spend an hour on the phone interviewing the business owner. What are the economics? What’s been working? Why is now the time?  Tell me about your best clients and your worst clients. Just tell me stories about your business. It’s $497, and you get a complete blueprint—a complete marketing strategy synthesized through our systems and processes—so you can get off the marketing treadmill. You’re not spending months, years, and lots of money grasping at straws: Facebook. Google. LinkedIn. “Why doesn’t any of it work?” We’ll solve  All right. Definitely check out strategy.brillmedia.co. See for yourself what you can get there and how you can get started with Robert and his team. Definitely connect with Robert on LinkedIn. And if you enjoyed this episode, st81% ay tuned because every week we bring you one or two exciting entrepreneurs who share their frameworks with you. Thanks for coming, Robert, and sharing your experience. And thanks for listening. Important Links: Robert's LinkedIn Robert's  website

Jeremy Zook and Ying Wang discuss China's 'new productive forces' strategy, focusing on EVs, AI, and robotics. They assess whether industrial upgrading can offset structural economic headwinds and support long-term growth.(00:00) - Introduction and overview of China's “new productive forces” (00:47) - What are “new productive forces” and why do they matter? (03:28) - Can industrial upgrading sustain China's long-term growth? (07:03) - EVs as a case study in China's industrial transformation (10:35) - AI, robotics and the next wave of industrial upgrading (14:38) - Key indicators to watch for success (17:19) - Closing remarks and new podcast announcement

What if operational excellence wasn't about cutting costs, but about unlocking your organization's true potential?In this episode of Making Risk Flow, Juan de Castro speaks with Ann Haugh, Group Chief Operations Officer at Axis Capital, about why operations should be viewed as a strategic growth engine rather than a cost center. Ann shares how Axis transformed its operating model to improve efficiency while scaling the business, the importance of building cross-functional talent, and how leaders can create alignment across technology, data, and underwriting. She also explores the role of AI in specialty insurance, explaining how automation can enhance employee experience, empower underwriters to make better decisions, and help organizations grow with greater speed, clarity, and resilience.Ann Haugh is Group Chief Operations Officer at Axis Capital and a global (re)insurance leader with more than 30 years of experience spanning strategy, underwriting, operations, and general management. She has led transformational programs, improved underwriting performance, driven profitable growth, and built high-performing teams worldwide, earning a reputation for inspirational leadership, innovation, and delivering lasting business impact.Fan Mail: Got a challenge digitizing your intake? Share it with us, and we'll unpack solutions from our experience at Cytora.To receive a custom demo from Cytora, click here and use the code 'Making Risk Flow'.Our previous guests include: Bronek Masojada of PPL, Craig Knightly of Inigo, Andrew Horton of QBE Insurance, Simon McGinn of Allianz, Stephane Flaquet of Hiscox, Matthew Grant of InsTech, Paul Brand of Convex, Paolo Cuomo of Gallagher Re, and Thierry Daucourt of AXA.Check out the three most downloaded episodes:The Five Pillars of Data Analytics Strategy in Insurance | Craig Knightly, Inigo20 Years as CEO of Hiscox: Personal Reflections and the Evolution of PPL | Bronek MasojadaImplementing ESG in the Insurance and Underwriting Space | Simon Tighe, Chaucer, and Paul McCarney, Moody's

Jacob Parks and Andi Baldwin sit down with Alexander Kaarls, Managing Partner of Houthoff, to explore how an early-career opportunity that pushed him into the deep end shaped his approach to leadership, growth, and developing talent. Drawing on his experience leading a large law firm, Alexander shares why growth must be everyone's responsibility, how learning from peers and sharing success stories can build a growth-minded culture, and why partners play a critical role in developing client relationships and driving business development.

This episode was recorded in France at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and features a panel called “How Retail Media Becomes a Growth Engine” which was produced by EMarketer and sponsored by Sensor Tower, featuring Albertsons Media Collectives' Liz Roche, Omnicom's Claudia Johnson,  EMarketer's Sarah Marzano, Goodway Group's Angela Myers & Bain & Co's Shweta Bhardwaj.Following Liz Roche on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eroche1Follow Sarah Marzano on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahzmarzanoFollow Claudia Johnson on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-johnson-b133436Follow Angela Myers on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-myers-2257aa1Follow Shweta Bhardwaj on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhardwajshwetaFollow EMarketer online at: http://emarketer.comCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

How will financial advisors grow their businesses in a digital-first world?   In this episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, Chris Boyd is joined by Ian Karnell, co-founder of Vast Advisor, to break down how AI is transforming advisor marketing and client acquisition. This conversation goes beyond productivity tools and dives into how advisors can build scalable growth systems that align with how today's clients actually search for advice.   If you've ever wondered whether referrals alone are enough—or how to adapt your strategy for the next generation of investors—this episode offers a fresh perspective. In this episode, we discuss: Why traditional referral-based growth may not scale The growing influence of digital-first client behavior How AI can help advisors define and target ideal clients The concept of a repeatable "growth engine" for advisory firms Balancing innovation with compliance in a regulated industry What the next generation of advisors is doing differently Whether you're an independent advisor or part of a growing firm, this conversation will help you rethink how you approach growth in a rapidly evolving landscape.   Subscribe for more conversations on financial planning, markets, and the future of advice.   Vast Advisor website: VastAdvisor | AI Client Acquisition for Wealth Managers & RIAs Vast Advisor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vastadvisor Ian's LinkedIn: Ian J. Karnell | LinkedIn Chris's LinkedIn: J. Christopher Boyd | LinkedIn   #FinancialAdvisors #WealthManagement #RIA #AdvisorGrowth #PracticeManagement #AIinBusiness #FinancialPlanning #Leadership  

Josh Iverson and Erika Flowers sit down with Koree Khongphand-Buckman to explore the lessons she learned selling books door-to-door, why that experience shaped her approach to business development, and what it takes to drive growth in professional services. Koree shares her perspective on client teams, relationship-building, collaboration, and the importance of asking clients the hard questions rather than assuming you know the answers. She also discusses why firms grow faster when they “hunt in packs,” how culture influences long-term success, and practical ways leaders can create more cross-selling and collaboration across their organizations.

In this episode, we explore the development of the T2D3 Operating System, a comprehensive tool that transforms the principles of the T2D3 book into an AI-powered platform for SaaS growth. Discover how this system bridges strategy and execution, making growth planning more accessible and effective for modern marketers and CEOs.key topicsDevelopment of the T2D3 Operating SystemIntegration of AI in growth planningBridging strategy and execution in SaaSTools for SaaS growth and marketingThe role of signal quality in marketingChapters00:00 Introduction to the T2D3 Operating System00:26 Origin and Core Principles of the Platform01:22 Transforming Playbooks into Software Products02:42 The Role of AI in Modern SaaS Growth03:37 Early Feedback and Iteration of the OS04:48 Capabilities and Features of the Growth OS06:01 Connecting Strategy with Execution07:16 Using the OS for Strategic Decision-Making08:01 The Shift from Paper to Digital Platforms09:20 Building a Foundation with Signal and Data10:13 Decision-Making and Growth Planning12:54 Demo of the T2D3 Growth Platform23:06 Insights and Unexpected Discoveries24:28 Planning and Goal Setting with OKRs25:47 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

For most data leaders, governance feels like the thing standing between them and progress. Bharathi Rajan, Vice President of Digital, AI, and Data at Swire Coca-Cola, joins Cindi Howson to share how she built the data foundation powering a $3 billion supply chain operation. She breaks down how to turn data quality into a business accelerator, get ahead of demand signals, and build the foundation every AI initiative actually depends on. Key Moments: Building a Data Foundation Across a $3B Supply Chain (06:39): The starting point wasn't strategy. It was figuring out where the data was, who had it, and how to get it into the hands of actual decision-makers. Reframing Data Governance (10:22): Governance is the foundation that makes better decisions possible. Bharathi shares how education and relationship-building drove the mindset shift at Swire Coca-Cola. AI as an Enablement Factor (11:50): Bharathi reframes AI as a tool for operational efficiency and more impactful work, not a headcount threat. Building the Plant of the Future (14:41): A new $475 million Colorado facility gives Swire Coca-Cola a rare chance to design data and AI infrastructure from scratch. The Skills That Will Matter Most in an AI World (17:58): Bharathi breaks down what she tells young people and aspiring data leaders about building a career that AI can't replace. Key Quotes: “Governance is not red tape. It is important. If you want to make decisions with the right data, you need to have governance. You have to have that quality data flowing in.” - Bharathi Rajan “If you're passionate about something and then you know how to use technology to enable that, that makes the difference.” - Bharathi Rajan “AI, it's an enablement factor for us internally as to how can I help the enterprise really grow, create operational efficiencies, but also have people do more impactful work.” - Bharathi Rajan Mentions Swire Coca-Cola to Build $475 Million Bottling Plant in Colorado Springs, CO DataIQ100:  The most influential people in data and AI 2025 AI Women Power List Honorees The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Guest Bio Bharathi Rajan is a results-driven and experienced Chief Data Officer and AI strategist.  In her current role as Vice President Digital, AI & Data at Swire Coca-Cola, USA, Bharathi has saved multi-millions by adopting new tech stack and bringing in capabilities critical for Enterprise growth and performance. While consistently leading innovation and enabling AI & data literacy, Bharathi consecutively drives data and systems architecture confluence across the enterprise. Prior to joining Swire Coca-Cola, USA, Bharathi operated as a Senior Director of Operations in Data and Infrastructre for three years, focusing on Enterprise Reporting and Analysis (ERA), where she was specifically hired for her distinctive capabilities in data strategy, cloud migration, and creative efficiencies.  Bharathi is currently ranked #3 DataIQ100 North America for 2026. She has attended several panel discussions, in Emory University, Women in Tech, AI & Manufacturing and DataIQ. In 2026, Bharathi delivered a keynote on Data Leader as the Transformation Architect at the DataIQ summit. Additionally, Bharathi has spoken at various summits like Microsoft Ignite, Databricks, AI&Data summit and Snowflake summit over the years. Bharathi is also a mentor with WLDA Ventures and Women Tech Council. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

For years, podcast advertising has been largely driven by national brands. But that is beginning to change.In this episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood sits down with Scott Porretti, President of Katz Digital, to discuss how programmatic advertising is expanding podcasting's reach and opening the door for local and regional advertisers.Together, they explore how advancements in buying technology, audience targeting, and inventory access are making podcast advertising more accessible than ever before, while examining what this shift means for creators, advertisers, and the industry as a whole.In this episode, you'll learn:What's changed most in programmatic podcast advertising over the past two yearsWhy local and regional advertisers are increasingly investing in podcastingHow expanded inventory and scale are helping unlock new advertising budgetsWhich advertiser categories are entering the space for the first timeHow podcasting can balance programmatic efficiency with the authenticity listeners valueWhether you're a creator, advertiser, agency professional, or industry observer, this conversation offers valuable insight into one of the most important growth opportunities shaping the future of podcast advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Elevate Care podcast, host Nishan Sivathasan sits down with Terin Stamps, Vice President, Credentialing Solutions at AMN Healthcare, to explore how credentialing—often dismissed as a back-office paperwork function—can become a powerful competitive advantage for health systems. Terin draws on more than 15 years of healthcare operations experience to break down what credentialing actually encompasses, how automation and AI are reshaping the function, and why involving credentialing teams earlier in the contracting process leads to faster onboarding, fewer disruptions, and stronger patient safety outcomes. She also addresses how health systems can build crisis-ready credentialing playbooks and shares her outlook on where the space is headed over the next five years. About Terin Stamps Terin Stamps is the Vice President of Credentialing Solutions at AMN Healthcare, a role she has held for three years. With over 15 years of healthcare operations experience, Terin previously served as an AVP at HCA Healthcare and has worked across three major health systems. Her team transforms what many perceive as a compliance-heavy administrative function into a strategic capability that drives growth readiness and patient safety. Terin is a passionate advocate for standardization, smart technology adoption, and the consultative role credentialing can—and should—play throughout the full workforce lifecycle. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction and Welcome 00:17 – Terin's Background and Role at AMN Healthcare 01:00 – What Is Credentialing? Breaking Down the Basics 02:42 – Federal, State, and Facility Requirements: Finding the Balance 03:27 – Credentialing as a Patient Safety Function, Not Just a Barrier 04:36 – How the Pandemic Changed Credentialing and Compliance 06:05 – Turning Credentialing into a Competitive Advantage 07:31 – The Impact of Streamlining: Faster Starts and Happier Clinicians 08:15 – The Role of Automation and AI in Modern Credentialing 09:22 – Building Technology That Flexes Without Creating Chaos 10:44 – Maintaining the Human Touch Alongside AI 10:44 – Credentialing in a Labor Disruption: Building Your Crisis Playbook 12:42 – Short-Term Fixes vs. Long-Term Credentialing Strategy 14:41 – What the Next 12 to 18 Months Look Like 13:36 – The Three-Year and Five-Year Outlook: Data Sharing and Strategic Integration 16:32 – AI Agents and the Future of Workforce Productivity in Healthcare Sponsors: We're proudly sponsored by AMN Healthcare, the leader in healthcare staffing and workforce solutions. Explore their services at AMN Healthcare. Learn how AMN Healthcare's workforce flexibility technology helps health systems cut costs and improve efficiency. Click here to explore the case study and discover smarter ways to manage your resources!Discover how WorkWise is redefining workforce management for healthcare. Visit workwise.amnhealthcare.com to learn more.About The Show: Elevate Care delves into the latest trends, thinking, and best practices shaping the landscape of healthcare. From total talent management to solutions and strategies to expand the reach of care, we discuss methods to enable high quality, flexible workforce and care delivery. We will discuss the latest advancements in technology, the impact of emerging models and settings, physical and virtual, and address strategies to identify and obtain an optimal workforce mix. Tune in to gain valuable insights from thought leaders focused on improving healthcare quality, workforce well-being, and patient outcomes. Learn more about the show here. Find Us On:WebsiteYouTubeSpotifyAppleInstagramLinkedInXFacebook Powered by AMN Healthcare Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Layland is the Chief Experience Officer at XSolutions, where he focuses on transforming how businesses experience technology, not just fixing problems, but preventing them before they ever happen.He's built his reputation around his “Lay I.T. Out” approach, the idea that technology should actually make sense and feel effortless when it's done right.Michael is a frequent speaker on customer experience, cybersecurity, AI, and the evolving role of IT in business growth. He's known for cutting through the noise, challenging outdated thinking, and bringing a practical, real-world perspective to conversations that are often overcomplicated. Connect with Michael Layland:Website: http://www.xsolutions.com LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/mikelayl TurnKey Podcast Productions Important Links:Guest to Gold Video Series: www.TurnkeyPodcast.com/gold The Ultimate Podcast Launch Formula- www.TurnkeyPodcast.com/UPLFplusFREE workshop on how to "Be A Great Guest."Free E-Book 5 Ways to Make Money Podcasting at www.Turnkeypodcast.com/gift Ready to earn 6-figures with your podcast? See if you've got what it takes at TurnkeyPodcast.com/quizSales Training for Podcasters: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sales-training-for-podcasters/id1540644376Nice Guys on Business: http://www.niceguysonbusiness.com/subscribe/The Turnkey Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/turnkey-podcast/id1485077152

Zeta Global explores how organisations can unlock the full value of loyalty data and turn it into a powerful driver of customer growth, in conversation with Georgia Gkolfinopoulou and Chad S.White. Despite widespread recognition of loyalty programs as key engagement engines, many brands still struggle to translate data into action.Drawing on insights from a Forrester Consulting study, the discussion highlights persistent challenges including fragmented MarTech stacks, siloed systems, and limited data integration. While most organisations collect first- and zero-party data, many lack the infrastructure and alignment needed to activate it effectively across channels.Georgia and Chad, outline a clear path forward—centralised customer data, advanced analytics, and true omnichannel orchestration—alongside the growing role of AI, data augmentation, and intent signals. Together, these capabilities are reshaping loyalty from a transactional tool into a long-term customer relationship and growth engine.Hosted by Bridget Blaise-ShamaiShow Notes:1)Zeta Global 2)Georgia Gkolfinopoulou3)Chad S.White4)Forrester Consulting study5) Start with Why - Simon Sinek - Book Recommendation by Georgia6) The Checklist Manifesto - Book Recommendation by Chad7) Email Marketing Rules book by Chad S. White

Andi Baldwin and Erika Flowers sit down with Anita Mikus to explore how an early-career lesson on work ethic and accountability shaped her approach to leadership and growth.Drawing on more than two decades in professional services, Anita shares why outcomes—not activity—drive success, how trust is built through delivery, and why strong client relationships start with understanding the full problem.The conversation also touches on leading high-performing teams, navigating the complexities of the public sector, and what it takes to build a culture grounded in accountability and action.

Sean Cannell is one of the leading voices in YouTube education and online video strategy. As the founder of Think Media and a creator with millions of subscribers across his channels, Sean has spent years helping entrepreneurs, business owners, and creators leverage video to grow their brands and businesses. In this episode, Sean shares practical strategies for creating more content with less effort, building a sustainable content system, and using YouTube as a long-term asset that continues delivering value years after publication. On this episode we talk about: How one podcast or interview can fuel an entire week's content calendar Why short-form clips often outperform full-length content Common mistakes creators make when launching a YouTube channel Why content creation has become a team sport for business owners Building evergreen YouTube content that generates long-term revenue Top 3 Takeaways One long-form piece of content can be repurposed into dozens of clips, shorts, and social media posts, creating a highly efficient content engine. Consistency beats perfection. Most creators spend too much time obsessing over branding, thumbnails, and equipment instead of publishing and learning from real-world feedback. Evergreen YouTube content can become a valuable business asset, generating views, leads, and revenue years after it's published. Notable Quotes "One show can fuel your entire content calendar." "The clips are often worth more than the interview itself." "The ROI is in showing up consistently—not in perfecting the setup before you start." Connect with Sean Cannell: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seancannell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seancannell Other: https://www.thinkmedia.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThinkMediaTV A Word from Our Sponsors: - Are you ready to start your own creatorjourney and make it big? Visitwww.fanvue.com today and launch yourcareer! - To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney -Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone knows video is king. We see entrepreneurs building audiences, creating authority, and turning simple videos into leads, sales, and loyal customers. Yet behind the scenes, many business owners are fighting the same battle… overthinking every word, dreading the editing process, and waiting for their videos to be "perfect" before they ever hit publish.In this episode of the Marketing Boost Solutions Podcast, Capt. Marco Torres sits down with bestselling author, film producer, movement builder, and OneTake AI CEO Sébastien Night to uncover the real bottleneck keeping entrepreneurs invisible; and how AI is helping eliminate the friction between your expertise and the people who need to hear it.From overcoming perfectionism and simplifying content creation to using video to build trust, nurture relationships, and generate real business growth, this conversation is packed with practical strategies every entrepreneur can apply immediately. Because the businesses winning today aren't necessarily the smartest, the loudest, or the most polished. They're the ones willing to take action before everything feels perfect.

In this episode, you'll hear how an immigrant entrepreneur leveraged authenticity, storytelling, and smart content strategy to turn a resume platform into a powerful engine for referrals, hiring, and personal brand.   In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jimmy Lai discuss: Using LinkedIn as an “Instagram” for lawyers and professionals Immigration journey, E-2 visa risk, and launching a law firm from scratch Clarifying goals on LinkedIn: clients, brand, or relationships Authenticity, lived experience, and personal storytelling in content Hooks, comments, and practical tactics to grow reach and engagement   Key Takeaways: Treating LinkedIn as a place to learn, be entertained, and build real relationships can transform it from a static resume into a dynamic growth channel. Before posting, get crystal clear on whether your primary goal is client acquisition, personal branding, or relationship-building, and let that drive your strategy. Consistent content built around a few focused pillars and rooted in lived experience tends to outperform generic, “professional-only” posts. Engagement doesn't start with posting; thoughtful, value-adding comments can be the safest and most effective way to warm up and build relationships. Sustainable business growth often requires letting go of the need to do everything yourself and delegating to capable people who can reliably handle 80% of the work.   "My big mistake as an entrepreneur was thinking that I'm the best at everything, and I need to do everything myself… we didn't hit exponential growth until I was ready to let go." —  Jimmy Lai   Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.   Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.   Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don't miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/   Thank you to our Sponsor! LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/ Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/   Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/   About Jimmy Lai: Drawing from a diverse, multicultural background and a multilingual K-12 education spanning Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Germany, and England, Jimmy has always possessed a global perspective. This unique background, combined with his experience as an international student, fueled his passion for immigration law and his desire to help others achieve the American Dream. After earning his undergraduate marketing degree from the University of Central Oklahoma—where he was honored as the sole recipient of the prestigious Top Central Man award—he went on to complete his JD/MBA at the University of Oklahoma in 2021. Rather than taking the conventional route of joining an established firm as a junior associate, Jimmy co-founded Lai & Turner Law Firm PLLC in 2022 alongside his close friend Braden Turner to "do law differently." As the firm's managing attorney, Jimmy has guided Lai & Turner through rapid growth, expanding its services from immigration to include estate planning, criminal defense, real estate, and personal injury, all while ensuring every client receives premier representation rooted in the firm's core values.   Connect with Jimmy Lai:   Website: https://www.laiturnerlaw.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmylai-jdmba   Connect with Steve Fretzin: LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin Twitter: @stevefretzin Instagram: @fretzinsteve Facebook: Fretzin, Inc. Website: Fretzin.com Email: Steve@Fretzin.com Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more! YouTube: Steve Fretzin Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Send us Fan MailAI is moving fast.Most mortgage teams are still trying to figure out what actually matters.Frazier and Michael sit down with Chris Nielson at the High Table Mastermind in Myrtle Beach to talk about the real role of AI inside a broker business.Not the hype.Not the buzzwords.The actual use cases that buy back time, simplify operations, and help LOs focus on revenue-producing work.Chris breaks down how his team is using technology to create an unfair advantage, from AI-assisted business plans to open house tools, better follow-up systems, and more consistent customer experiences.Because the win is not replacing people with AI.It is removing the busy work so your people can do the human work better.What You'll LearnWhy AI should be used to buy back time, not replace relationshipsHow Chris Nielson is using technology to give LOs an unfair advantageWhy the human element still matters most in mortgageHow AI can change operations without eliminating the need for great peopleWhy leaders should build tools around proven business needs, not random ideasHow Chris is using AI to create open house tools, business plans, and better customer experiencesReal Talk Quotes:“Don't kill yourself learning technology. Just be ready for the technology that's coming your way.”“I'm using AI in our business to basically buy back our time.”“You can't lose the human element of it.”“If it's something beneath my personal hourly wage, that's not a money-making activity.”“We're using AI to build tools to solve problems.”Tactical Takeaways✅ Use AI to remove busy work so your team can focus on higher-value conversations✅ Do not automate the parts of the business that require trust, empathy, and human connection✅ Look for tasks that drain time but do not need a human touch✅ Build tools around real problems your team faces every day✅ Give LOs simple technology they can actually use instead of forcing them to become developers✅ Use AI to create consistency across the customer experience from lead to closeThe Big IdeaAI is not the strategy.Leverage is the strategy.The winning teams are not trying to turn every LO into a coder.They are using technology to remove friction, tighten the process, and give their people more time to do the work that actually creates revenue.Better tools only matter if they help your team execute better.The Reality CheckThe market is already hard.Why make it harder by:Letting your team drown in busy workChasing tools without a clear business problemAutomating the human parts of the loan processAI will not save a broken business model.But it can make a strong one faster, cleaner, and more consistent.Stop chasing every tool.Start building real leverage.Find out more at Empower LO or BrokerFuel.You Don't Need Another CRM!You Need a Growth Engine.Find out more at Empower LO or BrokerFuel

Key Takeaways: Manage High-Growth Assets Carefully: Assets like Bitcoin can grow quickly but also fluctuate in value. Understanding how they are recorded on a balance sheet is important for tracking financial health. Know the Tax Impact of Volatile Assets: Different accounting methods can change how taxes are handled for fast-moving investments. Investors should understand how gains and losses may affect their tax situation. Review and Rebalance Investments Regularly: Checking investments every few months helps keep a portfolio balanced and aligned with long-term goals. Reallocating assets when needed can help manage risk. Understand Partnership Payouts: Partnerships may distribute money differently depending on whether returns come from income or asset growth. Clear rules help partners understand what to expect. Use Borrowing Strategically: Lines of credit and margin loans can provide access to cash without selling investments. When used carefully, they can help preserve long-term growth while improving cash flow.   Chapters: 0:00 Exploring Balance Sheet Management for Real Estate Funds 1:49 Understanding Mark to Market vs Cost Accounting for Investments 4:55 Managing Market Fluctuations in Commodity Investments 5:13 Managing Partnership Gains and Tax Implications 6:04 Understanding Balance Sheets and Income Distribution Strategies 8:40 Maximizing Returns Through Strategic Credit Facilities and Loans Powered by ReiffMartin CPA and Stone Hill Wealth Management   Social Media Handles    Follow Phillip Washington, Jr. on Instagram (@askphillip)   Subscribe to Wealth Building Made Simple newsletter https://www.wealthbuildingmadesimple.us/   Ready to turn your investing dreams into reality? Our "Wealth Building Made Simple" premium newsletter is your secret weapon. We break down investing in a way that's easy to understand, even if you're just starting out. Learn the tricks the wealthy use, discover exciting opportunities, and start building the future YOU want. Sign up now, and let's make those dreams happen!   WBMS Premium Subscription   Phillip Washington, Jr. is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Send us Fan MailThis one is for every broker owner who thinks compliance is something they can deal with later.Frazier and Michael sit down with Jim Bell, the guy who helps brokers handle the stuff most people want to avoid:

https://youtu.be/sUyjA0muVgM Tom Kirkham, Founder and CEO of Kirkham IronTech, believes business should create value for everyone involved — employees, clients, vendors, and the broader community. After overcoming major personal challenges and rebuilding his perspective on leadership, Tom embraced stakeholder capitalism and built a company culture focused on long-term partnerships, trust, and continuous learning. In this conversation, Tom shares the IronTech Framework — a practical approach to modern IT management built around three core pillars: Generate ROI and Productivity, Make Cybersecurity Core, and Surround it with a Governance Layer. He explains why businesses should stop treating IT as an expense and instead view it as a strategic investment that improves productivity, protects the company from cyber threats, and aligns technology with leadership goals. Tom also dives into the massive scale of the cybercrime industry, why governance is often the missing piece in cybersecurity, and how proactive IT strategy can dramatically improve business performance. — Turn Your IT into Your Growth Engine with Tom Kirkham Good day. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and today’s guest is Tom Kirkham, the Founder and CEO of Kirkham IronTech, where he helps businesses build strong, secure IT foundations, whether fully managed, co-managed, or cybersecurity only. Tom is a keynote speaker on cybersecurity, and he’s the author of two books, Hack the Rich and The Cyber Pandemic. Tom, welcome to the show.  Oh, it’s great to be here, Steve.  Well, great to have you here. And I am curious to dive in, and would like to ask you my favorite question. What is your personal ‘Why’, and how are you manifesting it in Kirkham IronTech?  That’s a great question. So the company’s about twenty-six years old. I went through a lot of personal health problems, and then my wife was real sick, and she ended up passing away—it's been about eleven years ago now. And I was fortunate enough to put a friend of mine in the company, and he was able to take over while I was dealing with this for a couple of years. And when most of it was done, I took some time off and did a lot of traveling and a lot of thinking and a lot of reading. And I’m a lifelong reader, a lifelong learner, and I went back through my history of investing techniques, understanding what makes a good company great. If you’ve read Jim Collins, you know what I’m talking about. And so during those times, I was reflecting, studying philosophy, studying biographies of other CEOs like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Andy Grove—gosh, the list goes on and on. Whether you like them or hate them, it doesn’t matter, right? There’s always something you can learn. And I came upon and read a lot about stakeholder capitalism. Like Peter Drucker says, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” And I understood what that meant, and it was kind of weird. So when I re-engaged with the company, I identified one of the weaknesses, and I said, “Well, if we need to do marketing in this business—which we have to do in any business—I really need to master marketing.” So I spent a lot of time with marketing gurus, most of them are what I would consider household names these days, and re-engaged with the company to do marketing to establish a great culture around stakeholder capitalism. In other words, we exist as a for-profit business not just for the shareholders but for everyone—the community, vendors, employees. And I really wanted to be around people I enjoyed being around. I wanted them to enjoy coming into work.Share on X And so we’ve been trying to perfect that system in the culture for the past ten years. Of course, no one's perfect, but if you pursue perfection, you can achieve excellence. And I think we've done a really good job. We have very low turnover. Everyone seems genuinely happy to be there, and it's really fulfilling. It's more of a personal feeling because I've been a successful investor practically my whole adult life. I started investing in stocks when I was nineteen, and I'm sixty-four now. So I didn't really need the company. I could have just closed it up or sold it or whatever. But I really wanted to have my own reasons. Those are the things that drive me, and I hope they drive everyone else too.  What resonated with you with this idea of stakeholder capitalism? It just made sense. The obvious part is with employees—all of that is true. That's obvious to any good leader or manager, right? As you well know, there's a difference between leadership and management, and understanding that distinction, and the difference between sales and marketing, and understanding those things. A good example is dealing with vendors. There are all sorts of vendors that supply products and services to us, so we carefully vet these tools and vendors to see if their values align with ours, just like we do with prospects. But especially with vendors, if it's something new—a new tool that we're going to invest a lot of time, money, and energy into to make their product or service successful for us and successful for them—we make a commitment to that vendor.  So it's not about the money or how cheap I can get it. What I want is a good partnership with every stakeholder. And I want to make sure that when I'm dealing with a vendor, if it fails for us, it's not our fault—it's their fault, right? Either they oversold the product or they didn't deliver on the service component. I didn't want it to be because we failed to do the right training, or didn't communicate properly, or missed all the other things that are just part of doing business the right way. And that applies to our employees, our local community, and every stakeholder in the company.  Yeah. I like it. So you're looking for partnership-based relationships where it's win-win. And yeah, if you want people to stick around, it has to make sense for them too. You can't exploit your partners forever without consequences. So that makes a lot of sense. So Tom, let me ask you this other question. This podcast is called The Management Blueprint because I'm always looking for frameworks—something practical that helps businesses achieve results. Usually it's some kind of three-to-five-step process that helps you grow the business, get customers, improve operations, or understand something at a deeper level. So when I ask about your favorite business framework, what comes to mind?  Well, we have a thing we call the IronTech Framework.  Okay.  And it was something that we came up with many years ago and started practicing seven or eight years ago, and it's a framework. It's like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. I looked at NIST and there's five components to it, and it's about cybersecurity. And I looked at this and I go, “None of this works without the right policies and procedures in place.” The security training—it's not enough just to throw it out there and tell all your people to take it. You've got to follow up, you've got to manage, and coach, and everything like that. And so I started adding this governance component to the way we sold it, presented it, and practiced what we do for our clients day in and day out. Help them develop the policies and procedures for all of the different things, the protocols.  If somebody accidentally fires off a ransomware attack, they need to know they're not going to be penalized for it. We need to know as soon as possible to stop it. And just little things like that, there's a lot that really improve the effectiveness of all of these tools and services that we provide to their clients. And unbeknownst to me, NIST, who has the cybersecurity framework, they added governance about three years ago to the other five things. And so that was kind of nice to know that we were exhibiting some thought leadership. And so when we go in, it's all well and good if you want to put these protections in and these particular products, but we're a best-of-breed company. Like one of our critical tools that's required for our clients to put in place, to buy it and use it every single day on every single computer, is what's known as an EDR. And it's basically an AI-based super turbo antivirus.  To even call it an antivirus is not doing it justice. So there's three legs to the IronTech Framework. We want to make sure that you're getting a return on your investment in IT, because that's why you buy it. If you treat IT as an expense, you need to kind of change the way you're thinking. You want to improve productivity and efficiency.Share on X The second leg is cybersecurity, because a bad cyberattack can put you out of business. I think the last stats I saw were something like 40 to 60% of businesses go out of business within two years of a significant cyberattack. And then finally, the third is governance. That's the three legs of our IronTech Framework. So part of governance is engaging with our clients' management and leadership—the CEO, finance, of course the CIO, the CISO or security officer, and maybe even the board sometimes. Really getting to know: what are your objectives, and how can we utilize our services to best help your company realize those objectives? Because for most companies, there's no other vendor they engage with as much as us.  We're talking to Susie every day. We're talking to Bill every day. We know that Mary's out sick and Steve's on vacation. I mean, when you're running help desk, stopping attacks, providing training, and all the support we provide along those lines, we get to know their company better than practically any other vendor by far. So it really helps if our clients treat us as a partner to help them realize their goals and objectives. And when all of that clicks into place, then it makes recommending things easier.Share on X “Okay, you need to replace these 30 laptops that are four years old. You're not getting an ROI on them.” “This server's five years old. Let's start thinking about replacing it.” “We have this new tool that's really excellent. We're recommending everybody get it.” And because we've developed that trust, those conversations become pretty easy. For the most part, everybody just says yes. But of course, we don't sell just to sell, especially when it comes to things like hardware. That's not really what we're here for. We're here for the day-in, day-out work: keeping things running, stopping breaches, and putting the policies and procedures in place to run your company as smoothly as possible.  Yeah. I love that. So when I had an IT back in the 2000s, I had an IT person who was a contractor, but he was very active in my business, and I always wanted to talk to him and pick his brain. What are the new things out there? How can we make our business more efficient, more effective, more attractive to employees? Cooler. I wanted to be cool. So I wanted everyone to have a PDA in the early 2000s with email on it—a PalmPilot. And we had multiple screens, and I was looking at, okay, how can we manage data in the cloud and on our server so we don't have to deal with it in the office? That kind of stuff. And I really thought about it as a great investment because it was much cheaper than hiring people. And if you give people good tools, they're going to be more motivated and more effective. So I thought it was a no-brainer.  Yes, but there's still a subset of people that treat IT as an expense. Then there are some companies that tend to put IT under the finance guy because the finance guy usually has a lot of IT experience, but never actually did it as a career or a job, right? And those situations are hard because I need CEO-level or owner-level approval, and I need a direct route to that person.  Yeah, that makes sense. So Tom, tell me, what drives growth in your business?  Yeah. From a growth perspective, for us, number one is maintaining our clients and reducing churn. Number two is—I don't know if you're asking about tactics or strategy—but of course we want to get new clients for the right reasons. So we prefer inbound strategies. We don't cold call people unless we've already contacted them in another way, if that's what you're asking.  Yeah. I'm asking what the real driver of growth is. I understand that you do marketing and inbound marketing, but what makes people want to have an IT service partner like you? Well, they understand those three pillars of the IronTech Framework. They may not believe in stakeholder capitalism, but they don't treat IT as an expense. And they understand—especially after talking to me—the true risk of being hacked. A lot of people don't understand the size and scale of that industry. It's a $10 to $12 trillion industry now.  Wow.  If it were a country, it would have the third-largest GDP. The US would be first, China second, and then the hacking industry. It is an industry that hacks at scale. So when these companies—maybe a small 10-person accounting firm in North Dakota in the middle of nowhere—get these ransomware emails and someone tries to hack them, and we alert on it and trap it, and nothing goes wrong, everything's fine… If they don't already understand it, they go, “Well, why are they trying to hack me?” And I say, “You don't understand. That email was one of 100,000 emails that got blasted out. They don't know who you are, nor do they care who you are.” They're playing a numbers game. And it's kind of like marketing. They're looking at conversion numbers. Yeah.  Let's say it's 100,000 emails. They got a list of all the certified public accountants in 10 different states. They set up the email, they send it all out, and let's say 1% become victims. And let's say they collect an average of $10,000 per victim. Well, that's a multi-million dollar payday for about a week or two of work. And then they rinse and repeat. It's done at scale, and it's a much bigger industry than that. That's just a taste of it. Some of our clients are targeted. In other words, hackers are investing time, money, and energy specifically into that company. We're one of them. Any law firm that does intellectual property law—especially around patents, manufacturing, and things like that—you've got China and other nation states not only trying to get into your client, but you're also a threat vector. You're a way to get into that client's patents and secrets.  So we've got to treat that differently. It's not just about the money. There are different types of threat actors, and we have to educate clients, bring them up to speed, and say, “Well, because of this case, you need this other service and tool that we're offering to prevent China from breaking in.” Or, “You need to follow this practice.” Maybe you don't publicly talk about one of your clients being Ford Motor Company or NVIDIA. You just keep that quiet. You don’t want that to be public knowledge. That's one of the things we do. You spent time on our website, and you didn't see a single client name on there. And that's just one of the small things we do to protect our clients' security and privacy, because privacy and security go hand in hand. Yeah. That is fascinating. So what is it that you’re trying to figure out in your business right now? What’s the big thing for you?  I think because of all the chaos in the United States, making a decision to do anything—everybody's kind of frozen. There are a lot of hiring freezes. I know we've got a freeze on right now because we're looking to see, well, do we really need to add somebody, or can we do this with AI? The hackers do the same thing. That's one of the challenges, is getting people over the hump. No matter what you do, if you've got an IT company doing your stuff and you only call them when things are broken, there's a much more profitable way to do that. You're spending more money.  So there are benchmarks in industries, right? Basically, the research—and these aren't numbers we made up, this is legitimate research from many independent sources—says the average professional service provider, like law firms, accounting firms, healthcare providers, and on and on, should be spending 6 to 12% of their revenue on IT and cybersecurity. And that's everything. I'm talking servers, wiring, cloud, security, defense—all of those things should be 6 to 12%. We know that. That's the way it works. So when we engage with a prospect and find out they're only spending 3 or 4%, then I already know they have gaps. I don't even have to do an assessment to see what they're not doing.  They're either not getting a return on investment, or they're not secure. That's it. If all the accounting firms are spending 6%, and you're only spending 4%, don't just pat yourself on the back. That's one of those moments where you should ask, “What am I missing?” Because I do that often. Someone on the management team will come up with an idea, and we all agree. Well, that's a red flag for me. I want to know: what are we missing? If we all agree on this, is there some gotcha or something we haven't uncovered? And those are some of the things we try to educate our clients on. They don't have to tell us their revenue. I can give them the numbers. I can do the math. I can show them the numbers for something like laptop replacement. Maybe it's $1,000 to $3,000 depending on the industry. If the employee using that laptop is making $100,000 a year, why are you trying to squeeze another year out of a $2,000 investment when it's hurting productivity by 10% or more? Yeah. That’s a no-brainer.  Yeah. It should be.  Yeah. It's not just in IT. I had a client years ago in civil engineering, and they had a rule that they would never keep equipment longer than four years. And they were selling equipment that still looked brand new. And I asked them, “Why are you doing this? It seems like this equipment still has a lot of life left in it. Why are you selling it or giving it back to the lease company?” And he said, “We did the math, and we figured out that this is the optimal time to replace it.” If they got rid of the equipment at that point, they wouldn't have to deal with fixing it. There would be less disruption. They would stay state-of-the-art all the time. And their clients would be impressed. And it actually worked for them. It was a high-margin civil engineering firm.  Precisely. I mean, we're so tuned into that that we're a Mac house. We all use Macs. We all have laptops, and we all have setups with screens at home and in the office. We spare no expense on that. If somebody wants an extra screen for their house—alright, here it is. We'll order it and get it there for you. We're so tuned into that, that we went all Mac back when they were still Intel Macs. And I don't know how much you know about Macs, but they were…  I have a couple. Okay. Yeah, we're Mac people too. Yeah, so they were running Intel processors. Well, Apple decided to build their own processor and moved to the M-chip. And so I bought an M1, and it was like, holy cow, everybody in the company has got to have one of these. And I don't think there was a single one more than two years old at that time. So we replaced them all. Now, the M-series generations themselves—M1, M2, M3, and on—those changes aren't as dramatic as going from Intel to the first M-series chip. But it's still unusual. I said two years, but there are probably people right now with a three-year-old laptop. But we definitely trade them in. That's where the sweet spot is on trade-in value. We rotate them every two to three years and they're out. I think mine is maybe a year old, but I'll probably keep this one for a couple more years.  By the way, you're the first IT company and MSP I've met that doesn't use PCs—you use Macs. Yeah. And I long had this theory that all the IT companies I worked with were always anti-Mac, and I never understood why. And when I got my first Mac, I realized I actually didn't need them anymore since I had the Mac.  Yeah, that's kind of funny because it really started with me during Covid. It may not have been seven years now, but whatever it was, it kind of started with Covid. And for years I was a PC guy. I tried Macs briefly back in the old MacBook days—you know, the white plastic ones? Whatever that was, 15 or more years ago.  Yeah. Classic. Very classic.  Yeah. But what I kept trying to do with a Windows laptop—and I like Dell, I had Dell XPSs, good Dell computers, and we're a Dell partner— What I could never get a Windows computer to do was seamlessly come off a docking station and then plug into another monitor at my house. It would always blue screen or something. So when I went back to a Mac, I was like, “Holy cow, it doesn't break. It doesn't mind being unplugged from a docking station. It just works.” Yeah.  And then all the other things—that they're generally built better, they have a longer lifespan, and they hold their resale value longer, and all of that. Even as old as I was, I forced myself to really get proficient at using a Mac. And when we sent everybody home during Covid, I said, “Well, everybody's going Mac.” And, oh, there was a revolt. And I said, “Just give it a few months.”  Yeah.  About half the office resisted it. And I said, “You gotta try it because I think you'll like it, and if you don't, then we'll deal with it then.” We had Linux people, PC people. So then I said, “Well, maybe we should open it up and let people pick what they want.” Yeah, I love it. Yeah. So our time is coming to an end, but if someone is running on Mac and they're finally talking to an IT service company that's not anti-Mac, and they want to connect with you immediately, where should they go and where can they learn more about Kirkham IronTech and maybe connect with you personally? The website is the best place to go. It's www.kirkhamirontech.com. Just give us a call, fill out a form, let us know what you're thinking, because we want to know what you're thinking and see if there's a fit with the way we do things. Macs started becoming important with executives. That's where we first started seeing it. So even though they may still have to run Windows, the owners and executives wanted to carry Macs for the very reasons I mentioned. So we're perfectly happy with that.  Yeah. Okay. Very good. So if you're listening to this and you enjoyed hearing about how to make your IT work—how to increase ROI, make sure you're doing cybersecurity right, and implement governance so you can use IT as a strategic tool to run your business better—then definitely reach out to Tom Kirkham. Or stay tuned to this show, because you're going to hear from other entrepreneurs who are very smart about business. And preferably do both. Tom, thank you for coming and sharing your wisdom, and thank you for listening.  Oh, it’s been my pleasure, Steve. Important Links: Tom's LinkedIn Tom's website

Send us Fan MailThis one is going to make a few LOs uncomfortable.Frazier and Michael are calling out one of the quietest money leaks in the mortgage business:

Wondering how AI can actually make startups more productive? In this episode of Crowdfunding Demystified, Salvador Briggman speaks with Richard White, founder of Fathom, about building an AI-powered meeting assistant that has evolved into a company "second brain". Richard shares lessons on productivity, fundraising, and scaling efficiently using AI instead of growing large teams. In this episode, you'll learn: Why startups should prioritize high-leverage work over long-term planning How AI enables companies to scale without dramatically increasing headcount The productivity philosophy behind building a lean, high-performing team Why complexity often signals the wrong solution And much more! Resources and Tools Mentioned: Book a coaching call Subscribe for Weekly Crowdfunding Tips Fulfillrite: Kickstarter and crowdfunding reward fulfillment services. They come highly recommended! Download their free shipping and fulfillment checklist. Free Equity Crowdfunding Course  Equity Crowdfunding Explained  Fathom  EP #514 Wow! The System to Raise $17.3 Million With Crowdfunding | Fathom

Patient outcomes have become one of the most consequential responsibilities in the global pharmaceutical supply chain.In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton is joined by guest host Régine Villain, founder of REHVEAL, and supply chain leader Rodrigo Alponti, SVP Global Supply Chain at STADA Group. With over 30 years of experience in leadership roles at multinational companies such as Sanofi and Avon, Rodrigo offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by today's supply chain professionals.Rodrigo delves into the balance between efficiency, adaptability, and human-centered leadership that is essential for success in today's complex pharmaceutical supply chain. He discusses the challenges of global supply chain resilience in the post-pandemic era, the regulatory hurdles faced, and the transformative role of AI in streamlining operations.This episode offers valuable insights for both seasoned and emerging supply chain professionals on leadership, strategic thinking, and empowering decision-making.Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Intro(01:54) Meet Rodrigo Alponti, SVP Global Supply Chain at STADA(05:48) P&G, Avon, Sanofi & key leadership lessons(10:01) Inside STADA: 3 business segments & how supply chain serves them(12:45) How patient safety shapes every supply chain decision(16:05) Current state of global pharma supply chains: complexity & geopolitics(20:57) Resilience pre vs. post pandemic: integration, agility & follow-through(29:48) Practical AI in pharma: demand planning, supply & workforce training(35:47) Aligning teams through continuous change: strategy to execution(42:45) Key takeaways, empowering people & how to connectAdditional Links & Resources:Connect with Rodrigo Alponti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigo-alponti-a9873/Connect with Régine Villain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginehonorevillain/Learn more about STADA: https://www.stada.com/Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/WEBINAR- From Workforce Planning to Hourly Performance Management: How GEODIS Americas Turned Labor Productivity into a Growth Engine: https://bit.ly/4blRfKpWEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3bWEBINAR- There's No Finish Line in Leadership: Tips to Optimize Your Strategy & Execution: https://bit.ly/4tHOWJAWEBINAR- Delivering Flawless Field Service with Predictive Insights and AI: https://bit.ly/4sXVZfVWEBINAR- From AI Pilots to Performance: How Supply Chain Leaders Are Scaling Agentic AI: https://bit.ly/49hCqIqThis episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Régine Villain and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/people-performance-focused-leadership-stada-group-1577

In this episode of The Buzz, we break down rising cargo theft, global supply chain disruptions, and the growing gap in AI readiness—plus what it all means for leaders trying to stay ahead—welcome to The Buzz, powered by DOSS!Hosts Scott Luton and Yaseen Ahmid break down major forces shaping today's supply chains—from geopolitical disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and its ripple effects on fuel, fertilizer, and costs, to a surprising gap in AI readiness where most employees can't apply what they've learned. Joined by Danny Ramon, the conversation dives into the rapid rise of cargo theft, how increasingly sophisticated criminal networks are exploiting digital systems and documentation, and why high-demand goods are more vulnerable than ever. This episode delivers clear, real-world insight into where supply chains are most exposed right now—and what leaders must do to stay ahead.Cargo theft is rising fast—with continued double-digit growth and increasing sophisticationCriminal networks are exploiting digital gaps, paperwork fraud, and fragmented systemsHigh-demand, easily resold goods (electronics, food, clothing) are top theft targetsGlobal disruptions (fuel, fertilizer, shipping routes) are driving widespread cost increasesAI training is falling short—most employees can't apply it to real workflowsVisibility—not just technology—is the key to reducing supply chain riskEconomic pressure and global instability are accelerating both disruption and theftIf you want to understand where supply chains are most vulnerable right now—and how to stay ahead of rising risk, disruption, and complexity—this episode is a must-listen. The leaders who prioritize visibility, adaptability, and real execution won't just survive this environment—they'll outperform it.Additional Links & Resources:DOSS: https://www.doss.com/With That Said: https://bit.ly/WTS-19April2026National Supply Chain Day: https://bit.ly/NSCD-2026Gartner Supply Chain Symposium: https://gtnr.it/48hXcapLuna: https://luna-resume.com/Live updates: Pakistan prepares for upcoming peace talks despite US seizure of Iranian cargo ship: https://bit.ly/4sPRXq3What to know about CBP's tariff refund process launching Monday: https://bit.ly/Tariff-RefundsWhy AI readiness training fails: https://bit.ly/AI-Readiness-TrainingThe KitKat heist exposed a confectionery crime crisis: https://bit.ly/Kit-Kats-StolenUnited States 2025 Annual Cargo Theft Report: https://bit.ly/42j8wjaUpcoming Live Programming: https://supplychainnow.com/upcoming-live-programming/Supply Chain Now Resource Hub: https://supplychainnow.com/resource-hub/Overhaul: https://www.over-haul.com/Danny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-ramon-97472855/Yaseen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaseen-ahmid/Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVkWEBINAR- From Workforce Planning to Hourly Performance Management: How GEODIS Americas Turned Labor Productivity into a Growth Engine: https://bit.ly/4blRfKpWEBINAR- Talent Management Playbook for Supply Chain Leaders: https://bit.ly/4uc2OfBWEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3bWEBINAR- How “Almost Right” Shipping Decisions Turn Into Six-Figure Losses: https://bit.ly/4mMov2TThis episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Yaseen Ahmid, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/the-buzz-cargo-theft-ai-gaps-rising-risk-1575

Speed has long dominated the conversation in shipping, but today's reality tells a different story. In a volatile and unpredictable environment, success comes down to smarter decisions, not just faster deliveries.In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton and Tevon Taylor are joined by Lori Boyer, Head of Content Marketing at EasyPost and host of Unboxing Logistics. Together, they break down what's really driving shipping challenges today, from fragmented consumer demand to rising costs hidden in accessory fees, packaging inefficiencies, and routing decisions rather than just carrier rate increases.The discussion highlights how demand has become less predictable, with promotion-driven spikes creating operational strain and forcing reactive, costly decisions. At the same time, customer expectations have shifted. Cost, reliability, visibility, and accuracy now matter more than speed, pushing companies to rethink how they design their shipping strategies.Lori also shares how leading teams are responding by improving visibility, aligning service levels with customer needs, and using AI to support faster, data-driven decisions. This episode offers a practical look at how organizations can reduce costs, adapt to uncertainty, and build more resilient and efficient shipping operations.Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Intro(07:08) State of consumer demand(10:07) Rising costs and volatility(16:02) Do customers really value speed?(21:34) The role of artificial intelligence in the supply chain(25:16) Utilizing correct data before solving other problems(27:51) Aligning service level with customer expectations(32:25) About EasyPost(34:21) About unboxing logistics(36:01) Where sustainability comes in(39:09) LLMs and shipping: What teams are already doing, with or without permissionAdditional Links & Resources:Connect with Lori Boyer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loribboyer/Learn more about EasyPost: https://www.easypost.com/Learn more about Tevon Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tevontaylor/Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/aboutLearn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/WEBINAR- Talent Management Playbook for Supply Chain Leaders: https://bit.ly/4uc2OfBWEBINAR- From Workforce Planning to Hourly Performance Management: How GEODIS Americas Turned Labor Productivity into a Growth Engine: https://bit.ly/4blRfKpWEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3bThis episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/uncertain-times-skittish-customers-impact-shipping-costs-1574

Most people don't think about supply chain until something goes wrong. But behind the scenes, it drives everything from sustainability progress to whether products even make it to your door.In this episode of Supply Chain Now and ongoing Now Generation series, Scott W. Luton is joined by Professor Catarina Carvalho, faculty member at Columbia University and Associate Principal at Arup, alongside Briana Stregiel from Columbia Business School, Curran Murphy, Distribution Planning Manager at Louis Vuitton, and Ingrid Eck, Graduate Student, M.S. in Sustainability Management at Columbia University. Together, they share how the next wave of supply chain leaders is already tackling complex challenges across sustainability, data, and global operations.The conversation highlights how diverse backgrounds, from luxury fashion and food systems to natural gas trading, help students bridge classroom learning to real global challenges. Topics such as decarbonization, scope 3 emissions, climate risk, and cross-functional collaboration take center stage as each guest shares what drives them most. Their perspectives reveal a generation that is not only career-focused but deeply motivated to create meaningful change.Catarina also shares insights into how Columbia's program intentionally develops well-rounded leaders by bridging academic rigor with hands-on, real-world practitioner expertise. This episode offers a glimpse of how the next generation is approaching the supply chain with curiosity, adaptability, and a strong sense of purpose.Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Intro(02:05) Meet the panel: Professor Catarina Carvalho and students(06:26) Student backgrounds, studies, and personal hobbies(18:30) What each guest loves most about the global supply chain(27:06) What will define the best supply chain leaders in 5 years(27:17) Briana: Transparency and closing the Scope 3 emissions gap(29:34) Catarina: Supply chain accounts for 94% of your emissions(37:30) The Columbia University student experience(52:37) Wise organization, closing thoughts, and how to connectAdditional Links & Resources:Connect with Catarina Carvalho: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarina--carvalho/Connect with Curran Murphy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curranjmurphy/Connect with Briana Stregiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briana-stregiel/Connect with Ingrid Eck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-eckLearn more about Arup: https://www.arup.com/Learn more about Columbia University: https://www.columbia.edu/Learn more about Columbia Business School: https://business.columbia.edu/Learn more about WISE by The University of Arkansas: https://walton.uark.edu/departments/supplychain/wise.phpLearn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/aboutLearn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/WEBINAR- Talent Management Playbook for Supply Chain Leaders: https://bit.ly/4uc2OfBWEBINAR- From Workforce Planning to Hourly Performance Management: How GEODIS Americas Turned Labor Productivity into a Growth Engine: https://bit.ly/4blRfKpWEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3bThis episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/now-generation-columbia-university-fueling-top-talent-pipeline-1573

In this episode of The Buzz, we unpack the latest manufacturing signals, leadership priorities, and the growing impact of AI—plus a candid look at corporate jargon and why clarity matters more than ever—welcome to The Buzz, powered by DOSS!Hosts Scott Luton and Billy Ray Taylor dive into March manufacturing data showing modest growth and improving job trends, while also highlighting ongoing cost pressures and global disruptions. From there, the conversation shifts to what's really on the minds of business leaders today—uncertainty, decision-making challenges, and the widening gap between strategy and execution. This episode delivers practical, real-world perspectives on how organizations can move forward with confidence.Key Learnings & Takeaways:Manufacturing momentum is steady—but fragile with growth signals tempered by inflation and disruptionToday's labor market = “low hire, low fire” driven by uncertainty and hesitationAI isn't transforming your business—it's exposing it (data gaps, inefficiencies, misalignment)Execution beats strategy—most companies don't fail from bad plans, but poor follow-throughKPIs vs. KPAs—why actions (not just metrics) drive real performanceCorporate jargon can damage performance by masking clarity and weakening decision-makingGreat leadership = clarity, standards, and accountability, not buzzwordsBottom line: In today's complex environment, leaders who prioritize execution, clarity, and honest communication will separate themselves from the pack—and drive real results.Additional Links & Resources:DOSS: https://www.doss.com/National Supply Chain Day: https://bit.ly/NSCD-2026AME Lean Summit: https://bit.ly/AME-Lean-Summit-2026Manufacturing employment bounces back in March, adding 15K jobs: https://bit.ly/Mfg-Data-March-2026Corporate jargon is more than buzzwords. It's ‘bulls--t.' https://bit.ly/The-Dangers-of-Corporate-BSGartner Supply Chain Symposium: https://gtnr.it/48hXcapThe Winning Link: https://amzn.to/4e0UPfSUpcoming Live Programming: https://supplychainnow.com/upcoming-live-programming/Supply Chain Now Resource Hub: https://supplychainnow.com/resource-hub/LinkedXL: https://linkedxl.com/Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVkWEBINAR- Talent Management Playbook for Supply Chain Leaders: https://bit.ly/4uc2OfBWEBINAR- From Workforce Planning to Hourly Performance Management: How GEODIS Americas Turned Labor Productivity into a Growth Engine: https://bit.ly/4blRfKpWEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3bThis episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Billy Ray Taylor and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/buzz-from-data-decisions-why-execution-wins-todays-supply-chain-1572

Warehouses have become one of the most important battlegrounds in modern supply chain.In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton is joined by industry leaders Lance Olmsted, Chief Revenue Officer at IFS, and Patrick Maley, Chief Revenue Officer at IFS Softeon, to explore why warehouse execution now plays a much bigger strategic role across the business. As customer expectations rise and supply chains face more pressure to move faster, they explain how companies are rethinking the warehouse as a source of speed, flexibility, and competitive advantage.The conversation covers how real-time visibility, modern warehouse systems, and industrial AI can help teams make better decisions, respond faster to disruptions, and close the gap between planning and execution. Lance and Patrick also share their perspective on where warehouse operations are headed next and why adaptability will be critical moving forward.Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Intro(03:54) IFS acquires Softeon: what happened(07:34) Why warehouses became a strategic lever(09:31) Biggest pressures: AI adoption & tariffs(18:22) Closing the gap between planning and execution(20:36) Real-time visibility and faster decision-making(22:30) Industrial AI defined & applied in warehouses(29:05) Real-world operational improvements & customer examples(37:10) The warehouse of the next 3–5 yearsAdditional Links & Resources:Connect with Lance Olmsted: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-olmsted-98708568/Connect with Patrick Maley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmaley/Learn more about IFS: https://www.ifs.com/enLearn more about IFS Softeon: https://www.softeon.com/Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/aboutLearn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/WEBINAR- Talent Management Playbook for Supply Chain Leaders: https://bit.ly/4uc2OfBWEBINAR- From Workforce Planning to Hourly Performance Management: How GEODIS Americas Turned Labor Productivity into a Growth Engine: https://bit.ly/4blRfKpWEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3b

Carles Reina is VP of Sales at ElevenLabs, where he was the first investor and fourth employee. Carles has scaled the revenue org from Day 1 to over $350M in just 3 years. Carles is also an active investor with investments in ElevenLabs, Revolut, Happy Robot and more.   AGENDA: 00:00 - Is the Traditional CRO Dead in the Age of AI? 01:01 - Building the AI Sales Machine: Agents that Actually Generate Revenue 08:35 - Will AI Shrink the Sales Teams of the Future? 09:51 - The ElevenLabs Masterclass: Why We Set a 20x Sales Quota 11:00 - How to Structure Explosive Sales Accelerators 12:15 - Why You Should Stop Paying Commission on Pilots 14:00 - Customer Success: Is it 'Total Bullshit' or a Growth Engine? 16:15 - The 'Global-First' Fallacy: Why You Need to Open Every Market Now 17:23 - Why Startups Are Wrong to Ignore 20-Year Sales Veterans 19:15 - The Pipeline Construction Secret: Liquidity vs. Whales 24:30 - Forecasting the Unpredictable: How to Hit a $1B Revenue Target 31:55 - The Substitution Threat: Is AI Voice Just a Commodity? 34:10 - Verticalization Mistakes: Lessons from Scaling India 38:40 - The 'IBM Effect': Does Brand Actually Shorten Sales Cycles? 40:15 - Extreme Expectations: Why ElevenLabs is a Hard Company to Work For 42:15 - Internal Leaderboards: How to Use Public Competition to Drive Results 44:20 - Hunting the Obsessed: Identifying the 'Inner Psychopath' in Hires 46:40 - The SaaS Apocalypse: Will Companies Build Their Own CRM? 48:30 - Formula 1 Branding: The Mindset Behind the Audi-Revolut Deal 50:15 - Dinner vs. Conferences: Which Marketing Channels Actually Scale? 52:45 - Designing Un-Salesy Content: How to Run a Legendary Summit 54:20 - CVC Strategy: Turning Corporate Investors into Distribution Channels 01:01:45 - The Globalization Nightmare: Why You Can't Sell in English Everywhere 01:06:45 - Operator-Investors: Can You Be a High-Performer and a VC Simultaneously? 01:11:30 - Unit Economics in AI: Why Good Early Numbers Might Mean Failure 01:18:25 - The Next Wave: Why Foundational Model Consolidation is Inevitable