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June 19, 2026: Anthropic's Fable 5 shutdown appears to be tied to SK Telecom, Project Glasswing, Amazon researchers, the White House, David Sacks, and a dispute over whether Anthropic should fix or de-deploy the model. Fortune 500 companies just hit record revenue, profit, revenue per employee, and profit per employee while shrinking headcount for the second year in a row, raising a bigger question about productivity gains without job growth. New data from LV8 founder Griffin Hadrill shows AI-generated creative ads are underperforming human-made ads by 3 to 5 times, which is a reminder that originality, emotional connection, and human judgment still matter.
What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Keith Jones, Head of GTM Systems at OpenAI.Summary: Keith's GTM systems team at OpenAI got split across 2 orgs, ran into the most wildly practical cost center problem imaginable, and ended up proving exactly why distributed systems teams at high-velocity companies don't work. In this episode, he walks through the full restructuring journey, explains why "be close to the money" now means be close to the budget rather than the revenue motion, and breaks down Symphony and harness engineering — the open-source agentic code orchestration tools his team built to ship production-ready GTM changes without going to the nth degree of "write this Apex class." He also has a filter for separating human candidates from AI-generated applications that is simple, specific, and immediately usable. If you run a GTM systems team, build one, or just want to understand what operating at 10x growth actually requires, this one is worth your time.About Keith JonesKeith Jones is the Head of GTM Systems at OpenAI, where he leads the team responsible for the tools, platforms, and technical infrastructure behind the company's go-to-market motion. He began his career across sales ops and marketing ops roles before joining Mural, where he built and led the GTM Systems function. He later served as Senior Director and Analyst at Gartner, covering revenue technology, before moving to OpenAI. Keith joins this episode as a technologist and practitioner; the views and opinions he expresses are his own and do not represent OpenAI.What Separates GTM Ops from GTM SystemsThe naming debate in martech ops has been running so long it's almost a genre. Marketing ops, revenue ops, GTM ops, GTM systems — the titles keep multiplying and nobody agrees on where one ends and the other begins. If you're in this function, you've had the conversation. In job interviews. In org design meetings. In budget justifications. It goes nowhere, and it keeps happening.Keith has a more useful framing. When he first came on the show, he drew a clean line. GTM ops handles process design, training, and the frontline support that keeps the humans in your GTM org running. GTM systems owns the tools, the technical infrastructure, the back-end work: Salesforce, integrations, scaling, the stack. That line still holds. But he's added something that makes it more useful than a job description.They're the ones in the room with every sales segment leader, every functional head, absorbing what the business actually needs and translating it into something buildable. Without that translation layer, a systems team is guessing. And guessing at OpenAI's pace doesn't go well.At OpenAI, both functions have kept evolving alongside the company. Denise Dresser came in as CRO with a complete vision for reshaping the go-to-market org. B2B marketing got folded in. The company launched ads. The org changed repeatedly and fast. Through all of it, the underlying logic held: GTM ops partners with the business, GTM systems delivers what that partnership requires.As for the labels, Keith's position is that they're the wrong thing to anchor on. At OpenAI, the specific titles of marketing ops or rev ops matter less than who owns the stakeholder work and who owns the technical delivery. The names on the teams are almost secondary. The friction comes from not having clarity on which team does which job and what flows between them. Most organizations that treat these two functions as interchangeable tend to find out why that's a problem the hard way.The clean requirements that GTM ops provides to GTM systems aren't a process nicety. They're what keeps a systems team from building the wrong thing at the wrong pace.Key takeaway: Draw a line in your own org between who owns stakeholder requirements and who owns technical delivery. If one person or team is carrying both, something is consistently slipping. Establish a regular meeting rhythm where GTM ops and GTM systems leaders hash through priorities together, and treat that handoff as seriously as any technical dependency.The Cost Center Problem That Reunited OpenAI's GTM Systems TeamOpenAI's GTM systems team didn't move under finance because someone had a grand theory about org design. They moved because of a cost center problem. And the cost center problem showed up in the most unglamorous way possible: headcount.The original case for moving was practical. Keith's team needed to accelerate a set of deep financial integrations — Salesforce data flowing into ERP systems, billing pipelines, downstream finance reporting. The work required close collaboration with the finance function. The initial plan was a wholesale move. What the org settled on instead was a compromise: split the team. Some engineers stayed under go-to-market. The rest moved into what OpenAI calls Enterprise Platform Technology (EPT), the org that reports to the CFO. On paper, the logic held. In practice, the friction started almost immediately.Two separate cost centers sharing an overlapping team create problems that don't announce themselves upfront. They surface sideways:2 separate budget owners with different priorities pulling the same engineers in different directions, Shared consulting firms split across orgs, with different teams allocating the same people to different workstreams, Tooling budgets that required negotiation across reporting lines rather than a single decision, Headcount competing directly against a new CRO's vision for building out the go-to-market orgThat last one is what forced the decision. Denise Dresser joined as CRO after budgets were already set, bringing a complete vision for reshaping the go-to-market org and the headcount requirements to execute it. Keith found himself competing against her priorities for resources from the same finite pool. Not by design. Just by the math of 2 leaders sharing one budget.The conversation was brief. Dresser knew Keith's team would keep supporting go-to-market regardless of which org they sat in. She knew she could hold him accountable. But she couldn't justify choosing between revenue-generating hires and systems resources from the same budget line when the answer was that obvious.The reunified structure looks different from what existed before. Keith now has a peer leading quote-to-cash and revenue-adjacent systems. Keith owns top-of-funnel data enrichment, pre- and post-sale workflow, and the support systems org. The org got flatter, the division of responsibility got cleaner, and the cost center competition disappeared.How GTM Systems and GTM Ops Stay Aligned After the SplitGTM ops stayed under the go-to-market umbrella when GTM systems moved to EPT. The obvious question: how do they stay connected? Keith's answer is a biweekly meeting he calls the most productive hour on his calendar. Six to seven people in the room from both sides of the new org boundary:Keith and his peer leading go-to-market systems, The manager running all of Enterprise Platform Technology, including people systems, supply chain, and revenue systems, The most senior leaders from growth, go-to-market ops, and rev opsNo prep deck. No pre-circulated agenda. Everyone spends 5 to 10 minutes writing down their top of minds — what's keeping them up at night, what's shifted, what needs cross-functional attention. Then the group talks through it. Where do the priorities overlap? Where are they diverging? Which teams need to be working together on something they're currently doing separately?It's not a status meeting. It's a priority alignment session with people who have the authority to act on what comes out of it.The distributed period was hard. It was also clarifying. The experience exposed exactly which parts o...
Paul Strouts has run a business of four people.His first business, James Harvard, quickly grew beyond 100 people and sold to Hays for approximately £20 million at 32.He then spent a decade running Hays Life Sciences globally. Got headhunted to PE Backed Acacium and quickly made two strategic acquisitions.He now runs:3 brands.250 people.12 countries.Contingent, SOW, RPO and Solutions revenuePredicted £45 million GM in 2026.£12 million EBITDA target.He has seen every stage of headcount growth. The good version and the expensive version.This week on The RAG Podcast, Paul Strouts gives the most direct answer we have had on this show about when headcount creates value and when it just creates cost.We cover:- The first question Paul asks any founder who wants to grow from 5 to 20 people- Why you need a minimum of £500K to grow headcount properly, and what happens if you don't have it- When headcount genuinely creates value in a recruitment business, and when it becomes a cost- The ceiling Paul believes exists in life sciences, and why going beyond it risks diluting everything you built- How Acacium Life Sciences grew from 160 people to a £45 million GM operation through two targeted acquisitions- Why Paul sold James Harvard to Hays three years ahead of plan, and whether it was the right call- What working inside a global corporate taught Paul that founding a business never could- Why AI will not kill specialist boutique recruitment, but will change the lower end of the market permanentlyGrowing headcount is not the right move for every recruitment business. Paul is the first to say that. But if you are building a people-based business and you want to know exactly what it takes to do it properly, what it costs, when to bring in outside funding, and where the ceiling actually is, this is the episode.If you've ever wondered when headcount creates value and when it becomes a cost... this episode has the answer.-------------------------------------------------------------__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn't be slow, stressful, or expensive. That's why there's Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses. They don't just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that's ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team. Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote. And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we're helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford. Clients have seen: * Up to **60% productivity boosts** * **300% ROI** on BD roles * **30% faster completion** of operational tasks No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense. Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era. **RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag -------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences. Building connections. Posting content. Sending outreach.But here's the problem. AI has turned all of that into a commodity. The same templated messages. The same AI-written posts. The same automated outreach landing in the same inboxes.When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening.The recruiters winning right now are not the ones shouting the loudest. They are the ones the market actually trusts.That's what we build at Hoxo. We help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche. A niche audience that knows you, respects you, and comes to you when they need someone in your market.We use AI to multiply your output. Faster content, smarter research, better engagement. But trust is the product, and trust cannot be automated.Our clients are turning their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Not through volume. By becoming the recruiter their market comes to first.To show you how it works, we've made a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn, how small, niche teams build the kind of trust that generates consistent inbound, and how to turn LinkedIn from a commodity channel into your most profitable one.Fill in the form today to see how this could become your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Today, one of our favorite guests returns: Peter Hinssen. A renowned keynote speaker, author and serial entrepreneur, Peter is one of the most sought-after thought leaders on radical innovation, leadership and the impact of all things digital on society and business. When Peter was last on the show, the world had just begun to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, and generative AI was still in its infancy. This time around, Steve and Peter talk about the advancements of AI and what they mean for the C-suite, whether the tech companies have become too powerful, AI regulation, and the future of leadership. Peter also answers how we will remember this AI boom in 10 years. Key Takeaways: This period of rapid change that we're currently going through won't pass, but rather become the new (never) normal. Regulators must rethink their approach to create frameworks for new technology that actually work. Headcount is no longer a key measure when it comes to a business' success. Tune in to hear more about: How to manage this era of volatility and constant change (3:30) How leadership is changing (14:30) Why small businesses might be better equipped to deal with the AI boom (21:06) Standout Quotes: “We're now in a world where the cycles move faster than ever before. The stakes are higher, and I think a lot of the instruments that we had from the past just don't work anymore.” - Peter Hinssen “The larger the company is, the more difficult it is to get that change going, and that's why inherently smaller organizations have, I think, a competitive advantage because being agile, being nimble, and being resilient should be easier for a smaller company than a larger organization.” - Peter Hinssen “When you look at the printing press moment, we had the industrialization of knowledge, where we went from monks transcribing books into an abundance of information, and then we had the Industrial Revolution, where we went from muscle to machine. I think this is where the two of them are coming together.” - Peter Hinssen Read the transcript of this episodeSubscribe to the ISF Podcast wherever you listen to podcastsConnect with us on LinkedIn and TwitterFrom the Information Security Forum, the leading authority on cyber, information security, and risk management.
Today, one of our favorite guests returns: Peter Hinssen. A renowned keynote speaker, author and serial entrepreneur, Peter is one of the most sought-after thought leaders on radical innovation, leadership and the impact of all things digital on society and business. When Peter was last on the show, the world had just begun to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, and generative AI was still in its infancy. This time around, Steve and Peter talk about the advancements of AI and what they mean for the C-suite, whether the tech companies have become too powerful, AI regulation, and the future of leadership. Peter also answers how we will remember this AI boom in 10 years. Key Takeaways: This period of rapid change that we're currently going through won't pass, but rather become the new (never) normal. Regulators must rethink their approach to create frameworks for new technology that actually work. Headcount is no longer a key measure when it comes to a business' success. Tune in to hear more about: How to manage this era of volatility and constant change (3:30) How leadership is changing (14:30) Why small businesses might be better equipped to deal with the AI boom (21:06) Standout Quotes: “We're now in a world where the cycles move faster than ever before. The stakes are higher, and I think a lot of the instruments that we had from the past just don't work anymore.” - Peter Hinssen “The larger the company is, the more difficult it is to get that change going, and that's why inherently smaller organizations have, I think, a competitive advantage because being agile, being nimble, and being resilient should be easier for a smaller company than a larger organization.” - Peter Hinssen “When you look at the printing press moment, we had the industrialization of knowledge, where we went from monks transcribing books into an abundance of information, and then we had the Industrial Revolution, where we went from muscle to machine. I think this is where the two of them are coming together.” - Peter Hinssen Read the transcript of this episodeSubscribe to the ISF Podcast wherever you listen to podcastsConnect with us on LinkedIn and TwitterFrom the Information Security Forum, the leading authority on cyber, information security, and risk management.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Brendan Foody is the Founder and CEO @ Mercor, one of the leading data providers to the largest labs on the planet including OpenAI. In the last two years, Brendan has scaled the company to $1.5BN in ARR and a valuation of $10BN. AGENDA: True or False: Mercor lost Meta and OpenAI as a customer with the hack? Mercor has been poaching competitor talent, paying them millions? Mercor revenue is not real revenue and is only GMV? 12:56 Would Brendan sell Mercor for $30 billion? 14:23 Why everyone is wrong that AI will lead to labor displacement? 15:59 We will create many new jobs that do not exist with AI. 16:59 Why training agents will be a massive labor category that does not exist today 19:51 Will we see the data provider market unbundle and specialize into verticals? 22:24 Is the stated revenue really revenue or is it really GMV? 27:55 How a 1 million ARR company secured one of the best investors in the world with a helicopter ride 29:41 How Felicis secured the deal of the decade with a race track and a set of Ferraris 32:59 Which investment round felt like the highest price to grow into? 34:49 Why will value accrue to the infrastructure layer, not the application layer, in the next 12 months? 35:46 Why the model is the product and why application layer companies should be scared as a result 37:22 Why network effects will be the determinant of value creation 38:46 Why the forward-deployed motion, not the GTM motion, will determine true value creation. 41:59 Why token spend within organizations is going to continue to increase 43:54 Why agent evaluation to commoditize the model layer will be a massive business for enterprises? 51:13 Why we should have increased capital gains tax 01:01:31 How to compete with $20 million a year from Meta? 01:08:49 Will Mercor go public and when?
In this episode of Inside the Funnel, Richard Lane sits down with Vincent Chapus, veteran sales leader and co-founder of Palladio GTM, to cut through the AI noise and get specific about what's working.Vincent has built SDR teams from scratch at PayPal, Oracle and TIBCO. Now he helps companies stop buying tools in silos and start engineering their go-to-market from end to end. The centrepiece of that work? Orchestration - using platforms like Clay to connect signals, enrich data, and get the right information in front of the right rep at exactly the right moment.This episode covers what the 'silent killer' of SDR productivity really is, why 20% of your CRM probably isn't your ICP, how AI agents are already doing the work of research teams, and whether B players can genuinely become A players with the right system behind them. This is your honest case to doing more with less.
Dan Shipper runs one of the most AI-native companies today. Every has agents embedded in nearly every workflow—“if you swing a stick in our Slack, you're as likely to hit a human as an agent,” he says. And yet the company has grown from four people to 30 since GPT-3 came out, and is still hiring.Why does Dan believe there's more human work to do than ever?In a format flip for AI & I, Every's COO Brandon Gell turns the tables and interviews Dan about his latest essay, “After Automation”—an 8,000-word argument for why rising automation doesn't eliminate demand for human work, it increases it. The thesis: AI makes yesterday's expert competence cheap and widely available, which floods every field with output that's close but not quite right—and that creates more demand for the humans who can take it the rest of the way.Dan talked with Brandon about the paradox at the heart of agent-native work: The more AI can do, the more humans are needed to direct it, refine its output, and decide what matters next.If you found this episode interesting, please like, subscribe, comment, and share!To hear more from Dan Shipper:Subscribe to Every: https://every.to/subscribeFollow him on X: https://twitter.com/danshipperLinks to resources mentioned in the episode:“After Automation” by Dan Shipper: https://every.to/chain-of-thought/after-automationBrandon Gell on Every: https://every.to/@brandon_5263Join the membership for where you live at joinbilt.com/danTimestamps:00:00:51 Introduction00:05:51 The AI paradox: more automation, more human work00:10:00 How AI makes yesterday's expert competence cheap00:18:00 AI can act autonomously but it does not have agency00:20:39 Why Dan is all in on AGI00:21:57 AI layoffs are a lie00:25:42 Ride the models and you'll be fine00:35:30 How to use AI as a long-form features editor
What if cutting half your team could be the secret to explosive growth?In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Benjamin Surman, COO of Somewhere (formerly Support Shepherd), a company that rocketed from $1M to $25M and is still hungry for more. The conversation tackles the real-world, often-unspoken operational questions: When do you fire instead of hire? Where's the hidden margin in automation? Why are so many leaders clinging to headcount when systems could do the job faster, cheaper, and with less chaos?If you're addicted to the idea that bigger is always better, this episode will shake your assumptions. Miss it and risk drowning in legacy thinking while your competitors eat your lunch. Listen now for the strategic edge you won't hear anywhere else.Timestamped Highlights00:48 – The real reason behind a bold global rebrand02:29 – How one contractor quietly took the reins as COO08:54 – Why bootstrapping (not VC money) set the right culture11:00 – The micro-influencer lever that brings 4,000 referral partners13:25 – What no one tells you about hiring in Latin America17:41 – The $3M decision: Slashing 120 employees with zero regrets20:13 – Behind the curtain of an automated sales pipeline25:37 – The COO playbook for uncovering invisible inefficienciesAbout the GuestBenjamin Surman is the Chief Operating Officer of Somewhere, a hyper-growth headhunting agency revolutionizing global talent acquisition. With a relentless focus on automation and operational excellence, Benjamin Surman has scaled the business from $1M to over $25M in just three years.
This is a free preview of a paid episode (52 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM @cubicletoceo What if you could double revenue within 2 years without growing your team headcount or increasing hours? Ann Lopez—founder of Miami-based Studio 790, one of the fastest-growing women-owned design firms in the country—proves it's possible (while working 15 hours/week less). In today's case study, Ann breaks down the org restructure that placed her team in pods and pulled her out of the day-to-day execution and decision making. Connect with Ann: https://www.studio790.com/ https://www.annlopezliving.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-lopez-3165722b/ IG: @studio790interiordesign IG: @annlopezliving If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us @cubicletoceo so we can repost you. Subscribe to our premium feed for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adland's agency networks have been forced to think differently, after a challenging year for holding companies with economic instability, a mega-merger and AI disruption.Publicis began calling itself a “platform organisation” years ago, while Omnicom restructured to become a “premier marketing and sales company” after the acquisition of IPG last year. In February, WPP's chief executive Cindy Rose said: “We don't want to be a holding company any more”, but a “single operating company” instead.Campaign Red released a market report called "The big reboot", looking into the top network's 2025 FY results and what the post-holding company era looks like for the industry.In this episode, Campaign's editorial team is discussing why the largest agency groups are moving away from the holding company label, and what this "reboot" means. Editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis join the episode hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley.Further reading:Arthur Sadoun on why “pressure” from investors doesn't matter, Publicis' “resilience” and the competitionPublicis grows 4.5% in Q1 as Arthur Sadoun pans “squeeze to please Wall Street”Q1 expected to be “worst quarter” for WPP's new business in 2026WPP reports 6.7% revenue decline in Q1 2026Omnicom revenue grew 3.9% in Q1 after IPG acquisitionChapter 1: RevenueChapter 2: HeadcountChapter 3: M&AChapter 4: Share priceChapter 5: New businessChapter 6: Creative awardsAA/Warc: adspend forecast for 2026 drops amid methodology shake-up“The fragmentation of media is clear”: adland reacts to AA/Warc Expenditure ReportAA/Warc: adspend to break records and smash £50bn ceiling in 2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Adding more people is how you grow a recruitment firm. Michelle Lownie spent years believing it. Then she watched it go wrong. Michelle is the CEO and co-founder of Eden Scott, one of Scotland's leading recruitment firms. She started in recruitment in 1989, filing documents and making tea at Melville Craig on a six-week summer contract. She stayed 15 years. In 2003, she co-founded Eden Scott alongside Guy Martin and Chris Logue. Today, Eden Scott generates approximately £25 million in annual revenue with 38 consultants across Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow. At its peak, the business had nearly 70 people. In this episode, Michelle talks through what it took to rebuild around a smaller, higher-performing team - and how that decision changed everything about how the business runs today. She covers the hiring process Eden Scott uses to find recruiters who don't need managing, why they've stayed on the 360 model for 23 years while everyone else splits desks, and what keeps recruiters at Eden Scott for years in an industry known for high turnover. She also shares what the last 18 months have looked like on the ground in Scotland - and why relationship-led recruitment still matters more than ever. In this episode, you'll learn: How Eden Scott rebuilt from 70 people down to 38 - and what changed How COVID became an opportunity to rebuild around the right people The hiring process - including why interviewers never discuss candidates between stages What Michelle is actually looking for when she makes a hiring decision How their commission and retention structure works, including sabbaticals at 5, 10, and 15 years How the 360 full-desk model still produces a £25 million business What consistent business development actually looks like in practice Episode highlights: [13:39] How COVID forced a complete rethink of the business [17:51] Why Michelle has no interest in scaling back to 70 people [26:29] Why Eden Scott has stayed on the 360 model while others split desks [35:30] The hiring process - and why interviewers don't discuss candidates between stages [45:11] The retention strategies that keep consultants at Eden Scott for years [52:18] Why good recruiters don't need to be pushed This episode is sponsored by Recruiterflow - an AI-first ATS and CRM built for recruiters who want to spend less time on admin and more time on relationships. See it in action at recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow. About Michelle Lownie: Michelle Lownie is the CEO and co-founder of Eden Scott, one of Scotland's leading recruitment firms with annual revenue of approximately £25 million. She began her career in 1989 at Melville Craig and co-founded Eden Scott in 2003 alongside Guy Martin and Chris Logue. The firm operates across Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow with 38 consultants. Connect with Michelle: LinkedIn: Michelle Lownie Website: edenscott.com Connect with Mark: Free 30-minute strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session Mark on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markwhitby Follow on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
Episode Overview AI is not just changing how work gets done. It is forcing a structural redesign of leadership itself. In this episode, we break down why strategy is no longer the primary differentiator and how execution consistency has taken its place. We explore the emergence of the exception-based organization, the misalignment of current management roles, and why burnout is now being driven by decision intensity rather than workload. If your organization has layered AI on top of legacy systems without redefining roles, this conversation will expose where the real risks are hiding. Key Discussion Points Strategy Is No Longer the Advantage Most organizations now have access to similar data, tools, and strategic insights. The gap is no longer in thinking. It is in doing. Execution systems, decision clarity, and operational discipline are now the real competitive advantage. Managers Are Miscast in the Current System AI is rapidly absorbing routine managerial work such as reporting, coordination, and oversight. What remains is harder: Exception handling Complex decision-making Cross-functional alignment The problem is most roles have not been redesigned to reflect this shift. Managers are still structured for work that no longer exists. AI Doesn't Reduce Work. It Redistributes It There is a flawed assumption that AI simplifies work. In reality, it removes the easy parts and concentrates effort on the most complex, ambiguous decisions. That increases cognitive load at the leadership level, not decreases it. Burnout Has Shifted to Decision Density Burnout is no longer primarily about long hours or task volume. It is now driven by: Constant decision-making Ambiguity without clear ownership High-stakes judgment calls Leaders are not overwhelmed by work. They are overwhelmed by decisions. The Risk of Invisible Overload Many organizations look efficient on paper. Headcount is controlled. Costs are managed. AI is deployed. But underneath, execution is slowing. Why? Because new tools and expectations are being layered onto outdated governance structures. This creates hidden friction that boards often do not see until performance drops. Strategic Insights for Executives Stop Relying on Heroics If your system requires exceptional people to compensate for broken processes, it is not scalable. Strong organizations build predictable execution rhythms where average performance can still deliver strong outcomes. Fix the Governance Gap You cannot accelerate execution if your decision-making system is slow. Common friction points: Too many approval layers Unclear accountability Fragmented ownership AI increases the speed of inputs. If governance does not evolve, it becomes the bottleneck. Redesign Decision Rights Clarity beats speed. Organizations need to explicitly define: Which decisions are AI-supported Which decisions are human-led Who owns each decision Eliminating overlap is one of the fastest ways to increase execution velocity. Final Takeaway AI adoption alone will not create advantage. The organizations that win will be the ones that redesign their leadership systems to match it. That means redefining managerial roles, simplifying governance, and reducing decision friction. If you do not, you will see rising burnout, slower execution, and hidden inefficiencies that compound over time. Action Step Audit your organization's decision flow this week: Where are decisions getting stuck? Where is ownership unclear? Where are managers still doing work AI should handle? That is where your next level of performance is either unlocked or blocked. Closing If you are ready to build a leadership system that actually scales execution and reduces burnout, schedule a Leadership Operating System review: https://BreakfastLeadership.com/LeadershipOS
What happens when services are no longer delivered through people alone, but through platforms, software, and AI working together? In this Fireside Chat, Phil Fersht speaks with Jo Debecker, President and CEO at Akkodis, on how the company is shifting from a traditional staffing-led model to outcome-driven digital engineering. With engineering becoming increasingly digital, Akkodis is combining deep domain expertise with platforms, IP, and AI to accelerate innovation for clients. From building simulation environments for industries like aerospace to enabling faster product development cycles, the focus is on delivering measurable outcomes rather than just effort. The conversation explores what it really takes to move away from headcount-based services, how sales and delivery models must evolve, and why AI should be seen as an enabler of human potential rather than a replacement. It also highlights a critical shift ahead. Less experimentation, more focused implementation. Less hype, more real impact. Subscribe to stay up to date with our visionary research, insights, and upcoming events: https://www.hfsresearch.com/subscribe/
Did I get your attention? Bruce Anderson hopes so.He is the founder and CEO of 247Solar, an MIT-linked spinout, and has worked in solar for more than four decades. He completed his MIT master's thesis on solar energy in 1973 and later authored early solar books, including The Solar Home Book.247Solar is a zero-carbon technology company focused on modular concentrated solar systems that provide round-the-clock clean power and industrial-grade heat using thermal storage and factory-produced components.Here are some of his insights from the podcast:Don't claim 24/7 if you can't handle intermittency. Baseload is not just PV + batteries. If your system fails when the sun disappears and storage runs out, buyers will see through it.Keep the magic narrow. Buy the rest off the shelf. Reinventing every component is not genius; it is an expensive death march.Pick a beachhead, not a buffet. Start with customers who feel the pain most and need exactly what you built, not everyone with an energy bill.Customers buy risk reduction, not elegance. Reliability, fallback options, modularity, and financing matter more than how clever your tech sounds. Even if you went to MIT.Headcount is not a flex. More people can mean more burn, not more progress. Save the bragging for revenue and staying alive.--Work with mePrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter2 insights, 2 minutes. Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.
BROADWAY CELEBRATES EARTH DAY: The 5th Annual Broadway Celebrates Earth Day concert takes place Saturday, April 25 from 11am–3pm in Times Square's Duffy Square in front of the iconic red steps, rain or shine. Hosted by the Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) and the Times Square Alliance, the free public performance serves as a marquee event for the NYC Department of Transportation's city wide “Car-Free Earth Day”, joyfully mobilizing the theatre community and fans to combat climate change and advance sustainable solutions. The plaza will feature a special exhibit from The Climate Museum and be full of family-friendly activities from leading partners in climate advocacy, including Headcount, Materials for the Arts, and the Wildlife Conservation Society for a complete day of art meeting action. Not in NYC? Tune in from anywhere in the world via livestream on the Stars in the House YouTube channel. DANIEL TAYLOR, Owner of 44&X (Forty-Four and Ten) ABOUT DAN: Dan Taylor is originally from Arizona. His mother ran a restaurant in Missouri, and he helped out there with his sister before building a very different career — running medical companies in the Midwest for more than a decade. When Dan decided it was time for a reset, he began winding down those businesses. After visiting New York a few times, fell in love with New York and decided to make the move 4 years ago. He lives just outside of Manhattan in downtown Jersey City. Dan officially took over ownership of the Hell's Kitchen favorite, 44&X, on February 1st, 2026, from former owners Bruce Horowytz and Scott Hart, after 25 years.
April 24, 2026: The Wall Street Journal reports entry-level hiring is rebounding — but IBM's HR chief says AI can already do almost everything those jobs used to require, and ZipRecruiter's data shows 73% of grads are now considering gig or trade work because corporate entry roles have dried up. Business Insider investigates "tokenmaxxing" — the new corporate sport where employees at Disney, Meta, and JPMorgan compete to burn the most AI tokens — and a new study of 22,000 developers shows exactly what that's doing to actual work quality. And The Guardian reports Meta cutting 8,000 jobs and Microsoft offering buyouts to 9,000 people on the same day they announce hundreds of billions in new AI investment.
This week on The Broski Report announces her summer break, discusses her fascination with Victorian accessories, and holds a book club session.Official Broski Clips – https://www.youtube.com/@BrittanyBroskiClipsICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.orgACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rightsImmigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkitFreedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rightsImmigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaidImmigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaidWatch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireportThe OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, take a trip down a very gloomy memory lane with some Broski Nation highlights in the macabre including the Paris Catacombes, a Texan Ghost Story, and more.Official Broski Clips – https://www.youtube.com/@BrittanyBroskiClipsICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.orgACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rightsImmigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkitFreedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rightsImmigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaidImmigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaidWatch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireportThe OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
00:00 Welcome to Office Hours 00:41 Meet Lena Waters 01:11 AI Transformation as Debt 02:24 Headcount and AI Washing 03:30 From Efficiency to Strategy 04:44 Websites vs Agent Architecture 07:10 Agent Driven Buyer Journey 09:40 Marketers Minimum Playbook 13:05 Behavior and Liability Shifts 16:09 Rebuilding Marketing Org 17:38 Does Brand Still Matter 19:02 Key Takeaways and Wrap
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski introduces a new character to Broski Nation, holds Book Club, and researches the history of carousels.Official Broski Clips – https://www.youtube.com/@BrittanyBroskiClipsICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.orgACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rightsImmigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkitFreedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rightsImmigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaidImmigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaidWatch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireportThe OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM This episode features Martin Miller and explores the practical reality of using AI inside organisations. The conversation cuts through hype to focus on where AI genuinely adds leverage, where it breaks down, and why subject matter expertise, data quality, and critical thinking still matter. From AI‑generated code and agent teams to data governance, outages, and deepfakes, the discussion frames AI as a powerful amplifier rather than a replacement. The core message is clear: AI rewards clarity of intent, strong foundations, and human judgement.
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski discusses chia seed pudding, discovers meditation, unpacks Robert Eggers's filmography, and holds an extended book club. Official Broski Clips – https://www.youtube.com/@BrittanyBroskiClips ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
In this special ENCORE episode of The Voice of Retail, Michael LeBlanc sits down with Mark Ryski, Founder & CEO of HeadCount and three-time retail author, to explore why store traffic remains one of the most underutilized and misunderstood metrics in modern retail. With over two decades of experience pioneering traffic and conversion analytics, Mark shares insights from his new book, Store Traffic is a Gift, and explains why retailers must treat every store visit as a precious opportunity. Mark begins by recounting his early career in Edmonton, where a stint managing a single computer store opened his eyes to the importance of measuring traffic. What started as an entrepreneurial challenge became a lifelong mission—helping retailers of all sizes, from independents to global chains, understand the relationship between visits, transactions, and conversions. He reveals how his first book, When Retail Customers Count, broke new ground, and how subsequent works, including Conversion: The Last Great Retail Metric, gave leaders practical playbooks to rethink operations. The conversation dives into the myths that persist in retail, such as the assumption that transactions equal store visits. Mark explains why this false equivalency blinds retailers to missed opportunities, misguides staffing schedules, and undermines marketing effectiveness. He argues that traffic counting is as essential as point-of-sale systems, electricity, or internet access. With a SaaS-based platform, HeadCount provides “analytics as a service,” helping retailers turn data into actionable insights, whether they operate one store or thousands. Looking back at the pandemic, Mark reflects on how the sudden collapse of traffic underscored its value and forced retailers to redefine what store visits mean in an age of curbside pickup, BOPIS, and returns partnerships. He stresses that not all traffic is equal—intentionality matters—and that success comes from converting purposeful visits, not just chasing volume. Michael and Mark also tackle the role of AI in retail. While acknowledging AI's potential, Mark warns that technology cannot fix flawed operating models. Instead, AI must be grounded in reliable first-party data, with store traffic as the denominator for every in-store initiative. Finally, Mark shares practical advice for retailers: stop using sales transactions as a proxy for store visits, start aligning staff schedules to actual traffic patterns, and never squander the chance to serve a customer once they cross the threshold. With consumer habits shifting faster than ever, his message is clear—store traffic is a gift, and every visit counts. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.
Today I'm joined by Chris Walsh, President and Acting CEO at The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. Chris breaks down how to transition from a fragmented "bolt-on" tech stack to a unified AI ecosystem that automates routine administrative tasks. This conversation provides the blueprint for "agentic" AI and the radical restructuring of the accounting and service departments over the next five years. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Podium - The AI platform trusted by one in three dealerships. Podium helps dealers consolidate sales, service, messaging, and voice into one connected system that actually runs the work. If your AI isn't driving real outcomes, it's time to take a closer look @ here. 2. Openlane - The world's best online dealer marketplace for used cars, bringing you exclusive inventory, simple transactions, and better outcomes. If you've never used OPENLANE before, or it's been a while since you have, you're eligible to earn up to $2,500 in buy or sale fee credits. Learn more @ here. 3. Reynolds and Reynolds - Reduce your cycle time with ReconVision, an automated reconditioning workflow that tracks vehicles from start to finish and helps maximize used vehicle profits. Visit @ here for more information. Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: For dealers: CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/ Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com Fix your dealership's social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com For industry vendors: Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com Topics: 13:30 Why Dealerships Now Have More Employees Than 10 Years Ago. 17:10 The Real Reason Dealers Aren't Eliminating People—Yet. 19:55 The Three-Phase AI Playbook Every Dealer Needs To Know. 22:40 Why Agentic AI Is About Augmentation, Not Replacement. 24:10 The Used Car Data Advantage That Changes Pricing Forever. 25:20 The Accounting Department Overhaul No One Is Talking About. 31:20 Why Salespeople Will Stop Answering Internet Leads Entirely. 34:45 How EV Policy Whiplash Created A Multi-Billion Dollar Inventory Problem. 35:55 The “Status Quo” Objection That Keeps Chris Walsh Up At Night. Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
What happens when AI makes us more creative—does it also make us more human? Dive into this episode to explore how blending technology and creativity can unlock new potential for individuals, teams, and businesses. Topics covered: Super Creativity: Augmenting human creativity with AI Unlocking creativity in “hidden figures” and backstage roles AI’s impact on solo creators vs. teams and executives Examples of AI expanding creative possibilities (beyond speed) Ethical questions around AI, data, and compensation Skill atrophy and organizational trends AI-powered empathy and psychometrics for presentations The importance of curiosity and space for creativity Practical ways to be more super creative Global perspectives and learning from diverse industries Connect with James TaylorWebsiteYouTubeLinkedInInstagram Episode Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome and Introduction 00:17 – The Promise of AI: What Will We Do with More Time? 00:28 – Meet James Taylor and “Super Creativity” 01:43 – What Is Super Creativity? 03:12 – Human, Team, and Human+Machine Creativity 03:36 – Aha Moment: Highlighting Backstage Creative Heroes 05:14 – Expanding Creativity through AI—Real World Examples 06:13 – Centaur and Cyborg Work Models 07:25 – The Future: Billion Dollar One-Person Businesses 08:20 – Purpose, Ethics, and Creating the Future 09:15 – Solo vs. Teams: Where Is AI Unlocking Creativity? 10:08 – AI Use Cases—from Coding to Healthcare 11:27 – The Transformative Potential of AI 12:52 – Essential Human Skills: Creativity and Critical Thinking 13:16 – AI + Psychometrics in Presentations 14:48 – Using AI for Data-Informed Empathy 16:18 – Digital Twins, Creative Abrasion, and AI Mentoring 18:37 – Boundaries: What James Taylor Won’t Use AI For 20:21 – Skill Atrophy and Tools of Consumption 21:41 – Physical Environment’s Impact on Creativity 23:05 – Values, Ethics, and AI Data Sovereignty 26:09 – AI in Organizations: Productivity, Headcount, and Ethics 27:56 – Practical Norms: Guardrails for AI, Facial Recognition, and Smart Glasses 29:47 – Creativity and Global Perspectives 30:42 – Staying Original and Leveraging AI as a Team 32:14 – Cross-Industry Learning and Boundary Crossing 33:44 – Super Creativity Applied 34:56 – Learning from Domain Experts and Other Speakers 35:26 – Books as Powerful Information Devices 36:40 – Practical Steps for Super Creativity 40:12 – Where to Find James Taylor and Closing Remarks
✈️ SOFTWARE FOR HOME SERVICE BUSINESS: https://home.works
This episode is about how the language we use to describe people at work is quietly shaping both workplace culture and the future of AI. Joshua Berry, author, speaker, and Director of Iconic, brought this conversation to the podcast last year and it has only gotten more relevant since.The business terms you've been using on autopilot (headcount, right-size, prospects) aren't neutral. They're belief systems, and they're being baked into the AI your organization will rely on tomorrow.What We Cover:Words are a symptom of your unconscious beliefs about people"Headcount" isn't neutral, and neither is "right-size"Your internal messages are actively training the next generation of AIWe're at an inflection point where conscious language can reshape what AI believes about human valueWhat HR professionals actually need to hear about AI and their jobsThe custom ChatGPT setting that flags dehumanizing language before you hit sendConnect with Joshua Berry: LinkedIn | Iconic Website | JoshuaBerry.comConnect with Traci here:
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski recounts her time at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, goes through her Oscars predictions and results, and admires Rosalia's new tour. Official Broski Clips – https://www.youtube.com/@BrittanyBroskiClips ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
In a special Contacts Coaching podcast episode, Stevenson alumna Danielle Koval—Director of Compliance for Financial Aid and revenue sharing at the University of Oklahoma—shares her path from being a swimmer and water polo player at Stevenson to swimming at Fresno State, working in student-athlete academic services, moving to UNLV, and then joining OU after taking a financial aid role just before COVID. She compares working environments across Fresno State, UNLV, and a Power Four brand like Oklahoma, emphasizing the scale of budgets, the weight of a global brand, and the constant pace of compliance changes driven by lawsuits and reactive policy shifts. The conversation explains how college athletics finances work, why most sports operate at a loss, and how football revenue and attendance underwrite broader departmental resources. Koval details how athletic scholarships and financial aid function across headcount and equivalency sports, why FAFSA and campus/college-level scholarships matter, and how tuition waivers and programs like the Western Undergraduate Exchange reduce costs. She breaks down the shift from NCAA scholarship limits to roster caps under the new landscape, including how schools decide whether to fully fund expanded rosters and how new scholarships can count against the revenue-sharing cap. The episode also covers OU's revenue-sharing approach (six sports), Title IX defensibility pressures, preferred walk-on dynamics under roster caps, the increased role of agents in everyday issues, and how contracts are renegotiated annually amid early signing day and the transfer portal. Koval discusses the challenges of paying athletes while preparing them for life after sports, including OU's financial literacy programming, and closes with a personal reflection on changing her mindset from perfectionism to giving herself grace as circumstances shift.00:00 Welcome & Meet Danielle Koval (OU Compliance + Financial Aid/Rev Share)00:33 Danielle's Athlete-to-Administrator Journey: Fresno State → UNLV → Oklahoma05:31 Leveling Up: What Changes from Mid-Major to Power Program?08:34 The OU Brand & Culture of Excellence Across Sports11:23 Money Talks: Football Revenue, Facilities, and Funding Other Sports12:51 Is College Athletics Sustainable? NIL ‘Funny Money' to Revenue Share17:26 Scholarships 101: Headcount vs Equivalency (and Why ‘Full Ride' Is Rare)20:46 New Era: Roster Caps, Scholarship Flexibility, and the 20.5M ‘Salary Cap'24:30 Financial Aid Hacks: FAFSA, Department Scholarships, WUE, and Tuition Waivers30:10 Reallocating Aid: When Top Students ‘Free Up' Scholarships for Other Sports31:41 The Scholarship Funding Crunch: Revenue Sports vs. Everyone Else32:24 Tuition Waivers & Campus Support: How Schools Make Full Funding Work34:33 OU's Self-Sustaining Model and the ‘Front Porch' Value of Athletics36:13 Roster Caps vs. Scholarship Limits: Why Walk-Ons Are Disappearing37:53 Revenue Share at OU: The 6 Sports in the Pool (and Why Gymnastics)39:36 Preferred Walk-Ons, Practice Bodies, and Stretching the Rev-Share Dollar41:35 Inside Football Rev-Share Tiers: Contracts, Cutoffs, and Annual Renegotiations46:03 Culture & Pay Equity: Avoiding Locker-Room Blowups in the NIL Era47:43 Transfer Portal Reality Check: The Grass Isn't Greener (and Many Don't Land)48:52 Recruiting Goes Pro: Agents, Negotiations, and the New GM Job50:25 Preparing Athletes for Money & Life After Sport: Literacy, Taxes, Careers55:15 Closing Reflection: Changing Your Mind, Letting Go of Perfection
How many engineers does it take to run the ecommerce site for a retail company that does over a billion dollars in revenue per year? Well, if you're Rainbow Shops, the answer is just 2. Most ecommerce teams assume scale requires more engineers, more tools, more complexity. Chief Digital Officer David Cost has built something many people in ecommerce would say isn't possible — a lean, fast-moving digital operation that runs on vendor partnerships instead of a massive internal team. Two engineers, hundreds of programmers' worth of output, and none of the overhead that comes with scaling the traditional way. In this episode, David shares: A detailed, under-the-hood look at the specific vendors they use to stay so lean His playbook for using strategic partnerships with vendors as an external dev team How being a testbed for new tech gives them a competitive edge And why their choice of ecommerce platform was vital in enabling Rainbow's digital strategy Links David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcost/ Rainbow Shops: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rainbow-apparel-co/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:42 David's product journey 02:36 How Rainbow runs with only two engineers 03:07 Rainbow's decision to migrate from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify 07:14 How Rainbow uses AI to support a lean team 11:34 Rainbow's partnership with Lica for AI-generated product images 17:25 The future of personalization in ecommerce 23:01 Shop Pay and Rainbow's checkout features 26:15 Conclusion Resoures Lica: https://lica.world/ Fuego: https://fuego.io/ Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: David Cost.
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski recounts her experience with Harry Styles, reviews “Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally," recaps the Peaky Blinders premiere, and discusses her current fears and favorites. Official Broski Clips – https://www.youtube.com/@BrittanyBroskiClips ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
March 10, 2026: AI is generating real, measurable productivity gains at major companies. Workers aren't seeing any of it. A new survey of 100 major CEOs finds only 9% plan to cut jobs because of AI this year — but buried inside that optimistic headline is an admission about ROI that changes the entire picture. China just launched the most ambitious society-wide AI employment push in history, betting that the technology creates more jobs than it destroys with 300 million retirements on the horizon. Fortune has the one metric CEOs are now using to quietly recalculate how many humans they actually need — and most employees have never heard of it. And Mercor, a $10 billion startup, is paying doctors, lawyers, and investment bankers hundreds of dollars an hour to train the AI that may eventually replace them.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
AGENDA: 04:13 Anthropic vs The Pentagon: Who Wins 13:54 Was Sam Altman Wrong to Take the Deal 24:28 OpenAI's $110BN Mega Round: The Breakdown 28:22 Who Has a Bigger Valuation Premium: Sam Altman or Elon Musk 34:38 Why We Got the SaaS Apocalypse Wrong? 43:24 Why Salesforce Could be the Best Buy in Public Markets 47:46 Block Lays Off 40% of Team: AI or Overhiring 01:00:16 Cursor Hits $2BN in ARR… so not Dead? 01:18:15 How to Pick Winners in AI?
Tim Beattie is the Co-Founder of Stellafai, a platform and coaching model that helps leaders and consultancies align around measurable outcomes and scale their impact without increasing headcount.After 25 years in professional services — including global leadership roles at Red Hat and IBM — Tim has pioneered an outcome-driven, asynchronous coaching approach that replaces the traditional billable-hour paradigm with a lean, repeatable operating system.Listen Now to discover, "How To Scale Your Impact Without Increasing Headcount."#smallbusinessowner #millionairemindset #motivationdaily #successmindset #wintheday
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski researches ear tubes, discusses television, learns about the Winter Olympics, and dissects the origin of curse words.ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
Insurance agencies don't just need more people — they need smarter operations. In this episode of Insurance Shoptalk, Eric Stein sits down with Travis MacMillian of Xceedance to unpack how automation, AI, and strategic back-office support can completely transform the way property & casualty agencies operate. From policy checking and COI management to remarketing, loss runs, endorsements, accounting reconciliation, and even claims coordination — Travis explains how agencies can eliminate repetitive portal work, reduce manual data entry, and create 30%+ more operational capacity without stacking on more headcount. This isn't about replacing people. It's about removing friction — so principals can put more in their pocket, pay producers and CSRs more, and build a modern digital footprint that supports real growth. If you're tired of adding bodies just to keep up with volume, this conversation will shift your thinking. #InsuranceShopTalk #AgencyAutomation #InsurTech #InsuranceOperations #AgencyGrowth #DigitalInsurance #PAndC New boost
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski embodies the character within her wig, consults Drew Afualo on The Jonas Brothers, and researches the origin of Sleeping Beauty.ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski discusses her tech addiction, plans her own Super Bowl halftime show, hosts book club about a book she hated, and sets goals for Valentine's Day. ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
In this episode of Liftoff, Keith sits down with Amos Bar-Joseph, Co-Founder and CEO of Swan AI, to explore a radical shift in how modern companies scale.Amos shares why the traditional belief that growth equals headcount is breaking down—and how AI is enabling a new model: the autonomous business. At Swan, scale is no longer about adding people—it's about increasing ARR per employee by embedding intelligence directly into workflows.They unpack:Why the old “cog culture” model is collapsing What collaborative autonomy really meansHow Swan's AI GTM Engineer turns ideas into live go-to-market workflowsWhy execution—not creativity—is what AI should automateAnd why go-to-market innovation is now more important than product innovationThis is a must-listen for founders, operators, and GTM leaders navigating the AI-native era.Connect with Amos Bar-Joseph: Website: https://getswan.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amos-bar-joseph/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeithTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com#AutonomousBusiness #AIinBusiness #CollaborativeAutonomy #FutureOfWork #GTMInnovation #SaaSFounders #StartupScaling #AIWorkflows #AgenticAI
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski (finally) reacts to Heated Rival, reviews fidget toys, and discusses what's in her travel bag.ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski discusses the status of her butt, explores the psychology behind humanity, revisits Aesop's Fables, and researches fairies. ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:Script to Contact Your Representatives – 5calls.org ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ National Immigrant Justice Center – https://immigrantjustice.org/ MINNESOTA SPECIFIC RESOURCES:Stand With Minnesota Vetted Resource Hub – https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ MPLS Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – https://www.ilcm.org/ International Institute of Minnesota – https://iimn.org/ ICE OUT / Mutual Aid – https://linktr.ee/ICEOUTmutualaid Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
In this powerful spiritual talk, Rev. Lee Wolak challenges the idea that truth is determined by popularity, trends, or mass agreement. If you've ever felt out of step with the crowd or questioned widely accepted beliefs, this message will resonate deeply. Exploring universal truth, conscious living, spiritual awakening, and inner authority, Lee invites you to stop outsourcing truth to consensus and start trusting direct awareness. Sign up for my daily thought and weekly newsletter by clicking this link: https://www.agapespiritualcenter.com/free-affirmations If you find value in what Agape offers spiritually, emotionally, and in community, consider becoming a supporting member. Your recurring contribution helps us continue to share truth, healing, and transformation with the world. Click here to become a supporter: https://www.agapespiritualcenter.com/recurring-contributions/
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski discusses the Harry Styles album announcement, recounts French history, and holds a Book Club on Kafka. Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski addresses the Heated Rivalry concerns, updates the nation on her recent travel, and holds book club.ICE OUT OF OUR CITY / PROTEST RESOURCES:ACLU – https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights Immigrant Defense Project – https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit Freedom for Immigrants – https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/resourcesImmigrants Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights Immigration Justice Campaign – https://immigrationjustice.us/ Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski reflects on the past year and looks forward to the new year. Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, we celebrate the year with some of the best moments from 2025! Happy New Year, Broski Nation! Y'all be safe! Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski talks about The Beatles, her dream Christmas decor, and this year's Christmas List! Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski recaps Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, discusses Studio Ghibli, and recounts seeing Robert Downey Jr. Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski addresses some recent rumors, shares her Thanksgiving invite list, and researches gelatinous food. Watch The Broski Report AD FREE: https://patreon.com/broskireport The OFFICIAL Songs of The Week Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ULrcEqO2JafGZPeonyuje?si=061c5c0dd4664f01