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2 hours and 23 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, and Venue by 4M where recorded this. 1. What Dusty Just Done Did Starts at 0:51 Not only did we have this team come out of nowhere to be the best in the history Michigan basketball. The Dusty May Era is now a fever dream. Takes a little bit out of it. This is college basketball now. Understand why he wouldn't want to be a college coach today; he explicitly said he never got to feel like they won a championship. NCAA can be blamed for letting it get here but also they have no power whatsoever to fix all the things that mean the second you win a title you have to recruit your new team. Second time in a row the college coach the NBA took was Michigan's. This is not the Cavs; Dallas is a good gig. [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 2. The Future of Michigan Basketball Starts at 19:04 They're promoting Mike Boynton to interim head coach, with a possibility of permanence. Greater that 50% chance he's the HC without the interim title, but might execute a search. Five days after they announce a hire the portal is open for Michigan alone, which is probably what scared them into this now. McKenney is back, probably Cadeau back, direction of things is a battle to hold onto the transfer bigs. Boynton: got tagged by the FBI thing, can see his tenure as not successful, or successful for the Minnesota of the Big 12. He has a trademark, which is defense: five of six years with a top-20 unit. Still relatively young, can recruit. Program: "What option do we have?" UNNNNNGGGGGHHHHHH. Actual option: Josh Schertz! Trademark is twos, built a real roster there, is Dusty's best coaching buddy. Don't care as much about roster continuity (Brian Ellerbe, Sherrone Moore) because the players won't be around long. Also if you poach a coach you have access to another team's roster and coaching staff, whereas right now Michigan and the Mavs are competing for Michigan staff and Michigan and the world are competing for Michigan's players. Other names to look at: Niko Medved was our next pick two years ago, did as well as possible with Minnesota last year. Where is Michigan Basketball in program rankings? Would Purdue swap with us? Purdue built their fanbase over years of having a program, just like Michigan hockey. 3. The Warde Talk Starts at 53:17 What are you supposed to do with a guy who alternates between asleep-at-the-wheel scandals and national championships? Push back against Brian's assertion that people "don't want to work for him" because these are all individual situations. He's not a bad guy, but he's also not a guy who *does* things, unless that's milking the fanbase or turning Michigan Stadium into an F1 race of ads. His oeuvre is not doing anything, because that worked with Harbaugh in 2020, and now that's a modus operandi. Talking ADs history since Canham. Push back against Brian's lionizing of Canham: he was a visionary, but his record also includes Dr. Anderson and trying to prevent/undermine Title IX. We end up preferring Bill Martin of all our lifetime ADs—he built the boxes to prevent ads in the stadium. Don't think missing out on Les Miles was a loss. Brian's Warde assessment: He typed "how to AD" into ChatGPT. Does losing Dusty May like this change your opinion on Warde Manuel? No. But it's weird that he keeps surviving (no president to fire him). 4. 2027 Football Recruiting Starts at 1:20:46 Doesn't look any different from a Harbaugh class at this point. If you're good at scouting and developing you're fine. OL class is small but Lipsey stacks another elite tackle and they had to fend off ND for Louis Esposito, Rouleau is a Frey-type. Xavier Muhammad is a very good DT, Tavares Harrington a find at CB, and they held onto some important guys in-state in a good Michigan year. LB recruiting is still underfunded, Brian is fine with that because it's very a "what's in your head" position with no consensus on what schools want. State of the recruiting industry: Paramount got bought and 247 is getting raided as incompetent ownership sets in. On3 is more reactive to scouting this cycle, and almost universally rate M commits higher. White whales: #1 is CB Josh Dobson, Seth Tillman would be a big, big deal because DTs are hard to come by, Monsanna Torbert would be a big win over Ohio State. Lincoln Mageo would be a good OL to finish with. Would like to have more TEs coming in. 5. World Cup Starts at 1:50:04 Takes hotter than Dusty May's agent. Count how many times Brian calls USA "Michigan." Are the Americans the most pleased with their performance in Group Phase (2nd to Canadians). Freeman (son of Antonio) is very reliable defensively, main thing is you can put Dest at wing. Sauciest player in US history? McKenzie is everywhere, runs into the box from deep were especially effective vs Paraguay. Pulisic injury: not going to play him in the useless Turkey game, should be fine. Tim Ream has been trying to play soccer for us forever, always been the best guy on the ball. Decent draw, should be favored (when they make the field) for a couple of rounds. Success point is get to the quarters; they can go into a game against a world power and expect to compete, not win, and not win three in a row. Four years ago they were too young. Don't mind the 48-team format; it saps a lot of tension out of the Group Stage when three teams advance, but a lot of "small teams" have battled. Brazil is still working back to being BRAZIL. Germany is Ohio State but not a peak year Ohio State. France is super talented. Alex: If you play Bosnia and Herzegovina you play two countries at once. Seth: Actually it's more like seven point eight. MUSIC: "Hit or Miss"—Odetta "Take Da Charge"—Project Pat "Love on My Brain"—Jim Ford "Dog Has Its Day"—Toledo “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra
In this episode, Autumn and Noah talk with Kevin Hartnett about why mathematicians are willing to spend years reducing an idea to a level of detail a machine can check, whether formal verification can catch an AI that's technically correct but fundamentally misaligned, the cold-start problem that kept earlier theorem-provers niche, and what it means for the future of mathematical trust once AI can generate proofs faster than any human community can read them.Timeline:00:00 Introduction to Lean and Its Significance03:18 The Journey of Writing the Book05:13 Human Element in Mathematical Formalization06:57 Understanding Formal Proofs in Mathematics11:21 The Origins of Lean and Its Purpose13:03 Misalignment in Software Specifications14:39 Building Mathematical Libraries in Lean17:23 Ensuring Accuracy in Mathematical Foundations22:00 Overcoming the Cold Start Problem in Lean Adoption24:36 The Future of Mathematical Proofs30:26 AI's Role in Mathematics38:29 Expanding Beyond Mathematics41:40 The Long-Term Impact of LeanThe Proof in the Code is out now from Quanta Books. (https://amzn.to/3SuNlJm)Follow Kevin Hartnett onX (https://x.com/KSHartnett) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/kevinhartnett.bsky.social)Follow Breaking Math onSubstack (https://breakingmath.substack.com/)X (https://x.com/breakingmathpod)Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/breakingmathmedia/)Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/breakingmath.bsky.social)Website (https://www.breakingmath.io/)YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingMathPod)Follow Noah onInstagram (https://www.instagram.com/profnoahgian/)X (https://x.com/ProfNoahGian)Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/profnoahgian.bsky.social)Follow Autumn onX (https://x.com/1autumn_leaf)Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/1autumnleaf.bsky.social)Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/1autumnleaf/)Substack (https://substack.com/@1autumnleaf)email: breakingmathpodcast@gmail.com
Welcome to episode #1041 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when every leadership team is being told that artificial intelligence will change everything, Charlene Li has spent her career helping organizations separate signal from noise. A New York Times bestselling author and trusted advisor to CEOs and boards, Charlene first became widely known for helping leaders understand transformative shifts through books like Groundswell, Open Leadership and The Disruption Mindset. Her latest book, Winning With AI - The 90-Day Blueprint For Success, co-authored with Dr. Katia Walsh, tackles one of the most pressing questions facing business leaders today: not what AI is, but what to do about it. Drawing on research, executive interviews and practical experience, Charlene argues that organizations do not need an AI strategy… they need to rethink how AI serves their existing business strategy. In our conversation, she explores why most organizations are still struggling to move beyond experimentation, why leadership and transformation matter more than technology selection, and why the greatest opportunity may not be efficiency at all, but creating more human-centered organizations. Along the way, Charlene challenges conventional thinking about AI pilots, workforce transformation, organizational design and the future role of leadership in an era where intelligence itself is becoming abundant. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 1:01:50. Hello from beautiful Montreal. Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts. Listen and subscribe over at Spotify. Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel. Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn. Check out ThinkersOne. Here is my conversation with Charlene Li. Winning With AI - The 90-Day Blueprint For Success. Dr. Katia Walsh. Groundswell. Open Leadership. The Disruption Mindset. Charlene's other books. Follow Charlene on LinkedIn. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction to AI and Leadership. (03:02) - Navigating the AI Landscape. (05:57) - Understanding AI's Impact on Organizations. (09:09) - The Human Element in AI. (12:10) - Rethinking Workflows and Decision-Making. (14:45) - Strategic AI Roadmaps. (17:54) - Investment and Governance in AI. (20:52) - Creating Value with AI. (23:53) - Emergent Thinking and AI Adoption. (31:00) - The Role of Leadership in AI Implementation. (34:50) - Ownership and Accountability in AI Strategy. (39:01) - Creating Value Beyond Efficiency with AI. (45:07) - Navigating Workforce Changes and Reskilling. (48:59) - Addressing Employee Concerns About AI. (54:54) - The Case Against AI Pilots. (55:54) - The Importance of Speed in AI Adoption.
Summary In this episode, Chad Burmeister speaks with Josh Hill, VP of HR at Tier 11 and co-founder of Super Hired and Super Trained, about the transformative role of AI in recruitment and employee experience. They discuss how AI can enhance the hiring process, the importance of understanding employee needs, and the necessity of a human-led approach in AI interactions. Josh emphasizes the need for a bespoke recruitment process that considers the unique context of both candidates and companies, and the importance of building trust in AI technologies. Takeaways AI enhances employee experience by providing insights into their needs. Recruitment should focus on first principles to understand candidates better. AI can be a powerful tool but must be used intentionally. The recruitment process is often flawed due to surface-level data. Candidates need to feel valued and engaged during the hiring process. Human connection is essential in AI-driven recruitment. Trust in AI is crucial for effective candidate interactions. Recruiters are evolving into multifaceted roles, including career coaching. Understanding emotional nuances is key to successful hiring. The future of recruitment lies in innovative, human-led technologies. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to AI in Sales and HR 02:47 The Role of AI in Enhancing Employee Experience 05:29 AI as a Tool for Recruitment and Discovery 08:34 The Importance of First Principles in Hiring 10:46 Challenges in Traditional Recruitment Processes 13:33 Innovative Approaches to Candidate Engagement 16:36 The Human Element in AI-Driven Recruitment 19:19 Building Trust and Value in AI Interactions 22:04 Future Technologies in Recruitment 24:43 Conclusion and Key Takeaways The AI for Sales Podcast is brought to you by BDR.ai, Nooks.ai, and ZoomInfo—the go-to-market intelligence platform that accelerates revenue growth. Skip the forms and website hunting—Chad will connect you directly with the right person at any of these companies.
Matt Faircloth talks to Patrick Carino about his journey from a real estate-oriented childhood to a role at CBRE and now leading a tech revolution in CRE is a masterclass in combining industry expertise with cutting-edge software. He shares how DealNav started as a passion project to replace clunky Excel systems, then evolved into a map-based relationship management tool that helps investors visualize deals geographically, nurture key relationships, and act faster than ever before. Patrick Carino Co-Founder of DealNav Based in: New York City Metropolitan Area Where to find them: https://x.com/PatCarino https://deal-nav.com/ Book your free demo today at bill.com/bestever and get a $100 Amazon gift card. Visit https://malabarhillcapital.com/ for more info. Podcast production done by Outlier Audio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If AI writes a better prompt than you can now, what are you still being paid for? In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle is joined by two of his closest collaborators, Brian Piper, content and AI integration consultant and co-author of Epic Content Marketing Volume 2, and Dr. Matt Wilkinson, founder of UK agency Strivenn and author of the forthcoming Buyer in the Loop. A month earlier, the three shared a stage at Mark Schaefer's Uprising retreat, building one marketing plan together, each orchestrating their own team of AI helpers to pull it off. Their answer to the question above is discernment. The AI handles the prompting now and most of the drafting. What it can't do is know when an output is wrong, when a claim is weak, when "good enough" isn't. That judgment comes from years of doing the work, and it's the one thing you bring to the machine that the machine can't supply for itself. The same idea runs through everything else they get into: why enterprise AI rollouts keep stalling, why "saving time" never seems to free anyone up, and why the white-collar-apocalypse story makes better clickbait than it does prediction. Listen in and hear about... Why discernment, not prompting, is the skill that holds its value in the AI era What actually went into co-building a campaign live at Mark Schaefer's Uprising retreat The change-management gap behind most failed enterprise AI rollouts Why "AI will take your job" is quietly sabotaging adoption from the inside How going solo became more connected, not more lonely Notable Quotes from Brian Piper and Matt Wilkinson "I think where it really excels is when you tie in expertise, you know, and you talked about building that discernment into the prompt and into the structure of your models that you're using." - Brian Piper "We have this extra time that AI has given us. Now the really strategic part is figuring out how you're going to use that time and how you're going to spend that time in a way that benefits your organization the most or benefits your customer the most." - Brian Piper "Otherwise the world is just going to be full of AI slop. But we can really use AI to increase the way that we think, the way that we engage with the information that we have." - Matt Wilkinson "There is no incentive to work with the AI to teach the AI to take over the tasks that you're doing, because then the AI can take your job. So why are you training up your replacement?" - Matt Wilkinson "I felt lonelier working at an organization than I did now that I'm on my own." - Brian Piper Resources and Links Dan Nestle Lilypath | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Matt Wilkinson Strivenn | Website Dr. Matt Wilkinson | Website Matt Wilkinson | LinkedIn Brian Piper Brian W. Piper | Website (speaking and books) AIreFlow Solutions | Website Brian Piper | LinkedIn Timestamps 00:00 Navigating Job Loss and New Beginnings 03:01 The Power of Collaboration in Solopreneurship 05:40 The Unique Experience of the Uprising Retreat 11:48 AI Beyond the Prompt: A New Approach 20:34 The Importance of Mindset and Discernment in AI 30:22 Operationalizing Expertise and Discernment 38:46 Merging Human Insight with AI 40:40 The Compounding Effect of Collaboration 42:09 Understanding AI Governance and Implementation 44:45 Strategic Use of AI Time Savings 46:49 The Myth of Time Freedom with AI 48:43 The Disconnect in AI Adoption 49:07 Building a Community for AI Success 50:05 The Importance of Change Management 52:33 The Reality of AI's Impact on Jobs 54:02 Navigating Job Evolution in the AI Era 56:26 Responsible AI Integration 58:16 The Role of Education in AI Adaptation 01:01:12 The Future of Job Markets and Education 01:04:19 Teaching Prompting for AI 01:07:32 Creating a New Educational Framework 01:10:00 The Solopreneur Experience 01:12:20 The Loneliness Myth in Entrepreneurship 01:15:20 The Human Element in AI Conversations (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Riverside) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Most Branded Podcasts Fail (with Roger Nairn, CEO of Jar Podcast Solutions) Welcome back to The Beacon Way Podcast! In this episode, host Adrienne Wilkerson sits down with Roger Nairn, Co-Founder and CEO of Jar Podcast Solutions, to discuss what separates successful podcasts from the thousands that never gain traction.Roger shares why many branded podcasts fail, how organizations should approach podcasting as a strategic business asset, and why every podcast needs a clear purpose before the first episode is ever recorded.The conversation also explores audience-first content creation, podcast measurement and analytics, podcasting's evolution into video, the role of AI in content creation, and what the future looks like for creators, marketers, and media companies.Whether you're launching your first podcast or looking to improve an existing show, this episode offers practical insights into building content that creates lasting audience engagement.In This Episode:· Why most branded podcasts fail · The difference between content marketing and podcast strategy · How to determine your podcast's purpose · Building audience-first content · Podcast analytics that actually matter · Video podcasts and the future of the medium · AI's impact on content creation and storytelling · Remote agency leadership and operations · Why human connection still matters in an AI-driven world Chapters00:00 Introduction & Meet Roger Nairn 01:01 The Story Behind Jar Podcast Solutions 02:20 Why Most Branded Podcasts Fail 05:32 Podcast Analytics & Measuring Success 08:05 Why Every Podcast Needs a Job 10:35 Different Podcast Formats for Different Goals 13:05 How Long Should a Podcast Be? 15:50 The Evolution of Podcasting & Video Content 17:00 The Human Element of Podcasting 18:30 Podcasting in the Age of AI 21:50 AI Slop, Authenticity & Human Connection 24:40 AI, Hollywood & The Future of Creative Work 33:00 How Jar Uses AI Internally 36:25 AI, Creativity & Agency Operations 41:15 Where to Find Roger Nairn 42:55 Closing Thoughts Where to find Roger and Jar Podcast Solutions: Jar Podcast Solutions Website https://jarpodcast.comLinkedIn Connect with Roger Nairn on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogernairn604/ Resources & Blog https://jarpodcast.com
The world feels uncertain, and every bookkeeper is seeing the impact. In this episode of The Bookkeepers Podcast, we discuss anxiety in business, forecasting for uncertain times, the rise of AI, Making Tax Digital, and what the future looks like for the modern bookkeeper. We explore how a bookkeeper can help clients navigate uncertainty, where AI fits into the profession, and why human insight and data interpretation are becoming more valuable than ever. ----------------------------------------------- About us We're Jo and Zoe and we help bookkeepers find clients, make more money and build profitable businesses they love. Find out about working with us in The Bookkeepers' Collective, at: 6figurebookkeeper.com/collective ----------------------------------------------- About our Sponsor This episode of The Bookkeepers' Podcast is sponsored by Xero. Get 90% off your first 6 months by visiting: https://xero5440.partnerlinks.io/6figurebookkeeper ----------------------------------------------- Promotion This video contains paid promotion. ----------------------------------------------- Disclaimer The information contained in The Bookkeepers' Podcast is provided for information purposes only. The contents of The Bookkeepers' Podcast is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of the Bookkeepers' Podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of the Bookkeepers' Podcast. The 6 Figure Bookkeeper Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of the Bookkeepers' Podcast. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:33 - Current Events and Personal Experiences 00:01:06 - Impact of Global Events on Personal and Business Life 00:01:38 - Media Consumption and Its Impact 00:03:06 - Anxiety and Its Impact on Business 00:03:20 - Economic Changes and Their Impact 00:03:53 - Role of Forecasting in Business 00:05:09 - Preparation for Potential Crises 00:07:17 - Post-Covid Anxiety and Its Impact 00:09:57 - AI and Its Potential Impact on Business 00:11:09 - Tech Overwhelm and Its Impact on Productivity 00:12:30 - Vibe Coding and Its Potential Use 00:14:11 - Role of AI in Systematizing Business Processes 00:15:22 - AI and Systemizing Business Tasks 00:16:25 - AI in Data Interpretation and Extraction 00:17:55 - AI and the Human Element in Business 00:18:57 - AI and Professional Qualifications 00:20:14 - Claude and Xero Integration 00:22:09 - Using AI for Repetitive Tasks 00:24:51 - Cost and Risks of AI 00:27:27 - MTD and HMRC Changes 00:30:25 - Registering as an Agent with HMRC 00:30:48 - Experience at AccountEx 00:31:26 - Day Two at AccountEx 00:32:37 - Upcoming Events 00:33:10 - Closing Remarks #bookkeeper
In episode 668 of the New Media Show, host Rob Greenlee talks with Ollie Forsyth, founder of New Economies and New-Media.co, about the fast-changing meaning of “New Media” and why creator-led media is becoming one of the most important shifts in digital publishing, podcasting, video, newsletters, live streaming, and AI-powered content. The conversation begins with a bigger question: what does “New Media” mean now? For years, the term New Media has described digital media outside traditional broadcast, print, and cable. But in 2026, the meaning is changing again. New Media is becoming less about a format and more about who the audience trusts, where attention is moving, and how creators are building direct relationships through podcasts, YouTube channels, newsletters, X, Instagram, live shows, private communities, short-form clips, and emerging AI-generated formats. Ollie shares how New-Media.co started as a mapping project focused on tech newsletters, podcasts, and creator-led media brands, and quickly became a broader signal that a new category is forming. New Media is no longer just a description of online content. It is becoming a business, creator, and distribution category. Rob and Ollie explore whether podcasting is still its own category or is becoming one lane within a larger New Media ecosystem. Rob brings the long history of podcasting, RSS, video podcasting, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, and creator platforms into the discussion, asking whether the word “podcast” is still enough to describe what audiences now consume. A major theme in this episode is the difference between audience size and audience value. Ollie argues that creators do not always need massive audiences if they have focused, valuable, trusted communities. A show with 5,000 highly relevant listeners or viewers can be more valuable than a much larger audience that does not convert or engage. The discussion also moves into traditional media and why legacy media companies may struggle to adapt to this new creator-led environment. Ollie says the difference is not just production quality. It is the vibe, the trust, the format, and the feeling that audiences are getting access to something more direct and less institutional. Rob and Ollie also talk about how X, Instagram, YouTube, newsletters, and short-form clips are becoming the new media distribution stack. YouTube remains central for video and long-form discovery, while X and Instagram are becoming powerful platforms for attention and conversation for creators and media brands. The final part of the episode turns to AI-generated content, synthetic media, AI micro-dramas, AI-generated podcasts, disclosure, and audience trust. Rob raises the tension around the term “AI slop” and whether the podcast industry is reacting differently to bad AI content than it has historically reacted to bad human-created content. Ollie argues that AI can help create new forms of content, but it cannot replace the human element, charisma, taste, and trust that make a real show work. This episode lands on a core New Media Show idea: podcasting helped build the foundation of today's creator-led media world, but the next era is broader, more video-driven, more AI-assisted, more platform-diverse, and more dependent on human trust than ever before. Key Topics: What “New Media” means in 2026 Why creator-led media is gaining cultural and business influence New Media vs. the creator economy How New-Media.co maps creators, newsletters, podcasts, and media brands Why podcasting may now be one lane inside a broader media ecosystem Audience size vs. audience value Why niche audiences can be more powerful than mass reach How creators are building multi-platform distribution systems YouTube, X, Instagram, Substack, newsletters, and short-form video The role of clips in modern media growth Why traditional media struggles to capture the creator-led “vibe” How legacy media companies could partner with creators Why “podcast” may be an audience term more than a creator identity Netflix, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and the shifting meaning of shows AI-generated podcasts, AI micro-dramas, and synthetic content Disclosure and transparency around AI-created media Why human taste, trust, charisma, and curation still matter The future of podcasting inside the larger New Media category Chapter Markers: 00:00 Welcome to New Media Show #668 00:30 Why New Media Is Entering a New Era 01:30 Introducing Ollie Forsyth 03:00 What New Media Means Now 04:00 How New-Media.co Started 05:30 Why the New Media Category Is Gaining Attention 06:30 Mapping the New Media Landscape 08:00 How Creators Get Discovered 10:00 Creator Economy vs. New Media 11:30 Why OpenAI and TBPN Became a Signal 13:30 Audience Value vs. Audience Size 16:30 Timely vs. Timeless Content 18:00 Why Distribution Channels Matter 20:00 Are Podcasters Becoming Creators? 21:30 AI Micro-Dramas and New Entertainment Formats 23:00 Short-Form Content and Creator ROI 25:00 Building Multiple Distribution Channels 27:00 Is Podcasting Still the Right Term? 29:00 Apple Podcasts, HLS Video, and YouTube's Influence 31:30 New Media as a Broader Category 32:30 Why AI Companies Want New Media Shows 33:30 Why Legacy Media Struggles to Adapt 35:00 The Vibe Difference Between Traditional Media and Creator Media 37:00 X, Instagram, and the New Distribution Stack 40:30 YouTube, Video, and Future-Proofing Media Brands 43:00 Planning Content Like a Media Company 45:00 Is Podcasting One Lane on a Bigger Freeway? 48:00 Why Creators Need More Than One Channel 50:00 Does the Audience Care What We Call It? 52:00 Is It Just a Show Now? 53:30 Netflix, YouTube, and Audience Expectations 55:00 Is New Media Here to Stay? 56:30 Taste, Attention, and Human Connection 58:30 AI-Generated Content and Podcasting's Reaction 01:00:30 AI Disclosure and Transparency 01:02:00 AI Micro-Dramas and Synthetic Media 01:03:30 Can AI Replace the Human Element? 01:05:00 Bad AI Content vs. Bad Human Content 01:07:00 Why YouTube Raises the Production Bar 01:09:00 Why Human Curation Still Matters 01:11:00 Where New Media Goes Next 01:13:00 Closing Thoughts Guest and Host Links Guest: Ollie Forsyth Founder, New Economies and New-Media.co New Media: new-media.co New Economies: neweconomies.co Host: Rob Greenlee New Media Show: NewMediaShow.com Rob Greenlee: RobGreenlee.com Podcast Hall of Fame: PodcastHall.com Rob Greenlee on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robgreenlee Rob Greenlee Booking: calendly.com/robgreenlee About the Host/Author: Rob Greenlee is a 2017 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and Chair, a global new-media leader who bridges podcasting's human roots and its AI-driven future. As founder of Trust Factor Lab and host of the New Media Show and Spoken Human, Rob helps creators start, grow, monetize, and future-proof their content. He has held leadership roles at Microsoft, Spreaker, Libsyn, StreamYard, Podbean, and PodcastOne, and serves as Chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame. Personal / AI Disclosure Note: I used AI tools to help organize and edit this episode description and generate show notes from the episode transcript. The views, clarifications, responsibility, and industry perspective are mine and my guest's. I have been working in podcasting, digital media, and platform adoption for more than two decades, and this article reflects my own position and editorial direction.The post Is New Media Replacing the Creator Economy? | Ollie Forsyth #668 first appeared on New Media Show.
There is a con called the Spanish Prisoner. A letter arrives from a stranger: a wealthy man sits in a foreign jail, and for a small advance to free him, he will reward you many times over. The trick is at least four hundred years old. It is also, give or take a few details, the email sitting in your spam folder this morning. I keep that in mind whenever someone tells me cybercrime is a technology problem. The tools change. The mark does not. We are still robbed through the same prehistoric wiring: a flash of fear, a moment of greed, a decision made in panic before the slow part of the brain wakes up. That is the thread I pulled on with Sarah Armstrong-Smith at InfoSecurity Europe. Sarah spent nearly thirty years in cyber and crisis leadership, was Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft, and now runs Secure Horizons. She has written two books on the human side of all this and sits on the UK Government Cyber Advisory Board. After all of it, she says the thing most people in her position will not say out loud: whatever we are doing is not working. More tools, more money, more people, more AI, and the problem keeps getting worse. Attack, wake-up call, attack, wake-up call. How many wake-up calls, she asks, does anyone need? I asked what keeps her up at night. She described an industrial accident on the scale of 9/11, triggered through a network: the first time a cyber incident kills people in numbers. We have been lucky so far. She doubts luck is a plan. The industry loves a big number, and the number is exactly where the human disappears. X million records stolen, Y terabytes gone. The day before, my friend Geoff White sat in this same chair and described a ransomware attack that shut down a hospital, which meant a woman missed the cancer appointment she had counted on. That is an Armageddon, and it has a name and a face. Sarah, as it happens, knows Geoff's work well enough to carry a line from him on the back of her book. The human element keeps finding the same small circle of people willing to talk about it. So how do we move this from a line item to a fact of society? Her answer is collective resilience. There is no prize for being the last one standing, because we are all wired into the same supply chain, the same dependencies, the same brittle web. And the smallest businesses, the ones without a war chest to ride out the storm, are the ones we discuss the least. Then a statistic. Close to half of all crime in the UK is now fraud or cyber. Around one percent of policing is pointed at it. Read those two numbers again. We fund what we can see, and we want officers on the street because a visible patrol both deters the thief and reassures the neighbourhood. The crime that actually empties our accounts happens somewhere we have agreed not to look. Follow the money, Sarah says, and you rarely stop at one criminal's pocket. It pays for the next thing: drugs, weapons, and more often than people imagine, the trafficking of human beings. Will AI save us? She did not flinch. Whatever you build to detect, the other side uses to evade. The asymmetry holds. Technology is part of the answer and never the whole of it, because the problem was never only technical. So what do we carry forward, and what do we leave behind? We carry the person behind the number: the one who misses the appointment, the small shop that never reopens. We leave behind the fantasy that a clever enough machine will spare us the harder work, which is teaching a whole society to recognize the Spanish Prisoner when it arrives, wearing this year's technology. Sarah's books are linked below, with a second edition on the way. Geoff's conversation is part of this same coverage. And if you want more of these, the newsletter lives at marcociappelli.com. Let's keep thinking. — Marco Co-Founder ITSPmagazine & Studio C60 | Creative Director | Branding & Marketing Advisor | Personal Branding Coach | Journalist | Writer | Podcast: An Analog Brain In A Digital Age ⚠️ Beware: Pigs May Fly |
In this episode of Fraudology, Karisse Hendrick provides a comprehensive debrief following the Merchant Risk Council (MRC) Vegas conference. Karisse shares her highlights and lowlights from one of the industry's biggest events, cutting through the conference hype to provide practical insights for fraud and payments professionals.The conversation explores the evolving mechanics of Agentic AI in commerce, detailing how tools like Sardine are now identifying AI agents by monitoring "invisible" behaviors, such as fields being filled without mouse movement. Karisse provides an inside look at why OpenAI recently shelved its "instant checkout" feature, moving away from being a merchant of record to avoid the liability of chargebacks and complex transaction enablement.We also explore the "hot topics" dominating the fraud landscape today:The VAMP Threshold "Cliff": How Visa is drastically reducing high-risk merchant ratios from 220 basis points to 150 basis points this April, potentially catching many enterprise merchants off guard.The Complexity of Agentic Chargebacks: Real-world examples of "authorized" AI purchases where merchants are losing disputes because card brands like Visa do not yet have established "compelling evidence" protocols for AI agents.The Human Element vs. AI: Why senior fraud leadership cannot be replaced by LLMs, as the critical "domain expertise" required to manage sophisticated fraud is not found in open-source data.Additionally, Karisse dives into the latest FTC fraud statistics, revealing a staggering 430% increase in fraud since 2020. We break down the $375 million jury verdict against Meta in New Mexico, a historic win for child safety that challenges the long-standing "Section 230" liability shield. Finally, we examine a Reuters study uncovering how Meta's ability to block scam ads depends almost entirely on the financial liability they face in specific countries.
Visit our webpage for more information about the showwww.podpage.com/the-3-13-men-money-and-marriageCash App: $a114johnsonSummaryThis episode explores the impact of AI on the labor market, addressing fears of obsolescence, the history of technological innovation, and the tactics corporations use to manipulate perceptions of AI. Greg and Andrew discuss how to navigate these changes with optimism and strategic adaptation.Keywords: AI, labor market, manufactured doubt, technological innovation, corporate strategy, job security, automation, history of tech, future of workKey topicsAI's impact on jobs and labor marketManufactured doubt and corporate manipulationHistorical parallels of technological innovationStrategies for adapting to AI-driven changesAI and the Labor Market: Myths, Realities, and Strategies for the FutureManufactured Doubt: How Corporations Shape Our Perception of AI"There's no replacement for a real human.""They have to have your consent.""AI is being used to suppress wages."Guest name Greg WhitakerChapters00:00 Introduction to AI and Labor Market Concerns05:51 The Role of AI in Job Security11:20 Manufactured Doubt and Corporate Strategies17:03 AI as a Scapegoat for Cost-Cutting22:52 The Human Element in AI Integration24:51 Navigating Career Anxiety in the Age of AI
SummaryIn this episode, Dominic Forth shares his life-changing rafting experience that inspired his mission to amplify positive stories of entrepreneurs and leaders. We explore how personal stories can transform lives, the power of authentic communication, and the future of AI in storytelling.TakeawaysThe life-changing rafting experience that inspired Dominic ForthThe importance of authentic storytelling in mediaUsing stories to amplify positive impact and leadershipThe role of AI in future storytelling and mediaStrategies for effective media appearances and messagingThe mental frameworks for handling stress and challengesThe evolution of podcasting and video communicationThe importance of community and support in entrepreneurshipChapters00:00 The Journey to Thought Leaders America07:39 The Power of Storytelling and Positivity13:44 Finding Your Voice and Sharing Your Story19:49 Framework for Clarity and Courage in Leadership25:55 Authenticity in Storytelling and Media Engagement32:43 Authenticity in Communication33:05 The Value of Trust in Media36:30 Crafting Compelling Stories39:22 The Importance of Visual Presentation41:58 AI's Role in Media and Authenticity46:28 Embracing Creativity in the Age of AI54:14 The Human Element in a Tech-Driven World01:02:53 The Power of StorytellingCredits:Hosted by Ryan Roghaar and Mike SmithProduced by Ryan RoghaarTheme music: "Perfect Day" by OPM The Eggs Podcast Spotify playlist:bit.ly/eggstunesThe Plugs:The Show: eggsthepodcast.com@eggsthepodcast on X and InstagramMike "DJ Ontic": Shows and info: djontic.com@djontic on twitterRyan Roghaar:rogha.ar
The conversation explores how AI and automation are reshaping the marketing landscape, emphasizing the importance of not seeking 100% automation but instead aiming for impactful, sustainable 80% solutions. Joining the show is Dale Bertrand, founder and CEO of Fire and Spark, who brings over 17 years of expertise in SEO and a unique perspective rooted in computer engineering. The episode confronts anxieties around AI replacing human jobs, advocating for a focus on expertise amplification and the development of critical thinking skills in the AI era. It also highlights the importance for marketers to communicate value to business leaders in financial terms rather than just traditional marketing metrics.⏰ Timecodes ⏰0:00 - The 80/20 Rule of AI Automation1:27 - The Next Generation Growing Up with AI2:21 - Students' Approaches to AI: Learning vs. Cheating4:23 - Introducing Dale Bertrand: SEO, AI, and Content Discoverability5:55 - Smallest, Most Impactful AI Automation for B2B Marketers10:13 - The ROI of Building Context for AI Workflows13:05 - AI Agents, Job Security, and the Human Element in Marketing17:20 - Higher Education, AI, and Preparing for a New Job Market23:19 - AI Lifting Creative Bottlenecks: What Changes for SEOs & Marketers25:59 - Translating SEO Metrics into Business Growth Language33:43 - Contribution vs. Attribution: Measuring Marketing's Real Impact A. Lee Judge is the creator and host of The Business of Marketing podcast.Please follow the podcast on your favorite podcast listening platform.This podcast is produced by Content Monsta - A leading producer of B2B Content.
Listen to the full podcast: https://bit.ly/SKMPMALONEYWhat if the biggest problem with AI, Ozempic, productivity hacks, and modern self improvement is that they work too well? In a culture obsessed with skipping steps, Larry Maloney argues that the struggle is the point. Larry and I explore why anime keeps teaching lessons Western media forgot, why gyms are becoming one of the last places people find real community, and how chasing optimization can quietly disconnect you from the very life you're trying to improve. From entrepreneurship and fitness to consciousness, parenting, technology, and the hero's journey, this episode is a deep dive into agency, meaning, and what happens when people stop trusting the process. The answer isn't as simple as winning.Follow Larry:Instagram: https://www-fallback.instagram.com/lift_with_larry/Website: https://www.korrectfitness.com00:54 AI Replacing Trainers04:44 Human Element in Fitness09:16 Onnit Legacy12:24 Gym as Therapy15:05 Underdog to Hero Philosophy19:04 Anime & Morning Cardio21:45 One Piece & One Pace23:00 Anime as Life Philosophy27:03 Power, Scale & the Bad Guy34:27 Digital Detox & Sundays Off38:29 75 Hard Story52:25 Marathon as Avoidance56:40 You Can Do Anything (Not Everything)58:55 Western Heroes & the '70s Collapse1:01:03 Thanos Was the Environmentalist1:04:24 Postmodern Paralysis1:07:24 Having Kids Changes Time1:09:22 Life as a Series of Mini Deaths1:13:21 Philosophical Dinner with Your SonListen to the complete episodes of Sky King's Mental Playground, sign up at skmp.supercast.comFollow Sky on XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow Sky on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Most real estate insiders agree: AI is disrupting brokerage faster than anyone expected. But what if the biggest shifts come from the human side? Andie Edmonds, a trailblazer in commercial real estate and the new president of the CCIM Institute, reveals why trusted relationships—and human intuition—will remain the backbone of the industry, even as artificial intelligence transforms how deals get done.In this eye-opening conversation, Andie shares her journey from Oregon to Arizona, navigating market changes, industry disruptions, and a slower shift towards tech. You'll discover how AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are influencing broker decision-making, the undeniable importance of human empathy in client relationships, and the subtle ways ethical dilemmas—like fraud and tenant mix—shape property investments today. Andy also dives into the evolving landscape of healthcare real estate, exploring how demand for behavioral health and senior housing is reshaping asset types, and why landlords need to stay vigilant about new challenges.You'll learn how industry leaders are balancing innovation with trust, and why the future of CRE hinges on mastering both technology and human connection. This episode is perfect for brokers worried about AI replacing their jobs, emerging professionals eager to stay relevant, and anyone interested in how real estate must adapt to survive and thrive in a new era.With decades of experience and a sharp eye on the next generation, Andie Edmonds exemplifies leadership that combines faith, industry insight, and a pioneering spirit. She's a CEO, a CCIM, and now, the president shaping the future of the largest professional designation in commercial real estate—a must-listen for those who want to understand not just what's changing, but how to lead through it.Whether you're a seasoned broker, a future investor, or curious about the ethical dilemmas facing real estate today, this episode offers real talk, actionable insights, and a compelling reminder: Humans are irreplaceable, and trust will always be the most valuable currency in CRE.Thanks To Our Sponsors
In this episode of Fraudology, Karisse Hendrick provides a comprehensive debrief following her long-awaited conversation with Kathy Stokes, the Senior Director of Fraud Prevention for AARP. Kathy shares her highlights and lowlights from leading the Fraud Watch Network, cutting through the general consumer education hype to provide practical insights for fraud and payments professionals.The conversation explores the evolving mechanics of fraud victimization in commerce, detailing how organizations like AARP are now identifying systemic vulnerabilities by monitoring "invisible" behaviors, such as how society naturally blames the victims of these crimes. Kathy provides an inside look at why the industry must move away from simply playing "whack-a-mole" at the point of transaction, moving toward shared intelligence to avoid the massive financial and emotional liabilities of sophisticated networks.We also explore the "hot topics" dominating the fraud landscape today:The Private-Public Intelligence Threshold: How the National Elder Fraud Coordination Center (NEFCC/NEFSI) is bringing enterprise giants like Amazon, Google, and Walmart together with law enforcement to drastically turn isolated smaller incidents into massive, prosecutable organized crime cases.The Complexity of Systemic Collaboration: Real-world examples of how major financial institutions are shifting their legal stances from hiding data due to perceived risk, to realizing that there is a far greater risk if they do not share fraud data across networks.The Human Element vs. The Script: Why senior fraud leadership and empathetic human support systems cannot be replaced by generic checklists, as the critical domain expertise and emotional recovery required to turn victims into survivors is found only through dedicated peer communities.Additionally, Kathy dives into the latest AARP initiatives, revealing the staggering reality of a $200 billion a year crime loss that impacts countless demographics across the United States. We break down the production behind AARP's Fraud Wars YouTube series, a historic project designed to humanize the impact of fraud and challenge the long-standing apathy within enterprise spaces. Finally, we examine how an organization's willingness to block scams depends almost entirely on shifting corporate mindsets away from accepting multi-million dollar losses as just an "acceptable level of risk."
Summary When a rollout lands badly on the frontline, the cost isn't just lost productivity. It's the people who quietly start looking elsewhere. And it's rarely the people you'd guess. In this episode, Justin talks with Kapil Dua, Associate Director of Change Management and Issues Management at a Fortune 100 company, who has spent over a decade leading large-scale SaaS implementations, including current rollouts impacting more than 20,000 stakeholders. Kapil makes the case that the real downside of a poor change isn't the immediate friction, it's the slow erosion of trust that follows: your strongest performers have options, and when they decide a workplace has a "taxed relationship" with change, they leave. From there, the conversation moves into what actually works at scale. Kapil walks through why he chases down cynics instead of avoiding them, why most change communications fail at the language layer (not the strategy layer), and why the best implementations he's been part of were the ones nobody talked about afterward. He also shares the "two wolves" story, his "right things, for the right reasons, in the right ways" rule, and a memorable line about why ignoring how something feels for the user is like designing toilet paper out of sandpaper, it gets the job done, but it hurts. If you're rolling out anything that touches the frontline this year, this one is worth your time. Key Topics Why the biggest cost of a failed rollout is the best people you didn't realize you were losing The case for being honest when a change will mean more work, not less How to convert cynics into your strongest change champions The "two wolves" story, and why change always feeds the dark wolf first Communication design: writing every message to be misread, not just understood Working through layers of stakeholders when one-on-one isn't possible at 20,000 people Why a great change isn't celebrated, it's seamless The 10:1 ratio: it takes ten good experiences to erase one bad one "How will it feel?" as the question most rollouts skip Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Change Management and Adoption 01:56 The Consequences of Poor Adoption 04:33 Measuring the Impact of Employee Satisfaction 07:32 Generational Perspectives on Work and Change 10:09 Balancing Macro and Microeconomic Perspectives 12:13 The Pressure of Public Companies 15:50 The Importance of Employee Experience 18:19 Aligning Associate Experience with Profitability 20:46 The Emotional Impact of Change 24:44 Filling the Gaps in Communication 25:32 Engaging Skeptics in Change Initiatives 29:40 The Reality of Change and Data Collection 31:32 The Importance of Honesty in Change Management 38:07 Navigating Change at Scale 46:58 Building a Change Network 57:50 The Human Element in Change Implementation Guest Bio Kapil Dua is Associate Director, Change Management and Issues Management at a Fortune 100 company, where he leads enterprise transformation focused on process alignment, operational excellence, and user adoption. With over a decade of experience driving large-scale SaaS implementations, including rollouts impacting more than 20,000 stakeholders, he brings a practical, people-first, data-driven perspective on leading change across complex organizations. Resources Frontline Innovators Podcast Kapil Dua on LinkedIn Skyllful - Frontline Enablement Platform
In a future where every craving can be simulated and every discomfort erased, one aging man risks humiliation to remind people what genuine joy once felt like. What begins as a desperate act inside a sterile circus quickly forces an audience to rediscover something they didn't realize they had lost. The Human Element by Leo P. Kelley. That's next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Never heard of Leo P. Kelley? Neither had I. But once I started digging into his work, I discovered he was far more prolific than I expected. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1928, Kelley wrote ten science fiction novels and roughly thirty-five short stories.Science fiction wasn't his only genre. He also penned more than twenty Western novels during his writing career.From If Worlds of Science Fiction in June 1957 on page 106, The Human Element by Leo P. Kelley…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A brilliant scientist uncovers evidence that humanity's greatest technological triumph may already have marked Earth for execution. As governments race toward bigger weapons and tighter control, one terrifying question remains: what happens if the planet itself wants the infection destroyed? The Gray Cloud by Walter Kubilius.
Ernie Combs spends his life hiding a secret that turns every friendship into a risk and every crowded street into dangerous territory. When he finally meets someone who seems to understand him completely, one terrible discovery forces him to decide whether he truly wanted acceptance—or only the chance to feel normal. Cast The First Shadow by Marc Brandel. That's next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.A huge thank you to our listeners in Thailand for taking The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast to #1!
"They're giving you the most precious thing. They can give you time. They're giving you that chance. So deliver, deliver for them by answering and speaking to them and building again, that bridge. And that requires that empathy, that requires that communication. That requires the innovation, which is really creativity with purpose. That's what innovation is. It is strategic creativity. And if you combine all of those elements and make it about something beyond yourself and what you feel like saying at that moment, you are well on your way to being ahead of the majority of other content out there right now."Empathy isn't a soft skill anymore.It's the difference between content that gets ignored — and content that actually connects.In a world flooded with AI-generated noise, most organizations are creating more…but connecting less.In this episode of the Personalization Outbreak Podcast, Amanda Downie —Editorial Strategist at IBM — joins Glenn Llopis to explain:
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way medical spas operate—but how can practices actually use data and AI tools to make smarter business decisions without losing the human touch? In this episode of Medical Spa Insider, AmSpa founder Alex Thiersch is joined by Ben Walder, founder of Illume (formerly InsightX), and returning guest Taylor Siemens, founder of Kairos Aesthetic Medicine, to explore how AI-powered analytics are transforming modern aesthetic practices. They discuss the evolution of Illume from a reporting dashboard into a full operational intelligence platform, how role-based reporting can empower injectors and practice managers, and why real-time data is becoming essential for practices looking to grow intentionally and efficiently. Discussion points include: 02:46 The Evolution From Insight X to Operational Intelligence 06:05 Understanding the Needs of Injectors and Business Owners 11:49 Empowering Injectors with Real-Time Data 15:03 The Role of AI in Enhancing Business Operations 17:48 Ensuring Data Quality and Integration 21:09 Future of AI and Data in Aesthetic Practices 23:48 The Human Element in AI-Driven Practices
Send us Fan Mail"What happens when the inventor of the Video Sales Letter meets AI? Jon Benson joins us for a conversation that will change how you think about creativity, copy, and your business."In Episode 271 of Navigating the Customer Experience, host Yanique Grant sits down with Jon Benson, the pioneering copywriter and entrepreneur who invented the Video Sales Letter (VSL) the format that became the backbone of modern digital marketing. Since 2010, Jon has been quietly working at the intersection of AI and persuasion science, partnering with early AI companies as far back as 2015 to teach machines the nuances of high-converting copy. Today, he's the creator of BNSN (pronounced "Benson"), a proprietary AI copywriting platform built exclusively for ethical marketers who want to attract their ideal customers not just anyone with a credit card.But before any of that, Jon was a graphic designer who nearly lost his life. At 38 years old, he suffered a heart attack a consequence of obesity, stress, and burning the candle at both ends. His recovery led him to write a bestselling book on fitness transformation, which launched him unexpectedly into the world of internet marketing and copywriting. It's one of the most compelling origin stories you'll hear, and it sets the tone for everything Jon has built since.In this episode, Jon and Yanique explore:
Episode Info Celebrating her 26th year in the insurance industry, Meg McKeen, CIC, founded Adjunct Advisors LLC in 2018 with the essential belief that we can do more, and better, to support the professionals who choose a career here. Throughout her own career, working as an underwriter, agent, and leader within the industry, Meg has held a seat at the table during thousands of insurance negotiations. As an independent consultant, Meg now holds space at the crossroads of personal and professional development, for individuals and organizations as they grow their sales and leadership acumen through private coaching, consulting engagements, and the podcast she hosts, Bound & Determined℠. Known for her relatability and storytelling, Meg is a sought after speaker for insurance related conferences and events, as well as a regular columnist for Rough Notes magazine, and Meg's contributions to the insurance industry have been recognized with her inclusion in Insurance Business America's Hot 100 and Elite Women for 2021. A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, Meg is currently a digital nomad in the midst of a thoughtful travel adventure. When she's not supporting insurance professionals, you can find Meg putting the "practice" into yoga practice, searching for the best vegan bakery, or cheering on her favorite independent musicians. Learn more at www.adjunctadvisors.com. Episode Overview: Meg's Industry Journey: From 26 years in insurance, including a pivotal moment of burnout and transition, to founding Bound & Determined. The "Bound & Determined" Podcast: Its genesis, purpose to support women in insurance by discussing life beyond the industry, and its evolution into live events and retreats. Culture and Connection: The significance of authentic connection and community in professional and personal life, contrasting with corporate environments that can stifle open dialogue. Personal Evolution and Success: How personal growth and changing definitions of success shape our professional paths and the importance of honoring that evolution. Navigating Change: Strategies for individuals seeking more intentionality and freedom in their careers, even when bound by traditional structures. The Human Element in Business: Emphasizing that despite technological advancements like AI, human connection and emotional well-being are paramount for organizational success. The Nomad Lifestyle: Meg's experience with a mobile lifestyle and how it has unlocked business opportunities and facilitated personal experiences. Advice for Creating Change: Practical steps for embracing curiosity, setting boundaries, seeking supportive communities, and prioritizing action over perfection when launching new ventures. This episode is brought to you by The Future of Insurance book series (future-of-insurance.com) from Bryan Falchuk. Follow the podcast at future-of-insurance.com/podcast for more details and other episodes. Music courtesy of Hyperbeat Music, available to stream or download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and more.
What if better workers' compensation outcomes start with how people feel, not just how claims are managed? In this episode of Alliance Insights, host Noelle Codispoti is joined by Dr. Claire Muselman to explore a more human-centered approach to workers' compensation. Together, they unpack why workers' comp is often misunderstood — from its original purpose to common assumptions about wages and benefits — and how system complexity, rigid processes, and unclear communication can leave injured employees feeling lost at a critical moment. Dr. Muselman highlights the powerful role employers, supervisors, and claims professionals play from day one. Every interaction matters. Early conversations can build trust — or break it — making clear, consistent, and empathetic communication essential. You'll also hear practical strategies to improve engagement, including: • Setting clear expectations early • Staying connected through regular check-ins • Supporting meaningful return-to-work experiences The takeaway is simple: when organizations put people first, outcomes improve — helping employees get back to work, back to life, and fully supported along the way. Want to learn more? Explore the Workers Compensation RISKPro course, or discover customized training through the Alliance's Corporate Education Solutions. Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
https://teachhoops.com/ As a fixture in the Madison, Wisconsin, basketball community for nearly three decades, Coach Stephen Collins has seen the game evolve from leather balls and short shorts to the era of advanced analytics and digital coaching clinics. After a 27-year tenure at Madison Memorial, Coach Collins is shifting his focus toward digital mentorship and building the next generation of leaders. We sat down with the veteran instructor and coach to discuss the "muck and grind" of a long career, the overlap between the classroom and the court, and what's next on his whiteboard. Interviewer: Coach, 27 years at one program is a rarity in today's coaching climate. When you look back at that first season in Madison compared to your final whistle last spring, what is the most profound change you've noticed? Coach Collins: The speed—not just of the players, but of the information. When I started, we were trading physical VHS tapes and drawing plays on napkins. Now, players have access to every NBA highlight and breakdown on their phones before they even hit the locker room. But while the technology changed, the "Human Element" remained exactly the same. You still have to look a kid in the eye and make them believe they are capable of more than they thought. The 27 years taught me that players don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Interviewer: You've spent a significant portion of your career teaching Advanced Placement Statistics. How does a deep understanding of probability and data affect your late-game decision-making? Coach Collins: It's a double-edged sword. In the classroom, we talk about the Law of Large Numbers—the idea that as a sample size grows, the observed mean will get closer to the expected value. On the court, I know that a high-volume shooter is "due" for a make, or that our Effective Field Goal Percentage ($eFG%$) is higher when we touch the paint. But coaching is where the "Statistically Significant" meets the "Humanly Unpredictable." You can have a $95%$ confidence interval that a certain play will work, but if a teenager is having a bad day or loses focus for a split second, that $5%$ "error" happens. My background in stats helps me stay calm; it reminds me to focus on the Process rather than the outcome of a single possession. Interviewer: You've transitioned into a major role with platforms like TeachHoops.com, essentially coaching the coaches. What prompted the shift into the digital space? Coach Collins: It was about scale. At Memorial, I could impact 12 to 15 players a year. Through digital communities and podcasts, I can help a coach in Ireland or a youth director in San Francisco solve a problem in real-time. Coaching can be a very lonely profession—that "Alone in the Crowd" feeling is real. I wanted to build a "Digital Truth Room" where coaches could find the resources, sets like the Princeton or Shuffle Offense, and the community support they need to avoid burnout. Interviewer: We hear you're a man of many interests outside the gym—from high-end sports trading cards to planning trips to the Orlando theme parks. How do you "unplug" after a long season? Coach Collins: You have to find your "Magic" somewhere. For me, the focus required to analyze a Topps or Bowman release or the logistics of navigating a family trip to Disney provides a different kind of mental challenge. It's about balance. After 27 years of being "Coach Collins" 24/7, I've learned that being a good husband and father is the only "stat" that truly lasts. Part I: The 27-Year LegacyPart II: The Probability of SuccessPart III: From the Hardwood to the Digital WorldPart IV: The Personal Scorecard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI can write your design doc. It can build your storyboard. It can draft your script, your rubric, your assessment, your video outline, and half of your e-learning module before lunch. So what's left for the instructional designer?According to Jonathan De La Cruz, everything that actually matters.Jonathan is an instructional designer at a supply chain company and at a Plano, Texas startup building an AI-assisted learning management system. But before all of that, he was a music educator. He worked at DePauw University and Indiana University. He played mariachi on weekends, jazz combos, cathedral gigs, Costa Rican punk reggae, full symphonies. He didn't know "instructional designer" was a job title. He just knew he loved video editing, building websites, and figuring out how learning actually happens.In this conversation, Jonathan and I talk about the parts of instructional design AI is genuinely making faster and the parts no model will ever touch. The language you use when you collaborate. The way you receive feedback. The relationships you build before you ever press record on a training. The reason someone will or won't watch what you built.Jonathan also breaks down the custom AI agent he trained on his reviewers' feedback patterns to cut his iteration cycles from version 5 down to version 2. He shares how he manages a tech stack that includes Articulate, Camtasia, Arcade, Figma Make, Claude Code, Gemini, NotebookLM, and Perplexity, and why he just bought a Claude Code membership last week.If you're an instructional designer wondering where you still fit, an educator thinking about transitioning into ID, or anyone trying to figure out what the human in the loop actually does, this episode is for you.
In this episode, Corina Hernandez-Muñoz, Head, Cyber Behaviour and Culture | Enterprise Information Security (EIS), Export Development Canada explores why effective cybersecurity depends just as much on people as it does on technology. As digital threats become more complex, organisations are recognising that strong systems alone aren't enough — building awareness, shared responsibility and a culture of vigilance across the workforce is essential. This conversation looks at how federal agencies are strengthening their human layer of defence by investing in skills, knowledge and collaboration. You'll hear how leaders are reshaping cybersecurity as a collective effort that blends technology with trust, empowerment and informed decision-making. From leadership engagement to frontline readiness, the episode highlights practical approaches to building cyber-aware teams, improving threat response capabilities and balancing human judgment with AI-driven tools to create a smarter, more resilient defence. Corina Hernandez-Muñoz, Head, Cyber Behaviour and Culture | Enterprise Information Security (EIS), Export Development Canada For more great insights head to www.PublicSectorNetwork.co
In this week's roundup of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike is joined by First Amendment lawyer Ari Cohn. Together they discuss:Pennsylvania sues AI chatbot as state lawmakers wrestle with stricter regulations (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)Children are drawing moustaches on their faces to fool online age checks - and it's working (Euronews)The Online Safety Act: Are children safer online? (Internet Matters)Utah first state to hold websites liable for users who mask their location with VPNs — law goes into effect, designed to prevent bypassing age checks (Tom's Hardware)Three Justifications—and the AI Accelerant—of India's Digital Censorship Infrastructure (Tech Policy Press)Did School Cellphone Bans Work? New Study Finds Mixed Results.(NY Times)Support the podcast by joining our Patreon, with special founder membership available until May 28th. Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast from Techdirt and Everything in Moderation. Send us your feedback at podcast@ctrlaltspeech.com and sponsorship enquiries to sponsorship@ctrlaltspeech.com. Thanks for listening.
SUMMARY: Aaron, Terryn, and finance specialist Tabby Kler dig into one of the most practical conversations happening in business right now: where does AI actually fit, and where do you still need real people? From using Claude to build reconciliation templates in seconds to turning a departing employee's entire email archive into a searchable company resource, they walk through real use cases that are saving time and elevating teams right now. Terryn breaks down why AI is less of a replacement and more of a general contractor relationship, and Tabby gets honest about why bookkeepers are not going anywhere just yet. The message throughout is clear: AI is only as smart as what you feed it, and the smartest thing you can do is keep great people focused on what only people can do. Minute By Minute: 00:00 Introduction to Ops Experts Club 01:31 Leveraging Technology and AI in Business 03:44 Organizational Strategies with AI 07:26 Automating Repetitive Tasks 09:33 Quality Control in AI Implementations 11:48 SOPs and AI Integration 13:57 Enhancing Communication with AI 16:24 The Human Element in Finance 20:04 The Future of AI in Business
In this special edition of Trending in Education, former colleagues reunite as Mike Palmer interviews Lorin Thomas-Tavel, the CEO of BrainPOP. We explore the evolution of a major brand in EdTech and discuss how it continues to simplify complex topics for students and teachers alike. We dive into the 27-year history of BrainPOP, which began when a doctor created animated content to help young patients understand their own bodies. Today, the platform serves as a trusted companion for teachers in K-8 classrooms, focusing on sense-making during complicated times. We discuss the unique parasocial bond children and adults share with iconic characters like Tim and Moby, and why human-led storytelling continues to power the magic of the product. We also celebrate AI Literacy Day by talking about BrainPOP's work on AI literacy. Lorin explains how they partnered with Digital Promise to adopt a rigorous framework that focuses on understanding, evaluating, and using AI. We discuss why AI is an additive tool rather than a replacement for the human teacher in the classroom. The conversation touches on BrainPOP's partnership with Kirkbi, the private holding and investment arm of LEGO, and how this collaboration energizes their mission of digital play and impact. Lorin also shares leadership insights on "even over" prioritization, the 10x power of cultural fit, and her recognition as an honoree with the Power of Women at the ASU+GSV conference. Time Stamps: 00:00: Intro and a Kaplan Reunion 03:00: The History and Mission of BrainPOP 04:45: Character Pedagogy and the Power of Moby 08:50: Launching the AI Literacy Collection with Digital Promise 13:45: The Lego Partnership and Digital Play 16:45: Integrating AI While Maximizing the Human Element 19:45: ASU+GSV and the Power of Women Recognition 21:40: Career Advice on Mentorship and the Courage to Ask 23:45: Building Culture and Using Even Overs for Focus 28:30: Final Takeaways on Curiosity and Community Like, follow, and subscribe to Trending in Ed with Mike Palmer wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode like this one.
In this episode of Fraudology, Karisse Hendrick provides a comprehensive update on the shifting tides of the fraud industry, from international takedowns to the growing pains of AI-driven commerce. Karisse dives into the latest news and personal insights gathered from her network, cutting through the industry hype to provide practical realities for fraud and payments professionals.The conversation explores the evolving mechanics of Agentic AI in commerce and how the major card brands are reacting to it. Karisse provides an inside look at new protection frameworks, such as American Express's "ACE Developer Kit," and contrasts them with the current lack of "compelling evidence" provisions for AI agents at Visa and Mastercard.We also explore the "hot topics" dominating the fraud landscape today:The Scam Center Strike Force: A breakdown of recent DOJ actions against Southeast Asian criminal organizations, the seizure of $700 million in cryptocurrency, and the sobering reality of human trafficking victims trapped in these compounds.The Positive Lure Phishing Scam: Why hackers are spoofing platforms like Paperless Post and Evite to bypass traditional "fear-based" training, using our desire for community to harvest credentials and install malware.The Human Element vs. AI: Why senior fraud leadership cannot be replaced by LLMs. Karisse explains how the critical "domain expertise" and "institutional knowledge" required to manage sophisticated fraud are not found in the open-source data that powers AI.The Fraud Job Market Crisis: A candid look at the recent wave of layoffs affecting veteran fraud fighters, the trend of "pay band reductions," and strategic advice for those navigating a saturated and increasingly centralized job market.
Browns beat reporter Daryl Ruiter joins Ken Carman and Anthony Lima to evaluate the Cleveland Browns' selections of Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion. They discuss Andrew Berry's decision to trade down, the importance of player character, and potential future quarterback targets like Drew Allar. The conversation also highlights the Cavs' recent playoff struggles against the Raptors.
In this episode, Akeel Jabber interviews Sarah Jeanneault, head of marketing and strategy at ProcedureFlow, discussing the operating system behind sustainable growth. They explore the importance of visual knowledge management, the role of AI in enhancing organizational processes, and the need for leaders to adopt a proactive approach in regulated industries.Sarah shares her insights on the continuous journey of AI integration, the significance of a growth mindset, and the human element in leadership. The conversation also touches on the differences between scaling efficiently and responsibly, and how creativity can be fostered through AI.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro01:29 - Understanding Visual Knowledge Management03:04 - The Role of AI in Knowledge Management06:06 - Proactive Leadership in Regulated Industries08:11 - The Continuous Journey of AI Integration09:33 - Embracing a Growth Mindset with AI13:14 - Leadership Lessons from Experience17:15 - The Human Element in AI Integration18:31 - Identifying Risks and Making Adjustments20:30 - Scaling Efficiently vs. Responsibly22:42 - Fostering Creativity with AI24:34 - Rapid Fire Questions and Personal InsightsGet in Touch with Sarah:Procedureflow WebsiteSarah's LinkedInMentions:Armchair Expert with Dax ShepardLisa BrodieBooks:The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Bem HorowitzTag Us & Follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company
Exploring the future of AI in customer service, the role of agents, and how technology is transforming contact centers.AI in customer serviceThe role of human agents vs. botsGenerative AI and workflow orchestrationImplications for contact center staffingFuture trends in AI and automation00:00 Introduction and Guest Credibility01:04 The Reality of AI Agents Today01:43 AI as a Smart Assistant in Customer Calls02:35 Agent Interaction and Human Oversight03:34 Issuing Credits and Automation in Calls04:56 Differences from Past AI Systems05:24 Generative AI and Workflow Orchestration06:38 Automating Routine Tasks with API Calls07:21 Focusing on Customer Conversations08:30 The Future Role of Human Agents09:18 The Next Generation of AI in Customer Support09:58 Scaling AI and Multiple Conversations10:57 Supervising Bots and AI Agents11:51 AI in Escalations and Approvals12:30 The Impact on Contact Center Staffing13:25 New Entrants and Innovation in AI14:30 Channels and Self-Service in the Future15:22 Transitioning from Live Agents to Digital Support15:53 Industry Trends and CFO Expectations16:14 Implications for Workforce and Business Models17:08 The Economics of AI and Customer Support18:28 Preparing for the AI-Driven Contact Center19:35 Historical Context and Future Predictions20:15 Limitations and Realities of AI Adoption21:09 Customer Behavior and AI Impact22:04 Self-Service and Customer Expectations22:50 The Extent of AI Automation23:17 The Role of Technology in Customer Support24:43 Amazon's Approach to Automation25:36 Limitations of Current AI Models26:36 Decision-Making Boundaries for AI27:04 The Human Element in AI-Driven Support28:15 Closing Remarks and Future Outlook
Summary In this insightful interview, Wendy Vestevich shares her expertise on AI adoption, change management, and the operational and reputational impacts of technology rollouts. Discover practical strategies for fostering human-centric AI integration and overcoming adoption challenges across organizational levels. Keywords AI adoption, change management, operational impact, organizational change, human-centric AI, technology rollout, frontline workers, leadership, AI challenges, digital transformation Key topics Operational consequences of AI adoption failure Reputational impact of technology rollouts Change management strategies for AI Frontline worker engagement and incentives Measuring AI adoption success Chapters 00:00 Introduction to AI Adoption Challenges 02:49 The Impact of Reputation on Technology Rollouts 05:44 Understanding User Perspectives on AI Technology 09:03 Differentiating Adoption Metrics for Leadership and Frontline Workers 11:51 Navigating Job Security Concerns in AI Adoption 14:54 Measuring AI Adoption Success Across Different Roles 17:58 The Shift in Roles and Responsibilities with AI 20:54 Coping with Change: The Human Element in AI Integration 24:09 Reframing AI as a Tool for Empowerment 27:05 The Future of Work in an AI-Driven World 28:31 Rethinking Outcomes in the Age of AI 29:49 The Role of Humans: From Creators to Curators 31:24 AI's Impact on Frontline Workers 34:43 Challenges in Implementing AI in Field Service 38:21 User Experience in the Era of AI 40:57 The Human Element in Customer Service 46:32 Advice for Successful AI Adoption Wendy Vestevich LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyvestevich/
In this episode of Timeout with Leaders, hosts Kevyn and Tyler sit down with Andrew Wilder, the Chief Security Officer at Vetcor. With over 18 years of experience at a global giant like Nestlé, Andrew shares his journey of transitioning from a high-pressure corporate environment to a leadership role that prioritizes family and human connection. The conversation dives deep into: Modern Leadership: Why Andrew shifted from being a "technical manager" to an empowering leader who embraces failure and "crazy ideas." The Human Element in Tech: A candid discussion on the impact of AI, the importance of "presence" in a digital world, and why the next generation should consider both high-tech and skilled trades. Life Lessons: Andrew shares the powerful impact of the poem "A Father's Lament" and how it reshaped his relationship with his children. Cybersecurity & Boards: Practical advice for new CSOs on how to present effectively to boards using the "noses in, fingers out" philosophy.
In this episode of the Sunlight Tax podcast, I share how solo business owners can set up or tune up their businesses to create legal protection, stay compliant with taxes, and actually feel at ease. I walk through what makes a business “official” in the eyes of the IRS and break it down in a simple, practical way.I'm also introducing an upcoming workshop called “Set-up or tune up your business” designed to help you get your business organized and set up the right way.Also mentioned in today's episode:00:00 Embracing the Human Element in Teaching03:11 Navigating Business Setup and Legal Essentials05:48 Understanding Tax Obligations and Business ProtectionsIf you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share it! Every review makes a difference by telling Apple or Spotify to show the Sunlight Tax podcast to new audiences.Links:Sign up for the Setting Up (or Tuning Up) Your Business WorkshopGet my Tax Help on Substack.Get your FREE visual guide to tax deductionsOrder my book: Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You're Self-Employed Get full access to Taxes For Humans at sunlighttax.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode of Predictable B2B Growth, Javier sits down with sales leader and advisor Michael Muhlfelder to unpack what's really breaking modern revenue teams.They dive into why AI and automation are accelerating bad sales processes instead of fixing them, and why most teams are still missing the fundamentals—especially when it comes to qualification, signal detection, and true buyer understanding.Michael shares hard-earned lessons from decades in sales leadership, including the concept of moving from “pain” to “untenable” moments in buying decisions, why experience still matters in an AI-driven world, and how companies are unknowingly creating churn by ignoring customer signals.This is a straight talk conversation about getting back to what actually drives revenue: strong process, human connection, and disciplined execution—before layering in technology.Key TopicsThe evolution of sales from manual to automated processesThe importance of experience over age in leadershipDistinguishing between speed and process problems in AI adoptionThe role of signals in customer retention and churnThe significance of human-to-human connection in salesChapters00:00 Introduction to Sales Methodology03:34 Michael's Sales Journey06:45 The Concept of Sales as a Service09:30 Navigating the Chaos of Sales12:36 AI's Impact on Sales Processes15:34 The Importance of Qualification in Sales18:33 Reconnecting with the Human Element in Sales21:37 Understanding Pain Points and Financial Implications24:35 The Role of Senior Executives in Sales27:37 Closing Thoughts on Sales and Marketing Alignment27:56 Aligning Marketing and Sales for Revenue Success30:41 The Importance of Focus in Business32:39 The Role of AI in Customer Experience39:29 Understanding Customer Signals to Prevent Churn42:40 The Value of Experience in Business Leadership52:33 The Human Element in AI and BusinessResourcesThree Takes on AI Podcast - https://www.threetakesonai.com/podcastCalm Oceans Sales - https://calmoceansales.comMichael Muhlfelder on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/michaelmuhlfelderSend us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Predictable B2B Growth.Want predictable pipeline (not random acts of marketing)? Run the Predictable Pipeline Diagnostic (15 min): https://boldermediasolutions.com/pipeline Subscribe to the newsletter: https://boldermediasolutions.com/newsletter Book a strategy call: https://boldermediasolutions.com/strategyMore episodes + show notes: https://boldermediasolutions.com/podcastConnect with Javier:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierlozanojr/ Website: https://boldermediasolutions.comIf the show helps, follow + leave a rating/review.
2 hours and 54 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. 1. Spring Game - Offense Starts at 0:51 Seth has a hypothesis that you can define running backs by the sound you involuntarily make when they carry the ball. You can practice this in the shower. Ohio State had a high scoring spring game, also a lot of rain. Bryce's play was concerning. He didn't look comfortable in the pocket and scrambled a lot. The defense wasn't allowed to do anything fancy or blitzed, they mostly played in a Cover-2. That said, not ever having the starting offensive line together does not help the quarterback. Tommy Carr was able to sit there and do some three step drop stuff, which are throws that Underwood didn't throw. He doesn't have the arm strength but he was making better decisions. Who would you compare him to, Tate Forcier? Dylan McCaffrey? Alex Smith? Did Michigan lose a year of Bryce Underwood's development? Kyle Whittingham has a track record of developing good running quarterbacks, so maybe what we saw in the spring game was not super relevant. Maybe Bryce is like a freshman Cam Newton or redshirt Freshman Vince Young. Even if they don't have a great passing game they can still run a good offense with the running tools they have. Some of the scrambling may have been a result of pass rush and playing against Cover-2. Poor Jordan Marshall getting ruled down after four yards. Savion Hiter is absolutely going to be the real deal. It was an up and down game from the wide receivers but they also didn't get many opportunities. There has never been an elite wide receiver who has worn #3 at Michigan. Browder had a ball bounce off his face mask but then got a nice catch later. Hogan Hansen has barely been able to play football for the last year and a half. The gang argues over fullback snap counts. Guys getting wrecked against defensive tackles is fine because we want to see progress from the defensive tackles (in the spring game). 2. Spring Game - Defense Starts at 43:54 It was generally encouraging that the defensive line beat up the offensive line. Sprague lost to Edokpayi a couple times. Cam Brandt beat Frazier at one point. Nate Staehling hasn't been available at all so there's still some hope that he'll be really good when he arrives. All the linebackers are defensive backs right now. Palepale really stood out. Benny Patterson was a defensive end to keep an eye on. What did we see from the linebackers? Uhhhhhh. Taylor Tatum might be a real safety? Corner has four names for three spots which is a good spot to be in. A kicker missed a 29 yard field goal, they should've faked a field goal for the game winning touchdown since they weren't trying to block kicks. 3. Hot Takes and Basketball/Hockey Portal Starts at 1:06:36 Takes hotter than the Kitchener Rangers GM after the Michigan hockey team stole from them. The portal has been slow enough to include both basketball and hockey. The roof of Yost fell off to conserve the vibes of the roster. Perron remains the only question mark. They're also about to get the top two picks out of the CHL. The roster is pretty much done, they don't even need to go to the portal. This team should be the #1 team in the pre-season poll next year. Michigan men's basketball turns its attention to Cincinnatti center Moustapha Thiam. A 7'2" rim defender who could replace a likely Mara departure. Apparently there is a situation with a handler from Senegal. It's looking more like Mara is gone and Morez is back. Is there a chance Mara returns? Probably not, but he needs to make a decision. Brian doesn't want to throw the whole bag at Juke Harris. Overall it's been quiet and they need to start making some moves. 4. Gimmicky Top Five Moments of Basketball Season Starts at 1:48:33 Everyone's top five moments of basketball season, plus Seth's 74 honorable mentions. Elliott Cadeau going 2-15 and controlling the Arizona game, undefeated on the road, and Dusty sitting in front of the Michigan State bench. They didn't just boat race those teams in Vegas but they broke the point system. Oscar Goodman thunder dunks. Scooping up confetti is like the fan version of raising a banner. Jeremy Fears kicking a Minnesota guy in the balls signified that it was not just a Michigan thing. Then Izzo fouling Michigan for ten minutes and complaining about Michigan getting more free throws. The Arizona win stamps this season as "one of the best teams of the last 25 years." You can just sit on a couch in a certain way and piss off Michigan State fans now. McKenney's mid-range jumpers in Breslin were the coldest mid-range jumpers ever. What have been your favorite tournament blowouts? Michigan's mascot should be Mitch McGary in an oversized Mitch McGary suit. MUSIC: "Spring Game"—Biz Markie "Going Shopping"—The Srokes "Baby Steps"—Olivia Dean “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra
This was my twelfth RSA Conference. I know that because I remember the first one, 2012, and I've been counting ever since — not out of habit, but because each year feels like a chapter in a longer story I'm trying to read in real time. Twelve years of standing in that same building in San Francisco, watching an industry evolve, stumble, reinvent itself, and occasionally look in the mirror. In the early years it was pure technology. Cryptography, protocols, threat vectors, the architecture of defense. The conversations were technical, the energy was almost academic, the suits were slightly more formal. Then something shifted — gradually, then all at once, the way things usually do. The industry started talking about people. About culture. About the human beings sitting behind the keyboards and the very human mistakes they were making. The themes started reflecting it: community, togetherness, collective defense. Stronger Together. The Human Element. The Power of Community. Year after year, the message from the main stage was some variation of: we are more than our tools. People are what matter. Connection is the point. And then you'd walk the expo floor and see the booths. I'm not being cynical. The community is real — I've felt it, in the hallway conversations, in the side events, in the faces of people I've been running into for a decade who are genuinely trying to make the digital world safer. That part is true and it matters. But there's a growing gap between what the theme says and what the stage performs. And at RSAC 2026, that gap became impossible to ignore. Because this year, while the badge said The Power of Community, the keynotes were almost entirely about agents. Non-human ones. I wrote about this from a different angle in my first piece from RSAC — the Blade Runner angle, the NPC angle, the question of identity and intent when you can no longer tell the difference between a human action and an autonomous one. But there's another layer underneath that deserves its own space. It's the pattern. The twelve-year arc. An industry spends years — genuinely, sincerely — rediscovering the human element. Putting people at the center. Building a vocabulary around community, ethics, shared responsibility. And then, in what feels like a single conference cycle, it pivots to deploying a parallel workforce of non-human identities that outnumber us in our own systems, operate at speeds no human can follow, take actions no human directly authorized, and — here's the part that should make everyone pause — that a significant portion of organizations deploying them cannot monitor, cannot fully distinguish from human activity, and in many cases cannot stop once they're running. We built the community. Then we populated it with agents and handed them the keys. I kept thinking, walking those corridors, about the resistance. Not as a metaphor — or not only as a metaphor. In every story we've ever told about machines that gained too much autonomy, there's always a moment before the crisis where someone in the room knew. Where the warning existed. Where the design decision was made anyway because the pressure to ship, to scale, to compete was stronger than the instinct to pause. The difference between those stories and this moment is that we're not watching it happen to fictional characters. We're the ones making the design decisions. And unlike software — which you can patch, roll back, update at 3am while everyone is asleep — agents with autonomy and access are a different category of thing entirely. The old mantra of move fast and break things made a certain kind of sense when what you were breaking was a feature. It makes no sense at all when what you're deploying can act, chain consequences, and escalate — faster than any human response team can follow. This is where Asimov becomes relevant again. Not as nostalgia, not as science fiction trivia, but as a genuine design philosophy that the industry would do well to remember. His Three Laws of Robotics weren't invented as a plot device. They were a thought experiment in ethics-by-architecture — what does it look like to build the values into the system before the system runs, rather than hoping to correct the values after something goes wrong? He spent decades of stories showing that even the most carefully designed ethical constraints produce edge cases, contradictions, unintended consequences. But the point was never that ethics-by-design is perfect. The point was that without it, you don't have a fighting chance. We are, right now, at the moment before the laws get written. Some people at RSAC were saying this clearly — not from the main stage, but in the rooms and conversations where the more honest thinking tends to happen. The guardrails exist. The frameworks are being built. But they're being built while the deployment is already running, while the agents are already in the systems, while the governance structures are catching up to a reality that moved faster than the institutional response. That gap is the real story of RSAC 2026. Not the products. Not the keynote soundbites. The gap between the speed of deployment and the maturity of the thinking around what we're actually deploying. The community theme was right, actually — just not in the way the branding intended. The most important community at RSAC 2026 wasn't on the main stage. It was the quieter one: the engineers, researchers, practitioners, and security leaders who understand that we are at an inflection point, and that the decisions made in the next few years about how to design, govern, and constrain autonomous systems will matter far beyond the conference floor in San Francisco. Utopia and dystopia are not predetermined destinations. They're design outcomes. We still get to choose the architecture. But the window for making that choice thoughtfully — rather than reactively, in the middle of a crisis that moved faster than our guardrails — is not as wide as we might like to think. Asimov knew that. He wrote the laws before the robots ran. Maybe it's time we did the same. Stay imperfect, stay human. — Marco Let's keep exploring what it means to be human in this Hybrid Analog Digital Age. End of transmission. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hour and 58 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. 1. Hockey - Recapping the Frozen Four Starts at 0:51 We gotta talk about the hockey tournament. The fake hockey tournament. Whether they won or lost, it doesn't change anything about who this team was. Michigan played well enough to win, but one shot in nine minutes ended it. Almost every year it's not the best team that wins, it's usually Duluth or Denver. Denver is like the UConn men's basketball of hockey. There's no emotional story to apply your fandom to when it's just randomness. Denver's lack of penalties that were objectively bad no-calls just doesn't make it feel fair, especially the way they called Michigan's penalty in OT. even Alex and David think it was egregious, the players that poured their hearts into this deserve better. There is something wrong with this tournament, there would be a lot more respect for Buccigross if he would say something along those lines. There's not something wrong with Michigan, there's something wrong with the tournament. Imagine if in basketball they just stopped calling fouls in OT. 2. Hockey - Looking Ahead Starts at 27:50 Moldenhauer and Hage have announced returns. Apparently players have been informed to avoid the AHL if they can, college is a lot more enjoyable. Jack Nesbitt is the 12th overall pick and could be coming in, he's a TJ Hughes replacement. He's in the OHL playoffs and might not make a decision right away. Cameron Reid could also be coming in from the OHL, 21st overall to Nashville. Perron is the biggest one on the fence, if you get him then all your holes are plugged. JP Hurlbert is coming in regardless but he might wait a year to contribute. Nick Seaman is coming in as a 4th liner, Cooper Dennis might get deferred (and is Alex Drain sized). A lot of teams will be better next season, but Penn State had Gavin McKenna and weren't that great. Michigan State isn't missing a beat. There are a lot more, and better, options than just going to the NHL these days. They should be a pre-season top three, or maybe even top one. 3. Hot Takes and Basketball Portal Starts at 59:16 Takes hotter than the Denver Pioneers. The Red Wings need to make David Carle their head coach so they can win while being out-shot 2:1. This information might be outdated by the time you hear it! What is happening in the portal right now? Not much. Michigan gets JP Estrella out of Tennessee. He's a high efficiency but low usage player which is weird. He's a moneyball play vs getting Flory Bidunga. Otherwise there's not a lot of chatter. We're starting to expect Morez Johnson to return. Michigan needs a true rim protecting center and could probably also use a starting three. Juke Harris is worth going after but not worth the big bag, give that to the Seton Hall center, Najai Hines. Freshman Brandon McCoy went to a camp and looks like a guy you could have for 20 minutes a game. There's a trust of Dusty in the portal that the fanbase didn't have with Juwan. The Big Ten runs college basketball now. How would Beilein have done during this era? 4. Spring Game Preview Starts at 1:38:41 Spring Game is this weekend at 2pm, 12-18 starters will be sitting out. Bryce will probably play since they don't have enough quarterbacks, we better see Savion Hiter. Position groups are going to be split into balanced squads rather than have a draft, making it more like a controlled practice than a real game. In years past it was frustrating to see future NFL linemen with a walk-on running back behind them, you can't learn much from that. We expect to see a more evolved version of the offense with more quarterback runs. There is Travis Johnson buzz at wide receiver. Brian doesn't want to hear about Kendrick Bell. Hogan Hanson is generating excitement and the offensive line has intriguing positional battles. Evan Link is back and might play, Babalola is not playing yet. Whittingham is good at running the quarterback, it won't be the 2011 offense but it should be effective. The coaches apparently like the depth on the defensive line and think it's the strength of the team, which, ehhhh. Brian breaks down why this is not true. They trust Palepale. Do you prefer EDGE or ED? Linebacker depth is a concern, they don't really have anyone to back up the three main guys. The secondary should be settled in. Shamari Earls is making a move at corner. Who's at nickel now? If Rod Moore isn't on the field in the spring game then enjoy a nice coaching career. Kerry Coombs brings a lot of old guy energy and gets mic'd up a lot. Jay Hill is like the mormon kid from South Park. Don't blame us if it rains. MUSIC: "I Root"—Michael Nau "Sitting Still"—Michael Rault "Sails Across the Sea"—Boz Metzdorf “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra
In today's fast-paced world, both podcast guests and hosts are competing to gain more attention and traction for their brands, regardless of their nature. It seems that to win, we have to do more and more. But that couldn't be further from the truth of what helps you stand out. In this episode, Tom Rossi and Alex Sanfilippo explain how they've both built podcasting businesses by doing something that's different than the norm and how it's caused them both to stand out. Get ready to get more results faster, without doing more!MORE FROM THIS EPISODE: HTTPS://PODMATCH.COM/EP/379Chapters00:00 The Journey of Podcasting and Branding05:14 Building a Brand on a Solid Foundation10:41 Staying Focused and In Your Lane14:47 Providing Clarity in Your Message17:43 Being Bold and Unapologetic22:34 Taking Care of Your Audience23:04 The Human Element in Podcasting27:04 Consistency and Self-Discipline31:27 Understanding Your Audience35:08 Innovating and Implementing39:29 The Importance of Humility and Giving BackTakeawaysEveryone is trying to create a brand today.The podcasting space is noisy and competitive.Building a brand requires authenticity and clarity.Staying focused on your core mission is crucial.Value is key in content creation and branding.Being bold can set you apart from the competition.Clarity in messaging leads to better audience engagement.Taking care of your audience fosters loyalty.Success leaves clues, but find your unique path.Your brand should reflect who you truly are. When numbers start flowing, remember the people you're serving.Getting obsessed with numbers can lead to losing sight of your mission.Out-serving competitors is a key strategy for success.Knowing your audience helps in delivering better service.Consistency and self-discipline are crucial for long-term success.Recognizing who your audience is makes it easier to serve them.Avoid following every trend; focus on what works for your audience.Innovate continuously and don't wait for perfection to release content.Giving back should start from day one, not when you achieve success.Humility is essential in recognizing the contributions of others to your success.MORE FROM THIS EPISODE: HTTPS://PODMATCH.COM/EP/379
AI is changing copywriting—but not in the way most people think. In this episode, John Jantsch talks with Jon Benson about how AI copywriting tools can strengthen persuasion, improve brand voice alignment, and help marketers test hundreds of campaign variations faster than ever before. They explore the legacy of the video sales letter (VSL), the risks of generic AI-generated content, and why ethical persuasion still matters in modern marketing strategy. Learn how to use AI for copywriting effectively while keeping your message human, authentic, and conversion-focused. Today we discussed: 00:00 VSL Origins and Health Story 05:53 Why VSLs Still Work Today 08:31 AI and the Importance of your Voice 12:12 AI and the Human Element 14:30 Scaling AI Copy the Right Way 16:01 AI Guardrails and Brand Voice 17:40 Common AI Copy Mistakes Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today!
2 hours and 9 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. 1. Just Won a Natty/Indianapolis Vibes Starts at 0:51 No crying this time, but we do think we can have nice things now. You get out of it what you put into it; the UMHoops guys are probably experiencing the highest of highs. The 2023 football championship was a thing no other fanbase has experienced; this is what a normal natty feels like. Some of us survived the 2023-24 team. The story begins with the Ellerbe years, the Beilein era absolutely helped build this. Don't resent the Fab Five, but they unfairly had to represent what Michigan could be. Reconsidering the Juwan era, the heart condition, how badly he needed a GM. Beilein was spiritually (and literally) present for this team; loudest the stadium got before Michigan hit a three was when they showed him. Very unselfish team. Built through the portal—Cronin was never going to be a good fit for Mara, Rez wasn't going to have a role after Illinois got the other Ivisic, Cadeau was struggling in a bad system at UNC, Yaxel used the portal to get here from JUCO via UAB, Roddy Gayle was the national glue guy of the year, Nimari was here three years through two coaching changes, and Will Tschetter was a five-year player who took a smaller role: nobody can make a good faith argument that any of these guys don't belong here. [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 2. The UConn Game Starts at 27:50 Takes hotter than the rims during the final last night. Story of the game was UConn fouling the crap out of Michigan from literally the tip. Miss the first Cadeau and-one, then hit 24 free throws in a row to offset the terrible threes, until Roddy missed his pair. Snakebit shooting because Rez/Mara/Yax kept getting mismatches down low, but Michigan was able to play their bigs together, and that just made it impossible for UConn to score. Felt like Lendeborg was himself on defense; offensively he was obviously hobbled. Their communication was fantastic, and there weren't mismatches for UConn to hunt. A time or two they got Mara versus Karaban on the perimeter or something, but they didn't get backcut once. Tarris was basically shut down by Mara. Only thing they got were those ORebs, which were hat tips to them and also related to Michigan taking way the three. Next year Trey McKenney; graded on a curve he made 2 of Michigan's three jumpers, including the dagger. The Rube Goldberg three. Cadeau vs the Cadeau we thought we were getting. 3. How this Team Came Together Starts at 59:16 Revisiting how the roster came together, May's eye for talent, because every guy he got at FAU wound up a star somewhere. You can't actually build from the portal; if that's the lesson they're taking from this team they're going to get lit up. Cadeau cleaned up the TOs (but still commits them at the end of the game his banana peel). On the human to athlete personality spectrum, Mara is a normal human being, who never should have been paired with Cronin—all little guys who play basketball are born killers because you have to be, but it's common for bigs to be like that. Mara was the best player; he developed into a beast by the end of the year. Transfer teams: if you look at the rest of the top ten four didn't make the Tournament; Michigan was the only protected seed that took a lot of transfers. St. John's and Louisville were the others. Once you're been at a school a year you're not a transfer anymore. Cig vs May: Cignetti relied more on his JMU transfers. It's especially hard to recreate what Michigan did defensively, because at the end these guys won a title by doing the best job of anybody of playing with each other. Introducing the Bobby Hurley Index: How many photos do you look like Jim Carrey in The Mask? 4. Next Year Starts at 1:38:41 Are they looking at the portal list or the list of guys projected to the late 1st/early 2nd round? Mara and Rez are probably done—small chance they get Rez back. Cason going to redshirt. Gayle, Burnett, Yaxel are out of eligibility. Cadeau and McKinney: best backcourt in the country next year? McCoy is Charles Matthews-ish, going to be a major defensive presence; if you get two years out of him he's a big get but he doesn't have a deep shot, might be freshman Darius Morris or what we wanted Rubin Jones (PG who can guard 1-4) to be. Recruited lots of SFs: Grady? Liburd? Brown? All going to be 6'5" gumby-armed switchable guards. Backup PG: can McCoy or McKenney can play point for 10 mpg. Do they have a wing? Want that guy to be switchable; Seth thinks they're going to have a big war chest to find an NBA four who can play the three in addition to two bigs. Goodman will be next year's Tschetter. Need three portal bigs. Is Dusty May the #1 coach you would want to have if you were looking for one right now? UNC search was Tommy Lloyd and Dusty May right? MUSIC: "La Di Da"—Heavy Weighs the King "Don't Be Mad"—PiranhaMob "Up and Away"—Cursive “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra
2 hours and 3 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. 1. Final Four vs Arizona Starts at 0:51 Dave has a new nickname. Was this game... a let down? You could have maybe predicted that Arizona would struggle to score based on their over-reliance on twos. You probably could not have predicted that Michigan would put up over 90 points without Yaxel. Arizona was extremely physical which resulted in foul trouble, but when they got away with it they could score. Michigan forced Arizona into an ungodly number of two point jumpers off the dribble. They were 10-of-32 from mid-range. Arizona missing a dunk felt like the dagger. Michigan's maturity showed, they didn't seem blinded by the lights of the big stage. Elliott Cadeau had the greatest 2-of-14 half of basketball. Yaxel goes out the first time because of foul trouble and Arizona couldn't be more physical than Michigan's guards. Arizona has one way of playing that nobody else could stop, except for Michigan, and Arizona didn't know how to react. When shooting was tough, Trey McKenney stepped up. 16 points on 6-9 shooting, he has changed how we feel about mid-range shooting. [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 2. Hot Takes and National Championship Preview - UConn Starts at 33:42 Takes hotter than ADAY MARA. Connecticut is #9 in Kenpom which feels like a relief, but they do have weird tournament joujou. That's better than having to play Duke at least. Michigan vs Tarris Reed for a national championship is crazy. Tarris has matured into a hoss and is their center, his backup, Eric Reibe, is a freshman and a drop-off but still a good player. They don't really play a second big. Alex Karaban is their second biggest player and he's been around college basketball for forever but he's a big wing. This is a game where Tschetter can play. Michigan can play two bigs and put one of them on Karaban but it might only be for 15-20 minutes of the game. Should Michigan make this into a shooting fest and maximize possessions? Tarris Reed is very difficult to ware out. Braylon Mullens is a freshman 6-6 195 lbs wing that Michigan can overwhelm. Silas Demery is a transfer from Georgia, the point guard, top 25 assist rate, top 100 steal rate. Gets to the line a ton, not that great from two. Solo Ball takes most of his shots from outside of the arc, he has also been seen wearing a boot. Expect UConn to show a lot of different coverages. How much Yaxel will we get? Expect it to be a Blake Corum vs Ohio State situation. He came to Michigan to play in this game so you gotta feel for him if he can't play much. UConn's biggest advantages are blocking two point shots and assists, which Michigan should be able to take advantage of. Their path to victory is to replicate what Purdue did in the Big Ten Championship game. Once again, the difference in this game will be Aday Mara. No Paul Szelc won't be officiating this game! ADDENDUM - Solo Ball was reported as being in a boot while this was recorded. If he's not able to play that is a huge drop-off. Even if he plays he's not going to be 100%, much like Yaxel. 3. Hot Takes and Gimmicky Top Five Commercial Takes Starts at 1:20:48 You know AI companies are running out of money because they can't even get Snoop Dogg on their commercials. Charles Barkley will say anything. Has Jennifer Garner acted in anything besides Capital One commercials in the last decade? AT&T did predict the Michigan Tennessee game. Are they putting the cocaine back in Coke? Tall Boozer looks like a normal Boozer, small Boozer looks like an AI recreation of a Boozer. 4. Potpourri: WBB, Hockey, and Football Bits Starts at 1:34:22 Women's basketball was dumptrucked, but at least we now can empathize with all the teams that played MBB. The game has gotten two chalky; it's the same four one-seeds, repeats of the same games. Is there a ceiling on this team, unless they suddenly double the money they put into it? David's hockey takes: Denver is not like or MSU who's going to take the puck off your stick, and those are the teams that Michigan struggles with. He likes Michigan with four lines and snipers versus a smaller goalie—shot quality game. Brian hates that it's Denver in the tournament. Is there a team that's looked better than Michigan in the Playoff? Wisconsin-NoDak is a pick 'em but matchup-wise Wisconsin would rather be playing Michigan. North Dakota got walked to the Frozen Four. If we lose Seth has to wear Denver jersey to the podcast. Football bits: We're in the ping-pong table removal phase. It's okay that Underwood's throwing interceptions, because he's trying them. Non-insane QB run approach. Next QB is Carr. Hiter hype continues, Salesi Moa is popping. Eli Owens fullback talk. Brian doesn't buy the talk of Babalola starting when he's been hurt, but Sprague at RG can only mean that because Frazier is securing a spot. Defensively the DT situation is good on Palepale and not good that Lea'ea is "smart" vs "much larger." Seth loves the Edokpayi talk, Benny Patterson is a Mike-Mo. Kind of a good sign the three young LBs are getting a lot of talk (albeit with a simplification). Good sign that Bracy is getting talked up for his coverage. MUSIC: "The Wino I Know"—Jimmy Buffett "Ruby"—White Denim "Long Weekend"—Cut Worms “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra
Industrial Talk is onsite at MD&M West and talking to Alfonso Aramburo, Master of Ops about "Strategies for manufacturing optimization". The conversation revolves around the Industrial Talk podcast, sponsored by MD&M West and News and Brews, highlighting innovations in the manufacturing industry. Scott Mackenzie interviews Alfonso Aramburo, a manufacturing expert with 17 years of experience, about his role as a "Master of Ops." Alfonso discusses common challenges in manufacturing, such as operational readiness for business development projects and the importance of process mapping to streamline operations. He emphasizes the need for companies to address inefficiencies and improve workforce development. Alfonso also mentions his book on cultural change and the reluctance of employees to adopt new processes. Contact information for Alfonso is provided for further insights. Outline Introduction to Industrial Talk Podcast Scott introduces the episode of Industrial Talk, sponsored by MD&M West and the News and Brews team.Scott thanks listeners for their support and celebrates industry professionals solving daily problems.The event, MD&M West, is taking place in Anaheim, California, and is brought to you by Informa. Discussion on Business Cards and Personal Backgrounds Scott and Alfonso discuss the design and content of Alfonso's business card, highlighting the term "Master of Ops."Scott shares a humorous anecdote about his own experience with designing graphics for podcasts.Alfonso mentions his 17 years of experience in manufacturing, starting as a manufacturing engineer in Mexico and later in Germany.Alfonso explains his journey from managing projects and people to realizing the common problems faced by companies. Challenges in Manufacturing and the Role of Master of Ops Alfonso discusses the common problems faced by companies, such as lack of training and technical skills, and the need for process mapping.Scott and Alfonso talk about the importance of being prepared for business development projects and the challenges of operations not being ready.Alfonso emphasizes the need for companies to streamline their processes and map every step to avoid delays.Scott shares his experience with process mapping and the importance of removing inefficiencies. The Human Element in Manufacturing Improvements Scott and Alfonso discuss the challenges of implementing changes and the human element in manufacturing improvements.Alfonso mentions his book on cultural change and the reluctance of employees to adopt new processes.Scott shares his experience with data conversion and the challenges of getting employees to adopt new systems.Alfonso highlights the importance of listening to employees and involving them in the process mapping and improvement efforts. Final Thoughts and Contact Information Scott and Alfonso discuss the importance of mapping processes and the benefits of doing so.Alfonso shares his contact information and encourages listeners to reach out to him for manufacturing insights.Scott thanks Alfonso for being on the podcast and encourages listeners to connect with him.The episode concludes with a reminder to put MD&M West on the calendar for next year and to visit the Industrial Talk website for more information. If interested in being on the Industrial Talk show, simply contact us and let's have a quick conversation. Finally, get your exclusive free access to the Industrial Academy and a series on “Why You Need To Podcast” for Greater Success in 2026. All links designed for keeping you current in this rapidly changing Industrial Market. Learn! Grow! Enjoy! ALFONSO ARAMBURO'S CONTACT INFORMATION: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfonsoaramburo/ PODCAST VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ccw4I0300SU THE STRATEGIC REASON "WHY YOU NEED TO PODCAST": OTHER GREAT INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES: NEOM: https://www.neom.com/en-us Hexagon: https://hexagon.com/ Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/ Fictiv: https://www.fictiv.com/ Hitachi Vantara: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.html Industrial Marketing Solutions: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-marketing/ Industrial Academy: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-academy/ Industrial Dojo: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial_dojo/ We the 15: https://www.wethe15.org/ YOUR INDUSTRIAL DIGITAL TOOLBOX: LifterLMS: Get One Month Free for $1 – https://lifterlms.com/ Active Campaign: Active Campaign Link Social Jukebox: https://www.socialjukebox.com/ Industrial Academy (One Month Free Access And One Free License For Future Industrial Leader): Business Beatitude the Book Do you desire a more joy-filled, deeply-enduring sense of accomplishment and success? Live your business the way you want to live with the BUSINESS BEATITUDES...The Bridge connecting sacrifice to success. YOU NEED THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES! TAP INTO YOUR INDUSTRIAL SOUL, RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW! BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. DARE GREATLY AND CHANGE THE WORLD. GET THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES! Reserve My Copy and My 25% Discount
1 hour and 56 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. 1. Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight Review Starts at 0:51 Almost a stress-free weekend. Michigan overwhelms a pair of top SEC teams that couldn't be any more different from each other. Brian credited March Roddy a little, Alabama preview a lot, as they got worn out. Labaran Philon was a hero: 39 minutes, 35 points, kept them in it. They didn't have bigs; they had one Morez Johnson-like object who got worn out. Wrightsell was hitting tough threes early but as he exhausted they were falling shorter and shorter until airball. 1st round picks Amari Allen and Nate Ament are freshmen not highly valuable college players, like Diabate, and can't get anything vs Michigan's size. Lendeborg is nailing threes since Dukes started going under screens; they're practice jumpers...against top-25 teams. Tennessee very different game: ball sitting on the floor for a minute and Lappas is so confused (how does he have this job??). Officials call bad foul on Mara then have to call everything; they get three incidents of goaltending or cylinder violations and went 0/3. Gillespie couldn't be Labaran Philon and that was it. Brief spasm of irritation when Vols are getting ORebs and Mara gets a 2nd foul, then 21 balanced points; it's over when JP Estrella tries to thunderdunk on Tschetter. Everyone was complementing Yaxel. Happy when Trey McKenney shoots a three. Salute to these seniors. [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 2. Final Four Preview Starts at 33:00 Meta game: Everyone is at the rim now because there's a much higher floor so you aren't (like Beilein) subject to the triple gods. Arizona is a lot like Michigan but they're even more extreme, and their jumpers are usually twos. When they do get a three (rarely) Bradley and Burries can knock them down. Concern is whether they can bully Mara; NBA people will be watching his battle with Krivas, defensive impact is understated because he's a mountain you can't move. Lost to Kansas because KU was able to muscle up and push them away from the rim. Everyone packs the paint against them; if you can actually push them away from the rim they're in the 100s in 2PT distance and they're not good at 2PJs, especially Koa Peat (34% on 130 attempts). Also: Jaden Bradley (46% on 157), Ivan Karchenkov (42% on 62), and Brayden Burries (46% on 92). Difference: Arizona has three freshmen, Michigan has one, and Michigan's three-big lineup can probably make Peat inefficient to be just enough. Burries is McKenney. Game of the century? Illinois we know; they're huge and they shoot, and they play the wrong Ivisic. Alex pulled off one of the great jinxes to get UConn over the line. Tarris Reed's final form is the switchable five who is a monster shot blocker and scorer, could be major trouble defensively for Michigan because they don't have to go under screens, takes away Yaxel's threes. The rest of those guys though? Karaban is a 6'8 version of Nimari Burnett, have some shooting guards in Braylon Mullins and Solo Ball; Solo has gone full sophomore THJ from the arc; he can't hit one in the Tournament. Silas Demary was injured to start the Dance but is a wonderful creator. Illinois question: Andrej Sotjakovic is going OFF! Is that because he found something or because he can take advantage of space as a driver against unathletic teams like Iowa? 3. Hockey Starts at 1:11:12 Bentley game: didn't dominate them but once they got the free goal (Brian was even a little upset) at the end of the 1st period; the only way Bentley wins this is if Michigan gives that up. UMD game: Alex didn't like this draw—North Dakota got an engineered free trip to the Frozen Four and Michigan had UMD. Alex also dislikes going up 3-0 early leads because you stop trying to score, and UMD was getting a lot of good looks. Got great looks, Michigan gave up too many good entries, UMD hit a post and a bar, their top line was out there like 35 minutes, Ivankovic stood tall. Tyler Duke's defense was not good on those two goals. Asher Barnett's penalty shifts the momentum. Michigan's goals: great tip, Valentini scores on a dime of a saucer from Moldy—so happy he's activated his inner fullback. Schifsky's shortie. Frozen Four preview: four teams with the most national titles. Brian DOES NOT like to play Denver in the Frozen Four; are they the favorites now? They've been playing VERY hot. North Dakota hasn't been there forever; it's been 10 years. Wisconsin we know. 4. Hot Takes and Women's Basketball Starts at 1:38:06 Takes significantly hotter than Dusty May when Mara picked up a B.S. foul 30 seconds into the game. Worst day in MSU winter sports history. NCAA could find a way to put Duke back in it but that would kill Bill Murray. WBB plays TONIGHT against 1-seed Texas. Smoked Louisville: not one but TWO 16-0 runs. They weren't transition baskets because they didn't cross midcourt; they're just 'sition baskets. No points for 7 minutes then dominated for three quarters—gonna have to play FOUR quarters from here on. BQD has seven offensive rebounds, against a huge Louisville team. Delfosse has really come on the last few weeks, Olson and Swords carried offensive, very impressed with how they dealt with Laura Zeigler; Sofilkanich handled her. Good sign for Texas's size, though they have a midrange assassin. Michigan's going to have to shoot well from three and hope Booker isn't effective from range. Home game for Texas in Fort Worth. GO BLUE!!!! MUSIC: "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy"—Devo "Baywatch"—Drug Cabin "Paradise"—The Mattson 2 “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra
53 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. Segments 1-3 were in MGoPodcast 17.29a yesterday. 4. Sweet Sixteen Preview: Alabama Starts at 0:51 We hate facing three teams in the Tournament because of randomness. Bama is the Nate Oats show: he wad doing efficiency before it was cool. PG Labarn Philon isn't Aden Holloway but is lengthy can can get to the basket—Nick Boyd was his #1 comp on Hoop-Explorer. Darius Acuff was on that list too. SG Latrell Wrightsell is a shooter; he was 6/9 from three vs TTU, 38% career from three, hit 45% two years ago (on a team with Sam Walters). OLD. Wing Amari Allen is a 6'8-205 and NOT JUST A SHOOTER. The book on Allen is don't let him shoot from the left side of the arc: 47% on 47 attempts from the left wing, 4 or 10 from the corner. But 32% straightaway on 31 attempts, 24% on 46 attempts from the right side. He's just 61% at the rim. The other wing is a timeshare between a JAS, a freshman, and an Egyptian stretch four. At center they're lacking, sorta. Aiden Sherrell is a Detroiter—Seth sent a phot of him as a recruit to Brian once—McDonald's AA—kinda reminds us of Morez. Had major struggles at the free throw line last year (46%) that he's largely fixed. Backup is... can Charles Bediako play? No? Well Bucknell transfer Noah Williamson is actually Noa Viljamsons from Latvia; he was #1 in usage and #1 in defensive rebounding in the Patriot League but severe dropoffs all over the map in their few chances against better competition. [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 5. Elite Eight Preview: Iowa State or Tennessee Starts at 22:13 Iowa State spent a lot of the season on the 1-seed line. HUUUUGE loss (unless it's better than it looked) in Joshua Jefferson (KPOY #2), who's high-usage Yax and really gave ISU their identity. PG Tamin Lipsey is Tre Donaldson. Wing Milan Momcilovic is the sniper of the year. Three different SGs with three different skills, and then they have some decent but not world-beating centers. It's really about stopping Jefferson. If it's Tennessee that's an easier matchup but maybe not a great one for Michigan because Ja'Kobi Gillespie gets his own shot, Nate Ament is mini Joshua Jefferson, and they throw these huge bodies at the offensive glass. 6. Women's Basketball: First Weekend Recap and Sweet 16/Elite 8 Preview Starts at 43:47 Firsts for Michigan WBB under Kim Barnes-Arico: 2-seed, 16-win season at Crisler, 27-win season. Muppets! Rote beatdown of Holy Cross was rote; the WBB Tournament is even more chalk as the top talent is so much better than the rest. Michigan is the best of the teams that doesn't have an All-American, but some teams have multiple. NC State game was a fun matchup that Michigan took over as soon as their threes started going down. BQD-ass game where she took over at times by swarming a team that normally doesn't turn it over with the press. Looking forward: Louisville is NC State but can shoot—they're all large and can stretch, though not very quick. Laura Zeigler was the top recruit in the portal, Taj Roberts is a tall sniper, Imari Berry looks like an undead from WoW. If they get past Lville it's almost certainly going to be 1-seed Texas, which just rolled Oregon, which is a bellwether (when not in a legendarily badly officiated game). Madison Booker is WBB Yaxel, Rori Harmon is a thief, Breya Cunningham and Kyla Odacre are way bigger than anyone Michigan can put on them. MUSIC: "Sunday Morning"—Alcatraz "Video Life"—Chris Spedding “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra THE USUAL LINKS: Helpful iTunes subscribe link General podcast feed link What's with the theme music?
1 hour and 40 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. 1. Men's Basketball vs Howard and Saint Louis Starts at 0:51 This is part one of a part two podcast! Which Robbie Avila nickname was your favorite? Of the last ten times Michigan has made the tournament they've been in the Sweet Sixteen nine. Were Beilein teams built better for the tournament than for the Big Ten? Howard shot 48% from three, the only reason they were able to get to 80 points. What Wisconsin nonsense is this? Michigan shoots 84% from two, one of those misses was from Oscar Goodman. Roddy Gayle was uninspiring in the Big Ten Tournament but returned to his March form. Moving on to Saint Louis, they're a dangerous offensive team but there was no way they were going to be able to check Michigan. Somehow Saint Louis was the #1 field goal efficiency defense in the country, it's a good sign that Michigan shot 1.35 PPP. Avila fell for Mara's fake pass. Since they started counting blocks Michigan is the first team to have all starters score 10+ points and have a block. The Mara we're seeing now is night and day from what we saw at the beginning of the season. Could you convince him to come back another year? What was up with that non-flagrant foul that ended up being a foul on Burnett? Technically it was a cylinder foul. High Point isn't a real school, you should only schedule real schools. [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 2. Spring Football Bits Starts at 34:37 There are finally enough bits coming out of the spring! Ron Bellamy is back as director of player personnel, which makes all the sense in the world. Apparently Whittingham wanted to come back to Utah but he wouldn't have as much control over decision making so he left. What exactly happened here? We thought he was retiring but clearly he didn't. Manuel Beigel moved to offensive line, this is concerning because there are plenty of offensive lineman and this team needs defensive tackles. In more positive news, Savion Hiter is already running with the ones. His built is like Jabrill Peppers. The defense will "resemble the 2023 defense" in terms of style, according to Jay Hill. It will depend what they can get out of Zeke Berry and Rod Moore. Injured guys are still injured. Receiver depth is Marsh, Ffrench, Moa, and Buchanon. Defensive tackle tea leaves are... uhhh... concerning? You need four decent defensive tackles, they currently have three and there's no guarantee that any of them are good. Maybe that's why Hiter is getting so many yards in practice. The NDSU linebacker captain needs to simmer for a bit, he just got here. If one of the best offensive line coaches in the country is excited then we're excited. If Babalola actually starts he'll be an All-American. Sounds like they're kicking Link inside? 3. Hot Takes and Hockey Tournament Starts at 1:02:51 Takes hotter than Howard for the last 10 minutes of the first half. Michigan gets the #1 overall seed in hockey, their reward is a game against Bentley in Albany. They also won the Big Ten Tournament after a 7-3 win over Ohio State. They get medals but not stoats. Playing a team with tournament lives on the line was really good practice. They were so excited to win a banner. Did you know Gonzaga used to have a hockey team. Bentley is 23rd in NPI which is better than their conference usually does. Doesn't look like a team that will threaten Michigan but anything crazy can happen in this tournament. The matchup is there against Penn State but the vibes are annoying since Michigan has already played them five times (and lost once). Will the building have 12 people in it? Minnesota-Duluth had a really good nonconference run but fell off towards the end of the season. They swept Minnesota which doesn't mean much this year. Congratulations Western Michigan, you are a #1 seed and you probably get to play Denver at altitude if you win your first game. The committee doesn't want schools to have home games but then they either give schools "home" games or play in empty rinks. This game should be at Yost and it would be nuts, Michigan deserves the home advantage that they earned. If Wisconsin gets goaltending they're a top four team, if not they'll lose in the first round. MUSIC: "Hard Dreaming Man"—Drugdealer "Honey Drip"—Long Island Railroad, Smushie and Ryan Gebhard “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra