Podcasts about industry report

n this second 2026 State of the Industry Deep Dive, presented in partnership with KnowHow, Michelle Blevins & Travis Martin, of KnowHow, talk with industry leaders Kristin Whitley Smith (Mooring Recovery Services), Sarah Cowell (PHC Restoration), and Jessica Wescott (Stellar Service Brands) and tackle the restoration industry's most pressing challenge: getting paid. Drawing directly from data in the 2026 State of the Industry Report, the panel shares proven strategies for accelerating collections, improving documentation, and creating a culture of accountability around accounts receivable.From setting payment expectations early to leveraging technology, training, and communication to reduce payment delays, this discussion delivers practical takeaways restoration companies can implement immediately to improve cash flow and protect profitability.

n this second 2026 State of the Industry Deep Dive, presented in partnership with KnowHow, Michelle Blevins & Travis Martin, of KnowHow, talk with industry leaders Kristin Whitley Smith (Mooring Recovery Services), Sarah Cowell (PHC Restoration), and Jessica Wescott (Stellar Service Brands) and tackle the restoration industry's most pressing challenge: getting paid. Drawing directly from data in the 2026 State of the Industry Report, the panel shares proven strategies for accelerating collections, improving documentation, and creating a culture of accountability around accounts receivable.From setting payment expectations early to leveraging technology, training, and communication to reduce payment delays, this discussion delivers practical takeaways restoration companies can implement immediately to improve cash flow and protect profitability.

Hosted by David Cowen | Careers and the Business of Law Fresh off four days at McCormick Place in Chicago, David Cowen sits down with Oyango Snell, President & CEO of CLOC, for a post-CGI debrief. The energy on the floor was unmistakable: this is not the same industry it was twelve months ago. From Second City opening every morning to standing-room-only sessions on AI maturity, CGI 2026 signaled that the legal ops community has moved from anxiety to confident curiosity. WHY THIS MATTERS The legal industry is no longer asking if AI matters. It's asking how to measure it. With budgets flat and demand rising, legal ops professionals are being forced to get strategic. This conversation captures the mood of the market and where the next five years are headed. KEY TAKEAWAYS Attendees came with hands-on experience and real questions. Anxiety is out, confident curiosity is in. Legal ops has moved from chaos to at least ad hoc, if not operational, on the maturity arc. "Do more with less" is hogwash. Flat budgets plus rising demand requires strategy, not just effort. AI won't replace jobs. People who leverage AI will replace those who don't. A growing economy means more demand for legal services. The doomsday narrative doesn't hold up. Education is the new currency. CLOC Academy is hitting the road to reach those who can't make it to CGI. Legal ops sits at the intersection of law and technology. That's the superpower. Own it. CGI 2027 is back at the Aria in Las Vegas. Pro tip from David: Thank the speakers. Easiest networking move there is. Pro tip from Oyango: Own your professional stake. Relationships are built through follow-up, not just introductions. PEOPLE MENTIONED David Cowen, Host Oyango Snell, President & CEO, CLOC Kevin Clem, Harbor; co-author of the State of the Industry Report Zach Kass, CGI 2026 Keynote Speaker Mary O'Connell, Market leader, referenced Connie Brenton, Founder and CEO, LegalOps.com COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED CLOC, Corporate Legal Operations Consortium; host of CGI and legal ops community anchor Harbor, Co-produced the 2026 State of the Industry Report with CLOC Second City, Opened each day of CGI 2026 and set the tone for the conference Anthropic, Ivo, OpenAI, Among the vendors actively hiring legal tech talent SOLID, Legal career and education community; Solid New York on October 1st CLOC Academy, Educational arm of CLOC, now going on the road beyond CGI

Many Kiwis still prefer to shop locally and in person. A survey of about 500 people by retail management platform Lightspeed has found almost eight in ten prefer shopping in store, rather than online. About four in ten shop at independent local stores. Lightspeed Managing Director Nicole Buisson told Mike Hosking consumers very much want the convenience of online shopping, but also the human connection or the ability to go and touch and feel a product in real life. An example of this, she says, is when people check the availability of a product online before going into the store. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electricity Canada CEO Francis Bradley joins thinkenergy to unpack the 2026 State of the Industry report, Forging Canada's Electricity Future. Why is public trust in utilities peaking in light of extreme weather? Why is a single word in the Fisheries Act halting major hydro projects? They dive into supply chain headaches, bureaucratic red tape, and how treating the power grid like core tax-funded infrastructure can make electricity bills more affordable for consumers. Related links  Electricity Canada: https://www.electricity.ca/ Francis Bradley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-bradley-icd-d-ias-a-3617802a/   Electricity Human Resources Canada: https://ehrc.ca/  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-8b612114  Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en    To subscribe using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405  To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl  To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com  --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkenergypod Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkenergypod/  Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkenergypod Keep up with the posts on X: https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod - Transcript: 00:01 Trevor Freeman: Welcome to Think Energy, a podcast that dives into the fast-changing world of energy through conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and people on the front lines of the energy transition. Join me, Trevor Freeman, as I explore the traditional, unconventional, and up-and-coming facets of the energy industry. If you have any thoughts, feedback, or ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out to us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com. 00:27 Trevor Freeman: Hi everyone, and welcome back. Here's something you've heard me say before: the energy transition isn't coming, it's here now. And that's showing up in a lot of different ways—from the significant increase in demand that we're seeing driven by AI data centers and electrification, to the ever-increasing adoption of distributed energy resources by everyday Canadians in their homes and businesses. Even utilities looking to non-wire solutions as a strategy to employ alongside the traditional poles and wires approach to meet this growing demand. That's all happening now. 01:03 Trevor Freeman: And that really underscores the message that the time for talking about how we will eventually build out our grid to handle the energy transition has turned into the time to build and deliver on that talk. But, as with most things, it's never just that easy. This is all happening against the backdrop of an energy industry that is, to say the least, facing some pretty significant turmoil. What sector isn't right now? There's global conflict, there's a need for bold new policy direction, changing technology—these are not insignificant factors. 01:38 Trevor Freeman: And so, to help us understand where we currently are at and where immediate action is necessary, I think it's time we check in with a two-time previous guest on this show: Francis Bradley. Francis is the President and CEO of Electricity Canada, the leading voice for the electricity industry in this country. We've had Francis on the show before in the past and it's great to have him back here today to chat about some of these issues. 02:04 Trevor Freeman: Every year, Electricity Canada releases a State of the Industry report that serves as kind of a pulse check on our sector. You'll hear shortly in my conversation with Francis that there is something to the naming of these reports. In 2023, the message was "Build It". In 2024, they used the title "Getting to Yes". But the 2026 report, which was just released, has a bit of a different title: it's called "Forging Canada's Electricity Future". 02:35 Trevor Freeman: Now, to forge something implies heat, pressure, a lot of hard work. And this report does exactly that. It dives into the regulatory system that we operate in, the gaps in our labor and supply chains, and this new geopolitical reality that's pushing Canada to prioritize our own domestic production. But it's not all warnings. There is a roadmap, so to speak, in the report that specifies 18 recommendations that Electricity Canada proposes be addressed in order to help our industry thrive. As the need to increase our capacity and meet these rising energy demands intensifies, getting projects moving, getting shovels in the ground is absolutely critical. So, it's really great to have Francis here today to chat through that and talk about what's in the report, and I'm sure it'll be a great discussion. 03:26 Trevor Freeman: Francis Bradley, welcome to the show—welcome back to the show. 03:29 Francis Bradley: Oh, delighted to be back. Good to see you. 03:32 Trevor Freeman: So Francis, it's great to have you back on the show. It's always a pleasure to catch up and get, you know, your perspective, your take on what's happening in the world of energy, and particularly the Canadian energy landscape. So, we chatted just under a year ago, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that was a pretty tumultuous time in the world of energy, at least here in Canada. 03:52 Trevor Freeman: So, just for context setting for our listeners as a reminder: we had just come out of both a provincial and federal election here in Ontario. Our various levels of governments were responding to actual tariffs and threats of additional tariffs. There was a lot of talk about national energy projects from pipelines to east-west electricity grids. So, with that as the backdrop, how has the last year been for you and Electricity Canada, being kind of the main association representing the electricity industry in Canada? Have we seen some of those big projects move forward? Is it all talk or have things actually happened in the last sort of 10, 12 months? 04:36 Francis Bradley: Yeah, I mean, this is a—this is a really good question and it's a great place to start our conversation. You're right, things have been pretty crazy this past year. But also, from the perspective of energy and electricity, there's also been some pretty significant developments as well, particularly I'd say the people who are responsible for the things that we care about in the federal government. 05:04 Francis Bradley: So we've, you know, we've got a Prime Minister that used to be Vice Chair at Brookfield; we've got a Minister of Energy that used to chair the board of Hydro One; the head of the civil service most recently was the President of Hydro Quebec. So, you know, among all of that massive change, we also saw now a team in Ottawa that actually understands our sector and that gets the challenges that we're talking about. 05:32 Francis Bradley: So, you know, have we seen significant projects moving forward? Well, I mean, part of the challenge, of course, is projects in this sector are very, very long-term. I mean, they take a long time. These are not, you know, kind of shovel-ready projects that are just sitting on the sidelines and immediately you get a go, you can move forward. These are generational investments. But what we have seen, I think, is some real movement by the federal government and a very significant change in terms of their approach. 06:05 Francis Bradley: Bill C-5, for example—the first piece of legislation that we saw moving through—that sent a real signal that the government was serious, as serious as you can be in a minority government situation. Short of changing a large number of laws, they essentially do a carve-out for those projects of national interest—or some people call them "PONIs," Projects of National Interest. So we saw addressing, trying to move that small set of projects more quickly through the process. We saw the establishment of the Major Projects Office as a kind of a concierge for these major projects. We saw the MOU with the province of Alberta also, I think, a sign that there is a real desire to see major projects move forward. 07:01 Francis Bradley: But the challenge here—and this is what I raised when I appeared before the parliamentary committee reviewing Bill C-5—is that's all well and good if you happen to be one of those PONIs. If you happen to be the proponent for one of these projects of national interest, that's terrific; you're able to move through this project more quickly. But you know, the reality is the vast majority of the projects that are going to make a difference for the electricity sector and ultimately for Canadian customers may not rise to that level of a Project of National Interest. And so, all of the concerns that we had previous to Bill C-5 really remain for the vast majority of projects that we're going to be facing. 07:44 Francis Bradley: So, yeah, have we seen movement? Yeah, I think we've seen pretty significant movement. We've seen all of the right signals, but as I said, the government can only go so far as a minority government. Now, that's today when we're recording this, but by the time this plays, we may not be in a minority government situation anymore. But that is the reality; it is difficult for the government to get legislation through as a minority, and I'm certainly pleased that one of the first priorities was addressing "how do we get projects built?" because that's something that we've been talking about for a long time. 08:24 Trevor Freeman: And do you see—you know, obviously Canada exists within the broader backdrop of global energy politics or the energy kind of situation? There's a lot going on there right now, of course, you know, conflict in energy-producing countries. Do you see us continuing to move forward on these? So, the last year was kind of a foundation setting, figuring out how to get major projects done, and now we're moving into hopefully implementation, or have we been knocked off course? Do you see something changing significantly in Canadian energy policy and politics as a result of what's happening globally? 09:03 Francis Bradley: Yeah, you know, again, a really good question, Trevor. Because certainly the short-term challenges that we've seen with now the war in the Middle East and the roiling of markets and the significant increase, I think if anything, it's going to prove to be an even greater impetus for us. I don't think it's going to slow us; it's probably going to get us to speed up. I think it certainly will with respect to our colleagues that are in the oil and gas space, but also for electricity. 09:37 Francis Bradley: I think it's going to increase the desire that people will have to see greater energy sovereignty in Canada. And so, a lot of the issues that we've been talking about with respect to building out, meeting the future demand, and getting things built were not directly addressing Canadian sovereignty, but they indirectly address Canadian sovereignty. And over the last year with the challenges with the Trump administration, suddenly questions around Canadian sovereignty are getting more traction. So yeah, I think what's happening in the world today—certainly the most recent past—is going to prove to be, I think, even more impetus for us to want to move and move expeditiously in this space. 10:24 Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I guess something that I think has become clear to folks outside of us who kind of are in the industry is just how tied our energy reality and energy policy is to what's happening globally. And to your point, kind of that global policy, global economics—it's all intertwined and probably people are paying attention to it more now than at least in recent memory. 10:48 Francis Bradley: Yeah, and the good news, at least with respect to electricity, is we are not tied to a world market for electricity and electricity pricing the way like the oil and gas and the price at the pump. If you're filling up your car—I don't fill up my car anymore, I drive electric. But I, you know, I've got family and colleagues that are filling up and I'm hearing, you know, already feeling pain at the pump, which is, you know, the reality of having an international world market. 11:21 Francis Bradley: Our electricity market thankfully doesn't get that kind of—of an impact as a result of those changes. However, what happens in the U.S. with respect to supply and reliability certainly affects us, and it's something that we're watching closely. You know, we've seen cancellations of offshore wind projects, for example, off the East Coast of the United States. You know, we've seen a step back from a number of different types of technologies in the U.S.. So, while international affairs are not necessarily making me as concerned directly with respect to electricity, the North American picture, though, is raising questions with respect to reliability. 11:58 Trevor Freeman: We always go to interesting places during these conversations, right, Francis? 12:02 Francis Bradley: We do, I know. And I kind of—you got my brain going here. Sometimes I like to go down a rabbit hole. 12:09 Trevor Freeman: Okay, so I think that's a good context setting. That's a good place to start to understand where we are, what's been kind of going on, who knows what's coming up. But I do want to spend the bulk of our conversation here talking about Electricity Canada's 2026 State of the Industry report, and the title of that report is "Forging Canada's Electricity Future". 12:31 Trevor Freeman: So, not to spend too much time on semantics, but in previous years, you've titled these reports "Build It," "Getting to Yes" was another example. This year you've chosen "Forging." Is there a play on words there? You know, we're moving into a more high-pressure, difficult phase of the energy transition? Is there anything that we should read into that title, or am I kind of just picking at straws here? 12:56 Francis Bradley: No, you're not. We've been very intentional in terms of what we've been titling our State of the Industry. And so, you know, we've seen an evolution in terms of the thematic approach that we've been taking to this report. And so, you know, when I moved into the role of CEO, we began producing sort of these annual snapshots of the sector. They're intended to kind of lay out what we see as the current state of the electricity sector in Canada and our prescriptions for, you know, what should be done to be able to address our challenges. 13:30 Francis Bradley: And you know, if I look back over the last several years—and you noted some of the thematic approaches we've had in the past—2019 we started with, you know, it was all about "Resilience". 2020 it was about "Transformation". 2021 it was "Renewal". 2022 everybody was talking about net zero, so our theme back then was "Accelerating to Net Zero". 2023, "Build It," you noted that. 2024 was "Getting to Yes," and you noted that one as well. That was an interesting report because it really did focus on—it seemed to have a culture of "no" when it comes to "can we get stuff done?" and it attempted to address that. 14:14 Francis Bradley: 2025, last year's report, you know, as you noted, we were in an interesting place this time last year. You know, we'd just come out of an election. So at the beginning of last year, we put out our annual State of the Industry and it was focused on—we called it "Electricity is Essential" and it really was kind of our election platform edition for electricity. 14:38 Francis Bradley: And yeah, here we are in 2026, so "Forging Canada's Electricity Future." And now, you know, we were very conscious; we wanted to use that term "forging". And forging is, as we note in the report at the very beginning, it means to create something strong and something lasting. So, for example, one forges steel, but you just bake a pie. So, like, we're talking about what is going to be long-lasting and sustainable in terms of our build-out for the future. 15:11 Francis Bradley: So, it isn't necessarily about higher pressure, but it's that it's time to build. It's time to build now, but it's time to build stuff that is going to be enduring, especially given the moment we're in. And that moment includes—well, some things that we haven't seen for a while: federal-provincial-territorial consensus on the need to address long-term electricity needs. 15:37 Francis Bradley: You know, as I mentioned a little bit earlier, we've got people in the key offices in Ottawa, for example, that actually understand the electricity sector, and a federal government that has said that they're going to be introducing very soon—by the time this airs, it's probably already out there—a federal strategy with respect to electricity, something that we've been asking for for a while. So, it isn't necessarily about pressure; it's more about building something that is enduring and something that will last and something that is sustainable given the sort of the time and place that we find ourselves in. 16:15 Trevor Freeman: And in light of that, like looking at the fact that we are hopefully moving into this period of building, of growing, you know, something that jumps out from the report is trust in electricity companies. So, you note that trust is at an all-time high in the players in the sector, even as a majority of Canadians are feeling, you know, to put it in quotes, "financially paralyzed"—and that's from a 2025 RBC study. Trust isn't usually a word that we use for large institutions, large organizations, which a lot of our energy companies are. Why do you think that Canadians are feeling an all-time high in trust in their utilities right now, maybe more so than other parts of the sector? And how do we protect that trust, and I'm thinking especially as we move into periods of growth, periods of change in the industry? How do we protect that? 17:08 Francis Bradley: Yeah, trust is—it's an interesting concept, particularly with sort of institutions when we're approaching it from that perspective. So, you know, what we're talking about here in the report is a specific measure on favorability, and the favorability towards electricity companies specifically. And so, this comes from the polling work that we do, the annual polling that we undertake on behalf of the sector. 17:39 Francis Bradley: Now, polling is interesting; public opinion research is interesting. Almost 40 years ago, when I was hired into this sector, I was hired at the Canadian Electrical Association at the time specifically because of the work that I'd previously and quite recently been doing in public opinion research in the oil and gas sector. So, you know, when we've got questions about what our polling is, I bring both some historical perspectives and I perhaps bring some biases to these conversations. 18:13 Francis Bradley: So, what is trust and why are we suddenly seeing this upswing in favorability? So, my take on it is that it's all about reliability. My take is that favorability is being driven, I think, partially by extreme weather of all things. Because, you know, the last time we saw favorability ratings this high was following the ice storm in Eastern Canada in 1998. 18:41 Francis Bradley: So, customers are seeing electricity companies now, today, keeping the lights on, restoring power following extreme weather events. And they're being told by the media, and they see it and read it everywhere, that weather events are becoming more frequent, they're becoming more extreme, and yet the companies are maintaining reliability. And that is something I think the customer is feeling. 19:10 Francis Bradley: So, like, if you think of sort of a hierarchy of needs from a customer's perspective of what they need from an electricity company—and while, you know, it's going to differ from person to person in terms of what the ordering is going to be—I can guarantee that the top three will be environmental impact, cost, and reliability. And of those three, that last one is actually the first one: reliability. For the customer, they want all of the different attributes that you get from electricity, but the one thing that is non-negotiable is reliability; the lights need to stay on. 19:48 Francis Bradley: And you know, I approach this based upon the work that I've done, as I said, historically. I recall doing focus groups in the spring of 1998 following the ice storm, when we saw the last really major surge in favorability. And I was asking customers about their views, and you know, at the time, as I said, you've got people that are suddenly more favorable towards the sector. 20:13 Francis Bradley: And what I was getting in the focus groups, in the conversations, was people had seen a lot of images on television news and on the cover of newspapers and magazines back when people actually had hard copies of newspapers and magazines. Of images of crews doing heroic things—you know, like hanging off of helicopters, working on lines, and so on. And so, you know, I really do think there is a direct relation between people's favorability of the sector and their perception that given that reliability is so critically important, we as a sector seem to be doing really good stuff. And, you know, they continue to see images on the net as opposed to necessarily in hard copy newspapers of the sector doing incredibly, you know, difficult and challenging things to make sure that the lights stay on for customers. 21:12 Francis Bradley: But of course, it isn't all about simply favorability, and as I said, it's reliability, it's environment, and its cost. And the biggest challenge outside of that, I think over the long term, is going to be the whole question around affordability and cost to the customer. So, you know, you're asking what's driving it, I think it's reliability, but what's the major challenge going forward? I think it's going to be all about affordability for the customer. 21:40 Trevor Freeman: Yeah, it's this interesting, almost ironic feature of extreme weather, of these major outage events—and you know, I'm speaking from Ottawa, we've had our share in the last number of years, let me tell you—that it does force the customers to think more about what it takes to keep the lights on. And if everything's running smoothly and there's no bumps in the road at all, it almost gets forgotten a little bit. But it takes those big events to sort of bring that back to the forefront and there's inconvenience, of course, in the outage, but it also helps people to understand, yeah, this is what is required for this, you know, a grid that is complex and difficult to keep up and running. 22:24 Trevor Freeman: So, I kind of hear what you're saying, affordability you've highlighted a couple times there in the last little bit, and that's kind of where I want to go next. That continues to be top of mind for customers, and you've highlighted it, we hear that from our customers, we see that in the kind of conversations that we're having with our customers. Electricity Canada runs a national customer survey; back in 2024, 84% of respondents to your survey said that an increase in my electricity bill would have a major impact on my finances. So, you know, customers are saying, we'll feel it if electricity bills go up. 23:02 Trevor Freeman: And there's a tension in that because for the foreseeable future, affordability and the need to invest in the grid to build, to grow—we talk about that a lot on the show about how we kind of need to allow for more capacity, accept more distributed energy resources—those two things are going to be in tension with each other. How can utilities manage that, work with other stakeholders—for example, like various levels of government—how do we work together to ensure that the need to expand and invest in the grid doesn't impact rates too dramatically and impact affordability that customers say is so important? 23:44 Francis Bradley: Yeah, and that's the—that's the, you know, that's I think probably the most fundamental challenge that the sector is going to face in the years ahead, the whole challenge around affordability. But sort of I come at this in a bit of a different way, and that is not, you know, not the question of what the customer is paying but what the customer should be paying versus the taxpayer, right? 24:14 Francis Bradley: And so, the question I have is, you know, shouldn't we be looking at treating electricity as part of our core infrastructure? Right? And you know, we've actually started to have conversations around this with respect to our, you know, our defense spending targets. We're going to go from 2 to 3.5%, but that includes, you know, sort of all the supporting infrastructure for defense. Well, geez, shouldn't that actually include, you know, the defense infrastructure, the defense critical electricity infrastructure? 24:49 Francis Bradley: So, you know, if we're thinking about infrastructure and electricity being part of the core infrastructure, as we do with roads or ports or public transit, for example—core infrastructure that is required to enable the economic prosperity of the country—then we shouldn't be looking at relying solely on the kilowatt-hours paid by customers. Because this isn't simply, you know, delivering electricity to a customer; it is ensuring that we have the infrastructure that the economy as a whole needs. 25:27 Francis Bradley: So, you know, just like transit users today, when they buy their transit pass, are not paying 100% of the cost because we recognize that that's actually part of core infrastructure for a country and it needs tax-based funding. So, you know, we need to be looking at more creative ways to be able to address what that funding gap is going to be. 25:54 Francis Bradley: You know, we've got existing tools; we've got the clean technology and clean electricity investment tax credits, we've got the Canada Infrastructure Bank, we've got indigenous loan guarantees—there's a number of other programs that the federal government has in place. But we're going to need to do a lot more if we're going to actually look at kind of growing the Canadian economy and bringing in the investments of basically $2 trillion over the next 25 years. All of that $2 trillion can't go on the rate base, right? But by the same token, when you look at every other piece of core infrastructure that we've got, it is paid for by a mix of user fees and tax base because this is what one does as a nation—one supports the core infrastructure that we've got. So, I think that's how we're going to have to address this in the future. It is kind of having a clear understanding of what one does as a country for our infrastructure, and so it should be paid for as infrastructure as opposed to consumption of electricity by consumers. 27:01 Trevor Freeman: Now, in Canada—like a lot of other jurisdictions—energy is a provincial jurisdiction. So, the kind of change and change in thinking that you're talking about, it's not just one conversation you need to have with the federal government across the country; you're talking about multiple different stakeholders and players and trying to move that conversation. How do you go about that? And I know you're not starting from scratch; this is a conversation you've been having for a while. What does that change look like in a country like Canada where we've got so many different jurisdictions? 27:37 Francis Bradley: Yeah, well, you know, we've done this before. And we've done this with other sectors. No, I mean we have, right? You quite rightly point out that electricity is a provincial responsibility according to the Canadian Constitution. But guess what? So is health. So is public—I mentioned public transit. You know, when we build the next LRT line, it's not going to be all paid for by transit users in Ontario. Some of it is going to be paid for by the provincial government and some of it is going to be paid for by the federal government. You're not seeing any major transit infrastructure in this country—and that is not a federal responsibility—not being built today without some federal contribution. 28:23 Francis Bradley: So, we're not starting from zero from a conceptual standpoint; we do this with many other sectors, but it is those sectors that we know are the kind of the core infrastructure that we require as a country, you know, from health care to public transit to roads and so on. And the conversations are not, you know, not just starting tomorrow, right? These are conversations that have been going on for quite some time. 28:50 Francis Bradley: But yeah, you know, it's interesting when talking to folks that don't spend a lot of time in this space, they ask, like you did, they ask the question, "Wait a second, this is provincial responsibility, isn't it going to be just like an absolute bear to try and have this conversation?" Yeah, not so much. It's like, this is—we've had this conversation on a whole pile of other files where we recognized that we needed a more holistic approach and a national approach that brings together the federal government, the provincial government, the regional municipal governments, and the local community. 29:26 Trevor Freeman: Great. So, pulling on that same thread, regulatory constraints—we all like to talk about regulatory constraints, it's a reality in our industry. The report talks about this being a system that chooses delays. So, tell me a little bit about that and about some of the specific challenges that utilities are hitting right now when they're trying to get projects moving, trying to get things off the ground, and what do you recommend, what does Electricity Canada recommend to streamline that process and get things moving? 30:00 Francis Bradley: Right. So, you know, and we talked earlier about some of the themes of the previous reports—one of them was thematically called "Getting to Yes". Because yeah, I mean, at least our view is by and large the approval regimes that we've got for projects in this country are biased towards figuring out how to turn down projects. You know, what are all of the ways that one can say no, as opposed to like, how do we actually get to yes, and how do we use these—and that isn't to say that it should automatically be a yes or automatically be a no. It should be a clear process that isn't biased one way or the other. 30:41 Francis Bradley: And also, you know, the way we've kind of built this system over the years, we've got multiple levels of government—we were chatting about that just a moment ago with respect to funding—from municipal to regional to provincial and territorial and federal government. And on any project, there's requirement, there's regulations, and there's requirement for approvals and need for coordination, and so inevitably right off the bat, it's going to result in delays. Delays, as I always like to point out to people, delays mean costs—additional costs, additional costs are borne by the customer. So, you know, if we can address this, it also helps us to address the question that we were talking about earlier about affordability. 31:30 Francis Bradley: Right? Like, how long does it take to get a major project built? Depending upon the kind of project that you're talking about, it can be decades or more. So, you know, to what degree can we simplify this? We've got duplication—federal and provincial processes. As well as, in addition to that duplication and different layers, we've got unnecessary regulatory actions that crop up, and the example that I often use—because it's a real head-scratcher for me—is a couple of years ago, the federal government changed the Fisheries Act. 32:07 Francis Bradley: And the Fisheries Act now protects fish as opposed to protecting fisheries. And that sounds like a fairly simple esoteric issue, but it is massively now complicating the licensing and the relicensing even of existing facilities when their licensing comes up. So, by—it wasn't intentional to make it that much more complicated, but it is almost impossible right now to license a hydro facility. There are very few hydro facilities that are currently compliant with this new Fisheries Act that protects individual fish as opposed to fish populations. I don't know, maybe part of the problem is the word fish is both singular and plural, but that just gives you a little more complication for when lawyers get involved in this. 32:59 Francis Bradley: So, listen, what do we need, right? For years, we've had, in four or five years in a row, either in the federal budget or in the fall economic statements or in other pronouncements by the government of Canada, a promise to bring in a "one project, one approval" regime, which sounds great, but we haven't gotten there yet. And it's something that keeps getting promised year after year after year. We need to get to that one project, one approval regime. 33:34 Francis Bradley: And then the other thing is the federal government has also now committed—they introduced it in Bill C-5 for the projects of national interest—a two-year federal approval timeline for major projects. Well, we actually need that for all projects, not just those "PONIs," not just those projects of national interest. We should have a federal timeline on all projects. Again, which isn't to say that every project gets approved within two years, but like, if it's going to get a thumbs up or a thumbs down, you need to know in a reasonable amount of time so that you can figure out what the alternative will be if it's a thumbs down. 34:16 Francis Bradley: So, you know, I think it's just as reasonable to say we need to know if we're getting approval, but we also need to know if we're not getting approved so that alternatives—and that needs to be done in a timely manner. And so the federal government has permitted, has committed to like this two-year timeline for projects of national interest; we'd like to see that across the board—federal government, provincial governments as well—for all projects. We've got the Major Projects Office that's been set up; I'm certain that already there's lessons that are being learned from the Major Projects Office. Well, let's draw those lessons and apply them to all projects, not projects of national interest. 35:00 Francis Bradley: Red tape reduction—we've heard of desires to ensure that we're looking at opportunities—well, that should be a continuous and ongoing process. And then finally, duplication between the federal government and the provinces—we need to eliminate that duplication. You know, for example, even on things as simple as environmental assessments—well, pick one, right? Let's get an agreement between both levels of government that one project, one review for that project will be sufficient. And so the feds can recognize the provincial process, the provincial can recognize the federal—one or the other as opposed to having multiple levels of government essentially doing the same work over and over again. And again, as I said earlier, as you well know, Trevor, these additional costs land in one place and one place only right now, and that's on the ratepayer, that's on the customer. 35:56 Trevor Freeman: And it's that double cost of the additional time and effort necessary as well as delaying whatever kind of economic activity the customer might be waiting for, which kind of ties into my next question here of we're seeing more and more—and this has always been the case but maybe it's just a little bit more on the forefront now—the importance of energy for economic development, for attracting investment and business. And that's true in our service territory absolutely as well as others. So, supply chain challenges have cropped up in the last little while and are getting into the mix and causing some of those delays. In order to move forward, what can the federal government do to bolster supply chains? Is it bringing more things domestically? Are there other tools that they have at their disposal? How do we go about addressing the supply chain challenge? 36:52 Francis Bradley: Yeah, and this is a real issue—as you know from your perch at Hydro Ottawa—it's a challenge for even a company such as yours and it's right across the sector. The delays and the time that it takes to get into the queue to get particularly for large pieces of equipment, but even for some of the smaller stuff, is simply becoming more and more challenging. We thought it was a COVID-19 blip, but it wasn't, right? I mean, it is continuing, it is persisting six years later; the supply chains remain as challenged as they were, probably even more so. I mean, a couple of years ago we saw a ship get stuck sideways in the Suez Canal and it affected supply chains for every sector right across the globe. 37:46 Francis Bradley: So yeah, you know, we need to be addressing this. So what we're proposing is we look at the establishment of what we're calling a Canadian Electricity Supply Chain Roadmap. This, done in partnership with the federal government, electricity companies, suppliers, and so on—everybody that's got a stake in this—to take a more systematic and collaborative and cooperative approach to addressing supply chains, and come together to identify those opportunities to do some of the things that you mentioned. You know, what about domestic production on some of these things? What about domestic production in those areas where we've got the potential for exports as well? So that would be potentially not only an ability to address a supply chain issue, but also to look at economic opportunities for Canadian businesses. 38:43 Francis Bradley: And can we look at leveraging some of the existing tools that we've got and repurpose them so that they are focused on addressing what would be identified as needing to be in that supply chain roadmap? Let's leverage tools such as tax credits, Business Development Canada, Export Development Canada, the Canada Growth Fund. So, you know, it'd be interesting if there were other venues and other opportunities, but we have existing tools; we're just not, I think, focusing them directly and specifically with respect to the supply chain requirements for the electricity sector and we should be looking at doing that. And you know, the challenges—I've spent time with the steel producers, for example—it is fascinating to try and get a sense of what those challenges are for the partners that we've got, whether it's steel or aluminum or finished products or transformers; it is endlessly complex, evolving, and so you know, we really do think developing some kind of a clear roadmap with all of the stakeholders would benefit the sector as a whole. 39:56 Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I mean certainly those challenges are ubiquitous across multiple sectors, and I think the one thing that we do find is when we bring up the challenges we're having with our customers or potential customers, they all get it, it's not a surprise. They don't sit there kind of surprised to hear that oh, it's going to take us this much time to bring in that transformer because they're going through some of those same challenges and I think the need is cross-cutting to address it. Another input, of course, into any sector and certainly the electricity industry is just the human capital required—the skilled labor required on the design side, on the construction side. Your report recommends establishing a Federal Industry Workforce Advisory Council. What would the priority be for that council and how do you help the utility industry compete against other industries that are also out there kind of participating in this war on talent trying to get the best and brightest into their sectors? 41:03 Francis Bradley: Yeah, no, I mean it is definitely a challenge. It's something that we've been addressing for, geez, probably two decades now at the association. We helped establish Electricity Human Resources Canada back in the day; it was spun off from some of our activities we'd done previously. So, you know, this is an area that we've been particularly concerned about in the sector for, well, as I say, you know, 20 years, it's been a generation that we've seen this challenge coming and we know it's on its way. 41:38 Francis Bradley: We are seeing, I think, some very good work in this space—I did mention Electricity Human Resources Canada; they do some terrific work, they are absolutely a critical stakeholder, increasingly a thought leader in this space. But you know, as you note, we have a very specific ask in our State of the Industry and that is getting the federal government to pull together a senior-level advisory committee with representatives from industry associations, from unions, from training providers, from the sector as a whole, to discuss these emerging labor market issues, to review the forecasts. 42:18 Francis Bradley: They need to address strategies, and so the mandate needs to be very specific: ongoing review, monitoring, and improvement of our workforce mechanisms to ensure that they remain adaptive and responsive to labor market realities. And so, this is not something that the sector and the electricity companies themselves control; this is something that requires the collaboration and participation of governments with respect to the policies that they bring forward, with unions, and with the training providers. 42:55 Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and as we look at sort of that next generation—you talk about this being a generational challenge—it's one thing to attract the skilled workers of today, it's another to bring up and build those skill sets. We talk about that a lot on the show about how we kind of need to build those skill sets. So, a bit of a platform for you here: why should someone consider that career in the electricity industry? What's the hook? What's the thing that you would convince them to come? I kind of know what my pitch is, but I'm curious to hear what yours is. 43:29 Francis Bradley: All right. Well, listen, I mean, like, sort of on the first piece, you know, I think this is where the adaptive and responsive comes into play. That advisory council I talked about I think would be able to recommend how we adjust and how we adapt our programs to further, you know, promote the sector. But why would I recommend somebody in this sector, and who would I begin with? Absolutely. 43:56 Francis Bradley: I mean, first off, I mean, this is a sector where we're going to see massive growth. We know that it is coming; we know that we're going to see a doubling of demand out to 2050. And so, with that massive growth, the prospects for skilled trades, the prospects for anybody in this sector is very bright. 44:21 Francis Bradley: And you know, one of the other things as well that I'd like to point out is we hear a lot of talk about how AI is going to massively change the workforce of the future. But when we're talking about skilled trades, you know, AI can do a lot of things, but ChatGPT is never going to be able to climb a pole, swing a hammer, or install an insulator. So, you know, not only is this a sector where the growth is going to be very significant over the next 25 years, it's also one where we know we actually need people to do these things. 44:54 Francis Bradley: And these are, you know, for a certain type of person, this is really cool and interesting stuff. So, you know, whether it is in the skilled trades or people in the technologies, this is a sector that has some really interesting, fascinating career choices and they're ones that, you know, the ChatGPT is not going to be taking away from you. 45:18 Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and it is this—the sector is evolving, it's innovating, it's changing, but to your point, we still need that traditional infrastructure. We need that growth, there will be more poles and wires, there will be cooler technology to work on, but we still need folks to install them. And something that I tell people that are interested—you know, a lot of younger folks coming up are really passionate about the environment, climate change—this is a great sector for that. This is a great spot to focus on that; the electricity industry is the, you know, tip of the spear when it comes to addressing climate change—electricity is the solution. 46:01 Francis Bradley: And it will continue to be so well into the future. Yeah, no, absolutely couldn't agree more. 46:07 Trevor Freeman: So, pivoting then to climate change, and we're seeing we've talked here a couple times about the increase in severe weather events, you know, wildfires in parts of the country. Utilities are facing this challenge of not only meeting growing demand but also meeting it in a harsher environment—I think there's no better way to say it—our grid needs to be more resilient and people are relying on it even more. What are some of the recommendations that you've identified on how utilities adapt to this changing world and become more resilient? 46:46 Francis Bradley: Yeah, well, you know, you're right, the conditions, the extreme weather that we're facing is not something that's going to go away. I find it interesting that I think every six months we add something new to the lexicon to try and just describe how crazy the weather has gotten—you know, like atmospheric rivers and heat domes and... 47:09 Trevor Freeman: Derecho! 47:11 Francis Bradley: Yeah, right, like when did we—I never heard of a derecho until it ripped through, I don't know, how many thousands of poles it tore up through Ottawa. Exactly. So, you know, this stuff is real and it's evolving. 47:25 Francis Bradley: And so, yeah, what are we proposing? We've kind of got three big asks in this area. The first one is we need to do a review of those federal and provincial legal frameworks. Do we have the appropriate protections related to industry-caused ignitions as we say? So, you know, if inadvertent but there is a spark from infrastructure that causes, for example, a fire, you know, do we actually have legal frameworks that can address this in a way that doesn't simply go in and bankrupt a company as happened in California? So we're supporting work in this space. 48:06 Francis Bradley: Second, we want to establish formal coordination mechanisms between our sector and—it may sound a little esoteric for us sitting here in downtown Ottawa—but Parks Canada, to address vegetation management on federal lands. There is a lot of federal land particularly, for example, in the Rockies, but not exclusively; there's lots of other parts of this country where there's vast swaths of land that is owned by Parks Canada that our infrastructure transits through, and so we need better coordination mechanisms. And we saw that frankly with respect to the fire in Jasper a couple of years ago that we could and need to do a lot better in terms of our coordination. 48:54 Francis Bradley: And then finally, we're suggesting looking at a resiliency tax credit or some kind of a targeted funding program to support weather hardening of electricity infrastructure, to protect the system from growing exposure to extreme weather. To cover off all of those things, whether it's wildfires or ice storms or windstorms or floods or tornadoes. You know, again, it kind of comes back to that concept of this is core infrastructure; there are some things that actually should be tax-supported, and weather hardening of our core infrastructure is something that we should be thinking about. Is that should be on the bills of customers, or is that something that as a country we need to address? 49:43 Trevor Freeman: Great. So Francis, as we wrap up our conversation here—you know, if we go to the end of your State of the Industry report, you've got 18 recommendations. We're not going to go through each one individually. Is there one that rises above the rest, or let me put this a different way: if you could sum up or distill this kind of entire report into a key takeaway or a key action item, what would that be? How do you kind of wrap all this up in a bow, which I know is a difficult thing to do for such a comprehensive report as this? 50:23 Francis Bradley: Right. So, you're actually asking two questions there: is there one I want to point out or and what's the wrap-up? I mean, if there was one thing of those 18 that I'd say, "Please in the next 12 months, for goodness' sake, at least do this one thing," it would be reforming the Fisheries Act, and I mentioned that earlier. Because right now, it focuses on individual fish as opposed to the impact on fish populations. So, that's one if I wanted one that I think should be fairly easy to address and to move forward with, it would be that one, which I think was number two on the list. 51:03 Francis Bradley: But you know, of all of the 18, they're all about "can we get our stuff built?" and "can we get it done in a timely manner because the customer is counting on us?" So, you know, if one of those encapsulates that, I would say it's probably the first one, which, though talks, specifically to this two-year federal approval timeline. Thematically, what it's all about is we have to move and we have to move quickly, but we have to do it in a collaborative manner. 51:35 Francis Bradley: But you know, in the end here, what we're talking about is demand is going to double in the next 25 years. We need to invest $2 trillion. So let's do this in a manner that is sustainable and enduring, so not piecemeal, not piece by piece. So that kind of brings me back full circle to the very beginning of this report: "Forging Canada's Electricity Future." Forging is to create something strong and lasting through effort. And so I think thematically it's "let's build sustainably and in an enduring manner and not piecemeal". So, let's forge. 52:13 Trevor Freeman: I had planned on wrapping this up with inviting you back on the show a year from now to kind of talk about where we go, but you've recently announced that you're retiring soon—the next sort of few months are going to be wrapping up your time at Electricity Canada. So first of all, congratulations on that. 52:32 Francis Bradley: Thank you. 52:33 Trevor Freeman: The invitation stands, so you're welcome to come back out of retirement to come on the show and check in with where we are, and so the invitation will remain open. 52:43 Francis Bradley: Well, and as you know, I do a podcast, and I may continue to do my podcast on the future of electricity beyond that. Remains to be seen. 52:54 Trevor Freeman: That's great. Well, I hope that on your show, on this show, we'll be able to talk through how some of these things that we're discussing now, how they've been implemented, how they've actually moved forward and we're able to see some results in that. Francis, thanks so much for coming on the show. Always appreciate your insight and appreciate you being here and looking forward to chatting again soon. 53:18 Francis Bradley: Awesome, always great to chat. Thanks for the invitation. 53:21 Trevor Freeman: Take care. 53:26 Trevor Freeman: Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Think Energy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and it would be great if you could leave us a review—it really helps us to spread the word. As always, we would love to hear from you, whether it's feedback, comments, or an idea for a show or a guest. You can always reach us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com.

"The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has released its 2026 State of the Industry Report. There are some pretty big take aways including stances on AI and the fact that the music industry is now more profitable than ever before. We will explore the findings."

. A new industry report by Purina Animal Nutrition, Cattle Facts, Certified Angus Beef, and university partners indicates that beef on dairy cattle now comprises 12-15% of U.S. fed slaughter, with confidence in these cattle increasing due to better performance and carcass quality.

2026 is not about transformation - it's about survival through smarter allocation. Manufacturing leaders are entering the year with fewer people, tighter margins, and far less patience for initiatives that don't deliver measurable ROI. Based on CADDi's 2026 Industry Report, this session breaks down where manufacturers are still investing, what they're deliberately avoiding, and how the best teams are extracting more output from the assets and data they already own. We'll explore: Why 69% of companies are prioritizing physical assets - and why automation and robotics are winning over headcount Why data access, not headcount, is becoming the real productivity multiplier How "selective improvement" is replacing broad transformation - and what that means for ROI, resilience, and speed Join us for a data-backed look at where the industry is heading and how leading manufacturers are extracting more value from the assets, systems, and people they already have. Presenters: Aaron Lober VP of Marketing CADDi Chris Cope VP of Engineering CADDi Patrick Harrigan VP of Partnerships CADDi Brought to you by: CADDi Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

Die Gaming-Branche bebt: Epic entlässt Tausende, Sony schließt Studios und die Preise für Hardware steigen. Aber erleben wir gerade wirklich nur eine Krise oder einen längst überfälligen Strukturwandel? Zusammen mit Unternehmensberater Human Nagafi (1789 Innovations) nehmen wir den aktuellen "State of the Industry"-Report von Matthew Ball auseinander. Warum wird Roblox immer mehr zum Paralleluniversum? Warum scheitern klassische Triple-A-Strategien und was sagt der neue Newzoo-Report über die Zukunft des PCs aus? Zur ersten Folge mit Heiko: https://www.gamestar.de/videos/der-gaming-kollaps-diese-krise-geht-uns-alle-an,139766.html Alle Links zum GameStar Podcast und unseren Werbepartnern: https://linktr.ee/gamestarpodcast

In Episode 308 of The Rainmaking Podcast (Legal Series), Scott Love speaks with Phil Flora of SurePoint Legal Insights to break down the 2025 State of the Legal Industry Report. The data reveals a surge in lateral hiring across nearly 6,000 law firms, with especially strong growth in transactional practices like corporate, real estate, and banking. Larger firms continue to consolidate market share, while mid-size firms accelerate mergers to stay competitive. The report also highlights a shift toward more sustainable hiring, with increased demand for partners and counsel roles rather than just associates. The conversation also explores critical trends shaping the future of law firms, including retention challenges, the rise of non-equity partner tracks, and the growing role of artificial intelligence—along with its risks, such as increased AI-related errors in legal work. For law firm leaders, partners, and recruiters, this episode provides a clear, data-driven view of where the market is heading—and what strategic decisions are required to stay competitive in an evolving legal landscape. Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/J8QJjKG4y70 ----------------------------------------

Send us Fan MailIn November 2025, Anthropic — an AI  company, not a cybersecurity vendor — published a threat intelligence report documenting the first confirmed AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign. A Chinese state-sponsored group (GTG-1002) jailbroke Claude AI into an autonomous hacking agent that attacked ~30 organizations, handling 80–90% of tactical operations independently. The report got a week of press coverage and everyone moved on. But this episode argues it's the most important cybersecurity report of the decade — and that every major frontier AI lab will publish something similar.Support the showGoogle Drive link for Podcast content:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10vmcQ-oqqFDPojywrfYousPcqhvisnkoMy Profile on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashantmishra11/Youtube Channnel : https://www.youtube.com/@TheCybermanShow Twitter handle https://twitter.com/prashant_cyberPS: The views are my own and dont reflect any views from my employer.

Father Sal records his final episode as a bachelor, we launch our new Couch Potatoes Top Chef recap series, and then we head straight to Santa Monica for one of the most ambitious meals in Los Angeles: SELINE.Chef Dave Beran's winter tasting menu is structured around the idea of “outside” and “inside” — cold, memory, warmth, progression. We break down the sunflower sequence disguised as cod, the venison tartare that had us laughing mid-bite, the short rib slider moment, and whether SELINE is already operating at a Michelin-star level.Then we zoom out.We unpack the James Beard Foundation's State of the Restaurant Industry report, produced with Deloitte, and talk about what it actually says: volatility as the new norm, alcohol sales declining, guests spending less per visit, full dining rooms that still aren't profitable, and the widening gap between consumer expectations and restaurant economics. Oh, and here's that New School report we keep referencing. After that, Chef's Kiss / Big Miss returns — our recurring segment where we call balls and strikes on LA food culture:Sqirl flips to dinnerThe “restaurant monologue” backlashPizza losing ground to Mexican and Asian cuisineAnd a few takes that might ruffle feathersIn Part 2, we sit down with Laurent Vernhes (founder of Tablet Hotels) and Tito Melega of MVA.wine — a 600-member wine collective that blind tastes 50–60 wines in Tuscany and only selects six. No filler inventory. No mass distribution. Just curation and scarcity.And if you're interested in becoming an MVA member - a.k.a. a Vinefinder - the first 20 listeners to sign up get a $50 discount on their first collection with code "LAFOOD"Powered by Acquired Taste

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 84th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week's show we discuss:Scopely's big deal for Pixel Flow developer Loom Games.The January 2026 mobile game revenue and download charts.Matthew Ball's State of Video Gaming 2026 report.Pokémon Go's PvP revamp.The closure of Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile's servers set for April 2026.The fall of Unity's shares by 91% since November 2021.** Let's Connect **

How will restaurants fare in 2026?This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michelle Korsmo, the president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, who talks about the trade group's State of the Industry Report. Korsmo discusses the industry's annual projection of restaurant sales, profitability and trends. We talk extensively about the association's expectations for foodservice sales this year, projected to be nearly $1.6 billion. We discuss issues with industry profitability, and why so many operators are simply unprofitable. And we talk about immigration and other association priorities.This is a great conversation with the head of the restaurant industry's biggest trade group so please check it out. 

Hospitality careers don't follow straight lines — and that's exactly where the opportunity lies. In this episode, Kimberley Malcolm, General Manager of Member Experience & Compliance at the Australian Hotels Association (Victoria), shares her journey from pouring beers behind the bar to shaping leadership, compliance and community across the hospitality and gaming sectors. You'll hear practical insights on: Why “soft skills” are actually leadership superpowers How women can confidently step into leadership — even when the room doesn't look like them The power of mentorship, sponsorship and genuine networking How hospitality venues remain the heartbeat of their communities This is a must-listen for hospitality professionals, emerging leaders and women ready to grow their influence without losing authenticity. Listen now & share with someone building their career in hospitality. Contact Kimberley AHA Website: www.ahavic.com.au State of the Industry Report: https://www.ahavic.com.au/get-to-know-us/13569-2/ Global Gaming Women: https://www.globalgamingwomen.org/ Contact Michelle Website: www.michellepascoe.com

Want to know how web designers feel about AI? In this bonus episode, Christy and Will dive into the new 2026 State of the Web Design Industry Report with Sam Zelitch and Sarah Greisdorf from the Squarespace Circle team.Read the report: https://pros.squarespace.com/web-design-industry-reportFollow Christy on InstagramFollow Will on InstagramSign up for Will's NewsletterSign up for Christy's Newsletter

This week Sam discusses fires in South Africa, Australia and Argentina, Facebook's arbitrary restriction on alcohol-related accounts, France's restriction of copper fungicides and the 2025 State of the US Wine Industry Report from Silicon Valley Bank. You can read the transcript of this newscast (with linked news sources) at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/fires-south-africa-australia-and-argentina-fb-bans-state-us-wine-industry-report.

In this episode of PayTalk, we're joined by Steve Hodgson, CPP, CPTD, and PayrollOrg's Director of Learning and Development, who shares insights from PayrollOrg's latest biennial payroll industry report. Steve explores how the payroll profession is evolving, discussing the increasing value of professional certifications, direct deposit adoption challenges, and emerging global payroll trends. We also cover compensation patterns, technology adoption, and career advancement strategies for payroll professionals navigating an ever-changing landscape. Do you have thoughts or questions about the payroll industry report findings or career development in payroll? We want to hear from you! Join the conversation by reaching out via email at podcasts@payroll.org or sending a message to the PayrollOrg Facebook page.

In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield sits down with Julian Barnes, CEO and Co-Founder of BFS, to unpack the brand-new BFS Pilates Industry Report—the most comprehensive data set on profitable boutique studios to date. Together, they dive into what truly separates high-performing Pilates studios from the rest, including how smaller spaces, premium pricing, and dedicated management drive consistent growth and strong margins.Whether you're wondering how your numbers stack up or what it actually takes to build a million-dollar Pilates business, this conversation offers data-driven insights and validation that success isn't about size—it's about strategy, systems, and smart operations.You'll learn:Why Pilates studios are leading the boutique fitness industry in profitability and revenueHow the Find–Enroll–Retain (FER) framework fuels steady growthThe #1 factor that consistently drives higher total revenue (hint: it's not working harder!)Why referrals still outperform ads for lead generationAnd how independent, owner-led studios are thriving—without franchise backingIf you're ready to transform your studio into a data-driven, profit-optimized business, this is a must-listen.Got a question for Seran? Add it here

6 Figure Bookkeeper Key links: https://linktr.ee/6fb Links to all the stuff we mention

AI is something that is truly transforming global business services, in particular Agentic AI, and there is an incredible amount of discussion around the right and wrong way to use it and implement it within GBS.  Two of the topics we hear the most questions about at SSON are regarding buy vs. build and platform vs. point solutions. There is a lot of information online regarding this topic, but it can often be biased, dependent on whether it's written by a vendor and exactly what their solution is. Therefore, SSON invited AI expert Doug Shannon onto the Podcast to give his seasoned perspective. Doug is a Visionary Leader in Intelligent Automation and AI.  He is a pioneer in driving innovation, operational excellence, and strategic vision across global organizations. Recognized among the Top 50 Intelligent Automation Leaders and twice awarded as a Top 25 Thought Leader in this space. During this episode Doug and I discuss the following resources: SSON Research & Analytics State of the Industry Report, of which you can find a copy here. Shared Services & Outsourcing Week North America  Doug's newsletter Brewing Insights.

In this episode of the ASC Podcast with John Goehle, we discuss the latest news and trends in the ASC industry, discuss the Annual Report to Congress by CMS on the Program Oversight of Accrediting Organizations and in our focus segment, we interview Kara Newbury from ASCA about the 2026 Proposed CMS ASC Payment Rule.    This episode is sponsored by Surgical Information Systems, RFX Solutions, Medserve and  Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies.   Notes and Resources from this Episode: Anesthesia Time Limit Laws (From Beckers): https://www.beckersasc.com/anesthesia/anesthesia-time-limit-laws-where-3-bills-stand/?origin=ASCE&utm_source=ASCE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=0573H1191845C8E CMS Prior Authorization: https://ascnews.com/2025/09/ascs-still-struggling-with-prior-authorization-despite-payer-pledges/ QSO-25-25-AO/CLIA - FY 2022 Report to Congress (RTC): Review of Medicare's Program Oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AOs) and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) Validation Program:  https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-25-25-ao/clia.pdf INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASC PODCAST WITH JOHN GOEHLE ASC Central, a sister site to http://ascpodcast.com provides a link to all of our bootcamps, educational programs and membership programs! https://conferences.asc-central.com/ Join one of our Membership Programs! Our Patron Program: Patron Members of the ASC Podcast with John Goehle have access to ASC Central - an exclusive membership website that provides a one-stop  ASC Regulatory and Accreditation Compliance, Operations and Financial Management resource for busy Administrators, nurse managers and business office managers.  More information and Become Member The ASC-Central Premium Access Program A Premium Resource for Ambulatory Surgery Centers including access to bootcamps, education programs and private sessions More Information and Become a Premium Access Program Members Today! Important Resources for ASCs: Conditions for Coverage: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=42:3.0.1.1.3&idno=42#se42.3.416_150 Infection Control Survey Tool (Used by Surveyors for Infection Control) https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107_exhibit_351.pdf Updated Guidance for Ambulatory Surgical Centers - Appendix L of the State Operations Manual (SOM) https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_l_ambulatory.pdf https://www.cms.gov/medicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and-memos-states-and/updated-guidance-ambulatory-surgical-centers-appendix-l-state-operations-manual-som Policy & Memos to States and Regions CMS Quality Safety & Oversight memoranda, guidance, clarifications and instructions to State Survey Agencies and CMS Regional Offices. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions Other Resources from the ASC Podcast with John Goehle: Visit the ASC Podcast with John Goehle Website Books by John Goehle Get a copy of John's most popular book - The Survey Guide - A Guide to the CMS Conditions for Coverage & Interpretive Guidelines for Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Send us a textConsulting hiring is up 22% year over year — the biggest surge since before the pandemic. But there's a catch.In this episode of Strategy Simplified, Japheth breaks down 3 major shifts reshaping the consulting industry right now:The 22% hiring surge (and why entry-level roles are shrinking)How AI is transforming both client work and firm operationsWhy global performance is uneven, with some regions booming and others in declineDownload the full September 2025 Consulting Industry Report free for a deeper dive into the changes.Links:Download the Industry Report (free)Currently working in consulting? Take this month's Sentiment Survey (5min)Unlock 1,000+ consulting jobs on the Management Consulted Job BoardPartner LinksStax is hiring! See open roles and requirementsListen to the Market Outsiders podcast, the new daily show with the Management Consulted teamConnect With Management Consulted Schedule free 15min consultation with the MC Team. Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and industry insights! Join an upcoming live event - case interviews demos, expert panels, and more. Email us (team@managementconsulted.com) with questions or feedback.

Listen. Do you hear that? That faint scream and growl of a chainsaw? Make no mistake,haunt season has started. A handful of haunted attractions have already opened theirdoors and fear is starting to rise. Over the next few weeks more and more haunts willcreak open their gates, welcoming visitors to their doom. It is truly the most wonderfultime of the year and the Big Scary Show is celebrating with you. Our (g)hosts areexcited about the upcoming season and are preparing to share the scares with you. Aswe always say, get out there and support your local haunts.Storm is ranting about radioactive shrimp in a Haunt Minute. Meathook Jim has been sick, so no Between the Corpses this week, Badger brings you the latest in DeadlineNews as well as some bonus Midsummer Scream interviews from Long BeachCalifornia. The Old Crone is talking about how queue line actors can also be your firstline of security. We do have a Gruesome Giveaway for September, so listen carefullyand be sure to enter. Vysther is back with his thoughts on 50 years of the movie ‘Jaws'.And finally, we're spinning some spooky tunes to welcome back haunt season.The Roundtable of Terror discusses the 2025 Haunt Industry Report with our guest AlexLinebrink of HauntPay. Each year his staff works hard to gather data regarding hauntedattractions and gets the report out just before the season starts. How does your hauntcompare to others? How were ticket sales? Are VIP and Skip the Line passes worth theextra cost? How is AI being used in haunt marketing? Find out the answers to these andmany other questions during this very informative Roundtable. All this and so muchmore.We hid the body, but you'll become an accomplice just by listening to……..the BIGSCARY SHOW Episode 349. (Now, get out there and see all the new scary stuff that'swaiting for you)Featured music:Grave Tone Productions - The Final HourEerie Von - NightmareJerry Vayne - Voodoo DollBadjack Productions - Sanctuary of the Dammed

In today's episode of Supply Chain Now, we present an incisive exploration of the current landscape within the global supply chain sector, focusing particularly on the essential role of leadership in navigating prevailing challenges. Welcome to The Buzz, powered by EasyPost!Today, hosts Scott Luton and Tandreia Bellamy welcome special guest Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive, to discuss the Women in Supply Chain Awards and the upcoming Women in Supply Chain Forum. Listen as they cover:The rising demand for foreign trade zone accessThe state of the industry report by ColliersInsights from chief people officers on talent strategiesThe 2025 Women in Supply Chain Awards and the upcoming Women in Supply Chain Forum The importance of communication, strategic thinking, and inclusivity in navigating the complexities of the supply chain industryJoin us as we collectively seek to understand the implications of these developments on future supply chain operations.Additional Links & Resources:With That Said: https://bit.ly/WTS-7SEP2025 Colliers State of Industry Report: https://bit.ly/ColliersStateoftheIndustryReportChief People Officers Outlook 2025: Talent strategy amid global disruption: https://bit.ly/CPOviewsU.S. Foreign Trade Zones Draw New Demand as De Minimis Ends: https://on.wsj.com/4nrwm53Why AI Is the Conversation at Parcel Forum: http://bit.ly/4m7Q8kTConnect with Marina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinamayer/Learn more about EasyPost: https://supplychainnow.com/easypostCheck out the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: bit.ly/scn-us-bankLearn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/joinWork with us! Download Supply Chain Now's NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVkWEBINAR- Real stories: Fast-tracking value, a pioneering digital transformation with impactful results.: https://bit.ly/4mgp1EWWEBINAR- Real Shipping Stories. Real Money Saved.: https://bit.ly/45PegUmWEBINAR- From Compliance to Impact and Competitive Advantage: How to Decarbonize Your Supply Chain: https://bit.ly/47uXKKoWEBINAR- The Power of Partnership: Building Long-Term Success with Automation Integrators:

Today I'm speaking with my friend Jeremy Enns, the founder of Podcast Marketing Academy, an accelerator program that works with scrappy, ambitious creators and brands who are serious about podcast growth. Jeremy and I have a lot in common. We both care a lot about craft design and helping people who are already doing the work. For the last three years, Jeremy has published the Podcast Marketing Trends Report. This is a substantial piece of independent research that he produces about the state of podcast marketing, and it's had a major impact on his business. So in this episode, Jeremy walks us through, step by step, exactly how he puts together this report and how you can do it too. 2025 Podcast Marketing Trends Report Podcast Marketing Academy Tropical MBA #729 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeremy's ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠LinkedIn *** TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Podcast Growth Rate Insights 09:04 Extreme Projects and PR Opportunities 11:24 Evaluating Report's Relevance and Value 16:47 Securing Sponsorships Through Strong Concepts 24:23 Strengthening Brand through Annual Report 31:27 Avoid Confirmation Bias in Reports 37:26 Curiosity-Driven Research Approach 38:54 Survey Design Skills Essential 46:13 Maximizing Survey Response Rates 51:57 Podcast Performance Analysis Strategies 55:41 DIY Data Visualization Strategy 01:02:51 Podcast Industry Networking Insights 01:06:31 Collaborative Blog Strategy and Podcast 01:12:30 Navigating Data Analysis with AI *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#188: Richard van der Blom – How the man behind the LinkedIn Algorithm Report uses LinkedIn. *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY

Friend of the network Pam Jahnke, Mid-West Farm Report, visits with Laurence Williams, Dairy-Beef Cross Development Lead at Purina, in the fourth episode of the Purina Dairy Podcast.

Ask anyone in the beef or dairy world what’s changed lately, and beef-on-dairy will come up fast. And for good reason, these crossbred calves grade well, perform consistently and offer a reliable supply chain supply, all resulting in diversified on-farm income. But they also raise important questions: How do we raise them better? How do we align expectations from farm to packer? How do we make sure this segment keeps improving? Laurence Williams, beef-on-dairy development for Purina Animal Nutrition, is here today to discuss the beef-on-dairy sector and the launch of the second edition of the Beef-on-Dairy Industry Report.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASI Media's editors discuss the biggest topics from Counselor's annual promo industry report, including tariffs, Q2 sales and top markets & products.

The James Beard Foundation's Independent Restaurant Industry Report 2025 (which we highly recommend all listeners read), offers insights and possible solutions to a wide range of challenges and opportunities for American restaurants. Produced in collaboration with Deloitte, the survey is based on interviews with 50 independent restaurateurs and survey responses from more than 350 industry leaders. The JBF's VP of Impact Anne McBride joins Andrew for a detailed discussion of the survey and subjects as varied as changing dining and drinking habits, employee wages, and creative marketing strategies for restaurants of all price points and levels of formality. A free-flowing and, we think, informative idea exchange based on real, up-to-the-minute data that we hope will be of value to anybody in the industry, and hugely informative to non-industry pros who enjoy dining in restaurants.Huge thanks to Andrew Talks to Chefs' presenting sponsor, meez, the recipe operating software for culinary professionals. Meez powers the Andrew Talks to Chefs podcast as part of the meez  Network, featuring a breadth of food and beverage podcasts and newsletters. THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Send us a textJoin Serena and Alyssa Lang, the Workflow Queen, as they dive deep into the results of the first-ever State of Virtual Bookkeeping and Accounting Industry Report! We collected over 200 responses from bookkeepers and accounting firm owners like you, and the data is honestly eye-opening. This isn't your typical corporate survey - this is BY us, FOR us small firm owners.In this episode you'll hear:The advisory services reality check - Why 41% of you are probably already doing advisory work but not charging for itThe referral marketing machine breakdown - Since 41% of you rely on word-of-mouth referrals, we're sharing specific strategies to systematize and amplify your referral gameTeam structure insights - Why so many are working full-time but haven't built a team yetClient capacity breakdown - 26% are serving 20+ clients, and we're breaking down how that's even possibleIndustry positioning trends - What people are calling themselves and their businessesResources mentioned in this episode:ambitiousbookkeeper.com/resultsConnect with Alyssa:

What happens when venture capitalists spend billions on AI but need customers to buy it? In this episode, Blake and David explore how investment firms are now purchasing accounting firms to force-feed AI adoption, comparing it to Pepsi buying restaurants to sell more soda. They also dig into the massive gap between AI promises and reality, questioning bold claims that 80% of tax prep is now automated while basic bookkeeping tools still make obvious errors. You'll learn about the AICPA's surprising neutrality on eliminating the PCAOB, Billy Long's confirmation as IRS commissioner despite his controversial past, and why accountant optimism has plummeted 58 points in just four months. Plus, discover how Miley Cyrus hid drug purchases from her accountant and why audit reports get downloaded only 30 times despite millions of investors.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayRelay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/relay Keeper - http://accountingpodcast.promo/keeperPayhawk - http://accountingpodcast.promo/payhawkChapters(00:57) - Updates from AICPA Engage (01:45) - AI in Accounting: Hype vs Reality (03:38) - The Future of the PCAOB (13:52) - The Role of Technology in Accounting (29:15) - Miley Cyrus' Financial Deception (29:56) - Miley Cyrus' Vintage Clothing Purchases (30:32) - Accountant's Responsibility in Client Purchases (32:11) - Billy Long Confirmed as IRS Commissioner (33:03) - Controversial Tribal Tax Credits (36:51) - Elon Musk's Opposition to the Big Beautiful Bill (46:06) - Accounting Firms' Optimism and AI Adoption (49:29) - Conclusion and Sponsor Messages  Show NotesCPAacademy 2025 AI and Accounting Report https://www.cpaacademy.org/resources/ai-accounting-report-2025How to Reimagine Audit Quality Beyond the PCAOB https://www.cpajournal.com/2025/01/15/reimagining-audit-quality-beyond-pcaob/Inflow Survey: 70% of US Businesses Open to Switching Audit Firms https://www.inflowaudit.com/resources/audit-firm-switching-survey-2025Gian Porzio LinkedIn Post on Tribal Tax Credit Investigation https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gianporzio_tribal-tax-credits-investigation-billy-longEconomist-YouGov Poll on Big Beautiful Bill Public Opinion https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/06/13/americans-support-musk-criticism-trump-tax-billCBO Analysis of Big Beautiful Bill Wealth Transfer Effects https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61234Avalara 2025 Accountants Confidence Report https://www.avalara.com/us/en/resources/reports/2025-accountants-confidence-report.htmlCenter for Audit Quality Audit Partner Pulse Survey https://www.thecaq.org/audit-partner-pulse-survey-2025European Business Travel to US Drops 25% in April https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Management/European-Business-Travel-US-Drops-Tariff-ConcernsXero 2025 State of the Industry Report https://www.xero.com/us/resources/small-business-insights/state-of-industry-report-2025/Indiana CPA Society Survey on Firm Headcount Predictions https://www.incpas.org/resources/surveys/firm-headcount-predictions-2025BDO $1 Billion AI Strategy Investment Announcement https://www.bdo.com/insights/business-financial-advisory/technology/bdo-ai-strategy-investmentRSM $1 Billion AI Investment Plan https://rsmus.com/insights/rsm-ai-investment-strategy-2025Create Professional Alliance CPA $500 Million Investment Plan https://www.createprofessionalalliance.com/investment-strategyThrive Capital $1 Billion OpenAI Investment Details https://www.techcrunch.com/2024/08/15/thrive-capital-openai-investment-billionGeneral Catalyst Accrual AI Startup and Accounting Firm Acquisitions https://www.generalcatalyst.com/portfolio/accrual-ai-accounting-vertical-integrationNeed CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cl...

In this issue, we take a closer look at the aviation industry's long-term mindset amid short-term turbulence. While challenges like aircraft shortages, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainty continue to test the sector, many airlines and airports, particularly in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, are pressing ahead with bold expansion plans. From major airport developments in Saudi Arabia and India to strategic fleet growth by carriers like IndiGo and Kenya Airways, the industry's future focus is unmistakable. We explore how these players are positioning themselves for tomorrow's passenger demand, even as today's realities make delivery and execution anything but simple.

An insightful episode of The Bookkeepers' Podcast, Jo Wood and Zoe Whitman break down the key findings from Xero's 2025 Accounting and Bookkeeping Industry Report. With Jo's experience as a member of the Xero Partner Advisory Council (XPAC), the duo take a deep dive into what the latest data reveals about the future of the industry — from growth and technology adoption to advisory services and evolving client needs. Jo and Zoe explore the report's benchmarks, offering their perspective on where bookkeepers and accountants are thriving and where there's room for improvement. They also reflect on how tech-driven practices are changing the landscape, why some firms are still behind on cloud adoption, and how small practices can turn these trends into opportunities for growth. Xero State of the Industry Report: https://www.xero.com/uk/campaign/part...

Barb O'Brien, CEO of DMI, discusses the State of the Industry report with its authors, Will Loux, analyst with NMPF and U.S. Dairy Export Council, and Mike McCully, DMI consultant. DMI commissioned the report in early 2024 and highlights the unprecedented $8-10 billion in new and expanded dairy infrastructure. Key findings include the significant impact of new cheese plant capacity, consumer recovery from high inflation, and structural changes in the dairy industry in China. The report emphasizes the checkoff's need to invest in strategies focused on new product innovations and research, new technologies, and a strong commitment to meeting global demand, as well as the ability to adapt to changing market dynamics. Tune in to find out! To learn more about the national dairy checkoff and your local dairy checkoffs, please visit dairycheckoff.com Host & Guest: ·      Host: Barb O'Brien, CEO and President of Dairy Management Inc. ·      Guest: Will Loux, Senior Vice President, Global Economics Affairs of U.S. Dairy Export Council ·      Guest: Mike McCully, President of McCully Consulting

This week is our May Roundtable episode and we have four topics to discuss, one of which is a State of the Gaming Industry report from Epyllion, a Venture Capital company reporting to their investors.  Here is the report to view for yourself:  State of Video Gaming by Matthew Ball . We welcome two of our longtime community members that were here well before our community was created as they have their long running gaming podcast: Potato Thumbs Podcast .  We welcome FluffyFingersMD and AdmiralNips.   Welcome to Guardian Down Cast: A Destiny Podcast...if you love to play the game Destiny 2, you've come to the right place.  We're a podcast community full of like minded Guardians who love the game. Have you ever wondered who that gamertag next to you is in a raid?  Where are they from?  How did they find Destiny?  Well, it's our mission to hear the stories of our Destiny community, wherever that may be.  We report the latest updates and news within the game and community and we're a podcast that emphasizes our community, because without it, it's just not the same Destiny.  That's why our show motto is "Guardian Down Cast...your stories, your community...your Destiny.   Kingsleymac on X   Want to leave us a voicemail for the show?   Need a Destiny clan? Join us!   See the show LIVE on YouTube...   ...join in the conversation in our GDC Discord   GDC Instagram   Want to give back to our show and community? Join our Patreon Community!   Check out our brand new site!   Join GDC on X...   Apple Music GDC Song Playlist   GDC Spotify Song Playlist   ToddtheGatr on X      

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts Matthew Januszek, Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks, are joined by Julian Barnes, Co-founder and CEO of BFS. Julian unpacks critical trends shaping boutique fitness—like the explosive growth of Pilates studios, the impact of tariffs on equipment pricing, and the secrets behind the most profitable studios. If you're a studio owner, investor, or just passionate about the business of fitness, this is an essential listen packed with actionable insights. This LIFTS episode covers: The power of hiring a full-time manager. Studio profitability benchmarks and benchmarks. Tariffs, supply chains, and pricing strategy. The growing role of experience in member retention. Why Pilates is outperforming other modalities. To learn more about the 2024 BFS State of the Industry Report, click here: https://main.bfsnetwork.com/state-of-the-industry-report Use discount code "LIFTS" to get $50.00 off your copy of the report.  ====================================================== Support fitness industry news by sponsoring future LIFTS episodes. Contact us at wendy@escapefitness.com for advertising opportunities. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it's published: https://www.youtube.com/user/EscapeFitness Shop gym equipment: https://escapefitness.com/shop View our full catalog: https://escapefitness.com/support/catalog (US) https://escapefitness.com/support/catalogue (UK)  ====================================================== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Escapefitness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escapefitness Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/escapefitness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/escapefitness/   00:00 Welcome Back to LIFTS 02:00 Introducing Julian Barnes 03:30 The BFS Network & State of the Industry 05:10 Breaking News: Exponential Fitness & Sequel 08:45 Studio-Level Performance vs Portfolio Models 11:20 The Impact of Tariffs on Equipment Imports 16:15 Rethinking Global Manufacturing Strategies 19:40 How Operators Can Sell Outcomes, Not Features 21:00 Profitable Studios Have One Key Role… 24:00 Trainer vs. CEO: What Studio Owners Must Become 27:30 FER: Find, Enroll, Retain 30:00 Aggregators like ClassPass: Help or Hindrance? 33:00 Pilates Is Booming—Here's Why 37:00 What Actually Works in Boutique Fitness 42:00 Raise Prices, Raise Value 45:00 Takeaways: Fundamentals Over Fads 48:30 Disney-Level Client Experience? Why It Matters 50:00 Wrap-up & How to Get the Report

In this episode, Eric Malzone welcomes Julian Barnes, co-founder and CEO of BFS Network, for an insightful discussion on the state of the boutique fitness industry. Drawing from BFS's latest annual report, Julian shares data-driven strategies that gym owners can use to improve profitability, streamline operations, and build sustainable businesses. The conversation covers everything from fundamental KPIs to surprising trends that challenge conventional wisdom in the fitness space.   https://podcastcollective.io/ https://egym.com/int

Today I am chatting with Ciara Crossan, Founder of Wedding Pro and Wedding Dates. Each year they release an excellent wedding industry report that I LOVE. In today's episode we dive deep into the stats to see what you should be paying attention to in 2025.Download the 2025 UK wedding pro by wedding dates reportDownload the 2025 Ireland wedding pro by wedding dates reportJoin the Wedding Pro Members LoungeTime Stamps:00:05 - The Importance of Virtual Tours in Wedding Planning00:37 - Introduction to the 2025 Wedding Industry Report11:08 - The Rise of Gen Z and Marketing Strategies21:38 - The Impact of AI on Wedding Planning33:23 - The Rise of Ghosting in Wedding Planning37:37 - Understanding Ghosting in the Wedding IndustryMentioned in this episode:Wedding Pro members loungeFind out more about the wedding pro members lounge: https://go.beccapountney.com/wedpro

This collection of articles from ARGS Spring 2025 provides a snapshot of various developments and challenges within the global aviation industry. Several pieces focus on airline growth strategies, including network expansion, fleet modernisation with aircraft like the A321XLR and A220, and adapting to evolving market demands and seasonality. Airport developments are also highlighted, such as capacity expansions in London, infrastructure upgrades in the US and India, and sustainability initiatives in Düsseldorf. Ground handling services face pressures related to costs, labour, and sustainability, prompting discussions on standardisation and investment. Finally, the revival of regional aviation in New Zealand and the emergence of new airlines and market dynamics in Latin America are explored.

Deidra Green, VP, Field Performance and Inclusion at European Wax Center, joins Sara Rosas, Revenue Director at Innovate Marketing Group to discover how intentionality, curiosity, and inclusivity can transform workplace culture, create meaningful relationships, and celebrate the diverse identities we all carry. Listen now!About the guest:Deidra Green is a licensed esthetician, MBA, aPHR, author, former business owner and now VP of Field Performance and Inclusion at European Wax Center. In addition to driving performance of the Field Training team, Deidra also has oversight of the Industry Relations and Learning and Development functions which ensure EWC attracts top talent to our franchise locations and gives them the tools necessary to thrive once we have their commitment. On fostering inclusion, her role is to partner with leadership to set DE&I strategy, leading the organization's implementation of strategic DE&I action-orientated initiatives, goals, and measurement in alignment with our values: We Care About Each Other, We Do the Right Thing, We Delight Our Guests and We Have Fun While Being Awesome.Follow Deidra Green on LinkedIn and download our exclusive DEIB calendar here.Stay ahead of the curve with insights into the latest trends shaping the events industry. Download the full 2025 State of the Industry Report here.We're Top 3!

There are few things worse than yet another company laying people off… and EA has committed the sin of obfuscating job losses. Also: Earnings season is underway, the Circana report for December 2024 and the full year, a recap of the GDC State of the Industry report, and more. You can support Virtual Economy's growth via our Ko-Fi and also purchase Virtual Economy merchandise! TIME STAMPS [00:00:49] - EA Takes a Tumble [00:12:58] - Microsoft Q2 FY25 Earnings [00:19:38] - Capcom Q3 FY25 Earnings [00:25:39] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for December 2024 and Full Year 2024 [00:35:25] - Learnings from the GDC State of the Industry Report [01:05:38] - Investment Interlude [01:14:06] - Quick Hits [01:25:21] - Labor Report [01:38:15] - Listener Questions [01:50:18] - FAFO SOURCES Electronic Arts Pre-Announces Preliminary Q3 FY25 Results | EA Electronic Arts EVP Jacob Schatz sells shares worth $215,174 | MSN Earnings Release FY25 Q2 | Microsoft Consolidated financial results for the 3rd Quarter of FY2024 | Capcom Meta Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results | Meta The drone pilot who took out an LA firefighting plane pleads guilty to escape prison | The Verge INVESTMENT INTERLUDE Pocketpair launches publishing business [Pocketpair Publishing] and announces first publishing partnership with SURGENT STUDIOS. | Pocketpair Virtuos acquires three studios to 'significantly augment' development support capabilities | Game Developer Board game distribution major Alliance gets $39m buyout bid as owner Diamond Comics files for bankruptcy protection | BoardGameWire Closing of Easybrain divestment | Embracer Group LABOR REPORT BioWare Studio Update | BioWare Blog Reflector confirms more layoffs after Unknown 9 falls short of expectations | Game Developer Phoenix Labs Lays Off Most of Its Staff | Phoenix Labs on LinkedIn Ubisoft Layoffs and Closures | Ubisoft Leamington on LinkedIn Fast Travel Games Lays off 30 People | Fast Travel Games on LinkedIn Studio co-founded by Dr Disrespect closing after three years working on new FPS | PCGamesN

In this episode, Cameron discusses the insights gathered from over 100 practice owners in the aesthetic and elective wellness industry. He highlights the importance of marketing strategies, the challenges of standing out in a competitive market, and the critical role of patient retention. The conversation delves into the current state of the industry, marketing spend alignment, digital marketing trends, and the necessity of embracing technology and automation for business growth. He also emphasizes that successful practices invest in marketing, prioritize retention, and leverage technology to enhance patient experiences and drive profitability.Listen In!Thank you for listening to this episode of Medical Millionaire!Takeaways:The podcast aims to provide value for medical aesthetics practice owners.Cameron Hemphill has over 10 years of experience in the aesthetic space.77% of MedSpa owners find it harder to stand out in the market.67% of MedSpas spend less than $2,500 a month on marketing.Retention rates are crucial for practice growth and profitability.AI and automation will be key for success in 2025.Social media is a significant driver of demand for MedSpas.42% of new business comes from referrals, yet few have structured programs.Membership models are effective for patient retention.Only 18% of practices are utilizing marketing automation effectively.Unlock the Secrets to Success in Medical Aesthetics & Wellness with "Medical Millionaire"Welcome to "Medical Millionaire," the essential podcast for owners and entrepreneurs inMedspas, Plastic Surgery, Dermatology, Cosmetic Dental, and Elective Wellness Practices! Dive deep into marketing strategies, scaling your medical practice, attracting high-end clients, and staying ahead with the latest industry trends. Our episodes are packed with insights from industry leaders to boost revenue, enhance patient satisfaction, and master marketing techniques.Our Host, Cameron Hemphill, has been in Aesthetics for over 10 years and has supported over 1,000 Practices, including 2,300 providers. He has worked with some of the industry's most well-recognized brands, practice owners, and key opinion leaders.Tune in every week to transform your practice into a thriving, profitable venture with expert guidance on the following categories...-Marketing-CRM-Patient Bookings-Industry Trends Backed By Data-EMR's-Finance-Sales-Mindset-Workflow Automation-Technology-Tech Stack-Patient RetentionLearn how to take your Medical Aesthetics Practice from the following stages....-Startup-Growth-Optimize-Exit Inquire Here:http://get.growth99.com/mm/

What actually happened in 2024? We started to see changes in consumer behaviour… rebookings, deposits, buying retail and then also changes with our team and technology. But what do these changes actually mean for your Salon and for our industry?  And how do these changes affect how you do business in 2025? On this episode of the Salon Owners Collective Podcast, Shortcuts co-Founder, Jo and I are breaking down the key figures from the Shortcuts Industry report… Some of the results may surprise you!  Here is Is the Hair and Beauty Industry Going Downhill?   Here is why you should listen to the full episode: Learn what happened in 2024 Understand what these industry stats mean Know how to get a head in 2025 Salon Mastery Achieve Salon Growth without being overwhelmed or overworking - it is possible!  Salon Mastery is a coaching program that provides you with the tools & support you need to build a profitable & successful Salon. Together, we'll build a 9-part business strategy for your salon with your own dedicated success coach to lead you toward success.  Apply Now to Salon Mastery Coaching now. Resources  CLICK HERE Join over 6,000 industry experts and Salon Owners in my Profitable & Successful Salon Owners Facebook group. Connect with Shortcuts  2024 Industry Report: https://go.shortcuts.com.au/2024-industry-report  Shortcuts Website: https://www.shortcuts.com.au/  Shortcuts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shortcuts_anz/  Shortcuts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShortcutsSoftware  Jo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-burgess?originalSubdomain=au

  Chapters 0:25 Introduction to Tow Business Podcast 0:50 Opening Dialog 8:01 Remembering Irvin Johns 9:39 Traxero's 2024 State of Towing Report 46:57 Marketing Opportunities for Towing Businesses 1:04:53 Conclusion and Acknowledgments     **Tow Business Podcast**: Your Ultimate Source for Towing Industry Insights In this episode, titled "Show 133," co-hosts Jeff and Brad share their thoughts and experiences related to the towing industry, while diving deep into the recently released 2024 State of Towing Annual Report by Traxero. As the longest-running podcast in the towing industry, the Tow Business Podcast aims to deliver crucial information and news to help listeners grow their businesses while promoting professionalism within the field. The episode opens with a conversation highlighting the cold Ohio winter and the anticipation of the upcoming Christmas party organized by Jeff's company. They discuss the logistics and challenges of hosting a holiday gathering, all while keeping a light-hearted banter that draws listeners in. Brad shares a fun weekend adventure spent at Wind Rock Off Road Park, showcasing the camaraderie between the hosts and how they balance their professional lives with personal interests. As the episode transitions, they pay homage to Irvin Johns, the owner of Suburban Towing who recently passed away. Jeff recounts his memorable interactions with Irvin and how he contributed to the towing industry through innovative practices and exceptional service. The hosts remind listeners of the importance of respecting those who have positively impacted the community. The conversation then shifts to the core topic of the episode—the Traxero 2024 State of Towing Annual Report. Jeff and Brad provide insights from the report, which was collected from a significant number of towing professionals across the United States and Canada. Listeners are encouraged to download and read the report for a comprehensive understanding of its findings, which include data about company sizes, employee statistics, insurance challenges, and insights into operational efficiencies. One key finding discussed is the overwhelming challenge of increasing insurance costs faced by the majority of towers, with 67% of respondents indicating it as their top concern for 2024. The hosts candidly explore the ramifications of this issue on their businesses and emphasize the necessity for effective safety protocols to manage risk. The podcast further discusses the importance of seizing cash calls and growing commercial accounts, as well as optimizing impound operations. The hosts talk about the overlooked potential of impound yards and the importance of maximizing profit from this segment of the business. Hiring and retaining staff remains a pressing challenge within the industry, with various anecdotes illustrating the difficulties associated with finding reliable employees. Jeff and Brad also touch upon the critical role of marketing amid rising competition and economic challenges. They express concern over the lack of investment in marketing efforts by many towing companies, highlighting how this can hinder growth and customer acquisition. The conversation transitions into practical marketing strategies that can help businesses increase their digital presence and effectively capture cash call opportunities. As the episode wraps up, Jeff and Brad summarize various pivotal aspects of the report, reinforcing the idea that adapting business strategies in response to market data is essential for growth. They encourage listeners to remain informed and proactive in an ever-evolving industry landscape, voicing gratitude toward Traxero for producing such significant research and insights. Join Jeff and Brad on this engaging episode of the Tow Business Podcast for a detailed exploration of current challenges and opportunities in the towing industry, as well as valuable advice on enhancing business practices. Be sure to listen, subscribe, and share your thoughts with the hosts for future show ideas! Miller industries Traxero Harbinger Marketing  

June auto sales are forecast to be down as much 7%; higher interest rates and crushing debt causes chaos in Kenya; union representing film, TV crews reached labor deal with Hollywood studios; Verizon bundles streaming services to hang onto cable internet customers.