Podcasts about margins

If your payroll keeps climbing but reimbursement isn't, something has to change. In this episode, Brian sits down with Wendy Lucas from Highbridge to break down how a remote PT front desk powered by a virtual team can stabilize staffing, improve patient experience, and protect your margins — without sacrificing the human touch. They discuss the real pain points practice owners face: turnover, call-outs, inconsistent collections, Medicare concerns, and rising administrative costs. More importantly, they explain how a live, tech-enabled front desk model can reduce overhead, increase consistency, and help you build a leaner, more profitable practice. If you're serious about lowering payroll, improving operational stability, and modernizing your PT front office, this is a conversation you don't want to miss.  

If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guest this week is Singaporean rapper-producer Mary Sue. We spoke about Bugonia,  No Other Choice, the Singaporean movie theater experience, the work of Stephen Chow, Kanye West, and Earl Sweatshirt, how his time in the army led to him making music in earnest, honoring his heritage and putting his own spin on hip-hop, and the creative process behind several of his project, particularly Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword and the bloomcycle-produced EP Unintended Self Expressions From Selling Reflections On The Internet. Come fuck with us. Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Unintended Self Expressions From Selling Reflections On The Internet is available exclusively on Bandcamp. Head to Sue's Bandcamp page to cop both. Follow Mary Sue on Instagram (@sweetmarysue) and Twitter (@marysueraps).  Reel Notes stands in solidarity with American immigrants against ICE and the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund,  The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. Protest, fight back, and fuck the system.  My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), Letterboxd (@CineMasai), and subscribe to my weekly Nu Musique Friday newsletter to stay tapped in to all things Dylan Green.  Follow Hearing Things at hearingthings.co or @hearingthingsco on all social platforms.   

Rising input costs. Supply chain uncertainty. Tightening environmental regulation. Increasing sustainability criteria in tenders. For many Longford SMEs, these pressures feel like added burdens. But what if the same pressures could become a competitive edge? Circular Advantage is a practical, results-focused event designed to show Longford SMEs how circular economy practices can directly improve profitability, reduce risk and unlock new growth opportunities. Taking place during Enterprise Week and hosted by award-winning broadcaster Ella McSweeney, the Circular Advantage event will take place on Tuesday, 3 March from 10am-12.30pm in Longford Golf Club. This event moves beyond theory to focus on what business owners care about most: cost control, contract wins and long-term resilience. What's in it for SMEs? Attendees will leave with clear, actionable insights on how to: — Reduce material and waste costs and improve operational efficiency — Strengthen supply chain security by reducing reliance on volatile inputs — Win more public and private sector contracts by meeting evolving sustainability and procurement requirements — Avoid compliance risks and future penalties by staying ahead of emerging Irish and EU legislation — Unlock new revenue streams through reuse, repair, service models and smarter product design — Improve access to green finance and ESG-aligned funding — Enhance brand reputation and customer trust — Build a more resilient, future-proof business model This is not about adding cost. It is about designing waste and inefficiency out of your business. Expert Guidance, Local Relevance The event features practical insights from industry leaders: — Valentina Tarasco, Assessment & Metrics Lead with the Circular Economy Team at Irish Manufacturing Research, will break down the current policy landscape and explain how circular practices deliver measurable financial and environmental returns. — John O'Shanahan of LeanBPI will demonstrate how Longford LEO's Lean for Business and Digital for Business programmes can act as immediate, low-risk entry points to improving cost efficiency and embedding circular thinking. — Tim Murphy of Circular Economy Company will share a real-world case study showing how reducing waste to landfill translated into tangible cost savings for a local business. The event concludes with a panel discussion hosted by Ella McSweeney, focused on practical implementation and the funding supports available to help SMEs take the next step. Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr Garry Murtagh, said, "Longford businesses are as capable as any in Ireland of leading the shift to a more resource-efficient economy. Events like Circular Advantage show our SMEs that sustainability is not an added burden — it is a sharper way to run a business, win more work and reduce exposure to cost shocks. I would encourage every business owner and manager in the county to take their place at this event." Chief Executive of Longford County Council, Paddy Mahon, said, "Small businesses in Longford are already living with the effects of higher input costs and more demanding procurement requirements. Circular Advantage gives them a direct route to addressing both — not through theory, but through practical tools they can use in their businesses. Supporting our SME base to be leaner, more competitive and better placed to win contracts is a most welcome investment from the Just Transition Fund." A Strategic Opportunity for Longford The Circular Economy Project, Circular Advantage, is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund. The project aims to position Longford as a leading region in Ireland's shift toward a more resource-efficient and competitive economy. For SME owners and managers asking how to protect margins while staying ahead of regulatory and procurement demands, this event provides both the strategic clarity and practical tools to act now. Places are limited...

What if the restaurants you admire most were never meant to be copied?Alex Pfaffenbach came up inside some of the most celebrated dining rooms in the world—Eleven Madison Park, The NoMad, Quality Branded—where ambition was massive and the standards were unforgiving. He saw what happens when lightning strikes. He also learned that lightning isn't a business model.In this conversation, we break down the difference between managing a restaurant and owning one, why being busy doesn't mean being profitable, and how timing, capital, and emotional resilience shape long-term success. Alex shares how he blended world-class hospitality with commercial discipline to build Marquette and Argyle without chasing anomalies.If you're building something that has to last, and not just impress, this episode will recalibrate how you think about growth.To learn more about Marquette and Argyle and follow Alex's journey as an independent operator, visit marketterestaurant.com._________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

The Copa Libertadores qualifying rounds reach a decisive moment this week. On this episode of the SoccerMetrics Copa Libertadores Show, Howard Hamilton previews all eight second-leg matches in the tournament's second preliminary round, where every tie remains on the edge after tightly contested first legs.From Sporting Cristal and 2 de Mayo's dramatic draw to controversy surrounding Argentinos Juniors and Barcelona, the margins are thin and the tension is rising across South America. Injury concerns, suspensions, altitude challenges, and squad rotation decisions could all determine who moves one step closer to the group stage.Plus, a look at key players to watch, tactical storylines across each bracket track, and what's at stake as clubs fight to keep their Libertadores dreams alive.

MY NEWSLETTER - https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeJoin me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Tarek Arafat (https://x.com/@tarekarafat_), the co-founder of Table One! In this episode, we dive into the incredible story of how Tarek and his co-founder, Frank, built a membership platform that's generating over $200,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR) with nearly 99% margins and zero paid ads.We explore how Table One is solving the epidemic of restaurant reservation scalping in New York City and empowering diners to access high-demand spots. Tarek shares how a personal problem led to a wildly successful, bootstrapped business, including the challenges of initially shutting down due to SMS message costs and the unexpected boost from being featured in The New Yorker.We also discuss their unconventional approach to community funding and Tarek's valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.Questions This Episode Answers:• What major pain point does Table One solve for diners in New York City's high-demand restaurant scene?• How did Table One achieve 99% margins and $200K ARR with no paid ads and just two founders?• What pivotal moment, including an unexpected feature in The New Yorker, accelerated Table One's organic growth?• How did Tarek Arafat overcome challenges, like the initial shutdown of Table One's service, to achieve product-market fit?• What unconventional method did Table One use to raise over $600,000 in investment interest directly from its community?Enjoy the conversation!__________________________Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.__________________________MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98yApple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT__________________________This week we covered:00:00 Introduction to Table One: A New Dining Experience03:05 The Problem with Current Reservation Systems05:54 Building a Solution: How Table One Works09:08 The Business Model and Pricing Strategy12:00 The Journey of Building Table One14:51 From Idea to Execution: The Founder's Story18:10 Navigating Challenges and Growth21:05 The Future of Table One and Dining Reservations29:09 Balancing Work and Startup Life30:34 The Crazy Growth Journey32:58 Navigating Press and Publicity34:56 The Importance of Distribution38:50 Managing Rapid Growth43:13 Lessons from the Journey46:00 Building Community and Investment51:16 Innovating Through Events55:59 Strategic Fundraising and Valuation

Better management doesn’t just improve margins — it could reshape how Canada designs farm policy. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast, Tyler McCann and Elise Bigley of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute sit down with Terry Betker, founder of Backswath Management, to explore a deceptively simple but far-reaching idea: build a national... Read More

Your numbers might look healthy.Revenue's up. Projects are flowing. The pipeline feels… fine.But underneath? Margins are eroding. Cash is tighter than you'd like. And no one's totally confident in the data they're using to make decisions.In this episode of The Handbook, Harv Nagra sat down with finance and business ops advisor Robert Patin to unpack what's really going on beneath the surface of many professional service businesses right now – and why operational maturity is the difference between surviving and thriving.Here's what we dive into:

Lucas Swisher co-leads the growth fund at Coatue where he has partnered with iconic companies like OpenAI, Harvey, Deel, Canva, Openevidence, Anthropic, and others. Prior to Coatue, he was on the investment team at Kleiner Perkins, where he focused on growth stage software businesses.  AGENDA: 04:23 Why Public SaaS Is Getting Crushed in the AI Wave 06:01 How to Find Value in the Deluge of Public SaaS 10:34 Durability of Revenue in AI 17:42 Market Size vs. Founder Quality: What Wins? 19:04 Why Price is the Last Thing to Matter 24:58 Mega-Funds Math: Can $5B+ Funds Still Generate Venture Returns? 28:04 What Returns Are 'Enough'? Why 3x Isn't Exciting at Growth 30:34 When Double-Downs Go Wrong: Overestimating TAM and Multi-Product Expansion 33:03 Margin Matters… But at Scale: AI Gross Margins, Cost Curves & Efficiency 36:42 Why it has never been harder to be a seed investor 39:25 Is 'Kingmaking' a Myth: When Capital Helps (and When It Hurts) 44:12 Is Canva Really a Platform Company? Multi S-Curves and Leaning into AI Early 46:05 Lessons from Mary Meeker: Modeling, Storytelling with Data, and Not Missing the Forest 48:27 Lessons from Mamoon Hamid: Spotting Inflection Points with Minimal Data (Figma Story) 49:54 LP 'Pick One' Games: Mamoon Hamid, Mary Meeker, Insight Partners 51:41 OpenAI vs Anthropic: Who Wins? 56:52 Most Memorable Founder Meeting: Harvey and Founder-Market Fit 59:00 Career Decisions & Misses: Leaving Insight, Missing Anduril, and Looking Ahead  

Hey Voices from the Bench community! Jessica Love here, sending a shoutout from Utah! If you're passionate about creating natural, beautiful smiles—but want to simplify your workflow without sacrificing aesthetics—this is for you. I'm honored to be part of Ivoclar's development team introducing a powerful new stain and glaze system featuring Structure Paste, IPS e.max Ceram Art. Create stunning depth and lifelike color in as little as one firing. Let's continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change—one smile at a time. Elvis actually made it down to the exhibition halls this year — and hyperDENT from FOLLOW-ME! Technology was everywhere. Booth after booth, people were talking milling strategies, templates, and workflows. It felt like a full-on CAM takeover. Their Milling Roadmap scavenger hunt had attendees bouncing between Axsys, Imagine, D.O.F., and Roland collecting stamps like responsible adults… Responsible adults chasing a bright orange folding electric hyperDENT scooter. That's what we love about the FOLLOW-ME! team — world-class CAM engineers talking microns and validation protocols one minute, then ripping around Lab Day the next. Serious about precision. Not too serious about themselves. Big shoutout for bringing the brains — and the electric horsepower. Come see and talk to Elvis and Barb at all these amazing shows in 2026* Dental Lab Association of Texas Meeting in Dallas Apr 9-11 https://members.dlat.org/ exocad Insights in Mallorca, Spain Apr 30 - May 1 https://exocad.com/insights-2026 This week we finally get Jay Collins to stop dodging Elvis long enough to sit down and share one of the wildest journeys in dental lab history. From a family split between union steamfitters and dental technicians in Philadelphia to surviving “The Great Brotherly Lab War,” Jay's story is packed with grit, loyalty, and a whole lot of Irish Catholic chaos. What started with an uncle drafted into dental technology during Vietnam eventually turned into a multi-generation lab legacy—and Jay swearing he'd never get into teeth… only to build a powerhouse anyway. After the 2008 crash wiped out his construction business, Jay bet everything on selling outsourced restorations door-to-door, sleeping in his car, showering at the gym, and cold-calling hundreds of offices a week. What followed was the development of his unapologetically bold, psychologically savvy sales approach—what he calls being “aggressively calm.” From pushing doctors to “no,” to matching their energy toe-to-toe, to walking into offices as “the lab” and walking out with cases in hand, Jay breaks down the mindset shift most lab owners desperately need: sales isn't optional, and it definitely isn't accidental. Now leading multiple lab locations under the brilliantly simple name thedentallab.net, Jay shares hard truths about growth, mergers, firing abusive clients, and why cutting your sales department in tough times is the worst move you can make. If you've ever struggled with prospecting, scaling, or standing your ground with doctors, this episode is packed with practical strategies, hilarious role-playing, and a reminder that confidence—backed by accountability—wins every time. At Canadian Dental Labs, Icortica has become a cornerstone of how we operate—giving us at-a-glance visibility into performance, helping us focus our efforts, spot opportunities early, and solve problems before they grow. It takes the guesswork out of decision-making and shows us what to do next. Plus, the Icortica team is incredibly responsive and feels like a true partner in our success. If you're serious about growing your business and understanding your customers better, Icortica can get you there. Learn more at icortica.com/voices — Icortica, helping dental labs grow. Join us at exocad Insights 2026, happening April 30–May 1, 2026, on the stunning island of Mallorca, Spain. This two-day event features powerhouse keynotes, hands-on workshops, live software demos, and top-tier industry showcases—all in one unforgettable setting. Barb and Elvis will be on site bringing you exclusive interviews, plus don't miss the Women in Dentistry Lunch, celebrating career growth, wellbeing, and the real stories shaping our profession. And of course, cap it all off with the legendary exoGlam Night under the stars. Tickets are limited. Visit exocad.com/insights-2026 and use code VFTBPalma15 for 15% off.Special Guest: Jay Collins.

Why are you paying for ads… but your bar isn't getting talked about?Your costs are controlled. Margins look healthy. The menu is optimized.On paper, you're doing everything right.But great drinks aren't marketing. They serve guests. They don't create moments. And they won't give people a reason to pull out their phones.A small theatrical upgrade might increase cost. It might also increase perceived value, dwell time, and organic reach.In this episode, we break down how to design a menu that markets your bar for you.If your cocktails taste great but no one's sharing them, this one's for you.

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training AI didn't wipe out SEO; it just exposed who was phoning it in. While some agencies are panicking about AI "stealing their jobs" or racing to the bottom on price, the smart ones are quietly using it to get sharper, more profitable, and more strategic. Today's featured guest has been in the SEO trenches for 15+ years and runs an agency producing millions of words of content every month. He'll break down his perspective on what's actually happening right now, why generic AI content is worthless, how agencies should really be pricing in an AI world, and why this shift is an opportunity to move up-market instead of becoming a commodity. If you run an agency and don't want to be replaced by a robot (or undercut by one), this conversation is for you. David Arato is the founder of Lexicon Legal Content, producing millions of words of SEO content every month for law firms and law-firm marketing agencies across North America. He's been in the SEO game for 15+ years and lived through the AI disruption firsthand. AI is only killing agencies that refuse to adapt The real problem isn't AI Does the SEO vs AEO matter? Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources This episode is brought to you by Wix Studio: If you're leveling up your team and your client experience, your site builder should keep up too. That's why successful agencies use Wix Studio — built to adapt the way your agency does: AI-powered site mapping, responsive design, flexible workflows, and scalable CMS tools so you spend less on plugins and more on growth. Ready to design faster and smarter? Go to wix.com/studio to get started. AI Didn't Kill SEO; It Killed Bad Agencies That Refused to Adapt Probably every agency owner has wondered, "If AI can write content in 30 seconds… why would clients pay us?" over the past couple of years. David had that exact thought in December 2022 when ChatGPT dropped. He literally told his wife he might need to go back to practicing law. Fast forward to now and AI has been nothing but good for business. And that's the part most agency owners are missing. The Real Problem Isn't AI, It's Commoditization According to David, AI removed the barrier to entry for creating generic content. And once everyone can do something, it has no value. That's why blog posts written "for SEO" are dying. Not because content doesn't work, but because copy-paste AI garbage doesn't. Google doesn't care how content is created. They care whether it's helpful, credible, and demonstrates real experience. Especially in "your money, your life" industries like legal, finance, and healthcare. In other words, if your agency's value prop was "we write blog posts," AI exposed how fragile that model was. Why Smart Agencies Are Actually Winning With AI Here's what changed for David's agency, and what should change for yours: Before AI: Writers spent hours on first drafts Margins were capped by human time Strategy was an afterthought After AI: AI handles the grunt work Humans focus on strategy, voice, expertise, and data Content is faster, cheaper to produce, and better That shift matters. Because clients aren't paying for words. They're paying for outcomes. "SEO vs AI Search" Is the Wrong Debate A lot of agencies are stuck arguing: SEO vs AEO SEO vs GEO SEO vs whatever acronym Twitter invents next week Here's the reality: Search is becoming hybrid. This means that, yes, AI overviews now dominate the top of Google. But organic results still matter. Paid is still there. It's all blending together. Which means agencies need to stop selling "SEO deliverables" and start selling search visibility strategy. Same skill set. Bigger mindset. The Pricing Wake-Up Call If you own an agency, you know that clients are asking for more content at lower costs. That's not a threat. It's a forcing function. The agencies that survive will: Increase volume without killing margins Productize strategy Stop selling fulfillment as their core offer The ones that won't? They'll stay stuck in fulfillment, stressed about margins, and quietly resentful of AI. The Real Differentiator Going Forward Everyone has access to the same AI tools. So could clients get the same results by themselves? Not likely What they don't have: Your data. Your experience. Your insights from years in the trenches That's the leverage. And it's why authenticity, real expertise, and human connection are becoming premium assets, whether in content, video, or sales. AI can't shake a hand, AI can't read the room, AI can't replace leadership. That's your unique value proposition. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

Send a textItaly's trip to Dublin ended in defeat, but the story goes far beyond the scoreboard. In this episode, we break down a fascinating Six Nations clash between Ireland and Italy, where moments, not momentum, decided the outcome.We analyse how Ireland's composure and game management proved decisive, while Italy once again showed they belong at this level — pushing, probing, and asking real questions of one of the tournament favourites. From key tactical calls and defensive lapses to encouraging signs in Italy's attacking shape, discipline, and physicality, this is a deep dive into what really happened at the Six Nations showdown in Dublin.Was this another missed opportunity, or further evidence of genuine progress under pressure? And what does it tell us about where Italy are heading — and where Ireland still need to sharpen?All that, plus standout performers, talking points, and what this result means for the rest of the championship.Support the showLike, Share, Rate and Subscribe.For all our socials please follow: https://linktr.ee/fratellidrugby

Episode 621 explores how leadership is shaped in the overlooked moments between meetings, decisions, and reactions. Learn practical ways to lead with discipline, presence, and consistency in the margins of your day.Host: Paul FalavolitoConnect with me on your favorite platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Substack, BlueSky, Threads, LinkTree, YouTubeView my website for free leadership resources and exclusive merchandise: www.paulfalavolito.comBooks by Paul FalavolitoThe 7 Minute Leadership® Handbook: bit.ly/48J8zFGThe Leadership Academy: https://bit.ly/4lnT1PfThe 7 Minute Leadership® Survival Guide: https://bit.ly/4ij0g8yThe Leader's Book of Secrets: http://bit.ly/4oeGzCI

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links —Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.Welcome back

Meta's apparent comeback runs headfirst into shifting UA economics, rising creative costs, and new pressure from platforms like Reddit, forcing marketers to rethink what “working” actually means. We unpack whether Meta is truly back or just delivering short-term dopamine, why in-app ads could reshape ad-monetized LTV, and how CPMs, payback windows, and creative volume are redefining the hyper-casual and hybrid playbooks. Cihan and Josh join to break down the latest Appsflyer data, Reddit's Max campaigns, China's UA surge, and Liftoff's IPO and to debate whether AI is leveling the field or quietly squeezing the middle out of mobile marketing.Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to Deconstructor of Funds + UA Monthly kickoff00:17 Meet the guests: Jihan (Scaling.Games) & Josh (Wildcard Games)01:06 Today's agenda: Meta's return, Appsflyer report, Reddit AI ads, Liftoff IPO01:29 Is “Meta back” real? The 2.5 Gamers breakdown & the dopamine-hit spike02:52 What Meta's actually doing: rollout strategy, templates, and market impact06:05 In-app ads explained: why Meta buying inventory could boost ad-monetized LTV07:48 Ad quality debate: intrusive formats, churn-per-impression, and broken incentives12:58 Can hyper-casual come back? CPMs, payback windows, and hybrid monetization18:38 State of Game Marketing report: shrinking US spend, growth in Turkey/India20:16 The creative arms race: AI variations, the ‘middle class' squeeze, and rising noise23:25 AI Shrinks the Creative Gap: Small Teams Catch Up, Mid-Tier Stalls24:41 China's UA Surge + iOS Outspending Android: Where the Scale Is Coming From25:38 30 Creatives a Day: The New ‘Tax' of Competing in Mobile UA26:07 Ripoffs, Ethics, and Beating the Filters: The Dark Side of Creative Volume28:00 Hero Creatives Aren't Dead—But Copy Speed Forces Smarter Variations30:16 Copying vs. Trends: When ‘Stealing' Is Real (and When It's Just the Market)31:40 Is the Market Really an Iceberg? US Spend Down, Web Shops, and the ‘Hidden' Picture34:27 Reddit ‘Max' Campaigns: Advantage+ for Reddit with a Promise of Transparency37:19 Top Audience Personas: Useful Insight or Just a Fancy Dashboard?39:34 How to Test Reddit Max: Onboarding Friction, Learning Periods, and Scalability Unknowns40:58 Liftoff Files to Go Public: Valuation, Margins, Debt, and the AI Black-Box Race45:44 What's Liftoff's Moat? Engine vs. Fuel, Data Advantages, and the AppLovin Comparison48:35 Wrap-Up: UA Monthly Feedback, What to Cover Next

Mike and Jeff discuss the historic (bad) packer margin. Listen in!

Prediction - BJP is Winning Assam Elections with Huge Margins | Himanta | Congress Finished

Ger Gilroy, Arthur O'Dea, and Matthew Brennan discuss Thursday morning's talking points as Arsenal drop two crucial points at Wolves.Listen to live and exclusive commentary of Derry City's clash with Bohemians this Friday from 7 o'clock on Off The Ball on Newstalk and the GoLoud App.

What if you could manage 360+ units with no W2 employees??That's exactly what Matt Luke is doing in Sioux Falls. In this episode, we break down his lean, AI-powered property management model - from AI leasing agent “Serena” to AI maintenance coordinator “Max,” automated workflows in AppFolio and LeadSimple, and a vendor-first partnership strategy that keeps his margins high.00:00 - Intro02:19 - Matt's backstory04:42 - “No employees” explained06:35 - Pre-leasing playbook09:35 - The lean tech stack13:23 - AI leasing agent ‘Serena'15:36 - AI maintenance agent ‘Max'18:00 - Sponsor - Crane23:08 - Owner comms automation26:29 - Accounting without a bookkeeper28:53 - Application screening workflow30:43 - Process philosophy34:02 - AI tools that fell short38:09 - Margins & unit economics40:38 - Delinquency & evictions45:53 - The vendor partnership model50:46 - Touchless move-in52:58 - Inspections at scale55:05 - From property manager to wealth advisor01:03:06 - Pricing, adoption & upsell ideas01:05:42 - Wrap-upWe dig into how he pre-leases units 90 days out, runs daily bank recs without a bookkeeper, automates owner communication, and keeps friction out of the system (his word, not mine).But here's the part that really stood out: Matt doesn't just do property management. He positions himself as a wealth advisor, moving owners from day-to-day oversight into true asset management.Learn more and connect with Matt here: Luke PropertiesLuke Properties on LinkedInLearn more & connect with me here:⁠Crane⁠, the private community for property management business owners.⁠My Free PM Newsletter⁠⁠RL Property Management⁠

In this episode, we break down what really belongs in COGS, how to read gross margin correctly, and how to dig deeper to uncover hidden margin leaks. If you want stronger cash flow, smarter pricing, and better decisions, this episode will help you master the numbers that matter most.

This week on the Oakley Podcast, host Jeremy Kellett talks with Oakley Owner-Operator Craig Taylor about his journey from a long, successful career in wealth management to trucking and becoming a first-time owner-operator. Craig shares his past as a high-functioning alcoholic, a devastating 2019 single-vehicle accident that nearly killed him, the long recovery that followed, and the wake-up call of alcoholic pancreatitis that led him to quit drinking cold turkey. He explains how faith, second chances, and personal responsibility shaped his return to trucking, his move to Oakley, and his approach to running his truck like a business, covering fuel strategy, costs, and what it really takes to succeed as an owner-operator. Trust us, you won't want to miss this episode! Key topics in today's conversation include:Welcome to Today's Episode (0:51)Safety Reminder About DOT Physicals and MVR (2:45)Meeting Craig Taylor and His Oakley Connection (5:57)Craig's Background, Family, Growing Up In Missouri (7:59)Why Craig Left a Successful Financial Career (11:21)Discovering Trucking and Getting His CDL (17:55)2019 Car Wreck and Life-Threatening Injuries (18:35)Alcoholism, Denial, and Pancreatitis Diagnosis (22:09)Quitting Alcohol Cold Turkey and Liver “Miracle” (24:16)Wrestling With God, Second Chances, and Purpose (29:20)Returning to Trucking and Path to Oakley (31:15)Business Side of Being a First-Time Owner-Operator (37:32)Fuel Strategy, Margins, and Truck Profitability (42:32)Advice For Future Owner Operators and Final Thoughts (44:43)Oakley Trucking is a family-owned and operated trucking company headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas. For more information, check out our show website: podcast.bruceoakley.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does a service business owner actually expect from technicians? In this episode of Windshield Time, Joe Bates, owner of Northern Air Plumbing and Heating, shares the ownership perspective most technicians never hear. This is not theory. It's what ownership sees every day. Payroll. Margins. Reputation. Risk. Joe explains what sets average technicians apart from trusted professionals — and how technicians' behavior directly affects company stability. In this episode: • What Joe Bates expects from his technicians • Why calm presence inside the home matters • How accountability affects profitability • What ownership really means in plumbing and HVAC • How culture starts with standards • Why discipline builds trust with customers If you work in HVAC, plumbing, or electrical service, this episode will change how you think about ownership. If this episode helped you see ownership differently, follow the show and leave a review. Reviews help more technicians and service leaders find Windshield Time. And if you're serious about growing in the trades, send this to someone on your team who needs to understand the bigger picture.

Reel Talk #10 is happening on Saturday, February 21. If you're in the New York area, join me and North Carolina rapper Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon for a screening of the T.I.-starring classic ATL, followed by an interview and audience Q&A. Doors at 6, film starts at 7. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here via Posh or at the door the day-of. This iteration of Reel Talk operates on sliding scale admission, so if price is an issue, please message me directly and we can figure it out.  If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guest this week is Chicago rapper-producer Chris Crack. We spoke about the 1993 survival movie Alive, Toy Story, Friday, Collateral, falling in love with R&B, growing up between Chicago and Mississippi, being inspired by standup comedy, getting more serious about producing, his outrageous song titles, and the creative process behind several of his albums, particularly Too Late To Start Following The Rules Now, out now via Fools Gold. Come fuck with us. Too Late To Start Following The Rules Now is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from Chris's Bandcamp page. Follow Chris Crack on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok (@ChrisCrackNDC).  Reel Notes stands in solidarity with American immigrants against ICE and the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund,  The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. Protest, fight back, and fuck the system.  My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), Letterboxd (@CineMasai), and subscribe to my weekly Nu Musique Friday newsletter to stay tapped in to all things Dylan Green.  Follow Hearing Things at hearingthings.co or @hearingthingsco on all social platforms.   

Likefolio's Landon Swan notes Carvana's (CVNA) extraordinary run over the past few years despite a recent dip in the stock. He notes that it is handily beating rival CarMax (KMX) in web visits and notes that it has figured out how to “double the margins” per vehicle compared to other auto retailers. “They focused on getting it right on a per-unit basis and then scaling from there.” However, he notes that some analysts are raising red flags about their finances.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Most business owners set revenue goals every year, very few define how their business will actually support them.In this episode of The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks explains why revenue-only goals are one of the most common ways small businesses create chaos. Teams hustle harder instead of smarter. Marketing and operations fall out of sync. Margins shrink. Leaders become bottlenecks.Revenue isn't the problem. Incomplete goals are.Melissa breaks down why revenue is an outcome, not a plan, and introduces the operational targets that keep growth sustainable. You'll learn how to set clear capacity limits, delivery constraints, margin requirements, and guardrails that help your team make better decisions without constant oversight.If your business feels reactive, overwhelmed, or harder to run as revenue grows, this episode will help you understand why, and how to fix it. Revenue is a result. Operations are the strategy. If you are struggling to identify your operational targets, book a call today with On Call COO, we can help you figure out what the biggest priorities are any how to measure success. https//www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesConnect with Melissa: Watch the Episodes on Youtube Instagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks Schedule a call: melissafranks.com

Why do your numbers look right… but your bar feels off?Your labor's tight.Margins look healthy.The menu's optimized.On paper, you're doing everything right.But data is transactional. It tracks sales and costs. It doesn't track loyalty. It doesn't measure vibe. And it won't tell you when you're optimizing the life out of your bar.Cutting a low-margin item might improve percentages.It might also hurt long-term relationships.In this episode, we break down the blind spots of data-driven bar management and where gut instinct still matters.If your spreadsheet says you're winning but something feels off, this one's for you.

Send a text“Busy” is one of the most dangerous words in medicine.It sounds positive. Reassuring, even. When a practice is busy, it feels productive. Schedules are full. Phones are ringing. The waiting room is packed. From the outside—and often from the inside—it looks like success.But over the years, we've seen something very different play out behind the scenes.Some of the busiest practices we work with are also the most fragile. Margins are thin. Physicians are exhausted. Cash flow feels unpredictable. Decision-making becomes reactive. And despite all that activity, there's a quiet sense that the practice isn't as healthy as it should be.That's because “busyness” is not the same thing as sustainability.Today, we're talking about the numbers that reveal whether your practice is actually healthy. Not just productive. Not just active. But resilient, stable, and built to last.Please Follow or Subscribe to get new episodes delivered to you as soon as they drop! Visit Jill's company, Health e Practices' website: https://healtheps.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter, Health e Connections: https://share.hsforms.com/1FMup6xLPSpeA8hB77caYQwd32sx?hsCtaAttrib=171926995377 Want more formal learning? Check out Jill's newly released course: Physician's Edge: Mastering Business & Finance in Your Medical Practice. 32.5 hours of online, on-demand CME-accredited training tailored just for busy physicians. Promo pricing available now: https://education.healtheps.com/offers/Ry3zfLYp/checkout?coupon_code=PHYSEDGE3000 Purchase your copy of Jill's book here: Physician Heal Thy Financial Self Join our Medical Money Matters Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3834886643404507/ Original Musical Score by: Craig Addy at https://www.underthepiano.ca/ Visit Craig's website to book your Once in a Lifetime music experience Podcast coaching and development by: Jennifer Furlong, CEO, Communication Twenty-Four Seven https://www.communicationtwentyfourseven.com/

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we examine dynamic pricing and why pricing is one of the most powerful and misunderstood levers in corporate finance. While often viewed as a marketing tactic, pricing decisions sit at the core of margin protection, cash flow management, and capital discipline.This episode breaks down why pricing is frequently the fastest lever available to management when financial performance is under pressure. Unlike cost reductions or capital projects, price changes can impact operating profit immediately. We explore the financial logic behind the “1% rule,” which shows how small improvements in pricing can generate disproportionate gains in operating profit due to fixed cost structures and margin flow-through.Using real-world case studies, we analyze how companies apply dynamic pricing to balance supply, demand, and profitability across industries with very different economics.In this episode, we cover:Why pricing is fundamentally a finance problem, not just a marketing decisionThe math behind the 1% pricing rule and margin amplificationHow airlines pioneered yield management for perishable assetsWhy rideshare surge pricing functions as a market-clearing mechanismHow Amazon uses dynamic pricing to accelerate cash conversion rather than maximize unit marginThe role of working capital and negative cash conversion cycles in pricing strategyHow hotels use revenue per available room (RevPAR) to manage fixed costsWhy price elasticity determines whether dynamic pricing creates or destroys valueThe JCPenney case and how ignoring consumer behavior undermined rational pricing modelsHow dynamic pricing is evolving in SaaS and usage-based business modelsThis episode also highlights the limits of algorithmic pricing. While data and models can optimize margins, successful pricing strategies must account for customer behavior, perceived value, and long-term relationships. Pure arithmetic optimization without behavioral context can rapidly erode demand and brand trust.This episode is designed for:Corporate finance and FP&A professionalsPricing and revenue management teamsFinance leaders responsible for margin and cash flow performance 

Melissa Ferguson is back for her second appearance—and she's very pregnant, wildly funny, and living proof that dreams don't arrive on your schedule. In this conversation with host Ginny Yurich, Melissa pulls back the curtain on the book world: why publishing wants you to “stay in your lane,” how rejection and slow progress can still lead to a long-tail payoff, what writers really need to watch for in agents and contracts, and why the pressure to market everywhere can crush the very work you're trying to create. Along the way, she shares the surreal joy of watching her beloved rom-com Meet Me in the Margins move toward the screen (with her credited as Executive Producer) and what it's like to juggle farm life, homeschooling, deadlines, and a baby on the way—while still choosing relationships, rest, and meaning over the endless chase for more. *Get your copy of Meet Me in the Margins here *Get your copy of Without a Clue here *Check out Melissa and all she has to offer here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arunima Sinha, from the U.S. and Global Economics team, discusses how an upcoming Supreme Court decision could reshape consumer prices, retail margins and the inflation outlook in 2026.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Arunima Sinha: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Arunima Sinha from Morgan Stanley's U.S. and Global Economics Teams.Today: How a single Supreme Court ruling could change the tariff math for U.S. consumers.It's Friday, February 13th at 10am in New York.The U.S. Supreme Court is deciding whether the U.S. president has legal authority to impose sweeping tariffs under IEEPA. That decision could come as soon as next Friday. IEEPA, or the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, is the legal backbone for a significant share of today's consumer goods tariffs. If the Supreme Court limits how it can be used, tariffs on many everyday items could fall quickly – affecting prices on the shelf, margins for retailers, and the broader inflation outlook.As of now, effective tariff rates on consumer goods are running about 15 percent, and that's based on late 2025 November data. And that's quite a bit higher than the roughly 10 percent average, which we're seeing as tariffs on all goods. In a post IEEPA scenario, we think that the effective tariff rate on consumer goods could fall to the mid-11 percent range.It's not zero, but it is meaningfully lower.An important caveat is that this is not going to be eliminating all tariffs. Other trade tools – like Section 232s, which are the national security tariffs, Section 301s, the tariffs that are related to unfair trade practices – would remain in place. Autos and metals, for example, are largely outside the IEEPA discussion.The main pressure point we think is consumer goods. IEEPA has been used for two major sets of tariffs. The fentanyl-related tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, and the so-called reciprocal tariffs applied broadly across trading partners. And these often stack on top of the existing tariffs, such as the MFN, the Most Favored Nation rates, and the section 301 duties on China that were already existing before 2025.The exposure is really concentrated in certain categories of consumer goods. So, for example, in apparel and footwear, about 60 percent of the applied tariffs are IEEPA related. For furniture and home improvement, it's over 70 percent. For toys, games, and sporting equipment, it's more than 90 percent. So, if the IEEPA authority is curtailed, the category level effects would be meaningful.There are caveats, of course. The court's decision may not be all or nothing. And policymakers could turn to alternative authorities. One example is Section 122, which allows across the board tariffs for up to 15 percent for 150 days. So, tariffs could just reappear under different tools. But in the near term, fully replacing IEEPA-based tariffs on consumer goods may not be straightforward, especially given ongoing affordability concerns.So, how does that matter for the real economy? There are two key channels, prices and margins. On prices we estimate that about 60 percent of the tariff costs are typically passed on to the consumers over two to three quarters, but it's not instant. Margins though could respond faster. If companies get cost relief before they adjust prices downwards, that creates a temporary margin tailwind. That could influence hiring, investment and earnings across retail and consumer supply chains.Over time, lower tariffs could also reinforce that broader return to core goods disinflation starting in the second quarter of this year. And because tariff driven inflation has weighed more heavily on the middle- and lower-income households, any eventual price relief could disproportionately benefit those groups.At the end of the day, this isn't just a legal story. It is a timing story. If IEEPA authority is curtailed, the arithmetic shifts pretty quickly. Margins move first, prices follow later, and the path back to goods disinflation could accelerate. That's why this is one ruling worth watching before the gavel drops.Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share thoughts on the market with a friend or colleague today.

This week on a pre-Mardi Gras episode “Jesuitical,” Ashley and guest host Sebastian speak with Dr. Ansel Augustine. Ansel is the assistant director for African American affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the author of Praying with Our Feet: Encountering God in the Margins. They discuss the harrowing and sacred culture of the Black Masking Indians of Mardi Gras. 0:00 Mardi Gras! 4:00 New York City has a new bishop 10:17 Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be beatified 11:44 Catholic leaders respond to racist post 13:50 Villanova and Notre Dame bball in Rome! 15:14 History of Black masking culture 21:24 African Americans made Catholicism their own 24:02 Mardi Gras as sacred ritual 27:00 Tribal competition 29:10 Black and Indian cultural encounter 31:30 Hurricane Katrina is an open wound 34:04 The art of feasting 37:32 Diversity ministry is a challenge 45:24 Lenten resources and practices for 2026! Links for further reading:  CRS Rice Bowl Website Development and Peace – Caritas Canada Solidarity Calendar 2026  101 Things To Give Up For Lent On Mardi Gras, Catholics should celebrate the faith and resilience of the New Orleans Black Masking Indians You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.   You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical.  Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Exponential View, the show where I explore how exponential technologies such as AI are reshaping our future. I've been studying AI and exponential technologies at the frontier for over ten years. Each week, I share some of my analysis or speak with an expert guest to make light of a particular topic. To keep up with the Exponential transition, subscribe to this channel or to my newsletter: https://www.exponentialview.co/ ----In this episode, I'm joined by Jaime Sevilla, founder of Epoch AI; Hannah Petrovic from my team at Exponential View; and financial journalist Matt Robinson from AI Street. Together we investigate a fundamental question: do the economics of AI companies actually work? We analysed OpenAI's financials from public data to examine whether their revenues can sustain the staggering R&D costs of frontier models. The findings reveal a picture far more precarious than many assume; we also explore where the real infrastructure bottlenecks lie, why compute demand will dwarf energy constraints, and what the rise of long-running agentic workloads means for the entire industry. Read the study here: https://www.exponentialview.co/p/inside-openais-unit-economics-epoch-exponentialviewWe covered: (00:00) Do the economics of frontier AI actually work? (02:48) Piecing together OpenAI's finances from public data (05:24) GPT-5's "rapidly depreciating asset" problem (13:25) Why OpenAI is flirting with ads (17:31) If you were Sam Altman, what would you do differently? (22:54) Energy vs. GPUs; where the real infrastructure bottleneck lies (29:15) What surging compute demand actually looks like (33:12) The most surprising finding from the research (38:02) The race to avoid commoditization (43:35) Agents that outlive their models  Where to find me: Exponential View newsletter: https://www.exponentialview.co/ Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azhar/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/azeem  Where to find Jamie: https://epoch.ai or https://epochai.substack.com Where to find Matt: https://www.ai-street.co  Production by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Production and research: Chantal Smith and Marija Gavrilov. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We're also joined by Steven Adler, ex-OpenAI safety researcher and author of Clear-Eyed AI on Substack. We cover: 1) The Viral "Something Big Is Happening" essay 2) What the essay got wrong about recursive self-improving AI 3) Where the essay was right about the pace of change 4) Are we ready for the repercussions of fast moving AI? 5) Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6 model card's risks 6) Do AI models know when they're being tested? 7) An Anthropic researcher leaves and warns "the world is in peril" 8) OpenAI disbands its mission alignment team 9) The risks of AI companionship 10) OpenAI's GPT 4o is mourned on the way out 11) Anthropic raises $30 billion --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here's 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/bigtech.  Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global technology spending is projected to reach $5.6 trillion by 2026, with nearly two-thirds of this investment directed toward software and computer equipment, particularly servers, according to Forrester. Generative AI is cited as a primary driver of this increase, shifting the balance of power toward cloud providers such as AWS and Azure. This escalation has implications for operational margins and the position of IT service providers, as businesses increasingly migrate complex workloads to cloud infrastructure ecosystems.Supporting data shows a disconnect between tech employment trends and hiring activity. In January 2026, technology companies cut approximately 20,155 jobs, mainly in telecommunications, while job postings for tech positions rose by 13% compared to the prior month, based on CompTIA analysis. Dave Sobel interprets this as a shift away from permanent IT headcount to project-based, AI-focused engagements. This development places pressure on service providers, who must adapt to buyers reallocating spend from traditional staffing models to short-term, outcome-oriented contracts.Adjacent discussion covered two press releases: VirtuaCare launched a support offering for Windows-based MSPs needing Apple expertise, delivering an externally verifiable, Apple-certified service. In contrast, Miso announced a roadmap for an autonomous AI L1 technician but did not substantiate claims with deliverables or customer data. Dave Sobel emphasized the need for MSPs to demand piloting, outcome metrics, and auditable product maturity, warning against reliance on unproven AI solutions and highlighting the risk of outsourcing as only a temporary solution.The core implication for MSPs and IT providers is a need for tactical negotiation and operational risk management. Dave Sobel recommends using AI first to reduce internal labor costs before introducing it as a client offering, prioritizing outcome-based pricing and adjusting contracts to retain value from efficiency gains. Providers should avoid becoming displaced labor, rigorously test new technologies before adoption, and remain vigilant regarding vendor claims. The emphasis remains on capturing and defending margins through accountable operations and contract governance rather than chasing speculative innovation.Three things to know today00:00 Tech Spending Hits $5.6T but MSPs Face Margin Squeeze Without AI Pricing Reset05:31 VirtuaCare Ships Apple Support; Mizo Announces Roadmap—One's Testable Today08:17 MSPs Must Capture AI Efficiency Value or Face Margin CompressionThis is the Business of Tech.   Supported by:  Small Biz Thought CommunityCheck out Killing IT

From new cancer drugs to batteries and robotics – China's top-tier growth companies are forging paths of their own rather than following in the west's footsteps. Investment manager Sophie Earnshaw names companies that have caught her eye and explains why being a long-term stock picker differs in China from elsewhere. Background:Sophie Earnshaw is a decision-maker on our China Equities Strategy and joint manager of the Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust. In this conversation, she tells Short Briefings… host Leo Kelion about a select group of Chinese companies breaking new ground, supported by the state's efforts to become self-sufficient in more of today's critical technologies and a leader in some of those of the future. Earnshaw also details how the “phenomenal rate” at which companies are born, scale and die in the country makes stock-picking a challenging task – making the access we have to company leaders, academics and other local expertise core to our mission of finding the best firms to invest in on behalf of our clients. Portfolio companies discussed include:- CATL – the battery maker whose products power electric vehicles worldwide and increasingly support the renewable energy sector- BeOne and Innovent Biologics – pharmaceutical firms developing the next generation of cancer drugs - AMEC and NAURA – semiconductor equipment makers enabling China to develop increased self-reliance in computer chips - Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent – China's ‘big tech' companies, whose artificial intelligence tools are becoming embedded into people's daily lives- MiniMax – the AI startup rolling out video and agentic tools at a fraction of the cost of western counterparts- Horizon Robotics – the automated driving tech provider with its eye on an even bigger opportunity. Resources:Baillie Gifford podcastsChina: a tale of two storiesChina investment strategy hub (institutional clients only)House of HuaweiPrivate investor forum 2025: investing in great growth companiesTrip notes: on the road with Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust  Companies mentioned include:AlibabaAMECASMLBeOneByteDanceCATLHorizon RoboticsInnovent BiologicsJiangsu HengruiHuaweiMiniMaxSamsungNAURATencentTSMCXiaohongshu Timecodes:00:00  Introduction01:55   Joining the China Equities Strategy02:40  Intense competition04:00  The government's influence06:10   CATL, the electrification champion08:45  Investing with a 5-year time horizon10:25   Shanghai office, local expertise11:45   Regulations and geopolitics14:30   China's next Five-year Plan16:15   Innovent Biologics' new cancer drugs18:10   Lower-cost clinical trials19:45   Being selective in semiconductors21:25   Investing in chip equipment makers23:00  China's ‘big tech and AI'25:10   MiniMax making AI like ‘tap water'27:45  The road to robotics29:35  A market you can't ignore30:30  Book choice Glossary of terms (in order of mention): Third plenum: a major policy meeting of China's ruling Communist Party, often used to set big economic/political direction.Sovereign bond issuance: The government raising money by selling bonds (IOUs) to investors.Opportunity set: the range of investable companies available to choose from.Capex: capital expenditure – money spent on long-term assets like factories, equipment, or data centres.Fiscal deficit target: how much more the government plans to spend than it collects in revenue (taxes plus other income), expressed as a share of the economy.GDP: gross domestic product – the total value of goods and services a country produces in a year.Market capitalisation: the total value of a company's shares (share price × number of shares).ESG: environmental, social and governance – how a company manages environmental impact, people issues, and corporate oversight.Large-form batteries: big battery packs used in things like electric vehicles and grid storage.Energy storage systems: large batteries that store electricity for later use (helping balance the grid).Generic drugs: copies of medicines whose patents have expired; usually cheaper, same active ingredient.Bi-specific (bispecific) drugs: drugs designed to bind to two targets at once (often to direct immune cells to cancer).ADC drugs: antibody–drug conjugates – antibodies that deliver a toxic payload to cancer cells.Out-licensing: selling rights to your drug/technology to another company (often for upfront + milestone payments).EUV machines: extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment used to make the most advanced chips.Foundry: a factory business that manufactures chips for other companies.Etch and deposition: steps in chipmaking – etch removes material to form patterns, deposition adds thin layers.Picks and shovels: a metaphor for companies that sell essential tools to an industry (rather than end products).Digitalisation: moving processes and services from offline to software and data-driven systems.Compute: the processing power (chips and servers) used to train/run AI.Large language model (LLM): an AI trained on lots of text to generate and understand language.Margins: how much profit a company makes per pound/dollar of revenue (after costs).Cloud business: selling computing power/storage/software over the internet instead of on a local machine.Algorithm layer: the method or software logic that makes the AI work (as distinct from the hardware).Gross margin: revenue minus direct costs (before overheads), a rough measure of product profitability.Assisted driving: features that help a driver (lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, etc) but don't fully replace them.Autonomous driving: a car driving itself with minimal or no human input.Software attachment rate: the percentage of customers who add paid software features and/or subscriptions.

Stuart Hatcher, Jonathan McDonald and James Li-Tremble are back to unpack two defining aviation stories this week.Margins are thinning, labour costs are rising, and ancillary revenue is becoming mission-critical. James breaks down what the latest data tells us about profitability pressures, Southwest's strategic pivot, and why the proposed Allegiant Air – Sun Country Airlines merger looks very different to the blocked JetBlue Airways – Spirit Airlines tie-up. Then, the conversation moves to Asia and the strategic tone of the Singapore Airshow 2026. With fewer headline-grabbing orders, the team discuss why confidence remains intact, what Boeing's 777X certification outlook means for the market, and how COMAC continues to build regional presence.Are low-cost carriers evolving fast enough to protect margins? And does a quieter airshow signal maturity rather than weakness?To read a copy of the articles discussed, visit our website: https://www.iba.aero/resources/Sign up for the newsletter - https://www.iba.aero/sign-up/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/iba-aviation-consultancy/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSkPhTf-05htY99V79fklMAWebsite - www.iba.aero

 Today we are breaking down the cybersecurity giant, Cloudflare.  Today, Cloudflare controls over 20% of the world's web traffic, and more impressively, absorbs 2.5mn cyber attacks per second. My guest is Sam Eden, Investor at Square Peg's Global Tech Fund. And while I understood on the surface what Cloudflare does, Sam helped me get into the weeds on how the digital pipes actually work. So we go through the rise of Cloudflare and how they differentiated themselves vs. the incumbents and fellow upstarts. Through this story, Sam details the product offerings that led to Cloudflare's leading market share, and what growth looks like moving forward.  Please enjoy this episode on Cloudflare.  For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. — This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Portrait Analytics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - your centralized resource for AI-powered idea generation, thesis monitoring, and personalized report building. Built by buy-side investors, for investment professionals. We work in the background, helping surface stock ideas and thesis signposts to help you monetize every insight. In short, we help you understand the story behind the stock chart, and get to "go, or no-go" 10x faster than before. Sign-up for a free trial today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠portraitresearch.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joincolossus.com/episodes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Timestamps  (00:00:00) Welcome to Business Breakdowns (00:02:33) Episode Intro: Cloudflare (00:03:56) What Cloudflare Does: A Digital Postal Service (00:06:24) How Shopify Uses Cloudflare (00:07:29) Serving 20% of the Internet's Traffic (00:08:19) The Internet Before Cloudflare (00:12:01) Cloudflare's Founding Story (00:14:32) Easy Onboarding, Powerful Network Effects (00:16:05) Why Hackers Were Early Customers (00:16:58) How Cloudflare Benefited from the Innovator's Dilemma (00:19:38) Why Partnering with ISPs Was a Win-Win (00:20:44) Bigger is Better: Cloudflare's Reinforcing Loop (00:22:50) Product Evolution Over Time (00:26:37) How the Internal Security Offering Works (00:27:53) Act 3: Developing a Proprietary Software Stack (00:33:21) Four Ways AI Impacts the Business (00:37:04) Building Out the Enterprise Sales Function  (00:40:06) The “Pool of Funds” Bundling Strategy (00:43:55) How Channel Partners Drive Growth (00:46:58) Revenue in 3 Acts (00:48:23) Mastering the Freemium Model (00:51:00) Margins & EBITDA (00:52:47) Capital Allocation: Reinvestment Rules (00:54:09) Potential New Competitors and Threats (00:55:17) Lessons Learned From November 2025's Outage (00:59:17) Why Cloudflare's Competitive Position is Strong (01:01:19) How Canva Uses Cloudflare (01:02:29) How Sam is Thinking About Risks (01:04:36) 25x Sales Requires Flawless Execution (01:07:21) 4 Lessons from Studying Cloudflare

Reel Talk #10 is happening on Saturday, February 21. If you're in the New York area, join me and North Carolina rapper Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon for a screening of the T.I.-starring classic ATL, followed by an interview and audience Q&A. Doors at 6, film starts at 7. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here via Posh or at the door the day-of. This iteration of Reel Talk operates on sliding scale admission, so if price is an issue, please message me directly and we can figure it out.  If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guest for the season 6 premiere is DC rapper, producer, and visual artist Obii Say. We spoke about The Platform, Menace II Society, rewatching hood classics once you get older, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, his love-hate relationship with making music over a nearly 20-year career, how working in visual art inspires his raps and beats, forging a relationship with Chuck Strangers, and the creative process behind his latest album Public Access Television, available now exclusively on Bandcamp. Come fuck with us. Public Access Television is available exclusively on Obii's Bandcamp. Follow Obii on Twitter and Instagram (@obiisay) and check out his artwork on the Loudmouth website.  Reel Notes stands in solidarity with American immigrants against ICE and the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund,  The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. Protest, fight back, and fuck the system.  My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), Letterboxd (@CineMasai), and subscribe to my weekly Nu Musique Friday newsletter to stay tapped in to all things Dylan Green.  Follow Hearing Things at hearingthings.co or @hearingthingsco on all social platforms.   

Send a textIf you talk to most physicians about their practices, you'll hear a familiar refrain. “We're busy.” “Our schedules are full.” “We're seeing more patients than ever.” And yet, in the very next breath, many of those same practices will say something else that feels contradictory. “Margins feel tight.” “Cash flow is unpredictable.” “It doesn't feel like the numbers reflect how hard we're working.”That disconnect is where today's conversation begins.Because truly profitable practices don't usually feel chaotic or confusing. And struggling practices aren't usually struggling because of a lack of demand. More often than not, profitability—or the lack of it—is being driven by a handful of operational signals that are hiding in plain sight.Today we're talking about the hidden levers of profitability. Specifically, five operational signals that most practices miss, why they're so easy to overlook, and why they matter far more than simply seeing more patients.Please Follow or Subscribe to get new episodes delivered to you as soon as they drop! Visit Jill's company, Health e Practices' website: https://healtheps.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter, Health e Connections: https://share.hsforms.com/1FMup6xLPSpeA8hB77caYQwd32sx?hsCtaAttrib=171926995377 Want more formal learning? Check out Jill's newly released course: Physician's Edge: Mastering Business & Finance in Your Medical Practice. 32.5 hours of online, on-demand CME-accredited training tailored just for busy physicians. Promo pricing available now: https://education.healtheps.com/offers/Ry3zfLYp/checkout?coupon_code=PHYSEDGE3000 Purchase your copy of Jill's book here: Physician Heal Thy Financial Self Join our Medical Money Matters Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3834886643404507/ Original Musical Score by: Craig Addy at https://www.underthepiano.ca/ Visit Craig's website to book your Once in a Lifetime music experience Podcast coaching and development by: Jennifer Furlong, CEO, Communication Twenty-Four Seven https://www.communicationtwentyfourseven.com/

Send a text

Peace and Forgiveness…For God's Glory In the final episode of the season, Yulee and Daniel share personal reflections on their healing journeys and emphasize the necessity of having support systems, practicing discernment, and engaging in healthy spiritual leadership that aligns with the gospel of grace. They also touch upon the 'whisper network,' the importance of fruit of the spirit, and practical ways to foster accountability and challenge toxic behaviors in ministry. 00:00 Introduction to Toxic Ministry 00:47 Personal Reflections and Listener Feedback 05:22 The Importance of Embracing Humanity 06:47 Evaluating Leadership and Power Dynamics 12:22 The Halo Effect and Leadership Pitfalls 20:19 DARVO and Toxic Leadership Responses 28:35 Receiving Feedback as a Leader 29:36 The Importance of Margins and Self-Care 30:10 Participating in Change and Addressing Toxicity 31:50 The Role of Integrity and Responsibility 33:34 Challenges of Speaking Up Against Toxic Leaders 42:46 The Whisper Network: Pros and Cons 48:16 The Importance of Community and Support 51:36 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections If you appreciate the work we do at the Asian American Center at Fuller Seminary, please consider supporting us! Your monetary support sustains our vital work and expands Asian American research, leadership development, and pastoral formation for the Church in the year ahead. Donate here: fuller.edu/giveaac

This week on Proper True Yarn, Knuckles sits down with Rob Comiskey from Comiskey Group to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to bring massive live shows to life.Rob breaks down the promoter game: why sometimes you don't “promote” a show - you buy it, how deals can be decided in minutes, and why it's all risk vs reward (and honestly… sometimes it's just a punt). From turning down Elton John early at Sandstone Point, to bringing out The Beach Boys, to the brutal moment COVID flipped a sold-out Violent Femmes show into a six-figure loss overnight - Rob shares the wins, the misses, and the stuff punters never see.They yarn about genre-by-genre bar spend, lightning evacuations, why insurance has become a nightmare, and the reality that one headline or a curveball can change everything. If you've ever wondered how the big dogs do it — this one's a proper behind-the-scenes belter.#propertrueyarn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anish Acharya is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he leads consumer and fintech investing at Series A. He serves on the boards of standout portfolio companies including Deel, Mosaic, Clutch, Titan, and HappyRobot and has led early bets in companies like Runway and Carbonated. Before a16z, he founded and exited two startups—Snowball (acquired by Credit Karma) and SocialDeck (acquired by Google) and scaled Credit Karma's U.S. Card business to over 100 million members. AGENDA: 00:03 - Why building an AI company today requires being in San Francisco 06:58 - The "SaaS Apocalypse" myth: Why "vibe coding" everything is a lie 09:11 - How AI agents are finally breaking the lock-in of legacy software providers 10:13 - Incumbents vs. Startups: Who actually wins the AI distribution war? 14:39 - Why the developer tool market looks more like Cloud than Uber and Lyft 22:43 - The death of the Chatbox? Why browse-based interfaces are still preferable 27:14 - Why power users are 10x more valuable in the age of AI consumption 28:36 - Do margins matter in a world of AI? 34:46 - Why we are definitively not in an AI bubble right now 38:58 - Why the Legal and Customer Support industries will have dozens of winners 39:44 - Lessons from Marc Andreessen: Why the "quality of being right" supersedes process 44:51 - Is "Triple, Triple, Double, Double" dead? The new physics of growth 01:10:41 - The a16z Playbook: How to win 100% of the deals you chase    

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) AI worries crush software stocks 2) Why is software in the crosshairs? 3) Is it vibecoding or that software becomes an input into AI bots 4) Why software might make it through 5) Anthropic's legal plugin that set it off 6) Okay, so no AI bubble? 7) Anthropic's Super Bowl ad attacks OpenAI 8) OpenAI's response 9) OpenAI losing share to rival chatbots 10) What the hell is happening to Bitcoin? 11) --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here's 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Call Sheet podcast, Coach Smith dives in on explosive plays. What are they, how do you create and prevent them, and why has explosive play margin become the most important statistic in football? This podcast is a proud part of the Fans First Sports Network. Check out our exclusive 20% off deals with Hyper Natural, Big Fork Brands, and Strong Coffee Company ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek analyzes lingering inflation, noting consumer resistance to price hikes and hope that AI productivity will help companies improve margins without increasing costs further.JANUARY 1931