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America pays less, on average, than any other major country for our generic drugs. But selling essential drugs at such low prices comes with hidden costs — from quality problems to frequent shortages.This is the second episode of Race to the Bottom, a three-part series by Tradeoffs on the problems plaguing the generic drugs we all rely on — and how we could fix them.Guests:Christine Baeder, MBA, President, Apotex USALaura Bray, MBA, Founder, Angels for ChangeCraig Burton, Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategic Alliances, Association for Accessible MedicinesIilun Murphy, MD, Director of the Office of Generic Drugs, FDALeslie Walker, Senior Reporter/Producer, TradeoffsMarta Wosińska, PhD, Senior Fellow, Brookings InstitutionLearn more and read a full transcript on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today we're honoring the life, leadership, and lasting influence of Betty Horton, PhD, CRNA, FAAN, a woman whose impact on nurse anesthesia education spans generations. With her passing on December 27, 2025, we wanted to revisit the conversation we had with her five years prior about the evolution of education and accreditation in nurse anesthesia, something that she cared about tremendously. This conversation captures Betty's wisdom, humility, and unwavering commitment to lifting others rather than highlighting herself. The show originally aired July 2, 2020, and we've asked Jackie Rowles, DNP, MBA, MA, CRNA, ANP-BC, NSPM-C, FNAP, FAANA, FAAN, the founder and president of Our Hearts Your Hands Inc, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA, DS (hon), Med, FAAN, vice president of Our Hearts Your Hands Inc., to share a few of their thoughts on her lasting legacy before we begin. Listening now, her words carry even greater meaning. They reflect the wisdom, humility and steady leadership that defined her life's work. We invite you today to listen not only with your ears, but with your heart. It's an honor to share her voice once more. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
Today's guest, Guy Kawasaki, flips the usual “success story” on its head with a string of jaw-dropping missed opportunities that became the foundation for a life measured by impact, not just outcomes. In this conversation, Guy takes us from being a kid on the “wrong side of the tracks” in Honolulu to Stanford, Apple, and Canva—sharing how cars, connections, and a few spectacular “what was I thinking?” decisions shaped his relationship with money and ambition. Guy is a Silicon Valley original. As one of Apple's first evangelists, he helped introduce the Macintosh to the world. Today, he's a bestselling author, venture capitalist, podcast host, and a trusted voice on entrepreneurship, innovation, and making a positive difference through your work. Guy is the chief evangelist of Canva, host of the Remarkable People podcast and author of eighteen books including Think Remarkable. He is an adjunct professor of UC Santa Cruz and trustee of the University of Hawaii Foundation. He was the chief evangelist of Apple, trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation and brand ambassador of Mercedes-Benz. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. When Success Isn't a Straight Line Guy Kawasaki's journey reminds us that success isn't defined only by wins, titles, or perfect timing. Missed opportunities, unexpected turns, and “what was I thinking?” moments often shape our values, ambitions, and relationship with money just as much as the highlights do. If you're reflecting on your own path—whether navigating career pivots, weighing new opportunities, or redefining what impact and success mean to you—an Aspiriant advisor can help you explore your financial decisions with perspective, purpose, and intention. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube Music for more candid conversations about money, mindset, and the stories behind major life choices.
With AI poised to generate nearly infinite content, personalization, and experiences, is the single most important thing marketers should be focused on actually something that can't be automated at all? Agility requires not just adopting new technologies, but knowing when and how to double down on timeless human principles. It's about integrating the power of AI without losing the soul of the brand. Today, we're going to talk about the unexpected paradox of the AI revolution. As artificial intelligence becomes more capable of creating, personalizing, and automating customer interactions at scale, the most critical differentiator for a business isn't a better algorithm, but a stronger, more trusted brand. We'll explore why brand is becoming the essential human edge in an increasingly automated world, and how leaders can harness AI not to replace their brand, but to amplify it. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Jessica Shapiro, Chief Marketing Officer at LiveRamp. About Jessica Shapiro Jessica Shapiro is Chief Marketing Officer at LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP), where she leads global marketing strategy and execution. With deep experience guiding companies through critical growth inflection points, she is known for building brands, shaping categories, and aligning marketing with business strategy.Over the past two decades, Jessica has held senior marketing leadership roles at Microsoft, Starbucks, and SAP—helping established brands navigate change, scale new offerings, and grow in competitive markets. Her expertise spans brand development, go-to-market strategy, communications, and demand generation. Jessica holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA from the University of Washington.,Yes,This will be completed shortly Jessica Shapiro on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamshapiro/ Resources LiveRamp: https://liveramp.com/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://www.thecrmc.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Dive into this compelling episode of Start With a Win with host Adam Contos as he sits down with the dynamic leader, Jason Yarusi. You'll be drawn in by his powerful stories of transformation, strategic insight, and raw authenticity - all woven together with a sense of urgency that invites you to reflect and act. If you're ready to shift perspectives, unlock new levels of influence, and ignite momentum in your leadership journey, this conversation is a must-listen.Jason Yarusi is a charismatic communicator who electrifies every stage he graces. His magnetic presence, coupled with his captivating storytelling prowess, leaves audiences spellbound and hungry for knowledge. With an ability to seamlessly blend his personal experiences with actionable insights, he transforms complex concepts into practical takeaways, equipping his listeners with the tools they need to conquer their own journeys to success. Jason is a Private fund manager of over $300 million dollars in commercial real estate. Since 2017 his company Yarusi Holdings has amassed over 3000 apartment and commercial real estate units. Jason has built and exited multiple companies: construction, restaurants, a brewery and multiple large apartment communities.He is an avid ultra runner and workout enthusiast. Jason is the host of LIVE100 and The Multifamily Live Podcast, runs 7 Figure Multifamily Mastermind and coaches' clients on the Live 100 Principles. And most importantly a husband and a father to three amazing kids, a bulldog named Jill and fifteen chickens.00:00 Intro02:10 Tragedy turns into an aha moment…05:40 How to get to your moment without getting hit by a car? 08:35 Five second problem, five-year problem!12:20 What can be done today?14:01 First Phase of Break Free17:50 Second to Last Phase21:35 How to build this into building success?25:01 Favorite things to make the difference! 27:40 And how I do it… https://www.jasonyarusi.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonyarusi/https://www.youtube.com/@liveonehundred/videoshttps://www.facebook.com/JYarusihttps://www.instagram.com/jasonyarusi/===========================Subscribe and Listen to the Start With a Win Podcast HERE:
1419 She helps law firm leaders ditch the chaos and scale with clarity. Armed with an MBA, a CFA, and 20+ years in the legal world, she blends finance, strategy, and no-fluff guidance. She's the brain behind Scaling Law, the EOS-based system transforming legal practices across the country. Please welcome Brooke Lively!Website: https://brookelively.com/meet-brooke/Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookelively________ Go to www.BusinessBros.biz to be a guest on the show or to find out more on how we can help you get more customers! #Businesspodcasts #smallbusinesspodcast #businessstrategies #businesseducation #businesspodcast #businessmodel #growthmarketing #businesshelp #podcastinglife #successgoals #wealthcreation #marketingcoach #smallbusinesstips #businessmarketing #marketingconsultant #entrepreneurtips #businessstrategy #growyourbusinessWant to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6164371927990272
Final Thoughts After 20 Years of MBA Advising: Part 1 This episode is bittersweet for our longtime podcast co-host, Chandler. Chandler is preparing to step away from his co-hosting responsibilities in order to care for his aging parents and launch a new venture for philanthropists. He would like to share how much he has enjoyed co-hosting and wants to say a HUGE thank you to Stacy, Erika, Yvonne, Esther, Alex and the entire SBC team for their amazing friendship and support along the way. As Chandler thought about how to frame his last podcast, he ultimately decided to take my own advice. As our loyal listeners know, Chandler has closed each of his podcasts over the past four years with the words "be authentic, be bold, and to have a solid plan". To that end, he will conclude his four years as co-host (and 20 years of advising MBA applicants) with a three-part series in which he gets very authentic and very bold in order to help you create a solid application plan. In this first of three episodes, Chandler takes a no-holds barred look at the first phase of the application process, and shares his biggest pieces of advice in each of the following categories: Planning your application (including the very best place to begin, which most people miss) Defining career goals, Addressing lower-than-desired quant scores, Quantifying your resume, Using the data forms strategically, and … a special surprise at the end of the episode he hasn't shared before.
What if your biggest edge isn't what you buy, but where you hold it? In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Henry Yoshida, CFP®, Rocket Dollar CEO & Co-Founder, who shares how his earlier robo-advisor exit to Goldman Sachs and years as an advisor led to a digital platform for self-directed IRAs holding private and alternative assets. Starting his career at Merrill Lynch during the dot-com bust, he built deep retirement expertise and now oversees a trust company with roughly $12B in alternatives and 9,000+ registered investments. Yoshida explains why asset location can outperform asset selection and why retail access to private markets is set to grow. Key Takeaways: → How Rocket Dollar provides infrastructure while investors source their own deals. → How Rocket Dollar doesn't manufacture or recommend investments. → Why asset location is crucial. → Why innovation is critical as incumbents eye alternatives. Henry Yoshida, CFP®, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Rocket Dollar. He was previously the founder of venture capital-backed Robo-advisor retirement plan platform Honest Dollar (acquired by Goldman Sachs in 2016), the founder of MY Group LLC (acquired by Captrust), and spent 10 years at Merrill Lynch. Henry is also a Certified Financial Planner and has brought multiple innovative products and methodologies to the market. Yoshida graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and holds an MBA from Cornell University. He lives in Austin with his two daughters. Connect With Henry: Website: https://www.rocketdollar.com/ https://bit.ly/4nKw0WT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitfinancehenry/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryyoshida/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode, recorded live at the Becker's 13th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, features Amy Lee, MJ, MBA, MBHA, FACMPE, President and COO of Nantucket Cottage Hospital/Mass General Brigham. She discusses the unique challenges of delivering care on an island, from workforce housing to telehealth partnerships, and how innovation and community support sustain high-quality care in a remote setting.In collaboration with R1.
Priscila “Pri” Cosentino is the Founder and Financial Advisor at Fern Prosperity, an advisory firm dedicated to helping individuals pursue their financial goals through integrated planning strategies and personal development. With over a decade of professional experience in finance, advertising, events, and retail across Brazil and the United States, Pri brings a holistic perspective to financial planning and personal growth.Pri was mentored for more than ten years by an experienced financial advisor, during which time she developed the WISE Method™—a planning framework based on Wisdom, Insight, Strategy, and Enjoyment. This approach is designed to help clients consider how to align their financial decisions with their values and long-term vision.Pri holds a degree from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and an MBA in Neuroscience and Human Behavior from UniF. Her education combines financial planning with behavioral science, which supports her work in helping clients make informed decisions about money, life, and legacy.As an Advisor, Pri applies the W.I.S.E. Planning™ methodology when building personalized strategies that may address areas such as income planning, tax considerations, estate and legacy planning, and personal development. She works with a diverse and global clientele, offering services in English, Portuguese, German, and Spanish.Pri is also an author and speaker who shares insights on financial planning and personal development. Her professional philosophy emphasizes clarity, a client-first focus, and values-based planning.Outside of her professional work, Pri is a committed learner, traveler, and cultural enthusiast. She enjoys fitness, thoughtful conversations about business and purpose, and is the proud dog mom of Tish, Weiße, Pkna, and Traya.Learn More: https://pricosentino.com/Fern Prosperity, LLC and Pri Cosentino are not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or any government agency. This content is intended strictly for educational purposes and should not be construed as individualized investment advice. Any decisions related to Social Security, retirement, or financial planning should be made in the context of a comprehensive plan and in consultation with a qualified advisor. Investment advisory services are offered through Virtue Capital Management, LLC (VCM), a registered investment advisor. Fern Prosperity, LLC and VCM are independent entities. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and no investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss during periods of market decline. None of the information presented shall constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or insurance product. References to protection benefits or reliable income streams relate exclusively to fixed insurance products and not to securities or investment advisory services. Annuity guarantees are subject to the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Annuities are insurance products and may be subject to fees, surrender charges, and holding periods, which vary by insurance carrier. Annuities are not FDIC-insured. Information and opinions provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but Fern Prosperity, LLC makes no representation as to their accuracy or completeness. Content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be the sole basis for any financial decision, nor should it be interpreted as advice tailored to the specific needs of an individual's situation. Third-party ratings, awards, or recognitions are not guarantees of future investment success and should not be construed as endorsements of Pri Cosentino or Fern Prosperity, LLC. They do not ensure that a client or prospective client will achieve a higher level of performance or results. Such ratings are not indicative of any one client's experience and should not be considered a testimonial.Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-pri-cosentino-founder-financial-advisor-at-fern-prosperity-discussing-the-new-rules-of-money
In this episode, we'll hear what can happen when brokers aren't financially prepared to weather market swings and how new regulations reshape the freight landscape with today's returning guest, Ken Adamo from DAT Freight & Analytics! We break down the new FMCSA broker financial responsibility rule, why automatic authority revocation within seven days is a necessary step toward freight market stability, stronger broker compliance, and more reliable carrier payments, the current freight market conditions—rates are moving up, but volumes and gross margins are flat, putting real pressure on broker profitability heading into early 2026, and why transparent pricing, flexible 12-month contracts, and honest shipper conversations matter more than ever! About Ken Adamo Ken Adamo, Chief of Analytics and Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at DAT Freight & Analytics, leads strategy, customer engagement, and industry analysis. He played a key role in DAT's acquisition of Trucker Tools, strengthening the company's visibility solutions. A recognized expert in freight market trends, Adamo has helped customers navigate shifting conditions by translating complex data into practical insights. He has led key strategic initiatives, advanced predictive analytics, and serves as a trusted resource for industry analysts, customers, and journalists. Before DAT, he led pricing and decision science teams at FedEx, developing forecasting models to optimize decision-making and profitability. He was named a 2025 Pro to Know (Rising Stars category) by Supply & Demand Chain Executive and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and trade publications. Ken holds a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Akron and an MBA from The Ohio State University. Connect with Ken Website: https://www.dat.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-adamo-8481611a/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/dat-freight-and-analytics/
A new year is the perfect time to reset your financial life. Miguel Gonzalez shares 5 easy habits to help you start strong, stay consistent, and make 2026 your most financially confident year yet.Cortburg Retirement Advisors is a boutique financial planning firm committed to helping you grow, protect, and preserve your assets from your first job to retirement. We specialize in wealth management, estate and tax planning, group retirement, employee benefits, insurance, and retirement planning to navigate any economic climate.Miguel Gonzalez, a Retirement Specialist with 20+ years of experience, offers expertise in retirement income planning, investment management, and retirement plan design. With an MBA from Columbia Business School, and professional experience with JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, and more, Miguel is a trusted advisor for his clients.Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement Podcast with Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, CRC® CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MIGUEL'S LATEST PODCAST FOLLOW US ON: YouTube->https://m.youtube.com/c/CORTBURGRETIREMENTADVISORS Facebook-> https://m.facebook.com/CortburgInc Twitter-> https://twitter.com/CortburgInc LinkedIn->https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguelxgonzalez/ Website: www.CortburgRetirement.com Email: Miguel@CortburgRetirement.com
Send us a textNick Hart is the Principal at Horizon English School in Dubai, part of the Cognita global network of schools. Nick holds an MBA in International Educational Leadership and has authored two books on educational leadership, focusing on its cultural and impact domains.A Few Quotes From This Episode"Schools are complex adaptive systems, not complicated machines“There is no such thing as a follower; everyone nudges the organization toward purpose.”“Feedback loops in schools might not show up for weeks, months, or even years.”“Leadership isn't a hero up on the balcony, it's about helping others hold ambiguity.”“Designing decision clarity early is one of the most powerful things you can do as a leader.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook: Creating a Strong Culture and Positive Climate in Schools by HartBook: Impact: A five-part framework for making a difference in schools by HartArticle: DAC Model Article: DARE Model by McKinseyArticle: Elliott Jaques' Levels of WorkLinkedIn: Richard ClaytonLinkedIn: Stefan NorrvallAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. About Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.
Exosomes are becoming one of the most talked-about tools in regenerative medicine, but not all exosomes are created equal. In this episode of New Frontiers, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald talks with Alisa Lask, CEO of Plated Skin, about the science behind platelet-derived exosomes and why their signaling pathways matter for repair, renewal, and changes in skin appearance. We explore how discoveries in cardiology led to this technology, what early clinical studies are showing, and why source and preparation are critical when evaluating any exosome-based approach. A clear, grounded look at a fast-moving field for clinicians who want to understand what's real, what's emerging, and what deserves attention next. Full show notes + references: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/fxmed-podcast/ GUEST DETAILS Alisa Lask is the CEO of Rion Aesthetics, where she is driving innovation in regenerative aesthetics with platelet-derived exosomes and leading research in areas like hair restoration and skin appearance. She also oversees (plated)™ Skin Science, a medical-grade exosome skincare line distributed through aesthetic providers. Alisa previously held senior roles at Galderma, Allergan, Zimmer-Biomet, and Eli Lilly, and she serves on the Board of Directors for CollPlant. She holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and is also a nationally competitive show-jumping equestrian involved in dog rescue initiatives. THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR (plated)™ Skin Science: http://platedskinscience.com/ Plated Skin Science translates the discovery of Dr. Atta Behfar, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Mayo Clinic's Van Cleve Cardiac Regenerative Medicine Program into the first shelf-stable skincare line using regenerative, platelet-derived exosomes. These aren't generic exosomes; they're a specific class shown in peer-reviewed trials to regenerate skin's appearance by improving the look of wrinkles, pigmentation, luminosity, and overall skin quality. It's an elegant approach to visible signs of skin aging, recognized by Time as a Best Invention of 2024 and now used in more than 2,000 medical practices. Learn more at http://platedskinscience.com/ CONNECT with DrKF Want more? Join our newsletter here: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/newsletter/ Or take our pop quiz and test your BioAge! https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/bioagequiz YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/hjpc8daz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkarafitzgerald/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrKaraFitzgerald/ DrKF Clinic: Patient consults with DrKF physicians including Younger You Concierge: https://tinyurl.com/yx4fjhkb Younger You Practitioner Training Program: www.drkarafitzgerald.com/trainingyyi/ Younger You book: https://tinyurl.com/mr4d9tym Better Broths and Healing Tonics book: https://tinyurl.com/3644mrfw
What did you think of this episode?Writing styles and genres have guidelines; some are non-negotiable. Today's guest offers tips on writing devotions and short pieces.Welcome to Your Best Writing Life, an extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference held in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. I'm your host, Linda Goldfarb. Each week, I bring tips and strategies from writing and publishing industry experts to help you excel in your craft. I'm so glad you're listening in. During this episode, you'll learn about … the process of Writing Devotions and other "short" pieces.My industry expert, Ava Pennington, is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher with a Bible Studies Certificate from Moody Bible Institute and an MBA from St. John's University. She is a freelance editor and certified coach for Christian writers and speakers, and a mentor with Word Weavers Int'l. Alright, let's head into our content for today… Writing Devotions and other "short" pieces (such as submitting to anthologies)Honing writing skills for all genres by learning the value of writing tight.Non-negotiables of devotional writing.LINKSAva Pennington's Newest book - Flourish: Grace-centered Practices to Protect and grow a Frutful Life in ChristReflections on the Names of God: 180 Devotions to Know God More Fullywww.AvaPennington.comConnect with Ava Pennington on: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBubVisit Your Best Writing Life website.Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing LifeYour host - Linda Goldfarb#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024". Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy PodcastAwarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast
“Lazy leadership” doesn't always mean you're lazy. Often it's what happens when capable leaders get pulled into constant demands, fire drills, and decision fatigue—until intentional leadership quietly disappears. In today's conversation, I'm joined by Corinne Gavlinski (Founder & CEO of The Gav Group) to name what this looks like in real leadership life, what it costs, and the antidote: creating space to reflect, getting back into your Impact Zone, and taking small, deliberate actions that restore clarity and momentum. We also talk about identity jolts—those messy, humbling chapters that can become a catalyst for more grounded leadership when you stop trying to “power through” and start leading from truth. What you'll learn in this episode How to recognize when you've drifted into “lazy leadership” (even if you're working nonstop) The antidote: how leaders return to the Impact Zone with clarity and intention Why identity jolts can refine your leadership and strengthen your legacy Episode chapters 01:54 — What “lazy leadership” is (and what it's not) 04:27 — The Impact Zone + the antidote: space to reflect + a “catapult” tool 10:50 — Legacy leadership: “Who do you want to be remembered as?” 13:25 — Identity jolts: caregiving, pivots, ego hits, reinvention 16:30 — Betting on your innate talents (not just passion) 22:01 — A practical team clarity process (why accountability matters) 30:48 — The closing reflection + your 24-hour action step Mentioned resource The Impact Zone Guide About Corinne Gavlinski Corinne Gavlinski is Founder & CEO of The Gav Group and a thought partner to C-suite leaders who want results that matter—to their teams and their legacy. She's a former SVP of Customer Success with 20+ years in executive Sales and Account Management roles across digital healthcare and finance. She holds an MBA from Loyola University Maryland and is board-certified as an executive coach and certified as a team coach. About Kc Rossi Kc Rossi, PCC is an Integrative Leadership Coach and host of the Heart Glow CEO® Podcast, where mission-driven, high-performing leaders learn to lead with clarity, emotional steadiness, and self-trust—without burning out or abandoning what matters most.
Episode Notes In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with Jarand Rystad, Founder and CEO of Rystad Energy, one of the world's leading energy intelligence and data advisory firms. Jarand explains why solar has dramatically outperformed historical forecasts, how rapid cost declines have reshaped global power markets, and why many regions are now facing a new challenge: too much solar at the wrong times. As grids become saturated with midday generation, energy storage has emerged as the critical missing link. The conversation explores why the next five years will belong to energy storage, how batteries enable higher renewable penetration, and what this shift means for pricing, grid stability, and project economics. Jarand also shares insights on powering the AI and data center boom, the evolving role of gas and nuclear, long-duration storage innovations, and why electrification is fundamentally transforming the global energy system. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand where the energy transition is headed, how markets are behaving beneath the headlines, and where the biggest opportunities will emerge over the next decade. Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $45 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar. Jarand Rystad Jarand Rystad founded Rystad Energy in 2004 and has, since its inception, managed the company. Jarand has extensive experience in the energy strategy advisory business and his areas of expertise include energy system analysis, energy scenarios, renewables, supply chains, emissions, asset and company valuations and transactions, macro analysis, and all aspects of the energy transition. As an established thought leader in these and other fields, Jarand is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences related to energy. He is, according to the Financial Times, “one of the most cited petroleum analysts in the industry”. Prior to founding Rystad Energy, Jarand worked for McKinsey & Company. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Physics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, where he majored with a thesis in asteroseismology. Jarand also has an academic background in philosophy and has been the leader and founder of various organizations. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/ Jarand Rystad Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarand-rystad/ Email: jarand@rystadenergy.com Website: https://www.rystadenergy.com/ Rystad Energy's Podcast: https://www.rystadenergy.com/podcasts?s= Please provide 5 star reviews If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share the Solar Maverick Podcast so more people can learn how to accelerate the clean energy transition. Reneu Energy Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets. Email us at info@reneuenergy.com to learn more.
What happens when leadership development is built on ethics, values, and genuine human dignity, not just performance metrics? Brian Peckrill, Executive Director, describes how the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund is investing in leaders who want to make a meaningful difference. You're invited to look at your own leadership through the lens of impact, responsibility, and the kind of intentional choices that move organizations—and society—forward. You'll learn how the Fund's Fellows Program develops high-potential MBA students into values-driven leaders who can influence entire industries. Brian shares the core elements of their leadership model—stretch experiences, strong support, and deep reflection—and how this approach builds self-awareness, courage, and character. You'll also hear behind-the-scenes stories about the Ethical Leader of the Year Award and what today's exceptional CEOs are doing to elevate people, uphold dignity, and lead with integrity. Brian is the Executive Director at the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund. He previously served as the director of their Fellows Program, where he was responsible for designing and implementing a forward-thinking, ethics-focused experience for top MBA students. Brian was also responsible for fostering an active and engaged alumni community of young business leaders as they embark on and manage their careers. You'll discover: How values-based leadership transforms both leaders and the communities they serveWhy metacognition and self-concept matter in developing future executivesThe powerful role of stretch experiences, coaching, and reflectionHow alumni mentoring strengthens leadership capability and confidenceWhat the Ethical Leader of the Year Award reveals about great leadership todayCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro
On this episode Fred Goldstein invites Steve Kheloussi, PharmD, MBA, FAMCP, Principal Consultant at Kheloussi Consulting, LLC, in the first installment of our four-part series on rare diseases. We discuss a practical overview of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the current treatment landscape, and the evidence gaps that complicate payer decision-making. We also touch on the importance of what patients and caregivers need to maintain function, reduce fatigue, and navigate the significant emotional and practical burdens of care. This podcast is supported by an independent medical education grant from ITF Therapeutics. AMCP offers CPE for this podcast through December 31, 2026. For additional information and to claim credit, please visit: The Power of Partnership: Bridging Patients and Payers in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Management. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen
Today, we're delighted to speak with entrepreneur Moza-Bella Tram, CEO and founder of Moza-Bella LLC. Moza-Bella is an immigrant with a remarkable entrepreneurial journey. She is a TEDx speaker, a mentor, a business consultant, and has written several books, including the bestseller Powerful Female Immigrants, which she co-authored. She is also the host of the digital TV show Lessons from Failures. Stay tuned as we explore Moza-Bella's fascinating journey and the experiences that have shaped her work. Moza-Bella's Journey Moz-Bella was born in Vietnam shortly after the Vietnam War. She came to the U.S. as an adult immigrant 25 years ago, leaving behind family, familiarity, and certainty. Her experience was similar to that of many immigrants- the unknown, limited support, and the pressure to succeed, for herself, and for her family. She was told she was too old to learn English fluently, but she pushed forward anyway, focusing on clear communication rather than perfection, and using frustration as motivation to grow. Early Career and Foundations in Hospitality Before immigrating, Moza-Bella worked in Vietnam's hospitality industry at Omni Saigon and later Sofitel Saigon, where she developed an appreciation for professionalism, service, and strategic promotions. Working in public relations exposed her to branding, credibility, and global perspectives, and hospitality became her first window into the world beyond Vietnam's borders. Education, Resistance, and Choosing Her Own Path After arriving in the U.S., Moza-Bella encountered skepticism and prejudice and was discouraged from pursuing higher education. Despite that, she earned her MBA in Marketing from the University of Hartford, driven by her parents' sacrifices and her belief in the right to choose her own future. Her early ambition was to build a global hospitality career, but over time, new opportunities and realities reshaped her direction. Adaptation, Grit, and Multiple Careers Moza-Bella supported herself through school and beyond by working in nail salons, restaurants, interpretation services, construction-related marketing, network marketing, real estate, and, eventually, nursing after the 2008 financial crisis. Each role added to her skills, perspective, and resilience. Redefining Success and Time Freedom Moza-Bella wanted the flexibility to care for her parents and shape her own life, so she chose to become an entrepreneur. She invested heavily in personal development and coaching, believing that free information offers knowledge, but paid learning creates transformation. Building a Consulting Business with Purpose Over the last five years, Moza-Bella built Moza-Bella LLC into a business consulting company with a growing team. Her mission is to help strong entrepreneurs become well-known in their industries, allowing them to create meaningful impact. She believes that change happens one person at a time, through a ripple effect of shared growth and visibility. Lessons from Failures and Shared Wisdom Through her digital TV show, Lessons from Failures, Moza-Bella highlights the realities behind success stories. Entrepreneurs, doctors, and professionals from many fields share how hardship shaped their decisions, often after years of trial and error. She emphasizes the value of learning lessons sooner, challenging entrenched systems, and prioritizing growth while time is still on your side. Meaning Behind the Name Moza-Bella The name "Moza" means mother of pearl, representing an oyster that transforms pain into something valuable by embracing it rather than resisting it. For Moza-Bella, that symbolizes human potential, cultivating adversity into wisdom, then opening oneself to share it with others. Bio: Moza-Bella Tram Founder and CEO, TEDx Speaker, Author, Mentor, Business Consultant Moza-Bella is an international speaker, author, and CEO dedicated to helping professionals find authentic fulfillment and success. She has over 15 years of experience in healthcare and more than 20 years in business development. She produces and hosts the digital TV show "Lessons from Failures," airing on FOX5 and PIX11 New York. She has been featured in Forbes and Yahoo Finance and is the author of "Luxury in YOU." She partners with Grant Cardone in the 10X movement in Vietnam. Connect with Eric Rozenberg On LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Website Listen to The Business of Meetings podcast Subscribe to The Business of Meetings newsletter Connect with Moza-Bella Tram On her website LinkedIn
In a bonus episode, Howie and Harlan welcome oncologist, bioethicist, and public health expert Ezekiel Emanuel to discuss his new book, which counters the wellness industry by offering simple, evidence-based guidelines for health. Show notes: Ezekiel Emanuel: Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life "Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review" "How Social Isolation Is Killing Us" "Is Full-Fat Dairy Healthier?". "High- and Low-Fat Dairy Consumption and Long-Term Risk of Dementia: Evidence From a 25-Year Prospective Cohort Study" "Milk and Health" Ezekiel Emanuel: "I'm a Harvard-trained oncologist: 6 nutrition myths I wish would die—the 'answer to a longer life is so simple'" "This Test Might Be the Best Way to Track Fitness and Longevity" Health & Veritas Episode 200: An Ongoing Conversation about Health and Healthcare Ezekiel Emanuel: Why You Should Skip Dry January U.S. Surgeon General Advisory: Alcohol and Cancer Risk U.S. Surgeon General Advisory: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation U.S. Surgeon General Advisory: Protecting Youth Mental Health "The Changing Public Image of Smoking in the United States: 1964–2014" "Tobacco taxes as a tobacco control strategy" "Celebrities Are Making Smoking Cigarettes Cool Again" In the Yale School of Management's MBA for Executives program, you'll get a full MBA education in 22 months while applying new skills to your organization in real time. Yale's Executive Master of Public Health offers a rigorous public health education for working professionals, with the flexibility of evening online classes alongside three on-campus trainings. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.
What if the toughest moments in your life were preparing you to lead better, serve deeper, and live with more purpose? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with Greg Hess, known to many as Coach Hess, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, resilience, trust, and what it really means to help others grow. Greg shares lessons shaped by a lifetime of coaching athletes, leading business teams, surviving pancreatic cancer, and building companies rooted in service and inclusion. We talk about why humor matters, how trust is built in real life, and why great leaders stop focusing on control and start focusing on growth. Along the way, Greg reflects on teamwork, diversity, vision, and the mindset shifts that turn adversity into opportunity. I believe you will find this conversation practical, honest, and deeply encouraging. Highlights: 00:10 – Hear how Greg Hess's early life and love of sports shaped his leadership values. 04:04 – Learn why humor and laughter are essential tools for reducing stress and building connection. 11:59 – Discover how chasing the right learning curve redirected Greg's career path. 18:27 – Understand how a pancreatic cancer diagnosis reshaped Greg's purpose and priorities. 31:32 – Hear how reframing adversity builds lasting resilience. 56:22 – Learn the mindset shift leaders need to grow people and strengthen teams. About the Guest: Amazon Best-Selling Author | Award-Winning Business Coach | Voted Best Coach in Katy, TX Greg Hess—widely known as Coach Hess—is a celebrated mentor, author, and leader whose journey from athletic excellence to business mastery spans decades and continents. A graduate of the University of Calgary (1978), he captained the basketball team, earned All-Conference honors, and later competed against legends like John Stockton and Dennis Rodman. His coaching career began in the high school ranks and evolved to the collegiate level, where he led programs with distinction and managed high-profile events like Magic Johnson's basketball camps. During this time, he also earned his MBA from California Lutheran University in just 18 months. Transitioning from sports to business in the early '90s, Coach Hess embarked on a solo bicycle tour from Jasper, Alberta to Thousand Oaks, California—symbolizing a personal and professional reinvention. He went on to lead teams and divisions across multiple industries, ultimately becoming Chief Advisor for Cloud Services at Halliburton. Despite his corporate success, he was always “Coach” at heart—known for inspiring teams, shaping strategy, and unlocking human potential. In 2015, a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer became a pivotal moment. Surviving and recovering from the disease renewed his commitment to purpose. He left the corporate world to build the Coach Hess brand—dedicated to transforming lives through coaching. Today, Coach Hess is recognized as a Best Coach in Katy, TX and an Amazon Best-Selling Author, known for helping entrepreneurs, professionals, and teams achieve breakthrough results. Coach Hess is the author of: Peak Experiences Breaking the Business Code Achieving Peak Performance: The Entrepreneur's Journey He resides in Houston, Texas with his wife Karen and continues to empower clients across the globe through one-on-one coaching, strategic planning workshops, and his Empower Your Team program. Ways to connect with Greg**:** Email: coach@coachhess.comWebsite: www.CoachHess.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachhess Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachHessSuccess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachhess_official/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson 01:21 Well, hi everyone. I am Michael Hinkson. Your host for unstoppable mindset. And today we get to enter, well, I won't say interview, because it's really more of a conversation. We get to have a conversation with Greg. Hess better known as coach Hess and we'll have to learn more about that, but he has accomplished a lot in the world over the past 70 or so years. He's a best selling author. He's a business coach. He's done a number of things. He's managed magic Johnson's basketball camps, and, my gosh, I don't know what all, but he does, and he's going to tell us. So Coach, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad that we have a chance to be with you today. Greg Hess 02:07 I'm honored to be here. Michael, thank you very much, and it's just a pleasure to be a part of your program and the unstoppable mindset. Thank you for having me. Michael Hingson 02:17 Well, we're glad you're here and looking forward to having a lot of fun. Why don't we start? I love to start with tell us about kind of the early Greg growing up and all that stuff. Greg Hess 02:30 Oh boy, yeah, I was awfully fortunate, I think, to have a couple of parents that were paying attention to me, I guess. You know, as I grew up, at the same time they were growing up my my father was a Marine returned from the Korean War, and I was born shortly after that, and he worked for Westinghouse Electric as a nuclear engineer. We lived in Southern California for a while, but I was pretty much raised in Idaho, small town called Pocatello, Idaho, and Idaho State Universities there and I, I found a love for sports. I was, you know, again, I was very fortunate to be able to be kind of coordinated and do well with baseball, football, basketball, of course, with the sports that we tend to do. But yeah, I had a lot of fun doing that and growing up, you know, under a, you know, the son of a Marine is kind of like being the son of a Marine. I guess, in a way, there was certain ways you had to function and, you know, and morals and values that you carried forward and pride and doing good work that I learned through, through my youth. And so, you know, right, being raised in Idaho was a real great experience. How so well, a very open space. I mean, in those days, you know, we see kids today and kids being brought up. I think one of the things that often is missing, that was not missing for me as a youth, is that we would get together as a group in the neighborhood, and we'd figure out the rules of the game. We'd figure out whatever we were playing, whether it was basketball or, you know, kick the can or you name it, but we would organize ourselves and have a great time doing that as a community in our neighborhood, and as kids, we learn to be leaders and kind of organize ourselves. Today, that is not the case. And so I think so many kids are built into, you know, the parents are helicopter, and all the kids to all the events and non stop going, going, going. And I think we're losing that leadership potential of just organizing and planning a little bit which I was fortunate to have that experience, and I think it had a big influence on how I grew up and built built into the leader that I believe I am today. Michael Hingson 04:52 I had a conversation with someone earlier today on another podcast episode, and one of the observations. Sense that he made is that we don't laugh at ourselves today. We don't have humor today. Everything is taken so seriously we don't laugh, and the result of that is that we become very stressed out. Greg Hess 05:15 Yeah, well, if you can't laugh at yourself, you know, but as far as I know, you've got a large background in your sales world and so on. But I found that in working with people, to to get them to be clients or to be a part of my world, is that if they can laugh with me, or I can laugh with them, or we can get them laughing, there's a high tendency of conversion and them wanting to work with you. There's just something about relationships and be able to laugh with people. I think that draw us closer in a different way, and I agree it's missing. How do we make that happen more often? Tell more jokes or what? Michael Hingson 05:51 Well, one of the things that he suggests, and he's a coach, a business coach, also he he tells people, turn off the TV, unplug your phone, go read a book. And he said, especially, go buy a joke book. Just find some ways to make yourself laugh. And he spends a lot of time talking to people about humor and laughter. And the whole idea is to deal with getting rid of stress, and if you can laugh, you're going to be a whole lot less stressful. Greg Hess 06:23 There's something that you just feel so good after a good laugh, you know, I mean, guy, I feel that way sometimes after a good cry. You know, when I'm I tend to, you know, like Bambi comes on, and I know what happens to that little fawn, or whatever, the mother and I can't, you know, but cry during the credits. What's up with that? Michael Hingson 06:45 Well, and my wife was a teacher. My late wife was a teacher for 10 years, and she read Old Yeller. And eventually it got to the point where she had to have somebody else read the part of the book where, where yeller gets killed. Oh, yeah. Remember that book? Well, I do too. I like it was a great it's a great book and a great movie. Well, you know, talk about humor, and I think it's really important that we laugh at ourselves, too. And you mentioned Westinghouse, I have a Westinghouse story, so I'll tell it. I sold a lot of products to Westinghouse, and one day I was getting ready to travel back there, the first time I went back to meet the folks in Pittsburgh, and I had also received an order, and they said this order has to be here. It's got to get it's urgent, so we did all the right things. And I even went out to the loading dock the day before I left for Westinghouse, because that was the day it was supposed to ship. And I even touched the boxes, and the shipping guy said, these are them. They're labeled. They're ready to go. So I left the next morning, went to Westinghouse, and the following day, I met the people who I had worked with over the years, and I had even told them I saw the I saw the pack, the packages on the dock, and when they didn't come in, and I was on an airplane, so I didn't Know this. They called and they spoke to somebody else at at the company, and they said the boxes aren't here, and they're supposed to be here, and and she's in, the lady said, I'll check on it. And they said, Well, Mike said he saw him on the dock, and she burst out laughing because she knew. And they said, What are you laughing at? And he said, he saw him on the dock. You know, he's blind, don't you? And so when I got there, when I got there, they had and it wasn't fun, but, well, not totally, because what happened was that the President decided to intercept the boxes and send it to somebody else who he thought was more important, more important than Westinghouse. I have a problem with that. But anyway, so they shipped out, and they got there the day I arrived, so they had arrived a day late. Well, that was okay, but of course, they lectured me, you didn't see him on the dock. I said, No, no, no, you don't understand, and this is what you have to think about. Yeah, I didn't tell you I was blind. Why should I the definition of to see in the dictionary is to perceive you don't have to use your eyes to see things. You know, that's the problem with you. Light dependent people. You got to see everything with your eyes. Well, I don't have to, and they were on the dock, and anyway, we had a lot of fun with it, but I have, but you got to have humor, and we've got to not take things so seriously. I agree with what we talked about earlier, with with this other guest. It's it really is important to to not take life so seriously that you can't have some fun. And I agree that. There are serious times, but still, you got to have fun. Greg Hess 10:02 Yeah, no kidding. Well, I've got a short story for you. Maybe it fits in with that. That one of the things I did when I I'll give a little background on this. I, I was a basketball coach and school teacher for 14 years, and had an opportunity to take over an assistant coach job at California Lutheran University. And I was able to choose whatever I wanted to in terms of doing graduate work. And so I said, you know, and I'd always been a bike rider. So I decided to ride my bike from up from Jasper, Alberta, all the way down to 1000 Oaks California on a solo bike ride, which was going to be a big event, but I wanted to think about what I really wanted to do. And, you know, I loved riding, and I thought was a good time to do that tour, so I did it. And so I'm riding down the coast, and once I got into California, there's a bunch of big redwoods there and so on, yeah, and I had, I set up my camp. You know, every night I camped out. I was totally solo. I didn't have any support, and so I put up my tent and everything. And here a guy came in, big, tall guy, a German guy, and he had ski poles sticking out of the back of his backpack, you know, he set up camp, and we're talking that evening. And I had, you know, sitting around the fire. I said, Look, his name was Axel. I said, Hey, Axel, what's up with the ski poles? And he says, Well, I was up in Alaska and, you know, and I was climbing around in glaciers or whatever, and when I started to ride here, they're pretty light. I just take them with me. And I'm thinking, that's crazy. I mean, you're thinking every ounce, every ounce matters when you're riding those long distances. Anyway, the story goes on. Next morning, I get on my bike, and I head down the road, and, you know, I go for a day, I don't see sea axle or anything, but the next morning, I'm can't stop at a place around Modesto California, something, whether a cafe, and I'm sitting in the cafe, and there's, probably, it's a place where a lot of cyclists hang out. So there was, like, 20 or 30 cycles leaning against the building, and I showed up with, you know, kind of a bit of an anomaly. I'd ridden a long time, probably 1500 miles or so at that point in 15 days, and these people were all kind of talking to me and so on. Well, then all sudden, I look up why I'm eating breakfast, and here goes the ski poles down the road. And I went, Oh my gosh, that's got to be him. So I jump up out of my chair, and I run out, and I yell, hey Axel. Hey Axel, loud as I could. And he stops and starts coming back. And then I look back at the cafe, and all these people have their faces up on the windows, kind of looking like, oh, what's going to happen? And they thought that I was saying, mistakenly, Hey, asshole, oh gosh, Michael Hingson 12:46 well, hopefully you straighten that out somehow. Immediately. Greg Hess 12:50 We had a great time and a nice breakfast and moved on. But what an experience. Yeah, sometimes we cross up on our communications. People don't quite get what's going on, they're taking things too seriously, maybe, huh? Michael Hingson 13:03 Oh, yeah, we always, sometimes hear what we want to hear. Well, so what did you get your college degree in? Greg Hess 13:10 Originally? My first Yeah, well, I'd love the question my first degree. I had a bachelor of education for years, but then I went on, and then I had my choice here of graduate work, right? And, you know, I looked at education, I thought, gosh, you know, if I answered committee on every test, I'll probably pass. I said, I need something more than this. So I in the bike ride, what I what I came to a conclusion was that the command line being DOS command line was the way we were computing. Yeah, that time in the 90s, we were moving into something we call graphical user interface, of course, now it's the way we live in so many ways. And I thought, you know, that's the curve. I'm going to chase that. And so I did an MBA in business process re engineering at Cal Lu, and knocked that off in 18 months, where I had a lot of great experiences learning, you know, being an assistant coach, and got to do some of magic Johnson's camps for him while I was there, California. Lutheran University's campus is where the Cowboys used to do their training camp, right? So they had very nice facilities, and so putting on camps like that and stuff were a good thing. And fairly close to the LA scene, of course, 1000 Oaks, right? You know that area? Michael Hingson 14:25 Oh, I do, yeah, I do. I do pretty well, yeah. So, so you, you, you're always involved in doing coaching. That was just one of the things. When you started to get involved in sports, in addition to playing them, you found that coaching was a useful thing for you to do. Absolutely. Greg Hess 14:45 I loved it. I loved the game. I love to see people grow. And yeah, it was just a thrill to be a part of it. I got published a few times, and some of the things that I did within it, but it was mostly. Right, being able to change a community. Let me share this with you. When I went to West Lake Village High School, this was a very, very wealthy area, I had, like Frankie avalon's kid in my class and stuff. And, you know, I'm riding bike every day, so these kids are driving up in Mercedes and BMW parking lot. And as I looked around the school and saw and we build a basketball and I needed to build more pride, I think in the in the community, I felt was important part of me as the head coach, they kind of think that the head coach of their basketball program, I think, is more important than the mayor. I never could figure that one out, but that was where I was Michael Hingson 15:37 spend some time in North Carolina, around Raleigh, Durham, you'll understand, Greg Hess 15:41 yeah, yeah, I get that. So Kentucky, yeah, yeah, yeah, big basketball places, yeah. So what I concluded, and I'd worked before in building, working with Special Olympics, and I thought, You know what we can do with this school, is we can have a special olympics tournament, because I got to know the people in LA County that were running, especially in Ventura County, and we brought them together, and we ran a tournament, and we had a tournament of, I don't know, maybe 24 teams in total. It was a big deal, and it was really great to get the community together, because part of my program was that I kind of expected everybody, you know, pretty strong expectation, so to say, of 20 hours of community service. If you're in our basketball program, you got to have some way, whether it's with your church or whatever, I want to recognize that you're you're out there doing something for the community. And of course, I set this Special Olympics event up so that everybody had the opportunity to do that. And what a change it made on the community. What a change it made on the school. Yeah, it was great for the Special Olympians, and then they had a blast. But it was the kids that now were part of our program, the athletes that had special skills, so to say, in their world, all of a sudden realized that the world was a different place, and it made a big difference in the community. People supported us in a different way. I was just really proud to have that as kind of a feather in my calf for being there and recognizing that and doing it was great. Michael Hingson 17:08 So cool. And now, where are you now? I'm in West Houston. That's right, you're in Houston now. So yeah, Katie, Texas area. Yeah, you've moved around well, so you, you started coaching. And how long did you? Did you do that? Greg Hess 17:30 Well, I coached for 14 years in basketball, right? And then I went into business after I graduated my MBA, and I chased the learning curve. Michael, of that learning curve I talked about a few minutes ago. You know, it was the graphical user interface and the compute and how all that was going to affect us going forward. And I continued to chase that learning curve, and had all kinds of roles and positions in the process, and they paid me a little more money as I went along. It was great. Ended up being the chief advisor for cloud services at Halliburton. Yeah, so I was an upstream guy, if you know that, I mean seismic data, and where we're storing seismic data now, the transition was going, I'm not putting that in the cloud. You kidding me? That proprietary data? Of course, today we know how we exist, but in those days, we had to, you know, build little separate silos to carry the data and deliver it accordingly for the geophysicists and people to make the decision on the drill bit. So we did really well at that in that role. Or I did really well and the team that I had just what did fantastic. You know, I was real proud I just got when I was having my 70th birthday party, I invited one of the individuals on that team, guy named Will Rivera. And will ended up going to Google after he'd worked us in there. I talked him into, or kind of convinced him so to say, or pushed him, however you do that in coaching. Coached him into getting an MBA, and then he's gone on and he tells me, You better be sitting down, coach. When he talked to him a couple days ago, I just got my PhD from George Washington University in AI technology, and I just turned inside out with happiness. It was so thrilling to hear that you know somebody you'd worked with. But while I was at Halliburton, I got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Michael, and so that's what changed me into where I am today, as a transition and transformation. Michael Hingson 19:21 Well, how did that happen? Because I know usually people say pancreatic cancer is pretty undetectable. How did it happen that you were fortunate enough to get it diagnosed? It obviously, what might have been a somewhat early age or early early Greg Hess 19:35 time, kind of a miracle, I guess. You know. I mean, I was traveling to my niece's high school graduation in Helena, Montana. And when we were returning back to Houston, we flew through Denver, and I was suffering from some very serious a fib. Was going up 200 beats a minute, and, you know, down to 100 and it was, it was all. Over the place. And I got the plane. I wasn't feeling well, of course, and they put me on a gurney. And next thing you know, I'm on the way the hospital. And, you know, they were getting ready for an embolotic, nimbalism potential, those type of things. And, and I went to the hospital, they're testing everything out, getting, you know, saying, Well, before we put your put the shock paddles on your on your heart to get back, we better do a CAT scan. And so they CAT scan me, and came back from the CAT scan and said, Well, you know what, there's no blood clot issues, but this mass in your pancreas is a concern. And so that was the discovery of that. And 14 days from that point, I had had surgery. And you know, there was no guarantees even at that point, even though we, you know, we knew we were early that, you know, I had to get things in order. And I was told to put things in order, a little bit going into it. But miracles upon miracles, they got it all. I came away with a drainage situation where they drained my pancreas for almost six months. It was a terrible pancreatic fluids, not good stuff. It really eats up your skin, and it was bad news. But here I am, you know, and when I came away from that, a lot of people thought I was going to die because I heard pancreatic cancer, and I got messages from people that were absolutely powerful in the difference I'd made in their life by being a coach and a mentor and helping them along in their life, and I realized that the big guy upstairs saved me for a reason, and I made my put my stake in the ground, and said, You know what? I'm going to do this the best I can, and that's what I've been doing for the last eight years. Michael Hingson 21:32 So what caused the afib? Greg Hess 21:35 Yeah, not sure. Okay, so when they came, I became the clipboard kid a little bit, you know. Because what the assumption was is that as soon as I came out of surgery, and they took this tumor out of me, because I was in a fib, throughout all of surgery, AFib went away. And they're thinking now, the stress of a tumor could be based on the, you know, it's a stress disease, or so on the a fib, there could be high correlation. And so they started looking into that, and I think they still are. But you know, if you got a fib, maybe we should look for tumors somewhere else is the potential they were thinking. And, yeah, that, Michael Hingson 22:14 but removing the tumor, when you tumor was removed, the AFib went away. Yeah, wow, Greg Hess 22:22 yeah, disappeared. Wow, yeah. Michael Hingson 22:26 I had someone who came on the podcast some time ago, and he had a an interesting story. He was at a bar one night. Everything was fine, and suddenly he had this incredible pain down in his his testicles. Actually went to the hospital to discover that he had very serious prostate cancer, and had no clue that that was even in the system until the pain and and so. But even so, they got it early enough that, or was in such a place where they got it and he's fine. Greg Hess 23:07 Wow, whoa. Well, stuff they do with medicine these days, the heart and everything else. I mean, it's just fantastic. I I recently got a new hip put in, and it's been like a new lease on life for me. Michael, I am, I'm golfing like I did 10 years ago, and I'm, you know, able to ride my bike and not limp around, you know, and with just pain every time I stepped and it's just so fantastic. I'm so grateful for that technology and what they can do with that. Michael Hingson 23:36 Well, I went through heart valve replacement earlier this year, and I had had a physical 20 years ago or or more, and they, they said, as part of it, we did an EKG or an echo cardiogram. And he said, You got a slightly leaky heart valve. It may never amount to anything, but it might well. It finally did, apparently. And so we went in and they, they orthoscopically went in and they replaced the valve. So it was really cool. It took an hour, and we were all done, no open heart surgery or anything, which was great. And, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I feel a whole lot better Greg Hess 24:13 that you do does a lot. Yeah, it's fantastic. Well, making that commitment to coaching was a big deal for me, but, you know, it, it's brought me more joy and happiness. And, you know, I just, I'll share with you in terms of the why situation for me. When I came away from that, I started thinking about, why am I, kind of, you know, a lot of what's behind what you're what you're doing, and what brings you joy? And I went back to when I was eight years old. I remember dribbling the ball down the basketball court, making a fake, threw a pass over to one of my buddies. They scored the layup, and we won the game. That moment, at that time, passing and being a part of sharing with someone else, and growing as a group, and kind of feeling a joy, is what I continued to probably for. To all my life. You know, you think about success, and it's how much money you make and how much this and whatever else we were in certain points of our life. I look back on all this and go, you know, when I had real happiness, and what mattered to me is when I was bringing joy to others by giving assist in whatever. And so I'm at home now, and it's a shame I didn't understand that at 60 until I was 62 years old, but I'm very focused, and I know that's what brings me joy, so that's what I like to do, and that's what I do. Michael Hingson 25:30 I know for me, I have the honor and the joy of being a speaker and traveling to so many places and speaking and so on. And one of the things that I tell people, and I'm sure they don't believe it until they experience it for themselves, is this isn't about me. I'm not in it for me. I am in it to help you to do what I can to make your event better. When I travel somewhere to speak, I'm a guest, and my job is to make your life as easy as possible and not complicated. And I'm I know that there are a lot of people who don't necessarily buy that, until it actually happens. And I go there and and it all goes very successfully, but people, you know today, were so cynical about so many things, it's just hard to convince people. Greg Hess 26:18 Yeah, yeah. Well, I know you're speaking over 100 times a year these days. I think that's that's a lot of work, a lot of getting around Michael Hingson 26:27 it's fun to speak, so I enjoy it. Well, how did you get involved in doing things like managing the Magic Johnson camps? Greg Hess 26:37 Well, because I was doing my MBA and I was part of the basketball program at Cal Lu, you know, working under Mike Dunlap. It just he needed a little bit of organization on how to do the business management side of it. And I got involved with that. I had a lunch with magic, and then it was, well, gee, why don't you help us coordinate all our camps or all our station work? And so I was fortunate enough to be able to do that for him. I'll just share a couple things from that that I remember really well. One of the things that magic just kind of, I don't know, patted me on the back, like I'm a superstar in a way. And you remember that from a guy like magic, I put everybody's name on the side of their shoe when they register. Have 100 kids in the camp, but everybody's name is on the right side of their shoe. And magic saw that, and he realized being a leader, that he is, that he could use his name and working, you know, their name by looking there, how powerful that was for him to be more connected in which he wants to be. That's the kind of guy he was. So that was one thing, just the idea of name. Now, obviously, as a teacher, I've always kind of done the name thing, and I know that's important, but, you know, I second thing that's really cool with the magic camp is that the idea of camaraderie and kind of tradition and bringing things together every morning we'd be sitting in the gym, magic could do a little story, you know, kind of tell everybody something that would inspire him, you know, from his past and so on. But each group had their own sound off. Michael, so if he pointed at your group, it would be like, or whatever it was. Each group had a different type of sound, and every once in a while we'd use it and point it kind of be a motivator. And I never really put two and two together until the last day of the camp on Friday. Magic says, When I point to your group, make your sound. And so he starts pointing to all the different groups. And it turns out to be Michigan State Spartans fight song to the tee. Figured that out. It was just fantastic. It gives me chills just telling you about it now, remembering how powerful was when everybody kind of came together. Now, you being a speaker, I'm sure you felt those things when you bring everybody together, and it all hits hard, but that was, that was one I remember. Michael Hingson 28:50 Well, wow, that's pretty funny, cute, yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, he has always been a leader, and it's very clear that he was, and I remember the days it was Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird. Greg Hess 29:10 Yeah, yeah. Well, when he came to LA you know, they had Kareem and Byron Scott, a whole bunch of senior players, and he came in as a 19 year old rookie, and by the end of that year, he was leading that team. Yeah, he was the guy driving the ship all the time, and he loved to give those assists. He was a great guy for that. Michael Hingson 29:30 And that's really the issue, is that as a as a real leader, it wasn't all about him at all. It was about how he could enhance the team. And I've always felt that way. And I you know, when I hire people, I always told them, I figure you convince me that you can do the job that I hired you to do. I'm not going to be your boss and boss you around. What I want to do is to work with you and figure out how the talents that I have can complement the talents that you have so that we can. Enhance and make you more successful than you otherwise would be. Some people got it, and unfortunately, all too many people didn't, and they ended up not being nearly as successful. But the people who got it and who I had the joy to work with and really enhance what they did, and obviously they helped me as well, but we they were more successful, and that was what was really important. Greg Hess 30:24 Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that. It's not about controlling, about growing. I mean, people grow, grow, grow, and, you know, helping them certainly. There's a reason. There's no I in team, right? And we've heard that in many times before. It's all about the group, group, pulling together. And what a lot of fun to have working in all throughout my life, in pulling teams together and seeing that happen. You know, one plus one equals three. I guess we call it synergy, that type of thinking, Michael Hingson 30:56 Yeah, well, you've faced a lot of adversity. Is, is the pancreatic cancer, maybe the answer to this, but what? What's a situation where you've really faced a lot of adversity and how it changed your life? You know you had to overcome major adversity, and you know what you learned from it? Greg Hess 31:16 Sure, I think being 100% honest and transparent. I'd say I went through a divorce in my life, and I think that was the most difficult thing I've gone through, you know, times where I'm talking to myself and being crazy and thinking stupid things and whatever. And I think the adversity that you learn and the resilience that you learn as you go, hey, I can move forward. I can go forward. And when you you see the light on the other side, and you start to create what's what's new and different for you, and be able to kind of leave the pain, but keep the happiness that connects from behind and go forward. I think that was a big part of that. But having resilience and transforming from whatever the event might be, obviously, pancreatic cancer, I talked about a transformation there. Anytime we kind of change things that I think the unstoppable mindset is really, you know what's within this program is about understanding that opportunities come from challenges. When we've got problems, we can turn them into opportunities. And so the adversity and the resilience that I think I'd like to try to learn and build and be a part of and helping people is taking what you see as a problem and changing your mindset into making it an opportunity. Michael Hingson 32:40 Yeah, yeah. Well, you've obviously had things that guided you. You had a good sense of vision and so on. And I talked a lot about, don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. But how's a good sense of vision guided you when necessarily the path wasn't totally obvious to you, have you had situations like that? Absolutely. Greg Hess 33:03 And I think the whole whole I write about it in my book in peak experiences, about having vision in terms of your future self, your future, think where you're going, visualize how that's going to happen. Certainly, as a basketball player, I would play the whole game before the game ever happened by visualizing it and getting it in my mind as to how it was going to happen. I do that with golf today. I'll look at every hole and I'll visualize what that vision is that I want to have in terms of getting it done. Now, when I have a vision where things kind of don't match up and I have to change that on the fly. Well, that's okay, you know that that's just part of life. And I think having resilience, because things don't always go your way, that's for sure. But the mindset you have around what happens when they don't go your way, you know, is big. My as a coach, as a business coach today, every one of my clients write a three, three month or 90 day plan every quarter that gets down to what their personal goal is, their must have goal. And then another kind of which is all about getting vision in place to start putting in actual tactical strategies to make all of that happen for the 90 day period. And that's a big part, I think, of kind of establishing the vision in you got to look in front of us what's going to happen, and we can control it if we have a good feel of it, you know, for ourselves, and get the lives and fulfillment we want out of life. I think, yeah, Michael Hingson 34:39 you've clearly been pretty resilient in a lot of ways, and you continue to exhibit it. What kinds of practices and processes have you developed that help you keep resilience personally and professionally? Greg Hess 34:54 I think one of them for sure is that I've I've lived a life where I've spent you. I'm going to say five out of seven days where I will do a serious type of workout. And right now bike riding. I'll ride several days a week, and, you know, get in 10 to 15 miles, not a lot, but, I mean, I've done but keeping the physical, physical being in the time, just to come down the time to think about what you're doing, and at the same time, for me, it's having a physical activity while I'm doing that, but it's a wind down time. I also do meditation. Every morning. I spend 15 minutes more or less doing affirmations associated to meditation, and that's really helped me get focused in my day. Basically, I look at my calendar and I have a little talk with every one of the things that are on my calendar about how I'm setting my day, you know? And that's my affirmation time. But yeah, those time things, I think report having habits that keep you resilient, and I think physical health has been important for me, and it's really helped me in a lot of ways at the same time, bringing my mind to, I think, accepting, in a transition of learning a little bit accepting the platinum rule, rather than the golden rule, I got to do unto others as they'd like to be treated by me. I don't need to treat people like they'd like to like I'd like to be treated. I need to treat them how they'd like to be treated by me, because they're not me, and I've had to learn that over time, better and better as I've got older. And how important that is? Michael Hingson 36:33 Well, yeah, undoubtedly, undoubtedly so. And I think that we, we don't put enough effort into thinking about, how does the other person really want to be treated? We again, it gets back, maybe in to a degree, in to our discussion about humor earlier we are we're so much into what is it all about for me, and we don't look at the other person, and the excuse is, well, they're not looking out for me. Why should I look out for them? Greg Hess 37:07 You know, one of the biggest breakthroughs I've had is working with a couple that own a business and Insurance Agency, and the they were doing okay when I started, when they've done much better. And you know, it's besides the story. The big part of the story is how they adjusted and adapted, and that she I think you're probably familiar with disc and I think most people that will be listening on the podcast are but D is a high D, dominant kind of person that likes to win and probably doesn't have a lot of time for the other people's feelings. Let's just put it that way to somebody that's a very high seed is very interested in the technology and everything else. And the two of them were having some challenges, you know, and and once we got the understanding of each other through looking at their disc profiles, all of a sudden things cleared up, a whole, whole bunch. And since then, they've just been a pinnacle of growth between the two of them. And it was just as simple as getting an understanding of going, you know, I got to look at it through your eyes, rather than my eyes. When it comes to being a leader in this company and how sure I'm still going to be demanding, still I'm going to be the I'm not going to apologize about it, but what I got him to do is carry a Q tip in his pocket, and so every time she got on him, kind of in the Bossy way. He just took out, pulled out the Q tip, and I said, that stands for quit taking it personal. Don't you love it? Michael Hingson 38:29 Yeah, well, and it's so important that we learn to communicate better. And I'm sure that had a lot to do with what happened with them. They started communicating better, yeah, yeah. Do you ever watch Do you ever watch a TV show on the Food Network channel? I haven't watched it for a while. Restaurant impossible. Greg Hess 38:51 Oh, restaurant impossible. Yeah, I think is that guy? Michael Hingson 38:55 No, that's not guy. It's my Michael. I'm blanking out Greg Hess 39:00 whatever. He goes in and fixes up a restaurant. Michael Hingson 39:03 He fixes up restaurants, yeah, and there was one show where that exact sort of thing was going on that people were not communicating, and some of the people relatives were about to leave, and so on. And he got them to really talk and be honest with each other, and it just cleared the whole thing up. Greg Hess 39:25 Yeah, yeah. It's amazing how that works. Michael Hingson 39:28 He's He's just so good at at analyzing situations like that. And I think that's one of the things that mostly we don't learn to do individually, much less collectively, is we don't work at being very introspective. So we don't analyze what we do and why what we do works or doesn't work, or how we could improve it. We don't take the time every day to do that, which is so unfortunate. Greg Hess 39:54 Oh boy, yeah, that continuous improvement Kaizen, all of that type of world. Critical to getting better, you know. And again, that comes back, I think, a little bit to mindset and saying, Hey, I'm gonna but also systems. I mean, I've always got systems in place that go, let's go back and look at that, and how, what can we do better? And if you keep doing it every time, you know, in a certain period, things get a lot better, and you have very fine tuning, and that's how you get distinguished businesses. I think, yeah, Michael Hingson 40:27 yeah, it's all about it's all about working together. So go ahead, I Greg Hess 40:31 was working with a guy at Disney, or guy had been at Disney, and he was talking about how they do touch point analysis for every every place that a customer could possibly touch anything in whatever happens in their environment, and how they analyze that on a, I think it was a monthly, or even at least a quarterly basis, where they go through the whole park and do an analysis on that. How can we make it better? Michael Hingson 40:55 Yeah, and I'm sure a lot of that goes back to Walt having a great influence. I wonder if they're doing as much of that as they used to. Greg Hess 41:04 Yeah, I don't know. I don't know, yeah, because it's getting pretty big and times change. Hopefully, culture Go ahead. I was gonna say a cultural perspective. I just thought of something I'd share with you that when I went into West Lake Village High School as a basketball coach, I walked into the gym and there was a lot of very tall I mean, it's a very competitive team and a competitive school, 611, six, nine kids, you know, that are only 16 years old. And I looked around and I realized that I'm kid from Canada here, you know, I gotta figure out how to make this all work in a quick, fast, in a hurry way. And I thought these kids were a little more interested in looking good than rather being good. And I think I'd been around enough basketball to see that and know that. And so I just developed a whole philosophy called psycho D right on the spot almost, which meant that we were going to build a culture around trying to hold teams under a common goal of 50 points, common goal, goal for successful teams. And so we had this. I started to lay that out as this is the way this program is going to work, guys and son of a gun, if we didn't send five of those guys onto division one full rides. And I don't think they would have got that if they you know, every college coach loves a kid who can play defense. Yeah, that's what we prided ourselves in. And, of course, the band got into it, the cheerleaders got into it, the whole thing. Of course, they bring in that special olympics thing, and that's part of that whole culture. Guess what? I mean, we exploded for the really powerful culture of of a good thing going on. I think you got to find that rallying point for all companies and groups that you work with. Don't you to kind of have that strong culture? Obviously, you have a very huge culture around your your world. Michael Hingson 42:54 Well, try and it's all about again, enhancing other people, and I want to do what I can do, but it's all about enhancing and helping others as well. Yeah. How about trust? I mean, that's very important in leadership. I'm sure you would, you would agree with that, whereas trust been a major part of things that you do, and what's an example of a place where trust really made all the difference in leadership and in endeavor that you were involved with? Greg Hess 43:29 Yeah, so often, clients that I've had probably don't have the they don't have the same knowledge and background in certain areas of you know, we all have to help each other and growing and having them to trust in terms of knowing their numbers and sharing with me what their previous six month P and L, or year to date, P and L, that kind of thing, so that I can take that profit and loss and build out a pro forma and build where we're going with the business. There's an element of trust that you have to have to give somebody all your numbers like that, and I'm asking for it on my first coaching session. And so how do I get that trust that quickly? I'm not sure exactly. It seems to work well for me. One of the things that I focus on in understanding people when I first meet and start to work with them is that by asking a simple question, I'll ask them something like, how was your weekend? And by their response, I can get a good bit of an idea whether I need to get to get them to trust me before they like me, or whether they get to get them to like me before they trust me. And if the response is, had a great weekend without any social response at all connected to it, then I know that I've got to get those people to trust me, and so I've got to present myself in a way that's very much under trust, where another the response might be. Had a great weekend, went out golfing with my buddies. Soon as I hear with the now I know I need to get that person to like. Me before they trust me. And so that's a skill set that I've developed, I think, and just recognizing who I'm trying and building trust. But it's critical. And once, once you trust somebody, and you'd show and they, you don't give them reason to not trust you, you know, you show up on time, you do all the right things. It gets pretty strong. Yeah, it doesn't take but, you know, five or six positive, that's what the guy said he's going to do. He's done it, and he's on top of it to start trusting people. I think, Well, Michael Hingson 45:31 I think that that trust is all around us. And, you know, we we keep hearing about people don't trust each other, and there's no trust anymore in the world. I think there's a lot of trust in the world. The issue isn't really a lack of trust totally. It's more we're not open to trust because we think everyone is out to get us. And unfortunately, there are all too many ways and times that that's been proven that people haven't earned our trust, and maybe we trusted someone, and we got burned for it, and so we we shut down, which we shouldn't do, but, but the reality is that trust is all around us. I mean, we trust that the internet is going to keep this conversation going for a while. I shouldn't say that, because now we're going to disappear, right? But, but, trust is really all around us, and one of the things that I tell people regularly is, look, I want to trust and I want people to trust me. If I find that I am giving my trust to someone and they don't reciprocate or they take advantage of it. That tells me something, and I won't deal with that person anymore, but I'm not going to give up on the idea of trust, because trust is so important, and I think most people really want to trust and I think that they do want to have trusting relationships. Greg Hess 47:02 Yeah, totally agree with you on that, you know. And when it's one of those things, when you know you have it, you don't have to talk about it, you just have it, you know, it's there, right? Michael Hingson 47:16 Yeah, and then, well, it's, it's like, I talk about, well, in the book that I wrote last year, live, it was published last year, live like a guide dog. Guide Dogs do love unconditionally, I'm absolutely certain about that, but they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between them and us, unless there's something that is just completely traumatized them, which isn't usually the case, they're open to trust, and they want to trust and they want to develop trusting relationships. They want us to be the pack leaders. They know we're supposed to be able to do that. They want to know what we expect of them. But they're open to trust, and even so, when I'm working with like a new guide dog. I think it takes close to a year to really develop a full, complete, two way trusting relationship, so that we really essentially know what each other's thinking. But when you get that relationship, it's second to none. Greg Hess 48:15 Yeah, isn't that interesting? How long were you with Rosella? Before the event, Michael Hingson 48:21 Rosella and I were together. Let's see we Oh, what was it? It was February or May. No, it was the November of 1999 so it was good two year. Good two years. Yeah, wow, yeah. So, you know, we we knew each other. And you know, even so, I know that in that in any kind of a stressful situation, and even not in a stressful situation, my job is to make sure that I'm transmitting competence and trust to Roselle, or now to Alamo. And the idea is that on September 11, I all the way down the stairs just continue to praise her, what a good job. You're doing a great job. And it was important, because I needed her to know first of all that I was okay, because she had to sense all of the concern that people had. None of us knew what was going on on the stairwell, but we knew that something was going on, and we figured out an airplane hit the building because we smelled jet fuel, but we didn't know the details, but clearly something was going on, so I needed to send her the message, I'm okay, and I'm with you and trust you and all that. And the result of that was that she continued to be okay, and if suddenly she were to suddenly behave in a manner that I didn't expect, then that would tell me that there's something different and something unusual that's going on that I have to look for. But we didn't have to have that, fortunately, which was great. It's. About trust, and it's all about developing a two way trust, yeah, Greg Hess 50:05 yeah, amazing. Well, and it's funny how, when you say trust, when in a situation where trust is lost, it's not so easily repaired, no, Michael Hingson 50:16 you know, yeah. And if it's really lost, it's because somebody's done something to betray the trust, unless somebody misinterprets, in which case you've got to communicate and get that, that that confidence level back, which can be done too. Greg Hess 50:33 Yeah, yeah. Important to be tuned and tuned into that, Michael Hingson 50:40 but it is important to really work to develop trust. And as I said, I think most people want to, but they're more often than not, they're just gun shy, so you have to really work at developing the trust. But if you can do it, what a relationship you get with people. Greg Hess 50:57 Circumstances, you know, and situational analysis change the level of trust, of course, in so many ways. And some people are trusting people where they shouldn't, you know, and in the right in the wrong environment. Sometimes you know, you have to be aware. I think people are fearful of that. I mean, just even in our electronic world, the scammers and those people you gotta, we get, we get one or two of those, you know, messages every day, probably people trying to get you to open a bank account or something on them. Better be aware. Don't want to be losing all your money. Yeah, but it's not to have trust, right? Michael Hingson 51:41 Yeah, it's one we got to work on well, so you you support the whole concept of diversity, and how has embracing diversity of people, perspectives or ideas unlocked new opportunities for you and the people you work with. Greg Hess 52:00 I got a great story for you on that. Michael A when I got into this coaching business, one of the one of the clients I was lucky enough to secure was a group called shredding on the go. And so the mother was kind of running the show, but her son was the president, and kind of the one that was in charge of the company. Now he's wheelchair, 100% wheelchair bound, nonverbal, very, very, I don't remember the exact name, but I mean very, very restrictive. And so what she figured out in time was his young is that he could actually take paper and like putting paper into a shredder. So she grew the idea of saying, Gosh, something James can do, we can build a business. This, this kid's, you know, gonna, I'm gonna get behind this and start to develop it. And so she did, and we created, she had created a company. She only had two employees when she hired me, but we went out and recruited and ended up growing it up to about 20 employees, and we had all the shredders set up so that the paper and all of our delivery and so on. And we promoted that company and supporting these people and making real money for real jobs that you know they were doing. So it was all, you know, basically all disabled autism to, you name it. And it was just a great experience. And so we took that show to the road. And so when we had Earth Day, I'd go out and we'd have a big event, and then everybody would come in and contribute to that and be a part of growing that company. Eventually, we got to the company to the point where the mother was worried about the the owner, the son's health was getting, you know, his life expectancy is beyond it, and she didn't want to have this company and still be running and when he wasn't there. And so we worked out a way to sell the company to a shredding company, of course, and they loved the the client. We had over 50 clients going, and they ended up making quite a bit of money that they put back into helping people with disabilities. So it was just a great cycle and a great opportunity to do that and give people an opportunity. I got to be their business coach, and what a lot of fun I included myself in the shredding I was involved with all parts of the company, and at one point, what a lot of fun I had with everybody. Michael Hingson 54:22 Yeah, yeah. There's something to be said for really learning what other people do in a company and learning the jobs. I think that's important. It's not that you're going to do it every day, but you need to develop that level of understanding. Greg Hess 54:37 Michael, you'll love this. Our best Shredder was blind. She did more than anybody, and she was blind. People go, you can't be doing that when you're What do you mean? She had it figured out. Yeah. Michael Hingson 54:48 What's the deal? Yeah, no, Shredder doesn't overheat, you know? But that's another step, yeah. So what's an example you've worked with a lot of teams. And so on. What's an example where a collaborative effort really created something and caused something to be able to be done that otherwise wouldn't have happened? Right? Greg Hess 55:10 Well, I referred back real quickly to the psycho D thing, where he had a common goal, common pride in taking it, and we just were on it. And I think that was a really, really transformational kind of thing to make everybody better as one whole area in a team. Now that's probably the first thing that comes to mind. I think the the idea of bringing the team together, you know, and really getting them to all work as one is that everybody has to understand everybody else's action plan. What's their plan? What is their vision? Where are they going in terms of, you know, playing basketball, to whether you're on the sales team, whether you're on the marketing team, or whatever part of the business you're in, do you have an action plan? And you can openly show that, and you feel like you're 100% participating in the group's common goal. I can't over emphasize an element of a common goal. I think, in team building, whatever that may be, you know, typically, the companies I'm working with now, we try to change it up every quarter, and we shoot quarter by quarter to a common goal that we all and then we build our plans to reach and achieve that for each individual within a company. And it works really well in building teams. And it's a lot of fun when everything comes together. You know, example of how a team, once you built that, and the team's there, and then you run into adversity, we have a team of five people that are selling insurance, basically, and one of them lost her father unexpectedly and very hard, Hispanic, Hispanic background, and just devastating to her and to her mother and everything. Well, we've got a machine going in terms of work. And so what happened is everybody else picked up her piece, and all did the parts and got behind her and supported her. And it took her about five months to go through her morning phase, and she's come back, and now she's going to be our top employee. Now going forward, it's just amazing how everybody rallied around her. We were worried about her. She comes back, and she's stronger than ever, and she'd had her time, and it was just nice to see the team of a group of company kind of treat somebody like family. That's a good thing. Michael Hingson 57:30 That's cool. What a great story. What mindset shift Do you think entrepreneurs and leaders really need to undergo in order to be successful. Greg Hess 57:45 Boy, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about the idea of looking through it, through other people's eyes, right? And then as a leader, you know, the same thing you were mentioning earlier, Michael, was that you draw the strength out of the people, rather than demand kind of what you want them to do in order to get things done, it's build them up as people. And I think that that's a critical piece in in growing people and getting that whole element of leadership in place. Yeah, what was the other part of that question? Again, let me give you another piece of that, because I think of some Go ahead. Yeah. I was just remember, what did you ask me again, I want to make sure I'm right Michael Hingson 58:28 from your books and coaching work. The question was, what kind of mindset shift Do you think that entrepreneurs and leaders have to adopt? Greg Hess 58:39 Yeah, yeah. So that's one part of the mindset, but the big one is recognizing that it's a growth world that we need to look at how we can grow our company, how we can grow individuals, how we can all get better and continuous improvement. And I think that is an example of taking a problem and recognizing as an opportunity. And that's part of the mindset right there that you got to have. I got a big problem here. How are we going to make that so that we're we're way better from that problem each time it happens and keep improving? Michael Hingson 59:10 Yeah, that makes sense. Well, if you could leave everyone who's listening and watching this today with one key principle that would help them live and lead with an unstoppable mindset. What would that be? What, what? What advice do you have? Greg Hess 59:30 Yeah, my advice is make sure you understand your passion and what, what your purpose is, and have a strong, strong desire to make that happen. Otherwise, it's not really a purpose, is it? And then be true to yourself. Be true to yourself in terms of what you spend your time on, what you do, in terms of reaching that purpose. It's to be the best grandparent there you can be in the world. Go get it done, but make sure you're spending time to grandkids. Don't just talk it so talks cheap and action matters. You know, and I think, figure out where you're spending your time and make sure that fits in with what you really want to gather happen in your life and fulfilling it. Michael Hingson 1:00:09 Well, I like that talks cheap and action matters. That's it. Yeah, I tell that. I tell that to my cat all the time when she doesn't care. But cats are like that? Well, we all know that dogs have Masters, but cats have staff, so she's a great kitty. That's good. It's a wonderful kitty. And I'm glad that she's in my life, and we get to visit with her every day too. So it works out well, and she and the Dog get along. So, you know, you can't do better than that. That's a good thing. Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely super. I we've I think we've talked a lot, and I've learned a lot, and I hope other people have too, and I think you've had a lot of good insights. If people would like to reach out to you and maybe use your services as a coach or whatever, how do they do that? Greg Hess 1:01:00 Well, my website is coach, hess.com Michael Hingson 1:01:06 H, E, S, S, Greg Hess 1:01:07 yeah, C, O, A, C, H, H, E, S, s.com, that's my website. You can get a hold of me at coach. At coach, hess.com that's my email. Love to hear from you, and certainly I'm all over LinkedIn. My YouTube channel is desk of coach s. Got a bunch of YouTubes up there and on and on. You know, all through the social media, you can look me up and find me under Coach. Coach S, is my brand Cool? Michael Hingson 1:01:38 Well, that it's a well worth it brand for people to go interact with, and I hope people will so Oh, I appreciate that. Well, I want to thank you all for listening and watching us today. Reach out to coach Hess, I'd love to hear from you. Love to hear what you think of today's episode. So please give us an email at Michael H i, at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, wherever you're monitoring our podcast, please give us a five star rating. We value it. And if you know anyone who might be a good guest to come on and tell their story, please introduce us. We're always looking for more people to come on and and chat with us. Coach you as well. If you know anyone, I'm sure you must love to to get more people. Now, if you could get Magic Johnson, that'd be super but that's probably a little tougher, but it'd be, it'd be fun. Any, anyone t
This week, Jason is joined by entrepreneur and CEO of the global fitness brand Barry's, Joey Gonzalez! Joey had dedicated over a decade of his life trying to break into the entertainment business in LA, but after realizing he wasn't achieving the financial stability he desired, he knew he had to make a change. In addition to acting, he was working jobs in real estate and in the restaurant industry before stumbling upon his role as a fitness instructor with Barry's Bootcamp. From there, Joey organically worked his way up the company, eventually assuming the role of CEO 11 years after taking his first class. Joey breaks down how failure and adversity have been some of his greatest teachers—and why settling for a traditional nine-to-five often comes at the cost of fulfillment and passion. He shares how his early career in acting seamlessly translated into becoming a world-class fitness instructor, from musicality and performance to programming and staying calm in chaos. Joey dives into the business side of fitness, including how to advocate for yourself, what consumers should look for before committing to a membership, how locations are selected, and the real drivers behind their global success—from private equity and adaptability to embracing local nuance in every market. He also reflects on how COVID reshaped the business, breaks down instructor pay structures, offers insight into his personal nutrition and training, recommends must-have home gym equipment (including how he discovered the Woodway treadmill), and shares his thoughts on pursuing an OPM or MBA—before tying it all together with a focus on the four F's. Joey reveals all this and so much more in another episode you can't afford to miss! Host: Jason Tartick Co-Host: David Arduin Audio: John Gurney Guest: Joey Gonzalez Stay connected with the Trading Secrets Podcast! Instagram: @tradingsecretspodcast Youtube: Trading Secrets Facebook: Join the Group All Access: Free 30-Day Trial Trading Secrets Steals & Deals! Upwork: Instead of spending weeks sorting through random resumes, Upwork Business Plus sends a curated shortlist of expert talent to your inbox in hours. Trusted, top-rated freelancers vetted for skills and reliability.... and rehired by businesses like yours. Right now, when you spend $1,000 on Upwork Business Plus, you'll get $500 in credit. Go to Upwork.com/SAVE now and claim the offer before 1/31/2025. Rula: Rula does things differently. They partner with over 100 insurance plans, making the average co-pay just $15 per session. That's real therapy, from licensed professionals, at a price that actually makes sense. Think about it - you use your insurance benefits to maintain your physical health, so why wouldn't you do the same for your mental health? Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit Rula.com/tradingsecrets to get started. Square: Whether you're selling lattes, cutting hair, detailing cars, or running a design studio, Square helps you run your business, without running yourself into the ground. With Square, you get all the tools to run your business, with none of the contracts or complexity. And why wait? Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at square.com/go/tradingsecrets.
Hiring a financial advisor isn't about credentials alone, it's about timing. And for many people, getting that timing wrong can cost years of freedom.Ari explores when it doesn't make sense to hire a financial advisor, when it absolutely does, and why the decision often has less to do with intelligence or interest in finances and more to do with stress, life stage, and opportunity cost. Drawing from personal experience, real client conversations, and a story from his own life, Ari explains why pushing back, asking questions, and trusting your instincts matter just as much as spreadsheets and projections. The discussion reframes financial advice away from credentials and rules of thumb and toward partnership, value, and peace of mind. Some people genuinely enjoy managing their own finances and are well-equipped to do so — until complexity, time constraints, or major transitions enter the picture. Others reach a point where the cost of doing everything themselves quietly becomes higher than the cost of professional help. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all answer, Ari breaks down the signals that matter most: losing sleep, worrying about missed opportunities, navigating retirement timing, tax strategy, healthcare decisions, or coordinating finances with a spouse. The goal isn't to convince anyone to hire an advisor — it's to help people make the decision intentionally, with clarity and confidence. This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered whether they're doing just fine on their own, or whether having the right partner could help them work less, worry less, and live more.-Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.
This Money Monday Sales Gravy podcast episode is special because it kicks off our 20th season! It's hard to believe that we've been producing the Sales Gravy continuously for 20 years. Over the last 20 years, thanks to you—our incredible audience—we've consistently ranked as the #1 most listened to sales podcast in markets all over the world. I remember my first podcast episode all those years ago, produced with a microphone I bought at Guitar Center and recorded under a blanket for sound suppression. Today, we produce our podcast in professional studios at Sales Gravy and have a full production team on staff to ensure we are giving you the highest quality sound possible. What hasn't changed is my unwavering focus on making the complex simple by cutting through the noise, eliminating the fluff, and giving you the basics and fundamentals that actually work in the real world. We've got a ton of new episodes and bonus content coming your way, so be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app and listen every week. Sales Professionals Must Have Goals to be Successful Your personal goals are the aspirations that drive you, inspire you, and push you through the tough days. These goals are essential to helping you maintain sales discipline throughout your sales year. When developing personal goals, I break them down into three buckets: To-Have Goals These are the things you want to acquire or buy. Whether it's a house, a new car, or building up your savings, to-have goals are about acquiring something that enhances your life. To-Be Goals These are about evolving into the person you want to become. Maybe you want to be a sales manager, or if you're a manager, you want to be a director or VP of sales. You might want to go back to school for a degree or an MBA. Or you want to be a better spouse, a better leader, or a better peer. Maybe you want to be a President's club winner or be recognized as an expert in your industry—whatever it is, to-be goals help you level up as a person and a professional. To-Do Goals These are experience goals. Think about experiences that create lifelong memories—maybe you want to travel somewhere special or take on a meaningful project or hobby you've always dreamed about. Four Reasons Why Goals Matter in Sales Number one, goals massively increase the likelihood that you'll actually achieve the things you want. Speaking your goal out loud, writing it down, and being intentional about it has a powerful psychological effect. Number two, goals make life meaningful. It's unbelievably fulfilling to look back and see what you accomplished—how far you've come over the course of a year, five years, or a decade. Number three, we work in a tough, competitive profession, and it's just plain satisfying to put your commission checks, bonuses, and hard-won earnings toward something that improves your life or the lives of the people you love. But the biggest reason to set goals—especially in sales—is that the sales profession is hard work and it can be brutal. It's loaded with rejection. At every turn, we face potential “nos,” whether it's prospecting calls, asking for next steps, pushing to level up to a decision-maker, or closing the deal. We even face internal rejection when we try to sell a complex deal internally to our own company or get approval for special pricing. Rejection is everywhere, and the fear of rejection—or avoiding it—is the number one reason salespeople fail to perform. Add to that the grind: making call after call, stuffing data into the CRM, pushing through proposals, handling endless follow-ups, and selling becomes tedious, hard, rejection-dense work. For this reason, it requires discipline to stay on track and keep grinding day after day and month after month over the course of the sales year. But here's the rub: discipline can wane, especially if we're not hyper-focused on a bigger prize. Goals Give You the Discipline to Do the Hard Things I want you to pay attention to this next part because understanding the real definition of discipline is critical. Discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. Human nature wants easy. We'd rather that customers call us than have to chase them. We'd rather deals close themselves than invest hours into multi-step follow-ups. We don't want to face that “no.” But success in sales is paid for in advance, with facing rejection and hard work. Therefore, if you don't have a clear, compelling reason—something you want most—it's easy to cave in and take the easy route instead of doing what really needs to be done. This is the reason why having a strong set of personal goals is crucial for sales professionals. You need that powerful “why” to keep grinding when the going gets tough. When the pipeline's not as full as you'd like or you're hitting roadblocks, you need something more important than convenience to drag you back into the fight. A Tactical System for Setting Winning Goals Let's jump into the tactics for actually doing this. If you've gone through any kind of SMART goal-setting course, some of this may sound familiar. But these basics are timeless and indispensable. To set effective goals, you need to ask and answer five basic questions: What Do You Want? Sounds simple, but for a lot of us, it's not. We're so busy scrolling through social media, bingeing on TikTok, or juggling daily distractions that we never pause to ask, “What do I really want from my life?” So step one is to get specific. Define it. When Do You Want It? Because we're talking about next year's personal goals, let's keep them within a 12-month horizon. But any truly effective goal requires a deadline or target date—otherwise, it's just a pipe dream. When you have a hard date, it creates urgency and focus. Is It Attainable? Be honest with yourself. If all your goals are ridiculously ambitious, you'll burn out or give up once it's clear you're not making meaningful progress. Stretch goals are great—big, hairy, audacious goals will push you—but balance those with goals you can realistically achieve. How Bad Do You Want It? This is the ultimate question. If your goal doesn't fire you up, if it's not something you'd move mountains to achieve, you won't push through the tough days. Remember, discipline means sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. If the desire isn't there, the sacrifices won't be made. How Are You Going to Get There? These are your steps to success—your system, your process, your roadmap. As James Clear says in Atomic Habits, you don't rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems. The idea is simple: if you have a crystal-clear process for what you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly, you'll keep moving toward the goal—even when life gets hectic. This is where your personal business plan and your personal goals intersect. For instance, if your to-do or to-have goal requires additional income—maybe you need a bigger commission check to afford that new pool or a bucket-list vacation—then you have to hit your sales targets. This means building a discipline system that ensures you're prospecting enough, qualifying enough opportunities, following up diligently, and negotiating effectively. Without a system and personal business plan, you are more likely to get random results. Stop Now and Build Your Goal Sheet Sit in silence. Turn off the noise, get away from distractions, and grab a notebook and pen. Write down what you want, when you want it, if it's attainable, how bad you want it, and how you plan to get there. Sketch it all out—just let the ideas flow. Once you've got it all down, build a formal goal sheet. Yes, I'm talking about physically writing it out. There's tremendous power in seeing your goals in black and white, or printing them out and pinning them above your desk. Countless studies show that written goals are far more likely to be realized than goals that just bounce around in your head. This goal sheet is your personal roadmap—put it into your personal business plan so everything stays in one place. Learn how to set winning goals and build your personal Goal Sheet in Jeb Blount's comprehensive course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals
In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. Twenty-nine leading MBA programs have an application deadline during this upcoming week! In fact, the only top schools without deadlines this week are NYU / Stern, MIT / Sloan, Texas / McCombs, USC / Marshall and INSEAD - and these programs all have deadlines next week or the following week. Graham highlighted MBA webinar events that are on the horizon that Clear Admit is hosting. The first webinar looks at the enduring value of the MBA. The second series of events is for deferred admissions candidates who are currently completing their first degrees. As always, signups are for our events are here: https://www.clearadmit.com/events Graham noted a news story recently published on Clear Admit which takes stock of the past year and looks ahead to MBA predictions for 2026. These predictions, from the Clear Admit team, include a shift in the admissions process that focuses more on areas of the process that cannot be impacted by AI, the possibility that the GRE becomes the most popular MBA admissions test, and the notion that b-schools will continue to roll out specialized masters to help young professionals get the tools needed in today's workforce. Graham also noted four MBA admissions tips, focusing on scholarship negotiations, the data forms, optional essays, and how to show an MBA program that you've done the research on their offering. Graham then noted a Real Humans piece spotlighting students from the University of St Gallen MBA in Switzerland. We then discussed two recently published Class of 2025 employment reports from Wharton and Columbia. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate appears to have an interesting background, from Colombia. However, we fear that their 309 GRE score will harm their chances at the very top MBA programs. This week's second MBA applicant is an investment banker and has a very strong background. But they have a DUI from their university days. We discussed those implications. This week's final MBA candidate has several offers from leading MBA programs. They are seriously weighing the offers between Booth (with $130K scholarship and a dual degree offer) and Harvard. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Nick Ladany, President, San Francisco Bay UniversityIn this episode, President Series #434, powered by Ellucian, & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR co-host is Brent Ramdin, CEO, EducationDynamicsYOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a president take a university with a significant resource fund & completely rebuild it to redefine higher education by training faculty how to teach, capping all classes at 20 students & offering tuition under $10k per year?What happens when a university eliminates athletics spending, provides unlimited mental health services & wraparound academic support for ALL students instead of just student athletes while maintaining fiscal responsibility?How does a leader challenge traditional higher ed by creating a 90 credit undergraduate degree for $15k total, an MBA for $10k total & focusing on 4 year (or 3 year) graduation rates instead of the industry standard 6 year rate?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - Elvin Freytes & Dr. Joe Sallustio● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp ExperienceWe make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then subscribe today!
This episode, recorded live at the Becker's 13th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, features Afroz Hafeez, MD, MBA, Manager of Telemedicine at RUSH University System for Health, as he discusses expanding virtual care and telemedicine services. He shares strategies for improving health equity, scaling hybrid care models, and partnering with communities to increase access and reduce hospital burdens.
#243: Dave Berke is a retired US Marine Corps Officer, TOPGUN Instructor, and now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Development Officer. As a F/A-18 pilot, he deployed twice from the USS John C Stennis in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN, where he served as the Training Officer and the senior staff pilot responsible for the conduct of the TOPGUN course. He then served as an ANGLICO Forward Air Controller supporting the Army's 1st Armored Division during extensive urban combat operations on the ground in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006. Dave led his supporting arms liaison team on scores of combat missions into the most dangerous neighborhoods and accompanied SEAL Task Unit Bruiser on virtually every major operation in the Battle of Ramadi.He was the only Marine selected to fly the F-22 Raptor, having served as an exchange officer at the Air Force's 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron as the Division Commander. He became the first operational pilot ever to fly and be qualified in the F-35B, serving as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps' first F-35 squadron from 2012-2014.Dave holds both a Master's in International Public Policy and an MBA from The John Hopkins University.Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps, Dave joined Echelon Front providing unmatched experience and a unique perspective on combat leadership, analytical decision making, risk mitigation, and creating winning teams.He serves as Echelon Front's Chief Development Officer, as well as a leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor.Book: https://www.amazon.com/Need-Lead-Instructors-Leadership-Challenge/dp/125036163X
This episode's Community Champion Sponsor is Ossur. To learn more about their ‘Responsible for Tomorrow' Sustainability Campaign, and how you can get involved: CLICK HEREEpisode Overview: Healthcare still doesn't truly know "who is who" — and that identity crisis is costing health systems patients, trust, and growth.Our next guest, Clay Ritchey, is tackling this challenge head-on as CEO of Verato.With more than two decades of experience driving growth and innovation across market-leading healthcare technology organizations, Clay brings a unique perspective on why identity intelligence is the hidden driver of patient loyalty and better outcomes.Scaling his previous company through hyper-growth and a successful merger, he understands what it takes to seamlessly implement solutions that transform how healthcare organizations engage with consumers.Join us to discover how Verato is powering a single source of truth for identity across healthcare and why being "impatient as hell" is exactly what this industry needs. Let's go!Episode Highlights:Be impatient as hell — Clay's advice to healthcare innovators is to maintain urgency and not let the slow pace of the industry get in your way.Healthcare's identity crisis is blocking digital transformation — The High Tech Act moved healthcare off paper records, but we missed solving identity, leaving fragmented data that prevents a true 360-degree patient view.7 in 10 healthcare leaders are losing patients due to poor experiences — Verato's national study revealed that fragmented identity data is directly driving patient attrition and eroding loyalty.Consumerism is reshaping healthcare — Less than 25% of millennials have a primary care physician, and patients are increasingly willing to drive past hospitals for better experiences elsewhere.Identity intelligence is foundational for AI success — Organizations are investing in identity data quality now because high-fidelity data is essential to trustworthy AI outcomes.About our Guest:Clay brings more than 20 years of experience driving growth and innovation in market-leading healthcare technology organizations to Verato.As CEO, Clay is passionate about working with healthcare, life science, and government organizations across the care continuum to transform the way that consumers and patients engage with them to build deeper relationships resulting in improved outcomes and sustainable growth for our customers.Prior to joining Verato, Clay served as CEO of Evariant, a healthcare SaaS CRM and big data analytics company, achieving hyper-growth of the organization and leading them to a successful merger.Prior roles also include Chief Marketing Officer at Imprivata, CEO at Maryland-based Equinox Healthcare, and Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at Hill-Rom IT Solutions. Clay received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his BSEE, with Highest Distinction, from The Pennsylvania State University.Links Supporting This Episode: Clay Ritchey LinkedIn page: CLICK HERE
Welcome to another episode of the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast! In this episode, Dr. Zhen Chan shares his unique journey from growing up in Miami, Florida to becoming a pediatrician in Washington, DC, and ultimately venturing into the entrepreneurial side of healthcare. Dr. Chan discusses his educational background, including an MD-MBA dual degree, and how it shaped his interests in blending artistic and scientific aspects within the medical field. He delves into his clinical practice in the 'fast track' side of an emergency room and his desire to improve healthcare systems. Dr. Chan also talks about his entrepreneurial endeavors, like founding Grapevine, a community focused on healthcare workforce optimization and reducing burnout among medical professionals. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the importance of networking and staying updated with technological advancements to better serve patients and the healthcare community. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: 1. The Power of Networking in Healthcare: Dr. Chan emphasizes that building professional relationships and communities—like her Grapevine initiative—is crucial for career growth, combating burnout, and reducing social isolation among healthcare professionals. Networking is not just for business leaders; it's essential for clinicians at all stages. 2. Innovation and Entrepreneurship are Vital for Modern Physicians: Dr. Chan's journey shows that blending clinical practice with entrepreneurial thinking and process improvement (such as Six Sigma and MBA training) can help address systemic issues in healthcare. Physicians can—and should—embrace innovation to improve patient care and the healthcare system. 3. Technology and AI Can Reduce Administrative Burden: The discussion highlights how AI-powered tools (like scribing and coding assistants) are transforming healthcare by reducing administrative workload, allowing doctors to focus more on patient care. Accurate documentation and embracing new technologies are key to improving efficiency and outcomes. Meet Dr. Zhen Chan: Dr. Zhen Chan is a practicing pediatrician at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC and Founder/CEO of Grapevyne, a community dedicated to empowering physician autonomy and wellbeing through better networking and understanding about healthcare beyond medicine. He graduated from the University of Miami with his BS in Neuroscience and Criminology, MD, and MBA in Health Management & Policy. After completing his education, he went on to complete his pediatrics residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine, where his work in quality improvement and advocacy projects revealed a career path to impact healthcare at scale beyond the exam room. In addition to his clinical practice and his own community, he advises other healthcare startups as well focused on improving healthcare access. Connect with Dr. Zhen Chan:
Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: https://www.academyfund.com/ Want to join us in Tampa, FL on January 26th & 27th? Visit: https://www.10xvets.com/events ____ Travis Wittick is the founder of Academy Endeavors, a coaching company that helps high school students navigate the competitive and complex admissions process for U.S. Service Academies and ROTC scholarships. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and former Air Force hospital administrator, Travis first discovered his passion for mentorship as an Academy Liaison Officer helping students prepare their applications while still on active duty. After transitioning to the civilian sector and earning his MBA from Duke, Travis launched Academy Endeavors in 2020 leaving his corporate job and betting on his vision full-time. Since then, the company has grown steadily, with an 85% success rate and 40–50% year-over-year growth. Travis and his growing team of Academy graduate coaches now support families across the country with application strategy, essay development, interview prep, and ongoing guidance from freshman year to appointment day. In this episode of the SABM podcast, Scott chats with Travis about: The Mission Behind Academy Endeavors: Helping families gain clarity, confidence, and strategic support throughout the service academy admissions journey. From Side Hustle to Full-Time Impact: How Travis made the leap from corporate America to founder and gained traction during COVID. A Coach's Perspective: Why application success starts with storytelling, mentorship, and early preparation. Growing a Values-Driven Team: His vision for hiring Academy grads as assistant coaches and culture carriers. Academy vs. ROTC Options: Helping students and families make informed decisions that lead to service and scholarship opportunities even outside the academy path. Timestamps: 00:36 Travis's Background and Academy Experience 08:06 Launching Academy Endeavors 11:17 Early Success and COVID-19 Impact 13:46 Ideal Start Time for Academy Preparation 23:45 Indirect Benefits for College Applications 34:25 Hiring and Team Expansion Connect with Travis: LinkedIn | Travis Wittick www.academyendeavors.com support@academyendeavors.com If you found value in today's episode, don't keep it to yourself—share it with a colleague or friend who could benefit. And if you're a Service Academy graduate ready to elevate your business, we'd love for you to join our community and get started today. Make sure you never miss an episode subscribe now and help support the show: Apple Podcasts Spotify Leave us a 5-star review! A special thank you to Travis for joining me this week. Until next time! -Scott Mackes, USNA '01
In the first episode of the 2026 season, Dan is joined by Nick Greyno, Connor Schoepp, John Bloom & Tex McQuilkin to discuss the transition of S&C from D1 sport to private sector.Connor Schoepp spent the past decade working across professional and collegiate sport before transitioning into the private sector and founding Rebuild Performance & Rehab in Pittsburgh, PA. His work centers on return-to-play performance, speed development, and isometric training, bridging high-level sport science with real-world athlete application. Connor brings a systems-based approach to long-term athletic development, helping athletes transition safely and confidently back to competition.Follow Connor at @rebuild_p_r and @rebuildpr_.Nick Greyno is a strength and conditioning coach with extensive experience across Division I athletics and applied sports performance. He has held roles at TCU, Florida International University, the University of West Florida, Clemson, the University of South Carolina, and with US Ski & Snowboard / Ski & Snowboard Club Vail. A former track & field athlete, Nick earned his MBA while serving as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Mount Olive. He is now based in Columbus, Ohio, where he is building Life Free Perform, a performance platform focused on long-term development and coach education. Nick holds CSCS, SCCC, USAW, FRCms, EXOS XPS, and RPR Level 1 certifications.Learn more at www.lifefreeperform.com and follow @greynotstrength.Tex McQuilkin is the Founder and Leadership Strategist of Captains & Coaches, bringing over 15 years of experience at the intersection of athletic performance and leadership development. A former four-year starter and three-year captain for Marymount University Men's Lacrosse, Tex blends performance science with leadership psychology to develop athletes into confident leaders on and off the field. He holds a Master's degree in Health Behavior Change and has coached athletes across six continents, from youth sport to elite collegiate environments and special operations forces. Tex continues to coach middle and high school lacrosse in Austin, Texas, while refining the Captains & Coaches methodology through applied practice.Follow @mcquilkin, @captainsandcoaches, and visit www.captainsandcoaches.com.John Bloom is a sports performance coach and entrepreneur with experience across multiple Division I programs, including Abilene Christian, Weber State, Texas Tech, and Oral Roberts University. After more than a decade in the collegiate setting, John transitioned into the private sector to found Elevated Athlete Development LLC, based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. His mission is to provide holistic athletic development while creating environments that prioritize long-term growth, character, and sustainable performance. Beyond athlete training, John is passionate about building platforms that allow coaches to learn, connect, and collaborate—strengthening the profession through shared knowledge and Strength In Numbers.Follow John at @johnbloom30.Season 7 of the Braun Performance & Rehab Podcast is proudly supported by Pura Health, bringing ultrasound into every clinician's hands. Learn more at purahealth.net and @pura.health_ultrasound.Additional support provided by Firefly Recovery, the official recovery partner of Braun Performance & Rehab (recoveryfirefly.com), and Dr. Ray Gorman of Engage Movement. Learn how to grow your income beyond sessions—follow @raygormandpt on Instagram and DM “Dan” for a free breakdown of the blended practice model.Episode Affiliates:Isophit (BRAUNPR25%), MoboBoard (BRAWNBODY10), AliRx (DBraunRx), MedBridge (BRAWN), CTM Band (BRAWN10), Ice Shaker (affiliate link).If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who would benefit and leave a 5-star review.Explore more from Dan at linktr.ee/braun_pr.
Susan Ward is a Global Learning Leader, Coach & Consultant and is passionate about finding creative ways to support people's growth and development. She has an MBA from the University of Ottawa in Canada and uses her exemplary interpersonal and communication skills with small and large groups to foster learning, create strategic alignment, transformation, and a performance-orientation. A significant portion of her time is dedicated to giving back and Susan's volunteer contribution includes mentoring rising female stars in Asia through the organization WEDU and being a “field of play” volunteer at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris. She recently completed her volunteer assignment at the Paris Olympics, 2024. Susan and her husband live in Thailand and share a passion for travel.Follow her:https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-ward-29097716/?originalSubdomain=thhttps://www.facebook.com/susan.ward.7922 ***********Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY Join Substack: https://substack.com/@susannemuellernyc?Enjoy one coaching session for free if you are a yearly subscriber. 700+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk
About Christopher Sullivan:Christopher Sullivan is a senior executive with deep leadership experience across health, legal, and regulatory technology, currently serving as Vice President & General Manager of Pharmacy & Health Technology Solutions at Wolters Kluwer Health in New York. He brings over a decade of progressive responsibility within Wolters Kluwer, where he has led large commercial and product portfolios spanning pharmacy, healthcare, legal, transactional, and retirement solutions. His background is heavily strategy-driven, with prior roles overseeing partnerships, pricing, business intelligence, and corporate development, translating data and market insight into scalable growth. Before transitioning fully into executive leadership, he built a strong foundation in operations and logistics at DHL and gained strategic consulting experience at GE Capital. Christopher is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he studied international relations and systems engineering, and holds an MBA in finance and management from Fordham Gabelli, with additional studies at ESADE Business School.Things You'll Learn:Clinicians face up to 20 complex clinical questions daily, making fast access to trusted evidence essential. Embedding insight directly into workflow reduces delays and decision fatigue.Context switching across platforms significantly contributes to clinician burnout. Keeping evidence inside the tools clinicians already use improves efficiency and satisfaction.Trusted, expert-reviewed content is becoming more valuable as AI-generated information increases. Confidence in the source has a direct impact on clinical adoption.API-based delivery allows evidence to reach clinicians beyond traditional EMR systems. This supports modern, flexible workflows across digital health platforms.Partnerships between content experts and technology vendors accelerate innovation. Collaboration keeps solutions aligned with real clinical needs.Resources:Connect with and follow Christopher Sullivan on LinkedIn.Follow Wolters Kluwer Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.
Top 5 Topics:- 2 Years Of High Unmatched 6-Year OMFS Program Numbers, & the Future of Oral Surgery Training- Periodontists vs Oral Surgeons: The Silent Battle for Implants, Sedation & Dental School Influence- Is Office Anesthesia in Danger? The Fight to Save OMFS Sedation from CRNAs, Hospital Politics, And Misleading Data- The Economics of Becoming an Oral Surgeon: $750,000 Debt, Low Reimbursement & the New Reality- How Oral Surgery Can Survive: Marketing, Value, Full-Arch Implants, and Reclaiming the Specialty In The Dental SchoolQuotes & Wisdom:04:07 – “Oral surgery is the great bridge between dentistry and medicine.”05:37–06:56 – “You have to know when to step back… I think 25 years is a good run. I'll always be motivated to teach and motivated to share knowledge. That's been my passion from the beginning.”09:49–10:31 – “Along the way I grabbed my MBA as well… taking night school for three years every Monday night for four hours… Now, having the MBA has allowed me to kind of see the errors that I made early on in my own practice.”14:55–15:26 – “Our students are the consumer of the programs… If you look at the dynamics and the history of the specialty and what the specialty wanted to do 30 years ago, it may not be what the product of the specialty wants to do now.”18:56–19:44 – “You have to market. You've got to market to the consumer what the value is. And if that perceived value makes sense to the person, then you've got a win-win.”29:21–30:40 – “You think back to your own personal experience with the specialty… There is that one experience that really hits you in the heart, and you hold onto that experience and that's why you chose this field… You have to derive the value of the specialty for you, and it's going to be different for every individual.”38:17–39:06 – “I love this specialty. You want it to flourish. I want it to be there many years beyond my own existence, and that we're at the cutting edge… We want to expand without losing anything.”55:14–55:41 – “I think the data is going to be our defense… How many fewer patients would actually receive care if they didn't have access to our ability to give them anesthesia in dentistry? How can you argue with numbers?”Questions:05:23 - “Why this step back? To private practice at this point and step away from the director role?”13:23 – “Don't think all those years and rotations are necessary—how many rectal exams do you really need to do as an oral surgery resident, you know what I mean?”17:38 - “I get this question all the time: why the 6-year versus the 4-year OMS program? What did the 6-year track benefit for you, and what do you recommend for others to pursue with the MD?”21:11 – “If periodontists are filling the gap at the dental schools—doing implants, sedations, managing complications—what does that mean for oral surgery's foothold and for who gets called when something goes wrong?”32:32 – “If we don't make full-arch ‘all-on-X' a real requirement in OMFS training, is one of the other professions going to step in and own that space instead of us?”41:13 – “What drove you, during residency at Case Western, to go into the cosmetics direction? Did any other people from your program graduate and take that same path?”43:59 – “Do you have any residents rotate through your practice right now, or is it very separate from the residency?”
Send us a textAsking for referrals feels awkward when you think of it as imposing on your clients. But clients who've had great experiences working with you actually want to help, and they want to connect people they care about with service providers they trust. The problem isn't the ask; it's that most freelancers don't have a system for when and how to do it.In this episode, Treasa and guest co-host Ed Deason break down how to build referrals into your business process so it feels natural instead of forced. You'll learn the exact timing for asking (including why the project wrap-up email is ideal), the language that makes it feel authentic, and why reaching back out to past clients quarterly can fill your schedule faster than any other marketing strategy. Ed brings his coaching perspective on why people actually enjoy making referrals, and Treasa shares the surprising benefit most people miss: referred clients don't need to be sold, they show up ready to work with you.WE ALSO TALKED ABOUTWhy referrals should be part of your standard workflowThe exact language Treasa uses and why it worksWhy you should only ask clients you genuinely enjoyed working withThe quarterly check-in strategy for one-off clients that keeps your pipeline fullWhat makes referred clients easier to work withWhy "marketing you" doesn't work, and why authentic, sincere asks doThe one type of client you should never ask for referrals (and why)About Ed DeasonEd Deason is a business coach specializing in working with founders and entrepreneurs ready to scale, pivot, and build their ideal businesses. With over 15 years' experience and an MBA, Ed's coaching has helped clients gain clarity, confidence, and achieve real results.Connect with Ed:Deason CoachingLinkedInAbout Treasa EdmondTreasa Edmond is a content strategist, business coach, and podcast host who helps freelancers and consultants transition to confident business leaders. She's been referral-based for five years, rarely needing to prospect for new clients, and teaches practical frameworks for pricing strategy, client boundaries, and business systems through her coaching programs and the Boss Responses podcast. Her goal is to help you build the business you need so you can live the life you want.Connect with Treasa:Coaching Programs - Work with Treasa 1-on-1 or join a mastermindLinkedIn - Connect and follow for daily insightsResources & LinksGet the Free Referral Guide:Treasa's complete guide covering when to ask for referrals, how to do it, and the exact language to use so it feels authentic and professional.→ Download the Referral GuideSubscribe to Boss Responses Newsletter:Weekly frameworks, templates, and strategic guidance for freelancers and consultants ready to lead their businesses.→ Support the showThank you for taking time out of your busy day to listen to Boss Responses. This podcast is a passion project that comes from years of helping freelancers shape a business that supports the lifestyle they want. Have a question you'd like answered? Send it to info@bossresponses.com If you'd like to support the podcast, click that link above. Those lattes help keep us going and are much appreciated!
In Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Sana sits down with entrepreneur and educator John Cousins, creator of MBA ASAP, to explore how to pursue big goals without frying your nervous system. If you feel stuck between wanting peace and wanting progress, this conversation will land. This episode is for builders, career-switchers, and anyone questioning whether traditional higher education is worth the cost. John breaks down when an MBA is a smart shortcut, when it becomes an expensive status purchase, and how simplified business fundamentals can boost confidence and execution. About the Guest: John Cousins is an MIT-trained engineer and Wharton MBA who has started roughly 15 companies, including two public companies. He teaches practical business skills online through MBA ASAP and has reached 37,000+ students globally via Udemy. Key Takeaways: Use “risk vs safety” thinking: a stable job can still be high risk if the company changes fast Decide MBA value by outcome: prestige-track jobs vs entrepreneurship and self-directed paths Learn business basics first (financial statements, product-market fit) to reduce overwhelm Use video learning strategically: pause, replay, and master concepts instead of memorizing Build optionality: broad skills create more choices and lower fear of starting over How to Connect With the Guest: https://www.mba-asap.com/ Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer. Healthy Mind By Avik™️ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate. With over 6000+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.
Foster Alumni Share What They Listen For When They Interview Job Candidates Every fall and winter, MBA students gear up for behavioral interviews with an understandable mix of anticipation and anxiety. We spend hours coaching them on frameworks, stories, and delivery. But nothing beats hearing directly from the people on the other side of the table. On this encore episode of Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, I brought together four Foster MBA alumni—now at Accenture, Google, Walmart, and Goldman Sachs—to share what they actually listen for when evaluating candidates. I spoke with each of them separately, but their messages converged with remarkable clarity. Here are the big themes. 1. Preparation isn't optional—it's the floor, not the ceiling. Every alum highlighted the same point: the "Tell me about yourself" question is guaranteed. If you can't deliver a clear, structured, thoughtful answer, it signals a lack of intention. Adam Schmidt (Accenture) put it plainly: "This is a question you know is coming." Preparation demonstrates respect for the interviewer's time and respect for your own story. It's the discipline before the performance. 2. Authenticity beats perfection. Several alumni talked about sensing whether an answer felt honest, grounded, and human. Authenticity arises from knowing your stories well enough that you can speak naturally—not recite. Skylar Brown (Goldman Sachs) shared that authenticity often shows up in how candidates pause, think, and connect their experiences to the role. Over-scripted answers flatten your personality; thoughtful ones reveal how you'll show up as a colleague. Stoic reminder: focus on what is within your control—your preparation and your presence—not the outcome. 3. Your impact matters more than the résumé lines. At Google, Sam Eid looks for patterns that reveal how a candidate operates on a team. One of his sharpest insights: candidates who talk only in "I" form look self-centered, but candidates who talk only in "we" form leave interviewers wondering what they actually did. He advises framing a story around: The opportunity or challenge What the team achieved Your specific contribution What wouldn't have happened without you That last piece is gold. It's also how Google evaluates internal performance. 4. "Why this company?" must show you've done real homework. The alumni were unanimous: generic answers tank candidates. You should be able to articulate: What differentiates the company How its mission or values connect to you Who you've spoken with and what you learned Why this role aligns with your future trajectory Claire Herting (Nintendo, ex-Walmart) noted that specific, thought-out answers signal maturity and genuine motivation—not simply chasing the brand name. 5. Cultural fit isn't code for conformity—it's awareness. Companies want to see that you understand the environment you're entering and how you'd contribute to it. Whether it's humility, customer obsession, collaboration, or intellectual curiosity, your stories should reflect the behaviors that matter most at that organization. Not by forcing it, but by choosing experiences that naturally align. 6. The biggest mistakes happen before the interview. One of the most useful insights came from Skylar Brown: many candidates cast too wide a net. When you're interviewing for 20–40 roles you don't genuinely want, your answers sound hollow. Depth beats breadth. Focus creates authenticity. The bottom line Across industries and roles, alumni interviewers value the same things: Clear thinking Genuine enthusiasm Self-awareness A structured approach to storytelling A real understanding of the company and role Behavioral interviews aren't about trick questions—they're about surfacing who you are, how you work with others, and how you make an impact. If you're preparing for interviews this season, the wisdom from these alumni is a powerful compass.
Tate is joined by coach Pat Simpson to discuss the 50th anniversary of the Johnny Drennan Memorial Invitational. They analyze the top contenders in the bracket, explain the impact of the new three-point takedown rule, and preview the upcoming dual against MBA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What if earning more money in 2025 has less to do with working longer hours and more to do with becoming dangerously useful? In this conversation, Joe Saul-Sehy and OG sit down with entrepreneur Alex Hormozi to break down how skill stacking, leverage, and better decision-making can radically change your income trajectory, whether you run a business, lead a team, or clock in for a 9-to-5. Alex pulls back the curtain on what actually drives higher pay: choosing the right skills, focusing on work that compounds, and learning how to take smart risks without blowing up your life. Along the way, he tackles one of the hardest challenges Stackers face, how to pursue growth when well-meaning friends, family, or coworkers are urging you to play it safe. This isn't about hustle culture or quitting your job tomorrow. It's about building a skill set that makes you indispensable, learning how to negotiate from a position of strength, and thinking long-term while others stay stuck optimizing small things. WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY: Why skill stacking beats talent when it comes to earning power How to identify high-leverage skills that pay off in any career Ways to invest in yourself that don't require an MBA or massive risk How to apply entrepreneurial thinking inside a traditional job Practical negotiation insights that actually work in the real world When giving away value helps you grow and when it backfires How to tune out discouraging advice without burning bridges Why systems and processes matter more than motivation If you're serious about earning more in 2025 but want to do it thoughtfully, sustainably, and on your own terms, this episode gives you a blueprint worth studying. Listen for the mindset shifts that compound quietly and the small changes that can unlock much bigger opportunities over time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Molecule to Market, you'll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Jim Gale, Founding Partner & Managing Director at Signet. Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Jim, covering: The origins of growth equity in private equity and how it led to the founding of Signet, a fund built on deep domain expertise. Why private equity is a growing asset category but still remains undervalued and under appreciated. How the nature of the companies Signet invests in has evolved over the last twenty five years, while the fundamental principles of building a strong business remain the same. How the “picks and shovels” strategy of investing in tools, services and infrastructure has consistently served them well. Jim's assessment criteria when evaluating new opportunities after seventy deals, including the key question… can we institutionalise an entrepreneur led business. How higher interest rates and economic uncertainty constrain biopharma and biotech, and how that impacts investment dollars flowing into pharma services, along with deal flow, valuation and structure. James “Jim” Gale is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Signet Healthcare Partners, a New York based healthcare growth equity firm specialising in pharmaceutical services, specialty pharma and medical technology. With more than thirty five years of investing and finance experience, Jim has built a deep track record backing companies involved in formulation, development, manufacturing and commercialisation across the world. At Signet, Jim has led investments across the pharma services value chain, including platforms in sterile fill finish, complex formulations, biologics development and specialty generics. His current and recent board roles include Ascendia Pharmaceutical Solutions, NorthX Biologics, RK Pharma, Bionpharma, Chr Olesen Synthesis, Pharma Nobis, Juno Pharmaceuticals and Lee's Pharmaceutical. He also serves as Chairman of Bionpharma and is a director of Knight Therapeutics. Jim holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Molecule to Market is also sponsored by Bora Pharmaceuticals and Charles River Laboratories, and supported by Lead Candidate. Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We'd also appreciate a positive rating!
Most healthcare professionals are trained to sprint.Dental school is a sprint. Medical school is a sprint. Residency is a sprint. Early practice ownership often feels like one long push fueled by adrenaline, discipline, and grit. That approach can work for a while. Eventually, it breaks down.In this episode of The Burleson Box, Dustin Burleson sits down with Travis Frederickson and Dr. Logan Frederickson to unpack what peak performance actually means for healthcare providers over the long term.Travis draws on decades of experience training elite athletes and coaching high-performing professionals. Dr. Logan brings the medical perspective, explaining what happens physiologically and neurologically when stress, sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, and constant mental load remain unchecked.Together, they explore why so many dentists and physicians feel successful yet depleted, how energy becomes the real constraint later in a career, and why healthspan matters as much as lifespan. The conversation moves beyond productivity tips and into the deeper work of alignment across physical, mental, emotional, and personal domains.This episode challenges the idea that more effort is always the answer and replaces it with a more durable framework for clarity, sustainability, and long-term excellence. If you care about performing well at work without sacrificing your health, relationships, or sense of purpose, this conversation is worth your time. Resources Mentioned:Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter AttiaThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyPeak Performance for Healthcare Providers - Now Streaming ***Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, exclusive study guides, special edition books each quarter, powerpoint and keynote presentations and two tickets to Dustin Burleson's Annual Leadership Retreat.http://www.theburlesonbox.com/sign-up Stay Up to Date: Sign up for The Burleson Report, our weekly newsletter that is delivered each Sunday with timeless insight for life and private practice. Sign up here:http://www.theburlesonreport.com Follow Dustin Burleson, DDS, MBA at:http://www.burlesonseminars.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ep. 229 When love turns into caregiving and grief meets responsibility, what does fearless living really look like? In this week's episode of Healing Her Within, Maryann Rivera-Dannert continues the In the Pursuit of Fearless Living: From Wounds to Wisdom anthology series with two powerful co-authors whose stories are rooted in resilience, care, and legacy. ✨ Meet this week's featured voices: Kelley Smith shares her lived experience as a caregiver, mother, and wife to a stroke survivor. Through faith, perseverance, and community, Kelley opens up about finding strength in the fight — and using her journey to uplift families navigating caregiving, foster care, and unexpected life shifts. Eboni W. Henderson speaks candidly about losing her husband to a stroke and being forced to confront grief alongside financial responsibility. As a financial professional and founder of Plan-It Eboni, she reframes planning, protection, and legacy as acts of love — especially for women rebuilding after loss. Together, their stories reflect what fearless living looks like when life changes everything. Connect with Maryann New Book: In the Pursuit of Fearless Living: From Wounds to Wisdom: Real Stories of Fearless Feminine Rising
Rob Luna is a prominent wealth and business strategist with over 25 years of experience in wealth management. Renowned as one of the nation's top financial advisors and consistently ranked by Forbes, he currently serves as CEO of Valtrion, founder of the Rob Luna Wealth Academy, and host of The American Capitalist Show. As an on-air contributor for Fox Business, Rob offers expert insights on investment strategies, market trends, and wealth building. Driven by a mission to help entrepreneurs and investors build, scale, and protect their wealth, he provides comprehensive services through Valtrion, including financial planning, asset management, tax strategies, insurance, and risk management—meeting clients where they are, from debt reduction to handling multimillion-dollar portfolios. Through the Rob Luna Wealth Academy, he mentors aspiring business owners with practical tools to achieve financial independence. A best-selling author, successful entrepreneur, and Ivy League alumnus with MBAs from Wharton and UCLA, Rob has built substantial wealth for himself and others while passionately advocating for accessible financial education and smart investing. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Receive 30% off your first subscription order at https://armra.com/SRS or enter code SRS at checkout. Get the Harry's Plus Trial Set for only $10 at https://www.Harrys.com/SRS. Rob Luna Links: X - https://x.com/realrobluna IG - https://www.instagram.com/realrobluna YT - https://www.youtube.com/@realrobluna Valtrion - https://valtrion.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Michelle Florendo shares her journey from following the immigrant dream of Stanford, an MBA, and a "good job" to discovering she was miserable and needed to chart her own path. As a decision engineering expert, she reveals the three essential elements of every decision (options, objectives, and information), explains why we confuse decision quality with outcome quality, and shares how embracing uncertainty—not just managing risk—can unlock possibilities we never imagined. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Happy New Year 2026! I love January and the opportunity to start afresh. I know it's arbitrary in some ways, but I measure my life by what I create, and I also measure it in years. At the beginning of each year, I publish an article (and podcast episode) here, which helps keep me accountable. If you'd like to share your goals, please add them in the comments below. 2026 is a transitional year as I will finish my Masters degree and continue the slow pivot that I started in December 2023 after 15 years as an author entrepreneur. Just to recap that, it was: From digitally-focused to creating beautiful physical books; From high-volume, low cost to premium products with higher Average Order Value; From retailer-centric to direct first; and From distance to presence, and From creating alone to the AI-Assisted Artisan Author. I've definitely stepped partially into all of those, and 2026 will continue in that same direction, but I also have an additional angle for Joanna Penn and The Creative Penn that I am excited about. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Leaning into the Transformation Economy The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community Webinars and live events Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn Other possible books Experiment more with AI translation Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway Double down on being human, health and travel You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. Leaning into the Transformation Economy I've struggled with my identity as Joanna Penn and my Creative Penn brand for a few years now. When I started TheCreativePenn.com in 2008, the term ‘indie author' was new and self-publishing was considered ‘vanity press' and a sure way to damage your author career, rather than a conscious creative and business choice. It was the early days of the Kindle and iPhone (both launched in 2007), and podcasting and social media were also relatively new. While US authors could publish on KDP, the only option for international authors was Smashwords and the market for ebooks was tiny. Print-on-demand and digital audio were also just emerging as viable options. While it was the early era of blogging, there were very few blogs and barely any podcasts talking about self-publishing, so when I started TheCreativePenn.com in late 2008 and the podcast in March 2009, it was a new area. For several years, it was like howling into the wind. Barely any audience. Barely any traffic, and certainly very little income. But I loved the freedom and the speed at which I could learn things and put them into practice. Consume and produce. That has always been my focus. I met people on Twitter and interviewed them for my show, and over those early years I met many of the people I consider dear friends even now. Since self-publishing was a relatively unexplored niche in those early years, I slowly found an audience and built up a reputation. I also started to make more money both as an author, and as a creative entrepreneur. Over the years since, pretty much everything has changed for indie authors and we have had more and more opportunity every year. I've shared everything I've learned along the way, and it's been a wonderful time. But as self-publishing became more popular and more authors saw more success (which is FANTASTIC!), other voices joined the chorus and now, there are many thousands of authors of all different levels with all kinds of different experiences sharing their tips through articles, books, podcasting, and social media. I started to wonder whether my perspective was useful anymore. On top of the human competition, in November 2022, ChatGPT launched, and it became clear that prescriptive non-fiction and ‘how to' information could very easily be delivered by the AI tools, with the added benefit of personalisation. You can ask Chat or Claude or Gemini how you can self-publish your particular book and they will help you step by step through the process of any site. You can share your screen or upload screenshots and it can help with what fields to fill in (very useful with translations!), as well as writing sales descriptions, researching keywords, and offering marketing help targeted to your book and your niche, and tailored to your voice. Once again, I questioned what value I could offer the indie author community, and I've pulled back over the last few years as I've been noodling around this. But over the last few weeks, a penny has dropped. Here's my thinking in case it also helps you. Firstly, I want to be useful to people. I want to help. In my early days of speaking professionally, from 2005-ish, I wanted to be the British (introvert) Tony Robbins, someone who inspired people to change, to achieve things they didn't think they could. Writing a book is one of those things. Making a living from your writing is another. So I leaned into the self-help and how-to niche. But now that is now clearly commoditised. But recently, I realised that my message has always been one of transformation, and in the following four areas. From someone who doesn't think they are creative but who desperately wants to write a book, to someone who holds their first book in their hand and proudly says, ‘I made this.' The New Author. From someone who has no confidence in their author voice, who wonders if they have anything to say, to someone who writes their story and transforms their own life, as well as other people's. The Confident Author. From an author with one or a handful of books who doesn't know much about business, to a successful author with a growing business heading towards their first six figure year. The Author-Entrepreneur. And finally, from a tech-phobic, fearful author who worries that AI makes it pointless to create anything and will steal all the jobs, to a confident AI-assisted creative who uses AI tools to enhance and amplify their message and their income. The AI-Assisted Artisan Author. These are four transformations I have been through myself, and with my work as Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, I want to help you through them as well. So in 2026, I am repositioning myself as part of The Transformation Economy. What does this mean? There is a book out in February, The Transformation Economy by B. Joseph Pine II, who is also the author of The Experience Economy, which drove a lot of the last decade's shift in business models. I have the book on pre-order, but in the meantime, I am doing the following. I will revamp TheCreativePenn.com with ‘transformation' as the key frame and add pathways through my extensive material, rather than just categories of how to do things. I've already added navigation pages for The New Author, The Confident Author, The Author-Entrepreneur, and The AI-Assisted Artisan Author, and I will be adding to those over time. My content is basically the same, as I have always covered these topics, but the framing is now different. The intent is different. The Creative Penn Podcast will lean more heavily into transformation, rather than just information — And will focus on the first three of the categories above, the more creative, mindset and business things. My Patreon will continue to cover all those things, and that's also where I post most of my AI-specific content, so if you're interested in The AI-Assisted Artisan Author transformation path, come on over to patreon.com/thecreativepenn I have more non-fiction books for authors coming, and lots more ideas now I am leaning into this angle. I'll also continue to do webinars on specific topics in 2026, and also add speaking back in 2027. It's harder to think about transformation when it comes to fiction, but it's also really important since fiction books in particular are highly commodified, and will become even more so with the high production speeds. Yes, all readers have a few favourite authors but most will also read a ton of other books without knowing or caring who the author is. Fiction can be transformational. Reader's aren't buying a ‘book.' They're buying a way to escape, to feel deeply, to experience things they never could in real life. A book can transform a day from ‘meh' into ‘fantastic!' My J.F. Penn fiction is mostly inspired by places, so my stories transport you into an adventure somewhere wonderful, and they all offer a deeper side of transformative contemplation of ‘memento mori' if you choose to read them in that way. They also have elements of gothic and death culture that I am going to lean into with some merch in 2026, so more of an identity thing than just book sales. I'm not quite sure what this means yet, but no doubt it will emerge. I'll also shape my JFPennBooks.com site into more transformative paths, rather than just genre lists, as part of this shift. My memoir Pilgrimage always reflected a transformation, both reflecting my own midlife shift but I've also heard from many who it has inspired to walk alone, or to travel on pilgrimage themselves. Of course, transformation is not just for our readers or the people we serve as part of our businesses. It's also for us. One of the reasons why we are writers is because this is how we think. This is how we figure out our lives. This is how we get the stories and ideas out of our heads and into the world. Writing and creating are transformative for us, too. That is part of the point, and a great element of why we do this, and why we love this. Which is why I don't really understand the attraction of purely AI-generated books. There's no fun in that for me, and there's no transformation, either. Of course, I LOVE using Chat and Claude and Gemini Thinking models as my brainstorming partners, my research buddies, my marketing assistants, and as daily tools to keep me sparkly. I smiled as I wrote that (and yes, I human-wrote this!) because sparkly is how I feel when I work with these tools. Programmers use the term ‘vibe coding' which is going back and forth and collaborating together, sparking off each other. Perhaps that I am doing is ‘vibe creation.' I feel it as almost an effervescence, a fun experience that has me laughing out loud sometimes. I am more creative, I am more in flow. I am more ‘me' now I can create and think at a speed way faster than ever before. My mind has always worked at speed and my fingers are fast on the keys but working in this way makes me feel like I create in the high performance zone far more often. I intend to lean more into that in 2026 as part of my own transformation (and of course, I share my experiences mainly in the Community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn ). [Note, I pay for access to all models, and currently use ChatGPT 5.2 Thinking, Claude Opus 4.5, and Gemini 3 Pro). So that's the big shift this year, and the idea of the Transformation Economy will underpin everything else in terms of my content. The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community The Creative Penn Podcast continues in 2026, although I am intending to reduce my interviews to once every two weeks, with my intro and other content in between. We'll see how that goes as I am already finding some fascinating people to talk to! Thank you for your comments, your pictures, and also for sharing the episodes that resonate with you with the wider community. Your reviews are also super useful wherever you are listening to this, so please leave a review wherever you're listening this as it helps with discovery. Thanks also to everyone in my Patreon Community, which I really enjoy, especially as we have doubled down on being human through more live office hours. I will do more of those in 2026 and the first one of the year will blearily UK time so Aussies and Kiwis can come. I also share new content almost every week, either an article, a video or an audio episode around writing craft, author business, and lots on different use cases for AI tools. If you join the Patreon, start on the Collections tab where you will find all the backlist content to explore. It's less than the price of a coffee a month so if you get value from the show, and you want more, come on over and join us at patreon.com/thecreativepenn My Books and Travel Podcast is on hiatus for interviews, since the Masters is taking up the time I would have had for that. However I plan to post some solo episodes in 2026, and I also post travel articles there, like my visits to Gothic cathedrals and city breaks and things like that. Check it out at https://www.booksandtravel.page/blog/ Webinars and live events Along with my Patreon office hours, I'm enjoying the immediacy and energy of live webinars and they work with my focus on transformation, as well as on ‘doubling down on being human' in an age of AI, so I will be doing more this year. The first is on Business for Authors, coming on 10 and 24 January, which is aimed at helping you transform your author business in 2026, or if you're just getting started, then transform into someone who has even a small clue about business in general!Details at TheCreativePenn.com/live and Patrons get 25% off. In terms of live in-person events, it looks like I will be speaking at the Alliance of Independent Authors event at the London Book Fair in March, and I'll attend the Self-Publishing Show Live in June, although I won't be speaking. There might be other things that emerge, but in general, I'm not doing much speaking in 2026 because I need to … Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture This represents a lot of work as I am doing the course full-time. I should be finished in September, and much of the middle of the year will be focused on a dissertation. I'm planning on doing something around AI and death, so that will no doubt lead into some fiction at a later stage! Talking of fiction … Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn The Masters is pretty serious, as is academic research and writing in general, and I found myself desperate to write a rollicking fun story over the holiday break between terms. I've talked about this ‘tall-ship' story for a while and now I'm committing to it. Back in 1999, I sailed on the tall-ship Soren Larsen from Fiji to Vanuatu, one of the three trips that shaped my life. It was the first time I'd been to the South Pacific, the first time I sailed blue water (with no land in sight), and I kept a journal and drew maps of the trip. It also helped me a make a decision to leave the UK and I headed for Australia nine months later in early 2000, and ended up being away 11 years in Australia and New Zealand. I came home to visit of course, but only moved back to the UK in 2011, so that trip was memorable and pivotal in many ways and has stuck in my mind. The story is based on that crossing, but of course, as J.F. Penn my imagination turns it into essentially a ‘locked room,' there is no escape out there, especially if the danger comes from the sea. Another strand of the story comes from a recent academic essay for my Masters, when I wrote about the changes in museum ethics around human remains and medical specimens i.e. body parts in jars, and how some remains have been repatriated to the indigenous peoples they were stolen from. I've also talked before about how I love ‘merfolk' horror like Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, and Merfolk by Jeremy Bates. These are no smiling fantasy mermaids and mermen. They are predators. What might happen if the remains of a mer-saint were stolen from the deep, and what might happen to the ship that the remains are being transported in, and the people on board? I'm about a third in, and I am having great fun! It will actually be a thriller, with a supernatural edge, rather than horror, and it is called Bones of the Deep, and it will be out on Kickstarter in April, and everywhere by the summer. You can check out the Kickstarter pre-launch page with photos from my 1999 trip, the cover for the book, and the sales description at JFPenn.com/bones Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com I've dipped my toe into merch a number of times and then removed the products, but now I'm clear on my message of transformation, I want to revisit this. My books remain core for both sites, but for CreativePennBooks, I also want to add other products with what are essentially affirmations — ‘Creative,' ‘I am creative, I am an author,' and variants of the poster I have had on my wall for years, ‘Measure your life by what you create.' This is the affirmation I had in my wallet for years! For JFPennBooks, the items will be gothic/memento mori/skull-related. Everything will be print-on-demand. I will not be shipping anything myself, so I'm working with my designer Jane on this and then need to order test samples, and then get them added to the store. Likely mid-year at this rate! How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn I have a draft of this already which I expanded from the transcript of a webinar I did on this topic as part of The Buried and the Drowned campaign. It turns out I've learned a lot about this over the years, and also on how to make a collection, so I will get that out at some point this year. I won't do a Kickstarter for it, but I will do direct sales for at least a month and include a special edition, workbook, and bundles on my store first before putting it wide. I will also human-narrate that audiobook. Other possible books I'm an intuitive creative and discovery writer, so I don't plan out what I will write in a year. The books tend to emerge and then I pick the next one that feels the most important. After the ones above, there are a few candidates. Crown of Thorns, ARKANE thriller #14. Regular readers and listeners will know how much I love religious relics, and it's about time for a big one! I have a trip to Paris planned in the spring, as the Crown of Thorns is at Notre Dame, and I have some other locations to visit. My ARKANE thrillers always emerge from in-person travels, so I am looking forward to that. Maybe late 2026, maybe 2027. AI + religion technothriller/short stories. I already have some ideas sketched out for this and my Masters thesis will be something around AI, religion, and death, so I expect something will emerge from all that study and academic writing. Not sure what, but it will be interesting! The Gothic Cathedral Book. I have tens of thousands of words written, and lots of research and photos and thoughts. But it is still in the creative chaos phase (which I love!) and as yet has not emerged into anything coherent. Perhaps it will in 2026, and the plan is to re-focus on it after my Masters dissertation. I feel like the Masters study and the academic research process will make this an even better book, But I am holding my plans for this lightly, as it feels like another ‘big' book for me, like my ‘shadow book' (which became Writing the Shadow) and took more than a decade to write! How to be Creative. I have also written bits and bobs on this over many years, but it feels like it is re-emerging as part of my focus on transformation. Probably unlikely for 2026 but now back on the list … Experiment more with AI translation AI-assisted translation has been around for years now in various forms, and I have experimented with some of the services, as well as working with human narrators and editors in different languages, as well as licensing books in translation. But when Amazon launched Kindle Translate in November 2025, it made me think that AI-assisted translation will become a lot more popular in 2026. AI audiobook narration became good enough for many audiobooks in 2025, and it seems like AI-translation will be the same in 2026. Yes, of course, human translation is still the gold standard, as is human narration, and that would be the primary choice for all of us — if it was affordable. But frankly, it's not affordable for most indie authors, and indeed many small publishers. Many books don't get an audiobook edition and most books don't get translated into every language. It costs thousands per book for a human translator, and so it is a premium option. I have only ever made a small profit on the books that I paid for with human translators and it took years, and while I have a few nice translation deals on some books, I'm planning to experiment more with AI translation in 2026. More languages, more markets, more opportunities to reach readers. More on this in the next episode when I'll cover trends for 2026. Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway You have to reach readers somehow, and you have to pay for book marketing with your time and/or your money. Those authors killing it on TikTok pay with their time, and those leaning heavily on ads are paying with money. Most of us do a bit of both. There is no passive income from books, and even a backlist has to be marketed if you want to see any return. But I, like most authors, am not excited about book marketing. I'd rather be working on new books, or thinking about the ramifications of the changes ahead and writing or talking about that in my Patreon Community or here on the podcast. However, my book sales income remains about the same even as I (slowly) produce more books, so I need to do more book marketing in 2026. I said that last year of course, and didn't do much more than I did in 2024, so here I am again promising to do a better job! Every year, I hope to have my “AI book marketing assistant” up and running, and maybe this will be the year it happens. My measure is to be able to upload a book and specify a budget and say, ‘Go market this,' and then the AI will action the marketing, without me having to cobble together workflows between systems. Of course, it will present plans for me to approve but it will do the work itself on the various platforms and monitor and optimize things for me. We have something like that already with Amazon auto-ads, but that is specific to Amazon Advertising and only works with certain books in certain genres. I have auto-ads running for a couple of non-fiction books, but not for any fiction. I'd also ideally like more sales on my direct stores, JFPennBooks.com and CreativePennBooks.com which means a different kind of marketing. Perhaps this will happen through ChatGPT shopping or other AI-assisted e-commerce, which should be increasing in 2026. More on that in trends for the year to come in the next show. Double down on being human, health and travel I have a lot of plans for travel both for book research and also holidays with Jonathan but he has to finish his MBA and then we have some family things that take priority, so I am not sure where or when yet, but it will happen! Paris will definitely happen as part of the research for Crown of Thorns, hopefully in the spring. I've been to Paris many times as it's just across the Channel and we can go by train but it's always wonderful to visit again. Health-wise, I'll continue with powerlifting and weight training twice a week as well as walking every day. It's my happy place! What about you? If you'd like to share your goals for 2026, please add them in the comments below — and remember, I'm a full-time author entrepreneur so my goals are substantial. Don't worry if yours are as simple as ‘Finish the first draft of my book,' as that still takes a lot of work and commitment! All the best for 2026 — let's get into it! The post My 2026 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.
Generic drugs are, in many ways, the unsung hero of America's health care system, bringing powerful medical innovations within the reach of millions more people. These cheaper copies of brand-name drugs — from pills that stop heart attacks to antibiotics that cure life-threatening infections — save America hundreds of billions of dollars a year. But will affordable, high-quality generic drugs continue to be there when we need them?Some players are abandoning this business while others slash costs by cutting dangerous corners. Shortages of older generic drugs have become the norm, sending doctors scrambling. At the same time, crucial new medicines are proving tougher to copy on the cheap, saddling patients with brand-name prices.Over the course of “Race to the Bottom,” our new three-part podcast series, we'll explore why this industry that's so essential to our health is in trouble — and what could change that.In part one, we examine the history of this industry. Forty years ago this month, President Ronald Reagan signed groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation that gave birth to a new drug market. Lawmakers made choices back then that help explain the wild success and also the troubles we see today with generic medicines.Guests:Christine Baeder, MBA, President, Apotex USAAlfred Engelberg, JD, retired attorney and former counsel to the Generic Pharmaceutical AssociationLeslie Walker, Senior Reporter/Producer, TradeoffsLearn more and read a full transcript on our website.Al Engelberg's recently published memoir, “Breaking the Medicine Monopolies”, digs into the history of generic drugs. Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're back once again for our annual conversation with NorthStar Anesthesia CEO Adam Spiegel and Chief Anesthetist Officer/Executive Vice President of Clinical Strategy Randy Moore, DNP, MBA, CRNA to provide us with a state of the profession as we begin 2026. They're here to help us make sense of the ever-evolving anesthesia ecosystem by explaining what's going on in our space right now and telling us where they think we're headed. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode: Current state situation in the anesthesia business sector Status of CRNA supply shortage and its impact on the labor market What's going on with private equity supported firms? Current state of hospital and outsourced anesthesia firms relationships What's going on with hospitals today? Learn more about Northstar Anesthesia: https://northstaranesthesia.com/our-culture/our-leadership/ Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/ The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099 Get the CE Certificate here (and directly submit to the NBCRNA): https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf Help us grow by leaving a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-mask-innovation-opportunities-for-crnas/id1440309246 Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1