Podcasts about mckinsey

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Rebecca Homkes about why uncertainty is the defining leadership skill of this decade.Dr. Rebecca Homkes is high-growth strategy specialist and the founder of a boutique consultancy firm, advising CEOs and executive teams focused on growth and success through uncertainty. She is a Faculty at Duke Corporate Executive Education, Lecturer at the London Business School (LBS) Executive Education, Advisor and Faculty at BCGU (Boston Consulting Group), and previous Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE)'s Centre for Economic Performance. Dr. Homkes is also the director of the Young President's Organization (YPO) global Active Learning Program (ALP); a former partner with GrowthX, a Silicon Valley investment ecosystem and innovation consultancy; and the faculty lead of fintech scaleup accelerators. A global keynote speaker, she is a member of several advisory boards, directed the joint McKinsey & Co and LSE Centre for Economic Performance Global Management Project from 2007-2014 and has regularly been featured in Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Bloomberg, Fortune, and Forbes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

McKinsey, BCG, experts militants... Qui sont ces conseillers payés à prix d'or qui influencent les décisions de l'État ? Entre conflits d'intérêts, factures délirantes et décisions stratégiques douteuses, découvrez les coulisses du pouvoir.

Most organizations are extraordinarily good at activity and extraordinarily bad at progress. Meetings that produce more meetings. Initiatives launched before the last ones landed. Leaders who are permanently busy and chronically stuck. This is not a strategy problem. It is a pattern problem, and patterns live in culture, not in org charts. This episode examines the invisible cycles that keep organizations in motion without forward momentum: the norms, assumptions, and unspoken rules that make dysfunction feel like diligence.  In this episode: Meagan Bond, Tom Bradshaw, LindaAnn Rogers, Nic Kruegar, Stacy Lee, Rich Cruz I/O Career Accelerator Course: https://www.seboc.com/job Visit us https://www.seboc.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/sebocLI Join an open-mic event: https://www.seboc.com/events References: Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House. Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley. Gallup. (2025). State of the global workplace: 2025 report. Gallup. Glassdoor. (2025). The hidden costs of layoffs: Workforce trust, engagement, and organizational performance. Glassdoor Economic Research. Keller, S., & Aiken, C. (2009). The irrational side of change management. McKinsey Quarterly. McKinsey & Company. (2021). The state of organizations 2021: Ten shifts transforming organizations. McKinsey & Company. Overmier, J. B., & Seligman, M. E. P. (1967). Effects of inescapable shock upon subsequent escape and avoidance responding. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 63(1), 28–33. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0024166 Peterson, C., Maier, S. F., & Seligman, M. E. P. (1993). Learned helplessness: A theory for the age of personal control. Oxford University Press. Russell Reynolds Associates. (2025). Global CEO turnover index: 2024 year in review. Russell Reynolds Associates. Samuelson, W., & Zeckhauser, R. (1988). Status quo bias in decision making. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 1(1), 7–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00055564 Society for Human Resource Management. (2019). The high cost of a toxic workplace culture: How culture impacts the workforce—and the bottom line. SHRM. Society for Human Resource Management. (2024). SHRM Q4 2024 civility index: The state of workplace civility in the United States. SHRM.

How can Germany remain an attractive destination for international business expansions? Martin Blessing, Chancellor Friedrich Merz' point man on investments and foreign business expansions explains how the country is positioning itself in a changing global economy, and why Germany is still central for companies looking to scale up in Europe. Germany is adapting its investment strategy in response to global competition, technological change and shifting industrial dynamics. In this episode of Into Germany, we speak with Martin Blessing, former CEO of Commerzbank and, since late 2025, government commissioner and chairman of the supervisory board of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI). He explains how the country aims to strengthen its position as a location for industry, innovation and sustainable growth. We explore what makes Germany attractive for today's growth-hungry international companies – from its strong industrial base to emerging sectors such as AI and space technologies – and where structural challenges still need to be addressed. Our guest: Martin Blessing is a German banker and business executive. He served as CEO of Commerzbank from 2008 to 2016 and held senior roles at UBS and McKinsey. In late 2025, he was appointed commissioner and chairman of the supervisory board of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), where he is responsible for the strategic oversight of Germany's investment promotion efforts.

Zijn we onze huizen te proper aan het maken?Waarom is niet alles wat bacteriën is ook slecht? En hoe is het om als koppel van nul een heel productgamma op de markt te brengen? In deze aflevering schuiven Joris Janssen en Janthe De Nil aan tafel. Zij zijn de oprichters van YOKUU, een merk van probiotische reinigingsproducten. Janthe is bio-ingenieur van opleiding en ontdekte tijdens haar studies dat kinderen in landbouwgebieden veel minder allergieën hebben. Dat inzicht werd de basis voor een bedrijf dat de schoonmaakwereld wil herdefiniëren. Joris had een achtergrond bij McKinsey, leerde Janthe kennen via een datingapp en rolde er gaandeweg fulltime in mee. Naast hun ondernemersverhaal als koppel hebben we het over de misverstanden rond bacteriën, de desinfectiehysterie na de coronapandemie en de impact daarvan op de gezondheid van onze kinderen. Dit gesprek is een wake-upcall voor elk huishouden.  Met veel dank aan onze partners: Deze podcast wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door Koffie Kàn, voor als jij ook koffie nodig hebt om alle ballen in de lucht te houden. Klaar om jouw eigen stem te laten horen? Wij helpen experts zoals jij groeien via podcasting. Ontdek hoe bij 50 Koffies Producties. Gekleed door Xandres, want stijl hoort er gewoon bij. Prachtige juwelen door Maudart voor die extra sparkle. Jouw mentale welzijn als ondernemer doet ertoe. Doe gratis een beroep op hulp via Acerta, onze trotse partner van het derde seizoen. Hier vind je meer info over hun welzijnsaanbod.  Gebruik de tijdcodes om naar een thema te gaan: (00:00:00) Introductie van de aflevering. (00:05:45) Introductie van Joris en Janthe en het verhaal achter YOKUU. (00:07:13) Wat zijn probiotische reinigingsproducten? (00:08:02) Wat is er mis met onze huidige schoonmaakproducten? (00:09:47) Hoe werkt het ‘zeven dagen lang blijven poetsen'? (00:11:33) Waarom kinderen op het platteland minder allergieën hebben. (00:13:53) Vuil herdefiniëren: zijn bacteriën écht onze vijand? (00:15:06) Hoeveel procent van de bacteriën zijn eigenlijk slecht voor je? (00:18:05) Een andere boodschap brengen dan de grote merken is een uitdaging. (00:20:10) Wanneer begin je met het vervangen van producten in huis? (00:23:42) Van idee tot eerste bruistablet: het oprichtingsverhaal van YOKUU. (00:33:43) Wat is ondernemen als iedereen zegt dat je moet stoppen? (00:45:08) Waar staat YOKUU nu en wat zijn de volgende stappen? (00:49:26) De grootste fouten en lessen uit de productontwikkeling. (00:52:35) Financiële stress en het moment dat het bijna misliep. (01:01:00) Hoe houd je alle ballen in de lucht als ouder én ondernemer? (01:06:01) Samen ondernemen als koppel: wat werkt en wat zeker niet? (01:14:16) Einde van de aflevering. 

States are emerging as important laboratories for expanding employee ownership. From experimenting with new financing and investment tools to technical assistance and outreach programs, states are increasingly on the frontlines of helping more businesses transition to employee ownership. This session highlights some of the newest and most promising state-level innovations, the leaders driving them, and what other states and federal policymakers can learn from what's emerging.Our speakers include Shannon Lundgren (State Representative, Iowa); Andrew Zwicker (State Senator, New Jersey); Hilary Abell (Chief of the Employee Ownership Division, US Department of Labor); and moderator Julien Rosenbloom (Senior Associate, Lafayette Square Institute).This video comes from the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online.For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page.To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel.Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go.About this event:The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University.The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America's prosperity and future.The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership.We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

Send us Fan MailThe reality of MBB recruiting: 100 candidates apply. 15 get an interview. 1 gets the offer.Most of the 99 who don't get it aren't underqualified. They just had a bad plan.Kabreya Ghaderi, who coached hundreds of candidates and spent time at McKinsey, PwC, and Bridgespan, sees strong candidates still miss because their prep plan has a hole in it they can't see from the inside.In this episode, Kabreya walks through the 4 gaps that sink even candidates who are doing everything "right." What stood out:Logging more cases can actually lock in the wrong habits, fasterOne candidate did 80 practice cases and was still nowhere near readyFeeling ready and being ready are two different things, and most people can't tell which one they areResources:Get the personalized plan you need + expert coaching by joining Black BeltBook 15 minutes with Katie to get your questions answeredStart building case proficiency today with our free Case Foundations starter courseBook 1:1 coaching with KabreyaFree Consulting Prep Just Got a Whole Lot BetterCreate a free MC account for access to step-by-step learning pathways, a brand new case prep course, and more. Download the MC app to prep anywhere.Connect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

In Episode 308 of the FNO InsureTech Podcast, hosts Rob Beller and Lee Boyd welcome Tim Welsh, President of CCC Intelligent Solutions, for a powerful conversation on one of the most important and emotional moments in insurance: the accident experience and how it can be improved through better connectivity, data, and orchestration across the ecosystem. Tim shares his unique journey from consulting at McKinsey to banking and now leading a cornerstone InsureTech platform that connects insurers, repair facilities, OEMs, and service providers. He explains how CCC has been building toward this moment for decades and how the company is now bringing together AI, data, and partnerships to create a more seamless and supportive claims experience. The conversation explores the reality that car accidents are not just operational events, but deeply personal ones that people remember for years. Tim highlights how CCC is focused on redesigning that experience from the consumer's perspective, using a combination of technology and human expertise to guide individuals through a stressful moment and help them move forward quickly. Rob and Lee also dig into the growing complexity of vehicles, rising repair costs, and the pressure on affordability across the system. Tim shares how CCC is addressing these challenges through orchestration, real time decision making, and a "together on purpose" approach that aligns everyone in the ecosystem. This episode goes beyond technology, offering a human centered view of innovation and a clear vision for how the claims experience can evolve to better serve both consumers and the industry. Key Highlights [04:00] Meet Tim Welsh and CCC Intelligent Solutions An introduction to CCC and its role as a long standing platform connecting insurers, repair shops, OEMs, and service providers across the claims ecosystem. [07:00] A Career Built on Helping People Tim shares his unconventional journey from preparing for the priesthood to consulting, banking, and ultimately leading at CCC. [10:00] Why Accidents Are So Memorable A discussion on how car accidents rank among life's most vivid experiences and why improving that moment matters so deeply. [13:00] The Complexity Behind a Simple Repair How modern vehicles, with thousands of parts and software driven systems, have dramatically increased repair costs and claims complexity. [16:00] The Consumer at the Center Introducing "Ava," the model consumer, and how CCC is designing the claims experience around her needs from first notice through repair. [19:00] Orchestrating the Claims Journey How technology is connecting each step of the process, from photos and estimates to scheduling and parts ordering, into a seamless flow. [22:00] Preventing Total Loss Through Real Time Decisions A look at how dynamic decision making across the ecosystem can reduce unnecessary total losses and improve outcomes for everyone involved. [25:00] Affordability and the Small Claims Problem Why rising premiums and deductibles are changing consumer behavior and leading to fewer small claims being reported. [28:00] AI as Orchestration, Not Replacement How CCC is using AI to guide workflows and enhance human decision making rather than replace adjusters and claims professionals. [31:00] AI Guidance in Action Examples of how AI can prioritize tasks for adjusters, helping them focus on the most impactful actions each day. [34:00] The Power of Ecosystem Connectivity Why bringing insurers, repair shops, OEMs, and partners together on one platform is critical to unlocking better outcomes. [37:00] Together on Purpose The philosophy behind CCC's approach, aligning all players around a shared goal of improving the consumer experience. [40:00] Feeding Insights Back to Manufacturers How data from claims can influence vehicle design and repairability over time. [42:00] What "Easy" Looks Like A real world example of a smooth repair experience and why that is the ultimate goal. [44:00] Final Thoughts on the Future of Claims Tim shares his vision for a more connected, efficient, and human centered claims experience that benefits both consumers and the entire industry.

Women Leaders Career Advancement: The 4-Relationship Framework and Personal Success Plan (2026) Executive Summary: Women leaders career advancement stalls most often at the relationship level, not the skill level. Women hold only 29% of C-suite roles despite representing nearly half the workforce. Former IBM VP Shelmina Babai Abji reveals the four strategic relationships that accelerate promotion and the Personal Success Plan that keeps you on track week after week. Quick Takeaways: Women leaders career advancement remains stalled at every pipeline level for the 11th consecutive year (McKinsey, 2025). The four relationships that accelerate promotion are: boss, peers, mentors, and sponsors — and all four must be intentionally built. Only 31% of entry-level women have a sponsor, vs. 45% of men — closing this gap is one of the highest-ROI actions you can take. Responding to bias with proof, not reaction, protects your power and changes minds more effectively than confrontation. A Personal Success Plan reviewed weekly keeps your business results, relationships, competencies, and leadership brand advancing together. Key 2025–2026 statistics on women leaders career advancement: the C-suite gap, the broken rung, and the sponsorship deficit. Women leaders career advancement has a number that should stop you: for every 100 men promoted to their first manager role, only 81 women make the same leap. That gap — what McKinsey researchers call the "broken rung" — has barely moved in years. And it is not primarily a skills gap. It is a visibility gap, a relationship gap, and a strategy gap. I'm Sabrina Braham, MA, MFT, PCC — executive leadership coach with over 30 years of experience and host of the Women's Leadership Success Podcast, ranked in the top 1.5% globally with over 950,000 downloads. In Part II of my interview with Shelmina Babai Abji — TEDx speaker, former IBM Vice President, and author of Show Your Worth — we go deep on the practical mechanics that drive women leaders career advancement forward. If you caught Part I, you already have Shelmina's Power Quotient framework for silencing self-doubt. This episode is what comes next: the external strategy. How do you intentionally build the four relationships that move careers forward? How do you handle a boss who doesn't see your value? How do you navigate workplace bias without giving your power away? And what is the weekly planning practice that keeps even the most overwhelmed leader — including single mothers carrying impossible loads — on a clear path to the C-suite? This is one of the most actionable episodes I have recorded in 19 years of podcasting. Let's get into it. Why Women Leaders Career Advancement Stalls: The Strategy Gap The McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2025 report — which surveyed approximately 10,000 employees across 124 organizations — found that women hold only 29% of C-suite roles, unchanged from 2024, and that women remain underrepresented at every level of the corporate pipeline for the eleventh consecutive year. Women of color face a steeper drop-off at every rung. The same research surfaces a critical sponsorship gap that most women don't know exists: only 31% of entry-level women have a sponsor, compared to 45% of men at the same level. Sponsorship — not mentorship — is the relationship that most reliably unlocks promotions, stretch assignments, and visibility with senior leaders. And women are starting from a 14-point deficit. Shelmina's response to this data is direct: "The reason the numbers are as bad as they are is we cannot wait for organizations to change, or for people to change. We have to be the change we want to see." That is not resignation to an unfair system. It is a strategic recognition that women leaders career advancement is not waiting for institutions to fix the pipeline — it is built deliberately, relationship by relationship, decision by decision, week by week. The Four Relationships That Accelerate Women Leaders Career Advancement Shelmina's book Show Your Worth dedicates an entire chapter to what she calls "intentional relationships" — the four categories of professional connection that, when built strategically, become the scaffolding of a senior career. She credits them with her own advancement from immigrant engineer to IBM Vice President. Relationship 1: Your Boss This is the most high-leverage relationship in your career, and the one most women invest in least strategically. "At the end of the day, you work for your boss, not an organization," Shelmina says. "It is up to you to build that relationship." The mechanism is not flattery or politics. It is a deliberate daily practice of contributing value that advances your boss's success — specifically, unique value that makes you essential. Shelmina describes this as "leaning into your authenticity and your uniqueness until you become essential to your boss's success." When you are essential to your boss's success, you are in a position of power to negotiate what you want — flexible boundaries, stretch assignments, sponsorship, promotion recommendations. Power in a workplace relationship is not seized; it is earned through indispensability. Practically, this means: Understanding your boss's most critical success metrics and aligning your work visibly to them Ensuring your boss has a "front-row seat" to your contributions — proactively, not passively Asking for help on stretch assignments (which demonstrates self-awareness, not weakness) Preparing thoroughly for performance reviews with documented, outcome-quantified contributions Relationship 2: Peers Peer relationships are the often-overlooked engine of influence. In 2026's increasingly matrixed organizations, influence flows horizontally as much as it flows vertically. Peers who trust you, advocate for you in rooms you're not in, and co-create solutions with you are a form of organizational capital that compounds over time. Shelmina notes that the same principle applies here as with the boss relationship: the foundation is contribution, not connection for its own sake. Peers who see you as someone who makes their work better — not someone who competes with them for credit — become your most organic advocates. Relationship 3: Mentors — The Right Ones, Not Just Any Here Shelmina offers a counterintuitive observation that stopped me when I heard it. She regularly asks women at conferences: "How many of you have mentors?" Almost every hand goes up. Then she asks: "How many of those mentors have pushed you, accelerated your success, made you significantly better personally or professionally?" Most hands go down. "We need to be intentional and strategic even when we look for mentors," she says. "We must know: why is this person the right mentor for me, at this point in time?" A mentor who is a perfect match for where you are today may be misaligned with where you need to go next. Great mentors: Have navigated the specific transition you are facing Will push you, not just validate you Are willing to give you honest, sometimes uncomfortable feedback Have relationships and visibility at levels above your current role Shelmina's own pivotal mentor was Susan Whitney — an IBM General Manager who, in the two minutes it took to walk from a roundtable back to an office, changed the entire direction of Shelmina's career by asking one question: "Where do you want to be in five years?" That question planted a seed. Shelmina did not have the answer — but she pursued Susan as a mentor, did whatever it took to get noticed and earn time with her, and eventually built the relationship that shifted her from "doing a great job in my current role" to "thinking strategically about what I want to do next, and next, and next." Relationship 4: Sponsors — Your Most Powerful Accelerant A mentor gives advice. A sponsor gives opportunity. This distinction is critical and widely misunderstood. Sponsors use their own political capital to advocate for you — in the rooms where promotions are decided, on the committees where assignments are distributed, in the conversations where names are put forward. A sponsor says your name when you are not in the room. A mentor helps you prepare for the room. Both matter. But only one moves the needle on the broken rung. Given that women enter careers with a 14-point sponsorship deficit compared to men, closing this gap is one of the highest-ROI investments you can make in your own career advancement. You earn a sponsor the same way you earn every other relationship: by making yourself visible, demonstrating your capability in high-stakes situations, and becoming someone whose success the sponsor wants to be associated with. Shelmina's guidance: identify one person at two levels above you who has both visibility with senior leadership and the willingness to advocate. Do the work to get in their orbit. When you are there, make their decision to sponsor you easy — by showing up with the kind of work that reflects well on anyone who recommends you. The four relationships that drive women leaders career advancement: boss, peers, mentors, and sponsors How to Navigate Workplace Bias Without Losing Your Power As a woman of color scaling the corporate ladder, Shelmina encountered both internal barriers — the self-doubt and fear of belonging described in Part I — and external barriers: leaders who did not automatically see her as a candidate for leadership roles, colleagues who underestimated her capabilities, and structural biases that filtered opportunity away from people who didn't fit the existing template. Her framework for navigating bias is one of the most strategically intelligent approaches I have encountered in 30 years of coaching. It has three operating principles: Principle 1: Don't React — Prove "When you react, you give your power away to them....

In this episode, Nikola reveals his contrarian belief that AI can be better than humans at customer service (not instead of humans, they'll do very different work), why he spent two hours on the phone with Vodafone when he got their confirmation email with someone else's name on it (and why that's not really about AI or humans), why they built a "token leaderboard" internally to track which AI tools they're using most, why junior developers will definitely beat senior ones at learning these tools (plasticity just goes down as you age), how AI gives him superpowers as a CEO (a chief of staff reminding him he promised something 4 days ago), and why their business model is "Rolls Royce for large enterprises, BMW for everyone else." He also shares his journey from a Serbian family to the University of Cambridge, how his PhD supervisor convinced him not to do a PowerPoint job at McKinsey, and why he ended up founding a voice AI company instead of working in finance (he wanted to be "a proper monkey" as well as a PowerPoint monkey, in his words).What you'll learn:

The medical establishment spent decades telling patients that type 2 diabetes is a chronic and irreversible disease. Today's guest decided to prove them wrong.Sami Inkinen is the co-founder and CEO of Virta Health, a company using a combination of nutrition science, remote monitoring technology, and individualized coaching to help patients reverse type 2 diabetes, obesity and other metabolic conditions.  Previously, Sami co-founded Trulia, the online real estate marketplace, serving as COO and president through its IPO and eventual sale to Zillow. He has also held roles at Microsoft and McKinsey, and rowed from California to Hawaii with his wife to raise awareness of the dangers of sugar.Sami joins us to talk about how his own health journey influenced his decision to start Virta, the challenges of scaling in the health space, and the incredible success they've had in treating metabolic disease. Highlights:A personal pre-diabetes diagnosis (2:35)Lessons from Trulia (6:00)Why reversal, not management (9:30)Clinical results and outcomes (12:47)GLP-1s and Virta's approach (15:26)Technology and personalization (17:33)Selling to employers (20:17) Overcoming the status quo (22:33)Building a full-stack team (25:15)Rowing California to Hawaii (28:30)Goals for ‘26 into ‘27 (30:58)Links:Sami Inkinen LinkedInVirta Health LinkedInVirta Health WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, joe@lowerstreet.co

What does it take to build demand through ideas at the world's most prolific thought leadership organisation?In this episode of The Growth Leaders Series, Charlie Marchant sits down with Daphne Luchtenberg, Marketing Director for McKinsey's Operations Practice. Daphne shares how McKinsey's codification culture turns client work into compounding commercial advantage, how peer review makes their content credible at scale, and why their biggest content challenge isn't producing enough; it's deciding what's distinctive enough to publish.They also get into how McKinsey built its own LLM three years ago, how AI is now embedded into the marketing team's day-to-day, and how Daphne is thinking about LLM visibility versus protecting proprietary knowledge.Plus: what B2B marketing leaders can take from the McKinsey model without McKinsey's resources, why building a strong bench beats protecting star performers, and the career advice Daphne would send back to her younger self.Read the full show notes: https://exposureninja.com/podcast/growth-leader-series-daphne-luchtenberg/Follow Daphne Luchtenberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphneluchtenberg/New episode launches every Wednesday throughout June 2026, so stay tuned to hear from growth leaders from leading brands like Profound, Wise, and AirOps! Book a consultation to get a live review of your website and marketing

Brian Mekka spent 15 years managing CX for 60 million Kohl's shoppers. Now he's doing it for 300 steel buyers — and the stakes are completely different. Charter Steel's director of customer experience joins CX Decoded to break down the Compass program, a multi-phase initiative five years in the making, built on VOC data, a McKinsey methodology and a simple premise: B2B customers expect the same experience they get everywhere else.

Pete & Gerry's Organics CMO Phyllis Rothschild joins Dom Nicastro on the CMO Circle podcast to talk premium egg marketing, brand building and the evolving consumer journey. From a 30-year consulting career at McKinsey to the brand side at the largest premium egg producer in the US, Rothschild shares how her team tracks LLM citation scores, navigates Reddit authentically, deploys an in-house eggfluencer and prepares to launch a major 2026 campaign built around new proprietary research naming eggs America's number one trusted protein source.

Today’s board members face growing demands on their time. A challenging macro environment and ever-evolving business risks are increasing meeting frequency and requiring faster decision-making. For executives considering a board role, the developmental opportunity may be clear — but what does the role really involve?In this episode, McKinsey senior partner emeritus and board director, Celia Huber speaks with Christiana Smith Shi. Christiana is the former President of Nike’s direct-to-consumer division and a seasoned board member with over 14 years of service, including on the boards of Williams Sonoma and Mondelēz International. She currently serves on the boards of Columbia Sportswear and UPS, and as Chair of Habitat for Humanity. In a wide-ranging conversation, Christiana opens the boardroom door to discuss topics including the differences between not-for-profit and corporate boards, the dynamics of CEO transitions, and what drives board effectiveness. Related Insights The Board Perspective How boards can tackle geopolitical risk The board’s role in managing emerging AI risks The AI reckoning: How boards can evolve CEO Insights: Forging stronger CEO–board partnershipsSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Geschätzte Lesedauer: 8 Minuten Es gibt Vertriebsfehler, die Aufträge kosten — und einer davon ist so alltäglich, dass ihn fast jeder täglich begeht. Hunderte Male. Ohne es zu merken. Genauer gesagt: Es ist eine einzige Nachricht. Sie killt mehr Deals als jeder Preiseinwand. Mehr als jeder Wettbewerber. Mehr als jede verpatzte Kaltakquise. Und zwar alle zusammen. Ich spreche konkret vom Autoresponder. Der klassischen „Bin dann mal weg"-Mail. Vielleicht denkst du jetzt: „Christopher, das ist doch Standard. Jeder hat eine Abwesenheitsnotiz." Genau das ist aber das Problem. Weil sie Standard ist, denkt niemand darüber nach. Was sie eigentlich kommuniziert. Und vor allem: was sie kostet. Eine Geschichte, die sich so zugetragen hat Um Ostern herum hat mich ein Kunde um Hilfe gebeten. Es ging um die Auswahl eines CRM-Systems. Wer sowas schon mal gemacht hat, weiß: Das ist nervenaufreibend. Und verdammt wichtig. Schließlich ist das CRM das digitale Rückgrat deines gesamten Vertriebs. Wir hatten zwei Anbieter in der engeren Auswahl. Zwei starke Lösungen. Zwei motivierte Sales-Teams. Vor Ostern liefen die Drähte heiß. Denn es ging auf eine Entscheidung zu. Die Nerven waren blank. Kurz vor dem Finale schickte der Projektleiter noch eine letzte Frage. Gleiche Mail. Gleiche Uhrzeit. An beide Anbieter. Bei Anbieter A kam zurück: ein Autoresponder. „Ich bin bis zum 30. im Urlaub. In dringenden Fällen wenden Sie sich an meinen Kollegen XY." Der Projektleiter war fassungslos. Der Vertriebler war einfach weg. Ohne Vorankündigung. Ohne Übergabe. Er schrieb den Vertriebsleiter an. Auch von dem: Autoresponder. „Bin ebenfalls nicht erreichbar. Meine Assistentin hilft weiter." In diesem Moment klingelte sein Handy. Mitten in die Wut hinein. Anbieter B. Jemand sagte: „Herr Mayer hier. Mein Kollege ist heute leider nicht da — aber ich habe Ihre Nachricht gesehen und bin direkt ins System. Ihre Antwort habe ich vorbereitet. Wollen wir kurz sprechen?" Die Entscheidung war damit gefallen. Nicht wegen des Preises. Nicht wegen der Features. Sondern weil einer einfach da war. Der andere nicht. Ein Autoresponder hat diesen Deal gekillt. Und das in weniger als fünf Sekunden. Daran siehst du also: Es geht nicht um große Strategie — sondern um solche kleinen, alltäglichen Vertriebsfehler die Aufträge kosten. Was dein Kunde wirklich will — und was ihn zum Abbruch bringt McKinsey hat Ende 2025 über 3.600 B2B-Einkäufer befragt. Das Ergebnis ist brutal ehrlich. Die wichtigsten Gründe, warum Einkäufer einen Lieferanten verlassen: 52 %: Verschiedene Teams geben widersprüchliche Informationen zu Preis, Verfügbarkeit oder Lieferzeit. 52 %: Ich kann die Person mit dem richtigen Wissen nicht erreichen. 51 %: Der Lieferant kann nicht kanalübergreifend kommunizieren. 50 %: Keine auf mein Geschäft zugeschnittene Vertriebserfahrung. Merkst du was? Keiner dieser Gründe hat mit Preis oder Produkt zu tun. Es geht ausschließlich um Erreichbarkeit und Reibungslosigkeit. Das nennt man Customer Effort. Der Kunde will nämlich gar nicht „begeistert" werden. Er will einfach keine Steine im Weg. Die Harvard Business Review hat das schon 2010 gezeigt. Nicht Begeisterung treibt Loyalität. Sondern wie einfach der Kunde sein Problem lösen kann. Deshalb bestätigt Gartner das auch: Kunden mit nur einer schwierigen Interaktion haben eine viermal niedrigere Loyalität. Schlimmer noch: 81 Prozent verbreiten danach negative Mundpropaganda. Ein Autoresponder ist die Definition einer schwierigen Interaktion. Vertriebsfehler die Aufträge kosten: Die drei Szenarien, in denen dein Autoresponder zuschlägt 1. Der Neukunde Stell dir vor: Jemand wurde dir empfohlen. „Sprich mal mit dem Account Manager da. Der ist super." Der Interessent schreibt dir eine Mail. Vielleicht der wichtigste Neukunde des Jahres. Und was kommt zurück? „Bin im Urlaub. Melden Sie sich bei..." Glaubst du wirklich, der ruft jetzt einen fremden Kollegen an? Und erklärt dem alles nochmal von vorne? Vergiss es. Der hat nämlich nicht nur dich angeschrieben. Sondern zwei, drei andere auch. Außerdem zeigt die Studie von Drift: Wer zuerst antwortet, hat eine über 50 Prozent höhere Chance auf den Auftrag. Völlig unabhängig von Preis und Leistung. Dein Autoresponder hat dir diesen Vorsprung genommen. Und zwar endgültig. 2. Der Kunde im Angebotsprozess Noch schmerzhafter. Du hast Wochen investiert. Präsentationen gehalten. Referenzen geschickt. Der Kunde ist heiß. Er will abschließen. Und hat noch eine letzte Frage. Du bist im Urlaub. Dein Autoresponder sagt: „Kümmer dich selbst." Zwei Wochen später fragst du dich: „Was ist eigentlich aus dem Angebot geworden? Der Kunde meldet sich einfach nicht mehr." Doch. Hat er. Du hast nur nicht geantwortet. 3. Der treue Bestandskunde Der, der seit Jahren bei dir kauft. Der ein Problem hat und schnell Hilfe braucht. Dein Autoresponder signalisiert ihm: „Meine Freizeit ist wichtiger als dein Problem." Dazu fällt mir Anthony Iannarino ein. Einer der klügsten Sales-Köpfe der USA. Er bringt es auf den Punkt: „Abwesenheit lässt die Zuneigung nicht wachsen. Sie lässt sie abwandern. Mehr Kunden gehen durch Vernachlässigung verloren als durch jede andere Ursache." Vernachlässigung. Genau das tut dein Autoresponder. „Aber ich habe doch ein Recht auf Urlaub!" Ja, hast du. Absolut. Darum geht es aber gar nicht. Es geht nämlich um den Unterschied zwischen Person und Firma. Dein Kunde will etwas von deinem Unternehmen. Und dein Unternehmen muss dafür sorgen, dass seine Customer Experience einfach und schnell ist. Völlig egal, ob du gerade am Strand liegst. Sam Walton, der Gründer von Walmart, hat es einmal so gesagt: „Es gibt nur einen Chef — den Kunden. Und der kann jeden im Unternehmen feuern. Vom Vorstand abwärts. Einfach indem er sein Geld woanders ausgibt." Der Kunde muss sich nicht um deine interne Organisation kümmern. Er muss nicht warten. Und vor allem: Er muss nicht dreimal nachfragen. Im Gegenteil: Seine Aufgabe endet, sobald er auf „Senden" klickt. Ab da ist es deine Bringschuld. Punkt. So machst du es besser: Drei Stufen der Vertriebs-Erreichbarkeit Stufe 1: Proaktiv kommunizieren (kostet nichts) Wenn du länger als zwei, drei Tage weg bist: Informiere deine wichtigsten Kunden. Und zwar vor deiner Abreise. Nicht durch einen Autoresponder — sondern proaktiv. „Hallo Herr Kunde, ich bin von Donnerstag bis Dienstag auf einer Familienfeier. Kein Problem — mein Kollege Peter Mayer übernimmt. Er ist komplett eingearbeitet und kann jede Frage sofort beantworten. Sie erreichen ihn unter [Durchwahl/Mail]." Am besten stellst du den Kollegen vorher schon vor. In einem gemeinsamen Call oder per Mail. Dann kennt der Kunde ihn nämlich. Und fühlt sich nicht abgeschoben. Stufe 2: Echte Übergabe mit Substanz (braucht Struktur) Telefon umstellen. E-Mail-Zugriff für die Vertretung. Und vor allem: Das CRM so pflegen, dass jeder Kollege innerhalb von 30 Sekunden versteht, was Phase ist. Wenn ein Kunde anruft und du nicht da bist, sollte nicht der Praktikant rangehen. Der dann sagt: „Äh, der Herr Müller ist nicht da. Keine Ahnung, worum es geht. Soll er zurückrufen?" Besser so: „Herr Mayer hier, Kollege von Herrn Müller. Ich sehe gerade im System: Es geht um den Projektabschluss Phase 2. Angebot vom 12. Juni. Hier ist Ihre Antwort. Wollen wir's kurz besprechen?" Das ist 2026 übrigens kein Hexenwerk mehr. CRM-Systeme. Cloud-Telefonanlagen. Shared Inboxes. Das kostet nämlich nur ein paar Euro im Monat. Und spart dir hunderttausende an verlorenen Deals. Stufe 3: Hyperpersonalisierung (der echte Wettbewerbsvorteil) Die Top-Performer im B2B-Vertrieb gehen noch weiter. McKinsey zeigt nämlich: Diese Unternehmen wachsen 15 Prozent schneller als der Durchschnitt. Die anderen schaffen nur 7 Prozent. Was heißt das konkret? Ein Dealroom für jeden Kunden. Eine gemeinsame Projektseite. Alle Ansprechpartner sichtbar — inklusive Verfügbarkeitsstatus. Alle Dokumente und der aktuelle Stand an einem Ort. Der Kunde sieht sofort: Wer ist da? Wen spreche ich an? Und für Routinefragen findet er die Antwort vielleicht sogar direkt auf der Seite. Ohne überhaupt jemanden zu kontaktieren. Das ist längst keine Science-Fiction mehr. Es gibt Standardsoftware, die das abbildet. Und Kunden lieben es. Denn sie bekommen damit endlich, was sie wirklich wollen: Kontrolle und Geschwindigkeit. Quick Takeaways Dein Autoresponder tötet Deals. Jeden Tag. Auch wenn du es nicht mitbekommst. Der Kunde will keine Begeisterung — er will keine Hindernisse. Customer Effort ist der Loyalitätstreiber Nr. 1. Jeder Kundenkontakt ist ein „Moment der Wahrheit" (Jan Carlzon). Ein Autoresponder ist immer ein negativer Moment. 50 % der Einkäufer verlassen einen Lieferanten, weil sie die richtige Person nicht erreichen (McKinsey 2025). Proaktive Abwesenheits-Kommunikation kostet dich 2 Minuten. Einen verlorenen Kunden reinzuholen kostet dich dagegen Wochen. Eine echte Urlaubsvertretung braucht CRM-Zugriff und Telefonumstellung. Nicht „ruf doch mal den Soundso an". Dealrooms und Hyperpersonalisierung sind keine Spielerei — sie bringen 15 % mehr Wachstum als der Durchschnitt. FAQ: Häufige Fragen zum Autoresponder Warum ist ein Autoresponder schädlich für den Vertrieb? Er signalisiert: „Meine Abwesenheit ist wichtiger als dein Anliegen." Der Kunde soll einen fremden Kollegen anrufen und alles nochmal erklären. Die meisten tun das nicht. Sie gehen zum Wettbewerber. Schnelle Reaktion ist der wichtigste Conversion-Faktor — ein Autoresponder macht das unmöglich. Was ist die beste Alternative zur klassischen Abwesenheitsnotiz? Die proaktive Kommunikation vor der Abwesenheit. Informiere aktive Kunden und Interessenten, bevor du gehst. Stelle außerdem eine echte Vertretung vor — jemanden, der das CRM kennt und sofort antworten kann. Ideal ist ein Dealroom. Oder eine Projektseite. Dort sehen Kunden, wer verfügbar ist. Und finden direkt Antworten. Wie richte ich eine professionelle Urlaubsvertretung im Vertrieb ein? Erstens: CRM und E-Mail-Zugriff für die Vertretung sicherstellen. Zweitens: Telefon auf den Kollegen umstellen. Drittens: Die Vertretung proaktiv beim Kunden vorstellen — am besten noch vor der Abreise. Außerdem alle offenen Vorgänge dokumentieren. Mit Status und nächsten Schritten. So kann der Vertreter selbstständig antworten. Was kostet ein verlorener Kunde durch schlechte Erreichbarkeit? McKinsey beziffert die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Lieferantenwechsels bei schlechter Erreichbarkeit auf über 50 Prozent. Dazu kommt nämlich: Negative Kundenerfahrungen führen zu viermal niedrigerer Loyalität. Und 81 Prozent verbreiten danach negative Mundpropaganda. Ein verpasster Anruf kostet also nicht nur den aktuellen Deal. Sondern auch zukünftige — durch Reputationsverlust. Kann ich im Urlaub komplett abschalten, ohne Kunden zu verlieren? Ja — mit dem richtigen System. Der Schlüssel: Das Unternehmen bleibt erreichbar, nicht die Person. Dafür brauchst du drei Dinge. Erstens: einen gut eingearbeiteten Vertreter. Zweitens: ein CRM mit vollständiger Dokumentation. Drittens: eine gemeinsame Projektseite als Dealroom. So bekommen Kunden jederzeit Antworten — während du völlig offline bist. Entscheidend ist die Vorbereitung. Wer im CRM nur Stichworte hinterlässt, kann keine saubere Übergabe erwarten. Anleitung: Bessere Erreichbarkeit in 6 Schritten So verhinderst du ab sofort, dass deine Abwesenheit Kunden kostet. CRM-Check: Sind alle offenen Vorgänge aktuell dokumentiert? Kann ein Kollege innerhalb von 30 Sekunden verstehen, was Phase ist? Wenn nicht: nacharbeiten. Telefonanlage prüfen: Rufumleitung auf Vertretung einrichten. Keine Weiterleitung ins Leere. Idealerweise mit Rufnummernerkennung, die sofort den Kundendatensatz öffnet. Proaktiv informieren: Drei Tage vor Abwesenheit alle aktiven Kontakte per Mail anschreiben. Vertretung namentlich vorstellen. Erreichbarkeit nennen. Übergabestatus bestätigen. Außerdem: ruhig auch anrufen, nicht nur mailen. Vertretung briefen: 30-Minuten-Call mit dem Kollegen. Durchgehen: Welche Deals sind heiß? Welche Kunden brauchen besondere Aufmerksamkeit? Wo liegen die Antworten? Eigene Abwesenheitsnotiz optimieren: Falls du doch eine brauchst: Kein „ich bin nicht da". Sondern konkrete Vertretung mit Namen und Durchwahl. Mit dem Hinweis, dass die Vertretung bereits informiert ist. Rückkehr-Check: Nach dem Urlaub prüfen: Welche Kunden haben sich gemeldet? Wurden alle Anfragen beantwortet? Was kannst du beim nächsten Mal noch besser machen? Schließlich geht es um kontinuierliche Verbesserung.

Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com   Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com  **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102   See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire   See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/  

Executive coach Julian Lighton, author of Navigating Your Next and a former McKinsey associate partner, explains how to take control of your career by clarifying what you truly want and building a deliberate path to get it through his seven-step framework. He breaks down the four unavoidable career transitions, why no meaningful goal is reached alone, and why success always comes at a cost. Learn more at https://www.julianlighton.com/.

How do you build a successful career, raise a family, protect your health, and still have a life?Sarah Armstrong, Vice President of Global Marketing Operations at Google and author of The Art of the Juggling Act: A Bite-Sized Guide for Working Parents, joins Women Road Warriors to share practical strategies for balancing work, family, friendships, health, and personal fulfillment.Drawing from leadership roles at Google, McKinsey & Company, Coca-Cola, and Leo Burnett, Sarah discusses why the traditional idea of "having it all" may be setting people up for frustration and guilt. Instead, she encourages listeners to define success on their own terms, establish healthy boundaries, and focus on what matters most.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why work is the "rubber ball" and the rest of life is made of glass• The biggest misconception about work-life balance• How to stop feeling guilty about career and parenting choices• Why perfection is impossible—and unnecessary• The power of saying "no" without apology• How Sarah protected family time while leading global teams• Why building a support network is critical to success• Practical ways to create a life aligned with your valuesWhether you're a parent, caregiver, entrepreneur, executive, or simply trying to manage competing priorities, Sarah's insights offer a practical roadmap for thriving in both your personal and professional life.https://thejugglingact.comwww.womenroadwarriors.comwww.womenspowernetwork.net#SarahArmstrong #Google #WorkLifeBalance #WomenInLeadership #WorkingParents #PersonalDevelopment #WomenRoadWarriors #ShelleyJohnson #KathyTuccaro #SuccessMindset #Parenting #LifeBalance

Show Notes: Gaurav Bhosle talks about his coaching practice, which is split 50/50 between helping people get hired by consulting firms and coaching current consultants. He shares his background as an ex-McKinsey consultant and his MBA from HEC Paris, noting the lack of preparation structures for consulting firms in 2006-2007. Breaking into Consulting Gaurav recounts how a former HEC alum helped him prepare for consulting firms, leading to his success in joining McKinsey in Frankfurt. He explains his transition from McKinsey to coaching, driven by his passion for strategy and career development, and his decision to focus on career strategy for consultants. Gaurav discusses his realization that breaking into consulting is not the ultimate goal but thriving in it is. The Upskilling Journey He shares his journey of upskilling, including obtaining ICF certification, psychometric tools, NLP, and TA, to provide deeper career coaching. Gaurav explains his shift from helping people get into consulting to coaching current consultants on career strategies and performance improvement. He emphasizes the importance of career happiness and the need for consultants to thrive in their roles, not just get hired. The Three-step Process  Gaurav describes his three-step process: foundation, parallel tracks (networking and practice), and polishing. He emphasizes the importance of mindset, skill set, and tool set, particularly the mindset of preparing to be a good consultant rather than just cracking interviews. Gaurav details the foundation phase, which includes preparing for cases, understanding fit questions, and polishing the consulting CV. Gaurav outlines the practical steps for case interview preparation, including the importance of practicing with peers and AI. He explains the three-step process for data interpretation: data sanity check, extracting insights, and communicating findings. The Value of Top-down Communication Skills Gaurav emphasizes the importance of top-down communication and preparing fit answers with headlines first. He shares tips for practicing data analytics skills, including using charts as part of case interviews and focusing on the context and problem-solving. Gaurav discusses the challenges of developing top-down communication skills, especially for those from Eastern cultures or non-consulting backgrounds. He shares his personal journey of adapting to top-down communication in McKinsey and the importance of pushing oneself to communicate insights at a higher level. Gaurav explains the STAR format for storytelling in interviews and the importance of starting with headlines. He emphasizes the need for consultants to communicate crisply and lead the conversation, rather than providing lengthy explanations Coaching Practice and Processes  When asked the first step in his coaching process, Gaurav explains the importance of achieving orientation and having clear career goals beyond superficial reasons like travel or status. He shares his use of psychometric assessments and the "Why should we hire you?" question to gauge a candidate's value proposition. Gaurav highlights the need for candidates to have a clear understanding of their career motivations and the ability to articulate their unique value. Coaching Consultants on Performance Improvement The conversation turns to Gaurav's practice of coaching current consultants on performance improvement. He shares an example of a recent MBB consultant seeking promotion to engagement manager and feedback on case leadership. Gaurav explains the importance of understanding the root cause of feedback and implementing systems for continuous improvement. He emphasizes the need for consultants to seek frequent feedback, develop systems for transparency, and build checklists for effective project management.  "Fit-for-consulting" Assessment Gaurav discusses the use of psychometric assessments and other tools to understand candidates' personality and fit for consulting. He shares his experience coaching a diverse range of professionals, including US Marines, public servants, and athletes, to transition into consulting. Gaurav highlights the importance of having a clear value proposition and the ability to articulate it effectively, and he emphasizes the need for consultants to have a strong achievement orientation and the willingness to adapt to the demanding nature of the role. Timestamps: 03:53: Transitioning to Coaching Current Consultants  06:01: Gaurav's Coaching Approach for Aspiring Consultants 10:58: Practical Steps for Case Interview Preparation 22:06: Developing Top-Down Communication Skills  26:50: Clarifying Career Motivations and Goals  30:48: Coaching Current Consultants for Career Growth  34:46: Gaurav's Coaching Methodologies and Tools  35:11: Gaurav's Online Presence and Contact Information  Links:  Company website:  https://www.beingconsultant.com/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/consultingcareercoach/ Email: gb@beingconsultant.com   This episode on Umbrex: https://umbrex.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=300254&action=edit#:~:text=https%3A//umbrex.com/unleashed/gaurav%2Dbhosle%2Dma%E2%80%A6%2Din%2Dbuild%2Dthrive/  Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

John Lin grew up Dutch-Chinese, worked strategy at the Netherlands' biggest e-commerce company, and spent years telling his McKinsey colleagues that everything they called "the future of commerce" had already happened in China. Nobody listened. He was right. He now does 50 keynotes a year telling European boardrooms the same thing about EVs, AI, and energy. In this conversation, Xiaomi built a car factory in 180 days and took 200,000 pre-orders in 3 minutes for a car nobody had seen. AI agents ordered 10 million bubble teas in nine hours. Driverless cars with blue light indicators are on the streets right now. And a $70,000 phone-brand EV just demolished a $1 million Ferrari at the drag strip. The quartz crisis is coming for every industry. The question is which side of it you're on. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

Organizations spend billions on strategy, technology, and process redesign, and then wonder why results do not follow. The answer is almost always the same: culture was treated as an afterthought rather than the operating system beneath everything else. When culture is decorative, change is cosmetic.  I/O Career Accelerator Course: https://www.seboc.com/job Visit us https://www.seboc.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/sebocLI Join an open-mic event: https://www.seboc.com/events References: Gallup (2025). State of the Global Workplace. CultureCon & Fauna (2025). WorkPossible: Humanity at Work. McKinsey & Company (2020). The Science Behind Successful Organizational Transformations. Edmondson (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Kotter & Heskett (1992). Corporate Culture and Performance. Work Institute (2024). Retention Report. SHRM (2022). Human Capital Benchmarking Report.

A Portfolio Checklist Extra adásában hatodik alkalommal beszélgetünk az amerikai felsőoktatás elitjébe tartozó Borostyán Ligába, angolul Ivy League-be tartozó egyetemek magyar diákjaival. Hallgatóink a harvardos Kovács Ferenc Somát és a yale-es Szepesi Mórt már jól ismerhetik, a csapat azonban bővült: a mai műsorban csatlakozott hozzájuk a University of Pennsylvania egyetemről Madár Gergely is. Így most már négyen beszélgetünk többek között arról, hogy csapódott le az USA-ban a magyar választások eredménye, hogy látják Donald Trump elmúlt fél éves ténykedését az egyetemeken, mit gondolnak ők az amerikai tőkepiacon zajló folyamatokról, és hogy kik most az igazi sztárok az USA top egyetemistáinak körében. Főbb részek: Intro – (00:00) Bemutatkozik a University of Pennsylvania is – (01:25) Harvardi félév: sportsérülések és amerikai kezelésük – (07:00) A Yale Political Union magyar elnöke, és tevékenysége – (14:20) Az amerikai egyetemisták sztárjai: Hasan Piker és Curtis Sliwa – (17:50) Mit jelent Amerikában a szélsőbaloldaliság? – (22:47) Az USA-ban lőnek is – (27:10) Hogy néztek ki Amerikából a magyar választások? – (29:30) Sulyok Tamást a Yale-en húszan védték – (39:30) Orbán Viktor sorsa várhat Donald Trumpra? – (42:00) Donald Trump viselt dolgai: újabb impeachment közeleg? – (47:15) Scott Galloway magyar hasonlata a hormuzi helyzetre – (54:30) Az USA makroproblémái – (1:02:40) Iránnal szemben Trump nem tud TACO-zni – (1:07:15) Tőkepiaci dilemmák Amerikában – (1:10:00) AI-sztorik a felsőoktatásból – (1:15:00) Nyári és őszi tervek – (1:36:55) Miért nincs magyar unikornis? – (1:40:00) McKinsey gyakorlat az USA-ban – (1:43:00) A műsor edukációs és szórakoztató céllal készül, így az abban elhangzó beszélgetés semelyik eleme nem minősül befektetési tanácsadásnak. Amennyiben valódi, hivatalos befektetési tanácsot szeretne, akkor keresse az Invest szakmai partnerét, a Portfolio Investment Servicest. Ez a Portfolio Csoport privátbanki üzletága az Erste Befektetési Zrt. függő ügynökeként, és itt többek között olyan szakemberek segítik az ügyfelek befektetési döntéseit, mint Nagy Viktor és elemző kollégái.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The robotics industry is quietly emerging as one of the most undervalued opportunities for real estate investors today. While mainstream attention focuses heavily on software and AI, physical automation is simultaneously transforming how assets are constructed and operated. The global robotics market currently sits at roughly $70 billion and is projected by McKinsey to cross $260 billion by 2030. This exponential growth mirrors the e-commerce warehouse boom of 2010, offering massive upside for investors positioned ahead of the curve.In this episode, we break down the two primary avenues robotics will impact real estate: significantly lowering hard construction costs and drastically reducing ongoing operational expenses. From 3D-printed homes by ICON cutting building costs by 20% to 30%, to humanoid robots reducing hospitality labor expenses by up to 35%, the financial implications are profound. Listeners will learn exactly how to capitalize on this shift, including specific publicly traded companies, REITs, and upcoming IPOs directly exposed to real estate automation.Key Topics DiscussedThe current $70 billion valuation of the robotics industry and projections reaching $260 billion by 2030.How ICON Technology's 3D-printed homes are decreasing traditional stick frame construction costs by 20% to 30%.The impact of autonomous rebar-tying robots reducing structural labor needs by 40%.Keen Robotics and Figure AI streamlining commercial facility management and cutting hospitality labor costs.Why Prologis is capturing a 200 basis point occupancy premium for robotics-enabled industrial facilities.Specific actionable investment vehicles including REITs, automation infrastructure stocks, and upcoming AI IPOs.Key TakeawaysA 30% reduction in labor costs for a standard 200-room hotel can translate to over $11 million in added asset value based on standard cap rates.Investors who target companies building durable competitive advantages through robotics integration will secure a significant economic moat.Industrial REITs are already proving that commercial tenants are willing to pay a premium to occupy tech-forward, automation-ready buildings.The entire global robotics sector is currently valued lower than Home Depot's market cap, highlighting the immense remaining upside.Connect & Take Action:Wealth Intelligence Brief: Text "WIB" to 844-447-1555 to get Matty's free macro data, real estate intel, and crypto signals delivered to your inbox 3 times a week.Imagos Income Fund: Text "INCOME" or "DEALS" to 844-447-1555 to learn more about Matty A's private debt fund targeting 10% fixed returns paid out monthly.

Send us Fan Mail5 people just landed offers at McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, and L.E.K. We got them all in one room and asked them the same question: what actually worked?The real stuff – how many cases they did, how they networked, what they wish they'd done differently, and the misconceptions that almost cost them.Aisha did 50 cases her first recruiting cycle and didn't get the offer. She did 25 the second time and got it. That contrast says more than any framework guide will.You'll learn:Why quality beats volume in case prep – and what "quality" actually looks likeHow each of these 5 built their firm lists and network from scratchThe misconception every candidate walked in with (and when they figured out it was wrong)Resources:4 of the 5 panelists worked with an MC coach – learn more about Black Belt coachingNot sure if coaching is the right fit? Book a free 15-min call with Katie – she'll tell you where you standCreate a free MC account to start building your case prep foundationFree Consulting Prep Just Got a Whole Lot BetterCreate a free MC account for access to step-by-step learning pathways, a brand new case prep course, and more. Download the MC app to prep anywhere.Connect With Management ConsultedCreate a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep todaySchedule a free 15min consultation with the MC TeamWatch the video version of the podcast on YouTubeFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTokJoin an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

In this episode, we feature an interview with Sam Erhlich, a manager at McKinsey and Company and a student in my Strategic Materials Industry Study. We discuss why critical minerals are crucial to national security and how best to strengthen the U.S. industryFirst, however, we look at the runoff elections in Colombia and what a far-right win would mean for the country and the region.We next turn to North Korea's surprising economic trajectory since the pandemic and the latest on its diplomatic efforts.Ryan updates us on one of his favorite topics— aliens and what—if anything—was actually revealed on “Disclosure Day.”Topics Discussed in this Episode03:15 - Colombia Elections18:45 - North Korean Economic Resurgence48:25 - Disclosure Day Bust1:03:36 - Interview with Sam Ehrlich on Critical MineralsArticles and Resources Mentioned in EpisodeTopic 1: Colombian ElectionsAbelardo de la Espriella is now the front-runner in Colombia (The Economist)Colombia's far-right presidential candidate De la Espriella wins first round of vote ahead of runoff (The Guardian)Who is De la Espriella, the Colombian far right's presidential candidate? (Justice for Colombia.org)Topic 2: North Korean Economic ResurgenceThe World's Most Surprising Economic Success Story Is…North Korea (WSJ)A ‘Miraculous Transformation': How Kim Jong-un Fortified North Korea (NY Times)China and Russia are competing for influence over North Korea (The Economist)The North Korean Threat with David MaxwellTopic 3: Disclosure Day BustUS DOW UAP Disclosure SiteI've reported on UFO sightings for decades — and come to this conclusion (WaPo)The Newly Released Government UFO Archives Will Leave You Shrugging (TWZ)Send us Fan MailFollow UsShow Website: www.kelloggsglobalpolitics.comShow Twitter: @GlobalKelloggAnita's Twitter: @arkelloggShow YouTube

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Inigo, co-founder and CEO of Concentro and founder of Folio, about how AI is helping streamline clean energy project finance. Inigo shares the story behind Concentro and how tax credit transferability created new opportunities in the market.  The conversation focuses on Folio, an AI-powered platform created by Concentro that helps project finance teams organize data rooms, manage diligence, extract key information from documents, and prepare projects for financing.  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 $50 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.   Guest Information Iñigo Rengifo Melia Iñigo Rengifo Melia is the co-founder and CEO of Concentro and Folio, two companies transforming how clean energy projects are financed and managed.  An electromechanical engineer by training with a strong background in energy, Inigo began his career as the first employee at a startup studio, where he was part of the founding team of two early-stage companies. He then joined McKinsey as a management consultant, specializing in energy  including a nearly 10-month engagement helping one of Spain's largest utilities build and launch a distributed generation platform.  Inigo went on to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School, where he met his co-founder Tao.  Concentro is a hands-on tax credit transferability platform focused primarily on distributed generation, managing the entire process from diligence to transaction management to legal documentation. The firm works with both sellers (IPPs, developers, sponsors) and buyers (corporations seeking vetted tax credits).  Folio, spun out from Concentro's internal tooling, is an AI-powered diligence and project finance platform that helps clean energy teams process documentation faster, maintain precision, and manage the full lifecycle from financing preparation through asset management.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/   Iñigo Rengifo Melia Folio Website: getfolio.io Concentro Website: concentro.io Email (Folio): inigo@getfolio.io Email (Concentro): inigo@concentro.io  LinkedIn: Iñigo Rengifo Melia — Concentro   Solar Maverick listeners can request a free two-month trial of Folio — mention Solar Maverick when reaching out. Prior Episode of the Solar Maverick with Inigo and Tao from Concentro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgIbZo4upM8 Summer Solstice Fundraiser A special thank you to everyone who attended and supported the Summer Solstice Fundraiser benefiting Let's Share the Sun. It was an incredible evening bringing together the clean energy community to support solar and battery storage for communities in Puerto Rico. We are grateful to our sponsors and partners who helped make the event possible, including Folio, Concentro, SolHarvest Energy, Kinetic Communities Consulting, Jordan Energy, Positive Deviancy, New Energy Equity, Reneu Energy, the Solar Maverick Podcast, and Let's Share the Sun. We also want to thank everyone who made additional donations, attended the event, shared the fundraiser, and helped bring the community together. Your support helps advance clean energy, resilience, and community impact where it is needed most.   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 does it actually take to build a go-to-market strategy for a category that barely existed 18 months ago?In this episode of The Growth Leaders Series, Charlie Marchant sits down with Nick Lafferty, Founding Marketing Engineer at Profound, the AI Search tracking platform helping major brands understand how they show up in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other LLMs.Nick brings serious growth experience to this role. Before Profound, he drove millions in B2B SaaS pipeline at Loom and Mailgun, then spent two years running a solo consulting agency before joining Profound. In this episode, Nick Lafferty covers:Why velocity is a moat in AI SearchWhat a modern, lean marketing team actually looks like, why Nick hires for a generative marketer mindset, and his advice for showcasing this online The growth strategy behind Profound, centred on sharing data and insightsThe go-to-market motion behind Profound's Zero Click events, scaling from 400 to 800+ attendees across New York and LondonThe layered mentality around AI Search for different business sizesWhy FAQ content and FAQ schema is the lowest-hanging fruit most big brands are leaving on the tableHow to make the internal case for AI Search investment when leadership is still thinking in Google termsThe career advice he'd send back to his first dayRead the full show notes: https://exposureninja.com/podcast/growth-leader-series-nick-lafferty/Follow Nick Lafferty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklafferty/New episode launches every Wednesday throughout June 2026, so stay tuned to hear from growth leaders from leading brands like McKinsey and Company, Wise, and AirOps! Book a consultation to get a live review of your website and marketing

Episode DescriptionMary Rachide, Managing Director at ICV Partners, and Bob Hund, Operating Partner at Oridian, join Sean Mooney, Lloyd Metz, and Doug McCormick to explain how operating executives help turn private equity value creation plans into results. They discuss how operating partners engage in diligence, align with founders and deal teams, and support portfolio companies through execution without losing trust. The conversation also covers process discipline, management assessment, stakeholder alignment, and the art of knowing when to coach versus when to push. This is a practical look at how modern private equity firms build better businesses—hit play.Episode Highlights1:52 - Mary Rachide's path from McKinsey and executive roles into PE operations3:33 - Bob Hund's engineering, manufacturing, and process background before Iridium6:45 - How operating partners support diligence, strategy, and execution9:59 - Aligning founders and investors around realistic value creation plans18:52 - Using process assessments to identify risk and unlock improvement opportunities26:50 - Mary's “glue, grease, grit, and glitter” framework for operating partner impact41:06 - Why the best operating executives take joy in helping others succeedFor more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.comFor information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

RiskCellar is back with a packed episode that feels like the insurance industry itself, equal parts serious and unfiltered. Brandon Schuh and Nick Hartmann sit down to unpack a week that saw some of the biggest AI-driven headlines to hit the P&C space in recent memory. From a massive brokerage laying off 2,300 employees and blaming AI, to a CNN lawsuit targeting an AI search engine, to an InsurTech startup valued at $2.6 billion on just $40 million in revenue, nothing about this week is normal. And that's exactly the point.The episode digs into the Acrisure story, where roughly 2,300 jobs are being cut, the second round of layoffs in a single year, with AI cited as the primary driver. Brandon and Nick do the math. At $300,000 average revenue per employee, that's a $690 million bet on AI's ability to fill the gap. They zoom out to connect this to the broader PE pressure story, exits, soft markets, rising interest rates, and a potential IPO on the horizon. The conversation doesn't stop there. New York State's newly signed auto insurance tort reform law gets a thorough breakdown, including the new $100,000 cap on non-economic damages and tightened comparative negligence thresholds that could finally start moving the needle on affordability. And the CNN vs. Perplexity lawsuit opens a bigger conversation about AI as a derivative product, one that can't function without the journalism it may ultimately be destroying.Rounding out the news block is a closer look at Corgi, the AI-focused MGA that just raised at a $2.6 billion valuation despite generating only $40 million in revenue, a 65x multiple that leaves both hosts scratching their heads. Brandon draws a pointed parallel to boutique consulting firms now competing with McKinsey-sized players thanks to AI tools, a trend with direct implications for insurance brokerages of every size. The episode wraps with a "Three Truths and a Lie" segment on classic TV shows and a round of Simpsons trivia, staying true to the show's blend of sharp industry analysis and genuine conversation between two people who genuinely enjoy talking shop.Takeaways:Acrisure's 2,300-person layoff represents a (690M) bet that AI can replace human production capacity.PE-backed brokerages are under compounding pressure from soft markets, rising rates, and IPO timelines.New York's auto tort reform caps non-economic damages at (100,000) and tightens comparative negligence rules.AI is a derivative product, it depends on journalism and original content to function.CNN filed suit against Perplexity for alleged copyright infringement in New York federal court.Corgi's (2.6B) valuation at (65times) revenue raises serious questions about InsurTech market rationality.Boutique brokerages now have the firepower of Aon or Marsh thanks to accessible AI tools.Alleged class action litigation is brewing against a PE-backed brokerage over unpaid producer compensation.Chapters:00:00 Welcome to RiskCellar2:45 Big News Tease + What Are You Drinking?4:00 Memorial Day Weekend Recaps7:38 This Week's AI Theme Intro8:00 Acrisure Layoffs: The (690M) AI Bet17:30 Sponsor Break: IPFS + freeflow.ai17:4 CNN vs. Perplexity: AI and Journalism's Collision21:05 Corgi's (2.6B) Valuation and the InsurTech Bubble23:30 Boutique vs. McKinsey: AI Levels the Consulting Playing Field27:10 SpaceX IPO, Elon Musk, and Market Insanity29:00 Howden TROs and Industry Legal Wars30:38 Three Truths and a Lie: Classic TV Edition32:17 Simpsons Trivia: First 100 Episodes33:57 Upcoming Guests and Episode WrapConnect with RiskCellar:Website: https://www.riskcellar.com/Brandon Schuh:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552710523314LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-stephen-schuh/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schuhpapa/Nick Hartmann:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickjhartmann/

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Vlad Golyk, Partner and Leader of McKinsey's North America Wealth Management Practice. Vlad works closely with wealth and asset managers, focusing on growth, transformation, and the evolution of operating models. He is a co-author and lead contributor to two recently released reports, The Looming Advisor Shortage in US Wealth Management and US Wealth Management in 2035: A Transformative Decade Begins.  Vlad talks with Jack about the forces that will shape wealth management over the next decade. He highlights significant challenges, particularly advisor capacity, which is becoming one of the industry's most critical concerns as demand for financial advice continues to rise while the advisor workforce ages and declines. Vlad also explains how advisory firms can build an operating model that delivers holistic advice while addressing advisor shortages. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:40) - Why growth, productivity, advisor models, and AI are interconnected (04:53) - The looming advisor shortage in wealth management (10:12) - The power of AI in the modern advisory world (18:15) - Monetizing AI: AI-powered guidance and new revenue opportunities (22:08) - What makes a successful wealth management operating model (26:14) - Vlad's interests outside of work Quotes "If you're only building for today's clients who want the human advisor enhanced by technology, you might be optimizing a model that the next wave of accumulators will never opt into." ~ Vlad Golyk "Investors are clear about the role they want AI to play today. They want it as a guidance layer, not an autonomous agent." ~ Vlad Golyk "Build a blended experience where AI handles analytical throughput and the human shows up at moments of highest emotional and financial stakes. Investors want that, they pay for it, and they want it from the advisor." ~ Vlad Golyk Links  Vlad Golyk on LinkedIn McKinsey Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

AI can give you a competent answer. It cannot give you your judgment. The leaders who are using AI well are not the ones replacing their read on the room with it. They are the ones who bring their judgment first and use AI as the tool after. That distinction is the difference between generic output and a decision that sounds like you.   WHAT THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT You are using AI and using it well. And you are still walking away from it feeling like something is missing. That feeling has a name. And it is not a problem with the tool. This episode is about what AI cannot replicate at your level, why it matters more right now than it ever has, and the one shift that changes everything you get back from it.   INSIDE THE EPISODE The gap you have already felt but not named You have noticed it. I name it.   Knowledge versus judgment They are not the same thing. The difference is everything at your level.   The shortcut that is costing you I share a personal example. You will recognize yourself in it.   What it looks like when you go in with your judgment first This is the shift. And it changes what you get back.   What I am building with clients right now AI that is actually trained on you. There is a difference between a tool and a tool that knows your wiring.   WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU There is a name for what AI cannot give you. It is not a soft skill and it is not a mindset. Press play. The shortcut feels efficient. I talk about what it is quietly costing you at your level. The leaders who are using AI well are doing one thing differently before they ever open a prompt.   SIT WITH THIS When you go to AI for an answer, are you bringing your judgment with you, or are you waiting for AI to give you one?   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Friction Factor is the research report I referenced in this episode. It pulls from over 60,000 leaders across Gallup, Harvard Business Review, and McKinsey and names something happening at the senior level that nobody is talking about out loud. If anything I said today sounds familiar, this is where you start. Download the Friction Factor   The Invisible Weight is my free private audio series for leaders carrying more than they should have to right now. Six episodes. Straight to your phone. Listen here   Enjoyed the Episode?  If this resonated, here is how to help more leaders find it:  ✅ Share it with a leader in your world who needs to hear this.  ✅ Leave a quick rating and review so more people can find A Leader's Purpose.  ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode.   You already have what it takes. This is where you get to remember that.   Find me: LinkedIn: @tamiimlay  Instagram and Facebook: @tamimariecoaching  Email: tami@tamimariecoaching.com  Website: www.tamimariecoaching.com Ready to go deeper?  Book your Aligned Leadership Audit: tamimariecoaching.com/call For more information on the song: Guitalele's Happy Place by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. https://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/56194 Ft: Kara Square (mindmapthat) Copyright Daily Choosing Joy LLC 2026  

Description The Future of Tech is Here. Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this presentation from Ultimate Partner Live, industry analyst Jay McBain breaks down the monumental macroeconomic shifts rewriting the tech sector in 2026. https://youtu.be/r0qTDyw97Gs As the industry rapidly approaches a $6.07 trillion valuation, driven by massive AI infrastructure investments from Sam Altman and the “Magnificent Seven,” traditional sales and channel models are fundamentally collapsing. McBain reveals how buyer demographics have transformed to an integration-first millennial base, why marketplace ecosystems now command over half of all partner-funded deals, and how a tiny elite of just 1,000 tech service providers control two-thirds of global tech revenue. Learn the exact mechanics behind how Microsoft out-partnered AWS to win 26 straight quarters of dominant growth and how your business can deploy an algorithmic early warning system to capture massive wallet share before competitors even step into the boardroom. Key Takeaways Over half of the Fortune 500 companies vanish every 20 years because their leadership fails to anticipate macroeconomic technological cycles. The true opportunity in the $6.5 trillion AI boom lies not in single vendor products, but in the hardware, software, services, and telecom ecosystem surrounding them. Indirect tech sales are undergoing a structural shift toward direct cloud hyperscaler models driven heavily by Nvidia's core infrastructure client base. Modern business deals are won or lost months before the point of sale based on the average of 6.3 partners surrounding a customer’s environment. Over 51% of tech buyers are now millennials who prioritize software integration capabilities and digital marketplaces over traditional human sales interactions. Tech service economics are pivoting aggressively away from upfront margins toward point-based multi-partner funding across subscription cycles. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags Nvidia AI buildout, $7 trillion AI opportunity, cloud ecosystem decade, Microsoft vs AWS growth, multi-partner cloud deals, digital marketplace migration, millennial B2B buyers, B2B tech subscription economics, tokenized micro consumption, tech services wallet share, hybrid cloud infrastructure, 28 customer moments, IT services industry growth, telecom spend breakdown, channel chief strategy, managed service providers MSP, global systems integrators GSI, software integration first, point-based vendor incentives, automated co-selling workflows Transcript JAY McBAIN AUDIO PODCAST [00:00:00] Jay McBain: So to go back to that story about the 53% of companies who are gonna fail, one of us is gonna be asked to write the book, but chapter one is always you Blame the CEO. [00:00:13] Vince Menzione: We just came back from Ultimate Partner live in Bellevue, Washington, where we hosted incredible leaders for two amazing days. Come join us for this next session where we explore the tectonic shifts we’ve all been seeing. With that, I am incredibly blessed to invite a friend of mine to the stage. I have a quick little side note, like I found an old LinkedIn post from this gentleman from like many years ago, like 20 years ago. [00:00:39] Vince Menzione: And I wasn’t really that nice to you on that LinkedIn post. Like, oh, like this is before Jay became the Jay, that we all know Jay to be j. But he was in the space and I was at Microsoft doing something and he reached out about something. It was kind of rude, Jay. I was like, oh my gosh. I can’t believe. But Jay has been a great friend. [00:00:54] Vince Menzione: When we started the podcast back up, uh, during COVID we started doing podcasts together. When we moved to the studio, Jay was the first person in the studio. He’s always got a spot, uh, at our events. He’s s Spot Art, and, and he’s a great friend and supporter of Ultimate Partner Jay McBain. For those of you who don’t know him, Jay, welcome. [00:01:13] Vince Menzione: Thank you, sir. [00:01:22] Jay McBain: 31 days ago, we landed Artemis two. The furthest humans have ever been away from the planet Earth 57 years ago. We landed on the moon in the 56 years. Between those two moments, the tech industry has been the fastest growing industry in the world. Every single year we moved from the space race to the technology race, and we’re just getting started. [00:01:46] Jay McBain: If you’re old enough, you’ll recognize the mainframe and mini era for 20 years. You’ll recognize a young disheveled Bill Gates showing up in Boca Raton, Florida for, uh, August the 12th, 1981 launch, where Bill thought that every one of us would’ve a PC in our home, and IBM thought they were gonna sell 10,000 of them to hobbyists. [00:02:12] Jay McBain: 1999, a small startup from an executive who just left Oracle in San Francisco named Mark Benioff. A couple of years later, Jeff Bezos went into a boardroom and said, listen, we’ve spent a lot of money building infrastructure to our busiest day, Christmas, black Friday. You’re telling me this stuff sits idle 10 or 20% for the rest of the year. [00:02:35] Jay McBain: Why don’t we rent that out to others? Got laughed outta that boardroom and then got made of fun of on magazine covers. Maybe you should just tend the store, let the adults talk about technology. In March of 2023, our neighbors, our friends, our family saw DeepFakes. They saw poetry, they saw music, and they came to us as tech people and said, did we just light up Skynet? [00:03:03] Jay McBain: Now every one of these 20 year eras, this is the Taylor Swift version of our industry. Every single one of these eras triggers the fastest growing product in history. Today it’s actually Chacha bt first to a billion users. It triggers a new, richest person in the world, bill Gates, to Jeff Bezos. Now, Elon Musk is the first to sign a trillion dollar pay package, and it’s not for car. [00:03:27] Jay McBain: It’s not for cars. It also triggers a most valuable company in the world change. And today that’s nvidia. These are monumental changes in our industry and they’re monumental changes in partnering every single time. And it also links to our customers. If you take a 20 year view of business, one era, and, and think about the AI era, you know, at the start of it here, if you’re to grab the Fortune 500 magazine from 20 years ago and start to flip through it, 53% of the companies in there no longer exist. [00:04:06] Jay McBain: Every 20 year cycle, we lose over half of the biggest companies in the world. These are the companies that have very deep pockets to buy their way outta problems. If you’re not in the Fortune 571% of tech companies don’t make it 10 years. These are the changes that cost industries. There are changes that cost really big companies and the decisions we make, the trends we’re in right now, in 2026 will be written about in the future. [00:04:39] Jay McBain: This new era, a lot of big numbers being thrown around. Vince’s best friend talk about a six and a half trillion dollar AI opportunity, but it’s not Microsoft’s tam. Microsoft is chasing about a trillion dollars of this. And the ecosystem, the hardware, the software, the services, the telecom is gonna make up the rest. [00:05:04] Jay McBain: It is an ecosystem. Every time these big numbers are thrown, the word ecosystem is always thrown around it. Not to be outdone, Sam Altman’s talking about a $7 trillion build out. The world economy this year, the world GDP will be 126. These are material numbers to world GDP, but even better, they’re both larger than our entire industry is today. [00:05:27] Jay McBain: So what took 56 years of the fastest growing industry this year will be $6.07 trillion. Big numbers, but it’s easier to think about it in terms of a dollar that our customers spend in that dollar. They’re gonna spend 25 cents on hardware. They’re gonna spend 25 cents on software. So for anyone that read the memo 15 years ago, that software’s gonna eat the world, there’s still a dollar a hardware to run every dollar of that software. [00:05:57] Jay McBain: And whether you’re thinking humanoid robots or whichever future you’re envisioning, there’s going to be a dollar of hardware to run every dollar of software for the next 20 years. There’s over 25 cents now in IT services, and in many cases, these services are growing faster than the product categories and just under 25 cents in telecom, that’s how it breaks out today. [00:06:19] Jay McBain: And this industry, which took 56 years to get to this point, is gonna double in size in the next three to five years. We already have two and a half trillion of that seven raised and being spent. Part of the reason Nvidia is the most valuable company in the world. Now our industry, uh, you talk about ultimate partnerships. [00:06:40] Jay McBain: Our industry traditionally, and world trade by the way, is 75% indirect. The dealerships, the agencies, the brokers, the resellers, the retailers, the franchisees, the gas stations, the grocery stores, the pharmacies, all 27 industries sell indirect. You gotta think back the last time you bought something direct. [00:07:01] Jay McBain: Well, I bought a Dell from that dude in the nineties. Cool. Well, Dell Technologies is now 60% indirect. Well, I bought insurance. Direct is 15 minutes. Could save me 15%. Well, Geico last year sold more insurance through agencies and brokers than they did direct. This is the world now. We used to be 75% indirect four years ago. [00:07:26] Jay McBain: Then it went to 73.2, then it went to 70.1 and it then it went to 66.7. By the way, marketplace is in these numbers indirect. It’s not marketplace causing this change. It’s one company, Nvidia. Nvidia has seven customers. The magnificent seven, uh, half of them are in the room right now that every morning we wake up to a hundred billion dollars press release about this $7 trillion buildout. [00:07:56] Jay McBain: What’s interesting is indirect sales in our industry is growing by revenue. It increases every year, just not at the pace that this AI build out is happening direct with seven companies. But the reason we’re all here, and I think the core reason that Vince is building this community is this, you know, Microsoft forever has measured and been very vocal. [00:08:21] Jay McBain: About 96% of their deals have partners in them. Kind of who cares, who collects the money. We care about the moments, the 28 moments before the customer makes a purchase. We care about every 30 days forever, because two thirds of our industry, over $4 trillion now is subscription consumption based. Winning a customer today is only winning the first 30 days. [00:08:46] Jay McBain: We care about this cycle. We care about who surrounds our customer. So six years ago, I stood on a big stage and said, you know, we went through a decade of sales. You know, in 1999, you thought you were born to be a salesperson. You’re managing your territory with your gut. Well, a few years later, you were introduced to the science of selling. [00:09:07] Jay McBain: You know, 10 years later you thought as a marketer, you sit around a cocktail party joking with your friends, 50% of my marketing dollars are wasted. I just don’t know which 50%. Really funny. In 2009 until every 58-year-old CMO got replaced by a 38-year-old growth hacker. Coming in with Marketo and Eloqua and Pardot and HubSpot, and 15,505 as of yesterday, MarTech and iTech tools, ninjas in marketing, they wouldn’t let a nickel go through without measuring. [00:09:43] Jay McBain: Now we understand 96% of deals and partners that surround it. No deal is gonna be won or lost in this era without partnering effectively. So we had to have this decade of the ecosystem. One of the ways we’re tracking is by outsiders. You know, Salesforce every year publishes the state of sales and they’ve got, you know, the number one CRM in the world. [00:10:05] Jay McBain: So they get to go talk to all the CROs, all the salespeople in the world. And as of this year, a couple months ago, 94% of every salesperson in every industry in the world uses partners every single day. You wanna see what this number was six years ago. Also, 89% of salespeople around the world don’t think they’re going to club this year without partners. [00:10:29] Jay McBain: So this is a big moment for us, halfway through the decade ecosystem, but we’re only halfway through. We’re starting to understand now at a more granular level. What partnering means. It’s not theory, it’s not flywheels. It’s not really cute. McKinsey slides that we keep showing to our board saying how important partnering is. [00:10:51] Jay McBain: We’re trying to get to the very specific level of the 6.3 partners on average that surround the deal and what they’re doing. How their business model works, and that’s average if I’m working on a public sector deal. I was at a Red Hat conference yesterday talking sovereignty. If I’m in an enterprise or a large public sector deal, it’s north of 10 partners in the deal. [00:11:15] Jay McBain: So we’re starting to understand what used to be this, this, you know, you’ve been the fastest growing industry for 56 straight years. Every single professional services person in every industry has come in to join the fund. Over 90% of accountants are tech services firms. Over 90% of marketing agencies are tech services agencies. [00:11:36] Jay McBain: All of this 250,000 software companies, a million emerging comp tech companies, the half a million VAR that have been in that traditional channel. The managed service providers, all of these 20 different partner types, millions of companies, tens of millions of people competing for 6.3 spots. Around the customer. [00:11:58] Jay McBain: That’s it. Luckily, there’s 141 million global customers to compete for. There’s, there’s some open slots that you can go find, and that’s the point. Our industry never had our own Fortune 500. We always talk to, you know, these partners and GSIs are doing this and SI are doing that. And we never really had a view of capability and capacity or what our own TAM was inside of that partnering. [00:12:25] Jay McBain: And so we set out and we would’ve loved, you know, chat GPT or Gemini or Claude or any of those tools to do this. But there’s one problem in partnering with AI is that it doesn’t know one partner from the next. There’s a big digital sameness problem in our industry that every single partner, whether it’s Larry in the White van or Accenture, with 786,000 employees all say they do all things to all people all the time. [00:12:53] Jay McBain: 98% of them, 99% of them are private companies that don’t share their p and l. You can’t go into Microsoft’s LinkedIn system and find out how many employees, ’cause it’s a block system, it AI can’t see into it. So it just sees, and it’s a great pattern matching. Google, SEO can’t figure out who’s who, nor today can the large language models. [00:13:14] Jay McBain: ’cause all the things they’re trying to match, the transformers are trying to match. It all looks the same. Every tweet, every ebook, every website, every digital history looks the same. So this took us thousands of people hours across two years to do, to dig into every p and l to dig into every dollar of what they’re doing. [00:13:33] Jay McBain: But what was interesting is only a thousand partners in our industry do two thirds of all tech services. When you get into enterprise, it goes up to 80 to 90%. The partners in the middle, in Blue do more tech services. The 30 of them than the 970 partners in white on the outside, the 970 partners in White do more tech services than the next million combined. [00:14:03] Jay McBain: This is our industry in a nutshell. Every time we talk to a a vendor, every time we talk to a partner, every time we talk to a distributor, we’re now talking names, faces, and places. You you wanna talk sovereignty. Yesterday in Atlanta, 90% of sovereign conversations in public sector in the globe is handled by these companies here. [00:14:26] Jay McBain: Forget about how much you do with these partners today. You wanna chase the next column, which is the wallet share. And I was a channel chief for 17 years. I get the weekly report and I see a million dollar partner, another million dollar partner, sorted top to bottom. You don’t know which partners which, which of those million dollar partners is doing 1.2 million in your category. [00:14:46] Jay McBain: They deserve a baseball cap and a front row seat at your event as an MVP. The next partner right next to them is doing 10 million in your category. They’re only doing a million with you. ’cause customers are pulling them into it. Nine times outta 10. They’re leading with your competitor. So I don’t want that list anymore. [00:15:03] Jay McBain: I want the new list, which is showing me those $9 million opportunities. And I as a board member, as A CEO, as a CFO, as a CRO, I wanna see this list. And then I want to talk people, processes, programs, technology. What are we gonna do to go get our fair share of that 9 million? Where’s our lowest hanging fruit? [00:15:24] Jay McBain: How do we double our pipeline? How do we double the size of our company in three years? It’s all right here. Let’s have very specific conversations and move away from flywheels and move around from force multipliers and and things like that in partnering. Let’s figure out how this partner community is surrounded. [00:15:45] Jay McBain: What do 10 million people who have to be smart in front of their customers every single day, what do they read? Where do they go and who do they follow? It’s the law of a few. This is the old Malcolm Gladwell of tipping point 10 million people in the broader channel. A hundred percent of our TAM comes down to only a thousand watering holes. [00:16:08] Jay McBain: 12% of that entire audience. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s over A million. People love podcasts. Number one way they learn the Joe Rogan effect. In our industry, there’s 121 podcasts. These are all public lists. You can go get on my LinkedIn newsletter on canals, oia. But there’s 121 podcasts that drive him forward. [00:16:28] Jay McBain: Really high up on that list, actually number one on the list is ultimate partner, Vince. That’s how I met. ’cause I asked people, 10 million people, you love this. You walk your dog, you drive to work, you listen to podcasts. I’m not the biggest podcast fan. It’s not number one on my list, but it’s number one on theirs. [00:16:44] Jay McBain: They say, you know, you gotta meet this guy, Vince. It’s unbelievable how great these podcasts are. They’re ultimate. [00:16:54] Jay McBain: Then I talked to Vince and said, but Vince, you know, 35% of your community, the 10 million people love to come to events like this one. The hallway conversations, the hotel lobby bar last night. This is what we love to do, especially post pandemic. It’s the number one way we learn. We learn from our peers, we learn from those around us, and, and the learn from the conversations we have here. [00:17:17] Jay McBain: We always remember these moments, you know, years and years later. There’s 352 choices. I’m going to five of them this week in five different cities. It’s a lot of coverage, but again, it’s a tighter li list of how people work. The magazine lists 106 of them associations like Conter. Now the GTIA peer groups, there’s 15 different spheres of influence, but only a thousand places. [00:17:43] Jay McBain: I could walk you through billionaire, after billionaire, after billionaire in this industry and show you how they did this. How did Arne Bellini at ConnectWise? How did Austin McCord at Datto, how did Nerdio become a unicorn? How did threat locker and huntress move away from 6,500 cyber companies and become unicorns over and over and over again? [00:18:05] Jay McBain: It’s only one slide. Unicorns and billionaires are made here, and a lot of people don’t get it. So walking away from Bellevue, a thousand partners, top down, a thousand watering holes, bottoms up. You’ve covered a hundred percent of your tam. You do it better than 10% of your competitor, 10% better than your competitors. [00:18:27] Jay McBain: You win. You carry that on your resume into the next company. You get a bigger job at a bigger pay scale. Let’s just walk through some examples. Cyber 91.7% of it goes through the channel. Huge channel audience. You know, if you’re in MarTech, it’s only 10%, but this one happens to be all channel, but that’s not the story. [00:18:48] Jay McBain: For every dollar that the 6,500 cyber companies are trying to close, there’s $2 in services. Plot twist, the products are grown at 11, the services are grown at 12.6. Your partners are growing faster than you are, and they will continue to for the next, at least five years, probably 10. So when I’m here, five years from now, you’ll hear in me talk about a three to one split in cyber and then a four to one split in cyber. [00:19:18] Jay McBain: Now, when we’re in Miami a couple days ago is CrowdStrike, they’re talking about a $7 and 5 cent multiplier, chasing that two to one up higher. You look at managed services. Here’s a fun story. Managed services. 82% of customers who are man, uh, outsourcing more this year than last year. 650 billion in size. [00:19:38] Jay McBain: This is bigger than the entire SaaS industry. Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, Marketo, NetSuite, HubSpot, 250,000. Others. This is bigger. It’s also bigger than all the Hyperscalers combined, not just AWS, Microsoft and Google, but Alibaba and Oracle and everybody down the list. This is a massive market also growing at double digits. [00:19:59] Jay McBain: So these are some big things and obviously we’re watching, you know, week in and week out, quarter in, quarter out, the Battle of Software and Battle of the Hyperscalers and things like that, and who’s growing at what pace and, and how partnering is connecting to all of this. You know, we watched a moment really early in the pandemic where Microsoft started growing faster than AWS and they haven’t stopped since 26 straight quarters. [00:20:27] Jay McBain: And you ask customers and say, you know, does Microsoft have a better product? And in most cases they say no. You know, AWS had a five year head start. Well, did they have a better price? Well, no, actually most cases Microsoft’s more expensive. Well, did did they have better promotion? Was their Super Bowl ad better? [00:20:44] Jay McBain: No, they’re both kind of crap. So you kind of ask the questions of what’s the only difference that could create growth above the leader in the market? Well, it’s place. More of the 6.3 partners are walking into those keyboard room meetings and drawing clouds up on the wall and labeling the Microsoft than they are AWS. [00:21:03] Jay McBain: Very simple. It’s never been about product. The best product in our industry has never won. And now the best way forward is that partnering moment, and this is the moment. So to go back to that story about the 53% of companies who are gonna fail, one of us is gonna be asked to write the book. And it could be the book like Kodak, they invented the product that ended up killing them. [00:21:26] Jay McBain: And it’s a woe is me story, but chapter one is always you blame the CEO. How could they not see those trends happening in 2026? How could they, you know, were they blind? Were they stuck in their own, you know, innovation chamber? Innovator’s dilemma, were they stuck in their own boardrooms? Why couldn’t they see? [00:21:46] Jay McBain: Well, chapter two, you, you blame the board. They have fiduciary responsibility, outsider view, and how could they not see it? But really, this is the future right here. If you take this slide and apply it 10 or 20 years from now to every failure and every success, these are the chapters of the book. Your buyer is now a millennial. [00:22:05] Jay McBain: As of last year, the 51% of our market is bought by people born after 1982. Different psychology, different behavior, different journey, different criteria, their integration. First buyers. The buy a product, 80% as good as the next one. If it works better in their environment. 94% of people won’t buy a car unless it has CarPlay or Android Auto. [00:22:26] Jay McBain: New Buyer. You have to be more integrated than your competitors. That’s a partnering story. The 6.3 partners. If you heard cyber, you need some great channel partnerships, but you need the other 5.3 partners as well, the consultants, the advisors, the designers, the architects, the implementers, the integrators, the manner service, all of the other partners. [00:22:44] Jay McBain: You need to know more of them than your competitors do, and have them label clouds with your name in them. You need better alliances. Even if you compete, you only compete in the morning. You’re best friends by the afternoon. You have to be tight with the hyperscalers, tight, with the big SaaS platforms, tight with cyber, tight with distribution, there are layers, seven layers to every deal. [00:23:04] Jay McBain: You gotta be tight in and have better alliances than your competitors. And then it all comes to the 28 moments, which I’m gonna end on, but the go to market of all of this, the co-selling, co-marketing, co-innovation, co-development, co keeping. This is it. Your product has to be good enough that somebody’s gonna renew it. [00:23:21] Jay McBain: Your Super Bowl has to be, you know, ad has to be good enough that people don’t, you know, shame you on social media. Your pricing has to be somewhere in a country mile of the bell curve of what the customer wants to pay. But successor failure is just here and platforms are synonymous with partnering. [00:23:40] Jay McBain: It’s our role now in the decade of the ecosystem to drive our companies forward. Marketplace. It’s probably the most predict, you know, great prediction we ever made. You know, growing at 82% compounded, it’s hard to predict ’cause it doubles almost every year. We were almost exact to the decimal point. Five years later now till 2030, we’re watching a second story, which is more interesting. [00:24:02] Jay McBain: If 96% of all deals have partners inside of them and there’s private offers and multi-partner offers and distributor sellers record all these funding mechanisms or services as a product. As of last week, over 50% of all deals in marketplaces now have partner funding. It means that while money changes hands differently, the respect and the recognition of what partners do is in the deal. [00:24:26] Jay McBain: We think that’s going to 59, but at some point, that’s gonna have to hit 96. ’cause to run the best programs, whether it’s an indirect sale, whether it’s a direct sale, whether it’s a marketplace deal, it doesn’t matter how money changes hands. What matters is we recognize the 6.3 partners. They’re not only making the deal happen bigger and faster, but renewing and enriching that every 30 days forever. [00:24:48] Jay McBain: When we watch, you know, billion dollar clubs and when we read all the press releases and all the hubbub about how fast this is growing and who, which companies are behind all this. When I’m quoted in some of these press releases, it’s because of this. You know, CrowdStrike, you know, brags are a billion dollars in a single year, but inside of that, they’re showing that 91% growth in marketplaces, which is pretty phenomenal for any company to almost double in size every single year. [00:25:17] Jay McBain: What’s more phenomenal is they’re growing the channel piece of it, 3548%. That green part of it is growing. Companies that understand platform and have people and processes and programs and technology to do it are winning. And they’re getting recognition and partners are starting to join the Billion Dollar Club who don’t sell a product, but are also winning at Extreme Scale. [00:25:44] Jay McBain: So talk about those partner 1000 and who are leaning in to win at this level. As well as everything changes, traditional billing moved into subscription models, moved into consumption models. Now we’re being tokenized to death multi it’s, it’s in this mode of micro consumption. There’s no chance there was little chance in subscription consumption that would be resold. [00:26:09] Jay McBain: You don’t buy Netflix from the cable guy in the white van. There’s zero chance when you’re buying tokens at a buck a piece that that’s going through any indirect sale. This continues to grow. Now the tectonic shifts is what happens when money changes hands differently. These old programs that we used to all write hundreds of different boxes, we checked every day on deal reg and trainings and all the other things are changing. [00:26:35] Jay McBain: To this, you’ll get these slides, by the way, in high res, inside of this now is the customer. For the first time ever, 45 years later, we have the customer in the middle of what we do, the 28 moments in green before they buy the seven layer stack and the partners inside it. The implementation. The integration, the managed services in a cycle that never ends, and two thirds of our industry. [00:26:55] Jay McBain: With the customer in the middle, we can now move money around to the different moments. It’s not all landing in front or backend margins or market development funds or new customer bonuses or spiffs. It’s landing where it needs to land. Over 400 companies now, pretty much led by Microsoft 400 companies are in a point system right now and 400 more. [00:27:18] Jay McBain: We’re working kind of behind the scenes to get that announced in the next 12 months. This is a total changeover in terms of how economics work and partners are yelling over half of us. I don’t care. Don’t call me a VAR anymore. Don’t call me an MSP. Don’t call me a regional system integrator. I do the consulting over half the time. [00:27:36] Jay McBain: I do the design, I do the implementations, I do the managed services, and 44% of us are vibe coding. On weekends. We’re not happy. Just on the services side. We wanna join the seven layer tech stack as well. These are partners growing faster than their vendors by understanding this cycle and where to show up and where the money is in ai. [00:27:56] Jay McBain: And the number one thing they’re asking for is not more leads, which they did for 45 years. The number one thing is now recognized for what I do. I’ve never just been a cash register. We’re completely now past this idea of a channel being a channel of distribution, and now a channel being this platform for the future. [00:28:16] Jay McBain: As we lay that on top of ai, the first couple of years of AI has really been consumer driven. The 95% failure rate that MIT reported last year is now 70%. That’s the failure to get from proof of concept to production. That 70 will be 50 by the summer we’re moving now in business, the maturity rates are going up at the end customer and in 88% of cases, that’s because of the channel. [00:28:43] Jay McBain: They’re working with partners. They’re not vibe coding themselves and working in little skunkwork groups. They’re working with partners to make it happen, and it now becomes the partner’s number one growth opportunity. I can grow at 11 or 12% in cyber every year. Compounded I can grow in 10% in managed services. [00:29:03] Jay McBain: You know, those are great double digit growth ’cause my customers are growing at 2.7% and I can go four x my customer, but I can go 10 x my customer if I have the right services built around ai. And this compounded growth rate and that big number in 2 20 32, 267 is what’s got those top 1000 partners obsessed. [00:29:25] Jay McBain: And your companies are leading with ai. Now you need to connect to those AI services. You need to get partners on this scale of growth. And they will be adding your name inside every cloud. They write on every whiteboard, but 82% of partners around the world, you know, we survey 25,000 of them aren’t ready, and they’re blaming vendors for not being ready, and they’re telling them exactly the workshops and the training that they need to get ready for this cycle. [00:29:53] Jay McBain: 82% of our entire partner, tens of millions of people, aren’t ready to grow at 35% and they need our help. Last thing I’ll say about AI is it’s the first time from client server to cloud, edge to cloud that it’s been segment driven. SMB alone has one, you know, six different segments, one to nine, 10 to 24, 25 to 49, et cetera. [00:30:18] Jay McBain: Mid-market into enterprise. No one that runs a restaurant is calling Jensen to buy a GPU to put next to the stove. No one’s calling Sam or Dario or anyone at Anthropic or OpenAI directly. They’re waiting. If you run a restaurant with all the people running around with tablets, you’ve invested in toast or square or clover or one of the platforms to run your business. [00:30:41] Jay McBain: A hundred different things. And you’re gonna wait for toast to work with a hyperscaler and build out the capabilities genetically. So when they see a spike in Uber Eats orders, they automatically place a food order and automatically change the staffing to deliver on it. That’s what the restaurant’s waiting for, and there’s no one calling and having a big a agent conversation. [00:31:03] Jay McBain: But even if you go into hundreds of people in medium sized business, every one of the vice presidents have their tech stack already built. I talked about the marketing person already, but the HR leader has one, and everybody’s got their seven layer stack. They’re not calling to buy a GPU and they’re not calling to, you know, bring in open AI directly or, or anthropic. [00:31:22] Jay McBain: They’re waiting for the platform they built to integrate together ag agenta capabilities. Everybody’s in wait mode up until enterprise and public, large public sector. So we are looking at this market and at 90% of that AI market is run by those thousand companies, and the rest of the millions of partners are helping in terms of how these businesses are gonna change at that level. [00:31:46] Jay McBain: Here’s where I end. You know, the 28 moments used to be a theory. It used to be a flywheel. How do we buy a car? [00:31:55] Vince Menzione: Well, we Google it, [00:31:57] Jay McBain: 81% of us now, 94% of us use large language models. We find out that there’s 365 brands of car. I’d have to test drive one every day of the year to get through them all. So we start narrowing these things down. [00:32:09] Jay McBain: We configure it. We put our rims on it, we color it. We download the invoice price. We download the backend rebates this month, whether I buy it in May or June, we find out what 5,000 people paid for our exact car within 50 miles of us. And then we don’t wanna go to the dealer because we know more than the salesperson, the manager ever will. [00:32:26] Jay McBain: We know what we’re gonna pay within, you know, dollars or cents. Just carvana the car. Hand me the keys. Let’s just forget the whole eight hour back and forth. I’ll get you a deal thing. I’m smarter than you in technology. Our customers are smarter than us, smarter than salespeople. That’s why 75% of millennials don’t wanna talk to a salesperson. [00:32:48] Jay McBain: They want to end digitally, and by the way, they’re not gonna send a fax after 28 digital moments. They’re gonna end on a digital marketplace. This is all demographics. It’s not hard to see where it’s going, but we’re getting into names, faces, places again. What if every dollar of your tam, the board, the CEO, runs around with their big multi-billion dollar number, they’re chasing? [00:33:09] Jay McBain: What if every single deal looks the exact same? This is a deal with AstraZeneca, A real deal, real customer spending millions of dollars. We know it starts in October, it ends in April. It’s a six month cycle. We see what they read, the MQ ls at the beginning. We see the sales demo moments. We see ISV, but we’ve never had the light blue boxes. [00:33:30] Jay McBain: What if we as a team could overlay the 6.3 partners in this deal? And when you find out a couple things. Here’s where I end. In December, five deals were one, three of them by NTT. The person at NTT probably coaches AstraZeneca’s, you know, kids’ soccer team. They probably have a cottage together at the lake. [00:33:50] Jay McBain: For the last 20 years, if the person at NTT worked at Deloitte, Deloitte would’ve run this deal. But Software One and Yash are both there, so we understand that when they were drawing clouds up on the wall in the boardroom in December, this deal was won and lost there. It was not won and lost at the point of sale. [00:34:09] Jay McBain: So what if you knew more about this and could see every dollar in your tam? You had an early warning system that this was happening. Two things jump out at this now that we’re in Bellevue. AWS was touched twice in this deal, directly in the marketing cycle and the sales cycle. AWS lost this deal. Here’s an example of Microsoft winning a deal with Microsoft never being touched. [00:34:34] Jay McBain: For some reason, NTT who won, who won AWS’s partner of the year a couple years ago led with Microsoft, so did Software one, Microsoft’s biggest reseller in Europe, and as did Yash, they all led with Microsoft and without Microsoft, knowing Microsoft took a multimillion dollar deal away from their competitors by winning in December. [00:34:53] Jay McBain: That’s one. Second. These partners didn’t just show up other than soccer and cottages. They didn’t show up in December. It went closed one in their CRM system. Back in the summer, August, September, we already knew AstraZeneca was in market, spending millions of dollars. We didn’t need them to read an ebook or go to an event to find that out. [00:35:17] Jay McBain: We knew it because it was closed one. They’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars times five in December to know what to do at the end. This is an early warning system that’s better than any MQL, better than any SQL. And if you could give your company these level of view into their pipeline with an early warning system that I can work with those partners for months before they ever show up at the customer’s boardroom. [00:35:44] Jay McBain: This is it. Talk about 47% winners. This takes you from not only surviving the AI era to being a top five platform winner. Thank you very much. [00:36:01] Vince Menzione: Until next time, we’ll see you in person. Hopefully at our next event.

Aspiring NBA stars make a classic mistake when trying to watch, analyze and replicate the reasons why someone like Michael Jordan was so successful. In this podcast I explain why aspiring management consultants and those in industry make the very same mistake when watching, analyzing and replicating the reasons why McKinsey and BCG are so successful. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Episodio 356 con Roberto Junguito Pombo, empresario que presidió durante siete años la Organización Corona, después de haber liderado Cerrejón, Copa Airlines Colombia y de haber pasado por Avianca, Valores Bavaria y McKinsey.Pero este episodio no es sobre su carrera. Es sobre el muchacho bogotano que lo tenía todo hasta que el servicio militar le mostró que su normalidad era el privilegio de unos pocos. Sobre el hijo de un ministro inmenso que decidió construir su vida lejos del sector público. Sobre el ejecutivo que se quebró tres veces como empresario antes de aprender que su lugar no era empezar de cero, sino transformar lo que ya existía. Sobre el hombre que perdió a su padre en plena pandemia mientras dirigía una de las compañías más importantes del país. Y sobre el que está naciendo ahora: el que después de tener todas las respuestas está aprendiendo a desaprenderlas.Una conversación sobre la claridad mental como disciplina cultivada, el desapego como evolución del éxito, y el momento en la vida en que aquello que te trajo hasta aquí ya no es lo que te va a llevar a donde quieres ir.Cambia cómo ves. Todo lo demás sigue.Instagram: @pablo.jacobsen

Big changes are coming to Trending in Ed. Next Tuesday, June 9th, we are hitting a historic milestone: Episode 750. To celebrate our upcoming 10th-anniversary season, we are completely reinventing the show's structure for a massive Summer 2026 Sprint. We are officially launching four dedicated summer tracks to follow the changing talent and learning landscape: K-12 Classroom Design AI & EdTech The Future of Work The Future of Higher Ed We have a powerhouse lineage of global experts, McKinsey-level operators, and national bestselling authors dropping all summer long—including folks like Arun Gupta, Beth Rudden, Jim Gaona Ellis, and Dr. Özgür Bolat. The sprint officially starts next Tuesday, June 9th, with an immersive, roving-report field documentary straight from the floor of the Harvard Next Level Lab Learning Summit in Cambridge. Core interviews drop every single Tuesday morning. Make sure you are subscribed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you don't miss a single drop. Trending in Ed dropping like its HOT all Summer long!

This week's podcast is about Tencent's revamped approach to AI and agents.You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.Here is the link to the TechMoat Consulting.Here is the link to our Tech Tours.Here is the McKinsey & Co article on arenas.Here is what Tencent has been doing in AI and agentic products. Tencent Rebuilt Its Model Building InfrastructureTencent Kicked Things Off with the Hunyuan Hy3 PreviewAdditional Models Are Being Developed. I'm Pretty Excited about the World Models.Tencent is Accelerating the Release of New and Upgraded AI Products. And Agents (i.e., Lobsters) Are the Current Focus.Here is my explanation:Pillar 1: Anchor Your AI Agent Strategy on High Value, Scalable Use CasesPillar 2: Balance Aggressive Market Share Growth with Incremental Revenue CapturePillar 3: Prepare for Large, Ongoing Investments and Escalating Industry Competition as the Cost of Dominating this New Economic Arena---------I am a consultant and keynote speaker on how to increase digital growth and strengthen digital AI moats.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a consulting firm specialized in how to increase digital growth and strengthen digital AI moats. Get in touch here.I write about digital growth and digital AI strategy. With 3 best selling books and +2.9M followers on LinkedIn. You can read my writing at the free email below.Or read my Moats and Marathons book series, a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

Drawing from Harvard, MIT, and McKinsey research, Diego breaks down why farmers with superior produce lose to competitors with worse products.  Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it has become a fundamental business tool that is reshaping how organizations operate, innovate, and compete. According to McKinsey's 2025 State of AI report, 78% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function, a significant increase from 55% just a year earlier. Yet while adoption is accelerating, many organizations still struggle to move beyond experimentation and create measurable business value from their AI investments. (McKinsey & Company) In this episode of Let's Have This Conversation, we sit down with Danny Carpio, an organizational architect, systems builder, attorney, and partner at Veri. For more than 13 years, Danny has been designing the governance structures, operating systems, and coordination frameworks that allow organizations to scale effectively in complex and rapidly changing environments. Throughout his career, Danny has worked across decentralized organizations, venture-backed startups, and multi-entity networks, helping teams raise and manage eight-figure capital pools, incubate businesses, and build operating models that others could successfully replicate. His expertise lies at the intersection of organizational design, operational excellence, and emerging technology—particularly the AI infrastructure that enables businesses to compound growth rather than simply automate tasks. During our conversation, Danny explores why so many companies are rushing to adopt AI without first building the operational foundations necessary for long-term success. We discuss the difference between using AI as a productivity tool and integrating it as a true organizational operating layer, the challenges leaders face when scaling AI initiatives, and why governance, systems thinking, and human coordination remain critical in an increasingly automated world. Danny also shares insights into Veri, a platform designed to solve one of the biggest challenges facing content creators today: disconnected tools. By combining analytics, research, scripting, packaging, and strategy into a single system that remembers a creator's channel and workflow, Veri helps creators leverage AI while maintaining full control over their content and decision-making. Whether you're a founder, executive, creator, or business leader trying to understand how AI can create sustainable competitive advantages, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for building organizations that are designed not just to survive technological change—but to thrive because of it.     LinkedIn: @dannycarpio X: @augmentedthings   Get the Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZF9FLCR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24E185I27CCSX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1KHg6ckcNIEGepPkdaVe5w.zGaVEwfi2QTeTncLdgAgTAXbo1tuJc4xHOQC-bT6Dzc&dib_tag=se&keywords=%2C+The+Unfirm%3A+The+New+Unit+of+Scale+Is+You%2C&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1780601244&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+unfirm+the+new+unit+of+scale+is+you%2C+%2Cdigital-text%2C146&sr=1-1     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat O'Leary works with brands and executives on social media strategy and execution, primarily using thought leadership to drive growth.She is the founder of Knockout Creative and currently serves as a Professor of Social Strategy & Management. Prior to founding her company, Kat spent five years on the social media team at McKinsey, ultimately serving as Head of Social Media Strategy. She later became a VP at Scale, where she managed social accounts for large global organizations across industries and advised C-suite executives on strategic social media initiatives.Kat holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a BA from the University of Notre Dame.Website: Knockout CreativeInstagram: @katolearyInstagram: @knockoutcreative.comSupport the showIf you would like to get involved with The Wider Lens, you can review sponsorship and contribution options here, as well as become a member here.Remember to stay safe and keep your creative juices flowing!---Tech/Project Management Tools (*these are affiliate links)Buzzsprout*Airtable*17hats*ZoomPodcast Mic*

Send us Fan MailJennifer Smith is the CEO of Scribe and a former McKinsey consultant turned venture capitalist who interviewed over 1,200 enterprise CIOs before founding her company. Recorded live from the floor of HumanX 2026, this lightning round covers how AI is helping organizations finally understand how work actually happens inside their teams.Jennifer and host Dan Turchin explore why even Fortune 500 leaders don't truly know how their companies operate, and what that means for AI transformation.What You'll Learn Why process visibility comes before any AI initiativeHow Scribe maps workflows across 600,000+ companiesResponsible AI and building a data-driven cultureHumans and agents working side by sideHelping people spend more time on the work they love 

This episode is a must-listen for advisors—male or female—who want to better serve women clients, build a sustainable and profitable practice, and protect themselves through industry consolidation. Cary brings honesty, hard-won lessons, and practical frameworks throughout. About the guest: Cary Carbonaro is a Certified Financial Planner™, author, and nationally recognized women-and-wealth expert. A frequent media commentator and keynote speaker (20–25 engagements a year), she specializes in serving high-earning women and demystifying wealth management for female clients. Topics covered: The Invest in Women conference and the value of stepping outside your “ecosystem,” Cary's Goldman Sachs acquisition story, client ownership and self-sourcing, measuring practices on profitability over AUM, the women's wealth gap, menopause and HRT as planning conversations, the “female-friendly practice” quiz, and how Cary protects her time and well-being. Mentioned in this episode: Cary's book on women and wealth; the McKinsey study (2015) on women controlling two-thirds of U.S. wealth by 2030; Harvard Business Review study on financial services being the least sympathetic industry to women; Investopedia's 2019 advisor rankings.       **This is the Optimized Advisor Podcast, where we focus on optimizing the wellbeing and best practices of insurance and financial professionals. Our objective is to help you optimize your life, optimize your profession, and learn from other optimized advisors. If you have questions or would like to be a featured guest, email us at optimizedadvisor@optimizedins.com Optimized Insurance Planning

Henry Mahncke is the CEO of Posit Science and the creator of BrainHQ, the most researched brain training platform in the world. A neuroscientist who did his PhD with Michael Merzenich, considered the father of adult brain plasticity, Henry has spent two decades translating brain plasticity science into tools that actually improve brain health. In this conversation, we dig into why most brain training criticism misses the point, what the largest clinical trials really show, and why the future of brain health looks a lot like the evolution of physical fitness. In this episode: 00:00 — Introduction and Henry's background (PhD with Merzenich at UCSF, McKinsey, founding Posit Science) 07:00 — Brain training vs. cognitive training: why the distinction matters 09:00 — Brain plasticity as the driver of brain health, and why cognitive reserve is really just brain health 13:00 — Maladaptive brain plasticity: how aging actively degrades information processing through negative plasticity 18:00 — How BrainHQ exercises are designed: adaptive speed and accuracy training from psychophysics 24:00 — The transfer and generalization debate: does brain training improve real-world function? 28:00 — Clinical trial evidence: the Mayo/USC RCT, the ACTIVE study, and 300+ published papers 34:00 — The pharmaceutical analogy: why asking "does brain training work?" is the wrong question 37:00 — Who is brain training for? From post-concussive disorder to Tom Brady 44:00 — Brain training as physical exercise: the case for everyone at every age 46:00 — Real-world brain plasticity activities: racquet sports, musical instruments, foreign languages 51:00 — Josh's Brainjo origin story and what music training does for the brain 55:00 — The loss of skill learning in modern life and education 58:00 — The "dark ages" of brain health and where the field is headed To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question. To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.  Click here to order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."  Click here to pre-order Dr. Turknett's upcoming book, "The Genius and the Impostor" Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.   

This week on Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Abhijit Sunil, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, where he leads flagship research programs on IT sustainability, sustainability management, and climate risk. Abhijit traces his remarkable journey from designing robotics labs at IIT Bombay to consulting at Ericsson and McKinsey, before landing at Forrester where a flood of client questions about data center efficiency set him on the path to sustainability research. He shares how volunteering as a teacher in Mumbai's slums profoundly shaped his worldview—giving him a lens for seeing optimization and sustainability as deeply human issues, not just technical ones. Tammy and Abhijit also dig into the double-edged nature of AI, from its staggering energy demands to its extraordinary potential to democratize access, and why the answer to almost every big question in sustainability lives somewhere in the Goldilocks zone between extremes.Please note that the views expressed may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.Links: Abhijit Sunil Learn more about Launch by NTT DATASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The world is shifting from asset light and infinitely scalable to asset heavy. Across the globe, trillions of dollars are going into assets. Capital expenditure is on the rise. What is driving this? What sectors are we seeing it in? What are the challenges and bottlenecks companies face in delivering on CapEx programs? And how do new technologies and approaches to talent overcome this? Our guest is Erikans Kok, Senior Partner at McKinsey where he leads their Capital Excellence Practice globally. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Most financial advisory firms say they want organic growth. But very few are honest about what it actually takes to create it. In this episode of the Model FA Podcast, David DeCelle is joined by Daniel Gourvitch, President of Mercer Advisors, for a deep conversation on why organic growth in the RIA and wealth management space is so difficult, what firms often misunderstand about growth, and why client impact has to come before business metrics. Daniel shares his journey from McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock to Mercer Advisors, and explains how Mercer built a growth engine rooted in fiduciary advice, integrated planning, client experience, and long-term consistency. The conversation explores why AUM can be a misleading growth metric, why many firms mistake market appreciation for actual growth, and why organic growth is not a single activity. It is the outcome of many connected systems working together over time. David and Daniel also discuss referrals, client trust, advisor specialization, the difference between serving clients and finding new families, and why firms need to think structurally about growth instead of chasing disconnected marketing tactics. In This Episode ✅ Why organic growth is an outcome, not an activity ✅ How Mercer Advisors thinks about serving families, not just growing AUM ✅ Why many advisory firms believe they are growing when they may only be benefiting from market growth ✅ The difference between AUM growth and true revenue growth ✅ Why firms struggle to build repeatable organic growth systems ✅ How client experience drives referrals and long-term firm health ✅ Why growth requires patience, consistency, and connected execution ✅ How Mercer separates client service and client development roles ✅ Why advisor personality matters when building a growth model ✅ How Model FA's Advisor DNA framework fits into the organic growth conversation If you are a financial advisor, RIA founder, or wealth management leader trying to grow beyond market performance, referrals by accident, or M&A alone, this episode will challenge how you think about organic growth. #FinancialAdvisor #OrganicGrowth #RIAGrowth #WealthManagement #AdvisorMarketing #ModelFAPodcast #MercerAdvisors Connect with Daniel: Email: dgourvitch@merceradvisors.com Website: https://www.merceradvisors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-gourvitch-59562b5/ About the Model FA Podcast The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no "gotchas" or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams.  Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you'd love to see covered.  Our Team: President of Model FA, David DeCelle If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

Kate Lowry was fresh out of college and working at McKinsey when she saw a colleague do something she believed was seriously wrong -- something that could constitute blackmail, with another employee's ability to stay in the country hanging in the balance. Her instinct was immediate and absolute: this is wrong, and I'm going to tell everyone. She reported it and criticized the person sharply in reviews. Episode page for video, links, and more It backfired. She got marked down for not being a "team player" and carried that mark on her record for the rest of her time at the firm. The lesson Kate draws isn't that she should have stayed silent. It's that good intentions and zeal are not the same as effective action. The best ways to help people, she found, are often more sophisticated -- and when you're up against sophisticated actors who hold power over you, you need to bring equal sophistication. Kate is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author of Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders. In this episode, she and host Mark Graban get into the difference between high standards and fear-based leadership, why psychological safety is about mutual trust rather than comfort, and how the quiet, "West Coast nice" version of fear-based leadership is harder to spot than the cartoonish yelling kind. Kate also explains her concept of reading a leader's "emotional age" to predict their behavior, and offers practical tactics for anyone stuck under a leader who rules through fear.

Women Leaders Overcome Self-Doubt: The Power Quotient Framework That Changes Everything (2026) Executive Summary: 68% of women in tech experience imposter syndrome, yet most have never been taught to fight it strategically. Former IBM VP Shelmina Babai Abji shares her Power Quotient (PQ) framework — a proven system for silencing the inner critic, amplifying your voice of courage, and advancing your leadership career. Quick Takeaways: 68% of women in tech report imposter syndrome — tech is the most affected industry (Hays, 2025). Your "Power Quotient" (PQ) is the ability to intentionally choose an empowering response over a disempowering one. The voice of fear is doing its job — your job is to feed your voice of courage louder reasons to act. For every 100 men promoted to first manager, only 81 women make the same leap (McKinsey, 2025) — PQ is a competitive differentiator. Showing your worth is a continuous journey of competence, confidence, relationships, and personal branding — not a one-time event. Sixty-eight percent of women in tech experience imposter syndrome. Let that number land. That means more than two out of every three talented, qualified women sitting in engineering meetings, VP offices, and C-suite strategy sessions are secretly wondering if they belong there. And according to a KPMG survey of 750 female executives, 75% of senior women leaders have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their careers — with 85% saying they believe it's widespread in corporate America. Yet almost no one teaches women what to do about it — strategically, systematically, and permanently. I'm Sabrina Braham, MA, MFT, PCC — executive leadership coach with over 30 years of experience, and host of the Women's Leadership Success Podcast, now with over 950,000 downloads and ranked in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally. In Episode 162, I sit down with Shelmina Babai Abji — TEDx speaker, former IBM Vice President, angel investor, and author of Show Your Worth — for one of the most powerful and practical conversations I've ever had on this podcast. Shelmina grew up in poverty in Tanzania, put herself through school across three countries, walked into a room of 2,000 engineers where no one looked like her, and still became one of the highest-ranking women of color in IBM's history — overseeing teams that generated over $1 billion in annual revenue. Her secret? A framework she calls the Power Quotient. If you're a woman leader in tech or any competitive industry who is battling negative mental chatter, fear of speaking up, or the relentless whisper that says you're not qualified enough — this episode is for you. Why Self-Doubt Is Hitting Women Leaders Harder Than Ever in 2026 The data tells a story that is urgent and personal. A 2025 Hays survey of more than 8,000 professionals found that 68% of women in tech experience imposter syndrome — and that approximately one-third say these feelings grow more intense as their careers advance, not less. Tech is now the single most-affected industry in the entire workforce. This is not a personal failing. It is a structural reality. As Shelmina describes it, when you look around a room and see no one who looks like you, no one who sounds like you, no one who grew up like you — your brain does exactly what it is designed to do: it searches for evidence that you belong, finds little, and generates doubt. "I walked into a room of 2,000 engineers," Shelmina recalls, "and I realized there was not one person that looked like me. Not one person that spoke like me. And I started undermining my own capabilities, underestimating my own worth." The compounding problem is this: according to the McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2025 report, women represent 49% of entry-level employees — yet by the time you reach the C-suite, fewer than 29% of those seats belong to women. For every 100 men promoted to their first manager role, only 81 women make the same leap. The "broken rung" is real, and self-doubt is one of the forces that keeps it broken. The cost of unchecked self-doubt is not just personal — it is organizational. Women who silence themselves in meetings, decline stretch assignments, or step back from promotions because they do not feel "ready" are costing their companies their most strategic asset: authentic, experienced, high-EQ leadership. The good news? Shelmina's own career is proof that the cycle can be broken — and the tool she used is available to every woman listening right now. Introducing the Power Quotient (PQ): Your Most Underused Leadership Asset Most leaders are familiar with IQ (intellectual intelligence) and EQ (emotional intelligence). Shelmina introduces a third: PQ — Power Quotient. "We own the power to intentionally pick an empowering response to a disempowering stimulus, whether that stimulus is internal or external. That's your PQ. And the internal stimulus must be taken care of first, before we can fight the external." This is not a motivational concept. It is a cognitive framework with three operating principles: PQ Principle 1: Recognize the Voice of Fear — Without Obeying It The voice of fear is not your enemy. It is doing exactly what it evolved to do: keep you in your comfort zone. The moment you recognize that the whisper saying "they'll find out you don't belong" is just a voice — not a fact — you reclaim agency over it. Shelmina's turning point came during her first year at a major tech employer. She was sitting in a meeting, holding back an idea. Then she watched someone else state her exact idea — and receive praise for it. "That was the first time I recognized that my ideas do matter," she says. "And once I had that inner victory, everything changed." Try This Now: The next time you catch yourself editing an idea before you say it, ask: "Is this my voice of fear or my voice of courage speaking?" Name it. That naming alone is the beginning of PQ. PQ Principle 2: Feed Your Voice of Courage With Reasons Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting despite fear — and it grows when you actively give it ammunition. Shelmina calls this "feeding your voice of courage," and it is a deliberate, intentional practice. In her case, the reason was visceral: "If I didn't speak up, they would not extend my visa. My dream of lifting my family out of poverty would be over." That reason was more powerful than her fear. Your reason does not need to be that dramatic — but it does need to be real to you. Effective reasons to feed your voice of courage include: The impact your idea could have on your team or clients The career advancement that depends on your visibility The women who will follow in your footsteps if you blaze this trail The competencies you will build only by speaking up and stretching PQ Principle 3: Make Your Voice of Courage Louder Than Your Voice of Fear This is the practice. Not silencing fear — but systematically amplifying courage until it drowns fear out. "I made my voice of courage louder than my voice of fear," Shelmina says, "by feeding it reasons why I should do something, as opposed to reasons why I shouldn't." This maps directly to what 2026 executive presence research identifies as the core of leadership gravitas: decisiveness under pressure and emotional self-regulation. Leaders who can redirect internal narratives in high-stakes moments are the ones who get promoted, trusted, and retained. How to Show Your Worth Without Waiting to Be Noticed One of the most actionable insights from Shelmina's work is this: showing your worth is not self-promotion. It is a strategic practice of continuously positioning yourself to contribute higher and higher value — and then ensuring the right people have a front-row seat to that contribution. "Show your worth, in the context of my book, is the value you contribute towards the success of your organization," Shelmina explains. "The recognition that I have something to contribute is the beginning of understanding your worth. And then the journey is: how do I continuously position myself to contribute more?" This has four dimensions that mirror 2026's most sought-after leadership competencies: Competencies — continuously building the skills that drive organizational outcomes Confidence — the deep-seated self-trust that comes from doing hard things and surviving them Relationships — intentionally building the four key relationships (boss, peers, mentors, sponsors — covered in Part II) Personal branding — ensuring your value is visible, not just felt Worth is not static. It is not something you either have or you don't. "The more competent you become," Shelmina says, "the higher the value you create." It is a compounding cycle — and it begins the moment you decide your ideas matter. Overcoming Negative Mental Chatter: A Framework for Women in Tech Negative mental chatter — the constant inner voice of "I'm not smart enough, I'll sound stupid, they'll find out" — is the presenting symptom of an unchecked voice of fear. Shelmina identifies it as the single biggest barrier she sees in her work with women leaders, and she is specific about how to address it. Step 1: Externalize It Treat negative mental chatter the way you would treat a notification on your phone: notice it, acknowledge it, then decide whether to engage. The chatter loses power the moment you observe it rather than inhabit it. Step 2: Name the Fear Underneath Is it fear of failure? Fear of judgment? Fear of stepping outside your comfort zone? Fear of being seen as someone who doesn't belong? Naming the specific fear collapses it from a fog into a manageable object. You can work with a named fear. You cannot work with a fog. Step 3: Reframe the Outcome "There is no such thing as failure," Shelmina says. "There are only various degrees of success." Every stretch assignment, every meeting where you spoke up and it didn't land perfectly, every project that didn't go as planned — these are data....

AI is blowing up McKinsey's old billable-hours model and forcing elite consultancies to charge for real outcomes, not 300-page decks. We break down why clients want results-based fees, how JPMorgan and Goldman are using AI to cut “gatekeeper” roles, and why true operators now have the leverage.

In this episode, Kimberly Snyder and Brooke Taylor explore the deep roots of success related struggles, sharing insights on how cultural and intergenerational beliefs shape our worth. Brooke's practical-spiritual approach offers tools to align your ambitions with your authentic self, ending the cycle of never feeling enough.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Success Wound02:54 Cultural Influences on Self-Worth05:58 The Archetypes of Success Wound09:02 The Grinder and the Pleaser12:04 The Hider and the Impact of Motherhood15:06 Navigating Ambition and Personal Power18:08 Finding Your North Star19:32 The Journey of Writing and Self-Discovery22:05 Navigating Vulnerability and Intentions in Publishing25:49 The Archetypes of Success and Their Impact29:30 Healing the Success Wound: Emotional and Behavioral Strategies34:41 Finding Wholeness Through Connection and AbundanceSponsors: LMNTOFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. That's 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling — a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water.USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOODBrooke Taylor Resources: Book: Healing the Success Wound: Align Your Ambition, Find Lasting Career Fulfillment, and End the Cycle of Never-Enough Website: www.brooketaylorcoaching.comBio: Brooke Taylor is a globally recognized transformational career coach, keynote speaker, and the leading authority on a phenomenon she pioneered known as the “Success Wound™.” With a career that began in the high-pressure hallways of Silicon Valley, Brooke spent years as a Marketing Lead at Google, where she was honored with the Google Global Sales Award. Despite her outward accolades, she experienced firsthand the "manic ambition" and burnout that often plague high achievers, leading her to a profound personal transformation and the eventual founding of her coaching practice.Brooke's highly anticipated first book, "Healing the Success Wound" (published by Hachette, May 2026), which serves as a definitive guide for women to reclaim their identities from the "Success Wound". Today, Brooke is the secret weapon for executive women at the world's most influential firms, including Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Uber, Salesforce, Coinbase, and Meta. She has helped over 5,000 leaders decouple their self-worth from their achievements, allowing them to trade chronic burnout and workplace anxiety for a career rooted in deep fulfillment and sustainable power.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.