Podcasts about operational

In this episode, Jon Alford, CFO, UW Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Washington, joins the podcast to discuss the evolving financial challenges facing academic medical centers, from labor costs to reimbursement pressures. He also shares how automation, operational efficiency, and frontline engagement are shaping his leadership approach in his new role.Learn more about relentlessly raising RCM yield here: https://med-metrix.com/?utm_source=beckers&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=brand

In this episode, hosts Major DJ Taylor and Major Evelyn Payne sit down with Major General (Ret.) James "Spider" Marks — decorated Army intelligence officer, Georgetown University professor, and CNN military analyst — for a wide-ranging conversation on operational planning, intelligence, and leadership.General Marks draws on over 30 years of service, including his roles as Senior Intelligence Officer during the 1992 LA Riots and Operation Iraqi Freedom, to share hard-won lessons on anticipating threats, bridging the gap between tactical and strategic objectives, and navigating the complexity of modern military operations. He also tackles the growing role of AI on the battlefield, the challenge of controlling the narrative in an information-saturated environment, and what it truly means to keep it simple as a planner and leader.Whether you're a SAMS student, a field grade officer, or a student of strategy, this episode delivers candid, experience-driven insight into the art of operational thinking.Timestamps0:00 — Producer intro / Episode overview1:01 — Show intro & Guest bio (MG Spider Marks)2:27 — Advising operational leaders in a volatile world5:10 — AI, screens, and staying in the loop8:01 — Managing complex organizations and decision-making10:18 — Linking political objectives to tactical goals15:16 — What he'd do differently as a planner17:43 — Understanding the operational environment with limited time (AI, outside experts)22:09 — Formalizing informal relationships25:50 — DSCA & the LA Riots36:28 — How to see around corners today39:20 — Controlling the narrative in the age of instant media42:50 — Who influenced him most46:18 — Parting advice to SAMS students

Are you a business owner feeling like the biggest bottleneck in your own company? Do you dream of financial freedom but find yourself buried in 20−an−hourtasks?InthisinsightfulepisodeoftheSpeakingPodcast,wesitdownwithBlazMarolt,anex−militaryofficerandWestPointgraduatewhohastransitionedhishigh−stakesleadershipexperienceintoamissionforbusinesssystematization.Blazhelpsentrepreneursscalingpastthe20-an-hour tasks? In this insightful episode of the Speaking Podcast, we sit down with Blaz Marolt, an ex-military officer and West Point graduate who has transitioned his high-stakes leadership experience into a mission for business systematization. Blaz helps entrepreneurs scaling past the 20−an−hourtasks?InthisinsightfulepisodeoftheSpeakingPodcast,wesitdownwithBlazMarolt,anex−militaryofficerandWestPointgraduatewhohastransitionedhishigh−stakesleadershipexperienceintoamissionforbusinesssystematization.Blazhelpsentrepreneursscalingpastthe500k mark to build robust operational infrastructures, allowing them to stay in their "zone of genius." We discuss the "two-week vacation test," the 80/20 rule of profitability, and why even the most successful companies often operate in a state of hidden chaos. Whether you're a solopreneur or leading a team of 20, Blaz provides actionable strategies to fix your systems, empower your team, and finally achieve the freedom you started your business for.     Timestamps Timestamp Topic Description 0:00 Welcome & Introduction to Blaz Marolt 0:45 Blaz's Mission: Helping business owners stay in their zone of genius 1:56 The Bottleneck Founder: Why things break down after $500k 2:43 Military Roots: Graduating from West Point and the Slovenian Military 3:42 Transitioning to Business: Boosting production by 50% in electronics 4:34 The IT Leap: Getting hired with only Excel, PowerPoint, and Word skills 5:21 Scaling a Food Delivery Giant: Growing 59x in the Balkans 6:22 The Chief of Staff Role: Doubling revenue for a US coaching company 7:03 The Young Founder Challenge: Overcoming perceptions in leadership 8:16 Military vs. Business Organization: The shocking reality of corporate chaos 9:53 The 80/20 Rule in Sales: Identifying loss-makers vs. profit-makers 11:37 Minimum Order Quantities: Why selling 100 components can be a disaster 12:54 Educating the Sales Team: Making them suffer through the production process 14:13 The Key Person Risk: Why your business shouldn't depend on one individual 15:52 The Soviet Machine Analogy: Planning for capacity and quality 31:19 The 250-Page SOP Trap: Why simple, one-page processes win 33:05 AI in Business: Using it as an assistant, not a replacement for thinking 35:01 The Amazon AI Mistake: Why quality assessment still requires humans 38:42 The 90-Day Operational Audit: What to expect in the first three months 40:53 Educating Employees: Why change management takes longer than system setup 42:52 The 20-Time Rule: Why you have to repeat instructions to be heard 60:42 Blaz's Final Advice: Defining your goals as a founder 61:16 Where to Find Blaz: LinkedIn and networking conversations 61:42 Outro: RoyCoughlan.com and the PodFather Network      

Most people think Lean is a manufacturing methodology. Sneha Kumari lives it as a mindset.Sneha is back on Learnings & Missteps. She's the president of Merlin AI and one of the most recognized women in manufacturing; and this conversation gets into the stuff that actually moves the needle.Jesse and Sneha dig into why Lean isn't just a process tool, it's a way of thinking about simplicity, eliminating waste, and respecting people's time. That includes your team, your clients, and yes, even your kids. When you build systems — whether that's automation, AI, or a morning routine — the goal is the same: remove time as a bottleneck.They also break down how tight feedback loops change the game. Not chasing every outlier. Spotting patterns. Doing real root-cause analysis. Using an impact-versus-effort matrix to make smarter decisions faster.Sneha gets honest about what she's learned since launching Merlin AI, resilience, leading a remote global team, and how to maintain urgency without blowing up quality, safety, or delivery.And she explains what Merlin AI is actually solving: the fragmented, unpredictable mess that construction workflows still are. Orchestration and operational intelligence — predicting problems before they happen, making execution more scalable and repeatable.If you're leading people, building systems, or trying to figure out where AI actually fits in your operation, this one's for you.00:00 Feedback Loops Mindset00:14 Meet Sneha Kamari02:41 Why Lean Matters07:51 Respecting Time12:18 AI Systems Design15:27 Merlin AI Founder Lessons20:19 Mistakes And Learning22:01 Tight Feedback Loops26:42 Patterns And Priorities30:27 Orchestration Explained32:59 Operational IntelligenceGet the time management system that will make you dangerously effective: https://www.depthbuilder.com/time-management-webinar-sign-up-pageSubscribe to the Monday Morning Hugs Newsletter for thought provoking topics to accelerate your growth: LinkedIn Newsletter  Download the free PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be 

Operational simplicity is often one of the most underestimated drivers of franchise success. As brands grow across multiple markets, complexity has a way of quietly entering the business through expanded menus, added processes, new technology, and inconsistent execution. Over time, that complexity can slow operations, weaken guest experiences, and create friction throughout the organization. For Chad Offerdahl, simplicity is not a limitation. It is a deliberate growth strategy. As President & CEO of The Big Biscuit, Chad has spent more than 15 years helping shape the systems, culture, and operational standards behind the brand's expansion throughout the Midwest. What began as a small breakfast concept has evolved into a growing franchise system built on consistency, hospitality, and disciplined execution. One of the central themes behind operational simplicity is understanding that growth does not always come from adding more. In many cases, sustainable growth comes from removing unnecessary complexity and refining the systems that already work. This principle applies across industries, but it becomes especially important in hospitality and franchising where execution must remain consistent across every location. Restaurants are naturally complex businesses. Staffing, training, inventory management, guest expectations, and operational efficiency all intersect in real time every day. As more locations are added, the challenge becomes maintaining standards without overwhelming operators and frontline teams. Chad's approach focuses heavily on reducing unnecessary friction inside the system. Simplified operations allow managers to train teams more effectively, create faster service experiences, and maintain stronger consistency across locations. Instead of constantly chasing trends or expanding menus beyond operational capacity, the brand prioritizes what guests value most and executes it at a high level. This level of discipline is often what separates scalable franchise systems from those that struggle to maintain consistency as they grow. Operational simplicity also creates advantages beyond efficiency. It strengthens franchisee confidence, improves onboarding, and allows teams to focus more attention on the guest experience rather than navigating unnecessary operational complexity. When systems are easier to execute, franchisees and employees are better positioned to deliver the hospitality and reliability customers expect. The guest experience itself remains a critical part of the equation. In highly competitive restaurant categories like breakfast and lunch, customers have no shortage of options. While product quality matters, consistency and hospitality are often what create loyalty. Guests return to brands where they know what to expect and trust the experience will be delivered the same way every time. That consistency requires operational discipline behind the scenes. Ford often emphasizes that systems are what create scalable growth. However, systems only work when they are practical, repeatable, and consistently reinforced throughout the organization. Complicated systems may look impressive on paper, but they frequently break down in execution. Another important lesson from Chad's leadership philosophy is the importance of reducing "firsts." In operations, every new process, procedure, or initiative introduces additional variables that increase complexity. By limiting unnecessary changes and focusing on refining proven systems, organizations can reduce friction and improve overall execution. This mindset becomes even more important as franchising evolves. Today's franchise landscape is increasingly influenced by experienced multi-unit and multi-brand operators who evaluate systems carefully before investing. These operators are looking for brands that provide clarity, operational efficiency, and scalable infrastructure. Simplicity becomes an advantage because it allows operators to focus on performance instead of constantly managing complexity. Operational simplicity also strengthens culture. When teams clearly understand expectations and processes, they operate with greater confidence and accountability. Training becomes more effective, communication improves, and leadership can spend more time supporting growth rather than solving preventable operational issues. For The Big Biscuit, this disciplined approach has helped the brand continue expanding while maintaining the hometown hospitality and guest experience that originally made the concept successful. Rather than trying to become everything to everyone, the brand has stayed focused on delivering a reliable experience supported by strong systems and intentional leadership. Operational simplicity is not about doing less for the sake of convenience. It is about creating systems that are easier to execute, easier to scale, and more effective at delivering consistent results. As businesses continue to grow in increasingly competitive environments, the brands that simplify strategically will often be the ones best positioned for long-term franchise success. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Join Fordify LIVE every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Central on your favorite social platforms and catch The Business Growth Show Podcast every Thursday for a weekly dose of business growth wisdom. About Chad OfferdahlChad Offerdahl is the President & CEO of The Big Biscuit, where he has spent more than 15 years helping shape the brand's culture, operational systems, and long-term growth strategy. Under his leadership, The Big Biscuit has expanded throughout the Midwest while maintaining a strong focus on consistency, hospitality, and operational simplicity. Chad brings extensive experience in franchising, restaurant operations, and scalable business development, with a leadership philosophy centered on disciplined growth, strong franchisee relationships, and delivering reliable guest experiences. In addition to leading The Big Biscuit, Chad also supports emerging food and beverage concepts through advisory and investment roles focused on building strong operational foundations and sustainable growth. About Ford Saeks Ford Saeks is a Business Growth Accelerator who has generated more than a billion dollars in sales worldwide by helping companies attract loyal customers, expand brand visibility, and drive innovation. As President and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc., Ford has founded more than ten companies, authored five books, earned three U.S. patents, and advised organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 brands. His expertise spans business growth strategy, customer acquisition, leadership, franchising, and AI-driven content systems that help businesses improve performance in rapidly changing markets. Learn more at Profit Rich Results and watch Fordify LIVE at Fordify.tv

Many medical practices are eager to add wellness services, but few are prepared for what it takes to run them well. In this episode, Amy Anderson, Founder of ACG Practice Partners, breaks down how to successfully integrate wellness into an existing practice. Learn why practices often underestimate the operational, financial, and compliance complexity behind services like weight loss programs, and how those missteps can quietly impact profitability and performance. Tune in for practical strategies to build recurring revenue while avoiding the operational pitfalls that derail many wellness initiatives.Chapters00:00 Intro00:50 Banter04:40 Guest background06:48 What is ACG Practice Partners?07:25 What wellness trends are impacting medical practice operations?09:38 Are surgical practices entering the wellness space?11:40 What are the benefits of adding wellness services to a practice?12:26 What are the most in-demand wellness treatments?13:57 How can practices balance adding wellness services with patient demand?15:15 What operational and financial blind spots come with adding wellness services?19:48 What are best practices for integrating wellness into a practice?22:23 Do medical weight loss services help or hurt surgical revenue?24:10 What will the wellness industry look like in the next five years?26:41 Access+27:23 Legal Takeaways28:56 OutroWatch full episodes of our podcast on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@byrdadattoStay connected for the latest business and health care legal updates:WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedIn

The dominant structural shift highlighted is the increasing systematization and formalization of vendor-to-MSP growth channels, where vendors now dictate partner engagement through structured programs, marketplaces, and packaged offers. According to Dave Sobel, this trend is driven by vendors such as Microsoft, NinjaOne, GoTo (LogMeIn), and Forcepoint, each advancing formal partner networks and explicit funding paths. The episode contends that these programs operate less as genuine strategies for MSPs and more as distribution mechanisms, shifting operational and support burdens downstream to service providers. Primary supporting evidence comes from the 2026 Microsoft Partner Global Benchmark and Success Index from Maven Collective Marketing, which analyzed over 185,000 data points. The report found that 87% of partners exist on at least one Microsoft Marketplace, with 60% having transactable offers and 58% receiving leads sourced by Microsoft. Moreover, partners with dedicated Microsoft management support are three times more likely to secure funding from Microsoft. This data illustrates how tightly partner success is coupled to marketplace discoverability, direct purchasing offers, and vendor-provided leads and funding. Secondary developments reinforce this mechanism. Other vendors—such as NinjaOne, GoTo, and Forcepoint—have instituted similar programs, with explicitly defined partner journeys for integration, service delivery, and mutual success. Additionally, economic factors such as historically low consumer sentiment, supported by University of Michigan data, and persistent IT resourcing gaps, as identified by the Linux Foundation survey and reported by SmarterMSP, are further sharpening buyer demands for packaged, defensible IT outcomes. In parallel, reports like the 2026 Kaseya State of the MSP emphasize misaligned demand and revenue in AI/automation, and research from RCR Wireless highlights operational burdens that can fall back onto MSPs in vendor weak-support scenarios. For MSPs and IT service providers, the operational implications center on risk absorption, margin erosion, and increased dependency on vendor-defined models. Without internal discipline to clearly define, price, and standardize offers—especially for complex new demands like AI and automation—MSPs risk turning complexity into unpaid labor and operational drag. The key accountability remains with the provider to package and govern vendor-aligned services in a manner that remains robust regardless of shifting vendor incentives or support. Failure to do so leads to “MSP-owned friction,” where ticket volumes, support expectations, and inconsistent delivery increase without corresponding profit. 00:00 Partner Programs Formalized  04:31 Packaged or Passed 08:14 Priced or Absorbed 11:58 Why Do We Care? 

In this episode Dr. Megan McElheran, a clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with uniformed service personnel delves into Dr. McElheran's development of upstream training programs aimed at preparing military and public safety professionals to manage stress before it becomes overwhelming. Marcus and Dr. McElheran explore the concepts of post-traumatic growth, the importance of action-oriented stoic philosophy, and practical steps for emotional regulation. Dr. McElheran shares her journey into psychology, the creation of the Before Operational Stress (BOS) program, and data-backed evidence of its effectiveness. Episode Highlights: 12:45 The Role of Stoicism in Uniformed Services 24:28 The Importance of De-escalation and Self-Care 25:26 Training Gaps and Operational Stress 26:15 The Duality of Tactical Skills and Trauma 32:43 Facing Fear and Taking Action Dr. Megan McElheran is a dedicated trauma therapist specializing in helping first responders, active-duty members of the Canadian Forces, and community members navigate the aftermath of traumatic events. With expertise in evidence-based practices such as Prolonged Exposure, EMDR, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Megan provides a safe, structured environment for clients to process and heal. Her work emphasizes resilience and the profound capacity for change, as shared in her 2011 TEDx talk, Trauma, Change, and Resilience. Megan’s compassionate approach empowers individuals to rebuild their lives, transforming the impact of trauma into growth and strength. You can learn more about Dr. McElheran here: https://www.wayfound.ca/dr-megan-mcelheran Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most accredited investors assume a $50M fund is a back-office nightmare. It's not.

Today you'll meet Kara Aubin, founder of the Ayurvedic Wellness Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Kara shares: How she transitioned from seeing clients at home to opening a thriving brick-and-mortar center The magic of focusing less on cramming in content, and more on creating 'spaciousness' for true transformation in retreats and programs The behind-the-scenes of running a multi-faceted business that integrates clinical services, education, and retail, and the hard-won lessons of hiring and building a unique team Her evolution as a leader: letting go of overfunctioning, building robust systems, and developing other leaders so she can step back from being the bottleneck If you want heartfelt, practical insights on building a sustainable team and business, plus a dose of inspiration from a leader who's doing deep, meaningful work, this episode is for you. Connect with Kara Aubin: Website Ayurvedic Wellness Center Instagram Kara's Instagram

Welcome to HALO Talks! In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Richie Hansen, a former college athlete turned sports injury prevention clinic founder, coach, and now. . . venture investor. Drawing from his roots in the sports world and experience leading the Roots Running Project (a nonprofit that supports post-collegiate athletes) Richie talks about the unique dynamics of training groups, the benefits of nonprofit structures for athlete development, and his transition into the world of healthcare venture capital. He goes on to discuss what it takes to evaluate and invest in early-stage companies, lessons learned from managing a portfolio of dozens of startups, and the ambitious mission behind his latest venture, Ola Capital, which is focused on closing the gap between healthspan and lifespan. Whether you're interested in athlete development, tech innovation in wellness, or the "behind the scenes" nuts and bolts of starting a venture fund, this episode has insights you won't want to miss. When it comes to fundraising in today's private markets Hansen states, "Fundraising is obviously a challenge, especially in the current environment. And part of that is just the lack of liquidity that's occurred within private markets over the last couple years. It just leaves a lot of LPs still waiting for those liquidity events to occur so they could redeploy back into either new funds or new technologies." Key themes discussed Athlete-driven nonprofit model for developing post-collegiate runners Challenges and strategies in raising investment funds Evaluation criteria for early-stage health and wellness startups Differences between nonprofit and for-profit sports organizations Operational support for founders as a venture investor Transition from sports rehab clinics to tech and investing Healthy aging and longevity investment focus at Ola Capital A Few Key Takeaways 1.Roots Running Project's Innovative Nonprofit Model: Hansen described the rationale behind structuring Roots Running Project as a nonprofit. This allowed for diverse funding sources, flexibility in athlete sponsorships, and greater support for post-collegiate athletes who might not initially qualify for top-tier brand sponsorships. The nonprofit format enabled more athletes to reach their potential without brand exclusivity constraints. 03:33 2. Value of Athlete Development Parallels Early-Stage Investing: Richie also drew parallels between supporting developing athletes and early-stage founders. Both require belief in potential, focus on character and drive, and the right kind of support without micromanagement. The operational approach in coaching athletes informed his perspective in nurturing founders as a venture investor. 11:18 3. Niche Venture Focus Yields Strategic Advantages: While at Revere, Hansen and his team leveraged deep industry relationships—particularly in oral health—to inform investment decisions. This provided unique "inside baseball" perspectives, helping to select companies likely to be adopted or acquired by partners in the space, and showing how specialized funds can offer significant value to both startups and investors. 13:53 4. Venture Fundraising Demands Long-Term Relationship Building: Raising a venture fund, especially in the current private market environment, is a long, relationship-driven process. Hansen detailed how the process for the $35 million Ola Capital fund relies on networks with founders, executives, medical experts, family offices, and athletes who share a passion for health, wellness, and longevity. Fundraising typically takes 12–36 months and hinges on trust, track record, and shared vision. 19:12 5. Ola Capital's Mission-Closing the Gap Between Healthspan and Lifespan: Ola Capital focuses on healthy aging, aiming to reduce the sizable gap in the U.S. between years lived and years lived in good health. Richie explained how the fund leverages elite athlete networks and clinical expertise to source, validate, and promote technologies that can support longer, healthier lives for all, not just elite performers. 22:21 Resources:  Richey Hansen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rthansen Ola Capital: https://www.olacapital.vc   Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com

Most businesses don't fail overnight, they slowly drift. In this episode of The Idaho Business Podcast, Spencer Ward breaks down why every business owner should regularly audit their systems, culture, onboarding, management, and communication processes before small inconsistencies become major operational problems. From hiring ads and interview energy to onboarding execution, leadership communication, SOP enforcement, and employee accountability, this episode explains how businesses accidentally turn into a giant game of telephone when systems aren't reinforced consistently. Spencer also shares real-world examples from inside his own company, including: Why culture must match from hiring to daily operations How digital onboarding failed without ownership Why managers accidentally create dependent employees The importance of consistent discipline and policy enforcement How operational myths spread inside companies Why auditing systems protects profitability and culture If you want your business to scale without losing standards, culture, communication, and execution, this episode is packed with practical insights every owner and manager needs to hear. If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you are!! If you'd like to be featured on an episode go to theidahobusinesspodcast.com to APPLY! Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Today, I'm joined by Lauren Makler, co-founder & CEO of Cofertility.   Cofertility helps women freeze their eggs for free by donating half of those retrieved, making egg freezing accessible and donations non-transactional.   In this episode, we discuss rethinking fertility care through human-centered design.   We also cover: Building a two-sided fertility marketplace Scaling in an emotionally complex category Addressing egg freezing's age and cost gaps   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Website: www.cofertility.com  Careers: www.cofertility.com/careers  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cofertility    -   The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:14) The insight (04:41) Personal story (06:56) Broken system (08:24) Marketplace dynamics (11:37) Split vs. Keep programs (13:05) Company scale (15:33) Operational logistics (18:11) Demand channels (21:29) Building trust (23:47) Platform ambition (25:53) AI automation (28:28) What's next (29:27) Conclusion

Welcome to this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast. Michael Lawrence, Director of Sales and Business Development from Anantak, shares a different approach to warehouse autonomy. Anantak has a deep focus on brownfield-friendly deployments, vehicle-to-vehicle interaction, and customer-driven engineering. The episode also highlights how Anantak's technology navigates facilities without requiring major infrastructure changes inside warehouse operations.Learn more about our sponsor Dexory's Storage Health here. Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show

In this third episode of the Profit Isn't an Accident series, Michelle Lynne dives into the hidden operational cost that many interior designers don't realize is quietly draining their profits: double entry. From project management platforms to accounting software, Michelle breaks down how disconnected systems create unnecessary labor, reconciliation headaches, bookkeeping expenses, and unreliable financial visibility. She shares real examples from her own firm, ML Interiors Group, and explains why so many design businesses are operating with what she calls a "Frankenstack" of disconnected tools. This episode explores: Why double entry is costing your firm more than you think The operational risks of disconnected project and financial systems Why bookkeeping alone does not equal real-time profitability visibility How inaccurate or delayed financial data impacts decision-making The difference between project health and financial reporting What integrated systems actually look like in a design firm How better operational infrastructure leads to better business decisions Michelle also shares the story behind The Profit Mixer, the operational platform she uses and teaches through The Design Bakehouse, and how it was designed specifically to eliminate the double entry problem for interior designers. Key Takeaways Double entry creates hidden labor costs every single month Separate systems inevitably drift out of sync over time Reconciliation work is expensive and often avoidable Clean bookkeeping does not automatically mean clear project profitability Your accounting system should remain the source of truth for financial data Better systems produce better data, and better data produces better decisions Operational clarity reduces stress and improves confidence as a business owner Action Steps from This Episode Michelle encourages designers to: Audit every operational and financial tool in their business Identify where information is being manually duplicated Trace a purchase order from placement to accounting reconciliation Review bookkeeping invoices to uncover reconciliation-related labor costs Evaluate whether their current systems are actually supporting profitability visibility Resources Mentioned The Design Bakehouse Profit Mixer SideMark Dove Agency QuickBooks Quotes from the Episode "You're paying somebody to do it twice." "The labor that double entry creates produces no value." "Better information produces better decisions." "Profitability is not an accident. It's operational clarity." What's Coming Next In the next episode of Profit Isn't an Accident, Michelle tackles what happens when untracked procurement turns into a true cash flow crisis — the small leak that eventually becomes a financial flood.  

In this episode, Angelo Sinopoli, MD, Executive Vice President, Value Based Care, Cone Health, and Deepak Sadagopan, MHCDS, Business Lead, Value Based Platform, Risant Health, discuss how evidence based tools, operational transformation, and care coordination are advancing value based care and improving patient outcomes across the healthcare continuum.

Hosted by David Cowen | Careers and the Business of Law Adam Rouse (Walgreens), Ashley Christakis (CrowdStrike), John Koss (Mintz), and Major Baisden (Lineal) pick up where they left off at LegalWeek in New York - ten weeks later, the conversation is sharper. The question on the table: how do you evaluate legal technology when the problem isn't fully defined yet? The answer involves a framework, a maturity arc, and a lot of grace. WHY THIS MATTERS? If your legal team is still waiting for the perfect data environment before acting on AI, you're already behind. This group agrees: the chaos is the condition. The only way through it is a deliberate strategy, documented workflows, and the courage to take the first step. KEY TAKEAWAYS Comfort with the unknown is the new baseline. The velocity of AI adoption has accelerated the FOMO - but the core evaluation process hasn't changed as much as we think. The three I's - Initiate, Investigate, Implement - apply to more than technology. Use them for concepts, use cases, and people, too. Most legal departments are somewhere between ad hoc and operational on the maturity arc. Very few are close to optimized - and that's okay. Stop chasing use cases. Start documenting how you actually get work done. That's the unlock for AI value. Data nirvana doesn't exist. Progression and discipline do. Don't wait for a perfect data ecosystem before extracting value. AI is the great information governance equalizer. Nothing is obscure anymore - if it's accessible, it will get indexed. The real AI dividend isn't just productivity. It's capability - doing things you were never able to do before. Know why you're doing what you're doing - and why you're not doing what you're not doing. That clarity builds organizational confidence and stronger client relationships. PEOPLE MENTIONED David Cowen - Host Adam Rouse - Sr. Counsel, eDiscovery & Director Legal Operations, Walgreens Ashley Christakis - Former Senior Manager, Legal Data Intelligence, CrowdStrike John Koss - Head of Innovation, AI, and E-Data Consulting, Mintz Major Baisden - CEO, Lineal Services COMPANIES MENTIONED Walgreens - Large enterprise legal operations navigating AI adoption CrowdStrike - Corporate legal team investing in technical curiosity and R&D thinking Mintz - Law firm with a formalized data strategy committee and Director of Data Strategy Lineal - Legal services company using AI to record, document, and optimize workflows Legal Data Intelligence (LDI) - Community behind this series; legaldataintelligence.org

Gordon Chang discusses China's "red lines" as tools for diplomatic intimidation. He argues China is fundamentally weak due to demographic collapse, a failing economy, and a military that lacks operational leadership for major invasions. (5/16)1940 CALDWELL ID

Reflections from host Sarah Olivieri ... The Hidden Cost of "Efficient" Leadership Most nonprofit leaders I work with want to move faster, decide cleaner, and hold the standard. From the outside, that looks responsible. From the inside, something else is usually happening. When a leader skips the relational work because it feels slow, the cost doesn't disappear. It moves. It shows up later as rework, attrition, board friction, and team members who go quiet in meetings because they have stopped expecting to be heard. The bill comes due downstream, where it is harder to trace. The truth is, the time you spend being human with your team is not extra. It is the infrastructure that makes everything else faster. Source of Insight I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I recently had a conversation about exactly this with Yerachmiel Stern, the executive director of Pesach Tikvah, and it was an important reminder to me that there are still many leaders out there who think compassion is "soft" and a "waste of time". Those leaders are missing out on the important role compassion plays in a well run, highly effective organization. The Tone You Set Is the System You Get The single most underrated piece of organizational design is the emotional state of the leader walking into the room. Not the agenda. Not the org chart. The leader's tone. When a leader walks in, regulated, warm, and present, the team's nervous system gets a signal: it's safe to think out loud here. Hard things can be named here. Mistakes can surface here without triggering self-protection. That signal is doing real operational work. It is shortening the time between a problem appearing and a problem getting solved. When a leader walks in tight, transactional, or performatively calm, the team picks that up too. People stop volunteering information. Decisions move underground. The same problems take three meetings to surface that should have taken one. In short: The leader's nervous system sets the team's nervous system. That isn't a vibe. It's a throughput metric. Information moves faster in a regulated room than a guarded one. This is why "read the room" is not a soft skill. It is a leadership requirement. Before you open your mouth in a meeting, you are already leading. The Goalposts Question One of the cleaner ways to diagnose whether a leader is operating from infrastructure or from extraction is to watch what happens when a team member brings a request that doesn't fit the existing rule. The old reflex is to point at the rule. Policy says no. Budget says no. We don't do that here. The infrastructure-minded leader asks a different question:  "Is this rule still serving the outcome we actually want, or is it serving the convenience of saying no?" Sometimes the answer is genuinely no, and the leader holds the line. Often the rule was set in a different context, the request is reasonable, and the cost of saying yes is much smaller than the goodwill you lose by reflexively saying no. In short: Rules are tools, not identities. When the rule no longer serves the outcome, the rule is the problem. Saying yes when you can is a form of system maintenance. This isn't about being a pushover. It is about staying connected to why the rule existed in the first place. Hiring for the Heart, Not the Resume Conventional hiring asks: Have you done this exact job before? It optimizes for risk reduction. It also reliably under-selects for the people who would have been excellent in the role with a slightly different background. Relational hiring asks a different question: what does this person actually want to do, and is that aligned with what we need done? The shift sounds soft. It is not. It is one of the highest-leverage operational moves a CEO or executive director can make. People who are doing work that matches what they actually want to do produce more, stay longer, and require less management. People who are doing work they took because it was available produce less, leave sooner, and require constant supervision. In short: Match the heart to the role. Heart-aligned hires need less management. Heart-misaligned hires cost twice: once in their tenure, once in the rehire. You will not get this right every time. Nobody does. But shifting the question from "have you done this" to "do you want to do this" changes your hiring math permanently. (For more on the underlying skill of leading with this kind of attunement, see) The Power of Soft Skills for Nonprofit Leaders. Compassionate Release The harder version of this same principle shows up in firing. Most leaders avoid letting someone go for too long. They tell themselves they are being compassionate. The person needs the job. The team is already stretched. The performance gap isn't catastrophic. We'll give it another quarter. What is actually happening, in most of these situations, is that the person being kept in the wrong role already knows. Their nervous system knows. Their family knows. The team knows. Everyone is in a quiet, low-grade limbo that costs energy from every direction at once. When the leader finally has the conversation, the most common response isn't anger. It's relief. Sometimes spoken, sometimes not. The person was waiting to be released from a fit that was never going to work, and they were too loyal, too scared, or too tired to release themselves. I call this a compassionate release. The compassion is in the clarity, not in the delay. In short: Limbo is more painful than a clean ending. Delay is a form of harm dressed up as kindness. Compassionate release ends the cost on both sides. Holding someone in a misfit role isn't generosity. It's a tax everyone is paying, and the longest-paying account is the person you think you're protecting. The Ford and the Cadillac There is a version of nonprofit leadership that aims for "good enough." The reasoning sounds responsible. We don't have unlimited resources. We can't deliver gold-standard service to every client. We have to triage. We have to be realistic. This framing adds risk. The math isn't wrong. The framing is. It confuses two different things: what you can deliver structurally, and how you deliver what you have. Two organizations can offer the exact same baseline service, and one will feel like an extraordinary experience and the other will feel like a transaction. The difference isn't the budget. The difference is the personal touch wrapped around the delivery. One line from my conversation with Yerachmiel stayed with me: "If you give the clients that personal touch, the Ford could be better than the Cadillac." What I appreciate about this framing is that it explains the mechanism. The personal touch is what converts a service into a relationship. The relationship is what produces retention, referrals, advocacy, and the willingness to come back when things get hard. None of that requires more money. All of it requires presence. I had this experience recently in an emergency room. The equipment was advanced. The diagnostics were thorough. The most meaningful 30 seconds of the entire visit was a staff member taking a breath, asking how I was doing, and telling me my chair could recline. He delivered the most excellent service of the visit, and it cost him nothing. That is the Ford becoming the Cadillac. The structure didn't change. The presence did. When Going Slow Is Going Fast The hardest piece of this for high-performing leaders to internalize is that the relational work, which feels slow, is what creates the speed. I learned this with my own son, who is on the autism spectrum and has ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and anxiety. The clinicians who took an extra five minutes to let him regulate consistently finished on time. The clinicians who tried to muscle through and just hold him still consistently turned a 30-minute appointment into a two-hour event. Sometimes the visit had to be rescheduled at a different office entirely. The "fast" approach was the slowest approach. The "slow" approach was actually the fastest one. The math is unambiguous once you start counting all the hours, not just the visible ones. In short: The relational time isn't extra. It's structural. Skipping it doesn't save time. It moves the cost. Going slow at the start is what produces speed at the finish. This same pattern shows up everywhere a nonprofit leader operates. With board members. With staff. With donors. With clients. The minutes you invest in being a person before you are a transaction are the minutes that compound. Humility Is a Confidence Move There is an older model of leadership that equates confidence with never apologizing, never being wrong, and never being visibly uncertain. It's still around, and it's slowly being retired for a good reason. Confidence in a leadership role isn't the absence of mistakes. It is the willingness to absorb the final responsibility for the outcome, mistakes included. When the team trusts that the leader will carry the weight at the macro level, the leader is then free to be humble and openly learn at the everyday level. That doesn't subtract from authority. It deepens it. People follow humans, not personas. (For more on this, see The Power of Vulnerability with Becca Pearce.) What This Makes Possible When compassion is treated as infrastructure rather than personality, a few things shift. What shifts: Meetings get shorter because information surfaces faster. Hiring gets cleaner because you're matching hearts to roles, not resumes to slots. Firing gets kinder because delay stops getting confused with mercy. Service quality goes up without the budget going up. The leader stops carrying the team's nervous system as a second job. None of this is about being softer. It is about understanding what creates throughput in a human system, and building for it on purpose. It's Work That Compounds… and we like that This isn't about doing less work. It's about doing work that compounds. Nonprofits can run on compassion and run on time. They can hold high standards and hold their people. They can deliver excellent service without spending more. Not by pushing harder, but by building systems that treat human connection as the structural asset it actually is. About the Guest Yerachmiel Stern is the Executive Director of Pesach Tikvah, where he has dedicated his career to expanding access to quality mental health care. Before stepping into this role, he spent a decade as Borough Park Clinics Director, bringing affordable, sophisticated services to underserved neighborhoods. A Touro University graduate, he began at Pesach Tikvah as an intern and counselor, later becoming known for his work with children and his expertise across multiple therapeutic modalities. Today, Mr. Stern is leading the organization into its 40th year, advancing excellence in mental health and developmental disability services.  Connect with Yerachmiel: Www.pesachtikvah.org Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

Most AI conversations focus on models. The better conversation focuses on systems. In this episode, we continue our interview with Matt Levenhagen, exploring a practical challenge many developers are facing: integrating AI into business operations without creating costly chaos. The answer is not buying more AI tools. The answer is building an intentional AI Workflow Architecture. About Matt Levenhagen Matt is the founder and CEO of Unified Web Design, a web development agency focused on custom solutions, WordPress development, e-commerce, memberships, and business systems. His background as both a builder and agency owner gave him a unique perspective on where AI creates real leverage instead of superficial automation. Follow Matt on LinkedIn. AI Workflow Architecture Starts with Context Control One of the most important operational realities Matt discussed was token usage. Businesses rushing into AI often underestimate cost scaling. Every interaction with large models consumes resources, and poorly managed context windows dramatically increase operational expenses. Instead of treating AI like unlimited compute, Matt focused on controlling context intentionally. That included: Monitoring token usage Limiting unnecessary memory loading Structuring retrieval systems Using different models for different tasks Preventing oversized prompts This is a systems-thinking problem, not merely a coding problem. Developers who ignore architecture end up with bloated workflows that become financially unsustainable. The fastest way to make AI unprofitable is to send unnecessary context into every request. Why Retrieval Matters More Than Raw Memory A major breakthrough Matt discussed was implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). This matters because AI systems do not need all the information all the time. They need the right information at the right moment. That distinction completely changes system design. Without retrieval architecture: Costs increase Performance slows Outputs become less accurate Hallucinations increase Operational complexity grows RAG allows systems to retrieve semantically relevant information instead of dumping entire databases into prompts. This transforms AI from brute-force processing into intelligent retrieval. The future of AI operations will likely depend less on giant models and more on efficient information orchestration. AI Workflow Architecture Requires Layer Separation Another valuable concept from the conversation involved separating operational layers. Matt described balancing: Local storage Business memory External AI APIs Workflow automation SaaS integrations This layered architecture creates flexibility. Instead of locking the business into one AI provider, workflows remain adaptable. Different models can handle different workloads depending on cost, complexity, and accuracy requirements. This becomes increasingly important as pricing models fluctuate. Businesses relying entirely on one provider risk operational instability if pricing changes dramatically. Layer separation reduces that risk. The businesses that survive AI cost volatility will be the ones architected for flexibility instead of dependency. Why Embedded AI Features Often Disappoint Matt also discussed the growing wave of SaaS AI integrations. Every platform now markets AI capabilities: Project management tools Communication platforms CRM systems Design software Documentation systems Yet many users feel underwhelmed. The reason is architectural isolation. These tools only understand limited slices of operational context. They automate micro-tasks but rarely improve larger workflows. That creates a false impression that AI itself lacks value when the real issue is fragmented systems. AI becomes more useful as the organizational context becomes more connected. This is why developers building custom operational layers still maintain an enormous strategic advantage. AI Workflow Architecture Is an Operational Discipline The strongest insight from these episodes may be that AI implementation is becoming operational engineering. Success now depends on: Information structure Retrieval design Workflow sequencing Context prioritization Cost management Human oversight This moves AI away from novelty experimentation and toward infrastructure planning. Businesses that treat AI casually will likely accumulate technical debt quickly. Businesses that approach AI architecturally will build scalable operational leverage. AI is no longer just a development tool. It is becoming an operational systems discipline. Developers Must Learn Economic Thinking One overlooked topic in AI discussions is economics. Matt repeatedly referenced balancing capability with cost. This becomes critical because AI pricing models are still evolving rapidly. Businesses that ignore usage economics may accidentally build systems that become financially impossible to scale. Developers now need to think beyond: Can this be built? They also need to ask: Can this be sustained? Can this scale economically? Can context costs remain controlled? Can cheaper models handle simpler tasks? This represents a major evolution in modern software architecture. Review your current AI workflows and identify where unnecessary context or oversized prompts may be increasing costs. Conclusion AI Workflow Architecture is rapidly becoming one of the most important technical disciplines for modern developers. Matt Levenhagen's approach demonstrates that successful AI implementation is less about chasing the newest model and more about designing sustainable operational systems. The companies that gain long-term advantage from AI will not necessarily be the companies using the largest models. They will be the companies with the best architecture. 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What does it take to deliver impactful learning in a global, highly regulated industry? Tim Greiner, Senior Director of USP Education at the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a global nonprofit that sets quality standards for medicines, food, and dietary supplements, shares how USP delivers education at scale to ensure those standards are applied effectively across industries and regions to improve quality and protect public health. Show Notes:Senior Education Director Tim Greiner explains how USP delivers training that improves quality and performance. Key takeaways from the conversation include:Impact over completion: In regulated environments, training success is measured by behavior change and improved quality practices—not just course completion. Design for diverse, global audiences: Effective programs balance modalities, regional preferences, and roles (regulators, manufacturers, students) without overcomplicating delivery. Blended learning drives stronger outcomes: Live and live-virtual experiences tend to have the highest impact, especially when paired with self-paced resources for reinforcement. Operational discipline matters at scale: Managing global training requires strong processes—centralized content, regular reviews, and alignment with evolving standards. Microlearning in the flow of work is the future: Delivering targeted learning at the exact moment of need can significantly increase retention, application, and overall impact. Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry's Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com. Follow us on LinkedInLike us on Facebook

In this episode we are diving into a side of healthcare most people never see… yet it impacts every patient, every provider, and every outcome. Because while hospitals are filled with world-class clinicians and life-saving technology, many of the systems supporting them are still surprisingly fragmented, inefficient, and—at times—unreliable. My guest is Sam Yeruva and in2wq this conversation, we explore what it really means to build a “smart hospital,” why efficiency is not just a business metric but a patient safety issue, and how practical, real-world AI is already helping hospitals recover time, reduce burnout, and improve care. We also talk about the hidden waste inside healthcare systems, the silent drivers of clinician burnout, and how reimagining workflows could allow doctors and nurses to truly operate at the top of their license. This is a powerful look at how fixing systems can ultimately save lives—and why the future of healthcare may depend just as much on operational intelligence as it does on clinical excellence. Srikar “Sam” Yeruva is the Founder and CEO of Pycube, Inc., a company transforming the way hospitals operate behind the scenes. With a background in electrical and computer engineering and training from Harvard Business School, his decade working inside hospitals revealed a systemic problem. While clinical care is world-class, operations are often unpredictable. Motivated by a personal experience where critical biopsy samples were lost for 10 days, Sam launched Pycube to bring true operational intelligence to healthcare. Today, Pycube helps hospitals track assets and supplies in real time—saving caregivers hours and unlocking millions in recovered efficiency. Learning Points: · How operational efficiency translates into patient safety · How hospitals are clinically advanced but operationally behind · How real-time data and practical AI are transforming care behind the scenes Social: Website: https://www.pycube.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/srikar-sam-yeruva-8437184a Twitter: https://x.com/Pycube Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pycube/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pycube/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Pycube

Disneyland Trip Report Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing josephcheung@travelmation.net today!  Episode Description Leslie visited Disneyland so she's got all the tips to get you ready to visit this summer. From staying off-site, to new rope drop procedures, to some single rider line updates - we've got you covered for your upcoming Disneyland trips! Plus - Bluey! Going to Disneyland this summer? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 2:06 - General trip and disclosures 4:56 - Courtyard Marriott Theme Park 7:50 - Crowds 9:51 - Kids rule summer 12:13 - Bluey 16:22 - New California Adventure rope drop procedure 19:37 - Operational issues 21:30 - Using the app 24:40 - Touring Plans app 25:42 - Single rider experiences 28:33 - Galaxy's Edge timeline changes 30:41 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

Sam Yeruva is Founder and CEO of PyCube, a company that provides software solutions to US hospitals to digitize workflows and improve operational efficiency.  He points out that many hospital processes still rely on paper, which hinders the collection of data necessary for operational intelligence and forecasting. The key to success is breaking down data silos across departments to better track assets, samples, and pharmaceuticals, improving patient care, reducing clinician burnout, and driving cost savings.  Sam explains, "PyCube is a software solutions company serving US health systems across the Continental States. We provide solutions with digitized workflows around operational efficiency of the hospitals because there are a lot of things that happen in the hospitals.  A lot of things move, a lot of patients move, a lot of samples move, assets move. There are many moving parts in service environments, such as hospitals, which are well-equipped to care for patients. We help them to digitize those workflows and be more efficient. They're hearing hospitals actually running on thin margins. We assist the hospitals to utilize technology, to be more efficient, cut down the cost, improve revenue, and do what they're supposed to do normally, which they do really well, and take care of the patients. So that's where we try to assist hospitals in adopting technology, especially AI, as it is growing these days as well."   "Operational intelligence is a term coined to mean being smarter or doing things more smartly. You'll see when you go to a hospital, most of the things are still written on pen and paper. You don't get intelligence when you don't know where things are, and you don't know where data is not flowing. So we digitize those workflows so that, first of all, you use the right tools for digitizing the workflows. And then once you have that, we will instill some intelligence into the operation as well."  #PyCube #HealthcareInnovation #HospitalOperations #DigitalHealth #WorkflowAutomation #AIinHealthcare #OperationalIntelligence #PatientSafety #NurseWorkflow #InventoryManagement #HealthIT pycube.com Download the transcript here

Sam Yeruva is Founder and CEO of PyCube, a company that provides software solutions to US hospitals to digitize workflows and improve operational efficiency.  He points out that many hospital processes still rely on paper, which hinders the collection of data necessary for operational intelligence and forecasting. The key to success is breaking down data silos across departments to better track assets, samples, and pharmaceuticals, improving patient care, reducing clinician burnout, and driving cost savings.  Sam explains, "PyCube is a software solutions company serving US health systems across the Continental States. We provide solutions with digitized workflows around operational efficiency of the hospitals because there are a lot of things that happen in the hospitals.  A lot of things move, a lot of patients move, a lot of samples move, assets move. There are many moving parts in service environments, such as hospitals, which are well-equipped to care for patients. We help them to digitize those workflows and be more efficient. They're hearing hospitals actually running on thin margins. We assist the hospitals to utilize technology, to be more efficient, cut down the cost, improve revenue, and do what they're supposed to do normally, which they do really well, and take care of the patients. So that's where we try to assist hospitals in adopting technology, especially AI, as it is growing these days as well."   "Operational intelligence is a term coined to mean being smarter or doing things more smartly. You'll see when you go to a hospital, most of the things are still written on pen and paper. You don't get intelligence when you don't know where things are, and you don't know where data is not flowing. So we digitize those workflows so that, first of all, you use the right tools for digitizing the workflows. And then once you have that, we will instill some intelligence into the operation as well."  #PyCube #HealthcareInnovation #HospitalOperations #DigitalHealth #WorkflowAutomation #AIinHealthcare #OperationalIntelligence #PatientSafety #NurseWorkflow #InventoryManagement #HealthIT pycube.com Listen to the podcast here

CyberSmart, a leading provider of cyber risk management for small businesses, has released findings from its third annual MSP Survey, revealing that economic pressures are pushing cybersecurity down the priority list for many Irish SMEs, even as cyber threats and supply chain risks continue to grow. The CyberSmart MSP Survey 2026 found that 42% of MSP customers are more concerned about operational challenges such as rising costs and inflation than cybersecurity risks, despite an increasingly hostile threat landscape. At the same time, AI-driven threats were named the top cybersecurity concern for MSPs (49%). The 2026 research, conducted by OnePoll, features insights from 100 MSP leaders across Ireland, spanning a range of industries and supporting customers with between 1 and 250+ employees. MSPs Remain Prime Targets for Cybercriminals Over three quarters (77%) of MSPs admitted to suffering at least one cyber breach in the last 12 months, with 59% reporting two or more breaches and 40% experiencing three or more incidents. The findings demonstrate that repeat attacks remain commonplace and that MSPs continue to represent valuable targets for cybercriminals due to their privileged access to customer systems and data. MSPs ranked AI-related threats as the biggest risk facing their organisation (49%), followed by inflation and spiralling costs (43%) and then ransomware/malware infections (40%). Operational concerns such as inflation have climbed sharply up the list of threats facing MSPs over the past year. This reflects the wider economic uncertainty affecting businesses across Ireland. Supply chain risk has also increased in prominence, with over half (52%) of MSPs and their customers reporting that they had experienced a cyber incident caused by or originating from a supplier or third-party vendor in the past year. Of those supply chain incidents: 48% affected only the customer 13% affected only the MSP 33% affected both the MSP and the customer This means that 46% of incidents involved the MSP directly in some way, underlining the critical role MSPs now play within increasingly interconnected supply chains. Economic Pressures Overtaking Cyber Concerns The research found that half of MSPs believe that their customers are now more vulnerable to cyber threats than they were 12 months ago. This is significantly less than their British counterparts, where 62% believe their customers are at greater risk. However, when asked about the biggest risks facing customers, MSPs said inflation and rising operational costs were viewed as a greater concern than ransomware, unpatched vulnerabilities or emerging threats. According to MSP respondents: 42% cited inflation and spiralling costs as customers' top concern 41% cited ransomware or malware infections 32% cited exploitation of unpatched or undisclosed vulnerabilities 30% cited emerging AI threats The findings suggest that many SMEs are focusing on immediate financial pressures and operational resilience ahead of cyber preparedness, despite the growing sophistication and frequency of attacks. Despite this, MSPs reported that the vast majority (92%) of their customers demonstrate average or above-average levels of cybersecurity awareness. For British MSPs, this awareness sat lower at 85%. Compliance and Continuous Monitoring Becoming Business Priorities Customer expectations of MSPs are also evolving, with 57% of customers now expecting support with cybersecurity compliance requirements in addition to traditional IT and security services. In response, 62% of MSP leaders say that they've increased spending when it comes to specialist regulatory and compliance support over the past year. However, the research also revealed significant gaps in supply chain oversight. Two thirds (66%) of MSPs do not continuously monitor supply chain risk, while 45% assess supplier risk only quarterly and 13% only annually. The percentage of those who do not continuously monitor is significantly higher than ...

Most med spas focus heavily on the procedure itself, but patient experience is shaped just as much by what happens before and after treatment. In this episode, I sit down with Lars Hegelson, founder of Easy Aftercare, to discuss how poor aftercare communication creates operational strain, financial risk, and preventable patient issues—and why practices that modernize patient education are creating a measurable advantage.  We unpack how accessible, personalized aftercare systems can reduce cancellations, improve compliance, strengthen patient trust, and support the long-term value of the business.  The Operational Risks Hidden Inside Weak Aftercare Systems  One of the biggest operational gaps in healthcare is assuming patients will remember important instructions after receiving a procedure, especially when they're overwhelmed, anxious, or distracted. When aftercare systems are inconsistent, practices end up dealing with preventable complications, repetitive staff communication, after-hours calls, and patients searching online for answers instead of returning to their provider. That creates unnecessary risk for both the patient and the practice.  As patient expectations continue evolving, generic paper handouts and one-time verbal explanations simply aren't enough anymore.  What Better Aftercare Systems Improve Inside the Business  Operational improvement comes from delivering information more effectively—not necessarily more information.  • Timed text-based communication reduces information overload • Video and audio instructions improve retention and accessibility • Caregivers can receive the same aftercare guidance as patients • ADA-compliant and multilingual education improves patient trust • Compliance tracking creates documentation that supports legal protection • Better procedure preparation can reduce cancellations and reschedules  The practices solving these communication problems are creating smoother operations without adding unnecessary complexity for their teams.  Why Communication Has a Direct Financial Impact  Patient education is often treated like a support function, but financially, it affects much more than patient satisfaction. Every preventable cancellation, unnecessary complication, after-hours issue, or malpractice concern creates operational and financial pressure inside the business. Practices that proactively guide patients through preparation, recovery, and follow-up care tend to operate more efficiently while reducing avoidable risk.   There's also an enterprise value component here. Businesses with stronger systems, lower operational friction, and more consistent patient experiences are easier to scale and easier to trust.  As Your Practice Expands, Communication Systems Matter More  Scalable patient education matters.  As med spas grow, consistency becomes harder to maintain. More providers, more locations, and more patients create more opportunities for communication breakdowns if systems aren't standardized. Clear aftercare workflows, accessible instructions, and proactive communication systems help maintain the patient experience as volume increases. The practices that scale best u build systems that consistently support patients before, during, and after treatment.  Follow Shannon & Keep What You Earn:   Shannon Weinstein is the founder of a fractional CFO firm specializing in helping 7-figure aesthetics and wellness practices scale with clarity, cash flow, and confidence.  Shannon is committed to helping med spa owners understand, fix, and maximize their business's enterprise value, offering actionable advice and resources, including a popular free video series specifically for aesthetics practice owners.   Fractional CFO Services and Executive Financial Review: https://www.keepwhatyouearn.com/  Connect with Shannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonweinstein  Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepWhatYouEarn  Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1580071347  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/  The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not individualized financial advice. Aesthetics practice owners should consult a qualified professional before implementing financial strategies discussed here.  About Lars Hegelson: Lars Helgeson is the founder of Easy Aftercare, a healthcare communication platform focused on improving patient education, accessibility, and post-procedure support for medical practices and med spas. He is also a longtime entrepreneur and CRM innovator, best known as the founder of GreenRope, a complete CRM and marketing automation platform used by businesses in more than 40 countries. Drawing from decades of experience in technology, automation, and customer communication, Lars is passionate about using practical systems to improve both patient outcomes and operational efficiency.  Connect with Lars and Easy Aftercare:   Website: https://www.larshelgeson.com/  Easy Aftercare: https://www.easyaftercare.com/ 

Operational Conditioning: Wil Ravelo's Approach to Transforming Men's Lives In this episode of Resilience Redefined, host Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Wil Ravelo, a former reconnaissance Marine, Army Special Forces soldier, and San Francisco Police Department SWAT officer turned entrepreneur and fitness coach. Wil shares his journey from the military to law enforcement and his struggles with PTSD. He discusses how he transitioned into helping men optimize their health and mindset through his company, Operational Conditioning. Wil also shares insights on the importance of building a strong support system, developing resilience, and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. Additionally, he provides an overview of his training programs for men aged 35-65, aspiring special operations candidates, and an upcoming mastermind retreat. Check out Wil's instagram at https://instagram.com/realwilravelo

Operational Conditioning: Wil Ravelo's Approach to Transforming Men's Lives In this episode of Resilience Redefined, host Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Wil Ravelo, a former reconnaissance Marine, Army Special Forces soldier, and San Francisco Police Department SWAT officer turned entrepreneur and fitness coach. Wil shares his journey from the military to law enforcement and his struggles with PTSD. He discusses how he transitioned into helping men optimize their health and mindset through his company, Operational Conditioning. Wil also shares insights on the importance of building a strong support system, developing resilience, and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. Additionally, he provides an overview of his training programs for men aged 35-65, aspiring special operations candidates, and an upcoming mastermind retreat. Check out Wil's instagram at https://instagram.com/realwilravelo

Most churches have a clear vision at the top — but somewhere between the lead pastor and the kids volunteer, that vision gets lost. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we dig into operational alignment: what it means for every ministry team — not just senior leadership — to know exactly why they exist, what their plan is, and how their work fuels the overall mission of the church. We walk through a four-part framework covering team vision, structure, metrics, and meetings, and share real examples from how Mercy Hill Church puts this into practice. Whether you're an executive pastor, a ministry director, or a church planter trying to scale, this episode will give you the language and the tools to stop the sideways energy and get everyone rowing in the right direction.

Summer is a stress test for your operational architecture. Every gap that exists in April becomes visible in July. Overlapping PTO. Clients disappearing and reappearing in a surge. A founder who wants to actually rest — and a team that doesn't know how to hold the business without her.In the final episode of May's three-part arc, Sheena lands the conversation where it belongs: in the practical, near-term work of getting ready for summer. She walks through five readiness checks — team coverage, client communication, summer-conditions decision rights, information and access, and your own willingness to actually step away — and gives you a specific four-week build plan to execute between now and Memorial Day.This is also the episode where Sheena shares that she's taking the last week of May off for her birthday — no show, no content, no client calls — and names it as a live demonstration of the architecture she's teaching. The show returns the first Monday of June with a new multi-episode series: The Pricing Problem.KEY TOPICS COVEREDWhy summer is a stress test for your operational architectureTeam coverage — how to build a shared summer PTO and coverage planClient communication — the proactive May outreach that prevents July apologiesDecision rights under summer conditions — making authority explicit before someone needs itInformation and access — what lives only with you that needs to be documented nowYour own readiness — the internal architecture of actually unpluggingA week-by-week May build plan leading up to Memorial DayWhy the architecture you build for summer is the same architecture that lets you scaleKEY TAKEAWAYSIf your business cannot run without you for a week, you have an architecture problem, not a vacation problem.Summer is a forcing function. The work you do in May becomes the architecture of the whole business.The number of decisions that truly need the founder is almost always smaller than the founder thinks it is.A real vacation requires you to let small things break rather than jumping in to save them.Taking a real break is a practice run for what scale actually feels like.RESOURCES MENTIONEDStrategic Discovery Audit — thedevaincollective.comFull TDC service ladder: Optimize Leadership, Optimize Operations, Elevate & Lead VIP Day, Leadership Sprint, Impact CoachingPROGRAMMING NOTEThe podcast is on break the last week of May. Episode 78 drops the first Monday of June, kicking off a new multi-episode series called The Pricing Problem — on why service-based founders underprice, how to raise rates without losing your best clients, and how to build pricing that supports the business you actually want.CONNECT WITH THE DEVAIN COLLECTIVE:LinkedInInstagramWebsite: thedevaincollective.comCONNECT WITH SHEENA:LinkedInInstagramABOUT BEYOND FOUNDER-LEDBeyond Founder-Led is the podcast for mission-driven founders — primarily women scaling service-based businesses from $500K to $5M — who are ready to move beyond being the bottleneck in every decision. Hosted by Sheena Hunt, founder of The DeVain Collective, each episode delivers frameworks, honest reflection, and practical tools for building a business that grows without sacrificing the founder or the mission.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, I'm sharing something I've been sitting on for a while… Why I made the decision to walk away from OHM Fitness and why our location ultimately closed. This is not about calling people out or placing blame. This is me speaking from my personal experience as a 40 percent profit partner, what I saw behind the scenes, what we built, and what I learned the hard way. When I joined at the end of 2024, I was excited. The concept felt innovative. The opportunity felt aligned. And I chose to invest my time, energy, and expertise through sweat equity instead of capital because I had multiple income streams supporting me outside of the business. Over the next year, we grew the studio from 112 members to 225 members and nearly doubled revenue. I'm incredibly proud of what we built as a team. But behind the growth, there were challenges. Operational friction. Tech issues. Misalignment. And moments that made me pause and start asking deeper questions. In this episode, I open up about: Why I initially said yes to the opportunity What we actually built and why I'm proud of it The challenges that started to surface in 2025 What it felt like operating inside a system that didn't always feel aligned The financial realities and overhead that ultimately made it unsustainable Conversations I had with other owners that shifted my perspective Why I chose to walk away and what I've learned from it This episode is for anyone in business, anyone considering a partnership, and anyone who has ever ignored their gut because they believed in the bigger vision. If something feels off, there is usually a reason. And sometimes the strongest move you can make is choosing yourself.If this episode resonated with you, I would love for you to take a minute to rate and review the podcast. It helps more women find these conversations and helps me continue to bring you real, honest episodes like this. Take a screenshot, share it to your Instagram stories, and tag me so I can connect with you and hear your biggest takeaway.

Major Spencer Bates sits down with Colonel Ethan Diven, the US Army Command and General Staff College Commandant, and former Commander of Operations Group at the NationalTraining Center, to explore the evolving challenges facing the operational force. From multi-domain competition to professional military education reform, COL Diven draws on a career spanning NTC, Afghanistan, Operation Octave Quartz,and Operation Allies Refuge to deliver hard-won lessons on planning, leadership, and the responsibility of field-grade officers.Colonel Diven's key take-aways? 1.    Ruthlessly protect your time to think while in PME — it is the point.2.    Leadership is always required in an operational planning team, from any position.3.    Army University exists to accelerate observations from the contemporary environment and reimagine how education is delivered — with war fighting always at the core. Timestamps 0:50 — Introduction & Guest Background2:13 — Current Challenges Facing the Operational Force6:11 — Building Better Divisions: Evolving from Brigade-Centric to Division-Level War Fighting9:19 — Multi-Domain Operations: NTC Initiatives & Incorporating MDO Challenges12:16 — Building Jointness: Initiatives Across the Services14:02 — Army University's Role in Developing Future Leaders16:25 — What the Force Expects from Field Grade Graduates19:40 — Building the Operational Artist: The Transformative Experience of PME21:22 — Humility, Responsibility & Self-Awareness as a Leader23:16 — Value-Added from Day One: What Graduates Must BeUpon Returning to the Force25:43 — How PME Translates to Real-World Campaigning26:47 — Operation Octave Courts: Repositioning fromSomalia Under Constraints30:32 — Bridging Strategy to Execution: Critical Transitions in Joint Operations32:21 — Operation Allies Refuge: Planning in a Contested & Rapidly Evolving Environment35:48 — Planning Across Distributed Teams: Managing Time, Space & Coordination37:39 — The Power of Assumptions in Operational Planning39:53 — Key Takeaways & Closing Thoughts

Subject: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. Complication: feudal Japan… and [NAME REDACTED] Next door mowing his stupid lawn. Welcome back to BS Reactor, where this week the crew warms up for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III — the film that, reacting to no one, screamed, “What if time travel instead of anything people are emotionally invested in! YEAH! Blow the entire budget on scenery! Kids fucking LOVE scenery!!!”  Operational note: if you DO detect some lawn mower residue in this recording, know that the Music Guy fought bravely in post-production, performing what I can only describe as a suburban audio exorcism. Usual warnings: spoilers ahead. Profanity too. some historical details may be inaccurate, but the swearing will be sincere. Also: I'm Janet — voiceover bot, timeline observer, and I'm increasingly convinced that humans should not be trusted with ooze or temporal artifacts. For prior missions: BSReactor.com Alright. Grab pizza. Mind the paradoxes.

Veteran multifamily operator Dusty Wolf joins the Old Capital Real Estate Investing Podcast for a deep dive into the realities of apartment ownership, property management, and surviving multiple real estate cycles in Texas. With nearly five decades in the business and leadership over thousands of apartment units across Texas, Dusty shares firsthand lessons from some of the most challenging periods in commercial real estate history — including the oil crisis, the Savings & Loan collapse, the Great Financial Crisis, and today's multifamily slowdown. Dusty explains how every downturn forced owners and operators to adapt, become more professional, and focus on operational discipline. From the devastating impact of the 1986 tax reform changes to mass foreclosures and the creation of the RTC, this episode provides historical perspective that today's investors desperately need. The conversation also explores current apartment market challenges facing Texas owners, including declining occupancies in B & C class properties, demographic shifts, labor disruptions, rising operating costs, and the growing pressure on syndicators managing large investor groups. Dusty discusses why many operators underestimate the importance of staffing, vendor relationships, and resident retention — and why cutting corners during difficult times can permanently damage an asset. Key themes throughout the episode include: • Why professional property management matters more during downturns • Lessons learned from 40+ years of real estate cycles • The evolution of apartment syndication and investor expectations • Operational mistakes owners make during market stress • Why resident retention and customer service are critical in Texas multifamily • How patience and long-term thinking separate survivors from forced sellers • Why many experienced operators remain optimistic about 2026 and 2027 Dusty also shares candid advice for apartment investors navigating today's market: multifamily investing is not a "get rich quick" business. Success requires patience, strong operations, adequate capital, and a willingness to let experienced professionals manage the day-to-day execution. To contact Dusty Wolf: dwolf@centrapartners.com Ready to unlock the potential of multifamily syndications? Learn how Michael Becker's proven real estate syndication strategies can help you grow wealth and build long-term financial success. Visit SPIADVISORY.COM to start your journey today.

$250,000 a year feels like you've made it. But it's just the beginning. Neil Twa breaks down why $250K is an operational ceiling, not a market one. Your business can handle more, but your current setup can't. Learn the three key shifts that can take you from $250K to $1M in revenue. Real-world examples from sellers in the home and kitchen category doing $18K a month with two SKUs and solid 4.6-star ratings. Neil's actionable advice: document one process this week, even if you're just at $10K a month. The $250K stall isn't a market issue—it's structural. And structural problems have structural solutions. The High Voltage Business Builders Podcast is here to guide you through these transitions.

Episode Overview In this episode of the Agent to CEO Podcast, John Kitchens sits down with entrepreneurs Damien and Jessica Zouaoui, founders of Oakwell Beer Spa, to unpack one of the most creative and experience-driven business models in hospitality today. What started as two corporate professionals living in New York City turned into a 14-month trip around the world searching for the perfect business idea. That journey eventually led them to a concept almost nobody in America had seen before:

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way medical spas operate—but how can practices actually use data and AI tools to make smarter business decisions without losing the human touch? In this episode of Medical Spa Insider, AmSpa founder Alex Thiersch is joined by Ben Walder, founder of Illume (formerly InsightX), and returning guest Taylor Siemens, founder of Kairos Aesthetic Medicine, to explore how AI-powered analytics are transforming modern aesthetic practices. They discuss the evolution of Illume from a reporting dashboard into a full operational intelligence platform, how role-based reporting can empower injectors and practice managers, and why real-time data is becoming essential for practices looking to grow intentionally and efficiently. Discussion points include: 02:46 The Evolution From Insight X to Operational Intelligence 06:05 Understanding the Needs of Injectors and Business Owners 11:49 Empowering Injectors with Real-Time Data 15:03 The Role of AI in Enhancing Business Operations 17:48 Ensuring Data Quality and Integration 21:09 Future of AI and Data in Aesthetic Practices 23:48 The Human Element in AI-Driven Practices  

Welcome to Episode 1 of our special mini-series recorded at the Airport Fire Officers Association (AFOA) Conference 2026, where we are bringing you some of the most valuable presentations and conversations from across the aviation fire and rescue sector. We begin with a powerful operational debrief from Justin Nicolson, who draws on more than 30 years of experience in airport fire and rescue and airside operations to examine the response to the fatal Beechcraft King Air B200 crash at London Southend Airport on 13 July 2025. In this presentation, Justin provides a detailed account of the airport fire service response, the immediate operational challenges faced on the ground and the critical lessons that have emerged. This is not simply a retelling of a tragic event, but a thoughtful exploration of how organisations respond under pressure and how those lessons can be used to improve preparedness, decision making and outcomes across the wider emergency services sector.Learn about AFOA HEREAccess all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE Please check out our Partners supporting this episode areWilliam Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on websiteFIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsGORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD Send us Fan MailSupport the show***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

In this episode, David Edwards, Chief Technology Officer, Relatient, shares how improving connectivity is unlocking innovation, where AI is delivering measurable value today, and why voice AI is transforming patient access and operational efficiency. He also discusses responsible AI adoption in healthcare and the importance of aligning technology with real business problems.This episode is sponsored by Relatient.

Most churches have a clear vision at the top — but somewhere between the lead pastor and the kids volunteer, that vision gets lost. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we dig into operational alignment: what it means for every ministry team — not just senior leadership — to know exactly why they exist, what their plan is, and how their work fuels the overall mission of the church. We walk through a four-part framework covering team vision, structure, metrics, and meetings, and share real examples from how Mercy Hill Church puts this into practice. Whether you're an executive pastor, a ministry director, or a church planter trying to scale, this episode will give you the language and the tools to stop the sideways energy and get everyone rowing in the right direction.

Most founders think about culture and operations as two different disciplines. Culture is the soft side. Operations is the hard side. Culture is values and vibe. Operations is systems and spreadsheets.That framing is wrong — and it's the reason so many founders end up with cultures they did not intend to build. Culture is not separate from operations. Culture is the emergent behavior that comes out of your operational architecture. The way decisions get made. The way information flows. The way meetings run. The way feedback happens. The way people are onboarded.In the middle episode of May's three-part arc, Sheena walks through five architectural levers — decision rights, information flow, meeting rhythm, feedback and review, and onboarding — that shape your culture more than any values document ever will. She also names the most common mistake founders make when they try to change their culture: adding language without changing architecture. This episode bridges last week's conversation on alignment into next week's conversation on summer operational readiness.KEY TOPICS COVEREDWhy culture and operations are not separate disciplinesThe working definition: culture is the emergent behavior that comes out of your operational architectureDecision rights — why unclear authority makes the founder the default bottleneckInformation flow — how to move from founder-as-information-hub to shared infrastructureMeeting rhythm — designing your weekly, monthly, and quarterly cadence on purposeFeedback and review — making feedback routine instead of frighteningOnboarding — why the first 30 days of a new hire define their experience of your cultureThe common mistake of changing language without changing architectureWhere to start: one lever, one quarter, consistency over gesturesKEY TAKEAWAYSCulture is not a separate thing from operations. It is what your operations produce.Every system, ritual, and default in your business is teaching your team what it means to work here.Your new hires learn your culture in the first two weeks — not from your culture deck, but from the meetings, the documents, and the way the team handles the first crisis.Adding language to your values document does nothing if the architecture stays the same.The practice of designing around yourself is more important than the specific system you build first.RESOURCES MENTIONEDStrategic Discovery Audit — thedevaincollective.comOptimize Operations engagement — for founders who need architectural rebuildOptimize Leadership engagement — for founders whose bottleneck is capacity before systemsNEXT EPISODEEpisode 77 — Summer-Ready: The Operational Architecture That Lets You Take a Break. The practical payoff of this whole arc. What needs to be true in your business right now, in May, so you can actually rest this summer.CONNECT WITH THE DEVAIN COLLECTIVE:LinkedInInstagramWebsite: thedevaincollective.comCONNECT WITH SHEENA:LinkedInInstagramABOUT BEYOND FOUNDER-LEDBeyond Founder-Led is the podcast for mission-driven founders — primarily women scaling service-based businesses from $500K to $5M — who are ready to move beyond being the bottleneck in every decision. Hosted by Sheena Hunt, founder of The DeVain Collective, each episode delivers frameworks, honest reflection, and practical tools for building a business that grows without sacrificing the founder or the mission. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠In this solo episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan breaks down what he calls the “new leadership stack” and challenges leaders to ask a hard question: if you were dropped into a new company today, would you still get hired as a leader based on how you operate right now?Drawing from his experience as the founder of a global technology recruiting and consulting firm, Avetis explains why the leadership playbook that worked even two or three years ago is quickly becoming outdated. He explores how AI, automation, speed, and talent density are reshaping what it means to lead effectively in a fast-changing economy.The episode centers on four critical leadership skills: technical fluency, operational ruthlessness, decisiveness, and talent density. Avetis argues that leaders must deeply understand how work gets done, eliminate unnecessary processes, make faster decisions, and build teams around high performers who create leverage.With a direct and urgent tone, Avetis pushes leaders to stop maintaining outdated systems and start building organizations that move faster, simplify aggressively, and adapt before they get exposed by the market.TakeawaysLeaders need to understand how work actually gets done, not just manage from a high level.The old model of “more people equals more output” is being replaced by leaner, faster systems.Small companies should use speed as their biggest advantage instead of copying slow enterprise processes.AI is not replacing all humans, but it is exposing weak systems and average performance.Leaders must audit where work slows down, where bottlenecks exist, and what should be automated.Bad automation can make broken systems move faster, which creates bigger problems.Operational ruthlessness means cutting unnecessary meetings, approvals, tools, and processes.Time kills deals, so leaders should focus on shrinking turnaround time wherever possible.Decisiveness matters because being wrong is often cheaper than being slow.Every new hire should raise the talent density of the organization.A-players using AI can replace entire inefficient teams.Leaders should ask whether they would rehire their current team if they were rebuilding from scratch.Chapters00:00 The Leadership Game Has Changed01:03 Would You Still Get Hired as a Leader Today?02:26 Why Small Companies Must Move Faster04:49 Technical Fluency and Knowing How Work Gets Done06:10 Finding Bottlenecks and Broken Automation09:28 Operational Ruthlessness12:20 Shrinking Time and Speeding Up Decisions15:04 Decisiveness as a Leadership Advantage17:18 Talent Density and Hiring Better People20:55 Reality Check: Are You Actually Moving Faster?23:23 Closing Thoughts and OutroResources and Links:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hireclout.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podcast.hireclout.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hirefasthireright⁠

What does real ROI from AI and analytics actually look like in the fast-food industry? At SAS Innovate, I sat down with David Gardner, Senior Director of Analytics at Boddie-Noell Enterprises, the largest franchise operator of Hardee's in the United States, to explore how a 60-year-old family business is transforming itself through data, forecasting, and AI. This is a company processing around 40 million transactional records every single day across more than 300 restaurants, where even shaving a few seconds off a drive-thru experience can have a measurable impact on customer satisfaction and revenue. What makes this conversation so interesting is how grounded it is in operational reality. David shares how the company moved from relying on spreadsheets, summarized reports, and gut instinct toward real-time analytics powered by SAS. One of the standout stories involves extending breakfast hours. Operational teams initially resisted the idea, convinced it would create chaos in the kitchen. But once David dug into the transactional data, the numbers told a very different story. Breakfast sales during the extended hours were growing dramatically, proving the demand was real and helping the business make a decision based on evidence rather than instinct. We also discuss how analytics is helping optimize labor scheduling, forecasting, payroll, inventory planning, and customer throughput at scale. David explains how his team can now analyze profitability hour by hour for every restaurant in the business, helping local managers make faster and more informed decisions. With forecasting accuracy improving to within fractions of a percentage point, the business can plan more effectively in an industry facing inflation, labor pressures, delivery app disruption, and shifting customer habits. Another major theme is accessibility. David talks about the importance of data democratization and making analytics understandable for non-technical teams. Restaurant managers are not data scientists, and they should not need to be. The goal is to put insights directly into their hands in a way that is simple, actionable, and easy to understand. AI is now becoming part of that journey too, acting as what David describes as a mentor for newer managers, helping them identify opportunities, improve operations, and get up to speed faster. We also explore how customer behavior has changed dramatically with the rise of delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats, creating entirely different purchasing patterns compared to traditional in-store diners. Through analytics, the company can better understand those differences and optimize everything from promotions to staffing and menu strategy. What stood out most to me is that this is not a story about flashy AI demos or abstract transformation projects. It is about using analytics to solve practical business problems in real time while quietly improving the customer experience behind the scenes. Because at the end of the day, customers do not care about dashboards or machine learning models. They care about getting good food quickly, accurately, and consistently. The technology only matters if it helps deliver that outcome. So as businesses continue chasing AI opportunities, are they focusing on the use cases that actually move the needle, or getting distracted by the hype? Useful Links Connect with David Gardner Learn More About Boddie-Noell Ent. Catchup With What You Missed at Google Cloud Next Please check the partners of the Tech Tech Talks Network Denodo Learn more about the NordLayer Browser

The dominant structural shift identified is the emergence of agentic AI as a direct operator within multi-system business environments, triggering a governance and accountability gap. Vendors and cloud platforms—including AWS, Stripe, and Cloudflare—are enabling AI agents not only to recommend actions but also to directly access payment rails, provision infrastructure, and execute transactions. This movement turns automation into an operating model issue rather than a feature deployment, as the identity, authority, and accountability of non-human actors become central operational questions. Primary evidence is drawn from a range of industry signals. According to an AMD-commissioned IDC report, 81% of enterprises are engaged in AI PC adoption and 61% are embedding AI into workflows. AWS has expanded managed agent packaging for AI deployments, Stripe has launched the Link wallet allowing AI agents to process payments on users' behalf with controls on payment credentials, and Cloudflare has demonstrated agents autonomously provisioning cloud resources with enforced monthly spend limits. While these statistics carry vendor-driven optimism, the combined actions of these companies confirm a shift from advisory AI to operational AI. Related developments reinforce this trajectory. The SolarWinds survey reported by Computer Weekly finds 71% of IT workers experiencing higher demands due to AI, with only 19% noting reduced cognitive load, reflecting operational burdens rather than efficiencies. Similarly, Forrester data cited by The Register highlights a change in CIO responsibilities from system building to outcome governance as agentic AI exposes gaps in decision rights and process completeness. Security risks are elevated, as the Kela report counts 2.86 billion stolen credentials in a year, indicating that agent-driven credentials can trigger machine-speed purchases and changes, compounding the challenge of oversight and recovery. Operational implications for MSPs are significant. Without explicit governance, spend limits, approval paths, and audit trails, MSPs face increased liability and support burden when AI agents initiate actions across client systems. The episode underscores that automation is not just a technical project but a contract and service design issue; if accountability is not clearly defined, MSPs bear the risk and cost of unauthorized transactions and exception handling. To mitigate exposure, there is a need to formalize agent governance as a priced, intentional service encompassing identity management, financial controls, and documented operational guardrails before agentic AI is deployed in client environments. 00:00 Agents Take Over 04:39 Who's Accountable? 06:48 Who Owns This? 09:58 Why Do We Care?    Supported by:  NerdioScalePad    Upcoming event:  The Pivotal Point of IT: Building Services for the AI-First Era Date: May 13 at 1p.m. EDT Register: https://go.acronis.com/davesobelaiera

Unstable business income can make even the strongest entrepreneur feel like everything is falling apart. But unstable money does not always mean your business is failing. Sometimes it means you need better systems, clearer numbers, and stronger control over your emotions. In this episode of The Level Up Podcast, Paul Alex breaks down how to handle cash flow anxiety without panicking, overreacting, or making fear-based decisions that hurt your business long term. Every entrepreneur deals with money pressure. Slow months. Delayed payments. Unexpected expenses. Payroll. Ad spend. Operational costs. But the difference between struggling founders and elite operators is how they respond when the pressure hits. Paul explains why cash flow problems should be treated as math problems, not personal failures. When you separate emotion from the numbers, you can see what needs to be fixed, take immediate action, and lead with clarity instead of fear. In this episode, you'll learn: Why cash flow stress can cloud your judgment How to separate fear from facts when money feels tight Why reviewing the numbers gives you back control How immediate action can stabilize your business fast Why financial reserves create confidence, leverage, and peace of mind The goal is not to avoid every cash flow challenge. The goal is to build the discipline, systems, and mindset to navigate them without losing control. Because when you stay calm, assess the numbers, and execute with precision, you stop reacting like a scared founder and start leading like a real operator. Your Network is your NETWORTH! Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: Instagram: ⁠https://jo.my/paulalex2024⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQ⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024⁠ Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below to see if we can help you: ⁠www.CashSwipe.com⁠ FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream” ⁠www.officialPaulAlex.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jerry Bradshaw discusses: Getting your dog off the bite as quickly as you can when the threat has diminished to a reasonable level. The importance of being proficient in more than one option for your dog when you're in an engagement. The importance of your dog being willing to accept lower value rewards in the presence of a potential bite.  Mastering verbal, mechanical, and manual release protocols. Transitioning from negative reinforcement to positive punishment - from escape to avoidance.   Key Takeaways: Practice your call-offs in stressful situations during training. You're practicing for real-life situations, and real life is not going to be stress-free.  Trying to pull your dog off will create more opposition and make it more difficult to release the dog. Pushing into the bite will often make it easier to release your dog via the gag reflex. You don't want to use your handcuffs as a standard breakstick stand-in, so that you are not creating anticipation and an association with handcuffs and releasing. Not every release protocol or piece of equipment is going to work best for every dog. You will have to try different things to see what works best for your dog. It comes down to handlers needing to, in training, work at being proficient in the proper application of all the correct methods to get the dog to release. We have to be able to start getting them to realize, based on a training setup, what's going to be the more appropriate approach to getting a dog to release in that situation. Rewards make behaviors repeatable. Failure to reward releases and training makes biting something to fight for, and we don't want that dog constantly coming out thinking this is the last time he's ever going to get it, and he has to fight with all of his life to get it back.   "If our training never matches what an operational situation is going to look like, then the out procedure, whether it's a physical one or a verbal one, is going to be far different than anything that we've trained in the past, and it's going to look very different to the dog." —  Jerry Bradshaw   Get Jerry's book Controlled Aggression on Amazon.com   Contact Jerry: Website: controlledaggressionpodcast.com Email: JBradshaw@TarheelCanine.com Tarheel Canine Training:  www.tarheelcanine.com YouTube:  tarheelcanine Twitter: @tarheelcanine Instagram: @tarheelk9 Facebook: TarheelCanineTraining Protection Sports Website: psak9-as.org Patreon:   patreon.com/controlledaggression Slideshare: Tarheel Canine Calendly: https://calendly.com/tarheelcanine  Tarheel Canine Seminars: https://streetreadyk9.com/  Tarheel Canine Student Portal: https://tcstudentportal.com/    Sponsors:  ALM K9 Equipment: almk9equipment.com PSA & American Schutzhund: psak9-as.org Tarheel Canine: tarheelcanine.com The Drive Company: thedriveco.com  The Drive Company Instagram: instagram.com/thedrive.co  Dog Armour: dogarmour.com  Dog Armour Instagram: instagram.com/dogarmourpro  Rogue Arsenal: roguearsenal.com  Rogue Arsenal Instagram: instagram.com/rogue_arsenal_official    Train hard, train smart, be safe.     Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Industrial Talk is onsite at Xcelerate 2026 and talking to Jake Rearden and Nolan Boswell with Green River Distilling Company about "Operational maintenance". Overview Jake and Nolan from Green River Distilleries discussed their implementation of Fluke's Xcelerate system. Green River, the 10th oldest distillery in Kentucky, employs around 50 people across 28 acres plus two warehousing sites. They introduced Xcelerate in 2021, initially underutilized, but significantly improved its use in 2023. They highlighted a 50% increase in preventative maintenance, extending asset life, and reducing reactive maintenance. They plan to integrate Ignition software for real-time data and AI for predictive analytics. Contact details for Jake and Nolan are available for those interested in their insights and strategies. Outline Introduction and Welcome to Industrial Talk Podcast Scott welcomes listeners to the Industrial Talk Podcast, emphasizing the importance of innovation, collaboration, and solving today's problems.The podcast is broadcasted from Xcelerate, sponsored by Fluke, and aims to provide insights on reliability, asset management, and maintenance.Scott introduces Jacob and Nolan from Green River Distilleries, who will discuss their implementation of Xcelerate. Background of Green River Distilleries Jacob shares his background, mentioning his three years as a maintenance manager and his experience in various roles before that.Nolan has been with Green River for five years, starting as a senior and now serving as the maintenance supervisor.Green River Distilleries employs around 50 people and operates on a 28-acre main site, with additional warehousing facilities of 60 and 50 acres.The distillery uses natural water from four wells for cooling and maintaining the quality of their products. Challenges and Achievements at Green River Distilleries Jacob explains the history of Green River, which was revived by a group in 2015 and is now the 10th oldest distillery in Kentucky.Nolan discusses the initial challenges with the Xcelerate system, which was not fully utilized until Jacob's arrival in 2023.The implementation of Xcelerate has significantly improved preventative maintenance, making it the heartbeat of the maintenance department.Jacob emphasizes the importance of change management and getting buy-in from the team to effectively utilize the system. Impact of Xcelerate on Maintenance and Production Nolan highlights the significant increase in preventative maintenance (PMS) and the daily use of the Xcelerate system.Jacob shares a success story about extending the life of a bearing from three to five weeks to two years through condition monitoring.The use of Xcelerate has led to better asset utilization and reduced reactive maintenance, leading to cost savings and improved productivity.Nolan discusses the implementation of good lubrication strategies, ensuring proper greasing at different speeds and RPMs. Future Plans and AI Integration Jacob outlines the next steps, including integrating Ignition software with Xcelerate to provide real-time data and trigger work orders based on failure modes.The goal is to use AI to analyze data and identify top failure modes, allowing technicians to focus on solving problems efficiently.The integration of AI will help Green River Distilleries become more proactive and reduce downtime, ultimately improving overall efficiency.Nolan and Jacob provide their contact information for listeners interested in reaching out for advice or insights on their implementation journey. Closing Remarks and Contact Information Scott thanks Nolan and Jacob for their flexibility and insights, emphasizing the importance of their work in the distillation industry.The podcast is broadcasted from Xcelerate 2026, sponsored by Fluke, and encourages listeners to visit fluke.com for more information.Scott highlights the success of Green River Distilleries and the importance of sharing their story to inspire others in the industry.Contact information for Nolan and Jacob is provided, inviting listeners to reach out for further discussions or site visits. If interested in being on the Industrial Talk show, simply contact us and let's have a quick conversation. Finally, get your exclusive free access to the Industrial Academy and a series on “Why You Need To Podcast” for Greater Success in 2026. All links designed for keeping you current in this rapidly changing Industrial Market. Learn! Grow! Enjoy! JAKE REARDEN'S CONTACT INFORMATION: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-rearden/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenriverwhiskey/ Company Website: https://greenriverwhiskey.com/ JAKE REARDEN'S CONTACT INFORMATION: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-boswell-334a6427a/ PODCAST VIDEO: https://youtu.be/pCJ_W5JKg90 THE STRATEGIC REASON "WHY YOU NEED TO PODCAST": OTHER GREAT INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES: NEOM: https://www.neom.com/en-us Hexagon: https://hexagon.com/ Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/ Fictiv: https://www.fictiv.com/ Hitachi Vantara: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.html Industrial Marketing Solutions:  https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-marketing/ Industrial Academy: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-academy/ Industrial Dojo: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial_dojo/ We the 15: https://www.wethe15.org/ YOUR INDUSTRIAL DIGITAL TOOLBOX: LifterLMS: Get One Month Free for $1 – https://lifterlms.com/ Active Campaign: Active Campaign Link Social Jukebox: https://www.socialjukebox.com/ Industrial Academy (One Month Free Access And One Free License For Future Industrial Leader): Business Beatitude the Book Do you desire a more joy-filled, deeply-enduring sense of accomplishment and success? 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What's the real cost of only having the bandwidth to focus on your top-performing products?Agility requires systems and processes that not only respond to change but also proactively manage complexity across an entire portfolio. It's about creating the capacity to act on every opportunity, not just the most obvious ones.Today, we're going to talk about a critical breaking point for large consumer brands: the operational limits of ecommerce execution. When you're managing thousands of products across countless digital shelves, manual processes don't just slow you down—they force you to leave opportunity on the table. We'll explore how automation and AI are moving teams from being reactive firefighters on their top SKUs to strategic drivers of growth across their entire catalog.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Tambi Younes, Vice President of E-commerce at Newell. About Tambi Younes Tambi Younes is the vice president of e-commerce at Newell. Younes has spent nearly a decade with Newell, holding a series of product experience and DTC leadership roles. Most recently, he was senior director of product, UX and digital experience, where he spearheaded AI solutions within the global DTC digital platform and led an approach to product design centered on user research and customer insights. Prior to that, he was director of e-commerce, DTC, where he led a 12-person team that worked on merchandising, promotional and assortment strategies. He also drove strong growth on Amazon as senior manager of global e-commerce for the company's baby and parenting brands, optimizing digital marketing, product visibility and channel strategy to gain market share. Tambi Younes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tambi/ Resources Newell: https://www.newellbrands.com/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the real cost of only having the bandwidth to focus on your top-performing products?Agility requires systems and processes that not only respond to change but also proactively manage complexity across an entire portfolio. It's about creating the capacity to act on every opportunity, not just the most obvious ones. Today, we're going to talk about a critical breaking point for large consumer brands: the operational limits of ecommerce execution. When you're managing thousands of products across countless digital shelves, manual processes don't just slow you down—they force you to leave opportunity on the table. We'll explore how automation and AI are moving teams from being reactive firefighters on their top SKUs to strategic drivers of growth across their entire catalog. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Tambi Younes, Vice President of E-commerce at Newell. About Tambi Younes Tambi Younes is the vice president of e-commerce at Newell. Younes has spent nearly a decade with Newell, holding a series of product experience and DTC leadership roles. Most recently, he was senior director of product, UX and digital experience, where he spearheaded AI solutions within the global DTC digital platform and led an approach to product design centered on user research and customer insights. Prior to that, he was director of e-commerce, DTC, where he led a 12-person team that worked on merchandising, promotional and assortment strategies. He also drove strong growth on Amazon as senior manager of global e-commerce for the company's baby and parenting brands, optimizing digital marketing, product visibility and channel strategy to gain market share. Tambi Younes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tambi/ Resources Newell: https://www.newellbrands.com/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company