Podcasts about Operational excellence

How do you pivot from a record-breaking NFL career to transforming the investment space?  Marques Colston shares his compelling story of grit, adaptation, and leading with purpose. In this episode of Mitlin Money Mindset®, Larry Sprung sits down with Marques Colston, a Super Bowl champion and founding partner of Champion Venture Partners. Marques reflects on his journey from being an overlooked draft pick to a trailblazer in democratizing sports investments, emphasizing resilience, operational excellence, and accessibility for all investors. Marques discusses: His transition from NFL athlete to entrepreneur and the pivotal role of self-awareness The vision behind Champion Venture Partners and its focus on accessibility in investments The parallels between sports and business, highlighting discipline and risk-taking How fractional ownership and emerging sports are reshaping the investment space The significance of education and empowering new investors for long-term impact And more! Resources: Mitlin Financial   The JOY and Productivity Journal by Lawrence Sprung  Download Your Free Copy of the Couple's JOYful Money Guide Connect with Larry Sprung:  LinkedIn: Larry Sprung Instagram: Larry Sprung Facebook: Larry Sprung X (Twitter): Larry Sprung Connect with Marques Colston:  Website: Champion Venture Partners Website: Marques Colston LinkedIn: Marques Colston  Twitter: Marques Colston   Instagram: Marques Colston  LinkedIn: Champion Venture Partners  Instagram: Champion Venture Partners Facebook: Champion Venture Partners TikTok: Champion Venture Partners YouTube: Champion Venture Partners  About our Guest: A seasoned business leader, Marques's business career is shaped by the perspectives and lived experiences gained from his journey to becoming an unlikely NFL standout. Marques's journey from small school prospect through a decade-long NFL career taught him how success has to be earned everyday, and sustaining it at the highest level requires humility that allows you to be an active learner, curiosity to explore new ways to unlock value, and confidence built on preparation and repetition. This philosophy is the foundation of Marques's post-football journey as an entrepreneur, educator, financial advisor, and executive coach and strategic consultant for dozens of companies – startups to Fortune 100.  His diverse path is connected by the vision to empower underserved and underestimated communities, helping them envision and achieve beyond their current limitations.  CVP represents an opportunity for Marques to leverage his passion, skills, influence, and access to build a firm with the potential to build a legacy of doing well and good, by creating access to wealth building opportunities to a more diverse group of investors. Disclosure: Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest's content linked on this site.  

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Joe Cornwell interviews Nick Stageberg, owner of Black Swan Real Estate. Nick shares how 2024 marked their best acquisition year ever, with 2025 already on pace to surpass it, thanks to a focus on fixed-rate debt and operational excellence. He dives deep into their vertically integrated model, drawing on lessons from software development and Japanese lean manufacturing to run a highly efficient, team-based property management system. Nick also shares a tough lesson from a permitting nightmare in Tacoma and a recent big win on a 112-unit deal in Minnesota secured through creative financing and mission-aligned operations. Nick Stageberg Current role: Owner of Black Swan Real Estate Say hi to them at: blackswanteam.com – book 15 min with Nick securefreedomfund.com – learn about their preferred equity fund Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Post your job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/BRE. Terms and conditions apply. Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacob Mullins, Venture Partner at Village Global, welcomes Kristen Ostro, founder and CEO of Strut Consulting, to discuss the foundational elements that set venture capital firms up for long-term success. Kristen shares how her career began under the mentorship of Dick Kramlich at NEA, where she was trained in the core values and operational excellence that have shaped her approach to supporting dozens of VC firms across Silicon Valley. Drawing on this experience, Kristen explains why establishing a clear mission, vision, and values (MVV) framework is essential for firm alignment, decision-making, and building a resilient culture.Kristen outlines the common pitfalls firms face when they skip the MVV exercise, such as misalignment, wasted resources, and cultural drift, and offers actionable advice for integrating MVV into hiring, branding, and succession planning. She emphasizes that it's never too late for a firm to revisit and refine its core principles, and shares practical tips for making the process collaborative and authentic.Listeners will gain valuable insights on how to differentiate their firm in a competitive market, attract top talent, and create a legacy that stands the test of time. Kristen's reflections, inspired by her early training with one of venture capital's founding fathers, offer a roadmap for building a values-driven organization that can thrive for decades.VC Mastermind is a private podcast for VC Managing Partners. Designed for senior decision-makers at VC firms managing $50 million to $5 billion of institutional capital, VC Mastermind delivers premium insights, peer exchange, and operational best practices across all stages of a firm's life cycle. It was founded by Jacob Mullins (@jacob on X / twitter) – a 20-year veteran of the Silicon Valley startup tech and venture capital industry based in San Francisco.Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

If you're looking for more strategies to operate and manage your freight business efficiently, look no further and listen to our guest, Kyle Lintner! Kyle emphasizes improving cash flow and profitability, key business assessment processes, the importance of automation, balancing technology and human interaction, and leveraging AI tools for various tasks!   About Kyle Lintner Born, raised, and residing in Chicago, Kyle Lintner is an unapologetic Cubs fan, free market enthusiast, and logical tamer of risk. Utilizing 25 years of investment market experience, Kyle employs a unique methodology to solve problems within supply chains. With an objective, analytical point of view, Kyle is a frequent contributor in print, television, and radio for unbiased assessments of current freight market dynamics, conditions, and industry participants.  

Shiv interviews Hilary Gosher, Managing Director at Insight Partners.In this episode, Shiv and Hilary discuss how Insight's 120-person Onsite team gives the firm a competitive edge across its portfolio. Learn how having an in-house operations team can be a force multiplier for portfolio companies by bringing deep functional expertise and strategic support at every stage from sourcing and due diligence to scaling and exits. Hear about how AI and operational innovation are reshaping PE as well as Hilary's approach to AI transformation and embedding AI workflows for portcos.

Although Mobile Home Parks have been great investments over the past couple decades, they have not been immune to the same challenges that other asset classes have faced. These include interest rate escalations plus operating costs such as labor, supplies, and insurance. Despite these headwinds, however, prices have mostly held firm although imminent loan maturities may yield attractive buying opportunities. Jeff Cook, CEO of Cook Properties, is the largest Mobile Home Park operator in the state of New York. Jeff has enjoyed amazing success but has experienced growing pains over the past couple years that have impacted his latest fund. 

Amidst constant change, clear communication is the key to navigating uncertainty.How do you communicate with others when you're confused yourself? For Rob Siegel, leadership isn't about avoiding uncertainty, it's about embracing the clarity that ambiguity can bring."What if ambiguity is the new normal?" asks Siegel, a venture investor and lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business. From rapidly evolving AI to ratcheting geopolitical tensions, every day brings a “crisis du jour,” he says. “I may like it, I may not like it. That doesn't really matter, but I've gotta get my team through it."In his latest book, The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies, Siegel explores how leaders today are “living in dualities,” caught between managing existing processes and adapting to emerging disruptions. “The sooner we get comfortable with [change] in the sense of ‘I don't have to like it, but I can deal with it,' then [we can] lead our teams and give them the calm to know they can get through this.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Siegel and host Matt Abrahams explore how to communicate effectively amidst constant change. From preparation strategies for spontaneous speaking to building trust through candid conversations, Siegel offers practical tips for communicating with clarity when nothing is certain but change.To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premiumEpisode Reference Links:Robert SiegelRob's Book: The Systems LeaderEp.35 Leading From The Hot Seat: How To Communicate Under PressureEp.37 Be Better: How Communication Catalyzes Business Transformation  Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (01:49) - Adapting Leadership for Uncertainty (03:18) - Systems Leadership and Cross Pressures (04:40) - Communication and Context (05:26) - Framing Complex Ideas (06:21) - Innovation vs. Execution (08:11) - Leading Through Ambiguity (09:33) - Short-Term vs. Long-Term Focus (12:44) - Balancing Strength and Empathy (15:26) - Leadership with Humanity (16:42) - Engaging Students Effectively (20:00) - The Final Three Questions (23:41) - Conclusion    *****This Episode is sponsored by Stanford. Stay Informed on Stanford's world changing research by signing up for the Stanford ReportSupport Think Fast Talk Smart by joining TFTS Premium.       

Send us a textIn this engaging episode of Business Growth Talks, host Mark Hayward sits down with John Basford to explore the transformative power of curiosity in both business and personal leadership. As an operations expert, John provides in-depth insights into optimizing businesses by identifying and eliminating inefficiencies, sharing his unique perspective backed by his experience in law and philosophy. With his recent and upcoming literary contributions, "The Curious Leader" and "The Co-Parenting Secret," John brings a wealth of knowledge about innovation in leadership and parenting post-divorce.Throughout the discussion, John underscores the importance of adopting a curious mindset and how it can break down barriers to growth within organizations. Using anecdotes and personal experiences, he illustrates how businesses can streamline operations and embrace change by fostering a culture of curiosity among their leadership and teams. His approach melds the practicalities of operations management with the philosophical underpinnings of questioning and challenging norms, offering listeners actionable strategies to propel their businesses forward and enhance their leadership skills.Key Takeaways:Curiosity as a Superpower: John emphasizes that curiosity helps overcome fear and habits that inhibit innovation and growth.Operational Audits: He explains how auditing operations can uncover hidden inefficiencies, leading to optimized performance.Cultural Change vs. Operational Change: John outlines the distinct challenges and approaches required for cultural versus operational transformations.Leadership Alignment: The successful alignment of leadership decision-making processes is critical for organizational efficiency and growth.Personal Growth: John shares insights into personal development and overcoming self-doubt as one progresses in their career.Resources:John Basford's Consulting Firm: Think LateralJohn Basford's Personal Website: John BasfordBook: The Curious Leader (Contact to get a free PDF of the first chapter by texting 'Chapter' to 33777 in the US)Upcoming Book: The Co-Parenting Secret (tentatively set for release in mid-2025)This insightful conversation with John Basford offers listeners a profound understanding of how cultivating curiosity can drive business success and personal growth. Tune in to the full episode to delve deeper into these strategies and prepare for more enlightening discussions on Business Growth Talks.Support the showIf you want to watch the full video of this episode go to:https://www.youtube.com/@markhayward-BizGrowthTalksDo you want to be a guest on multiple podcasts as a service go to:www.podcastintroduction.comFind more details about the podcast and my coaching business on:www.businessgrowthtalks.comFind me onLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hayw...Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mjh169183YouTube Shorts - https://www.youtube.com/@markhayward-BizGrowthTalks/shorts

Revisiting U.S.-China Relations: Manufacturing, Tariffs, and Opportunities with John LingWelcome to another episode of the Asia Business Podcast. This week, we're joined by John Ling, Managing Director at LinVest Consulting. John has a wealth of experience in facilitating inbound foreign investment into the United States, particularly from China. As the dynamics between the US and China continue to evolve, John provides an essential perspective on the current state of manufacturing investments and the impact of tariffs on these decisions.Connect with JohnVisit LinVestA Glimpse into the US-China Tariff LandscapeIn light of ongoing trade tensions, tariffs have become a significant factor influencing Chinese companies' decisions to manufacture in the US. John explains that while tariffs are a considerable consideration, they are by no means the sole driver for Chinese investments. Other critical factors include supply chain stability and the state of overcapacity within China. This comprehensive approach has led many Chinese companies to view the US as a lucrative market opportunity.Historical Context and Current TrendsJohn delves into the history of Chinese investments in the US, reminiscing about the pioneers who dared to establish manufacturing operations in America decades ago. This historical context provides a backdrop to current trends, where meaningful Chinese investment projects are increasingly commonplace. Despite political headwinds and the complexities of US tariff policies, many projects have thrived, demonstrating the long-term profitability of these ventures.Challenges and Strategic AdaptationsDespite the challenges posed by tariffs, especially those reaching as high as 145% on certain products, Chinese companies have found innovative ways to adapt. For instance, some have capitalized on their operational excellence and responsiveness to customer demands. This adaptability has allowed them to maintain competitiveness in the US market, often outpacing domestic peers in terms of quality and pricing.Joint Ventures and Local PartnershipsAn interesting development noted by John is the growing openness among Chinese investors to consider joint ventures and partnerships in the US. This trend mirrors the historical path taken by US companies entering China and is seen as a strategic move to mitigate risks and foster cooperation. Such collaborations hold promise in bridging cultural and operational gaps, benefiting both parties involved.Policy and Incentive LandscapeWhile some may have anticipated increased incentives from state and federal governments, the reality is more nuanced. John emphasizes that decisions to invest should not rely solely on incentives but rather on broader strategic considerations. Nonetheless, a fair and stable political environment remains crucial for planning significant capital investments.Forecasting Future DevelopmentsLooking forward, John remains optimistic about the potential for improved US-China relations, driven by mutual benefits and strategic interests. He speculates that as governments engage in negotiations, more opportunities for Chinese manufacturing projects in the US may arise. This could mirror the path taken by Japanese companies decades ago, fostering better understanding and trust between nations.Conclusion and Contact InformationIn closing, the conversation with John Ling sheds light on the intricate interplay of tariffs, strategic adaptation, and international partnerships shaping the manufacturing landscape between China and the US. For those interested in further insights or potential collaborations, John is accessible via LinkedIn or through LinVest LLC. Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:54 Impact of Tariffs on Chinese Manufacturing in the US01:16 Historical Context and Evolution of Chinese Investment03:48 Current Challenges and Strategic Adjustments07:44 Success Stories and Future Outlook16:13 Government Policies and Incentives25:11 Cultural and Operational Insights37:24 Conclusion and Contact Information  ProducerJacob ThomasFollow UsLinkedInApple Podcasts

In this episode of the Don't Panic, It's Just Data podcast, Kevin Petrie, VP of Research at BARC, is joined by Nidhi Ram, Vice President of Global Services Strategy and Operational Excellence at Precisely. The duo explore the idea of focusing on data modernisation and improving accessibility rather than constantly implementing new technologies.Both Petrie and Ram highlight the importance of traditional mainframes, especially in modern data strategies. They delve into how companies can combine cloud tools with data in order to handle diverse data systems. This removes the need for replacing the mainframe, keeping the data accessible for all users.Going into the critical role of data quality and governance — especially in the age of AI — Ram emphasises that “garbage in, garbage out” has never been more relevant, as AI outputs are only as good as the data feeding the model.What's needed is a more comprehensive approach to data integration, quality, governance, and enrichment that helps ensure data is always ready for confident business decisions.Listen to this latest episode to learn how Precisely's Data Integrity Suite provides a comprehensive approach to data modernisation.TakeawaysData modernisation is about accessibility, not technology.The mainframe continues to play a crucial role in data strategies.High-quality data is essential for successful AI initiatives.Data governance is critical to comply with regulations and ensure data quality.Cloud solutions offer flexibility, but on-premise systems provide control.Companies need to adapt to a heterogeneous data environment.Integrating people and processes is key to successful data programs.Future data roles will require broad functional knowledge rather than deep technical skills.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Data Modernization02:56 Understanding Data Modernization06:01 Challenges in Data Modernization08:53 The Role of AI in Data Strategies11:56 Data Quality and Governance15:08 Cloud vs On-Premise Data Solutions18:14 Adapting to Diverse Data Environments20:47 Advice for Modernizing Data Strategies23:58 The Importance of People and Process27:07 Future Skills for Data TeamsAbout PreciselyPrecisely is a leading global data integrity provider, ensuring organisations have accurate, consistent, and contextual data. In today's data-driven world, where businesses rely on information for critical decisions, data integrity is crucial. Precisely offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to transform raw data into a reliable asset.Trusted by over 12,000 organisations in more than 100 countries, Precisely plays a critical role in helping businesses effectively leverage their data. By providing reliable software and strategic services, Precisely empowers organisations to confidently embark on their AI, automation, and analytics initiatives. High-quality, trustworthy data is the bedrock for successful AI models, efficient automation processes, and insightful analytics. Without it, these initiatives risk delivering inaccurate results and misleading insights. Precisely's commitment to data integrity allows businesses to make confident decisions and achieve strategic objectives.

"The sooner you can get to a level where you can actually make yourself redundant, I think that's when you start building an institution." This powerful insight from Rohit M A encapsulates a core theme of our conversation: sustainable growth isn't just about a visionary founder, but about building systems and teams that can thrive independently. It's about transitioning from being the indispensable force to the architect of an enduring enterprise. Rohit M A is the Managing Partner at PeerCapital, an early-stage tech-native venture capital fund. Before co-founding PeerCapital, he was instrumental in scaling Cloudnine Group of Hospitals from a single unit to a national leader with 42 locations and revenues exceeding ₹1200 crores. With over 23 years of entrepreneurial and management experience, and having angel invested in 70-75 companies, Rohit brings a deep operator's perspective to venture investing. PeerCapital's first fund is close to $40 million, focusing on "consumption enablers" and providing "valuable capital" to founders. Key Insights from the Conversation:

In this episode, we dive deep into healthcare innovation with Daniele Iacovelli, SVP - Global Head of Digital, Analytics (AI) and Operational Excellence at Roche. Daniele shares how his team earned the prestigious Global Lighthouse Award for their groundbreaking work using AI to predict cell aging and growth patterns in biological processes.He shares what stuck with him from the World Economic Forum in Davos by offering unique insights on emerging AI trends, including the shift from generative AI to agentic AI and how it's revolutionizing pharmaceutical development. He explains Roche's human-centered approach to AI implementation and why integrating digital transformation with operational excellence is crucial for success.Discover why Daniele believes that "at the end, it's not a technical problem, it's a leadership opportunity" and learn his "Swiss knife" approach to balancing technical expertise with business acumen in a rapidly evolving industry addressing global healthcare challenges.

In this final episode of our 4-part series, I'm joined once again by Caroline Armstrong from Teamworks with Caroline to uncover what every small business owner dreams of - building a business that runs smoothly without you having to be there 24/7. Caroline unpacks the real meaning of operational excellence, how to create a team that delivers your “secret sauce” with consistency, and why most business owners hit a wall without these systems in place. If you're tired of being the bottleneck in your business and want to build a structure that scales, this is a must-listen.

In this episode of Masters of Moments, host Jake Wurzak sits down with Greg Kennealey, CEO of Peregrine Hospitality, for an in-depth conversation on building and operating a diversified hotel platform with a focus on performance, alignment, and long-term value creation. With a career that includes time at Strategic Hotels and KSL Capital, Greg brings both institutional experience and an owner-operator mindset to the conversation. They discuss the evolving landscape of hotel investment, from pandemic-driven shifts in demand and staffing, to the renewed importance of leisure travel, stress-testing models, and driving performance across both luxury resorts and extended-stay properties. Greg also breaks down the founding of Peregrine, their vertically integrated approach, and how alignment and talent are central to outperforming in any market cycle. They also cover: How the best hotel companies earned loyalty by prioritizing staff during COVID Lessons from KSL on underwriting, capital planning, and long-term investing The rise of experiential and independent resorts—and where they see opportunity Why owner-operator models outperform in today's capital environment The critical role of KPIs like labor margin, guest satisfaction, and revenue flow Designing phantom ownership structures to retain and reward top hotel talent Building a culture of accountability and innovation from the ground up This episode is a masterclass in hospitality execution, told through the lens of someone who has scaled both iconic resorts and margin-driven select-service portfolios—and believes the best teams win every time. Links: Peregrine Hospitality - https://www.peregrinehg.com/ Greg on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-kennealey-946b715/ Connect & Invest with Jake: Follow Jake on X: https://x.com/JWurzak 1 on 1 coaching with Jake: https://www.jakewurzak.com/coaching Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8Pwo Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:32) - Resilience and Challenges in the Hotel Industry (00:03:12) - Investment Strategies and Stress Testing (00:04:59) - Balancing Leisure and Corporate Travel (00:08:21) - Operational Challenges and Innovations (00:34:13) - The Role of Location in Hotel Success (00:38:51) - Conviction in Hotel Investments (00:41:07) - The Complexity of Hotel Ownership (00:41:48) - The Owner-Operator Model (00:44:49) - Sales Strategies and Exit Timing (00:47:21) - Rapid Acquisition Challenges (00:50:12) - Building an Entrepreneurial Venture (00:54:24) - Operational Oversight and KPIs (00:58:40) - Managing Labor Costs (01:01:26) - Investing in Experiential Resorts (01:09:02) - Food and Beverage Strategies (01:15:52) - Future Goals and Favorite Hotels

Jon said that when he first discovered the design operations community at the 2019 Design Ops Summit in Brooklyn, it felt like coming home. Here was this entire tribe of people who cared about the same things he'd been passionate about for years—creating systems that help designers do their best work. In this episode, I'm talking with Jon Fukuda, co-founder of Limina.co, about how design operations has evolved from an unnamed set of practices into a vital discipline that drives organizational excellence. As organizations continue to face economic pressures, the conversation around design operations has become more critical than ever. How do we demonstrate the strategic value of design teams? How can operational excellence serve not just designers but business outcomes? Jon shares insights from his 20+ year journey—from early days defining UX practice models to his current role as a design ops leader and community builder. This conversation reveals how the best design operations leaders think beyond tooling and process to focus on team health, cross-functional partnerships, and systems that elevate both human-centered practices and business innovation. Whether you're considering a move into design ops or looking to strengthen your design leadership approach, Jon's practical wisdom offers a roadmap for driving operational excellence in complex organizations. Questions you'll be able to answer after listening: How might we structure the first 30-60-90 days in a new design operations role for maximum impact? What key misconceptions about design operations could undermine your effectiveness as a leader? When should design ops be positioned under product teams versus operating as a horizontal function? Why do organizations often view design teams as expendable during economic downturns, and how can we change that perception? How can design operations leaders demonstrate their impact on both team health and business outcomes? About Jon Fukuda Jon Fukuda is co-founder of Limina.co with over 20 years of experience as a user experience specialist. With expertise in UX strategy, design thinking, and UI design, Jon has led teams through human-centered requirements gathering, strategy development, interaction design, testing, and evaluation. His career journey started in the late 1990s when "user experience" was just being defined, giving him a unique perspective on how design practices have evolved. Most recently, Jon has dedicated his efforts to research and design operations facilitation for scalable, sustainable human-centered systems. His passion for operational excellence makes him a respected voice in the design ops community. Episode Highlights [01:30] Jon's journey began when "user experience" was just being defined [02:10] Early exposure to coordinating UX work alongside business analysts and technologists [03:40] "I always approached with a continuous improvement mindset - learn from mistakes, get better" [04:50] The shift from individual excellence to system-level operational thinking [06:40] Jon's team started defining specialized roles: information architects, interaction designers, visual designers [08:40] On discovering the term design ops, "This is the work I've been doing for years - I just didn't have a word for it" — Jon [10:00] The North Pacific Gyre metaphor: design ops managers pick up tasks no one else claims [11:10] The community focuses on team health and infrastructure that supports practitioners [12:20] Design ops handles everything from licensing software to managing team dynamics [14:40] Different maturity levels: from surface-level design to strategic human-centered integration [16:10] How design ops prevents team burnout and toxic workplace dynamics [18:30] First steps for new design ops leaders: conduct a listening tour with your design team [19:40] "Design operations is a servant leader role - you make sure people feel taken care of" — Jon [21:30] Expand your listening tour to horizontal and vertical stakeholders to identify friction points [22:40] The necessity of executive sponsorship when conducting large-scale assessments [24:30] Building a shared vision of success that aligns stakeholders around design operations [26:40] Design ops spans program management, infrastructure, HR partnerships, and career development [27:00] Common misconception: reducing design ops to just design systems or program management [29:40] Challenges of positioning design operations within product-led organizational hierarchies [31:00] Why siloing design teams under product lines limits cross-organizational learning [32:00] The Design Ops Assembly Slack community as a primary resource for practitioners [34:40] Recommended resources: Nielsen Norman article and the Design Conductors book [36:10] Design Ops Assembly Learning Labs offer stratified professional development programs [38:40] Economic challenges lead organizations to view designers as expendable despite their value [41:40] "The future requires better integration - both process and tooling" — Jon [42:10] Need for better connections between design tools and broader business systems   Questions to Help You Go Deeper Learning What surprised you most about the spectrum of activities that fall under design operations, and why? How does the concept of operational excellence in design challenge or enhance your current understanding of design leadership? Which aspects of the listening tour methodology seem most valuable for your context? Leading How might you help your team understand the connection between operational excellence and strategic business outcomes? Where in your organization would improved design operations create the most immediate value? What would success look like if you implemented a structured listening tour with your horizontal and vertical stakeholders? Applying What's one small experiment you could run next week to improve an operational aspect of your design practice? Which current friction points in your team's workflow could be addressed using design operations principles? How could you adapt the first 30-60-90 days framework to fit your specific organizational context?   Practicing How will you build stakeholder relationship management into your regular practice? What support or resources do you need to implement better integration between your design tools and broader organizational systems? Who could you partner with to practice articulating the business value of your design operations initiatives? Resources Nielsen Norman Group Design Ops 101 - An excellent primer that defines design operations as "the orchestration and optimization of people, processes, and craft in order to amplify design's value and impact at scale." The Design Conductors - A new comprehensive book by Rachel Posman and John Calhoun from Salesforce, providing guidance on building DesignOps programs. Patrizia Bertini's Website - Jon recommends her perspective on design ops and business value, with various articles on DesignOps strategy and measuring impact. Events Rosenfeld Media's Design Ops Summit - The premier annual conference for design operations professionals. Henry Stewart's Creative Operations + Design Operations Events - These events take place in New York, London, Los Angeles and other cities, often featuring co-located Design Operations Symposiums. Deepen Your Learning Operations + Human Centered Design + Art with Alvin Schexnider — DT101 E116 - Explores the intersection between operations, human-centered design practices, and artistic approaches to problem-solving, providing additional context for operational excellence in design organizations. Creating a UX Career with Sarah Doody — DT101 E77 - Offers insights into career development for UX professionals that complements the discussion on design operations leadership and team development. Ask Like a Designer — DT101 E61 - Introduces the six designer voices (Builder, Scout, Tinker, Facilitator, Traveler, and Pro) that can help design operations leaders develop a more comprehensive approach to supporting their teams and driving excellence.

This week on the AHRMM Subject Matter Expert Podcast, host Justin Poulin sits down with Joseph Carr, VP of Supply Chain at Akron Children's Hospital. Joseph reveals how his team revamped their product requisition process with smart controls and transformed their value analysis workflow by shifting work from busy clinicians to suppliers. He also shows how Operational Excellence initiatives helped slash processing times in half while tackling mountains of special requests. Tune in to hear what's next on Joseph's ambitious roadmap, including strategic sourcing, ERP rollouts, and distribution makeovers! #PowerSupply #AHRMM #Podcast #HealthcareSupplyChain #ValueAnalysis #ProductRequisition #OperationalExcellence

In this episode of the Art of Franchise Marketing podcast, Erin Martin speaks with Stephanie Knepp, CEO of Sit Still Kids Salon. They discuss the unique approach of Sit Still in providing a comprehensive customer experience that goes beyond haircuts for kids. Stephanie shares insights on building customer loyalty, effective marketing strategies, and the integration of technology in enhancing customer engagement. The conversation also delves into the importance of operational excellence in marketing success and the future growth plans for Sit Still Kids Salon.

Sujatha Sivarajah ( @sujatha_sivarajah ) is the Vice President of Strategic Execution & Operational Excellence for McKesson Canada ( @mckessoncanada ).She joins Ara on this week's episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the significant impact of her parents while she was growing up, being a part of a graduating class that comprised only 10% females, building teams at multiple companies including LifeLabs and Sanofi, being a woman of colour in a male-dominated field, the importance of building a solid foundation, her fascination with history, and so much more.Follow Sujatha:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujatha-sivarajah-p-eng-80897a9/)   Timestamps00:19 - Ara introduces this week's guest, Sujatha Sivarajah00:43 - Sujatha speaks on her upbringing; Jaffna, Ohio, Nigeria02:19 - Sujatha's dad being her mentor; advice for parents06:08 - Being a woman of colour in a male-dominated field (Electrical Engineering)9:52 - Her time at Ford during a recession in Canada; and then LifeLabs17:11 - Leaving LifeLabs after 7 years to build another team; this time at Sanofi21:10 - What is pharmaceutical manufacturing?22:23 - Was the lack of pharmaceutical manufacturing during the pandemic true?24:17 - What McKesson does, and what her role here is26:13 - What Sujatha hopes to accomplish during her tenure at McKesson27:34 - Her view on work-life balance29:19 - Parkinson's Law - work expands to the time allotted for it30:35 - How she secured her roles; never saying “no”40:24 - What she would have done in another life; anthropology or archaeology42:13 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self44:02 - The legacy she wants to be remembered for by friends and family45:25 - Creator Confessions53:19 - The Wrap Up Intro MusicProduced And Mixed By:- The Tamil Creator- YanchanWritten By:- Aravinthan Ehamparam- Yanchan Rajmohan     Support the show

This week's guest is Dr. Adil Dalal. Ron and Adil discussed the rapid evolution of AI and technology, how it affects lean and operational excellence, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote Adil likes (2:51) His background (3:13) His thoughts on lean and AI (8:13) AI and value stream maps (11:44) What operational excellence will look like in the future (18:20) The transformation Adil is most proud of (29:21) His final words of wisdom (40:25) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Adil on LinkedIn Adil's Website Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? How do you envision the future of lean and operational excellence in terms of technology and AI?

Unlocking Innovation and Empowering Teams with Jon BassfordIn this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, host Josh Elledge speaks with Jon Bassford, Founder and CEO of Lateral Solutions. Jon dives into the intersection of leadership, operational efficiency, and organizational culture—sharing powerful lessons from his personal experiences and professional journey. If you're a leader striving to cultivate innovation and empower your team, this episode is packed with actionable strategies and mindset shifts you won't want to miss.Leadership That Lifts: From Powerlifting to Performance CultureJon Bassford draws a powerful parallel between his personal passion—powerlifting—and the principles of resilient leadership. As he explains, sustainable strength, whether physical or organizational, requires adaptation over time. Jon emphasizes injury prevention and the importance of modifying one's approach with age and experience. Leaders, too, must evolve—recognizing when to pivot, when to rest, and when to seek guidance. Just as athletes benefit from coaches, executives thrive when surrounded by mentors and strategic advisors.This mindset is reflected in Jon's work at Lateral Solutions, where the focus isn't on cookie-cutter consulting but rather on operational transformation. His team performs deep diagnostic evaluations of an organization's structure, culture, and decision-making processes. From there, they build customized, practical strategies and offer ongoing support to ensure execution. Jon's ideal clients are companies earning between $5M and $50M in revenue, but more importantly, they are led by individuals with a growth mindset—leaders eager to change and evolve.Much of Jon's perspective is captured in his book, The Curious Leader, which outlines three core shifts for today's executives: adopting a growth mindset, committing to operational excellence, and fostering a culture of feedback and collaboration. He also addresses the biggest barriers to innovation—namely, fear of change and lack of psychological safety. By inviting input from across the organization and leading with curiosity, Jon believes leaders can unlock their teams' full potential and create cultures where innovation isn't just encouraged—it's expected.About Jon BassfordJon Bassford is an operations professional and entrepreneur who leads with curiosity—his true superpower. After earning his JD and MBA, Jon applied his curiosity across a wide range of ventures, from startups to global nonprofits. Known for his curiosity-driven leadership, Jon helps organizations and individuals innovate, adapt, and grow by fostering cultures of inquiry and engagement. He also holds a Certificate in Change Leadership and is the author of the upcoming books The Curious Leader and The Co-Parenting Secret.About Lateral SolutionsLateral Solutions provides strategic consulting for growth-minded organizations. With a focus on operational alignment and leadership development, they help businesses uncover blind spots, build stronger foundations, and execute with clarity.Links Mentioned in this Episode:Jon Bassford on LinkedInLateral Solutions WebsiteEpisode Highlights:How powerlifting parallels sustainable leadershipThe 3

Go to https://cozyearth.com and use code HUMANHR for 40% off their best-selling sheets, pajamas, towels, and more. And if you get a post-purchase survey? Let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here.In this episode, Traci Chernoff speaks with Lizabeth Wesely-Casella about the importance of internal communications and operational excellence in organizations. They discuss the role of HR in facilitating these processes, the challenges of internal mobility, and the need for external support to streamline operations. Lizabeth emphasizes that operational excellence is about delivering better, faster, and cheaper services while ensuring employee engagement and satisfaction. The conversation also addresses common concerns about streamlining leading to job loss and how important it is to align company values with operational goals. This conversation then takes a deep dive into operational excellence within organizations, particularly focusing on the role of HR and internal communications. They explore how fostering a culture of collaboration and understanding workflows can lead to improved engagement and productivity. The discussion emphasizes the need for effective communication strategies, feedback mechanisms, and the significance of face-to-face interactions in enhancing organizational clarity and community.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Operational Excellence and Internal Communications02:31 The Role of HR in Operational Excellence06:38 Challenges in Internal Mobility and Engagement09:55 Understanding Operational Excellence11:56 The Importance of External Support16:36 Addressing Concerns About Streamlining21:44 Aligning Company Values with Operational Excellence23:18 Fostering Operational Excellence Across Departments25:03 The Role of HR in Operational Excellence27:03 Understanding Workflow and Team Dynamics29:52 The Importance of Communication in HR31:56 Tailoring Internal Communications for Engagement34:11 Creating a Feedback Mechanism for Effective Communication36:58 The Power of Face-to-Face Communication41:08 Building Community and Clarity in BusinessWe hope you enjoyed Better, Faster, Cheaper: Unlocking Operational Excellence with Lizabeth Wesely-Casella. If you found our discussion insightful, we'd like you to take a moment to rate our podcast. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners who are passionate about these topics. You can also leave a review and tell us what you loved or what you'd like to hear more of - we're all ears!Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe! Plus, leave a comment if you're catching this episode on Spotify or YouTube.About Our Guest: Lizabeth Wesely-Casella is the Founder and CEO of L-12 Services Corp., a Washington DC-based firm specializing in operational excellence. As a strategic advisor, she focuses on internal communication, attrition mitigation, workflow management, process improvement, and culture.Lizabeth helps businesses enhance internal operations by leveraging team knowledge to reduce attrition and attract top talent. Her team fosters alignment and engagement to boost innovation and collaboration.A nationally recognized speaker, Lizabeth shares internal communications best practices across North America.Connect with Lizabeth Wesely-Casella here:Website: https://l12services.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizabeth-wesely-casella/ Access the CATs Tool Kit: https://l12services.com/bonus-tool-cats-tool-kit/ Connect with Traci here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/HRTraci⁠Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

This is the AHRMM Subject Matter Expert Podcast hosted by Justin Poulin. Tune in every month as we speak with Industry Experts to highlight success stories and solutions from the field that advance the healthcare supply chain. And now, Justin Poulin with this month's Expert… Guest: Joseph Carr, Vice President of Supply Chain at Akron Children's Hospital Topic: Product requisition and value analysis processes Outline: - Intro to Joseph & Background - Tell us about Operational Excellence at Akron Children's - Two Projects for Improvement * Product Requisition * Value Analysis - Product Requisition * Challenge: No hierarchy in the product req process * Kaison Event – full process mapping (OE conducted) * 80k specials per year * Significant opportunity for savings/avoidance addressing a small percentage (5-10%) - Value Analysis * No process in product req to review if VA needs to be involved * Big need for templating and were able to shift the work from SC & Clinician's to suppliers * Next step is automation - What's next – Inventory Logistics and Distribution

Winston Scott grew up in Miami and attended Florida State University to study music. While at FSU he started getting into engineering and at one point the word astronaut flashed briefly through his mind. So, after graduating in 1972, he entered Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School and two years later became a Naval Aviator and served as a production test pilot flying the F/A-18 Hornet at A-7 Corsair. Mr. Scott was then selected by NASA to become an astronaut and reported to the Johnson Space Center in 1992. These days he's Director of Operational Excellence at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex and in that role was touring last week so we brough him by the studio to talk about being an astronaut, and what goes on at the KSC Visitor's Complex.

David McClaskey is the Founder and President of McClaskey Excellence Institute. David McClaskey is an executive coach, consultant, conference presenter, trainer, and Baldrige expert and one of the few individuals to have the privilege of assisting seven companies to win eight Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards (about 6% of the total winners). In this episode, David will present The 4 Pillars to Operational Excellence. Join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network TODAY! Restaurant Unstoppable - EVOLVE! - Eric of Restaurant Unstoppable is now taking consultation and coaching calls! Book a consultation today! Schedule your call to become UNSTOPPABLE! Check out the website for more details: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve Today's sponsors: US Foods: US Foods is hosting the event of the year, Food Fanatics 2025. August 19-20, 2025, at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV. Network with over 5,000 Industry peers. Attend Zouk nightclub reception, expert breakout sessions, Keynote speeches, musical performances, and dramatic demonstrations, and sample the latest on-trend dishes. The Clock Is Ticking! Be Ready to Register on April 16 for Food Fanatics® 2025. To learn more, visit www.usfoods.com/foodfanatics2025 Restaurant Systems Pro - Join the 60-day Restaurant Systems Pro FREE TRAINING. This is something that has never been done before. This 60-day event is at no cost to you, but it is not for everyone. Fred Langley, CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, will lead a group of restaurateurs through the Restaurant Systems Pro software and set up the systems for your restaurant. During the 60 days, Fred will walk you through the Restaurant Systems Pro Process and help you crush the following goals: Recipe Costing Cards; Guidance in your books for accounting; Cash controls; Sales Forecasting(With Accuracy); Checklists; Budgeting for the entire year; Scheduling for profit; More butts in seats and more… Click Here to learn more.  Let's make 2025 the year your restaurant thrives. Guest contact info:  Website: https://mcclaskeyexcellence.com Email: info@mcclaskeyexcellence.com Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!  We are on Youtube: @RestaurantUnstoppable

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Tony Marino, a senior advisor and executive coach with a storied career as CHRO for major global companies like Fiserv. The discussion revolves around the critical aspects of corporate leadership, the parallels between athletics and business, and the importance of maintaining physical and mental well-being for optimal performance. Marino introduces the concept of 'five-tool players' in a corporate context, emphasizing the need for well-rounded leaders proficient in six key areas: financial and business acumen, client focus, people and team leadership, risk and controls, operational excellence, and innovation. The episode also covers practical strategies for establishing priorities, key lessons from transformative sales effectiveness initiatives, and the impact of habits and routines on leadership success.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESLearn more about Anthony Marino:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-s-marino-94a6476/Read Force Management's Guide to Embedding AI In Your B2B Sales Organization: https://hubs.li/Q03ldrzD0Download the CRO Strategy Checklist: https://hubs.li/Q03f8LmX0Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xHERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:01:59] Corporate Athlete: Balancing Leadership and Well-being[00:04:13] Transferable Lessons from Athletics to Business[00:06:31] The Importance of Physical and Mental Health for Leaders[00:09:56] Setting and Achieving Goals: The 6% Club[00:12:34] Prioritizing and Managing Time Effectively[00:28:11] Real-life Examples and Practical Advice[00:33:54] The Importance of Operating Rhythm in Corporations[00:35:43] Predictable Management Routines for Leaders[00:38:18] Understanding the Concept of Five Tool Players[00:40:17] Six Key Traits of Successful Leaders[00:47:49] The Role of Feedback and Coachability[00:51:07] Identifying Team Archetypes[00:59:36] The Impact of Sales Effectiveness on Company SuccessHIGHLIGHT QUOTES"The greatest leaders are well-rounded, like five tool players.""If you don't take care of yourself, you lose perspective.""The best leaders I've ever met are self-aware.""Every leader should evaluate all the activities on their desk regularly to ensure they are adding value.""Sales productivity should be the number one metric for any company."

Curiosity-Driven Leadership: The Operational Edge  EP301 Profit With A Plan Podcast Released May 6, 2025 Guest: Jon Bassford, Operations Expert, founder of Lateral Solutions Host: Marcia Riner, Business Growth Strategist, Infinite Profit®

In this episode of Corporate Treasury 101, we explore how treasury teams can improve their operations by focusing on practical steps in cash forecasting, in-house banking, and treasury reporting. Our guest, Alexander Fleischmann, Market Development Executive at Nomentia, shares examples from companies like Lufthansa, GLS Logistics, and Eaton Corporation to explain how treasury departments can solve real challenges using the right tools and strategies. From building cash visibility to managing internal bank structures, the episode highlights the importance of agility and structured planning in a changing financial landscape.Alexander brings over 15 years of experience helping companies improve their treasury operations. He explains how to start small, make quick wins, and build scalable solutions over time. We discuss why forecasting remains a top priority, how historical data plays a key role in accurate planning, and what makes reporting more useful and accessible to teams. Whether you're new to treasury systems or looking to optimize your existing setup, this episode offers practical advice and real examples from leading organizations.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy cash flow forecasting remains a top priority for treasurers and CFOsHow Lufthansa rebuilt its forecasting system in just 6 working days during the pandemicWhy starting small helps with treasury transformationWhat an in-house bank is and how it saves on intercompany payment costsHow GLS Logistics started implementing in-house banking from the ground upHow Eaton Corporation manages bank accounts and user permissions with clear dashboardsWhat a data cube is and how it supports treasury reportingThe importance of using the tools you already know, like Excel and Power BIWhy having the right data matters more than new technology hypeEpisode Breakdown & Timestamps [00:00] – Introduction and AFP partnership ($100 off CTP certification) [01:35] – Meet Alexander Fleischmann and an overview of today's discussion [02:52] – Why liquidity and forecasting matter more than ever [05:26] – Lufthansa case: how they changed their forecast model in six days [09:19] – Importance of being flexible in difficult times [11:10] – How Nomentia supports team development and talent retention [15:37] – When and how forecasting tools can be used properly [20:50] – In-house banks: what they are and how they reduce costs [25:46] – GLS Logistics: building internal systems step by step [30:17] – Benefits of using separate tools for different needs [33:53] – How to plan and prioritize treasury transformation [37:16] – What is Microsoft Azure, and why does Nomentia use it [42:03] – Moving away from pie charts and improving reporting [44:40] – Eaton Corporation: reporting and permission workflows [49:56] – Using Excel and Power BI without being an expert [53:16] – How to use reporting tools for forecasting and exposure tracking [56:36] – Why some companies start with reporting and later move to full solutions [58:54] – Final thoughts and advice from Alexander [1:00:15] – Where to learn more about NomentiaFollow our guest Alexander Fleischmann:LinkedIn:

In this can't-miss episode of Hospitality Hangout, we sit down with Joe Hummel, former CEO of Twin Peaks and current board member of Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, for an entertaining conversation packed with insights and humor. Joe dishes on his journey through the food industry, shares bold perspectives on leadership, and reveals how Twin Peaks has become a case study in restaurant transformation.Whether you're an industry insider, investor, or just love a good story, you'll enjoy our deep dive into industry trends, the art of networking, and the balance between entertainment and operational excellence. From growth strategies to hilarious behind-the-scenes tales — this episode is as informative as it is fun. Episode Credits:Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com

On this episode of The Horizon, John discusses key insights from a high-level meeting with ten of the nation's top commercial real estate investors. Topics included the rising threat of stagflation driven by tariffs and shifting trade policies, and the broader implications for inflation, interest rates, and apartment demand. Despite macroeconomic uncertainty, John notes that investor sentiment remains bullish, with many planning to be net buyers in 2025. He emphasizes that this is a cycle where strong operations matter most, and experienced operators will likely thrive as weaker investors exit the market. Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Post your job for free at ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/BRE⁠. Terms and conditions apply. Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mildred Zayas, a global supply chain executive with over 25 years of experience in the medical technology industry, shares her transformative journey from her early career in Puerto Rico to leading strategic initiatives at Johnson & Johnson. She emphasizes operational excellence, supply chain optimization, and mentoring emerging leaders. She discusses the importance of continuous learning, servant leadership, and the exciting future of MedTech with advancements in robotics and AI. Mildred also highlights her passion for empowering underserved communities and her involvement in nonprofit organizations like America Needs You.    Guest links: www.linkedin.com/in/mildred-zayas/ Charity supported: Feeding America Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen Producer: Velentium   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 054 - Mildred Zayas [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and today I'm delighted to welcome Mildred Zayas. Mildred is an accomplished leader with extensive and global expertise in strategic planning, operational excellence, and supply chain optimization within medical technology and life sciences. Well, thank you so much for being here today, Mildred. I'm so excited to talk with you. [00:01:15] Mildred Zayas: Thank you for the invitation, Lindsey. [00:01:17] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course. Well, I would love it if you would start off by sharing a little bit about yourself and your background and what led you to MedTech. [00:01:25] Mildred Zayas: Of course. I'm a global supply chain executive with over 25 years of experience in the medical technology industry. I have had the privilege of leading transformative initiatives at Johnson and Johnson, where I optimize manufacturing network, particularly in Asia Pacific, resulting in cost savings, inventory improvements, improved customer service levels as well. We also have introduced what I call the manufacturing ecosystems, which is instead of focusing on the product design on the customer only, which is important-- I'm not saying that it isn't-- but we also want to introduce a product that, of course, is high quality and dependable, but we also enhancing the efficiency and manufacturability is what is called designing for manufacturability. Product design and manufacturing don't have to be mutually exclusive, and that is something that I definitely learned through my career. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I'm particularly dedicated to empowering underserved communities to achieve greater economic and career advancement. My career is driven by a commitment to operational excellence, strategic innovation, and mentoring emerging leaders to achieve their full potential. [00:02:43] Lindsey Dinneen: That's amazing. Thank you so much for sharing a little bit about that. So I would love to go back a little bit further and start. When you were young, did you have any idea that something like this was something you wanted to do? What was your dream? What were you thinking about? [00:02:56] Mildred Zayas: So I have to say yes. And I always, I'm an engineer by training and I always wanted to be an engineer. My uncle was an engineer. Even though he actually opened a university and did something different, he was pretty much, you know, I guess the big person in our family, everybody looked at him. We all wanted to be like my uncle, right? Unfortunately, he passed away. But with that, I always knew that I wanted to be an engineer. That's why I went to engineering school. Eventually, being an industrial engineer led me to the manufacturing industry. I started my career in Puerto Rico and manufacturing was big in the nineties. Do we still have manufacturing? Not as much anymore. But that's how I started in the industry and in the manufacturing industry. And then I progressed through roles of increasing responsibility and continuing supply chain in leadership roles. But yeah, everything started by my family, my uncle and seeing what he was doing as an industrial engineer. And I wanted to be like that. Yeah. [00:03:58] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that. [00:04:00] Mildred Zayas: I'm also good in math. [00:04:01] Lindsey Dinneen: That helps. Excellent. Well, you know, you mentioned during your opening how the values and the core beliefs that you hold to still came from your upbringing in Puerto Rico, and I was wondering if you mind sharing a little bit about that. [00:04:18] Mildred Zayas: Sure. I grew up in a family, my parents, they love to serve. So when I grew up, actually, my mother was always with a cause. She was always helping people. She's still serves. She's 81 years old and she still has a number of ministries and serves. So that's what I saw with my parents since I was growing up. My father used to cook for homeless people when I was a teenager. So at that time, frankly, it bothered me a little bit, but now I can appreciate because really it's about serving and giving others. It's not just about yourself. And I have to thank my parents because they actually taught me that, and not only taught me that, they model it throughout their actions. [00:05:01] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And how has that value of service and giving back impacted your own role as a leader and how you relate to other people? [00:05:11] Mildred Zayas: Absolutely. So and that's interesting that you say that because when you talked about leadership, I always say, "be present, be transparent." You need to let people know what you stand for. But I also embrace what I what is called servant leadership. Of course, leadership is about direction and to have a vision and have followers and all that. I'm not saying that it isn't. But when you look about servant leadership, when you are really helping others, collaborating, and so people can move into where they want to go. So that's pretty much the way is looking into others and empowering them to reach their full potential and fostering collaboration and where trust and growth at the core of every decision. [00:05:57] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. So you've had a really long career with Johnson and Johnson specifically, and it sounds like you have had a lot of different opportunity there. And I was wondering if you could speak a little bit towards your experience and how starting where you did and then now where you are, what was the progression like? What did you learn along the way that was really beneficial in helping you achieve the next milestones? [00:06:22] Mildred Zayas: First of all, let me just say Johnson and Johnson is a big company now, of course, 90 billion dollar and all that. But nowhere I started in the mid nineties, right in the early nineties, I should say. So, so it was a different type of company, number one. Number two, J and J has always been very decentralized, meaning each company-- we call it franchises now business unit-- each business unit is kind of run independently. So I started my career with Ethicon, which is the suture manufacturing company, and that's where I grew up and I worked most of my career on and off. But I was also able to move to other sectors on other franchises as well. So I started in Puerto Rico as a second shift manufacturing supervisor shortly after I had a previous job after college in the pharmaceutical industry, also in manufacturing. But I definitely wanted to be a manufacturing supervisor. And in pharmaceutical industry, you need to have a pharmaceutical background, and it was going to be more difficult for me to be in manufacturing. So Johnson and Johnson offered me an opportunity and I took it and I started in the second shift. From there, I progressed to what now is called process excellence, but it used to be called industrial engineer. Once again, C. I. P. process improvements and all that. Then I move into the planning organization materials management, we call it at the time, all in Puerto Rico. I've worked for five years when Ethicon in Somerville, which we had the headquarters, they called me and they offered me an opportunity to move to New Jersey. And this was in, my goodness, in 1999. So, so I moved to, to, to New Jersey and started working, of course, in the planning organization, supply planning, planning inventory management and all that. But then there was a big opportunity for me, and it was a transformative initiative in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was about manufacturing consolidation and optimization. So there were difficult parts because we closed a manufacturing plant of 800 people, yet we move operations to different places. So in the end, I mean, we definitely grew. It was tremendous for me to work in that initiative. It was my first global experience. I was in a commuter assignment in Scotland. And I had a global team with different functions, different areas, people in Belgium, people in Germany, people in China, because we transfer process to a fair places, people in Puerto Rico, of course, in New Jersey and in Scotland. And I can tell you that I made good friends that still they remember my birthday and we continue connecting via Facebook and all that. So, so that experience was fantastic on gave me a good perspective. I came and talked to my boss at the time and say, "Listen, I already implemented a project. It was fantastic. It was great. But I want to work on strategies." And something that I've always done, and maybe you ask me later about an advice, just ask. You know, people can say no, but I mean, just ask for what you want. So I did! I asked and I got it. I was promoted to a senior manager at the time of my strategy development and deployment. So we were developing the five to seven year initiatives on where you want to have a manufacturing presence, whether make versus buy and those type of things. It did great. It was fantastic. And then I'm like, okay, I have work in the U. S. I have work in Europe. You know, what about Latin America? Because Puerto Rico is kind of in the middle. It's not 100 percent Latin America, especially from a work environment standpoint. We're reporting to the U. S. So I actually moved and worked for Johnson and Johnson Latin America. I was based in Miami and I supported our cardiovascular business. And I was there four years, and then the other two years, our diabetes care business. So I did that for several years and then I moved back to New Jersey where I actually continue developing strategies, was promoted into other directorship level, and work closely with Asia Pacific. That's where I created strategies in the region and help develop the network based on centers of excellence, reduce, of course, the footprint using a lot of suppliers and contract manufacturers as well. We try to optimize the model. So, it was exciting. I actually got to live in Singapore for a year and a half. So it was fantastic. I was there in an international development assignment. Then I came back and I actually went back to Puerto Rico to work in global supply planning. I mean, that's what I started. As I mentioned to you, I did a lot of planning early on, and there was an opportunity there. Even though it was based in Puerto Rico, it was a global opportunity. So I have responsibility for for team in Brussels. I have people in Juarez Mexico, of course, in New Jersey and I was based in Puerto Rico. Did that for a couple of years, and then actually I moved to consumer, to Johnson & Johnson consumer, and I was there for four years. And it was interesting because it's a very different pace, the pace of consumer goods versus medical devices. But it was a great experience. And once again, J and J is big. So I always wanted to take advantage and do different things. After that I came back, late in 2021, back to medtech. It used to be called medical devices by the way, but now it's medtech. And I came back in a strategy and project management role. I have responsibility to develop the overall strategies. But it was not for say, Ethicon, like before one of the franchises, right? It was for all of them. So I was working with orthopedics, of course, surgery, vision care, and then our interventional cardiology. So that's been my career in J and J. I always say three areas or four for me: manufacturing, obviously planning, project management, and strategy. So there's four. Well, I sometimes I put project management and strategy together, but you can call it three or you can call it four. [00:12:33] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Excellent. Well, thank you for sharing more about that. It's an incredible career path you've had and taken you literally all around the world. And something that stood out to me as you were talking is, I'm so intrigued by your story, and courage seems to be a resonating theme. And so, between your willingness to step out of your comfort zone and go try and go learn and keep elevating your own knowledge and career and expertise, but then also to have the courage to ask for the things you want. I loved that advice so much. So I was wondering if you could maybe talk a little bit more about how did you have this courage to ask for what you want and how did this courage serve you as you continue to take advantage of opportunities in very new avenues for you? [00:13:22] Mildred Zayas: Sure. Once again, I have to go to my mother. I come from a pretty, pretty matriarchal family. My grandmother, my mother, they were very strong women. But she always said, "Ask, and you shall receive." [00:13:35] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:13:36] Mildred Zayas: Quoting the Bible as well. But also you have to deliver and you have to execute. I mean, you don't have credibility if you don't do the job. So you have to do your homework. And then once you establish that credibility, once the organization knows that you add value, then you can start asking. And once again, the worst thing that can happen is that they say "no." In my experience it's never been no. The worst has been "not now," but it happened two years after. So you know what? You have to tell people what you're looking for and what you would like to do. But again, don't forget you have to deliver too, critically important. [00:14:17] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah. I love that. Well, and to your point, even if the answer is initially no, it's not usually "no, not ever for the rest of your life. It... [00:14:26] Mildred Zayas: Yet. Not now. [00:14:27] Lindsey Dinneen: ...Yeah, it's not yet. Exactly. So I love that, and your willingness to embrace that courage and do those things. So it looks like also, I know service is a big theme in your life, and one thing that I noticed when I was just glancing at your LinkedIn profile is that you have had opportunities to work with a lot of different interesting nonprofit organizations. America Needs You popped up and I was curious if you would speak a little bit about your experience with that. [00:14:53] Mildred Zayas: Oh, absolutely. And thank you for asking that question. America Needs You is an nonprofit organization that works with first generation college students and how they transition from college to the work environment. I'm passionate about it because I truly believe in education and upward mobility, especially in underserved communities. So what they do is definitely fantastic. And the program is a, it's an intense programs. When you commit to be a volunteer, you work two years with your student there, since they're sophomores until graduation, and we help them prepare for interviews, resumes, what to wear, and those type of things, but it is a tremendous and fulfilling program. And you need to have in mind that, for some of us, it makes sense. I always mentioned my mom, she instilled in me, she worked very hard, etcetera. But not everybody has the model, right? I mean, when you're a first generation college student, you don't know how to navigate. And I love the program because helping others navigate I, I mean, I really enjoy it and sometimes I think that I get more than what I give, for sure. When I see people succeeding and doing well in their careers. [00:16:08] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. That's really special. Mentorship is such a wonderful key component. I'm sure all of us have stories of these people who have come into our lives and helped lead us to the next thing or given us the crucial piece of advice at the right time. So thank you for being that person for others too. That's really special. [00:16:23] Mildred Zayas: Of course, love to do it. [00:16:25] Lindsey Dinneen: So I. Yeah. So I know one thing that's probably on everybody's mind is supply chain management, and since this is one of your areas of expertise, I was wondering if you could speak a little bit towards what should we look forward to in the future, especially, AI is such a big buzzword, but it is reality now. So I'm curious what are some of your takeaways? What are things that you're looking to as time goes on and technology changes? [00:16:54] Mildred Zayas: So, definitely robotics and digital are going to change the game. And you mentioned AI, which is part of that. But if you think about, before it was called medical devices, because really, it was developing devices, but those devices are going to become smarter now, right? And what's important, I think, understanding the robotics, we're going to transform the way we do surgery. Maybe a doctor is in Germany and is operating in a patient in the U. S., right? So those are the type of things that we need to be open and understand and definitely stay current on the new trends. I believe, again, digital and robotics is the future of medical devices or medical technology, for sure. [00:17:38] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay. Yeah. Excellent. So you've had so much incredible experience literally around the world. Were there any moments or a moment that stood out to you as just really reinforcing that you were in the right industry at the right time? "Yes, I am here for a reason." [00:17:56] Mildred Zayas: You know, I mentioned the strategy in Scotland, but that was definitely a defining moment in my career. Because I had the opportunity. I was quite young, but I led the transformation of a big team. I mentioned 22 people. It was a complex initiative, a lot of alignment from cross functional teams, aligning different regions, managing diverse stakeholders in optimizing overall operations. And there was a challenge to balance operational efficiency with the business goals. But while I was doing that, it really confirmed my passion for supply chain leadership. It was incredibly rewarding to see how our collaboration improved performance, reduced the cost, strengthened really our global manufacturing network. And that experience reinforced my belief in the power of strategic planning and teamwork to drive meaningful transformation. [00:18:53] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, of course. As you look towards the future for your own career and even for the future of medical devices, I know we touched on sort of your thoughts with that, but as far as your own career goes, what are you looking forward to coming up? What's your next challenge or adventure? [00:19:07] Mildred Zayas: So I'm glad you asked that question because I'm thinking more and more-- I've been 30 years with J& J again-- but I'm looking more and more into a portfolio career. So where I can definitely continue doing some supply chain strategy, et cetera, perhaps in, in, in a consulting way, but I would also like to serve on boards, participate in podcasts, for example. So I want to do a little bit more of that. I have done for many years, the kind of nine to five one thing in different scales and in different positions, et cetera. But my next step definitely is more into a portfolio career. So I'm not going to do one thing. I'm going to do more than one thing. And of course, I'm going to be using my background and my expertise for that. But I can also combine my passion for helping others [00:20:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Well, that's exciting. I am looking forward to seeing how that develops. I'll be cheering for you, rooting for you that whole time. Speaking of, you had a great piece of advice, and that was to just ask the question. And I'm wondering if anything else that pops into your mind, just pieces of leadership advice that you might give, especially to someone who's earlier on in their career, and might just need a little confidence boost. [00:20:26] Mildred Zayas: Yeah, obviously, ask the questions is good. But my best advice is really to focus on continuous learning and adaptability while building relationships. Relationships are critically important. The medtech industry is fast paced and constantly evolving, so it's crucial to deepen both our technical expertise and our business acumen. Sometimes you need to seek cross functional projects, mentorship opportunities to broaden your perspective. So it might be above and beyond your day to day job, but it doesn't matter. Ask for those opportunities. Also building this network is critically important, and it's going to help you, demonstrating resiliency and it's going to set you apart as a future leader. I believe Theodore Roosevelt say something that I like: "Whenever you're ask ed if you can do a job, tell them, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy finding how to do it." So that's the way to do it. Don't stress yourself. Don't be afraid. Be excited. Fear paralyzes us while excitement allows us to move forward. [00:21:34] Lindsey Dinneen: That is such great advice. Thank you for that. I love that. And that's so great because you're absolutely right. You can use that strong emotional pull that often feels like fear, but what if you reframe it and think, "Hey, actually this means I care a lot and I'm very excited about this." So let's use that as energizing, not debilitating. [00:21:52] Mildred Zayas: Correct. Absolutely. [00:21:55] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely, absolutely. [00:21:57] Mildred Zayas: By the way, one of my mentors told me that. [00:22:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Ah, back to that. I love it. Full circle. [00:22:05] Mildred Zayas: Absolutely. [00:22:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Well, pivoting the conversation a little bit, just for fun. Imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want. It can be within your industry, based on your experience, but it doesn't have to be at all. What would you choose to teach? [00:22:24] Mildred Zayas: That's a very intriguing question. And it's something I don't believe they give in college these days, but something along the line of advancing through corporate structures. I would love to teach young professionals how to navigate workplace politics, negotiate promotions and manage career transitions, something along those lines. We were educated very tactically, typically. Like in my case, I was an engineer, so I could do a lot of math and I could do a lot of models. It was wonderful. But I didn't know how to navigate in the corporate environment, and it took some headaches, and it took some time. So, I would love to be able ,to do something like that for young professionals specifically. [00:23:12] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Well, I can sense a theme. Your heart is such a lovely heart of service and mentorship. So that is lovely. [00:23:18] Mildred Zayas: That is true. Yes, indeed. [00:23:20] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, and sort of along those lines, how would you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:23:27] Mildred Zayas: It's gonna be also very similar. I definitely wish to be remembered for guiding others toward reaching their full potential, especially those who face systemic challenges and for helping them create their own path to success. [00:23:43] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that so much, yeah. And then, final question, what is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:23:52] Mildred Zayas: Well, you can probably guess this, but I'm telling you, seeing someone I've mentored or supported achieve their goals always make me smile. It reminds me of the difference we can make in each other's lives. [00:24:05] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. That's just absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. So I am very excited to continue to watch your, how did you put it, portfolio career? [00:24:16] Mildred Zayas: That's what I'm trying to build. [00:24:18] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay. Unfold. So how can people maybe connect with you if they're interested in working with you as a supply chain executive or whatever else you plan to offer in this portfolio career of yours? [00:24:29] Mildred Zayas: They can follow me via LinkedIn. It's the best way. I'm there, Mildred Zayas. So, yeah, they can reach out. I'm happy to collaborate. I believe in teamwork, collaboration, and really helping each other succeed. [00:24:44] Lindsey Dinneen: Excellent. Excellent. Well, goodness gracious, this has been very wonderful. Thank you so much for spending some of your morning with us today, Mildred. Thank you for just sharing your advice and your heart for service and mentorship. And I'm so excited to see where this next step in your career takes you, so like I said, I will be rooting for you every step of the way. [00:25:04] Mildred Zayas: Thank you, Lindsey. I appreciate that. [00:25:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course. We are so honored to be making a donation on your behalf today to Feeding America, which works to end hunger in the United States by partnering with food banks, food pantries, and local food programs to bring food to people facing hunger, and also they advocate for policies that create long term solutions to hunger. So thank you so much for choosing that charity to support, and we just wish you the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world. [00:25:37] Mildred Zayas: Thank you. Very nice. [00:25:40] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. And thank you also to all of our listeners for tuning in and if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I'd love it if you'd share this episode with a colleague or two, and we'll catch you next time. [00:25:53] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development.

Aubrey converses with Lindsey Wallett Founder and CEO of See-Contact Solutions and currently serves as Head of Digital Transformation and Operational Excellence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains welcomes fractional CEO and systems optimizer Joshua Monge, who reveals the operational secrets that turn chaotic, founder-reliant SaaS businesses into scalable, exit-ready machines.From escaping burnout to structuring future-proof systems, Joshua shares what it really takes to build a business that thrives without the founder being in every decision. If you've ever felt like your company can't breathe unless you're in the room—this one's for you.Key Takeaways01:15 - SaaS sales as an endurance sport04:14 - Guest intro: Joshua Mong08:00 - Firefighting vs. real leadership10:00 - Becoming your own bottleneck12:45 - Breaking through the $3M–$5M ceiling18:55 - Mapping workflows step-by-step21:10 - How to get out of the weeds23:23 - Why every SaaS should be built for exit26:31 - Operational freedom and founder identity29:12 - Thinking strategically beyond the day-to-day30:13 - The pain of being too involved in the business32:15 - Rocket Fuel and visionary/integrator dynamics34:45 - What increases company valuation38:25 - AI and automation in operations43:07 - When great processes hurt more than help45:58 - Customer onboarding = consistency is key50:22 - How to scale operations from $1M to $10MTweetable Quotes"If your business can't breathe unless you're in the room, it's time to rewire the system." – Jeff Mains"The companies that scale aren't built around brilliant founders—they're built on brilliant systems." – Joshua Monge"Delegation isn't giving up control. It's regaining freedom." – Joshua Monge"You don't sell a business—you sell the system that generates the revenue." – Jeff Mains"Being exit-ready doesn't mean you're leaving. It means you have options." – Joshua Monge"AI is the accelerator, but without systems, it just makes your mess faster." – Joshua MongeSaaS Leadership LessonsFounder Involvement = BottleneckGrowth slows when founders micromanage. Delegate with systems, not hope.Parallel Systems Create FreedomBuild dual systems—one for now, one for scale—to ease transition without friction.Document or DieUndocumented or outdated processes are hidden handbrakes on growth and valuation.Exit-Ready = Freedom-ReadyEven if you never sell, building for exit gives you optionality and peace of mind.Don't Overengineer Your OpsCopying someone else's playbook can backfire. Build what your business actually needs.Visionaries Need IntegratorsGreat ideas die without execution. A strong operator turns creative chaos into scalable growth.Guest ResourcesEmail - joshuam@thinkadaptbuild.comWebsite - http://thinkadaptbuild.com/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjdmonge/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite -

Lucas Sherraden hosts this episode of the Built How podcast, featuring Lacy Picklo, COO of the Fred Sed Group. They dive into the transformative role of operations in scaling a real estate business, highlighted by the group's leap from $99 million to $167 million in annual sales. Lacy shares her journey from an admin role to COO, emphasizing the power of systems, teamwork, and positivity. Insights on fostering talent and leading effectively under Fred Sed's leadership reveal how operational excellence drives growth and sustains success in the competitive real estate industry.

On this encore episode, I sit down with a colleague from back in my work on the brand side, Craig Baxter, Group President of Techtronic Industries Canada Inc., part of a global 13 billion dollar powerhouse tool house of brands that includes Milwaukee, Ryobi, andHoover. In a wide-ranging and engaging conversation, Craig talks about radical innovation, retail go-to-market strategy, leadership for growth, and the epic come-from-behind marketplace win for his Milwaukee brand of power tools as the sixth horse in a five-horse race.  About CraigSixteen years ago, I was given the opportunity to become the president of TTi Canada; a world class leader in design, manufacturing, and marketing of power tools and accessories, outdoor product equipment and floor care for consumers, professional and industrial users in the home improvement, repair, and construction industries.Since then, I have had the privilege of working alongside a team of outstanding performers who share the same belief in setting audacious goals and holding ourselves accountable to deliver those goals while continuing to cultivate a best in class working environment.Along with our unrelenting strategic focus on powerful brands, innovative products, operational excellence, and exceptional people, we strive to continuously build upon a corporate culture where our employees can realize more and more of their abundant potential. What inspires me, is seeing people striving to do great work and growing into the best version of themselves. By continuously improving our culture through all of our success we have further leveraged our biggest differentiator as a company, and that is something I am very proud of.“Show class, have pride, and display character. And if you do, winning takes care of itself” – Bear Bryant Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

What You'll Learn:In this episode, hosts Shayne Daughenbaugh, Catherine McDonald, and guest Sebastian McLeod, discuss the importance of frontline leaders in driving organizational change. Sebastian McLeod, CEO of TrippNT, shares his company's journey from a basement startup to an industry leader, emphasizing the significance of frontline workers and the impact of Lean principles.About the Guest:Sebastian McLeod, CEO of TrippNT, transformed the company from a basement startup into an award-winning industry leader recognized by Inc. Magazine since 2014. A U.S. Army veteran, he leverages his background in discipline and efficiency to streamline operations and foster innovation. Known for his respectful, problem-solving leadership style, Sebastian has built a global client base with customizable, efficiency-driven products. In 2018, he received the Made in Missouri Leadership Award for Manufacturer of the Year.Links:CLICK HERE FOR TRIPPNT LINKEDINCLICK HERE FOR TRIPPNT FACEBOOKCLICK HERE FOR TRIPPNT INSTAGRAMCLICK HERE FOR TRIPPNT WEBSITE

We dive into the world of operational excellence and visionary leadership with guest Emma Rainville, author of Scope and founder of Shockwave. Zoë shares updates on her Australian Alpine walking track adventure and the behind-the-scenes of the Power Games Kickstarter launch. On Planet Human, she explores the unfolding Tesla brand rebellion and the deeper lessons on leadership, marketing, and impact. Emma brings a compelling perspective on how to scale businesses by bringing calm to chaos. She outlines the WAVE framework—Written Vision, Absolute Focus, Values-driven Future, and Execution Plan—and offers practical, transformative advice for any leader serious about delivering big ideas, sustainably and profitably. Together, they examine the future of AI in operations, culture-building through psychological safety, and why mentorship—not management—is the secret sauce of visionary success. SHOWNOTES are here: https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast/operational-excellence   My new Substack: https://substack.com/@zoerouth Power Games: https://www.zoerouth.com/power-games   Planet Human: Tesla owners are rebelling—not by selling their cars, but by disguising them. A lesson in knowing your audience, brand alignment, and leadership reputation. https://www.fastcompany.com/91294552/tesla-owners-are-disguising-their-cars-with-fake-badges-as-a-form-of-resistance    Key Quotes: "Founders often have vision but no framework. That's where chaos begins." – Emma Rainville "Operational excellence means responding, not reacting." – Emma Rainville "We shouldn't be 'shoulding' all over ourselves. Make conscious commitments." – Zoë Routh   Questions Asked: 1. What is the WAVE framework and how can it help you scale? 2. Why do visionary leaders struggle with management—and how can they overcome it? 3. What are the biggest mistakes founders make when launching new products? 4. How can we build a culture where failure becomes fuel for growth?   Take Action: 1. Define your own Written Vision. Where are you heading in 10 years? 2. Create a people development plan—not just for hiring, but for mentoring. 3. Test Emma's approach: use ChatGPT to challenge your processes and find efficiencies. 4. Celebrate team members not just for solving problems, but for how they fix mistakes.   Tip of the Week Explore AI as a co-pilot in your business. Delegate your drudgery.  Ask: How might I make this repeatable, streamlined, or automated?   Join the community here: https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast-news You'll get 40 book summaries and recommendations on Leading Strategy and Performance, along with a special secret audio from my award-winning book, People Stuff.   Join the Power Games advance notice here: https://www.zoerouth.com/power-games   Key Moments 00:00 Introduction and Weekly Theme 00:32 Tesla Resistance and Marketing Missteps 03:30 Personal Updates from Zoe 04:27 Eliminating Drudgery with AI 05:40 Interview with Emma Rainsville: The Wizard of Ops 09:01 Defining Operational Excellence 10:03 Visionary Entrepreneurs and Business Challenges 16:22 People Development and Leadership 22:31 Exploring Commercial and Home Services 23:04 The Impact of AI on Operational Excellence 24:16 Incorporating AI and Automations 29:03 Building a Culture of Operational Excellence 32:14 The WAVE Operational Framework 35:07 The Fast Three: Quick Insights 37:05 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

Scaling a franchise network is often seen as the ultimate benchmark of success—but what happens when growth outpaces execution? For franchisors and franchisees alike, the challenge isn't just growth, it's sustaining scalable franchise operations that drive consistent results across locations, regions, and countries. When systems falter and support lags behind expansion, the cracks begin to show—profitability dips, brand reputation takes a hit, and momentum slows. Ford Saeks sits down with Ryan Farris, President, COO, and Region EVP at Fortidia, who brings firsthand insight into the infrastructure, culture, and leadership required to build franchise systems that scale without sacrificing quality or performance. With experience overseeing more than 3,000 franchise locations across 50+ countries, Ryan's perspective is rooted in operational depth and a results-driven mindset. Execution—not ambition—is often the defining factor in whether a franchise system thrives or stalls. While organizations frequently rally around lofty mission statements, Ryan Farris points to the everyday actions that shape a brand's culture and determine its trajectory. Systems, coaching, and accountability—not slogans—are what sustain performance. Ford Saeks and Farris highlight how many franchise brands falter when growth outpaces their ability to implement and support consistent operational standards. Without a strong foundation, scale becomes a liability rather than a strength. Central to this discussion is what Ryan refers to as the Wheel of Excellence—a framework used to assess and support franchisees across four key pillars: marketing, sales, operations, and finance. This approach allows franchisors to diagnose strengths and weaknesses quickly, offering tailored guidance based on the needs of each owner. Ford expands on the importance of knowing where franchisees excel, where they need support, and how accountability paired with coaching can unlock system-wide success. Scalable franchise operations are not achieved through one-size-fits-all strategies. The episode highlights the differences between owner-operators, owner-managers, and owner-CEOs, and how each stage requires a different level of systemization, delegation, and leadership. Ryan shares why the most successful franchisees are those who can clearly identify their strengths and hire to support their weaknesses—whether in marketing, finance, or day-to-day operations. The idea that franchisees should navigate growth entirely on their own often leads to breakdowns in performance and consistency. Scalable franchise operations require more than a solid business model—they demand clear guidance, structured support, and continuous feedback. Growth without attention to unit-level economics can lead to fragile systems, where expansion masks underlying issues. Sustainable success comes from franchise systems that perform at the unit level, backed by infrastructure designed to reinforce execution at every stage. Technology, particularly AI, emerges as a powerful enabler throughout the episode. Ryan shares how AI is being implemented across Fortidia's portfolio of brands—from analyzing customer calls to improving lead response times and simplifying franchisee support. Rather than replacing the human element, these tools are used to create clarity, enhance training, and ensure that service quality remains high even as the network grows. There's a clear call for leaders to pause and examine whether their current systems truly support long-term growth. Are franchisees following the playbook? Are they receiving actionable insights that drive improvement? And most importantly—are the fundamentals being executed consistently at scale? Mastering scalable franchise operations isn't just about systems or strategy—it's about alignment. Between franchisors and franchisees. Between vision and execution. Between growth and performance. With Ryan Farris bringing grounded insights and Ford Saeks guiding the conversation with experience and clarity, this episode offers a high-value perspective for anyone responsible for leading or scaling a franchise brand. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Don't miss future episodes of Fordify LIVE! every Wednesday at 11 AM Central, streaming on your favorite social platforms. Catch new episodes of The Business Growth Show Podcast every Thursday for a weekly dose of business growth wisdom. About Ryan Farris Ryan Farris is the President, COO, and Region EVP at Fortidia, where he leads operational strategy and brand growth across a portfolio of global franchise systems. With experience overseeing more than 3,000 franchise locations in over 50 countries, he brings deep expertise in scalable franchise operations, leadership development, and system-wide performance. Known for implementing frameworks like the Wheel of Excellence, he focuses on driving accountability, strengthening unit-level economics, and leveraging technology to support franchisee success. Learn more about Fortidia. About Ford Saeks Ford Saeks is a Business Growth Accelerator who has helped generate over a billion dollars in sales for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500s. As President and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc., he focuses on customer acquisition, brand visibility, and innovation. With over 20 years of experience, Ford has founded more than ten companies, authored five books, and holds three U.S. patents. His expertise also extends into AI prompt engineering, where he's recognized for training AI to drive engagement and results. Learn more at ProfitRichResults.com and watch his TV show at Fordify.tv.

With Jhana Li, founder of Spyglass Ops, empowering founders to scale their businesses while reclaiming their personal freedom. Jhana Li first discovered Operations while Van-lifing her way through North & South America. She's been COO at multiple successful startups, and coached hundreds more. After seeing countless founders stall out & trap themselves without the proper Operations, Jhana started Spyglass Ops which providers operations consulting & recruitment to CEOs of 7 and 8 figure businesses, Operations teams, and digital startup entrepreneurs.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.This two-part series was recorded at APSCON 2024 In Houston, Texas. In this series, hosts Jon Gray, and Jack Schonely sit down with Sgt Cody Robinson and CFI Jeff Serpas from the Houston Police Department Air Support Unit. In this episode, we engage with Houston PD's finest, who share their insights, experiences, and challenges in the field. We'll explore the critical role of mentorship and how training methods have evolved over time, alongside the significance of in-house training programs in preparing personnel for the demands of their roles.Join us as we explore our guests' personal journeys through aviation and law enforcement, revealing the vital importance of safety, preparedness, and integrity within flight operations. They emphasize the significance of saying no in aviation, especially under pressure.We'll also discuss the operational dynamics of air support units, effective training, and the crucial selection process for tactical flight officers (TFOs).Our guests discuss Houston PD's unit's structure, aircraft fleet, and the significance of maintenance and reliability in operations. The conversation also covers the challenges of navigating Houston's airspace, the impact of weather on operations, particularly during hurricane season, and the importance of community and teamwork in addressing these challenges.Don't forget to mark your calendars for this year's APSCON, which will take place July 14-18 in Phoenix, Arizona. Another conference to get ready for is the ECHO or Every Coast Helicopter Operations Public Safety Aviation Conference is Louisville, Kentucky, Sept. 28 through Oct. 1, 2025.This year at the ECHO conference, Jack Schonely and Clay Lacey will join forces to present their renowned and impactful course together on the same stage for the very first time. This unique collaboration and course will be titled "Airborne Tactical Solutions." This is a course you won't want to miss! For more details, visit the ECHO webpage at ECHOflightCrew.org.Thank you to our sponsors Night Flight Concepts, Precision Aviation Group and Robinson Helicopter.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.This two-part series was recorded at APSCON 2024 In Houston, Texas. In this series, hosts Jon Gray, and Jack Schonely sit down with Sgt Cody Robinson and CFI Jeff Serpas from the Houston Police Department Air Support Unit. In this episode, we engage with Houston PD's finest, who share their insights, experiences, and challenges in the field. We'll explore the critical role of mentorship and how training methods have evolved over time, alongside the significance of in-house training programs in preparing personnel for the demands of their roles.Join us as we explore our guests' personal journeys through aviation and law enforcement, revealing the vital importance of safety, preparedness, and integrity within flight operations. They emphasize the significance of saying no in aviation, especially under pressure.We'll also discuss the operational dynamics of air support units, effective training, and the crucial selection process for tactical flight officers (TFOs).Our guests discuss Houston PD's unit's structure, aircraft fleet, and the significance of maintenance and reliability in operations. The conversation also covers the challenges of navigating Houston's airspace, the impact of weather on operations, particularly during hurricane season, and the importance of community and teamwork in addressing these challenges.Don't forget to mark your calendars for this year's APSCON, which will take place July 14-18 in Phoenix, Arizona. Another conference to get ready for is the ECHO or Every Coast Helicopter Operations Public Safety Aviation Conference is Louisville, Kentucky, Sept. 28 through Oct. 1, 2025.This year at the ECHO conference, Jack Schonely and Clay Lacey will join forces to present their renowned and impactful course together on the same stage for the very first time. This unique collaboration and course will be titled "Airborne Tactical Solutions." This is a course you won't want to miss! For more details, visit the ECHO webpage at ECHOflightCrew.org.Thank you to our sponsors Canyon AeroConnect, CNC Technologies and Metro Aviation.

Send us a textJoin Joey Pinz as he sits down with tech leader Tim Coach in an insightful conversation that charts his journey from a military background to becoming a key player in managed services and security consulting. Tim Coach candidly shares how his early experiences and hands-on approach transformed everyday challenges into opportunities for growth. In this episode, he explains his unique strategy for streamlining operations, mentoring teams, and fostering strong peer networks—all while emphasizing accountability and practical leadership.

Ryan Jury, Assistant Division Director for Operational Excellence with the Department of Health and Human Services in North Carolina, tells us what he has learned from the ASTHO Leadership Institute and the ASTHO Spring Leadership Forum; Justa Encarnacion, Commissioner of Health for the United States Virgin Islands, details a recent interagency leadership team convened by ASTHO; and on Thursday, April 3, an ASTHO webinar will focus on how AmeriCorps is shaping Public Health across the country. ASTHO Web Page: ASTHO Leadership Institute ASTHO Webinar: Public Health in Action – How AmeriCorps is Shaping Public Health in Indiana and NACDD ASTHO Web Page: Subscribe  

Send us a textWe are human beings, not human doings.And sometimes, the doing doesn't happen.That doesn't mean the being isn't exactly, perfectly on time.This episode of Masterful Listening is a powerful invitation to slow down and remember who you are beneath the noise. I'm joined by Patrick Tam, Vice President of Operational Excellence at ServiceNow, professor, father, and one of the most heart-centered humans I know.Patrick and I first met years ago when he was a student in one of my classes. I later became his coach, and working with him has been one of the greatest honors of my career. He reminds me, consistently, what it means to lead with integrity, humility, and humanity—all while navigating high-level success.This conversation isn't about titles or performance. It's about presence. It's about creating a life that feels real, not just impressive. It's about slowing down enough to actually listen—to yourself, to others, to what matters. Tune in for powerful reflections, unexpected wisdom, and a glimpse into what leadership looks like when it's rooted in being.The audio isn't perfect. Life isn't either. But the frequency of this one? It's undeniable.

This episode of The Experimental Leader explores leadership challenges, the power of experimentation, and ethical influence.Discover principles like bravery, reciprocity, and consistency, along with actionable insights to foster purpose-driven leadership and a values-aligned culture.

This week's guest is Jackey Lin. Ron and Jackey discussed Jackey's diverse career background, deploying operational excellence on a global scale, overcoming communication barriers, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  Jackey's favorite quote (2:43) His background (4:52) Initiating operational excellence on a global scale (7:36) Jackey's advice on dealing with resistance (15:55) Examples of how they communicate (21:35) How these improvements lead to operational results (24:34) What Jackey is most proud of (29:45) His final words of wisdom (34:03) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Jackey on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Have you ever worked on continuous improvement in multiple countries?

Welcome to this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast featuring Charles Cushing, Founder of StartOps, a specialized community for supply chain, CX, and finance operators at omnichannel brands. In this conversation, Charles shares how his past experiences managing operations at a fast-growing e-commerce startup led him to build a network to provide operators with critical peer-to-peer insights. StartOps addresses common issues in operations, from vendor selection to career development, by connecting professionals in a curated, referral-based environment. As we move through 2025, Charles reveals what's top of mind for operators and how community-driven support and technology insights are shaping the future of operations.Learn more about Zebra Robotics here. Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show

Read the blog postIn this episode, we explore how continuous improvement serves as a key pillar within a broader operational excellence strategy in healthcare. While many organizations strive to enhance quality and efficiency, real progress happens when continuous improvement is not treated as an isolated initiative but as an embedded practice within a structured system. Operational excellence provides the strategy, alignment, and leadership framework necessary to sustain and scale improvement efforts across an organization.A critical factor in achieving operational excellence is leadership commitment. Senior leaders must do more than support improvement initiatives—they must integrate them into the organization's strategic direction. This requires a shift from traditional command-and-control leadership to a coaching and mentoring approach, where leaders ask the right questions, remove obstacles, and create an environment where continuous improvement becomes a daily habit rather than a series of isolated projects.For continuous improvement efforts to be sustainable, organizations need a well-defined management system. Operational excellence replaces traditional project-based thinking with a structured approach that ensures improvement initiatives are aligned with long-term goals, also known as the organization's "True North." Without this alignment, improvement efforts risk becoming fragmented and disconnected from the larger mission of delivering safe, high-quality, and reliable care.Cultural transformation is another essential element of this journey. Operational excellence recognizes that meaningful change takes time, requiring organizations to "slow down to speed up." Rather than rushing through process changes, healthcare leaders must foster a culture where thoughtful planning and execution lead to lasting improvements. A common vocabulary around improvement efforts also helps ensure clarity, engagement, and a shared understanding among staff, reinforcing the connection between individual contributions and the organization's broader objectives.Prioritization is key to avoiding burnout and ensuring improvement efforts are impactful. Without clear priorities, organizations may scatter their resources across too many initiatives, leading to frustration and a lack of meaningful progress. Operational excellence encourages a focused approach, typically emphasizing three to four high-impact priorities that align with strategic goals and drive breakthrough improvements.Technology also plays a vital role in continuous improvement. Modern improvement platforms help teams collaborate, share data, and measure the health of their improvement culture. Real-time reporting and analytics enable organizations to identify challenges faster and address root causes more effectively, ensuring that improvement efforts lead to measurable and sustainable results.Ultimately, continuous improvement is most effective when embedded within an operational excellence framework. This integration helps healthcare organizations channel the passion of their workforce into practical, long-term solutions that enhance quality, lower costs, and improve patient outcomes. By fostering a culture where continuous progress is part of daily operations, organizations can achieve sustainable success and drive meaningful change for years to come.

Autonomous trucking has long promised a more efficient, scalable future for freight. But making it real requires more than bold ideas—it takes precision, discipline, and a deep understanding of operations.In this episode of Building Better, Brandon Bartneck talks with Dr. Xiaodi Hou, founder and CEO of Bot Auto. They explore how Bot Auto is approaching Level 4 autonomous driving, the importance of cost per mile as a success metric, and what it means to build a lean, high-performing team in a complex industry.Xiaodi shares how his leadership style has evolved, why collaboration is more powerful than competition, and why being realistic—and still optimistic—matters more than hype.About Building Better:Building Better with Brandon Bartneck focuses on the people, products, and companies creating a better tomorrow, often in the transportation and manufacturing sectors. Previously called the Future of Mobility podcast, the show features real, human conversations exploring what leaders and innovators are doing, why and how they're doing it, and what we can learn from their experiences. Topics include manufacturing, production, assembly, autonomous driving, electric vehicles, hydrogen and fuel cells, leadership, and more.About Bot Auto:Bot Auto is a Level 4 autonomous trucking company offering Transportation as a Service (TaaS) through its AI-driven autonomous truck fleet. Founded by Dr. Xiaodi Hou, Bot Auto combines visionary leadership, top-tier engineering talent, and industry expertise to revolutionize the transportation industry. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company aims to create lasting impact by expanding transportation capacity, integrating with existing freight networks, and addressing the driver shortage while minimizing disruption.About Xiaodi Hou:Dr. Xiaodi Hou is the Founder and CEO of Bot Auto, and an internationally recognized expert in autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision. He holds a Ph.D. in Computation and Neural Systems from Caltech and a Bachelor's in Computer Science from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Before founding Bot Auto, he co-founded TuSimple and served as CTO and CEO. His work has been featured in Wired, Forbes, and TechCrunch, and he has spoken at events such as Web Summit and Nvidia's GTC.Key Takeaways:Bot Auto is building for long-term success in autonomous trucking, not short-term hypeCost per mile (CPM) is a better metric than miles per intervention (MPI)Operational execution is critical for scalable autonomyThe tech ecosystem is maturing, but real-world integration still requires nuanceA small, agile team with deep focus can outperform a larger oneIndustry collaboration builds trust and accelerates progressPublic perception and trust are just as important as technical progressChapters:Introduction to Bot Auto and Autonomous TruckingThe Vision Behind Bot AutoUnderstanding the Ecosystem and TechnologyOperational Challenges in Autonomous DrivingOrganizational Structure and Team DynamicsCost Per Mile vs. Miles Per InterventionLeadership Evolution and Industry PerspectiveThe Future of Autonomous DrivingLinks & Resources:Learn more about BOT Auto: Company WebsiteConnect with Xiaodi Hou: LinkedInShow Notes: brandonbartneck.com/buildingbetter/xiaodihouConnect with Building Better:Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

This week's guest is Audrey Van de Castle (https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-van-de-castle/), Senior Director of Operational Excellence Technology at Stanley Black & Decker. Audrey breaks down the challenges of scaling digital initiatives across 100+ manufacturing sites, how to balance governance with citizen development, and the need to move past the buzzwords and invest in technology that can make a difference on the shop floor today. She also shares insights into her unconventional career path from running a makerspace to becoming a digital transformation leader, best practices for working with IT, and her passion for building fighting robots (https://youtu.be/4fbwtajq5XA). Augmented Ops is a podcast for industrial leaders, citizen developers, shop floor operators, and anyone else that cares about what the future of frontline operations will look like across industries. This show is presented by Tulip (https://tulip.co/), the Frontline Operations Platform. You can find more from us at Tulip.co/podcast (https://tulip.co/podcast) or by following the show on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/augmentedpod/). Special Guest: Audrey Van de Castle.

Operational excellence has transformed industries like manufacturing and healthcare, but what about education? Can schools apply these same principles to streamline operations, maximize resources, and improve student outcomes?In this follow-up conversation, I reconnect with Stephen Morales, Chief Executive of the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) in the UK, to revisit our discussion on Operational Excellence (OPEX) in schools and explore how the movement has evolved over the past year.We dive into the progress that's been made since our last conversation, how schools and districts are responding to OPEX, and the biggest challenges in implementing these strategies. Stephen also shares insights into how early adopters are embedding OPEX into their strategic plans, what measurable impacts are emerging, and what's next for expanding this approach internationally.If you're looking for ways to improve efficiency, eliminate wasted effort, and foster a more strategic, data-driven approach to school business operations, this episode is a must-listen.Contact School Business Insider: Check us out on social media: LinkedIn Twitter (X) Website: https://asbointl.org/SBI Email: podcast@asbointl.org Make sure to like, subscribe and share for more great insider episodes!Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the Association of School Business Officials International. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "ASBO International" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. The presence of any advertising does not endorse, or imply endorsement of, any products or services by ASBO International.ASBO International is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and does not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for elective public office. The sharing of news or information concerning public policy issues or political campaigns and candidates are not, and should not be construed as, endorsements by ASBO Internatio...