Podcasts about playbooks

When a crisis hits, words aren't enough — delivery is everything. In this episode, Athena Koutsonikolas sits down with culture strategist and crisis-leadership expert Eloiza Domingo, Founder & CEO of Eloiza Consulting and former Chief Inclusive Diversity & Equity Officer at Allstate. From mass layoffs to polarizing public issues, Eloiza explains how to decide whether to speak, who should deliver the message, and how tone, timing, and targeting can turn high-risk moments into lasting trust. Eloiza shares playbook-level guidance on aligning values with business strategy, weighing reputational risk against real-world impact, and designing communication that reaches every employee, including non-desk workers. With candid case examples and practical frameworks, this conversation gives leaders and communicators the tools to respond with courage, clarity, and care — no corporate jargon required.

Sometimes I feel like it'll take just one sassy comment or one missed homework assignment or one line at the store that's longer than I expected before I just lose it. Sometimes life is like that, and it's normal and okay. But most of us don't want to stay there for very long. Today, I'm going to share with you five things to remember and five things to do when everything is a little annoying. Helpful Companion Links Order my book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Learn about The Playbooks here. Episode #409: How to Parent When Your Kid is Annoying Find our digital products here (which are going into the sunset at the end of the year!) Sign up for our every-other-week podcast recap email called Latest Lazy Listens. Sign up for my once-a-month newsletter, The Latest Lazy Letter. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Check out our network's newest show, How We Made Your Mother Download a transcript of this episode. Want to share your Lazy Genius of the Week idea with us? Use this form to tell us about it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's show features: Nate Myers, Used Car Director at Mercedes-Benz of West Chester Burt Davidson, Used Car Platform Director at Diehl Automotive Group Eric Miller, Used Car Director at Morrie's Auto Group Charlie Spradlin, Sales Director at Art Moehn Auto Group This episode is brought to you by: KPA – Non-compliance isn't an option. OSHA, FTC, and state regulators are actively targeting dealers with escalating fines and enforcement actions across safety, privacy, and F&I compliance. KPA's Complete Compliance Suite is the only all-in-one solution that protects dealers from every compliance risk. Our integrated software, expert consulting, and award-winning training address every compliance gap, helping you reduce insurance premiums, mitigate liability exposure, and protect your dealership's reputation from business-threatening violations. Stop managing compliance manually with patchwork solutions that leave you vulnerable to audits and lawsuits. Visit https://info.kpa.io/cdg to learn more. Car Dealership Guy is back with our second annual NADA Party—happening in Las Vegas on Thursday, February 5th. It's the hottest ticket at NADA 2026. Spots are limited and unfortunately we can't invite everyone —so RSVP today at https://carguymedia.com/cdglive and we hope to see you in Vegas! — Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ My Socials: X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/ Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com

This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Sonaya Williams. The two talk about the journey of building and scaling sustainable businesses, the vital importance of documenting systems and operations, a fundamental part of Saniya's role as a fractional COO, and how deliberate choices in business design can lead to greater freedom in life. In this episode, we discuss: How intentional planning and a strong team foster work-life integration What leaders often overlook when building teams and running business operations When Sonaya realized the importance of aligning her business structure with her personal life goals Why documenting processes and systems is essential—even for solo entrepreneurs How Sonaya helps her clients become intentional about their business and lifestyle vision Sonaya Williams is a Fractional COO, systems strategist, and founder of The CEO Partner® and Your Expat Life™. Guided by the mantra “do less, better,” she helps high-achieving women turn expertise into steady revenue while reclaiming family time.  A former Wall Street financial-systems analyst, she launched her agency from a one-bedroom condo in New Jersey and replaced her six-figure salary in nine months. Her Streamline & Scale with Systems™ framework—clear offers, automation, and lean teams—has shortened workweeks and boosted margins for hundreds of CEOs, most by referral.  Based in Doha with her husband and two energetic daughters, Sonaya hosts the podcast STILL: The Business of Doing Less, Better, proving success with peace is the new baseline. Website: https://theceopartner.com/   Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonayawilliams/    

As AI transforms the kind of tech we're using and job we're doing, are any of the “old” product and sales playbooks still relevant when it comes to B2B Software as a Service? And if not, what should we be doing instead?In this episode we're joined by Craig Brown, CEO and Co-Founder of Everest Engineering to talk about the changes to our standard ways of working we're seeing as a result of AI, what may change in the future, and which core principles of validation and testing are still relevant - for now, at least.Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/craigwbrownWebsite: https://www.everest.engineering/-------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan.Visit our website at https://thebootstrap.tech/ and check our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheBootstrapPodcastYou can find out more about Scotty Allen at LinkedIn and The Product Bus at https://theproductbus.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's around this point, towards the end of October, that we all start feeling the pressure. The rest of the year is coming like a snowball rolling down a hill. Today, we're going to tend to that energy and create some ways to make the rest of 2025 easier and also more joyful, grounded, and rooted in whatever matters to you. Helpful Companion Links Order my book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. The Lazy Genius Collective Facebook Group! Episode #339: How to Make the Rest of 2023 Easier Episode #392: How to Make the Rest of 2024 Easier Episode #330: How I Handle a Busy Season Episode #431: 5 Things to Avoid When Planning a Busy Season Episode #364: When Life Feels Like a Firehose Episode #385: How to Manage an Odd Stretch of Time Episode #395: How to Finish Last-Minute Lists Greg McKeown's book Essentialism Episode #306: What We Need to Have More Fun Episode #347: How to Know What Brings You Joy One line a day journal One second a day app Learn about The Playbooks here. Find our digital products here (which are going into the sunset at the end of the year!) Sign up for our every-other-week podcast recap email called Latest Lazy Listens. Sign up for my once-a-month newsletter, The Latest Lazy Letter. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Check out our network's newest show, How We Made Your Mother Download a transcript of this episode. Want to share your Lazy Genius of the Week idea with us? Use this form to tell us about it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nine years. 500 episodes. And one big question I've asked since the beginning. Do you have any trade secrets for us?When I started this show (back when it was How I Built It), I was a newly married web developer with a side hustle and a curiosity for how others built their businesses. Ten years and three kids later, I've realized the mission has always been the same — helping solopreneurs build a business that supports their life, not consumes it.In this special milestone episode, I'm sharing the story behind the show's evolution, the real “trade secret” I've learned from hundreds of conversations, and how the GAPS Framework — Gear, Automation, Playbooks, and Support — is guiding my next experiment.Want my systems delivered directly to your inbox for free? Join my mailing list at https://casabona.org/streamlined Show Notes Ecamm LiveStream DeckTellaGling.aiRiversideEverything on my DeskZapierCastmagicYouTubeLinkedInGrowth in Reverse Pro 

Today we are joined once again by good friend of the podcast, Roger Spitz. While Roger is known well as a futurist and change agent today, his career started in investment banking and M&A. On this episode we explore the cross-roads of the investment world with emerging future innovation, and how this impacts business strategy. Roger argues the playbooks of old strategy are outdated. Systemic, regular disruption and added complexities in our world mean we need to use modern frameworks to address new shocks to business systems. When the risks were low, the fallout of bad decisions was manageable, Roger says, but value creation today requires a new way of assessing opportunity – by building anti-fragile systems that can help steer towards the long term game amidst short term crises. Check out Part 2 of this conversation with Roger: https://www.looking-outside.com/podcast/change----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comLearn more about Roger SpitzFollow Roger on LinkedIn & X & MediumGrab a copy of Roger's book Disrupt with ImpactFollow Techistential on LinkedIn & XFollow the Disruptive Futures Institute on LinkedIn & X----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

When Joe Custer describes Intrado's purpose, he begins with a story that traces back almost half a century. The company, he tells us, was born inside the Boulder County Sheriff's Department when someone asked whether there might be a better way to connect a caller in distress with a first responder. “Turns out they were on to something,” he adds. Today that idea has scaled into a mission-critical network touching roughly 90 percent of all 911 requests for assistance.Custer explains that Intrado “has to operate like a utility … we cannot fail.” Reliability is not a metric to be met but a promise to the public, one he refers to as “public safety grade.” Behind that standard lies a web of acquisitions—eight to ten over time—that were never fully integrated. That challenge, he says, became opportunity when Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners carved Intrado out of West Corporation and began investing to harden its network and modernize its operations.As both CFO and SVP of Operations, Custer leads a transformation aimed at restoring Intrado's position as the thought leader in emergency communications. The work goes beyond financial engineering; it's about aligning systems, culture, and purpose around a single mission: saving lives. “We want to be the most trusted authority in public safety,” Custer tells us, describing a workforce “deeply committed to the cause.” In his view, reliability, investment, and mission are inseparable—the essential framework for Intrado's next 50 years.

En este episodio conversamos sobre una oportunidad que muchos todavía no están viendo: el Mundial 2026. No solo representa una oportunidad para las grandes marcas, también lo es para emprendedores, creadores y negocios locales que sepan leer la emoción del fanático y convertirla en estrategia.A través de toda la conversación exploramos cómo anticiparse a la ola del Mundial y detectar las verdaderas oportunidades: entender el fan journey, identificar los momentos de consumo y transformar los puntos de dificultad en ideas de negocio.También reflexionamos sobre por qué no hace falta ser sponsor oficial para capitalizar un evento global. Hablamos de crear categorías propias, diseñar experiencias auténticas por comunidad y construir playbooks por ciudad, entendiendo que las oportunidades estarán en las sedes más turísticas y en las que se preparen mejor.Este episodio es una invitación a pensar desde ya cómo tu marca puede formar parte del Mundial 2026 con estrategia.00:05 — El deporte como palanca de negocio02:04 — Cómo una marca se reconecta con su ciudad06:10 — Primera lección: tener clara tu verdad de marca07:56 — Segunda lección: expandir tu esencia sin perderte08:33 — Tercera lección: la autenticidad no se improvisa10:28 — Cómo ganar sin ser sponsor oficial13:00 — El fan journey: dónde está el verdadero negocio17:06 — La ola del Mundial 2026 ya empezó20:08 — Las ciudades como motor económico21:48 — Playbooks por ciudad: pensar más allá del turismo26:04 — Convertir los dolores del fanático en ideas de negocio31:24 — El mejor momento para empezar es ahora33:14 — Qué distingue a los profesionales de alto rendimiento35:20 — Lecciones de trabajar con grandes estrellas de fútbol38:00 — Qué hace que una idea sea realmente buena41:01 — Innovar sin miedo a equivocarte43:02 — ¿Deporte o música? Cómo elegir el lenguaje de tu marca45:46 — Consejos para quienes quieren entrar en el marketing deportivo47:00 — Hacer lo que amas es la mejor estrategia#OnTopic Redes de Verónica Ruiz del Vizo:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veroruizdelvizo/ X: https://x.com/veroruizdelvizoPage de Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeroRuizdelVizo/Página web oficial: https://www.veroruizdelvizo.comAmarillo Creative Labhttps://amarillolab.com/https://www.instagram.com/amarillocreativelab/So Personal AIhttps://sopersonal.ai/en/home/https://www.instagram.com/sopersonalai/Team Remotohttps://www.instagram.com/teamremoto/https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-remoto¡Gracias por ser parte de esta comunidad!

Paul Marden heads to the AVEA conference in front of a LIVE audience to find out why gift shops are such an important part of the attraction mix. Joining him is Jennifer Kennedy, Retail Consultant, JK Consulting and Michael Dolan, MD of Shamrock Gift Company. They discuss why your gift shop is an integral part of your brand and why it needs to be just as good as the experience you have on offer. This coinsides with the launch of our brand new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide To Going Beyond The Gift Shop', where you can find out exactly how to improve your online offering to take your ecommerce to the next level. Download your FREE copy here:  https://pages.crowdconvert.co.uk/skip-the-queue-playbookBut that's not all. Paul walks the conference floor and speaks to:Susanne Reid, CEO of Christchurch Cathedral Dublin, on how they are celebrating their millennium anniversary - 1000 years!Charles Coyle, Managing Director, Emerald Park, on how they are bringing AI integrations to enhance their booking processesRay Dempsey, General Manager of The Old Jamerson Distillery on how they offering more accessible touring optionsIt's a mega episode and one you'll not want to miss. Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn. Show references:  Jennifer Kennedy — Founder, JK Consultinghttps://jkconsultingnyc.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-kennedy-aba75712/Michael Dolan — Managing Director, Shamrock Gift Companyhttps://www.shamrockgiftcompany.com/Catherine Toolan — Managing Director, Guinness Storehouse & Global Head of Brand Homes, Diageohttp://diageo.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinetoolan/Máirín Walsh — Operations Manager, Waterford Museumhttps://www.waterfordtreasures.com/Dean Kelly — Photography & Visitor Experience Specialist https://www.wearephotoexperience.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-kelly-1259a316/Charles Coyle — Managing Director, Emerald Parkhttps://www.emeraldpark.ieSusanne Reid — CEO, Christ Church Cathedral Dublinhttp://www.christchurchcathedral.iehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/susannereid/Ray Dempsey — General Manager, Jameson Distilleryhttps://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-ie/visit-our-distilleries/jameson-bow-street-distillery-tour/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-dempsey-37a8665a/ Transcription: Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, the podcast that tells the stories behind the world's best attractions and the amazing people that work in them. In today's episode, I'm at the AVEA 2025 conference in Waterford, Ireland, and we're talking about gift shop best practices. With Jennifer Kennedy from JK Consulting, a tourism and retail consultancy. And Jennifer led retail at Guinness Storehouse for more years than she would care to mention, I think. And we're also here with Michael Dolan, MD of Shamrock Gift Company, who has brought along the most amazing array of gift shop merchandise, which I'm sure we'll get into talking a little something about later on. And I've also got an amazing live audience. Say hello, everybody.Everyone: Hello.Paul Marden: There we go. So we always start with icebreaker that I don't prepare the two of you. Now this is probably a very unfair question for the pair of you, actually. What's the quirkiest souvenir you've ever bought? I can think of those little, the ones that you get in Spain are the little pooping santas.Jennifer  Kennedy: I have a thing for Christmas decorations when I go on travel, so for me, there always tends to be something around having a little decoration on my tree every year. That if I've had one or two holidays or I've been away, that has some little thing that comes back that ends up on the tree of Christmas. I have a lovely little lemon from Amalfi that's a Christmas decoration, and so you know, so a little kind of quirky things like that.Paul Marden: Michael, what about you? Michael  Dolan: One of our designers who will remain nameless? She has a thing about poo. So everyone brings her back to some poo relation. Paul Marden: Sadly, there's quite a lot of that around at the moment, isn't there? That's a bit disappointing. First question then, what's the point of a gift shop? If I put that in a more eloquent way, why are gift shops such an important part of the attraction mix?Jennifer  Kennedy: Okay, it was from my point of view, the gift shop in an attraction or a destination is the ultimate touch point that the brand has to leave a lasting memory when visitors go away. So for me, they're intrinsically important in the complete 360 of how your brand shows up— as a destination or an attraction. And without a really good gift shop and really good product to take away from it, you're letting your brand down. And it's an integral piece that people can share. From a marketing point of view, every piece of your own product that's been developed, that's taken away to any part of the world can sit in someone's kitchen. It can be in multiple forms. It can be a fridge magnet. It could be a tea towel. It could be anything. But it's a connection to your brand and the home that they visited when they chose to be wherever they're visiting. So for me, I'm very passionate about the fact that your gift shop should be as good as everything else your experience has to offer. So that's my view on it. Michael  Dolan: Sometimes it's neglected when people create a new visitor attraction. They don't put enough time into the retail element. I think that's changing, and a very good example of that would be Game of Thrones in Banbridge. We worked with them for two years developing the range, but also the shop. So the shop reflects the... I actually think the shop is the best part of the whole experience. But the shop reflects the actual whole experience.  Jennifer  Kennedy: The teaming.Michael  Dolan: The teaming. So you have banners throughout the shop, the music, the lighting, it looks like a dungeon. All the display stands have swords in them, reflecting the theme of the entrance.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, it's a good example of how a brand like that has incorporated the full essence and theme of why they exist into their physical retail space.Paul Marden: They definitely loosened a few pounds out of my pocket. Michael  Dolan: Another good example is Titanic Belfast. So they spent 80 million on that visitor attraction, which was opened in 2012, but they forgot about the shop. So the architect who designed the building designed the shop that looked like something out of the Tate Gallery. Yeah, and we went and said, 'This shop is not functional; it won't work for our type of product.' They said, 'We don't have anything in the budget to redevelop the shop.' So we paid a Dublin architect to redesign the shop. So the shop you have today, that design was paid for by Shamrock Gift Company. And if you've been in the shop, it's all brass, wood, ropes. So it's an integral part of the overall experience. But unfortunately... you can miss the shop on the way out.Paul Marden: Yeah, it is very easy to walk out the building and not engage in the shop itself. It's a bit like a dessert for a meal, isn't it? The meal's not complete if you've not had a dessert. And I think the gift shop experience is a little bit like that. The trip to the experience isn't finished.  If you haven't exited through the gate. Michael  Dolan: But it's the lasting memories that people bring back to the office in New York, put the mug on the table to remind people of when they're in Belfast or Dublin to go to. You know, storehouse or Titanic. So those last impressions are indelibly, you know, set.Paul Marden: So we've already said the positioning of the shop then is super important, how it feels, but product is super important, isn't it? What product you fill into the shop is a make or break experience? How do you go about curating the right product? Michael  Dolan: Most important is authenticity. You know, it has to be relevant to the visitor attraction. So it's not a question of just banging out a few key rings and magnets. So I brought you along some samples there. So we're doing two new ranges, one for Titanic and one for the Royal Yacht Britannia, and they're totally different. But reflect the personality of each attraction.Paul Marden: Absolutely.Michael  Dolan: I mean, a good example, we worked together or collaborated together on many, many projects in Guinness. But we also worked in St. Patrick's Cathedral.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah.Michael  Dolan: You were the consultant.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, yeah. So I suppose, again, from the product point of view. Yeah, if you can root product in why the experience exists. So in that example, a cathedral is a great example of how you can create really great product by utilising. Well, the main reason people are there is because this amazing building exists and the historic elements of it. So I suppose to make it real, some examples of products that connected with the audience in that environment are things like a little stone coaster. But the stone coaster is a replica of the floor you're standing on. So I suppose the other balance in attractions is realistic price points and realistic products. So there's no point in creating a range of products that's outside the price point of what your visitors are prepared to pay. So it's that fine balance of creating product that connects with them, which is, I'm using the cathedral as an example because you've got architraves, you've got stained glass windows, you've got stunning tiles. So all the elements of the fabric of that building. Can be utilised to create really beautiful products, but castles, you know, cathedrals, all of those sorts of spaces.Jennifer  Kennedy: When we start talking about product, always we go to, 'why are we here?' And also the storytelling elements. There's some beautiful stories that can, I can give you another really great example of a product that was created for another cathedral, which was... So in cathedral spaces, there's all these stunning doors that run the whole way through, like they're spectacular; they're like pieces of art in their own right. And every one of them has a very unique ornate key that unlocks each door. So one of the products that did one of the cathedrals was we wanted to create a ring of brass keys with replicas of all the keys in the cathedral. But as we were progressing, we forgot at the start— it was like we forgot to tell them to scale them down. They weren't the same size as all the keys in the cathedral. So it was a very intrinsically specific gift to this particular cathedral. And it's been used ever since as kind of the special gift they give to people who come to visit from all over the world. They get quite emotional about this particular gift because it's like this is the actual replica of all the keys to all the doors in the cathedral.Jennifer  Kennedy: So it's a product that's completely born. It can never be replicated anywhere else. And it's completely unique to that particular space. And I think that's the power of, for me, that's what authenticity feels and looks like in these environments. It has to be connected to the fabric of why you exist.Paul Marden: Yeah, so I was at Big Pit in Wales six months ago, I think it was. Museums Wales are redeveloping all of their gift shops and they are going through exactly that process that you're talking about, but bringing it back to the place itself because all, I think, it's six of their museums, the gift shops had much the same set of product. They described it as, you know, you were just walking into a generic Welsh gift shop with the dressed lady.Jennifer  Kennedy: And it's hard— like it really takes an awful lot of work— like it doesn't just happen, like you really have to put a lot of thought and planning into what our product should and could look like. And then, when you've aligned on with the team of people managing and running these businesses, that this is the direction you want to take, then it's the operational element of it. It's about sourcing, MOQs, and price, and all of that stuff that comes into it. Minimum order quantities.Michael  Dolan: That's where we come in. So, you know, we met Jennifer in St. Patrick's and we met Liz then, we met the Dean. So we really sat around and talked about what were the most important elements in the cathedral that we wanted to celebrate in product.Michael  Dolan: And St. Patrick obviously was the obvious number one element. Then they have a harp stained glass window. And then they have a shamrock version of that as well. So they were the three elements that we hit on. You know, it took a year to put those three ranges together. So we would have started out with our concept drawings, which we presented to the team in St. Patrick's. They would have approved them. Then we would have talked to them about the size of the range and what products we were looking at. So then we would have done the artwork for those separate ranges, brought them back in to get them approved, go to sampling, bring the samples back in, then sit down and talk about pricing, minimum order quantities, delivery times.Michael  Dolan: So the sample, you know, so that all goes out to order and then it arrives in about four or five months later into our warehouse. So we carry all the risk. We design everything, we source it, make sure that it's safely made, all the tests are confirmed that the products are good. In conformity with all EU legislation. It'll be in our warehouse and then it's called off the weekly basis. So we carry, we do everything.  So one stop shop. Paul Marden: So the traction isn't even sitting on stock that they've invested in. We know what we're doing and we're quite happy to carry the risk. So one of the things we were talking about just before we started the episode was the challenges of sourcing locally. It's really important, isn't it? But it can be challenging to do that.Jennifer  Kennedy: It can. And, you know, but I would say in recent years, there's a lot more creators and makers have come to the fore after COVID. So in kind of more... Specifically, kind of artisan kind of product types. So things like candles are a great example where, you know, now you can find great candle makers all over Ireland with, you know, small minimum quantity requirements. And also they can bespoke or tailor it to your brand. So if you're a museum or if you're a, again, whatever the nature of your brand is, a national store or whatever, you can have a small batch made. Which lets you have something that has provenance. And here it's Irish made, it's Irish owned. And then there's some, you know, it just it gives you an opportunity.Jennifer  Kennedy: Unfortunately, we're never going to be in a position where we can source everything we want in Ireland. It just isn't realistic. And commercially, it's not viable. As much as you can, you should try and connect with the makers and creators that they are available and see if small batches are available. And they're beautiful to have within your gift store, but they also have to be the balance of other commercial products that will have to be sourced outside of Ireland will also have to play a significant role as well.Máirín Walsh: I think there needs to be a good price point as well. Like, you know, we find that in our museum, that, you know, if something is above 20, 25 euro, the customer has to kind of really think about purchasing it, where if it's 20 euro or under, you know, it's...Michael  Dolan: More of an input item, yeah.Máirín Walsh: Yes, exactly, yeah.Paul Marden: And so when it's over that price point, that's when you need to be sourcing locally again. Máirín Walsh: It's a harder sell. You're kind of maybe explaining a bit more to them and trying to get them to purchase it. You know, they have to think about it.Jennifer  Kennedy: But it's also good for the storytelling elements as well because it helps you engage. So I've often found as well that even train the teams and the customer service. It's actually a lovely space to have, to be able to use it as part of storytelling that we have this locally made or it's made in Cork or wherever it's coming from, that it's Irish made.Máirín Walsh: We have, what have we got? We've kind of got scarves and that and we have local— we had candles a few years ago actually. I think they were made or... up the country or whatever. But anyway, it was at Reginald's Tower and there were different kinds of candles of different attractions around and they really connected with your audience.Michael  Dolan: So 20% of our turnover would be food and all that is made in Ireland. Virtually all of that is sourced locally here in Ireland. And that's a very important part of our overall product portfolio and growing as well.Paul Marden: Is it important to serve different audiences with the right product? So I'm thinking... Making sure that there's pocket money items in there for kids, because often when they come to a museum or attraction, it's their first time they ever get to spend their own money on a transaction. Yeah, that would be their first memory of shopping. So giving them what they need, but at the same time having that 25 euro and over price point. To have a real set piece item is?Jennifer  Kennedy: I would say that's very specific to the brand. Paul Marden: Really? Jennifer  Kennedy: Yes, because some brands can't actually sell products or shouldn't be selling products to children. Paul Marden: Really? I'm looking at the Guinness items at the end of the table.Jennifer  Kennedy: So it depends on the brand. So obviously, in many of the destinations around Ireland, some of them are quite heavily family-oriented. And absolutely in those environments where you've got gardens, playgrounds or theme parks. Absolutely. You have to have that range of product that's very much tailored to young families and children. In other environments, not necessarily. But you still need to have a range that appeals to the masses. Because you will have visitors from all walks of life and with all perspectives. So it's more about having something. I'm going to keep bringing it back to it. It's specific to why this brand is here. And if you can create product within a fair price point, and Mairin is absolutely right. The balance of how much your products cost to the consumer will make or break how your retail performs. And in most destinations, what you're actually aiming to do is basket size. You want them to go away with three, four, five products from you, not necessarily one.Jennifer  Kennedy: Because if you think about it, that's more beneficial for the brand. I mean, most people are buying for gifting purposes. They're bringing things back to multiple people. So, if I'm able to pick up a nice candle and it's eight or 10 euros, well, I might buy three of them if it's a beautiful candle in a nice package. Whereas, if I went in and the only option available to me was a 35-euro candle, I probably might buy that, but I'm only buying one product. And I'm only giving that to either myself or one other person. Whereas, if you can create a range that's a good price, but it's also appealing and very connected to why they came to visit you in the first place, then that's a much more powerful, for the brand point of view, that's a much more... Powerful purchasing options are available to have a basket size that's growing.Michael  Dolan: We worked together in the National Stud in Kildare, so we did a great kids range of stationery, which worked really well. We've just done a new range for the GAA museum, all stationery-related, because they get a lot of kids. Again, we would have collaborated on that.Jennifer  Kennedy: And actually, the natural studs are a really nice example as well, because from even a textile point of view, you can lean into equine as the, so you can do beautiful products with ponies and horses. Yeah. You know, so again, some brands make it very, it's easy to see the path that you can take with product. And then others are, you know, you have to think harder. It's a little bit more challenging. So, and particularly for cultural and heritage sites, then that really has to be grounded in what are the collections, what is on offer in these sites, in these museums, in these heritage sites, and really start to unravel the stories that you can turn into product.Paul Marden: But a product isn't enough, is it?Jennifer  Kennedy: Absolutely not.Paul Marden: Set making, merchandising, storytelling, they all engage the customer, don't they?Jennifer  Kennedy: 100%.Paul Marden: Where have you seen that being done well in Ireland?Michael  Dolan: Get a store is the preeminent example, I would think. I mean, it's a stunning shop. Have you met Catherine too? Paul Marden: No, not yet. Lovely to meet you, Catherine.  Michael  Dolan: Catherine is in charge of getting the stories. Paul Marden: Okay. Any other examples that aren't, maybe, sat at the table? Game of Thrones is a really good example and Titanic.Michael  Dolan: Game of Thrones.  I think Titanic's good. The new shop in Trinity College is very strong, I think. So it's a temporary digital exhibition while they're revamping the library. They've done an excellent job in creating a wonderful new shop, even on a temporary basis.Jennifer  Kennedy: I would say Crowe Park as well. The GAA museum there has undergone a full refurbishment and it's very tailored towards their audience. So they're very, it's high volume, very specific to their... And the look and feel is very much in keeping with the nature of the reason why people go to Crowe Park. I would say the Irish National Asteroid as well. And Colmar Abbey, Cliffs of Moher. We've got some really great offers all over the island of Ireland.Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. I was at W5 recently in Belfast and I think that is a brilliant example of what a Science Centre gift shop could be like. Because often there will be the kind of generic stuff that you'll see in any attraction— a notebook with rubber and a pencil— but they also had lots of, there were lots of science-led toys and engineering-led toys, so they had... big Lego section. It was like going into a proper toy shop. It was just a really impressive gift shop that you could imagine engaging a kid.Catherine Toolan: And if I could come in there for an example outside of Ireland, you've got the House of Lego in Billund. I don't know if anybody has been there, but they've got a customised range, which is only available. Really? Yes, and it's so special. They've got a really unique building, so the Lego set is in the shape of the building. They've got their original dock. But the retail store in that space, it's very geared towards children as Lego is, but also imagination play. So they've done a brilliant job on looking at, you know, the texture of their product, the colour of their product. And whilst it's usually geared to children, it's also geared to adult lovers of Lego. So it's beautiful. Huge tech as well. They've incredible RFID wristbands, which you get from your ticket at the beginning of the experience. So all of your photo ops and everything you can download from the RFID wristband. Very cool.Jennifer  Kennedy: Actually, I would say it's probably from a tech point of view, one of the best attractions I've been to in recent years. Like, it's phenomenal. I remember going there the year it opened first because it was fascinating. I have two boys who are absolutely Lego nuts. And I just— we went to the home of LEGO in Billund when it opened that year and I just was blown away. I had never experienced, and I go to experiences everywhere, but I've never, from a tech point of view and a brand engagement perspective, understood the nature, the type of product that they deliver. For me, it's, like I said, I tell everyone to go to Billund. Paul Marden: Really? We've got such amazing jobs, haven't we? However, as you're both talking, I'm thinking you're a bit like me. You don't get to go and enjoy the experience for the experience's own sake because you're looking at what everybody's doing.Jennifer  Kennedy: But can I actually just add to that? There's another one in the Swarovski Crystal in Austria.Paul Marden: Really?Jennifer  Kennedy: That is phenomenal. And in terms of their retail space, it's like, I like a bit of sparkle, so I'm not going to lie. It was like walking into heaven. And their retail offering there is world-class in that store. And the whole brand experience from start to finish, which is what you're always trying to achieve. It's the full 360 of full immersion. You're literally standing inside a giant crystal. It's like being in a dream. Right. A crystal, sparkly dream from start to finish. And then, every year, they partner and collaborate with whoever— designers, musicians, whoever's iconic or, you know, very... present in that year or whatever. And they do these wonderful collaborations and partnerships with artists, designers, you name it.Paul Marden: Sorry, Catherine, there you go.Catherine Toolan: Thank you very much. It's on my list of places to go, but I do know the team there and what they're also doing is looking at the premiumization. So they close their retail store for high net worth individuals to come in and buy unique and special pieces. You know, they use their core experience for the daytime. And we all talk about the challenges. I know, Tom, you talk about this, you know, how do you scale up visitor experience when you're at capacity and still make sure you've a brilliant net promoter score and that the experience of the customer is fantastic. So that is about sweating the acid and you know it's that good, better, best. You know they have something for everybody but they have that halo effect as well.  So it's really cool.Paul Marden: Wow. Thank you. I'm a bit of a geek. I love a bit of technology. What do you think technology is doing to the gift shop experience? Are there new technologies that are coming along that are going to fundamentally change the way the gift shop experience works?Jennifer  Kennedy: I think that's rooted in the overall experience. So I don't think it's a separate piece. I think there's loads of things out there now where you can, you know, virtual mirrors have been around for years and all these other really interesting. The whole gamification piece, if you're in an amazing experience and you're getting prompts and things to move an offer today, but so that's that's been around for quite some time. I'm not sure that it's been fully utilised yet across the board, especially in I would say there's a way to go in how it influences the stores in Ireland in attractions at the moment. There'll be only a handful who I'd say are using technology, mainly digital screens, is what I'm experiencing and seeing generally. And then, if there is a big attraction, some sort of prompts throughout that and how you're communicating digitally through the whole experience to get people back into the retail space. Paul Marden: Yeah, I can imagine using tech to be able to prompt somebody at the quiet times of the gift shop. Michael  Dolan: Yeah, also Guinness now you can order a pint glass with your own message on it in advance. It's ready for you when you finish your tour. You go to a locker and you just open the locker and you walk out with your glass. Catherine Toolan: Could I just say, though, that you just don't open a locker like it's actually lockers? There's a lot of customisation to the lockers because the idea came from the original Parcel Motel. So the locker is actually you key in a code and then when you open the customised locker, there's a Guinness quote inside it and your personalised glass is inside it. And the amount of customers and guests that we get to say, could we lock the door again? We want to actually open it and have that. whole experience so you know that's where I think in you know and one of the questions that would be really interesting to talk about is you know, what about self-scanning and you know, the idea of checkouts that are not having the human connection. Is that a thing that will work when you've got real experiences? I don't know. But we know that the personalisation of the engraved glasses and how we've custom designed the lockers— not to just be set of lockers— has made that difference. So they're very unique, they're colourful, they're very Guinnessified. And of course, the little personal quote that you get when you open the locker from our archives, make that a retail experience that's elevated. Paul Marden: Wow.Jennifer  Kennedy: But I would also say to your point on that, that the actual, the real magic is also in the people, in the destinations, because it's not like gift shops and destinations and experiences. They're not like high street and they shouldn't be. It should be a very different experience that people are having when they've paid to come and participate with you in your destination. So I actually think technology inevitably plays a role and it's a support and it will create lovely quirks and unusual little elements throughout the years.Paul Marden: I think personalisation is great.  Jennifer  Kennedy: And personalisation, absolutely. But the actual, like I would be quite against the idea of automating checkout and payouts in gift shops, in destinations, because for me... That takes away the whole essence of the final touch point is actually whoever's talked to you when you did that transaction and whoever said goodbye or asked how your experience was or did you enjoy yourself? So those you can't you can't replace that with without a human personal touch. So for me, that's intrinsically important, that it has to be retained, that the personal touch is always there for the goodbye.Dean Kelly: I'm very happy that you brought up the human touch. I'm a photo company, I do pictures. And all the time when we're talking to operators, they're like, 'Can we make it self-serve? Can we get rid of the staffing costs?' I'm like, 'I'm a photographer. Photographers take pictures of people. We need each other to engage, react, and put the groups together. No, we don't want the staff costs. But I'm like, it's not about the staff costs. It's about the customer's experience. So all day long, our challenge is, more so in the UK now, because we operate in the UK, and everybody over there is very, we don't want the staff.' And I think, if you lose the staff engagement, especially taking a picture, you lose the memory and you lose the moment. And photographers have a really good job to do, a very interesting job, is where to capture people together. And if you lose that person— touch point of getting the togetherness— You just have people touching the screen, which they might as well be on their phone.Paul Marden: And the photo won't look as good, will it? Anybody could take a photo, but it takes a photographer to make people look like they're engaged and happy and in the moment.Dean Kelly: Yeah, exactly, and a couple of other points that you mentioned— with the brand, personalisation, gamification, all that kind of cool, juicy stuff, all the retail stuff, people going home with the memory, the moment, all that stuff's cool, but nobody mentioned photos until Cashin, you mentioned photos. We've had a long conversation with photos for a long time, and we'll probably be still chatting for another long time as well. But photography is a super, super retail revenue stream. But it's not about the revenue, it's about the moment and the magic. Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, you're capturing the magic. Dean Kelly: Capturing it. And fair enough that what you guys do at Shamrock is very interesting because you talk to the operators. You kind of go, 'What gifts are going to work for your visitors?' And you turn that into a product. And that's exactly what we do with all the experiences. We take pictures.Dean Kelly: But what's your demographic saying? What's your price points? What's your brand? What's your message? And let's turn that into a personalised souvenir, put the people in the brand, and let them take it home and engage with it.Paul Marden: So... I think one of the most important things is how you blend the gift shop with the rest of the experience. You were giving a good example of exiting through the gift shop. It's a very important thing, isn't it? But if you put it in the wrong place, you don't get that. How do you blend the gift shop into the experience?Jennifer  Kennedy: Well, I would say I wouldn't call it a blend. For me, the retail element of the brand should be a wow. Like it should be as invaluable, as important as everything else. So my perspective would be get eyes on your retail offering sooner rather than later. Not necessarily that they will participate there and then.Jennifer  Kennedy: The visual and the impact it has on seeing a wow— this looks like an amazing space. This looks like with all these products, but it's also— I was always chasing the wow. I want you to go, wow, this looks amazing. Because, to me, that's when you've engaged someone that they're not leaving until they've gotten in there. It is important that people can potentially move through it at the end. And, you know, it depends on the building. It depends on the structure. You know, a lot of these things are taken out of your hands. You've got to work with what you've got. Jennifer  Kennedy: But you have to work with what you've got, not just to blend it, to make it stand out as exceptional. Because that's actually where the magic really starts. And it doesn't matter what brand that is. The aim should always be that your retail offering is exceptional from every touch point. And it shouldn't be obvious that we've spent millions in creating this wonderful experience. And now you're being shoehorned into the poor relation that was forgotten a little bit and now has ten years later looks a bit ramshackle. And we're trying to figure out why we don't get what we should out of it.Michael  Dolan: And it has to be an integral part of the whole experience.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, and I think for new experiences that are in planning stages, I've seen that more and more in recent years. Now, where I was being called to retrofix or rip out things going, this doesn't work, I'm like, okay, well, we have to retro do this. Now, when people are doing new builds or new investments into new spaces, I'm getting those calls at the planning stages where it's like, we've allocated this amount of space to retail. Do you think that's enough? And I don't think I've ever said yes, ever. At every single turn, I'm like... No, it's not enough. And, you know, what's your anticipated football? Oh, that's the numbers start to play a role in it. But it's not just about that. It's about the future proofing. It's like what happens in five years, 10 years, 15? Because I've been very lucky to work in buildings where it's not easy to figure out where you're going to go next. And particularly heritage sites and cultural heritage. Like I can't go in and knock a hole in the crypt in Christchurch Cathedral. But I need a bigger retail space there.Jennifer  Kennedy: The earlier you start to put retail as a central commercial revenue stream in your business, the more eyes you have on it from the get-go, the more likely it is that it will be successful. Not now, not in five years, not in ten years, but that you're building blocks for this, what can become. Like it should be one of your strongest revenue streams after ticket sales because that's what it can become. But you have to go at it as this is going to be amazing.Catherine Toolan: I think it's important that it's not a hard sell and that's in your face. And, you know, that's where, when you think about the consumer journey, we always think about the behavioural science of the beginning, the middle, and the end. And people remember three things. You know, there's lots of other touch points. But if retail is a really hard sell throughout the experience, I don't think the net promoter score of your overall experience will, you know, come out, especially if you're, you know, and we're not a children's destination. An over 25 adult destination at the Guinness Storehouse and at our alcohol brand homes. But what's really important is that it's authentic, it's really good, and it's highly merchandised, and that it's unique. I think that uniqueness is it— something that you can get that you can't get anywhere else. You know, how do you actually, one of the things that we would have done if we had it again, we would be able to make our retail store available to the domestic audience, to the public without buying a ticket. So, you know, you've got that opportunity if your brand is the right brand that you can have walk-in off the high street, for example.Catherine Toolan: So, you know, there's so many other things that you can think about because that's an extension of your revenue opportunity where you don't have to come in to do the whole experience. And that is a way to connect the domestic audience, which is something I know a lot of the members of the Association, AVEA are trying to do. You know, how do we engage and connect and get repeat visits and and retail is a big opportunity to do that, especially at gifting season.Paul Marden: Yeah, yeah, sustainability is increasingly important to the narrative of the whole retail experience, isn't it? How do you make sure that we're not going about just selling plastic tat that nobody's going to look after?Michael  Dolan: We've made this a core value for Shamrock Gift Company, so we've engaged with a company called Clearstream Solutions, the same company that Guinness Store has. have worked with them. So it's a long-term partnership. So they've measured our carbon footprint from 2019 to 2023. So we've set ourselves the ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2030.Michael  Dolan: So just some of the elements that we've engaged in. So we put 700 solar panels on our roof as of last summer. All our deliveries in Dublin are done with electric vans, which we've recently purchased. All the lights in the building now are LED. Motion-sensored as well. All the cars are electric or that we've purchased recently, and we've got a gas boiler. So we've also now our shipments from China we're looking at biodiesel. So that's fully sustainable. And we also, where we can't use biodiesel, we're doing carbon offsetting as well.Paul Marden: So a lot of work being done in terms of the cost of CO2 of the transport that you're doing. What about the product itself? How do you make sure that the product itself is inherently something that people are going to treasure and is not a throwaway item?Michael  Dolan: We're using more sustainable materials, so a lot more stone, a lot more wood. Paul Marden: Oh, really? Michael  Dolan: Yeah. Also, it begins with great design. Yeah. So, you know, and obviously working with our retail partners, make sure that the goods are very well designed, very well manufactured. So we're working with some wonderful, well, best in class manufacturers around the world. Absolutely.Jennifer  Kennedy: I think as well, if... you can, and it's becoming easier to do, if you can collaborate with some creators and makers that are actually within your location.Jennifer  Kennedy: Within Ireland, there's a lot more of that happening, which means sourcing is closer to home. But you also have this other economy that's like the underbelly of the craft makers market in Ireland, which is fabulous, which needs to be brought to the fore. So collaborations with brands can also form a very integral part of product development that's close to home and connected to people who are here—people who are actually creating product in Ireland.Paul Marden: This is just instinct, not knowledge at all. But I would imagine that when you're dealing with those local crafters and makers, that they are inherently more sustainable because they're creating things local to you. It's not just the distance that's...Jennifer  Kennedy: Absolutely, but in any instances that I'm aware of that I've been involved with, anyway, even the materials and their mythology, yeah, is all grounded in sustainability and which is fabulous to see. Like, there's more and there's more and more coming all the time.Michael  Dolan: We've got rid of 3 million bags a year. Key rings, mags used to be individually bagged. And now there are 12 key rings in a bag that's biodegradable. That alone is 2 million bags.Paul Marden: It's amazing, isn't it? When you look at something as innocuous as the bag itself that it's packaged in before it's shipped out. You can engineer out of the supply chain quite a lot of unnecessary packaging Michael  Dolan: And likewise, then for the retailer, they don't have to dispose of all that packaging. So it's a lot easier and cleaner to put the product on the shelf. Yes.Paul Marden: Something close to my heart, online retail. Have you seen examples where Irish attractions have extended their gift shop experience online, particularly well?Jennifer  Kennedy: For instance, there are a few examples, but what I was thinking more about on that particular thought was around the nature of the brand again and the product that, in my experience, the brands that can do that successfully tend to have something on offer that's very nostalgic or collectible. Or memorabilia and I think there are some examples in the UK potentially that are where they can be successful online because they have a brand or a product that people are collecting.Paul Marden: Yeah, so one of my clients is Jane Austen House, only about two miles away from where I live. And it blew me away the importance of their online shop to them. They're tiny. I mean, it is a little cottage in the middle of Hampshire, but they have an international audience for their gift shop. And it's because they've got this really, really committed audience of Jane Austen fans who want to buy something from the house. Then everybody talks about the Tank Museum in Dorset.Paul Marden: Who make a fortune selling fluffy tank slippers and all you could possibly imagine memorabilia related to tanks. Because again, it's that collection of highly curated products and this really, really committed audience of people worldwide. Catherine Toolan: The Tank were here last year presenting at the AVEA conference and it was such an incredible story about their success and, you know, how they went from a very small museum with a lot of support from government to COVID to having an incredible retail store, which is now driving their commercial success.Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. Nick has done a load of work. Yeah, that leads me nicely onto a note. So listeners, for a long time, Skip the Queue has been totally focused on the podcast. But today we have launched our first playbook. Which is hopefully the first of many. But the playbook that we're launching today is all about how attractions can focus on best practice for gift shop e-commerce. So we work with partners, Rubber Cheese, Navigate, and Stephen Spencer Associates. So Steve and his team has helped us to contribute to some sections to the guide around, how do you curate your product? How do you identify who the audience is? How do you create that collection? The team at Rubber Cheese talk about the mechanics of how do you put it online and then our friends at Navigate help you to figure out what the best way is to get bums on seats. So it was a crackpot idea of mine six months ago to put it together, and it is now huge.Paul Marden: It's packed full of advice, and that's gone live today. So you can go over to skipthequeue.fm and click on the Playbooks link there to go and download that. Thank you. So, Jennifer, Michael, it has been absolutely wonderful to talk to both of you. Thank you to my audience. You've also been fabulous. Well done. And what a packed episode that was. I get the feeling you two quite enjoy gift shops and retailing. You could talk quite a lot about it.Jennifer  Kennedy: I mean, I love it.  Paul Marden: That didn't come over at all. Jennifer  Kennedy: Well, I just think it's such a lovely way of connecting with people and keeping a connection, particularly from a brand point of view. It should be the icing on the cake, you know?Paul Marden: You're not just a market store salesperson, are you?Jennifer  Kennedy: And I thoroughly believe that the most successful ones are because the experiences that they're a part of sow the seeds. They plant the love, the emotion, the energy. All you're really doing is making sure that that magic stays with people when they go away. The brand experience is the piece that's actually got them there in the first place. Paul Marden: Now let's go over to the conference floor to hear from some Irish operators and suppliers.Charles  Coyle: I'm Charles Coyle. I'm the managing director of Emerald Park. We're Ireland's only theme park and zoo. We opened in November 2010, which shows you how naive and foolish we were that we opened a visitor attraction in the middle of winter. Fortunately, we survived it.Paul Marden: But you wouldn't open a visitor attraction in the middle of summer, so give yourself a little bit of a run-up to it. It's not a bad idea.Charles  Coyle: Well, that's true, actually. You know what? I'll say that from now on, that we had the genius to open in the winter. We're open 15 years now, and we have grown from very small, humble aspirations of maybe getting 150,000 people a year to we welcomed 810,000 last year. And we'll probably be in and around the same this year as well.  Paul Marden: Wowzers, that is really impressive. So we are here on the floor. We've already heard some really interesting talks. We've been talking about AI in the most recent one. What can we expect to happen for you in the season coming in?Charles  Coyle: Well, we are hopefully going to be integrating a lot of AI. There's possibly putting in a new booking system and things like that. A lot of that will have AI dynamic pricing, which has got a bad rap recently, but it has been done for years and years in hotels.Paul Marden: Human nature, if you ask people, should I be punished for travelling during the summer holidays and visiting in a park? No, that sounds terrible. Should I be rewarded for visiting during a quiet period? Oh, yes! Yes, I should definitely. It's all about perspective, isn't it? Very much so. And it is how much you don't want to price gouge people. You've got to be really careful. But I do think dynamic pricing has its place.Charles  Coyle: Oh, absolutely. I mean, a perfect example of it is right now, our top price is not going to go any higher, but it'll just be our lower price will be there more constantly, you know, and we'll... Be encouraging people to come in on the Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as you said, rewarding people for coming in at times in which we're not that busy and they're probably going to have a better day as a result.Susanne Reid: Hi, Suzanne Reid here. I'm the CEO at Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin. What are you here to get out of the conference? First and foremost, the conference is a great opportunity every year to... catch up with people that you may only see once a year from all corners of the country and it's also an opportunity to find out what's new and trending within tourism. We've just come from a really energising session on AI and also a very thought-provoking session on crisis management and the dangers of solar panels.Paul Marden: Yes, absolutely. Yeah, the story of We the Curious is definitely an interesting one. So we've just come off the back of the summer season. So how was that for you?Susanne Reid:Summer season started slower than we would have liked this year in 2025, but the two big American football matches were very strong for us in Dublin. Dublin had a reasonable season, I would say, and we're very pleased so far on the 13th of the month at how October is playing out. So hoping for a very strong finish to the year. So coming up to Christmas at Christchurch, we'll have a number of cathedral events. So typically our carol concerts, they tend to sell out throughout the season. Then we have our normal pattern of services and things as well.Paul Marden: I think it's really important, isn't it? You have to think back to this being a place of worship. Yes, it is a visitor attraction. Yes, that's an aside, isn't it? And the reason it is a place of worship.Susanne Reid: I think that's obviously back to what our earlier speaker was talking about today. That's our charitable purpose, the promotion of religion, Christianity. However, you know, Christchurch is one of the most visited attractions in the city.Susanne Reid: Primarily, people do come because it will be there a thousand years in 2028. So there is, you know, the stones speak really. And, you know, one of the sessions I've really benefited from this morning was around accessible tourism. And certainly that's a journey we're on at the cathedral because, you know, a medieval building never designed for access, really. Paul Marden: No, not hugely. Susanne Reid: Not at all. So that's part of our programming and our thinking and our commitment to the city and to those that come to it from our local communities. But also from further afield, that they can come and enjoy the splendour of this sacred space.Paul Marden: I've been thinking long and hard, and been interviewing people, especially people like We The Curious, where they're coming into their 25th anniversary. They were a Millennium Project. I hadn't even thought about interviewing an attraction that was a thousand years old. A genuine millennium project.Susanne Reid: Yeah, so we're working towards that, Paul. And, you know, obviously there's a committee in-house thinking of how we might celebrate that. One of the things that, you know, I know others may have seen elsewhere, but... We've commissioned a Lego builder to build a Lego model of the cathedral. There will obviously be some beautiful music commissioned to surround the celebration of a thousand years of Christchurch at the heart of the city. There'll be a conference. We're also commissioning a new audio tour called the ACE Tour, Adults, Children and Everyone, which will read the cathedral for people who have no sense of what they're looking at when they maybe see a baptismal font, for example. You know, we're really excited about this and we're hoping the city will be celebratory mood with us in 2028.Paul Marden: Well, maybe you can bring me back and I'll come and do an episode and focus on your thousand year anniversary.Susanne Reid: You'd be so welcome.Paul Marden: Oh, wonderful. Thank you, Suzanne.Paul Marden: I am back on the floor. We have wrapped up day one. And I am here with Ray Dempsey from Jameson Distillery. Ray, what's it been like today?Ray  Dempsey: Paul, it's been a great day. I have to say, I always loved the AVEA conference. It brings in such great insights into our industry and into our sector. And it's hosted here in Waterford, a city that I'm a native of. And, you know, seeing it through the eyes of a tourist is just amazing, actually, because normally I fly through here. And I don't have the chance to kind of stop and think, but the overall development of Waterford and the presentation from the Waterford County Council was really, really good. It's fantastic. They have a plan. A plan that really is driving tourism. Waterford, as a tourist destination, whereas before, you passed through Waterford. It was Waterford Crystal's stop and that was it. But they have put so much into the restoration of buildings, the introduction of lovely artisan products, very complimentary to people coming to here, whether it is for a day, a weekend, or a week. Fantastic.Paul Marden: What is it? We're in the middle of October and it's a bit grey and drizzly out there. But let's be fair, the town has been packed. The town has been packed.With coaches outside, so my hotel this morning full of tourists.Ray  Dempsey: Amazing, yeah it's a great hub, a great hub, and they've done so much with the city to enable that, and you see, as you pass down the keys, you know that new bridge there to enable extra traffic coming straight into the heart of the city, it's fantastic. We're all learning from it, and hopefully, bring it all back to our own hometowns.Paul Marden: I think it's been really interesting. We were talking earlier on, before I got the microphone out, saying how it's been a real mixed bag this year across the island of Ireland, hasn't it? So some people really, really busy, some people rubbish year.Ray  Dempsey: Yeah, I mean, I feel privileged the fact that, you know, we haven't seen that in Dublin. So, you know, there's a it's been a very strong year, a little bit after a little bit of a bumpy start in January, February. But, like, for the rest of the year onwards, it's been fantastic. It's been back to back festivals and lots of things, lots of reasons why people come to Dublin. And, of course, with the introduction of the NFL. That's new to us this year. And hopefully, we'll see it for a number of years to come. But they're great builders for organic growth for our visitor numbers. So I'm happy to say that I'm seeing a growth in both revenue and in visitor numbers in the Jameson Distillery. So I'm happy to see that. Now, naturally, I'm going to have to work harder to make sure it happens next year and the year after. But I'm happy to say that the tourism product in Dublin has definitely improved. And Dublin-based visitor attractions are doing well. Paul Marden: Exciting plans for summer 26? Ray  Dempsey: Yes, every year is exciting, Paul. And every year brings a challenge and everything else. But I'm delighted to say that our focus for 2026 really is on building inclusion. So we're looking at language tours.Ray  Dempsey: We're looking at tours for... you know, margins in society. And I think it's a really interesting way for us to be able to embrace accessibility to our story. And also, we have increased our experience repertoire to engage more high-end experiences, not private experiences. More demand for those. Okay. So we're delighted to say that we have the product in order to be able to do that. So that's exciting for us, you know, to be building into 2026. Great. Paul Marden: Thank you so much for joining us. I am the only thing standing in the way of you and a drink at the cocktail reception later on. So I think we should call it quits. Ray  Dempsey: And for sure. Paul Marden: If you enjoyed today's episode, then please like and comment in your podcast app. It really does help others to find us. Today's episode was written by me, Paul Marden, with help from Emily Burrows from Plaster. It was edited by Steve Folland and produced by Wenalyn Dionaldo. See you next week. The 2025 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsTake the Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

In this episode, the team breaks down the decision every IT services leader wrestles with: Grow, Buy, or Grow to Sell. You'll hear where firms typically hit operational ceilings, why acquisitions amplify your go-to-market (for better or worse), and what it takes to be truly “ready to sell.” We cover the cash and capability requirements behind each path, common traps (buying to fix sales, serial deals without integration, ignoring working capital), and a simple framework to choose based on time horizon, risk tolerance, and valuation goals. Whether you're building toward a premium exit or debating your next add-on, you'll walk away with practical steps to drive multiple expansion now.Three paths, three realitiesGrow (organic): sharpen ICP, offers, pricing power, utilization, and pipeline discipline.Buy (inorganic): clear thesis, cultural fit, day-0/30/90 integration plan, and post-close GTM.Grow to sell: clean financials/QofE-ready, recurring mix, concentration reduction, leadership bench.Decision drivers: time horizon, leadership bandwidth, cost of capital, integration capacity, risk profile.Valuation levers: recurring revenue %, margin quality, growth durability (Rule of 40/45), customer concentration, integration track record.Common pitfalls: buying to “fix” sales, underestimating change management and working capital, skipping playbooks.Playbooks that travel: discovery→close process, delivery runbook, ICP x offer matrix, integration day-0/30/90, KPI cadence.Outcome framing: optionality done right = two good outcomes (keep growing or transact at a premium).Thinking about building, buying, or prepping for exit? Revenue Rocket has led hundreds of IT services transactions and integrations. If you're weighing the path (or want a sanity check on the math) let's talk: info@revenuerocket.com KEY TAKEAWAYSAcquisitions magnify GTM—they don't fix it.Operational maturity decides whether you stall at ceilings or scale past them.If premium exit is the goal, optimize recurring mix, margins, and concentration now.Model post-close working capital and integration costs, not just purchase price.“Grow to sell” is a discipline game: clean books, durable pipeline, and leadership redundancy. RELATED EPISODESQuestions to Ask before you Consider an M&A initiative. Listen now >>All Roads Lead to M&A. Listen now >>Episode 90: Selling in vs Selling Out. Listen now >>Episode XX: Rule of 45. Listen now >> Listen to Shoot the Moon on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Buy, sell, or grow your tech-enabled services firm with Revenue Rocket.

If you've been coasting on “good enough”, this one's a rocket. Nate and Jacob from Newstrength (Newcastle) walk us through the exact standards, systems and mindset shifts that took them from restless operators to a million-dollar run rate while juggling kids, 3am training and a team that now runs with them, not behind them. Here's what we're covering: - The moment they said “fuck that” to fine and chose standards over excuses - From ~$60k months to an $84k run rate, and 210 → 220+ members (fast) - Letting go of control so the team can actually step up (and stick) - Vivid Vision, permission to dream, and making the metrics mean something - The systems stack: SALAD sales, scripts, scorecards, playbooks, handbooks, KPIs - “Separation Sunday” and the weekly rhythm of million-dollar studios - Sales as belief transfer: make a friend, help a friend - then change a life - Building real careers in fitness: pay, roles, and culture that lasts - Visionary × Integrator: how this partnership actually works day-to-day - The 300-member plan, a NZ team retreat, and why 2026 is on the board - Parenting while building: 3am training, uncommon standards, zero victimhood Why most gyms stay stuck and how to stop normal habits delivering normal results Chapters: ⏳ [00:00] “Fuck That”: Refusing to Settle for Fine ⏳ [00:03:52] From Survival to $1M Run Rate: The Plan and the Numbers ⏳ [00:04:46] The Model: Small Group & Semi-Private for Busy Parents ⏳ [00:12:06] Standards > Excuses: Carving Your Own Path ⏳ [00:17:19] The Turning Point: A Line in the Sand at $1M ⏳ [00:21:11] Letting Go: Handing Over Control So the Team Can Win ⏳ [00:30:14] The Systems Stack That Moved the Needle ⏳ [00:33:59] Playbooks, Skill Gaps & Content That Actually Converts ⏳ [00:42:05] Leadership Evolution: Making It a Mission, Not a Job ⏳ [00:49:06] Lifting Industry Standards: Real Careers for Coaches ⏳ [00:59:57] Separation Sunday & Level 10s: The $1M Weekly Rhythm ⏳ [01:09:00] 300 Members & a NZ Team Retreat: The Vision ⏳ [01:17:04] Stuck at $20-30k/Month? Start Here ⏳ [01:23:45] Who Shouldn't Join Geronimo (Real Talk) Don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment below with your biggest takeaway. We read them all. Want to LEARN proven systems to grow your business without burnout? Go here: https://live.geronimoacademy.com/newsletter Connect with us: My website: ⁠https://thegeronimoacademy.com ⁠ IG Geronimo: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thegeronimoacademy⁠ IG Hey.Doza: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/hey.doza⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://au.linkedin.com/in/andrewhandosa⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophkarger/https://www.linkedin.com/company/gotonetworkhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ca-papadopoulos/Cheat-Sheet zur Folge: https://gamma.app/docs/Coaching-Tips-fur-new-Founders-Vertriebler-8lazu68er1zava7Link-Amazon: Negotiation with Style:https://www.amazon.de/NEGOTIATING-STYLE-science-strategy-bigger/dp/B0FMJZXN1D/ref=sr_1_2Summary (AI) In dieser Episode von GoToNetwork spricht Christoph Karger mit Constantin über Vertrauen im B2B-Vertrieb – und warum es heute schwerer, aber gleichzeitig entscheidender ist denn je. Constantin bringt seine Erfahrung aus Verhandlungsführung, psychologischer Vertrauensarbeit und systemischem Coaching ein und erklärt, warum Tools, Playbooks und Funnel-Optimierung oft an der eigentlichen Hürde vorbeigehen. Im Gespräch geht es um die zentrale These: „Trust is the new data“ – aber Vertrauen skaliert nicht. Gemeinsam analysieren Christoph und Constantin echte Verkaufsprozesse, sprechen über systematisches Discovery, Erwartungsklarheit und die Rolle von Empfehlungen im Vertrauensaufbau. Es geht um Coaching-Methoden, Buy-in durch Kontingenzmodelle und die Frage, warum viele Sales-Teams ihre Closing-Probleme eigentlich im Gesprächseinstieg verursachen. Eine Folge für alle, die nicht nur Prozesse verkaufen wollen, sondern Sicherheit, Klarheit – und echte Ergebnisse. Takeaways Vertrauen schlägt Funnel – Menschen kaufen von Menschen, nicht von Tools.Empfehlungen sind der einfachste Weg in echte Gespräche.Vertrauen entsteht durch Verstehen – nicht durch Argumente.Discovery ist kein Abfragen, sondern ein Dialog über Unsicherheit.Kontingenzverträge können helfen, Vertrauen zu de-riskieren.Personal Branding schafft Vertrautheit – und damit Vertrauen.Coaching verändert Verhalten, nicht nur KPIs.Emotionale Sicherheit ist der Schlüssel zu Kaufentscheidungen.Vertrauen lässt sich nicht skalieren – aber systematisch aufbauen.Der beste Verkäufer ist oft der am besten vernetzte.Verhandeln heißt: Verantwortung übernehmen für die Beziehung.Sales ist ein psychologischer Prozess – kein technischer.Tools beschleunigen nur das, was du vorher richtig gemacht hast.Sound Bites „Trust is the new data – aber Vertrauen skaliert nicht.“ „Menschen kaufen nicht, weil du eine gute Mail geschrieben hast. Sie kaufen, wenn sie dir vertrauen.“ „Jede Empfehlung ist eine Abkürzung ins Vertrauen.“ „Buyer vertrauen deinem Tool nicht, bevor sie dir vertrauen.“ „Discovery ist der Anfang von Vertrauen – oder das Ende vom Deal.“ „Verkauf beginnt nicht beim Closing – sondern bei der Beziehung.“ „Coaching muss Verhalten verändern – nicht nur Umsatz.“ „Vertrauen entsteht nicht durch Volumen, sondern durch Verständnis.“ „Verantwortung beginnt mit Klarheit – für dich und den Kunden.“ „Der wichtigste Skill im Sales? Zuhören. Richtig zuhören.“ Chapters 00:00 Einführung & warum Vertrauen heute der wichtigste Sales-Faktor ist 01:22 Constantins Hintergrund: Verhandlungscoach & systemischer Berater 03:08 Warum viele Teams ihre Deals am Gesprächseinstieg verlieren 05:10 „Trust is the new data“ – was das in der Praxis heißt 07:54 Warum Empfehlungen Vertrauen viel schneller aufbauen 10:01 Persönliche Marken und ihre Wirkung im Buying-Center 12:17 Discovery neu gedacht – psychologisch, nicht nur prozessual 15:28 Was Kontingenzverträge mit Vertrauen zu tun haben 18:42 Die Rolle von emotionaler Sicherheit im Closing 22:13 Beispiel aus der Praxis: Vom PE-geführten Mittelständler zum SaaS-Player 26:47 Wie man Vertrauen durch Klarheit aufbaut 29:33 Coaching, das Verhalten verändert – statt nur Output zu messen 32:50 Warum Tools keinen Vertrauensmangel beheben 36:08 Vertrauen systematisch planen – geht das? 39:21 Was Constantin in Verhandlungen immer wieder beobachtet 42:00 Fazit & wie du echten Beziehungsaufbau im Sales ermöglichst 43:12 Wo du Constantin findest – Buch, LinkedIn & Handout

Managers are juggling 20–30 reports, one-on-ones are drive-bys, and "office hours" are replacing mentorship. We unpack whether AI is the accelerant: which tasks it's automating (performance reviews, expense approvals), why public markets love lean orgs, and how to stay visible when your boss is underwater. Playbooks for managing up, narrating your wins, and getting coached in a flat org. Hosts: Matt Sunbulli ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.firstdraft.vc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Aaron Calafato ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leah Ova ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Leah on TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Editorial: Brooks Borden Matt Sunbulli Ken Wendt Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt Research: Zaid Safe Matt Sunbulli Aaron Calafato

KI im Vertrieb: 80 % weniger Verkäufer? Wie KI den Vertrieb radikal umbaut. Mit Steffen Baermann Zunächst klingt es harmlos: KI im Vertrieb schreibt E-Mails schneller, fasst Meetings zusammen und hilft beim CRM. Allerdings greift das zu kurz. Denn KI ist nicht nur ein Werkzeug, sondern – wie Steffen Baermann ausführt – eine tektonische Verschiebung. Deshalb sprechen wir in dieser Folge über Tempo, Auswirkungen und konkrete Schritte. Erstens erleben wir bis 2030 die breite Umsetzung vorhandener Use Cases. Dazu gehören Telefon-KIs im First-Level, automatisierte Angebotsentwürfe sowie KI-gestützte Kaltakquise. Außerdem sinkt der Admin-Aufwand spürbar. Folglich liefern weniger Verkäufer den gleichen Output – möglicherweise sogar mehr. Dennoch bleibt Kundenverstehen zentral. Zweitens verschiebt sich zwischen 2030 und 2035 die Macht in Richtung Käuferseite. Denn dort orchestrieren KIs Interessen, bewerten Anbieter und priorisieren Entscheidungen. Dadurch schrumpft die klassische Orchestrator-Rolle im Vertrieb. Gleichzeitig bleibt Key-Account-Arbeit wichtig – allerdings datengetriebener, vergleichbarer und messbarer. Drittens rückt ab 2035 die Automatisierung ganzer Kaufprozesse näher. Zwar ist noch offen, wie autonom Entscheidungen laufen; dennoch ist klar: Ohne KI-Fitness wird es schwierig. Deshalb raten wir zu konsequenter Vorbereitung – nicht irgendwann, sondern jetzt. Was heißt das konkret? Erstens: Rüste dich und dein Team aus. Verwende KI für Einwandbehandlung, Meeting-Mitschnitte und Coaching; dadurch sparst du täglich bis zu 60–90 Minuten. Zweitens: Mache dein Angebot KI-findbar. Dazu gehören strukturierte Produktdaten, belastbare Referenzen sowie nachvollziehbare Benchmarks. Drittens: Aktualisiere Narrativ und Einwände. Sammle typische KI-Antworten, liefere Belege und trainiere klare Rebuttals. Viertens: Setze auf Signale statt Gießkanne – also Intent-Daten, Trigger und Buying-Group-Muster. Darüber hinaus solltest du Sichtbarkeit neu denken. Käufer fragen zunehmend Assistenten: „Welcher Anbieter passt zu mir?“ Wenn deine Lösung dort nicht erscheint, verlierst du Leads, noch bevor sie entstehen. Aus diesem Grund brauchst du präzise Produktbeschreibungen, konsistente Preislogiken und – nicht zuletzt – aussagekräftige Customer Stories. Gleichzeitig verändert sich die Rolle des Vertriebs. Einerseits bleibt Beziehungspflege wertvoll; andererseits verlangt der Markt nach Evidenz. Deshalb zählt künftig, wer Nutzen systematisch belegt – mit Daten, Cases und messbaren Outcomes. Kurz gesagt: Story plus Proof schlägt Bauchgefühl. Unterm Strich ergibt sich ein klares Bild: KI im Vertrieb reduziert Routine, beschleunigt Taktung und erhöht Qualitätsdruck. Wer jetzt Kompetenzen aufbaut, profitiert. Wer zaudert, riskiert Relevanz. Genau deshalb liefert Steffen Baermann mit seinem Ansatz praktikable Denkmodelle und erste Playbooks.  

Most AI pilots fail because founders are retrofitting old playbooks instead of rebuilding revenue architecture. Mark Roberge, founding CRO at HubSpot who scaled from $0 to $100M revenue, breaks down how AI compresses traditional sales cycles and transforms go-to-market execution. He reveals why selling time will jump from 25% to 75% of a rep's week, how AI enables real-time ICP refinement and account targeting, and why sustainable moats now depend on owning the point of work rather than systems of record.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Part 1 Shownotes In this eye-opening first part of a special two-part episode of "Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu," Tom sits down with Mike Benz—former State Department official, executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, and a leading authority on the intersection of technology, media, and soft power. Benz unpacks the tangled web of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the shifting dynamics of global influence, and how soft power has supplanted traditional warfare in the modern era. Tom and Mike go deep into the true origins and motivations behind NGOs, illuminating how many of these organizations operate as statecraft tools, intelligence fronts, and economic levers for the world's elite. From the rise of philanthropic organizations as vehicles for influence to the coordinated manipulation of global media, Part 1 shines a light on the hidden infrastructure behind democracy building, narrative control, and regime change. Mike exposes the intricate interplay between hedge funds, government foreign policy, media, and activism—detailing how policy and profit become inextricably linked through a process he dubs "drafting off of policy." If you've ever questioned who really pulls the strings behind elections, color revolutions, and the headlines you read every day, this episode will give you a radical new lens through which to see the world. SHOWNOTES00:00 NGOs as Instruments of Power02:43 History of Elite Media Control05:12 Media Manipulation and American Influence Abroad10:44 Soft Power vs. Military Might12:07 Hedge Funds, Donors, and Policy Manipulation (Soros Example)14:35 The “Blob”: Inside the Foreign Policy Establishment20:31 How Economic Interests Drive Foreign Policy23:01 Color Revolutions: Playbooks and Statecraft29:26 Can These Playbooks Be Used Domestically? (Transition Integrity Project)32:24 The National Endowment for Democracy and Modern “Democracy Building”38:28 Media, Music, and Cultural Warfare44:39 Education, Language, and Censorship as Soft Power FOLLOW MIKE BENZ:X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/mikebenzcyberYouTube: Mike Benz CyberRumble: Mike Benz CyberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikebenzcyber/ SleepMe: Visit https://sleep.me/impact to get your Chilipad and save 20% with code IMPACT. Try it risk-free with their 30-night sleep trial and free shipping. Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Hims: Start your free online visit today at https://hims.com/IMPACT. Linkedin: Post your job free at https://linkedin.com/impacttheory Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact Tailor Brands: 35% off https://tailorbrands.com/podcast35 Found Banking: Try Found for FREE at https://found.com/impact What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER:  https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.:  https://tombilyeu.com/call Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.: https://tombilyeu.com/ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Bensignor, President of Bensignor Investment Strategies and editor of Supposedly Irrelevant Factors, joins us to discuss practical trading strategies for persistent bull markets across U.S. equities, precious metals, and select international markets. We focus on how to manage winners without getting shaken out by every “it's overbought” headline. Key takeaways Separate long-term holdings from tactical trades. Trim or hedge positions at technical targets instead of selling outright. Spotting exhaustion signals at highs with tools like DeMark counts. Case studies: trimming $TSLA, $INTC, $PAAS; tactical put spreads in $GLD. Why most investors should limit trading to 10-15% of assets and let ETFs ($SPY, $QQQ, $DIA) compound long term.   Stocks & ETFs mentioned SPY, QQQ, DIA, TSLA, PAAS, SLV, GLD, GDX, INTC, NVDA, PFE. For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks: https://kereport.substack.com/ https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/ Investment disclaimer This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.

I recorded this conversation at Barracuda TechSummit25 in Alpbach, Austria, where the mountains feel close enough to touch and the discussions get very real very quickly. My guests are Adam Khan, VP of Global Security Operations at Barracuda XDR, and Eric Russo, Director of SOC Defensive Security. Together they run the teams that watch, interpret, and act when attacks move across email, identity, network, cloud, and endpoints. Their keynote used the language of sport to make sense of modern defense, and it worked. You will hear why football tactics map cleanly to security, how roles and formations translate to controls and playbooks, and why a strong back line matters when the opposition moves the ball quickly. Here is the thing that stood out for me. Integrated defense is not a slogan. When Adam and Eric talk about Extended Detection and Response, they are describing a practical way to join signals, add context, and trigger action without waiting for a human to click through ten consoles. XDR gives analysts one source of truth, connects events that would otherwise sit in separate tools, and shortens the time between a suspicious signal and an action that contains it. That is how you turn alert fatigue into something manageable, and it is how small teams hold their own against fast, multi-step attacks. The analogies make it easier to picture. In football, a defense tracks runners, closes passing lanes, and communicates constantly. In security, that means correlating identity with network flows and endpoint behavior, then deciding who picks up the threat and how to press. The Home Alone reference takes it further. Imagine Kevin's improvised defenses as point tools scattered around a house. Now add a single screen that shows every door, every window, and which trap fires next. That is the plain-English version of XDR that anyone can understand. We also unpack real incidents that their teams have faced, without naming names. You will hear how attackers chain steps across layers, and how automated responses isolate systems, lock accounts, and cut off command and control before damage spreads. The lesson is simple. Visibility gives you options. Automation buys you time. People make the right calls when they can see the whole pitch. If you work in security, this episode gives you a clear view of what good looks like. If you are a business leader, it offers a way to measure progress that goes beyond tool counts and budget lines. And if you enjoy a metaphor that lands, football and Home Alone might be the clearest explanation of XDR you will hear all year.

I was recently featured in Alex Hormozi's $100M Money Models as a case study—and in this video, I'm breaking down the exact playbooks we used to scale Well-Oiled from a $5M company to a $15M company (and beyond). Here's the thing: playbooks aren't just for massive corporations. If you're a small business owner and you don't have them in place, you're leaving money on the table and creating chaos for yourself and your team. I'll walk you through: The difference between SOPs, systems, and playbooks (and why most people confuse them) How we shifted from “this is how I do it” to “this is how we do it” as a company The 3 sales playbooks that skyrocketed our close rate from 27% to nearly 50% Why playbooks aren't just documents—they're the key to buying back your time, reducing turnover, and scaling without bottlenecks I've been running businesses for 20+ years, and I can tell you: without playbooks, you will hit a ceiling fast. With them, you get consistency, freedom, and growth.

Most founders end up trapped in their own business. They're the bottleneck, still responsible for sales, still putting out fires, still working in the business instead of on it.In this episode of Founder Talk, I sit down with Keith Seebeck, founder of Eskaygee, to break down how entrepreneurs can create businesses that run without them. Keith shares his journey from EOS integrator to Pinnacle Guide, why most owners struggle to delegate, and how building the right leadership team is the only way to scale beyond survival.We dive into the hard truths about letting go, why loyalty to the wrong people can hold you back, and the tactical systems that actually turn chaos into control. Keith also unpacks the Pinnacle framework (People, Purpose, Playbooks, Performance, Profit) and why companies that don't master these five pillars rarely break past $5M in revenue.You'll learn:✅ Why most founders get stuck as the bottleneck in their business✅ How to build a leadership team that actually runs without you✅ The culture shifts that turn unproductive meetings into growth drivers✅ Why playbooks and processes are your insurance policy against chaos✅ How accountability transforms both leadership teams and company performanceIf you've been searching “how to scale my business without burning out,” “how to build a leadership team that runs without me,” or “Pinnacle vs. EOS for entrepreneurs,” this episode delivers the practical, no-fluff truth.Connect with KeithGuest LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-seebeck-168b3/Guest Website: https://www.eskaygee.com/If you are a B2B company that wants to build your own in-house content team instead of outsourcing your content to a marketing agency, we may be a fit for you! Everything you see in our podcast and content is a result of a scrappy, nimble, internal content team along with an AI-powered content systems and process. Check out pricing and services here: ⁠https://impaxs.com⁠Timecodes00:00 Introduction to Business Coaching01:08 Understanding EOS and Pinnacle03:01 Challenges Faced by Business Owners06:11 Delegation and Team Building12:44 The Importance of Company Culture14:41 Transition from EOS to Pinnacle21:21 Building a Vision and Playbooks30:02 The Importance of Regularly Reviewing Playbooks30:37 Optimizing Processes with External Help31:08 The Challenge of Documenting Processes34:01 The Value of Effective Meetings35:17 Implementing Accountability in Leadership38:22 The Role of Rocks in Achieving Goals47:28 The Impact of AI on Consulting and Coaching53:21 Advice for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners58:00 Final Thoughts and Resources

In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Dom Hallas, Executive Director of the UK's Startup Coalition, to explore how the organization is influencing policy at the intersection of startups, venture capital, and government. From immigration reform to capital access and regulatory red tape, Dom brings a candid view on what it takes to create real impact for founders across Europe.They dive into the power of founder-first advocacy, the evolving lobbying landscape in Europe, and the urgent need for a united tech voice across the continent.Here's what's covered:01:10 Why Policy is a Competitive Sport03:42 GDPR, Brussels & Lessons from Tech Regulation05:12 What is the Startup Coalition & Who Funds It?07:13 The Three Buckets: Talent, Capital, Regulation11:20 Why Founders Need Their Own Voice in Politics16:31 Making Advocacy Fun, Human & Effective17:56 What Startups Can Learn from Farmers21:30 Time Horizons & Playbooks in Policy Work26:18 How the Coalition Sets its Agenda31:46 A Crossroads for European Tech35:46 The Current Policy Agenda: Talent, Finance & Reg43:27 Funding the Underfunded: Inclusion as Policy47:01 Regulation That Clears the Way for the Next Thing

¿Viste este episodio y crees que tu empresa necesita entrar al mundo digital o mejorar su presencia? Hazlo con los expertos en contenido, no dudes en contactar a la productora del medio digital líder. Ofrecemos servicios en NYC, CDMX, Costa Rica, Guatemala, República Dominicana, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Panama y Colombia - NADA Estudios: https://www.instagram.com/nadaestudios/ - Contacto: info@nopasanada.com ___Sergio Restrepo es un profesor/practicante de marketing digital y experiencia de cliente. Fundó una agencia en 2007, la escaló a 250+ personas y la vendió en 2014. Desde entonces ha lanzado y vendido empresas apalancadas por tecnología, y ha diseñado estrategias global-a-local para marcas como Nestlé, 3M, New Balance, SABMiller, Honda y Johnson & Johnson. Apoyó la división de marketing digital global de Lionbridge hasta 2018. Hoy enseña y asesora en automatización, growth de embudo completo y transformación digital como profesor invitado en INCAE (Costa Rica), IESE (España), Georgetown y Boston University. Su tesis central: la mejor estrategia digital hace que la marca se sienta auténtica y humana a escala, con los sistemas correctos detrás de escena.Cada minuto tu feed compite por tu atención. ¿Cómo construís marcas que la gente siente y, además, activan una transformación real—más allá del deck?Qué vas a aprender:Playbooks global-a-local: funnels multilingües y multiculturales sin perder el alma de marca.El stack técnico detrás de una CX auténtica (automatización que no suena a robot).Cómo volver interesante un producto “aburrido” y qué métricas realmente cambian conducta.Lecciones de escalar una agencia a 250 personas y decidir qué tercerizar vs. internalizar.Buenas prácticas operativas: cadencia, experimentos y disciplina de decisiones.Lo que enseña en el aula, traducido a la realidad del operador.Escucha En Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0iGOS1NGeccwX4Tie7xwRq__Conecta con Pietro:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/pietro-cerconeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pietrohablacon/___Este podcast es traído a ustedes gracias al INCAE, la mejor universidad de negocios de latinoamerica: https://incae.edu/___Pietro Habla Con es un podcast de conversaciones, entrevistas y discusiones de todo tipo de temas en español.

First trading day of September and stocks taking a leg lower: Carl Quintanilla and Sara Eisen broke down the market set-up – along with fresh data and commentary around the consumer and prices paid top of the hour. Bespoke Invest Co-Founder Paul Hickey pointing out what he calls a bullish environment, while former Fed Vice Chair Alan Blinder gave his predictions for a make-or-break Jobs Report this Friday – and what could result from Fed Gov. Lisa Cook's ongoing DC trial. Plus: get key analysis and more on what to do with stocks in 2 volatile sectors – energy and healthcare, as headlines roll-out of Washington from both industries.   Also in focus: Kraft Heinz and Pepsico. Hear what Warren Buffett had to say about news Kraft Heinz plans to split the company – and why he's “disappointed” – along with Pepsico's response to a new activist investor in the name.  Squawk on the Street Disclaimer

Jason Murray—CEO & co-founder of Shipium and 19-year Amazon vet—joins Everything Is Logistics to unpack what really moves the needle for shippers: accurate delivery promises, multi-carrier execution, and where AI agents add real value today. We get into the “coordination layer” most retailers are missing across OMS/WMS/TMS, building a digital twin of your network, and why faster can actually be cheaper when your method mix and lanes are modeled correctly. Favorite line: Shipium's role is a “super-sophisticated calculator” for decisions the human brain (and spreadsheets) simply can't keep up with.Key takeawaysThe coordination gap is costly. Most enterprises make siloed decisions in OMS/WMS; the win is a horizontal optimizer that weighs transportation, inventory, and cost together. Promise precision beats blanket speed. Customers want confidence in “by Thursday,” not generic “2-day.” Model ship dates and probability of arrival—and constantly backtest your predictions. Digital twins drive smarter choices. Shipium models lanes, cutoffs, and costs in real time to choose carrier/method, where to ship from, and what to promise. AI agents = productivity multipliers. Early wins: a “what happened to this shipment?” chat workflow, and agents watching network signals (the old Amazon “little red button”) to trigger reroutes. Money on the table. Method optimization and delivery-promise installs have driven multi-million-dollar annual savings for large retailers. LINKS:Shipium's WebsiteJason's LinkedInWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interviews powered by SPI Logistics to hear from the company's agents on how they took the entrepreneurial leap. Shipium is the ML-powered shipping platform built by the executives that created Amazon's supply chain technology. They help 3PL & retail leaders like Stord, Ryder, and Saks Off 5th to reduce shipping costs by an average of 12% while improving on-time delivery. CargoRex is the logistics industry's go-to search platform—connecting you with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve. Digital Dispatch manages and maximizes your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.

Ever feel like your business eats up every free moment? The truth is, you don't need Taylor Swift-level fame or Hormozi-style hype to succeed. What you actually need is space—room to create, promote, and step away without guilt.Like this episode? Subscribe to Streamlined Solopreneur too. That's why I use the GAPS framework: Gear, Automations, Playbooks, and Support. It's the system that helped me reclaim 10–12 hours a week, even during one of the busiest summers of my life. In this episode, I break down how you can use GAPS to stop fighting with your tools, cut the manual busywork, and finally get your time back. Top TakeawaysFame hacks don't apply—your focus should be on knowing your audience, creating for them, promoting, and experimenting.The biggest bottleneck isn't knowing what to do—it's finding the time to do it.Gear: Invest in reliable tools so tech doesn't slow you down.Automations: Use tools like Zapier, Riverside, and Notion to handle repetitive tasks.Playbooks: Create simple SOPs so you or anyone else can follow the same steps every time.Support: Delegate to a VA, editor, or even students—don't try to do it all yourself.Show NotesWatch on YouTubeOverwhelm QuizRiversideRSS.comTella.tvEcamm LiveZapierNotionSamson Q2U Microphone

In today's episode, I'm giving you five questions to ask to help you get your to-do list in a place that feels way more doable. It's a simple process you can follow that takes less than five minutes, and I promise it'll help. Then I'm sharing what my own personal to-do list routine looks like because sometimes hearing ideas from other people helps us find our own. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Episode 417: My Favorite Planning Tool Ever Learn about The Playbooks here! Sign up for my once-a-month newsletter, The Latest Lazy Letter. Sign up for our every-other-week podcast recap email called Latest Lazy Listens. Sign up for The Book List Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. Want to share your Lazy Genius of the Week idea with us? Use this form to tell us about it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever feel like your business eats up every free moment? The truth is, you don't need Taylor Swift-level fame or Hormozi-style hype to succeed. What you actually need is space—room to create, promote, and step away without guilt.That's why I use the GAPS framework: Gear, Automations, Playbooks, and Support. It's the system that helped me reclaim 10–12 hours a week, even during one of the busiest summers of my life. In this episode, I break down how you can use GAPS to stop fighting with your tools, cut the manual busywork, and finally get your time back.Top TakeawaysFame hacks don't apply—your focus should be on knowing your audience, creating for them, promoting, and experimenting.The biggest bottleneck isn't knowing what to do—it's finding the time to do it.Gear: Invest in reliable tools so tech doesn't slow you down.Automations: Use tools like Zapier, Riverside, and Notion to handle repetitive tasks.Playbooks: Create simple SOPs so you or anyone else can follow the same steps every time.Support: Delegate to a VA, editor, or even students—don't try to do it all yourself.Show NotesWatch on YouTubeOverwhelm QuizRiversideRSS.comTella.tvEcamm LiveZapierNotionSamson Q2U Microphone ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Girl Dad Show, Young Han sits down with Jim Cook, a Silicon Valley veteran with over 30 years of experience scaling startups, including guiding Mozilla from Series A to IPO. Jim is the founder of BenchBoard and the creator of Cook's PlayBooks newsletter, where he coaches leaders and equips them with frameworks to bridge the gap between vision and execution. Jim shares how he's balanced high-stakes executive roles with being present for his family, why sales skills are essential in every career, and how travel helps build empathy in children. He discusses the importance of modeling good behavior, setting boundaries, and staying authentic in both leadership and content creation. Jim also critiques the unhealthy 996 work culture and explains why teaching financial literacy to kids is one of the best investments parents can make. ✨ All episodes of The Girl Dad Show are proudly sponsored by Thesis, helping founders go further, together. Key Takeaways Over 30 years of leadership experience in Silicon Valley, including scaling Mozilla from Series A to IPO. Balancing family and career is crucial during children's formative years. Sales skills are valuable in every profession, not just sales roles. Travel fosters empathy and cultural understanding in children. Modeling behavior is more impactful than simply telling kids what to do. Setting boundaries between work and family leads to healthier relationships. The 996 work culture promotes burnout and imbalance. Financial literacy for kids is a must. Authenticity resonates more with audiences than polished perfection.

Join us as we unpack Alex Hormozi's epic $100M Money Models book launch—record-smashing sales, live playbooks, AI tools, sponsorship gimmicks, and that wild “donate 200 books” $6K offer turned into a movement. No fluff—pure dissection.00:00 Introduction and Opening Banter00:41 Discussing Alex Hormozi's Impact01:05 Unboxing and Product Teasers02:55 Alex Hormozi's Business Journey05:56 The Guru World and Influences09:45 Sales Tactics and Strategies12:37 The Epic Book Launch29:38 Unboxing the $6,000 Package33:35 Unboxing the Binder and Book34:22 Marketing Tactics and Strategies36:26 Playbooks and Consulting Insights46:44 Investment in the Ecosystem50:33 Exploring the AI Tool01:04:38 Debating the Effectiveness of Ads01:05:18 Sam Ovens and Consulting.com01:05:45 The Business Universe Concept01:06:41 Grant Cardone's Branding Strategy01:08:58 Dave Ramsey's Financial Empire01:10:08 Oprah's Media Universe01:11:21 Earn Your Leisure and Financial Literacy01:17:11 Organic Marketing with Derrick Grace01:19:22 Kai Sinat and the Streaming Revolution01:25:23 Engaging with the Audience01:30:24 Final Thoughts and OutroYouTube Video: https://youtu.be/ylVuU8FqoQw#AlexHormozi #MoneyModelsLaunch #BookLaunchUnboxed #BusinessPlaybooks #LaunchBreakdown #LiveUnboxing #AcquisitionAI #ShowVsBusiness #Podcast #Entertainment----------Show vs. Business is your weekly take on Pop Culture from two very different perspectives. Your hosts Theo and  Mr. Benja provide all the relevant info to get your week started right.Looking to start your own podcast ? The guys give their equipment google list recommendation that is updated often Sign up - https://www.showvsbusiness.com/----------Follow us on Instagram - https://instagram.com/show_vs_businessFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/showvsbusinessLike us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ShowVsBusinessSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuwni8la5WRGj25uqjbRwdQ/featuredFollow Theo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therealtheoharvey Follow Mr.Benja on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@BenjaminJohnsonakaMrBenja --------

In this episode of Life of a CISO, Dr. Eric Cole dives deep into simplicity, time management, and the foundations of being a world-class Chief Information Security Officer. He explains how rebooting your life and career—just like you reboot a slow computer—can help clear distractions and focus on what truly matters. Dr. Cole also shares strategies for creating a strategic cybersecurity playbook, aligning with executives, setting risk tolerance, and reclaiming wasted time. Whether you're a seasoned CISO or aspiring to lead in cybersecurity, this episode is packed with actionable advice to improve your efficiency, influence, and impact. Learn how to: Reset your priorities and eliminate inefficiencies Track your time and focus on high-value activities Develop a strategic cybersecurity playbook Communicate your vision to executives Set risk tolerance that aligns with your organization Tune in and start transforming your approach to cybersecurity and leadership today.  

Today's episode is a replay of my interview with Leila Horomozi this time last year!Want To Quit Your Job In The Next 6-18 Months Through Buying Commercial Real Estate & Small Businesses?

August is in full swing, and for many of you, that means your lives are, too. You might have some itchy planning energy or feel like you should have planned more by now. Either way, I'm going to share with you five things to avoid when planning a busy season. That way you can get the right things done, enjoy where you are, and not feel like you need a vacation before your busy season has even started. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Learn about The Playbooks here Episode #362: A Simple Strategy for Your To-Do List Episode #417: My Favorite Planning Tool Ever Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're calling our shot on just how low September Lumber Futures could go—and why a cash market adjustment may be right behind it. If you're buying, selling, or negotiating in the next 30 days, you'll want to hear this. We're also joined by returning guest Chris Beard from John Burns Research & Consulting, with sharp insights on builders powering through price swings, the rise of build-to-rent, and SYP–SPF species swaps. Packed with market moves, builder intel, and trading tips you can use now.   Show Contacts Guest Chris Beard: chrisbeard@jbrec.com Gregg Riley: Gregg@sitkainc.com Charles DeLaTorre: cdelatorre@ifpwood.com Matt Beymer: mattbeymer@hamptonlumber.com Ashley Boeckholt: ashley@sitkainc.com  

In this episode of the East Coast Elite series, we sit down with Austin Stefani, CRO at DBT Labs, to discuss his career journey from EMC to his current role.   austin shares his fundamental principles for sales leadership, emphasizing the importance of making every individual on the team successful.   We learn about his focus on skill acquisition, the value of learning from challenges, and why empathy is crucial for both employees and customers. Austin breaks down his "playbook" for problem identification and how to apply it at various stages of a company's growth, from building a sales process and managing pipeline to scaling international teams.  

I love these episodes, and y'all do, too. If you're new here, this is a question created awhile back by Barbara Brown Taylor, and it's such a lovely way to be where you are, note what's giving you joy, and mark the goodness of the season, no matter what's happening. Here's my list! I hope it inspires you to make your own.  Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. The Red Collection antique store Rudd Farm B-Word Sauce The Lazy Genius Facebook Group (almost 50K members strong!) Teva Women's Original Universal Slim Sandal in Tiger's Eye Learn about The Playbooks here! Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Notes This week on Talent Experience Live, the mastermind behind Phenom Industry Week unpacks the biggest moments, boldest insights, and breakthrough stories. From hospitality to healthcare, retail to manufacturing, we'll share how organizations are embracing AI and automation to tackle pain points with purpose, drive impact faster, and stay future-ready. You'll hear first-hand examples of transformation, including beta testing AI agents, replacing paper-based processes with intelligent workflows, and redefining HR's role in company culture. It's a behind-the-scenes look at Industry Week's most powerful sessions — and the real-world playbooks that leaders are using to scale smarter. Whether you missed the event or just want to revisit the highlights, this episode delivers the goods.

Episode Description: In this episode, League, Vori Health, and Fitzroy International unpack how healthcare organizations are rethinking growth, partnerships, and go-to-market strategies in a rapidly shifting environment. Learn how leading innovators are: Designing scalable, digitally enabled experiences to meet evolving consumer expectations Adapting sales and billing models amid policy and reimbursement uncertainty Attracting long-term, “patient capital” to fuel innovation in mission-driven organizations From enterprise partnerships to nimble, virtual-first care models, this discussion delivers fresh perspectives and actionable strategies for leaders navigating transformation across health plans, health systems, and digital health. How to Engage: Chat with Us: Share your thoughts with Head of Production Strategy and Operations, Haritha Krishnarathnam at hkrish@brightspotsventures.com

Summer is by no means over, but as Lazy Geniuses, we do care about living in our season and marking moments well. One of my favorite ways to do this is with opening and closing ceremonies. So today, I'm simply going to share a bunch of my favorite ideas that came from y'all about how to end the summer. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. The Lazy Genius Facebook Group Learn about The Playbooks here Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the last Monday of July, so the energy is about to shift to getting back to school. August is a vibe. Even our Lazy Genius of the Week this week is about August, and she calls the month “one long Sunday night.” That tracks for a lot of people, whether you have kids in school, whether you're an educator yourself, or whether you're just officially winding down your summer. August has some big transitional energy.  So today, let's talk about how to make a new school year easier. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Learn about The Playbooks here Other back-to-school episodes you might enjoy: #168: How to Go Back to School, #376: The Lazy Genius Back-to-School Checklist, #274: The Back-to-School Starter Pack, #221: Get Your Back-to-School Life Together Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's holding marketing teams back from driving real growth? In this StrategyCast episode, you'll get practical steps to connect your efforts to revenue, earn a true seat at the table, and turn marketing into your company's growth engine!And don't forget! You can crush your marketing strategy with just a few minutes a week by signing up for the StrategyCast Newsletter. You'll receive weekly bursts of marketing tips, clips, resources, and a whole lot more. Visit https://strategycast.com/ for more details.==Let's Break It Down==05:18 "Marketing: From Service to Growth"11:00 Enterprise Brand Repositioning Insights14:45 Reevaluating Customer Understanding17:24 Marketing Impact Takes Time20:17 "Timing and Micro Optimizations"23:54 Measuring Marketing Visibility Challenge29:01 Bottom-Up Conversion Strategy32:09 Building Market Need and Trust34:00 DIY Data Tracking with Excel37:01 Basic Math for Business Strategy==Where You Can Find Us==Website: https://strategycast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategy_cast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategycast==Leave a Review==Hey there, StrategyCast fans!If you've found our tips and tricks on marketing strategies helpful in growing your business, we'd be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover how they can elevate their business game!

Harmony Anderson didn't wait 90 days to make an impact at Superhuman — she launched a major campaign in her first five weeks. Harmony Anderson, Head of Marketing and Growth Product at Superhuman, breaks down why moving fast (and strategically) matters more than playing it safe, especially in high-growth startups. We dig into what it really takes to scale from $20M to $200M ARR, how to enter the enterprise market without abandoning your early adopters, and why traditional attribution models are falling behind in the age of AI and influencers. If you're navigating go-to-market pivots, building modern marketing infrastructure, or just trying to avoid another forgettable brand campaign — this episode is packed with insights. And congratulations to the Superhuman team for being acquired by Grammarly! Key Moments: 00:00 Harmony Anderson on Moving Upmarket and Scaling 01:35 Welcome to Marketing Trends 02:05 Harmony Anderson's Career Journey 08:33 Fast-Paced Marketing Strategies 13:20 Navigating the Dark Funnel 15:59 Balancing Brand and Attribution 16:47 The Role of Influencers in Modern Marketing 19:27 Positioning in the AI Market 24:41 Moving Up Market: Challenges and Strategies 35:06 Vision Setting and Company Evolution 36:11 Superhuman's Ambitious Roadmap 37:02 Unified Productivity and AI Integration 44:18 Scaling Operations for Rapid Growth 48:09 Innovative Tools and Harmony's Tech Stack 51:13 AI in Content Creation and Marketing 56:02 The Resurgence of Webinars 01:02:14 Superhuman for Startups Program Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations with Michael ErathIn this episode of the Daily Mastermind, host George Wright III interviews Michael Erath, founder of Next Level Growth and author of 'Rise' and 'Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations'. Michael shares his journey of building a $45 million empire, losing it all, and then rebuilding from scratch. The discussion delves into his coaching methods for CEOs on scaling with clarity, the importance of having systems in place, and the five key obsessions that drive elite organizations: great people, inspiring purpose, optimized playbooks, a culture of performance, and growing profits and cash flow. Michael also emphasizes the need for radical honesty and effective coaching within organizations and shares strategies for hiring A players. The episode underscores the significance of mindset and intentionality in achieving business excellence.00:53 Michael Erath's Background and Early Career02:52 Challenges and Setbacks in Business04:03 Rebuilding and Developing Systems08:41 Core Values and Leadership15:42 The Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations22:32 The Importance of Playbooks in Sales Teams29:01 The Role of Profit and Cash Flow36:21 Finding the Right People for the Job39:54 Final Thoughts and Advice for EntrepreneursYou have GREATNESS inside you. I BELIEVE in You. Let's Make Today the Day You Unleash Your Potential!George Wright IIICEO, The Daily Mastermind | Evolution X_________________________________________________________P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are ways I can help you…Get to know me:1. Subscribe to The Daily Mastermind Podcast- daily inspiration, motivation, education2. Follow me on social media Facebook | Instagram | Linkedin | TikTok | Youtube3. Get the Prosperity Pillars Poster I Developed over 20 years from my Mentors.Work with me:My mission is to help you Master Your Mind, Money, & Business, and I firmly believe:It's Never Too Late to Create the Life You Were Meant to Live…a LIFESTYLE of Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Here are ways I've been able to help thousands of people over the past 20 years… 4. FREE DOWNLOAD: Download the FREE 12-Day Authority Formula Email Course.5. JOIN THE EVOLUTION: A Private Members Only Mastermind Group that includes Weekly Group CEO Mentoring, Courses, Resources & Live Events. We will Grow Your Authority.6. GET FEATURED: Grow Your Brand and Authority by getting interviewed and featured alongside celebrities and experts in Valiant CEO Magazine online.7. AUTHORITY LAUNCH: Get a Custom Authority Blueprint that will help you to Quickly Grow Massive Authority and Get Seen by Thousands in Less than One Hour using our Proven Formula.About Michael ErathMichael Erath is a seasoned entrepreneur who transformed his family's $8M business into a $45M global enterprise. After facing significant setbacks, including the Great Recession and internal fraud, he rebuilt his career by founding Next Level Growth. Michael is also the author of best-selling books like RISE: The Reincarnation of an Entrepreneur and The Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations.Resources:Website: nextlevelgrowth.comBook: Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations LinkedIn: Michael ErathYouTube Interview: Key Habits of Successful Organizations

Todd Manley, VP of Corporate Development Integration at Intel In this episode, Todd Manley joins Kison Patel to share his non-traditional path into the world of M&A. Starting his career in IT and organizational behavior, Todd brings a unique lens to integration and leadership in corporate development. From his early consulting days to overseeing integrations at Cisco, Symantec, and now Intel, Todd has seen it all. He opens up about what it really takes to thrive in M&A—from career pivots and networking to managing divestitures and leading with empathy. This episode is packed with career insight, integration best practices, and practical leadership advice for anyone navigating—or trying to break into—the fast-paced world of M&A. Things you will learn: How to break into M&A without a finance or banking background The critical leadership traits that matter in integration roles Why networking and curiosity matter more than job titles ________________________ Sponsored by DealRoom—where M&A chaos meets its match. Still stuck in spreadsheet hell? DealRoom helps corporate development teams take control—streamlining diligence, syncing integration, and eliminating the back-and-forth.

Today is Memorial Day in the US, so pools are opening, school is starting to slow down or finish completely, and we are entering the abyss, I mean, beauty of the summer season.  Any time we move from one season to another, whether it's a season of life or a season on the calendar, it's good to pay attention to a couple of things so that we don't suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a new season without the tools we need to live in it the way we hope to. I'm going to share five quick things you can do before summer begins in order to enjoy your summer in an intentional, fun way. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Learn more about The Playbooks or grab a Summer Playbook here The Summer Docket Summer Break Calendar from The Essential Calendar Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kids and screen time. Kids and phones. Kids and rotting brains because that's kind of what we're afraid of. But also a lot of things about what comes out of screens are great. It just all feels like too much sometimes but never goes away. Today, I'm sharing with you my personal take on kids and technology, why I think this is hard, and some ways I approach it, both philosophically and practically, that help me parent in a heavily technological world. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Some related episodes you may find helpful: #210 - How to Lazy Genius Kids' Screen Time and #196 - How to Lazy Genius Adult Screen Time Learn more about The Playbooks or grab a Summer Playbook here Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode, Sarah shares a detailed Planner Peace submission (from a listener who listened to all 250 episodes of the BLP back catalog!) and provides a mini-review of Kendra Adachi's The Playbook, designed to be planner companions for each season, rather than planners themselves! Find The Playbook here: https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/merch/p/the-playbooks-bundle or here for a page by page overview: https://otterpine.com/the-playbooks/ Next, a listener with a new baby wonders whether it makes sense to carry her paper planner up and down the stairs vs make the switch to digital. Finally, this is Sarah's birthday week! If you'd like to celebrate, leave a review on your favorite podcast app, or preorder Best Laid Plans: A Simple System for Living a Life That You Love (available at major retailers - just search for Sarah Hart-Unger!). BLP Live is almost full - last chance if you'd like to plan 2026 with Sarah and Laura Vanderkam in person this November! Visit theshubox.com/blplive for details Episode Sponsors: PrepDish: Convenient meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists to reduce your weekly mental load! Visit ⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠ for your first 2 weeks, FREE Mint Mobile: Low-cost wireless phone service – a great way to save every single month! Learn more at ⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP⁠⁠ IXL: Tailored and effective online learning (my kids have used this for years as part of their school curriculum)! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at⁠⁠ IXL.com/PLANS⁠⁠. Green Chef: The best meal kit for eating well. Visit ⁠⁠greenchef.com/bestlaidfree⁠⁠ and use code bestlaidfree to get started with FREE salads for 2 months plus 50% off your first box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm sharing my favorite planning tool ever, something that doesn't start big or push perfection but instead honors your season, your energy, and what matters most today. If you've ever felt let down by traditional planners, this episode is for you. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. How to Bullet Journal: The Absolute Ultimate Guide Learn more about The Playbooks or grab a Summer Playbook here Here's a link to an Instagram Live where I talk about the Summer Playbook Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may have seen the news last week that the consumer confidence index fell by 7 points this month, marking the largest drop since August 2021. Translation? People are getting nervous about a recession. But here's the thing—you don't have to panic just because the economy is. Even if you're skeptical about the marco-economy, you can create confidence in your own micro-economy by taking the reins of your investments. So today, Nicole is showing you four asset allocation strategies designed to help you weather any financial environment. In other words: four recipes for a portfolio that provides growth in good economic times, and stability in tough economic times. Pre-order Nicole's upcoming book The Money School HERE! All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Open to the Public Investing, member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. Treasury accounts offering 6 months T-Bills are offered by Jiko Securities, Inc.,member FINRA & SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000. For details: www.sipc.org. Banking services and the Bank Accounts are provided by Jiko Bank, a division of Mid- Central National Bank. For U.S. Investments in T-bills: Not FDIC Insured; No Bank Guarantee; May Lose Value. Treasuries risk disclosures, see https://jiko.io/docs/treasuries_risk_disclosure.pdf. See public.com/#disclosures-main.