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There's a big difference between working on a platform and owning the platform. I can do the work and get paid, but some of the value I produce still goes to the company and the ownership of the company. If I want the highest ROI from a platform, I need to understand that the highest leverage comes from owning it outright. Show Notes: [05:22]#1 Workers earn income, whereas owners capture value. [14:21]#2 Platforms can scale beyond individual output. [17:54]#3 Ownership creates leverage. [20:39] Recap Episodes Mentioned: 1690: A Dirty Secret That Social Media Platforms Don't Want You To Know Next Steps: --- Execution is not a talent. It is a standard. If your results don't match your ability, something in your approach is out of alignment. Most people do not have a motivation problem. They have a consistency problem. Power Presence is the system for operating with greater discipline, clarity, structure, and execution under pressure. Learn more: → http://www.PowerPresenceProtocol.com Know what to do but not always doing it? Measure your execution at → http://RateMyExecution.com. Get Dre's free Daily Game email at http://WorkOnMyGame.com. Every day you'll receive one practical lesson on leadership, mindset, discipline, and execution to help you perform at a higher level. No fluff. Just game
Old self-custody approaches collapse once Bitcoin reaches six figures, physical threats rise, and AI tools proliferate. Single hardware wallets and mattress myths no longer match the scale or risks that large holders now face.Michael Tanguma, CEO and co-founder of Onramp, returns to examine how custody must adapt to family obligations, mortality, and market structure that turns concentrated holdings into targets.The discussion covers why repeated exchange failures keep Bitcoin looking speculative to outsiders, how multi-institution setups reduce scam ROI, and the limits of adding more dice or vendors in an AI era. It also addresses custody pricing models and the practical question of whether any current setup survives a tenfold price increase.Game theory now requires diversified institutional layers rather than pure self-reliance for serious stacks.Timestamp:03:43 — Bitcoin Custody Won't Work Like 201205:49 — Self-Custody Rules Changed With Your Life07:19 — Why Bitcoiners Must Stop the Mattress Myth09:01 — Bitcoin's Asset Layer Makes It Unstoppable11:22 — Private Keys Are Like Firearms15:40 — Custody Losses Keep Bitcoin Speculative18:56 — AI Just Changed Self-Custody Forever21:41 — Why Bitcoin Robberies Are Skyrocketing25:41 — Multi-Institution Custody Kills Pig Butchering27:57 — Bitcoin at $650K: Security Nightmare?29:30 — Game Theory Demands Multi-Custody Bitcoin32:03 — Centralized Custody: The Honeypot Risk37:56 — Why Custody Fees Should Be Zero39:51 — Full Bitcoin Custody for $100/Month42:51 — Would Your Setup Survive 10x Bitcoin?Links:https://x.com/mtangumahttps://x.com/OnrampBitcoinStephan Livera links:Follow me on X: @stephanliveraSubscribe to the podcastSubscribe to Substack#Bitcoin #SelfCustody #Custody #OnrampBitcoin #StephanLivera #StephanLiveraPodcast #BitcoinSecurity #MultiSig
In this episode, Ryan Schlimpert, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Drury Hotels, breaks down how modern technology leaders can drive innovation without losing the human touch. He explores the power of human-centric AI, explaining how automating backend processes creates more space for meaningful, real-world customer connections. Discover actionable wisdom on shifting from hands-on problem-solving to empowering teams, navigating organizational change, and viewing ROI as relentless ongoing improvement.Guest Links:Ryan's LinkedInDrury HotelsCredits: Host: Lisa Nichols, Executive Producer: Jenny Heal, Marketing Support: Joe Szynkowski & Dylan Price, Podcast Engineer: Portside MediaSomething Extra with Lisa Nichols
Send us Fan MailShownotes can be found at https://www.profitwithlaw.com/546.Most law firm owners think their marketing is failing. It's not. It's everything that happens after the phone rings.In this episode, Moshe breaks down why the real revenue leak in your firm isn't your ad spend — it's what happens (or doesn't happen) in the minutes and days after a lead comes in.What this episode covers:Why choosing your marketing channel before understanding your buyer's journey guarantees wasted spendWhy 48% of law firms are essentially unreachable by phone — and why that's actually your biggest opportunityThe "speed to lead" statistic that shows your odds of qualifying a lead drop 10x after just 5 minutes of silenceHow one firm went from a 7% to a 23% profit margin in 90 days simply by cutting the ads that weren't workingThe two things every firm needs in place before spending another dollar on marketing: attribution and dashboardingWho this is for: The law firm owner who feels like their marketing vendor keeps promising results that never show up and is starting to wonder if the problem is bigger than the ads.The takeaway: You're probably not losing to your competition. You're losing to your own intake process, and this episode shows you exactly where to look first.Chapters:[00:00] Stop wasting money: why your law firm marketing is failing[01:45] Choose the right marketing channel for your law practice[02:53] Understand the client buyer cycle to improve lead generation[06:19] Select and vet marketing vendors for maximum ROI[10:16] Measure law firm marketing return on ad spend for real growth[11:14] Optimize your client intake process for better results[17:39] Use speed to lead to increase law firm client conversions[27:14] Set up client attribution and dashboarding in your practiceResources mentioned:
Episode Summary On this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy Thanjan speaks with Jacob Yang, a clean energy marketing and communications professional who has worked across the solar, energy storage and climate tech industries. Benoy and Jacob discuss how marketing in renewable energy has evolved, some of the biggest mistakes clean energy companies make when communicating with customers, and why thought leadership and personal branding are becoming increasingly important. They also explore the growing importance of LinkedIn as a business development platform, how executives can build authentic brands without constantly selling, and why sharing knowledge consistently can create opportunities long before someone becomes a customer. Jacob also shares his perspective on careers in clean energy, the skills that will become increasingly valuable, and how the industry may evolve over the next decade. Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, a solar development and consulting firm, and the host of the Solar Maverick Podcast. He also serves as a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed more than 100 MW of solar projects across the United States, advised on more than 1 GW of energy projects worldwide, helped launch some of the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered approximately $50 million in renewable energy credit transactions. Before founding Reneu Energy, Benoy worked in Tesla's Project Finance Group as an environmental commodities trader, where he managed one of the company's largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated renewable energy credit transactions and worked with senior leadership to develop monetization and hedging strategies supporting the company's expansion into East Coast markets. Benoy also served as Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, a solar and energy storage construction company, where he developed project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. At Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with approximately 125 MW of U.S. renewable energy assets, he evaluated investment opportunities, supported portfolio strategy, and played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable energy portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young. He also completed an internship on the trading floor at D. E. Shaw & Co., a global investment and technology development firm. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the NYU Stern School of Business, where he was an Alumni Scholar. Guest Information Jacob Yang is the founder and CEO of Amp Your Story and a clean energy marketing professional with more than 10 years of marketing experience and approximately seven years of experience working in clean energy. Earlier in his career, Jacob worked at a marketing agency where his clients included utility-scale EPC companies in the Midwest and several cleantech startups. Today, he works with cleantech companies around the world as a fractional CMO. Jacob also created a free online clean energy marketing community designed to encourage collaboration, professional growth, knowledge sharing, and new voices within the industry. The community helps marketers navigate challenges ranging from clean energy policy and industry volatility to AI, emerging marketing technologies, career development, and demonstrating marketing ROI. Through his thought leadership, Jacob focuses heavily on personal branding, LinkedIn, demand generation, paid advertising, AI, and helping clean energy professionals become more effective marketers. He is also developing a clean energy LinkedIn course designed to share these strategies with a broader audience. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/ Jacob Yang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobjuancarlosyang/ Website: https://cleanenergymarketer.com Jacob Yang interview about Linkedin strategies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dnDOdlpLZU Sponsor This episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast is brought to you by Reneu Energy. Reneu Energy works with companies and organizations on renewable energy strategy, project development, owner's representation, project finance, renewable energy credits, and market advisory services. To learn more, visit: https://www.reneuenergy.com Listen and Subscribe Subscribe to the Solar Maverick Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast platform. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. It helps more people discover conversations with the leaders shaping the future of solar, storage, and the energy transition.
Learning leaders are often asked to solve performance challenges with more training but that may not be the answer. Kathryn Murrow, Director of Leadership Development and eLearning at the restaurant chain Bojangles, explains why the most effective learning organizations spend more time asking questions than building courses. She shares lessons on collaboration, leadership development, AI, and creating learning experiences that people truly own.Show Notes:Kathryn Murrow of Bojangles talks about the importance of co-creation with learners, diagnosing root causes, and using AI to elevate the role of L&D. Her key takeaways include: Start with the root cause—not the training request. Before building another course, learning leaders should ask what behavior needs to change, why the problem exists, and whether training is actually the right solution.Build learning with your audience, not for them. Involving leaders and frontline employees in designing learning experiences creates stronger buy-in, better content, and more sustainable adoption.Learning succeeds when the conditions are right. Organizations need alignment, clear expectations, leadership support, and the right performance environment before learning initiatives can drive meaningful change.An LMS should be more than a compliance checklist. Kathryn shares how Bojangles is transforming its LMS into a personalized learning hub that connects development opportunities with business outcomes and measurable ROI.AI should create space for more human work. Rather than replacing people, AI can automate administrative tasks so learning professionals can spend more time on coaching, strategy, performance consulting, and measuring impact.Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry's Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com. Follow us on LinkedInLike us on Facebook
How do you take a model that works in process development and get it accepted for use in GMP manufacturing? That question stalls most bioprocess modeling projects before they start. Ignasi Bofarull-Manzano, Senior Data Scientist and CMC Consultant at Körber Pharma, pushes back on the premise: the process you run today is already governed by a mathematical model, fitted once at small scale during process characterization and then left untouched for years, even as the process shifts.Part 1 separated digital models from digital shadows and digital twins, and made the case for starting with the decision rather than the data. Part 2 goes into the plant: what regulators actually require, what the numbers looked like on a real biologics process, and where a team should start on Monday morning.Topics covered:Core differences—and surprising similarities—between modeling in development versus manufacturing (02:35)Regulatory requirements: credibility assessments, model risk, and validation steps for digital twins (05:07)Real-world example: How deploying an end-to-end process model led to 35% yield increase for Takeda, and considerations for ROI in manufacturing (08:34)Advice for startup leaders on when to invest in modeling and how to scale efforts case-by-case (11:42)Steps for scientists new to modeling: identifying bottlenecks, starting simple, and proving value offline before scaling up (12:26)The importance of understanding basic statistics before relying on AI-generated models (15:22)A stepwise summary for deploying digital modeling effectively in biotech (16:01)Smart insight: The digital twin is the last step, not the first. Identify the bottleneck, build the simplest model that supports the decision, and concatenate it end to end so you can see how a parameter moves final drug substance quality rather than one unit operation's output. Prove the value offline. Only then connect interfaces, because that is where the cost and the validation burden live. Teams that lead with the twin arrive at the C-level with a proof of concept and no evidence. Teams that lead with the offline model arrive with a number.Before a digital twin can earn its keep, you need connected data, the right model, and a clear decision for it to support. These four episodes cover that ground — data silos, hybrid and mechanistic modeling, and twins built to survive regulatory scrutiny.Episodes 215 - 216: From Data Silos to Autonomous Biomanufacturing: Digital Twins and AI-Driven Scale-Up with Ilya BurkovEpisodes 05 - 06: Hybrid Modeling: The Key to Smarter Bioprocessing with Michael SokolovEpisodes 17 - 18: How Extracting Gold From Your Data Accelerates Process Development with Ioscani Jiménez del ValEpisodes 263 - 264: Why AI and Automation Tools Won't Deliver Until Your Lab's Data Is Connected with David HardyConnect with Ignasi Bofarull-Manzano:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ignasi-bofarullKörber Pharma website: www.koerber-pharma.comSupport the show
For years, reviews played a fairly predictable role in growing a tax or accounting firm.A prospect found your firm. Visited your website. Checked your reviews. And then decided whether to call.AI is beginning to rewrite that sequence.Today, prospects can ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or another AI assistant a much more valuable question:“Which accounting firm should I hire—and why?”That means discovery and due diligence are starting to happen inside the same conversation.Your reviews are no longer just something prospects read after they discover your firm. They are becoming part of the digital evidence that can help search engines, AI systems, and prospective clients understand who you serve, what you are good at, how clients experience working with you, and whether your firm deserves to be recommended.In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton explore the new ROI of reviews—and why reputation is becoming an increasingly important part of your search strategy.They explain why ten detailed, authentic client stories may communicate far more about a firm than ten generic five-star reviews; why review generation should become an ongoing “reputation heartbeat” instead of an occasional campaign; and why firms may need to rethink traditional marketing measurements built around clicks, traffic, and rankings.The bigger shift is simple:Stop optimizing only to get the click. Start building a firm that is easy to understand, easy to trust, and easy to recommend.Because your clients may already know how good your firm is.The market—and increasingly AI—only knows the evidence it can see.See How Recommendable Your Firm IsIf your ideal client asked AI today to recommend the perfect accounting firm for them, would your firm make the shortlist?Find out.Get your free Recommendability Report:https://recommendability.countingworks.appSee where your firm is strong, where your digital evidence may be creating gaps, and what you can improve to become easier for humans—and AI—to understand, trust, and recommend.
Why Good Ideas Get Blocked: The Trust Equation for Change Leaders with Charlie GreenIt pairs naturally with the thumbnail, names the recognizable framework, and makes the change-leadership application explicit.WHY GOOD IDEAS GET BLOCKED: THE TRUST EQUATION FOR CHANGE LEADERS WITH CHARLIE GREENWhy do strong ideas—with solid evidence and a compelling business case—still get blocked?Because leading change takes more than credibility, data, and ROI. It requires trust.In this episode, I'm joined by Charlie Green, founder of Trusted Advisor Associates and co-author of the landmark book The Trusted Advisor, to explore how the Trust Equation applies to change leadership.Charlie explains why the framework should really be called the “Trustworthiness Equation” and breaks down its four components: credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation. We discuss why leaders often overestimate the rational elements of trust and underestimate the power of emotional safety, genuine attention, and making people feel heard.I also share a costly leadership mistake from my banking career: I failed to fully explore one stakeholder's reservations about a major initiative, and the resulting resistance sent our work sideways for three years.If you lead change without direct authority—or struggle to secure support for ideas you know can make a difference—this conversation will help you approach resistance, influence, and stakeholder relationships differently.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:• Why trustworthiness matters more than simply asking others to trust you• How the four components of the Trust Equation work• Why intimacy and self-orientation can matter more than credentials and reliability• How fear prevents leaders from asking the necessary follow-up question• Why “Tell me more” can transform resistance into collaboration• How to prepare thoroughly while remaining open to other perspectives• What it means to “detach from the outcome”• Why people need to feel heard before they will support change• How an overlooked stakeholder concern can derail an initiative• Why ROI and other rational measures rarely tell the whole storySHOW NOTES :ABOUT CHARLIE GREEN:Charlie Green is the founder of Trusted Advisor Associates and co-author of The Trusted Advisor. He is also the author of Trust-Based Selling and co-author of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook. His work has helped leaders and professionals around the world build stronger relationships through trust.RESOURCES:Charlie Green and Trusted Advisor Associates:https://trustedadvisor.com/Explore the Trust Equation:https://trustedadvisor.com/build-trust/trust-equationLearn more about The Trusted Guide Roadmap™:https://www.empoweredcx.com/tgrIf this conversation helped you think differently about leading change, subscribe to The Trusted Guide Podcast and share this episode with someone trying to move an important idea forward.Leading change starts with trust.
James Dickson interviews Rob Murdoch, Sales Director at Exposure Analytics, about their Physical Engagement Index - a data-driven report measuring 43.8 million visitors across 3,000 events from 2020–2026. They discuss how anonymised sensor data captures dwell and engagement time, the limits of footfall and badge scans, and why actionable insights matter more than raw visitor counts. The episode highlights key findings (average engaged dwell ~13:50), regional and sector differences, and how organisers and exhibitors can use benchmarks to redesign booths, improve layouts, and prove event ROI. The full report is available now at https://exposureanalytics.com/physical-engagement-index/. This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.
The AI Breakdown: Daily Artificial Intelligence News and Discussions
Grok Bot packages persistent computers, coordinated agent teams, workflow learning, and computer use into a remarkably simple interface. NLW explores why it could finally unlock widespread AI-agent adoption—and the cost, reliability, and trust issues that could hold it back. In the headlines: Anthropic's controversial text watermarks, Gemini hits one billion users, and Nvidia reshapes data-center financing.AIDB's AI Summer Adventure: https://summeradventure.ai/Brought to you by:KPMG – Research from KPMG and the University of Texas at Austin shows the highest-impact AI users treat AI like a reasoning partner — and those skills can be taught at scale. Learn more at https://kpmg.com/us/SophisticatedHyperagent - Hire a fleet of always-on agents. New users get $1,000 in inference. hyperagent.com/aidailybriefRackspace Technology- One accountable partner to build, operate and run your full enterprise AI stack https://www.rackspace.com/Section - Section turns AI investment into workforce transformation and ROI - https://www.sectionai.com/Blitzy - Want to accelerate enterprise software development velocity by 5x? https://blitzy.com/AssemblyAI - The best way to build Voice AI apps - https://www.assemblyai.com/briefRobots & Pencils - Cloud-native AI solutions that power results https://robotsandpencils.com/The AI Daily Brief helps you understand the most important news and discussions in AI. Subscribe to the podcast version of The AI Daily Brief wherever you listen: https://pod.link/1680633614Our Newsletter is BACK: https://aidailybrief.beehiiv.com/Interested in sponsoring the show? sponsors@aidailybrief.ai
Has enterprise AI finally reached the point where impressive demonstrations are no longer enough? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Bruce McMahon, Chief Product Officer at CallMiner, about what he describes as the industrialization of AI: the move from experimentation and excitement toward repeatable processes, measurable ROI, better customer experiences, and technology that can operate reliably at enterprise scale. Bruce explains why business leaders are increasingly asking a much simpler question about AI: how is this going to create value? Drawing on CallMiner's experience analyzing hundreds of thousands of hours of customer interactions every day, Bruce discusses how AI can surface operational inefficiencies and customer insights that were previously difficult to identify. The opportunity is not simply generating more data. Organizations need processes that get the right insight to the right person so something actually changes as a result. We also discuss how AI is changing workforce expectations. Bruce sees curiosity and adaptability becoming increasingly valuable, particularly among technical teams. As AI takes on more routine work, employees who question outputs, experiment with new approaches, and apply human judgment can become more valuable than those who rely solely on established technical knowledge. The economics of enterprise AI present another challenge. Foundation models, capabilities, and pricing continue to change rapidly, creating questions around vendor dependency and long-term costs. Bruce explains why companies may increasingly use a mixture of commercial, open-source, fine-tuned, self-hosted, and proprietary models rather than relying on one provider for everything. Governance becomes even more important as AI agents begin interacting directly with customers. We discuss red teaming, bias testing, compliance, data protection, monitoring, and why organizations need to decide which actions can be fully automated and which decisions must remain accountable to a human. Bruce also examines how AI is changing customer experience and the BPO industry. Rather than choosing between humans and AI agents, he sees value in designing systems where both can work together, with people handling interactions requiring judgment while AI manages high-volume and repetitive work. For CIOs, CTOs, COOs, customer experience leaders, and anyone responsible for enterprise AI strategy, this conversation provides a practical look at moving beyond AI pilots and turning the technology into a dependable part of business operations.
Physical therapy has always told students some version of the same story:Work hard. Get the degree. Help people. There will be a job waiting.But what happens when the math starts to break?In this episode of PT Breakfast Club, Jimmy McKay and Tony Maritato start with a post from Richard Severin about the financial viability of the physical therapy profession. The conversation quickly moves into PT school ROI, student debt, academic program pressure, and whether the next generation of students is more willing to ask the uncomfortable question:Is this still worth it?Tony argues that the profession may be facing a bigger identity problem than it wants to admit. If a patient's desired outcome is less pain and better function, PT is only one possible delivery model. AI, tech-enabled MSK platforms, personal trainers, hospital systems, cash-pay clinics, PTAs, techs, and other professions may all compete to deliver parts of what PT has traditionally owned.Jimmy pushes the business angle: if you own a private practice, you are not just in the physical therapy business. You are in the marketing business, the patient attraction business, the hiring business, the customer experience business, and the human resources business.The second half of the episode turns into a practical marketing lab. Jimmy and Tony critique a listener's marketing pitch about targeting new families moving into a clinic's area, then break down why so much AI-generated healthcare marketing feels cheap, loud, and generic. They use classic advertising examples like Rolls-Royce, Grey Poupon, Holiday Inn, and Volkswagen to show how better strategy leads to better creative.The episode closes with Prompt's Career Connection program and the idea that maybe some clinicians do not need to leave physical therapy. Maybe they just need to leave the wrong job.Key IdeasPT has a financial viability problem, not just a morale problem.Students who really run the numbers may never enter the profession.“I just want to help people” is not enough if the career cannot support a life.The profession may need to separate outcomes from identity.Outpatient ortho under insurance may not be the future of private practice.If PT cannot scale the outcome, someone else will.Private practice owners are not only in the PT business.Marketing is not decoration. It is how the market understands your value.AI-generated design still requires strategy, taste, and iteration.Career matching may work better when it is human, specific, and trust-based.
Rent To Retirement: Building Financial Independence Through Turnkey Real Estate Investing
This episode is sponsored by…NCH:Set up an LLC to protect your investments! – https://nchinc.com/rtrBLUPRINT HOME LOANS:Get pre-approved with one of RTR's preferred lenders at - https://bluprinthomeloans.com/renttoretirement/ Is today's real estate market creating better opportunities than the headlines suggest?
Advanced R&D Architecture: Eliminating Bioavailability Bottlenecks and Scaling Product Formulation with Vardan Ter-AntonyanIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Vardan Ter-Antonyan, Founder and Managing Principal of Ter-Antonyan Consulting LLC, to examine the complex technical hurdles and scaling friction that routinely derail product development across the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, dietary supplement, and functional food sectors. Vardan, an international R&D consultant, formulation scientist, and operational strategist, details how life sciences and consumer packaged goods enterprises can overcome low ingredient solubility and commercial manufacturing bottlenecks. This conversation provides a comprehensive, technical guide for R&D directors, technical founders, and operations leaders looking to deploy advanced drug delivery systems, improve product bioavailability, and leverage Lean Six Sigma methodologies to accelerate time-to-market.The Advanced Delivery Architecture: Deploying Nanotechnology and Streamlining Scale-Up ManufacturingThe primary technical bottleneck stalling the commercial viability of modern pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations is poor water solubility among active lipophilic compounds, which frequently results in minimal gastrointestinal absorption and wasted active ingredients. Vardan Ter-Antonyan explains that when a technical team relies on conventional formulation methods for oil-based actives, bioavailability can drop to single-digit percentages, eroding consumer efficacy and inflating raw material expenses. To overcome these absorption limits, forward-thinking R&D teams must deploy advanced nanotechnology platforms—such as self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS), liposomal encapsulation, and cyclodextrin inclusion complexes—to dramatically increase active surface area. Incorporating controlled-release technologies like hydrogels or multi-layer tablet matrices further optimizes therapeutic delivery, giving brands a distinct, scientifically validated edge in competitive consumer markets.Translating complex laboratory formulations into predictable, large-scale commercial manufacturing requires a disciplined bridge between technical R&D and operational execution. Many emerging startups and mid-market product brands encounter severe scale-up failures because early-stage formulation choices fail to account for commercial equipment tolerances, raw material variations, or regulatory compliance standards. Applying Lean Six Sigma principles and root-cause analysis allows technical leaders to map every step of the manufacturing pipeline, systematically eliminate operational waste, and standardize production variables before committing capital to full-scale runs. This data-driven, engineering-first approach prevents costly batch rejections, shortens regulatory review timelines, and ensures that innovative formulations maintain their integrity during high-volume production.Furthermore, sustaining long-term innovation in highly regulated CPG and health sectors demands an agile executive mindset that balances rigorous scientific discipline with operational flexibility. Technical founders must avoid spreading critical R&D resources across unproven initiatives, choosing instead to prioritize high-yield projects like functional beverages, dissolvable powders, or oral pouches that solve clear consumer pain points. Drawing parallels to high-altitude mountaineering, technical leadership requires endurance, clear risk assessment, and the strategic agility to adjust formulation roadmaps when real-world production data demands a pivot. When cutting-edge delivery science, Lean Six Sigma operational controls, and clear portfolio prioritization are synthesized into a single R&D architecture, an enterprise eliminates technical bottlenecks, safeguards its margins, and predictably expands its market equity.About Vardan Ter-AntonyanVardan Ter-Antonyan is the Founder and Managing Principal of Ter-Antonyan Consulting LLC, a prominent formulation scientist, and a global operations strategist with over two decades of cross-industry experience. Specializing in pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, functional foods, cosmetics, medical devices, and cannabis, Vardan helps technical teams solve complex bioavailability challenges and scale manufacturing processes. He is the author of The C-Suite Bible, host of his own industry podcast, and an expert consultant dedicated to eliminating technical bottlenecks for emerging and established product brands.About Ter-Antonyan Consulting LLCTer-Antonyan Consulting LLC is an elite technical advisory firm and operational consultancy engineered to help life sciences, CPG, and supplement companies accelerate product development and scale manufacturing. The firm specializes in delivering custom bioavailability enhancement playbooks, nanotechnology delivery integration, Lean Six Sigma process optimization, and lab-to-commercial scale-up support. Through rigorous root-cause audits and tailored R&D roadmaps, Ter-Antonyan Consulting LLC enables organizations to remove technical debt, improve product performance, and maximize enterprise valuation.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeTer-Antonyan Consulting LLC Official Website: vardanterantonyan.comVardan Ter-Antonyan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vardanterantonyanKey Episode HighlightsImproving Bioavailability via Nanotechnology: Deploying nanoemulsions, liposomes, and SNEDDS to overcome lipophilic compound solubility limitations and maximize active ingredient absorption.Engineering Controlled-Release Systems: Utilizing multi-layer matrices and micro-encapsulation to deliver sustained-release profiles for functional foods and pharmaceuticals.The Lab-to-Commercial Scale-Up Framework: Applying Lean Six Sigma methodologies to eliminate manufacturing waste and prevent batch rejections during commercial scale-up.Root-Cause Bottleneck Identification: Auditing R&D workflows and production data to resolve technical obstacles stalling product launch timelines.Agile R&D Portfolio Prioritization: Concentrating technical capital on high-ROI delivery formats like oral pouches, dissolvable powders, and functional beverages.ConclusionThe conversation with Vardan Ter-Antonyan underscores that accelerating product innovation in regulated markets requires an intentional balance of advanced formulation science and rigorous operational discipline. By standardizing internal R&D governance, embracing modern nanotechnology delivery platforms, and systematically eliminating scale-up friction, business leaders can transform complex technical concepts into highly structured, self-sustaining commercial assets.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
As cyber threats become more AI-powered, attacks continue to rise. Threats can arise from all areas of a company's IT infrastructure, however most attacks utilize a domain name to infiltrate systems. How secure is your domain ecosystem? Ihab Shraim, Chief Technology Offider at CSC Digital Brand Services, joins Business Security Weekly to discuss why domain security is a fundamental blind spot in corporate cybersecurity programs. Ihab will discuss his team's research finding that 67% of Forbes Global 2000 companies have implemented fewer than half of recommended domain security measures. He will also outline the key domain security practices that teams should implement to protect their organization from the risk of domain attacks. Segment Resources: CSC 2026 Domain Security Report: https://www.cscdbs.com/en/resources/domain-security-report-2026/ CSC 2026 CISO Outlook Report: https://www.cscdbs.com/en/resources/ciso-outlook-2026-report/ How AI Is Reshaping What's Possible for Leaders of The Security Program - Black Hat Interview with Greg Baker, Co-founder and CEO of Balance Theory Cybersecurity leaders are still making high-stakes decisions with fragmented data, static assessments, and market guidance that is often slow, expensive, or commercially biased. Greg Baker will explore how AI can create a continuously updated understanding of both the enterprise security program and the market around it—giving CISOs the context to model scenarios, prioritize investments, and move from insight to action with greater speed and confidence. For more information about Balance Theory, please visit: https://securityweekly.com/balancetheorybh The Business Case for Cybersecurity Workforce Resilience - Black Hat Interview with Lynn Dohm, Executive Director of WiCyS The joint report from WiCyS and FourOne Insights reveals that mentorship, skills-based promotion, and third-party partnerships don't just improve workforce outcomes — they deliver measurable ROI, including more than $125,000 in savings per employee. As cybersecurity leaders grapple with persistent talent shortages, AI-driven skill shifts, and demographic headwinds, the report positions workforce resilience as a measurable business advantage — not just an HR initiative. Segment Resources: https://www.wicys.org/resources/the-roi-of-resilience/ https://www.wicys.org/initiatives/the-wicys-cyber-talent-study/ This segment is sponsored by Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS). Visit https://securityweekly.com/wicysbh to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/bsw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/bsw-460
What if the next level of your business begins with a simple question: What do I actually want? Matt Landau sits down with Clair Stoddard, co-owner of Cascade Vacation Rentals, to reflect on an unconventional leadership retreat along Minnesota's North Shore. Through hiking, sailing, and honest conversation, they explore how stepping outside the usual business setting can unlock creativity, vulnerability, and deeper connections. Clair shares how nature shapes her leadership, why not everything meaningful can be measured by ROI, and what it means to become more visionary in an increasingly AI-driven world.
In this episode, Madelyn O'Farrell and Santosh Sankar unpack the data center boom and the idea of compute as the next utility powering an “industrial renaissance.” They explore how AI models are commoditizing, shifting value to the application layer, and draw historical parallels to industrialists like Rockefeller and Carnegie in terms of capital intensity, vertical integration, and long-lived infrastructure. The discussion dives into the biggest bottleneck (access to energy and grid capacity) along with underwhelming GPU utilization, the need for better observability and efficiency, and trends like prefab “constructuring” in data center construction. They also highlight labor and skills constraints in specialty construction, tools like Record Lens to digitize field operations, and the potential for a Foxconn-style contract manufacturer for electrical equipment. The episode closes on what excites them about founders in this space: deep problem understanding, real industrial pain points, and the ambition to build in the physical economy rather than chasing AI hype. Highlights from their conversation include: Setting up Compute as a New Utility and AI Data Center Boom (0:38) Why Compute Becomes a Utility and Implications for Trillion Dollar Tech (3:50) Drawing Parallels Between AI Infrastructure and the Industrial Revolution (6:56) Capital Intensity, Supply Chains, and Long Lived Industrial Assets (7:50) Financing Data Centers Like Power Plants and Identifying Key Bottlenecks (11:44) Energy Queue, Grid Constraints, and Alternative Generation Opportunities (12:25) Efficiency, Grid Utilization, and Rising Importance of Operational Arbitrage (15:13) Utilization, ROI vs. Dark Capacity, and Lessons from the Dot Com Era (21:23) Constructuring Trend and Prefab Manufacturing for Data Centers (26:16) Record Lens and AI Native Project Management for Grid Scale Construction (29:24) Idea of a Foxconn Model for Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (32:47) Standardization, Certification, and Cyber Risk in Grid Infrastructure (36:22) Founder Traits, Industrial Ambition, and Solving Top Three Customer Problems (38:00) Gold Rush Dynamics, Real Pain Points, and Building in the Physical Economy (41:31) FInal Thoughts and Takeaways (42:42) Dynamo Ventures is a venture firm backing founders upgrading the physical economy. As intelligence moves into critical infrastructure and technology collides with physics, industry is entering a new era of transformation - the industrial renaissance. Born from the dirt and grit of supply chains and shaped by operations, not spreadsheets, Dynamo focuses on the complex realities of building in the real world. We invest in companies transforming infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and the systems that power global commerce. Dynamo works closely with founders who combine ambition with a bias to action, bringing a builder mindset to venture capital through deep operational insight, systematic pressure-testing and hands-on partnership. Our purpose is simple: to back the relentless shaping the industrial renaissance. Learn more at www.dynamo.vc Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Marketing is one of those things businesses tend to overcomplicate with more channels, more content, more tools, and more tactics.But sustainable growth doesn't come from doing everything. It comes from understanding your business, knowing your customer, measuring what matters, and consistently taking action.In this episode of Uncomplicate It, I sit down with Robb Fahrion, co-founder and CEO of Flying V Group, to talk about what he's learned building a founder-owned agency from a $15,000 bet into a multimillion-dollar business that has served more than 450 clients.Robb shares how bootstrapping shaped the way he thinks about profitability, accountability, and making every marketing dollar count. He also explains why businesses should understand how their customers actually buy before deciding which channels or strategies deserve their time and budget.His message is simple: stop overthinking and start taking action.We talk about why perfection can become one of the biggest obstacles to effective marketing, why publishing consistently gives businesses more opportunities to learn, and how measuring even one meaningful metric is better than spending without knowing whether anything worked.We also get into how marketing is evolving with AI, SEO, and GEO—and why chasing the newest technology without getting the fundamentals right can do more harm than good.We cover:How Robb and his co-founders turned a $15,000 bet into a multimillion-dollar agencyWhat bootstrapping teaches you about discipline and profitabilityWhy understanding your customer should come before choosing marketing channelsHow to simplify your marketing strategyWhy action beats perfectionHow to measure marketing ROI beyond vanity metricsWhy profitability matters more than impressive revenue numbersHow to build a multi-channel content strategy without spreading yourself too thinThe 30, 60, 90-day framework for testing and scaling marketingWhy SEO isn't dead and how GEO is changing searchHow AI is changing marketing while making human trust even more importantWhy grit, consistency, and showing up matter in entrepreneurshipTakeaways:You don't need to be everywhere to market effectivelyStart with understanding your business and your customerMeasure what actually contributes to growth and profitabilityConsistent action beats waiting for perfect contentRevenue means little without understanding the cost behind itStrong marketing requires strong sales and operationsNew technology can't replace a weak foundationHuman trust and experience will become even more valuable as AI growsSimplification makes execution easierGrit keeps you moving when business gets difficultIf marketing has ever felt overwhelming, expensive, or harder than it needs to be, this conversation will help you rethink where to focus, what to measure, and how to build a strategy around what actually drives growth.Connect with Robb:
Not all marketing "results" are created equal. In this episode of Builder Funnel Radio, Spencer breaks down the four levels of proof agencies use (or avoid) when reporting their impact from basic deliverables to true ROI. Learn why most agencies stall out reporting on traffic and keyword rankings, what it actually looks like when an agency tracks pipeline and closed revenue, and the key questions to ask any agency (yours or a prospective one) to find out which level they really operate at. If you've ever looked at a marketing report and thought "okay, but is this making me money?" — this one's for you.
Panic. Stress. Overwhelm. Anxiety. Worry. It's me, it's you, it's everyone. What are we going to do? Meditate. Be present. Yes, this ancient practice and philosophy is more relevant and necessary than ever before. Why? Because we are overstimulated and overloaded. Allostatic overloaded. But how to meditate in this world and brain of overstimulation? Tom has some tips and tricks to succeed with meditation in an overstimulated world.Tom Cronin is the founder of The Stillness Project, author of a global movement to inspire 1 billion people to meditate daily, and Producer and Writer of the film and book The Portal. Tom discovered meditation in the early stages of his successful 26 yr career in finance as a tool for stress management. Tom's experiences through meditation were not only immediate but very profound. He explored deeper into the realms of his meditation practice and Eastern philosophy, and after completing his teacher training in Bali, India and Australia, he qualified as a meditation teacher. Tom has been teaching meditation for top level companies in Australia, from Nova Fm, CBA, Rivkin Finance, Criteo and Fairfax Media and also authored 6 books.Contact:Website - https://tomcronin.comJoin us as we explore:The corporate burnout crisis, Tom's nervous breakdown and how he transformed from it.Allostatic load, how to clear it and the highest 20 min ROI practice is meditation.How to find peace and presence inside of us despite the chaos and craziness happening around us by balancing the polarity of pleasure and pain In a world chasing pleasure and avoiding pain at all costs.Modeling peace for our kids by following one simple principle, and why we need to embrace dynamic, more relevant schooling systems like the Green School.Why peak performance is happening during the time you are not performing.Why 85% of lawyers are anxious and depressed.Mentions:School - Green School Bali, https://bali.greenschool.orgPerson - Steven Kotler, https://www.stevenkotler.com Support the showFollow Steve's socials: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTokSupport the show on Patreon:As much as we love doing it, there are costs involved and any contribution will allow us to keep going and keep finding the best guests in the world to share their health expertise with you. I'd be grateful and feel so blessed by your support: https://www.patreon.com/MadeToThriveShowSend me a WhatsApp to +27 64 871 0308. Disclaimer: Please see the link for our disclaimer policy for all of our content: https://madetothrive.co.za/terms-and-conditions-and-privacy-policy/
Hayden Fake got his dedicated excavator in mid-June.By July, Mountain Mulching had generated $85,675 in confirmed revenue.In this episode, I sit down with Hayden to break down what happened between those two points and the systems he's putting in place to turn that early momentum into a repeatable business.We talk about how he launched the company, set up his website and Jobber, started running Facebook ads, built lead follow-up automations, established his crew day rate, and learned to confidently sell high-value forestry mulching and fire mitigation projects.Hayden also shares what it was like putting himself on camera for local Facebook ads, dealing with the fear of what friends and people in town might think, and realizing that the reward of marketing your business is much bigger than the risk of somebody giving you a hard time.We also get into:Pricing jobs when every property is differentWhy Facebook ads work so well for local service businessesGetting over imposter syndrome by doing the workFire mitigation and selective thinningBuilding systems instead of relying on hustleAutomating Facebook leads into JobberWhy following someone a few steps ahead can accelerate your growthChoosing equipment based on ROI instead of the “shiny new object”Building recurring maintenance opportunitiesThe crew-versus-backlog chicken-and-egg problemHayden's goal for August: break the $100K/month mark.
As cyber threats become more AI-powered, attacks continue to rise. Threats can arise from all areas of a company's IT infrastructure, however most attacks utilize a domain name to infiltrate systems. How secure is your domain ecosystem? Ihab Shraim, Chief Technology Offider at CSC Digital Brand Services, joins Business Security Weekly to discuss why domain security is a fundamental blind spot in corporate cybersecurity programs. Ihab will discuss his team's research finding that 67% of Forbes Global 2000 companies have implemented fewer than half of recommended domain security measures. He will also outline the key domain security practices that teams should implement to protect their organization from the risk of domain attacks. Segment Resources: CSC 2026 Domain Security Report: https://www.cscdbs.com/en/resources/domain-security-report-2026/ CSC 2026 CISO Outlook Report: https://www.cscdbs.com/en/resources/ciso-outlook-2026-report/ How AI Is Reshaping What's Possible for Leaders of The Security Program - Black Hat Interview with Greg Baker, Co-founder and CEO of Balance Theory Cybersecurity leaders are still making high-stakes decisions with fragmented data, static assessments, and market guidance that is often slow, expensive, or commercially biased. Greg Baker will explore how AI can create a continuously updated understanding of both the enterprise security program and the market around it—giving CISOs the context to model scenarios, prioritize investments, and move from insight to action with greater speed and confidence. For more information about Balance Theory, please visit: https://securityweekly.com/balancetheorybh The Business Case for Cybersecurity Workforce Resilience - Black Hat Interview with Lynn Dohm, Executive Director of WiCyS The joint report from WiCyS and FourOne Insights reveals that mentorship, skills-based promotion, and third-party partnerships don't just improve workforce outcomes — they deliver measurable ROI, including more than $125,000 in savings per employee. As cybersecurity leaders grapple with persistent talent shortages, AI-driven skill shifts, and demographic headwinds, the report positions workforce resilience as a measurable business advantage — not just an HR initiative. Segment Resources: https://www.wicys.org/resources/the-roi-of-resilience/ https://www.wicys.org/initiatives/the-wicys-cyber-talent-study/ This segment is sponsored by Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS). Visit https://securityweekly.com/wicysbh to learn more about them! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/bsw-460
Scaling New Heights Podcast: Cutting Edge Training For Small Business Advisors
On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe and Dawn Brolin talk about the accelerating impact of AI on the accounting profession, from secure, specialized AI tools to the emerging potential of quantum computing. They explore why accounting professionals need to move beyond fear and begin experimenting with AI now, sharing practical examples of using tools like Claude and Tax Figure to analyze financial data, strengthen advisory services, and work more efficiently. Current events — EY installed a quantum computer in their Toronto office TV/Movie quote of the week — The Greatest Showman House of the Dragon Excellent Thing We Learned — There are a series of tags you can use that will change the way most GPTs will respond to you. Examples are: TRUTHMODE – forces direct, unvarnished feedback instead of the AI just agreeing with you HUMAN – strips the "AI voice," makes writing sound like a person wrote it HORMOZI – answers like a blunt, ROI focused business coach (style associated with Alex Hormozi) REDTEAM – argues against your idea to stress test it before you commit FUTUREYOU – answers as if it's the version of you who already solved this problem ELI10 – explains it like you're 10 years old, no jargon UNLEARN – flags outdated assumptions or bad advice you're carrying around 80/20 – skips straight to the highest leverage move, ignores the rest SOCRATES – teaches by asking you questions instead of handing you the answer LINDYMODE – sticks to long proven approaches, filters out hype and fads The Woodard Report article of the week — Accounting Pros Now Have a Voice at the AI Table Thank you to our show sponsor, Rightworks! If you're coming out of tax season wondering how to make next year better, RightWorks has everything your firm needs to do exactly that. Most accounting firms are juggling scattered apps, dealing with ongoing security risks, and relying on manual workarounds all on top of serving your clients. RightWorks takes that off your plate. One secure workspace for all your apps and tools. Enterprise Great Security managed for you and the AIM productivity tools built specifically for accounting firms. Whether you have an IT team or not, whether you have five employees or 45, RightWorks grows with your firm and keeps you ready for whatever comes next. RightWorks, it's all right here. Learn more at RightWorks.com. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast
According to Gartner, worldwide AI spending is forecasted to increase 44% by the end of 2026. Companies are investing in AI, and they are investing heavily. But knowing where and how to invest isn’t easy, especially with what feels like a million different AI tools out there and a million more different ways to build your own. So how do you figure out what to build, what to buy, and which investments will help you move the needle for your business? Riley Rogers: Hi, and welcome to the Win/Win Podcast. I’m your host, Riley Rogers. Join us as we dive into changing trends in the workplace and how to navigate them successfully. Here to discuss this topic is Cody Sims, head of commercial brand at Cox Communications. Cody, thank you so much for joining us today. Super excited to hear your thoughts on this one. Before we dive into what is quite a loaded topic, could you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and your role? Cody Sims: Yeah. So, hi, I’m Cody. I’m the head of commercial brand for Cox Communications, and it’s kind of crazy how I came into this role. So I actually started my career when I was 15 and was installing phone systems for my dad’s phone company. And after that, I had actually had two parts of what I thought was what I wanted to go into, and that was either musical theater or physics, because those were two things I really had a passion about. And when I got into college and had musical theater as my major and physics as my fallback, I realized that both of them left a part out of what I really enjoy. And so I ended up actually landing in marketing because it’s both analytical and creative, and that has served me really well over the years. So, across Cox, I have done all kinds of things from product management to market development to pricing to competitive analysis, and now in the brand world. It’s given me kind of a 360 view of the entire business from a marketing lens. I would say that I’m pretty much a transformation leader. I really enjoy breaking things and building them up new again. So, AI is happening right at the right time for me. RR: I love that story, and I love that it’s taking you to a place that especially now is getting more and more technical, more and more analytical. I’m very excited to get into that transformation leader side of things. But before we do, can you paint a little bit of a picture of your sales environment? CS: Yeah. So when I first came to Cox, it was very similar to most of what you would call a CLEC, or a competitive local exchange carrier, which is primarily internet service, voice services, and obviously because it was Cox, some cable TV services that were the triple threat. That was kind of what in the early 2000s was kind of the way that they went to market. But over time, the team at Cox realized that in order to stay competitive, they had to add to the portfolio to make sure that they were providing value to their customers, and I’m sure many would understand that and have gone through similar transformations. And so we had acquired several different other companies that added to our portfolio, and developed some of our own products, and over time that turned into a lot of products. But it’s not just 70 products. It’s 70 products, it’s nine customer segments that we have from a segmentation perspective. It’s six distinct buyer personas, industry verticals, what’s serviceable at that address. So you take all of these different components and it’s almost like three-dimensional chess for the salesperson. The way that I like to think about it is that the sellers, what they really need and what their challenge is, is that they’re not looking for specs. They’re looking for what are the business outcomes that my customer is trying to achieve, and then what do I have from my portfolio that will help them to achieve those results? So it’s no longer a world where they can memorize everything and know every product in and out, and be the technical expert. They really do have to have tools and systems that help them to have the right knowledge at the right moment for the right person in the right place. RR: Yeah, there comes a point when the human brain just can’t contain the context and the expertise that you need. So when you can’t ask for expertise, what you can do is provide, to your point, that just-in-time support. And one of the things that you alluded to was that that’s where you kind of started some of that AI investment as a way to bridge that gap. You’ve given us a little bit of a taste, but what kind of motivated that early initiative? CS: Well, I would say that, over time what we discovered was that we couldn’t keep track of all of our marketing materials, collateral, all of the pieces of information in just files, formats, and putting it online into a here’s-an-accessible-library. Because the library just becomes bigger and larger and more difficult to manage. But I would say that we didn’t set out to do AI. We didn’t sit down and say, “Oh, hey, AI looks cool. Let’s make sure we’re doing it.” We needed to transform our go-to-market strategy so that we were more nimble, we were more competitive, and that we could deliver the kind of experience that our customers were asking for. And so AI was the mechanism that would help us to get there. But what really triggered this whole thing was what I mentioned earlier, was our segmentation. When we sat down and said, “Let’s rebuild the way that we look at our audience segments,” and we did that based off of what is the value to Cox of each of these customer profiles, and then what is the technology sophistication of that client, of that business. And that intersection allowed us to create our nine different segments that we were working on. And so when we did the math, when we looked at all of that information and all of the things that we needed to be able to provide to those segments, we realized this was quickly going to turn into something that was far beyond any marketer’s ability to do. But what we knew is that the Gartner information we were tracking said that personalization was having much higher returns on the way that people respond to information. And not only that, but if you do personalization and you get it wrong, if I call you and I say, instead of, “Hey, Riley,” and I say, “Hey, Jonah,” you’re like, “Hmm, nice try.” So personalization is really important to being successful, but getting it right is even more important. So we realized that we needed to have some radical partnership between our marketing, AI, and sales teams, that we needed to make sure that this was not just an IT project, that we were going to go and pull a bunch of requirements together and everybody would be like, “Oh, hey, here’s this new tool. Everybody figure out how to use it.” And it wasn’t necessarily about optimization. It was about transformation, the way that we go to market, the way we think about our customers, and the way we show up. So I would say that AI definitely was part of the solution set, but we had to look ourselves in the mirror and say, “It’s time for us to actually think about this in a completely different way.” RR: That distinction comes through very well, and I think is very important because oftentimes when you’re in kind of the scramble to be keeping up with the market, keeping up with your competitors, there is this urge to just tack on AI because we have to. But when it’s not strategic and it’s not built into the things that you’re actually doing, to your point, it’s we put together some specs, good luck using it. But instead, now it’s something that’s really built into the way that you work. I would love to hear a little bit more about that specific use case, especially given the fact that a lot of teams are running into that question of how do we use AI and can we just build what we need ourselves? Given that you’ve done the math, answered the question, I’d love to hear how it worked and kind of where you landed. CS: It’s very easy to fall into the trap of, “Hey, everybody, here’s AI. We put it on your computers, now go use it.” And so then everybody starts using AI to try to figure out, how does this help me in the job that I already do, in the role that I already do, in the processes that I already do? And so then it really limits the impact that it can have on the business and the performance because either, A, you have a handful of people who are really smart, and they go crazy with it, and they create their own thing, or you have a bunch of people who are looking at it going, “Okay, came up with some ideas, but I still have to do my work.” What you end up with is there’s no standard. There’s no flag running up the hill to say, “Everybody follow me. Let’s go do it this way.” So, it required both the yes, we had to make sure that the teams were bought into using AI, but we also had to have a standardized way of approaching how we deploy AI. And that brought us to the question of do we buy or do we build? And because there were so many different parts of what kinds of functionality we needed, it wasn’t the same answer for every one of those needs. So in some cases, we have a tool, we have a partner, they already have AI integrated into their platform, let’s go see how we can use that. In other cases, and I’ll give you an example, in the case of content generation, that is where we started with our AI journey about a year ago. We sat down and started interviewing and reviewing all of the different providers who can do content generation. Every one of them had a different approach to content development, content generation, which were all very good, and they attempt to make sure that they are covering as much of the marketplace as possible. And so sometimes when you buy that, you end up with features maybe that you don’t need, and you also have to still go through the process of integrating those platforms into your security posture. So us being a connectivity provider for governments, for major corporations, enterprise carrier grade, we have a very, very strict and strong security policy, which means that when we bring new vendors on, it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort and a lot of back and forth. And so what we found in certain cases, it was actually better for us and more beneficial for us to build the actual platforms that we needed for that particular use case. But like I said before, in other situations, we found that there was a partner who we had who already had AI integrated into their platform, and so they were already part of our security posture. They were already inside of our ecosystem. So the question of build versus buy really had to do with time, had to do with return, and it had to do with the security measures that we had to put in place. RR: Thinking about in addition to those factors, when you’re evaluating these things that you outlined, time, potential cost, security, how are you kind of doing that ROI math to say one is going to be better than the other? CS: There’s several different parts of that. And like I mentioned, we wanted to make sure that we were following our AI strategy foundation that said, we don’t want to introduce more and more vulnerable access points. And so it’s important for us to make sure that we are all coming together with everyone across the Cox leadership team according to who are the vendors that we feel the safest with, that we can go set up and make sure that we are pulling together the best of the breeds. The assessment, like I mentioned before, is what is the value that we’re returning to the business in terms of revenue generation, new customers, cost savings in terms of not necessarily just reducing people’s time, but redeploying people to doing other important tasks. And then what are the things that we are doing that help us to keep the system all working together? So, revenue generation, cost deferment, and then keeping a cohesive connection between all of the different platforms. So some of the things that we looked at from our comparing vendors versus doing DIY, is there a maintenance tail that goes in this? So if we build it, what does that look like in 18 months? How much more people do we have to have to support it? Governance and observability, do we have the permissions, the versioning, the audit trail, all of the parts for discovering what is needed and then able to see it and observe it as we go? Interoperability, as I mentioned before, really important between different platforms that we have, that those APIs and MCPs all work together. And then whose roadmap is this? Is this our roadmap? Is this the IT roadmap? Is this the vendor’s roadmap? If we know where we need to go, is there anything that’s getting in our way of being able to get there? And then of course, obviously the speed to value against the cost of being wrong. RR: And so hearing you outline this very comprehensive list of considerations, you can start to understand why it starts to feel complicated and really hard to tackle. To your point, it’s been a year of figuring it out since you started developing that very first use case. I’d like to go into a little bit of detail about the evaluation piece and deciding what vendors you felt safe with, that you were excited to partner with and continue to either use or build upon as you’re developing your AI strategy in alignment with your business transformation. One of those that you landed on was using Highspot’s MCP server to support some of the workflows you wanted to spin up. How did you make that decision and why did that feel like the way to go? CS: Well, as I had mentioned before, as we had gone through our history of, here’s a library of a whole bunch of stuff and everybody’s trying to find the right item, and it just was such a headache to make sure that we were always getting the right information to the right customers at the right time. And not only that, but we had no real clear feedback about how it was performing. And so at that time, which I believe was in the 2015 to 2017 timeframe, is when we had first started our relationship with Highspot to help us better catalog the library, make it more searchable and usable and referenceable for the sellers to be able to share information and track the information, make sure that it was the most relevant and recent, and then help us to understand what’s working and not working. So all of that was already in place before we even started the AI conversation. And so as we were doing our work around our go-to-market roadmap, we started with content because it was probably the easiest place for us to use AI to generate content, and that looked like a two-layered approach. We had what we called a knowledge base, which is formally putting into AI rules that can be read by AI around all of our standards for brand, for legal, for segment definition, for product information, for pricing and promotion information, industries, verticals. All of that was put at this knowledge base foundation layer. And then we built the content generation engine on top of that, where each of the agents within that tool would go find what it is that the marketer was asking to do, compare it against all the information in the knowledge base, the brand standards, all of those good things, and then produce the content piece that the marketer was asking for using that foundation layer. However, once we got that moving and going, we realized that that level of personalization for marketing could be even more valuable and even more specific when used by a seller. But in order for that to work properly, the seller had to have access to a large range of information all at the same time, including any of the buying signals or online signals that we had through some of our lead generation partners, any of our information that we have within our own systems, like when was the last time they called into billing or when was the last time that they had an outage or what is their general sentiment that the customer has right now. And then all of the information about their current services, their current products, all the things that are going on in their world. But then once we have all of that information, we have propensity to buy, propensity to churn, propensity all these modeling, now we need to be able to talk to them and provide a recommendation to the seller that says, “Here’s what we recommend you use, what you should say, how you should set it up.” And all of that was inside of Highspot. And so we realized again, we could look at this and say, “Are we going to go buy a new platform? Are we going to use a platform we already have or are we going to go build something new?” And obviously when we looked at the Highspot platform, the MCP servers, and the way that it was laid out and set up already, we knew that that was the right path to go. So what we had started with was the content engine, then we went into a sales enablement engine, and as part of that sales enablement engine, the only way for it to work properly was for us to bring in the Highspot MCP service. RR: And how has that been working so far for your sellers? As you’ve rolled this out, how has it been used? Any anecdotal feedback you’ve heard? CS: It’s pretty funny because we have done multiple rollouts of sales enablement platforms over the years, and as anyone who’s ever tried to roll out new sales items and new sales tools will say, it takes time, it takes consistency, messaging over and over. But in this particular case, when we went out and did our roadshow with all of the sellers and sat down and showed them how the new tool worked, there were so many positive responses, and the adoption was much faster than most of our previous releases of other types of products. And I think that the reason why is because it was bringing together all of those pieces of information that I mentioned before and bringing in the Highspot information that they were already very familiar with. And in our world, we call it the sales asset manager, SAM. And so they were very familiar with SAM and then this new tool with the AI capabilities built into it. Now it’s specifically just telling them, “Here’s what you should do. Here’s the way to lay it out, and here’s all the content to talk to the customer about in what order.” And it took a lot of the burden off of them to research, go find a piece, start to build a story in their head, try to build a deck, and then think about what are they going to share with them in what order. So it’s been a huge benefit to the sellers. They’ve loved it. RR: Yeah, that’s such a strong signal when adoption doesn’t feel like a push and more of a grab. Curious if there are any other AI or agentic connectors that you’re pairing with Highspot in another AI application that you think would be interesting to share? CS: We have basically six different programs or parts of our roadmap, and we’re calling them AI modules, and then they work together in different components for different functions that need to be done. So as I mentioned, we have the knowledge base that is the base. Then we have the content creation tool, which we call CAMI. So it’s Content Automation Marketing Intelligence, and that has everything that is needed to produce and create new pieces of content, and then those content pieces are either generated in emails or things like that. A lot of them actually are put into the Highspot tool. And then we have what we call SAMI, which is the Sales Automation Marketing Intelligence, and that is the tool that integrates directly with Highspot to make the recommendations to the seller based off of all of the other information, the 360 view of the customer. We also have what’s called Livia, which is the Lead Validation and Enrichment. The tool uses all of these multiple different access points and different vendors to pull information about that particular contact to validate that it’s accurate, so that by the time it gets to the seller and they’re going to go do a pitch, they have a lot more confidence that who they’re talking to, the business, and it’s at the right address, and prevents them from wasting time. And then, of course, Highspot is such a critical part of how that story all comes together because it’s capturing all the content that’s being created by CAMI, and then the AI that comes from Highspot is infusing into the SAMI tool that the sellers are using. It’s an interesting thing because somebody might say, “Well, you’re not really using Highspot, you’re using SAMI.” And the reality is, well, yes, I am using Highspot because Highspot is feeding all of that into the SAMI tool. There’s a whole bunch of other stuff we add into that for flavoring, all of the information about the customer so that the seller has a 360 view, but that just sets it up. The what do you do next is what’s coming out of Highspot. The next phase of this that we’re going to is a fully agentic approach to our marketing and sales engine. And what that means is that today, most of the work that’s being done is a marketer who is saying, “Here’s what I need to go get done. I’m going to use AI to help me go do it.” We’re going to flip that script, and we’re going to say, the agents that we create are going to do the work, and the marketers are going to instruct the agents on how to do that work properly and watch it and govern it. That will then accelerate for the sellers as well. RR: We’ve heard a little bit about what’s been built in the last year, but it’s, again, to your point, crazy that that’s one year of building, thinking, strategizing, and it’s come to this point. When you look across all of that, what has changed for your sellers and for the business? CS: Well, I would say the first thing is, is that sellers are now able to focus on what they’re really good at. What I mean by that is their confidence is shifted to focus on outcomes and value. They are now able to build trust and provide value, which is honestly what all of our customers, especially our business owners and decision makers are looking for. And then for the marketers, it’s no longer about building a queue, trying to figure out what is the message that’s going to hit the most people with the most response. This idea of efficiency for media or efficiency for marketing materials. It’s like, what is the one message I can send to a million people and have the most response? Well, now you actually can flip that on its ear and say, “I’m going to personalize it at scale.” So that is super exciting. And then the last thing that I would say is that consistency became structural. The same knowledge base, the same rules across every surface, making sure that our content is clean, correct, built on the same policies and rules, but is personalized. Doing those two things at the same time is very tricky, and being able to do it with AI is the only way we could get there. RR: Curious if you’ve seen any sort of measurable returns. CS: Our lead accuracy, like I mentioned before, moving from that 13 to 18% all the way up to the 95th percentile. We have campaign speed to market of improvement of 55%, meaning the amount of time that it takes us to get to market is cut in half. The marketing content teams are 40% more productive, which means they’ve been able to redeploy their time for 40% of the time that they spend at work on other projects, which is amazing. Our conversion rates are up, our driving net new revenue is up, and we have seen material improvement in click-through rates and conversion rates when we are more specific and personalized to the audience. So Gartner was right. Yay. So that’s been really good. And I would say that part of the reason why I think that, at least for part of what we did, doing it as a build ourselves was wise, is because we learned so much by going through the process of just banging our shins on the corners and running into cabinet doors that were open, and we’re just like, “Oh, wow, that was, I did not see that.” So it’s been a huge learning process, a very, very intense learning process, but we’ve all had a really good sense of humor and amusement and just, we are having a ton of fun. RR: And I think that’s one of the more encouraging things to hear. Is that nobody starts perfect, and you just have to build your way up to good. And once you get there, you start to see again, like those measurable improvements. But it is a process. So I guess the message there is stick with it. Which I think kind of feeds into that last question I have for you, which is for anybody who is running into this question, hitting their shins on all of these problems, how would you recommend they approach the question of building, buying, blending some things together when they’re thinking about their AI investments? CS: Well, I would say the first thing is you have to look in the mirror and be real with yourself and say, “Is my processes and workflows working? If I blew up my entire go-to-market, I blew up all my processes, what would it look like?” And don’t start with a tool. Start from a place of what would serve me best. The other part of it that I would say that Highspot did really well is because of the MCP product, I was able to look at it as how am I using this from a plumbing perspective, not just a judgment perspective. And what that means is that it worked well with the strategy and the AI strict rules that we had built for ourselves. Highspot, kudos to Highspot, built a platform that is trusted and that works well with all of the other components that we had flying around, whether it was Salesforce or AWS or even our Accenture development team being able to use the components and pieces to connect to the whole ecosystem. Then the other thing I would say is that even though we’ve been doing this for a year, a year is like eons in AI’s time. It was every other week there was something that changed, something new, something shifted. So you have to go into it with this idea of you have to prepare yourself that this is how I set it up now, but I might have to change it tomorrow, and just be okay with that. So my answer for build or buy, my answer is both. Build the things that make sense for you and where you have the resources and when it’s the right fit. But definitely buy when you are in a partnership or when you have someone that you already know that you can trust. RR: Very pragmatic. That’s kind of the only way to do it. One thing I’ll say, I know I am walking away inspired, and I can imagine our audience is going to as well. So Cody, thank you for the time. I really, really appreciate it. It’s been so wonderful to hear a little bit more about what you’re building. CS: No, I love it. And the reason why this is great for me is that it forces me to think back on this journey that we’ve been on for the last year and really consider what is it that has brought us to where we are, what are the things we’ve learned, and then, maybe how are my bruises doing? RR: Well, thank you for the time again. And to our audience, thank you for listening to this episode of the Win/Win Podcast. Be sure to tune in next time for more insights on how you can maximize go-to-market success with Highspot.
In this episode of MasterMind Minutes, we sit down with Doug Smith, COO of America's Best Restaurants, to uncover how modern restaurants are winning the attention (and loyalty) of their customers in a digital-first world.With over 27 years of experience in radio, sales, and marketing, Doug shares powerful insights on how restaurants can stay relevant, drive real ROI, and quite literally “live in their guests' phones.”If you're in the restaurant or franchise space, this is a must-watch.
Rent To Retirement: Building Financial Independence Through Turnkey Real Estate Investing
This episode is sponsored by…NCH:Set up an LLC to protect your investments! – https://nchinc.com/rtrBLUPRINT HOME LOANS:Get pre-approved with one of RTR's preferred lenders at - https://bluprinthomeloans.com/renttoretirement/ Is today's real estate market creating better opportunities than the headlines suggest?
Send us Fan MailNonprofit donor segmentation strategy may matter far more than most fundraising teams realize. New donor behavior research reveals that geography, household income, gender, trust, and communication preferences can dramatically change what motivates someone to give!Mary Crogan, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Bloomerang, returns with a deeper look at Bloomerang's ‘Giving Signals' research with The Harris Poll. The original study surveyed more than 1,000 donors and several hundred fundraisers, then examined donor responses across demographic groups rather than treating supporters as one giant audience. The result challenges one of fundraising's most persistent habits.“There's no such thing as the donor,” Mary says. “And the data proves that.”Consider geography. Only 45% of Midwest respondents expected to give more, compared with 62% in the West. Midwest donors were also considerably less responsive to identity and belonging language, suggesting that messages emphasizing concrete needs, transparency, and measurable outcomes may perform better with that audience.Trust creates another major business implication. The West registered 86% trust in nonprofits' effective use of funds, while 62% expected to increase giving. As Mary puts it, “You need to treat transparency as a fundraising activity, not just a compliance moment.”The data also challenges assumptions about major gift messaging. Among households earning $150,000+, 41% looked to third-party ratings compared with 29% overall. These high-capacity donors behaved more like evidence-driven buyers, responding to ratings, audited outcomes, measured impact, and proof—not simply another moving story.And donor trust does not develop identically. Women reported stronger responses to transparency, matching gifts, and proof of gift impact—with 93% citing information about their gift's impact—while men showed greater responsiveness to peer recommendations and preferred communication channels.The operational takeaway: segment, survey, test, measure, and adjust before assuming one appeal speaks to everyone.Key Takeaways:Build fundraising segments around meaningful donor differences instead of relying on one universal appeal.Treat transparency and closed-loop impact reporting as revenue-building activities.Test concrete outcome messaging versus belonging-oriented messaging by geography.Give high-capacity donors evidence: ratings, audited results, ROI, and measurable impact.Use peer and ambassador voices where personal endorsement strengthens trust.Survey your own donor base before turning national demographic patterns into fundraising assumptions. 00:00:00 — Why There's No Such Thing As “The Donor” 00:01:46 — How Bloomerang Studies Donor Behavior 00:04:24 — What 1,000+ Donors Told Researchers 00:05:47 — Why Midwest Fundraising Messaging Is Different 00:09:48 — Trust Sits Upstream Of The Ask 00:12:16 — Income Changes What Motivates Donors 00:13:27 — The Ethical Edge Of Urgency Messaging 00:14:34 — The Problem With One-Size-Fits-All Appeals 00:16:31 — What High-Capacity Donors Actually Want 00:19:30 — Men, Women And Different Paths To Trust 00:23:10 — Turning Donors Into Trusted Ambassadors 00:25:15 — Survey Your Own Donor Community 00:27:02 — Segment And Test Before Your Next Appeal #NonprofitFundraising #DonorEngagement #TheNonprofitShowFind us Live daily on YouTube!Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.comVisit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show
OCR has been around for more than 40 years. So why do the world's biggest banks still have thousands of people reading documents by hand? When Dan Maloney became CEO of Landing AI in 2024, as Andrew Ng stepped back from the day-to-day, he was returning to a problem he had first worked on at SAP back in 2001. When he looked closely at it again two decades later, he was struck by how little it had actually moved. Landing AI's mission is to make the world's documents computable. Instead of growing up from OCR and patching its limits with templates and heuristics, Landing AI came at the problem from visual AI, blending purpose-built models, an intelligent router, and agentic reasoning into a single system that reads a document the way a person does. Today that system extracts structured data from the messiest documents enterprises have, the scanned pages, the tables inside tables, the handwritten forms, at accuracy levels they can build on. Before every enterprise had an AI strategy... Before "agentic" became a boardroom word... Before the industry spent a year token maxing... There was a quieter, more stubborn problem: The world's data was trapped in documents, and no one could read it at scale. In this episode of the Future of Data & AI Podcast, Dan Maloney, CEO of Landing AI and a two-decade veteran of enterprise software and AI, joins Raja Iqbal for a grounded conversation about what it actually takes to move visual AI from an impressive demo into production. Dan is candid about where the hype outruns reality, why the model is the smallest part of the equation, and how a company earns the trust of a compliance team, not just an engineering one. What You'll Discover
How do you turn a 33,000-person enterprise into an active network of brand advocates? In this episode of The Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast, hosts Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley welcome Camilla Erika Campbell, Social Media Lead at Wood.Camilla oversees social strategy and employee advocacy at Wood, a global leader in consulting, engineering, and operations across the energy and materials markets. In this episode, listeners will learn how to transition an advocacy program from a basic content distribution add-on into a primary, high-performing strategic marketing channel. Camilla shares how focusing on advocate education and post personalization allowed Wood's employee network to deliver 82% of total campaign web traffic, outperforming their main corporate page by 13x. You'll gain actionable strategies on using UTM tracking to prove real ROI, balancing niche industry content with corporate priorities, and re-engaging inactive advocates through direct, human-centric communication. As corporate page reach continues to decline on LinkedIn, marketing and comms leaders need reliable ways to drive authentic reach. This episode provides the exact roadmap to harness your workforce to build trust, boost traffic, and scale employee advocacy. Subscribe to The Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast so you never miss an episode!Resources:Want to know how your employee advocacy strategy really stacks up? Grab your FREE Employee Advocacy Health Check and see how you compare against your competitors.Book a call to discover how employee advocacy can benefit your team.Ready to elevate your employee advocacy? Get a free copy of Bradley Keenan's essential book, ‘Employee Advocacy: 101 Cheat Codes' for deeper insights and actionable strategies.Download 'Stop Copy-Pasting Your Employee Advocacy', a study of 517,374 LinkedIn posts.Subscribe to the Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast on Spotify or your favorite platform to never miss an episode.
Our CIO and Chief U.S. Equity Strategist Mike Wilson discusses a new market cycle, in which investors are demanding more than just growth from companies.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Mike Wilson: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Mike Wilson, Morgan Stanley's CIO and Chief U.S. Equity Strategist. Today on the podcast I'll look at an important shift in what the market wants to see from companies going forward. It's Tuesday, August 11th at 11:30 am in New York. So, let's get after it.This week I am going back to our broadening thesis – but with a slightly different twist. Earlier in the year, broadening was about beta. It was about the market moving beyond a narrow set of mega-cap winners and rewarding economically sensitive areas as the rolling recovery took hold. In the last few episodes I've talked about how that phase is now over. And we're moving from an early-cycle broadening into a mid-cycle quality rotation. In short, the market is no longer demanding just growth – but growth with durable earnings, strong margins, and free cash flow. To be clear, the broadening in earnings is still very much alive. Russell 3000 median stock earnings growth is running at 15 percent, the strongest since 2021; while median sales growth is at 8 percent, the best since 2023. At the same time, 87 percent of S&P 500 companies are beating earnings expectations this quarter, and earnings revisions breadth has rebounded to 23 percent, with 76 percent of industry groups showing positive revisions breadth. However, headline earnings are no longer enough for stock outperformance. The market is saying, ‘Show me the money'— and that's exactly what should happen in a mid-cycle transition. When companies raise both earnings and free cash flow estimates, they are rewarded. When they only raise earnings and not free cash flow, the market is much less forgiving. Investors are no longer paying indiscriminately for growth. They want cash conversion. This is also why I think AI adoption remains such an important theme. The market is increasingly rewarding companies that can demonstrate real efficiency gains from AI, not just talk about the open-ended opportunity in abstract terms. That is a very different phase for the AI cycle. The first phase was about building the infrastructure. The next phase is about who uses it well. Companies that can translate AI adoption into better margins, better productivity, and better free cash flow should continue to be rewarded. In other words, AI is becoming less about the promise and more about the evidence.That framework tells us where to be positioned. I continue to favor quality and AI adopters. Within Financials, I prefer large-cap Financial Services, particularly Insurance and Capital Markets exposed businesses, where earnings revisions are inflecting and our regime analysis remains supportive. Within cyclicals, I like Discretionary Goods, where the wallet-share shift from services to goods, improved pricing, and better earnings revisions all point to catch-up potential. In Tech, I continue to prefer hyperscalers over semis. Semis can still participate tactically, especially after recent momentum unwinds, but the hyperscalers offer a better multi-month risk-reward. They have resilient core businesses, attractive relative valuation, and underappreciated optionality around AI-related ROI and adoption. Just as important, they are not only enablers of AI, but they are early adopters. They have the flexibility to spend less if the market becomes more demanding about capex discipline. In terms of remaining market risks for this year, I'm still watching interest rates and oil very closely. A gradual rise in nominal yields alongside strong economic and earnings data is not necessarily bearish. In fact, historically, that has been one of the better environments for equities because it brings back my ‘run it hot' theme. Stronger nominal growth supports revenues and earnings. The problem is not the level of rates. It is the pace of change. If back-end yields rise too quickly, the cost of capital becomes a headwind for stock valuations.Bottom line, the broadening is still happening, but the market is raising the bar. Early-cycle beta is giving way to mid-cycle quality. Earnings are broadening, but free cash flow is also necessary to be fully rewarded. AI is still an important market driver, but the market wants measurable benefits and the leadership is becoming more selective within sectors rather than across them. This shift may make the market feel less euphoric in the short term, but also healthier and more sustainable in my view. This is not a market that is simply chasing momentum any more. It is starting to separate the companies that can simply talk about growth from the companies that can convert it into durable free cash flow and longer-term value.Thanks for tuning in; I hope you found it informative and useful. Let us know what you think by leaving us a review. And if you find Thoughts on the Market worthwhile, tell a friend or colleague to try it out!
Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson l Presented By Marigold
Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤPre-order Jay Schwedelson's new book, Stupider People Have Done It (out June 9, 2026).All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤCheck out Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤMASSIVE thank you to our Sponsor, CallRail!CallRail is the AI-powered lead intelligence platform that helps marketers prove exactly what's driving results. With CallRail, you can connect every call, text, chat, and form submission directly to the campaign that generated it so you finally know what's working and where to double down.Plus, with built-in AI conversation intelligence, CallRail analyzes your customer conversations, captures leads 24/7, and gives you deeper insights into what your prospects actually care about.If you're tired of guessing about your marketing ROI and want real data behind your campaigns, CallRail has you covered.Start a Free Trial Here: https://www.callrail.com/dothisㅤThe head of a social platform quietly telling you which video format to use is one thing. Doing it by filming himself on a walk is another, and Jay Schwedelson has the engagement numbers that explain why it lands. There's also a chatbot running with zero AI inside it, a European rulebook that just went live, and the first real look at who ChatGPT is actually serving ads to.ㅤBest Moments:(00:16) LinkedIn leadership is now openly modeling the content format the platform rewards.(01:20) The engagement lift walk and talks pull on personal pages versus company pages.(01:45) Someone got fed up with chatbots and built one with no AI behind it at all.(03:17) The EU AI Act is in effect now, and the labeling rule people are panicking about is not what they think.(04:30) New university research on which ChatGPT users are getting hit with the most ads.(05:45) Why a luxury beekeeping retreat for creators was the worst possible move for OpenAI.
What if the real reason your best people leave has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with the first 100 days? In this encore of episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill welcomes Joey Coleman, client experience expert and New York Times bestselling author of Never Lose an Employee Again, to break down the 8 phases every team member moves through and what it actually looks like to build a workplace people refuse to leave. Here's what you'll learn: Why "new hire's remorse" kicks in seconds after someone accepts your offer (and how to counteract it) How to make a team member's first day so remarkable they can't stop talking about it when they get home What separates firms with true advocates from those who can't even get an internal referral If your onboarding still looks like a binder and a benefits form, this is your playbook for something better. (00:00:45) Introduction (00:02:49) Joey Coleman returns to the podcast (00:04:28) Why new hires quit in the first 100 days (00:07:05) Show, don't tell: proving you care about your people (00:08:27) The 8 phases of employee experience (00:15:45) The ROI of remarkable onboarding (00:17:34) Job postings that actually stand out (00:22:14) Notre Dame's legendary offer letter (00:29:51) Creating a remarkable first day (the JAM example) (00:35:14) Coworkers vs. colleagues (00:44:29) The 2-minute video challenge ---- Links & Resources: Never Lose an Employee Again by Joey Coleman Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman Tribute Yoko Co Bonusly Jim Kwik ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 220. Excellence Wins: Become the Best in a World of Compromise with Horst Schulze 162. Radical Candor: How to Be a Kickass Boss with Kim Scott 7. Ditching the Drama & Creating a Culture of Excellence in Your Law Firm with Cy Wakeman
Influencer-Led Growth Stack (10 prompts): https://clickhubspot.com/gfdr Ep. 443 What's the clever, better alternative to pouring more money into Google or Meta ads? Kipp dives into a step-by-step playbook for launching your first influencer campaign that any marketer can use to break away from rising ad costs and stale channels. Learn more on how to find the right influencers for your brand, calculate smart budgets and ROI for partnerships, and use a proven scorecard to evaluate creators for long-term success. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Unilever https://www.unilever.com/ Founders Podcast https://www.founderspodcast.com/ Claude https://claude.ai/ Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934 We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.
The AI Breakdown: Daily Artificial Intelligence News and Discussions
Mark Zuckerberg is making the AI industry's most aggressive case yet for an optimistic future—one built around personal empowerment, open models, new jobs and a different relationship between labs and government. But can one of tech's least trusted messengers persuade a public that increasingly sees Silicon Valley as out of touch? NLW examines Zuckerberg's manifesto, Meta's new open model and $1 billion community fund, and why AI optimism has become as much a political challenge as a technological one.AIDB's AI Summer Adventure: https://summeradventure.ai/Brought to you by:KPMG – Research from KPMG and the University of Texas at Austin shows the highest-impact AI users treat AI like a reasoning partner — and those skills can be taught at scale. Learn more at https://kpmg.com/us/SophisticatedHyperagent - Hire a fleet of always-on agents. New users get $1,000 in inference. hyperagent.com/aidailybriefRackspace Technology- One accountable partner to build, operate and run your full enterprise AI stack https://www.rackspace.com/Section - Section turns AI investment into workforce transformation and ROI - https://www.sectionai.com/Blitzy - Want to accelerate enterprise software development velocity by 5x? https://blitzy.com/AssemblyAI - The best way to build Voice AI apps - https://www.assemblyai.com/briefRobots & Pencils - Cloud-native AI solutions that power results https://robotsandpencils.com/The AI Daily Brief helps you understand the most important news and discussions in AI. Subscribe to the podcast version of The AI Daily Brief wherever you listen: https://pod.link/1680633614Our Newsletter is BACK: https://aidailybrief.beehiiv.com/Interested in sponsoring the show? sponsors@aidailybrief.ai
The Unicorn Growth Formula: Operational Focus, Founder Mindset, and AI Restructuring with Cornelius SchmahlIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Cornelius Schmahl, the Founder of Unicorn Coach, angel investor, and former interim COO at Uber Moscow, to examine the distinct operational mechanics that separate hyper-growth billion-dollar enterprises from standard middle-market companies. Cornelius, a veteran scale-up executive and founder performance strategist, details how scaling a business requires an intentional alignment of psychological grounding, ruthless operational focus, and AI-driven organizational restructuring. This conversation delivers an essential strategic blueprint for founders, C-suite executives, and private equity advisors who want to eliminate operational fat, optimize executive decision-making, and leverage advanced automation to build agile, high-valuation enterprises.The Architecture of Hyper-Growth: Unlocking High-Leverage Execution and AI RestructuringThe primary bottleneck preventing mid-market companies and venture-backed startups from achieving exponential scale is a failure of executive focus, where leadership spreads critical capital and labor across low-yielding initiatives. Cornelius Schmahl explains that true high-leverage execution demands applying the 80/20 rule to ruthlessly "trim the fat"—identifying the core 20% of products, services, and operational touchpoints that generate the majority of enterprise value and cutting non-essential distractions. By auditing operations to isolate the company's most defensible asset, executives can rebuild corporate processes around automated software engines, consolidating legacy workflows and dramatically reducing administrative overhead. Rebuilding an organization around its core value proposition allows mid-sized enterprises to operate with lean, high-performing teams, freeing up capital while empowering founders to focus on visionary strategy.Equally critical to scaling an enterprise is the mental clarity and psychological resilience of the chief executive, whose internal state directly impacts every capital allocation decision. High-pressure corporate environments routinely induce founder burnout, leading to decision fatigue, unforced strategic errors, and systemic organizational drag. Integrating micro-habits like five-minute daily meditation sessions, structured breathwork protocols, and targeted executive coaching provides leaders with the psychological grounding necessary to navigate high-stakes market volatility calmly. Addressing personal blind spots and emotional triggers prevents leaders from making fear-based choices, turning personal self-regulation into a high-ROI executive skill that protects company culture and preserves long-term enterprise value.Ultimately, sustaining hyper-growth requires founders to distinguish between vanity metrics and true high-leverage business activities, ensuring every operational unit directly advances the primary corporate objective. Re-engineering legacy organizational charts through artificial intelligence and automated workflow pipelines enables companies to transition from bloated administrative overhead to agile, tech-enabled execution. By combining sharp market positioning, disciplined executive mental habits, and automated backend infrastructure, leadership can accelerate profit margins while reducing reliance on key individuals. When disciplined psychological grounding, ruthless operational focus, and AI-driven process automation are synthesized into a single growth framework, an enterprise eliminates operational friction, protects its bottom line, and predictably multiplies its market valuation.About Cornelius SchmahlCornelius Schmahl is the Founder of Unicorn Coach, an active angel investor, and an international scale-up strategist. Drawing from extensive executive experience—including serving as interim COO at Uber Moscow and coaching high-growth founders across Europe and North America—Cornelius specializes in helping business leaders scale operations and optimize performance. He is a recognized thought leader focused on helping executives eliminate operational bloat, master high-stakes decision-making, and deploy artificial intelligence to build sustainable, high-valuation enterprises.About Unicorn CoachUnicorn Coach is an elite executive advisory firm and scale-up consultancy engineered to help founders, C-suite executives, and solo entrepreneurs overcome operational scaling plateaus. The firm specializes in delivering comprehensive business audits, AI-driven process restructuring, high-leverage operational mapping, and founder mental performance coaching. Through specialized workshops and tailored strategic advisory programs, Unicorn Coach enables business leaders to trim operational fat, eliminate administrative debt, and maximize enterprise equity.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeUnicorn Coach Official Website: unicorn.coachCornelius Schmahl on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cornelius-peter-schmahlKey Episode HighlightsThe High-ROI Skill of Executive Meditation: Utilizing brief, daily mindfulness and breathwork protocols to enhance psychological clarity and eliminate costly decision-making errors.Ruthlessly Trimming Operational Fat: Applying the 80/20 rule to identify core value drivers, eliminate low-yield product lines, and optimize capital allocation.Rebuilding Operations Around AI: Restructuring legacy company workflows with artificial intelligence to reduce administrative overhead and scale lean, agile teams.Unicorn Founder Domain Mastery: Leveraging deep industry experience and extreme operational focus to capture dominant market share in competitive sectors.Aligning Business Architecture with Founder Vision: Designing scalable corporate frameworks that remove operational headaches and allow leadership to focus on high-value innovation.ConclusionThe conversation with Cornelius Schmahl reinforces that building a high-value, sustainable enterprise requires a balanced synthesis of executive self-regulation, sharp operational focus, and modern tech integration. By standardizing internal corporate governance, eliminating non-essential workflows, and leveraging automated software tools, business leaders can transform an overwhelming daily operation into a highly structured, self-sustaining growth engine.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur
Waiting to be "picked" from a speaker portal is not a strategy - it's a lottery ticket. In this episode, Karen breaks down exactly how she used one short LinkedIn message to land a spot on a conference panel - no application, no pitch deck, no waiting in a queue. She shares the real conversation, word for word, and shows you how to find the actual human behind any stage you want to borrow. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the speaker portal is "the void" - and what to do instead How to find the real decision-maker behind any conference, podcast, or corporate event The exact two-sentence LinkedIn message that opened the door What to say (and what NOT to send) after the first reply How to build a simple pipeline of stages you want to borrow If you've been filling out speaker applications and hearing nothing back, this episode will change how you approach it entirely. Loved this episode? Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share it with a friend who's ready to get on more stages. Resources Mentioned In The Episode: Borrow the Stage Masterclass: Free on-demand training on building your speaker kit and using LinkedIn to book stages Visibility Salon: Karen's membership community, home of the Borrow of the Stage initiative LinkedIn for Women Community: Karen's free Facebook group where listeners post their weekly 20-minute windows for accountability. Work with Karen: Book a call to talk through your own visibility strategy. Magical Quotes From The Episode: "You're not competing with the other speakers. You're competing with their inbox." "Find the human. Find the human. Send the sentence. That's the whole thing." "If you send out 10 messages and you book one gig, it's still probably the best ROI you have in your marketing." Help Us Spread The Word! It would be awesome if you shared the Good Girls Get Rich Podcast with your fellow entrepreneurs on Twitter. Click here to tweet some love! If this episode has taught you just one thing, I would love if you could head on over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW! And if you're moved to, kindly leave us a rating and review. Maybe you'll get a shout out on the show! Ways to Subscribe to Good Girls Get Rich: Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via PlayerFM Good Girls Get Rich is also on Spotify Take a listen on Podcast Addict
Are you overlooking referral opportunities simply because you don't recognize them as referral opportunities? In this short episode, I'm sharing seven situations that naturally happen in growing businesses and how these moments can create opportunities for referral ROI. I'll explain why recognizing these opportunities early matters and why the language and strategy you use can make all the difference. By the end, you'll have a simple list of upcoming business moments to put on your radar so you can start planning now. Resources and links mentioned in this episode can be found on the show notes page at http://www.staceybrownrandall.com/426
On the Schmooze Podcast: Leadership | Strategic Networking | Relationship Building
What do you do when you've outgrown hustle, but your business hasn't caught up yet? Today's guest helps entrepreneurs navigate one of the most challenging stages of business growth: the point where working harder is no longer the answer. Instead, success depends on building the systems, teams, and leadership capacity that allow a business to scale. As a business coach and entrepreneur, he works with owners who have achieved success but find themselves trapped by it. Their business depends on them for too many decisions, too many approvals, and too much day-to-day involvement. His work helps leaders build businesses that can grow without becoming more dependent on the owner. He is also the author of "Your Business Growth Playbook: Breakthrough Strategies to Scale Your Business for Business Owners Who've Outgrown Hustle," a practical guide for entrepreneurs ready to stop being the bottleneck and start building a business that can thrive beyond their personal capacity. If you've ever felt like your business can't grow unless you work harder, this conversation will challenge that assumption and offer a different path forward. Please join me in welcoming Jeremy Shapiro. In this episode, we discuss the following:
This week, LinearB CTO Yishai Beeri joins the show to unpack fresh mid-year benchmark data revealing a widening productivity gap between elite engineering teams and the rest of the industry. The conversation explores why tracking pure AI adoption is a trap, detailing how leaders must shift focus to measuring true leverage through metrics like PR yield rate and cost per PR. Finally, they break down why fully autonomous agentic workflows are currently bottlenecking at the review stage and how to establish human ownership to prove real ROI to your finance team. Get the guide: The AI engineering productivity gap - how elite teams pull ahead in 2026Register: Dev Interrupted Presents: The Software Factory RoundtableFollow the show:Subscribe to our Substack Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelFollow the hosts:Follow AndrewFollow BenFollow DanFollow today's guest:The AI Productivity Gap Report: Read the full report and explore the 2026 data from 2.7 million PRsLinearB: Learn how to measure AI leverage and optimize your engineering workflows at linearb.ioConnect with Yishai: LinkedInOFFERSStart Free Trial: Get started with LinearB's AI productivity platform for free.Book a Demo: Learn how you can ship faster, improve DevEx, and lead with confidence in the AI era.LEARN ABOUT LINEARBAI Code Reviews: Automate reviews to catch bugs, security risks, and performance issues before they hit production.AI & Productivity Insights: Go beyond DORA with AI-powered recommendations and dashboards to measure and improve performance.AI-Powered Workflow Automations: Use AI-generated PR descriptions, smart routing, and other automations to reduce developer toil.MCP Server: Interact with your engineering data using natural language to build custom reports and get answers on the fly.
“If you really focus on the reader and creating something meaningful and impactful and excellent... it has longevity and shelf life and continued work to do out in the world well beyond you.” — Stacy EnnisIn this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I sit down with Stacy Ennis to explore what it really takes to write and publish a nonfiction book that grows your business, strengthens your brand, and creates lasting impact. We discuss the publishing process, book coaching, traditional publishing vs. self-publishing, and why integrity, strategy, and a clear message matter more than simply getting a book into the world.Stacy shares practical insights from years of helping authors craft books that not only sell, but also make a meaningful difference—offering valuable guidance for anyone considering writing a business book or becoming a published author.Also mentioned in today's episode:00:10 Introduction to Stacy Ennis and her background01:00 Stacy's journey from childhood reading to publishing expert02:36 Her experience in publishing and ghostwriting03:24 Working with authors with a bigger mission04:49 The ROI of writing a book and trust building05:56 Trusting Stacy's expertise after a trust-breaking experience07:43 The importance of mission and impact in writing09:04 The strategic value of a book for influence and marketing10:33 Shelf life and longevity of well-done work12:24 Reflections on the author journey and publishing routes14:36 Exploring traditional, self, and hybrid publishing16:36 The evolving landscape of publishing and author education18:24 Why hybrid and self-publishing are viable options20:28 The role of a book in business, trust, and influence24:18 The transformative process of organizing ideas27:37 The impact of writing on personal and business growth28:58 The importance of creative health and deep thought31:16 Rebuilding self-trust through the writing process32:44 The societal and professional importance of authorship33:01 Stacy's resources and podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share it! Every review makes a difference by telling Apple or Spotify to show the Sunlight Tax podcast to new audiences.About Stacy Ennis:Stacy Ennis is a best-selling author, book coach, and speaker on a mission to help leaders clarify their ideas and harness their unique story to make an impact. Her background includes impacting more than 100 books in her 17-plus years in publishing; ghostwriting for a Nobel Prize winner in medicine; and leading as executive editor of Sam's Club's Healthy Living Made Simple, a publication that reached around 11 million readers. Stacy's work and writing have been featured in Yahoo!, Inc., Insider, Publisher's Weekly, Katie Couric, and the TEDx stage. Stacy is also the host of the podcast Beyond Better and holds a master's in writing and editing from the University of Cincinnati.Check Out Stacy Ennis' Work:* 10 Things You Should Know Before Writing a Nonfiction Book free resource* Author Influence Circle* Direct link to book a call with Stacy to chat about their book* Instagram @stacyennis* LinkedIn: Stacy Ennis* Study mentioned on the episodeEpisode Links:Check out my program, Money BootcampGet my Tax Help on SubstackGet your FREE visual guide to tax deductionsOrder my book: Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You're Self-Employed Get full access to Taxes For Humans at sunlighttax.substack.com/subscribe
True operational scale requires more than expanding a business model—it demands scaling the human capital and personal leadership of the founder behind it. In this episode of Behind the Numbers, host Dave Bookbinder sits down with Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, to explore how a humble garage project evolved into an international movement addressing an invisible community crisis. Luke shares the origin story of delivering his first bunk bed to a six-year-old girl named Haley—a single act of compassion that sparked a organization now spanning over 440 chapters, 130,000 volunteers, and 300,000 beds delivered to kids in need. The conversation dives into the business strategies and human capital dynamics behind managing a massive, decentralized workforce. Luke breaks down how coining the term "child bedlessness" brought clarity to a hidden problem to drive corporate support, how to maintain strict product quality across hundreds of autonomous chapters, and why high-touch assembly-line experiences turn casual sweat equity into lifelong brand loyalty. Luke also tackles the painful personal hurdles of rapid growth, pulling back the curtain on "Founder Syndrome" and identity fusion. He candidly shares how he recognized he was becoming an operational bottleneck, offering a preview of his Founder Syndrome Survival Course designed to help leaders navigate governance shifts, prevent burnout, and transition smoothly from frontline operator to strategic visionary. Listeners will gain actionable insights on evaluating success through a true valuation mindset—reframing ROI to include long-term developmental outcomes for children and deep psychological returns for volunteers. Whether you are scaling a business, leading a non-profit, or seeking to align purpose with execution, this episode delivers a masterclass on turning a simple act of service into a high-impact movement. About Our Guest: Luke Mickelson is the founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), the largest bed-building charity in the world, with a mission built on a simple but powerful truth: child bedlessness may not be a real word, but it's a real problem. In 2012, Luke built a bunk bed in his garage for a local family in need. What happened next changed everything. That single act of service sparked a movement—one that has since grown into a nationwide and international network of volunteers who have delivered hundreds of thousands of beds to children who would otherwise be sleeping on the floor. Luke's work has been recognized nationally, including being named a CNN Hero, and featured on Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, and Mike Rowe's Returning the Favor. But for Luke, the true reward isn't recognition—it's the impact created when ordinary people choose to act. Today, Luke brings that same message to stages across the country. His keynote, Making Passion Purpose, challenges audiences to recognize the “tiny moments” in their own lives—the small opportunities to serve, lead, and make a difference. Because those moments, when acted upon, don't just change someone else's world… they can change your own. In addition to his work with SHP, Luke speaks and teaches on the realities of the founder's journey, including the challenges of identity, growth, and letting go. His insights on Founder's Syndrome and leadership evolution help leaders move from building something meaningful… to building something that lasts. About the Host: Dave Bookbinder is known as a trusted provider for independent business valuations, corporate asset appraisals, and exit planning advisory and he is the person that business owners and their advisors reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries. Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers. He's on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people's contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company's most valuable asset.” Dave's book, A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know, was recognized as a top new release in Business and Valuation and is designed to provide practical insights and tools to help understand what really drives business value, how to prepare for an exit, and just make better decisions. He's also the host of the highly rated Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder business podcast which is enjoyed in more than 100 countries.
Automation and AI have flooded the sales and marketing side of the market, and Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer at Steel Patriot Partners, says the security leaders on the receiving end were already past capacity. The pitch tends to lead with the product rather than the problem. So many CISOs have stopped taking direct sales calls and started asking a different question: what VAR do you work with, and who can I buy you through? That routing puts weight back on partners who know where a program has been and how to move it forward. Parisi describes a partner meeting during the week with RegScale and Wiz, with Steel Patriot Partners in the services role, and the recognition that the company is moving toward systems integration with engineering at the center. Software providers can supply the product. Aligning and configuring it against a specific set of business expectations is a different job. What happens when that job has no owner? Tools get bought and the return never shows up. Parisi sees organizations spending on best of breed and failing to recognize ROI because the tools are not being used or configured against the business objective. The correction is engineering work rather than another purchase. One client was told by its board to cut a significant portion of the IT and information security budget. Steel Patriot Partners looked for overlap, found three tools accomplishing the same business outcome, met the number, and exceeded it on cost savings. Parisi attributes the underlying problem to years of deferred maintenance on the stack, from teams with the appetite to buy tools and without the time to configure them. He expects the consolidation the cloud market saw a decade ago to reach cybersecurity tooling and GRC, and puts a number on it: 48 main GRC providers today, roughly five within five years. Good enough, configured appropriately, beats best of breed sitting idle. For CISOs building the next budget cycle, Parisi recommends bringing the sourcing closer in. Go to your anchor partners, ask what they are running next year and what worked this year, and skip the attempt to talk to everybody. Steel Patriot Partners co-founder Jason Ford has a line that fits alongside it. Have an open mind. This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlight GUEST Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer, Steel Patriot Partners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/ RESOURCES Black Hat USA 2026 event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2026-cybersecurity-event-coverage-in-las-vegas Steel Patriot Partners: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com Steel Patriot Partners at Black Hat USA 2026: https://www.steelpatriotpartners.com/events/black-hat-usa-2026 Steel Patriot Partners Insights: https://resources.steelpatriotpartners.com Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight ▶︎ Get your own Brand Briefing at an upcoming event: https://www.studioc60.com/buy-brand-briefings KEYWORDS michael parisi, steel patriot partners, sean martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, black hat usa 2026, ciso budget, channel partners, var, systems integrator, grc consolidation, security tool sprawl, licensing costs, roi, configuration, compliance, cybersecurity engineering, regscale, wiz Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Rob Frost discusses his journey from the military to the construction industry, emphasizing the importance of structured processes in a growing company. He explains the benefits of a self-perform strategy. Rob shares insights on integrating culture with labor partners and the role of vision in strategic planning. He highlights positive accountability and calculating ROI beyond finances, considering risk and efficiency. The episode covers building an operating system to reduce risk, challenges of deploying QMOS, tech investments like Smart Barrel, organizing digital architecture, and offers advice on empathy and people skills.
Ler um livro inteiro virou exceção e cientistas anunciam os primeiros vírus projetados por IA. Chefes de laboratórios de IA declaram o começo da singularidade e o Snapchat já cobra pelo armazenamento das suas memórias.O que ainda é decisão sua?No RESUMIDO #376: o fim da leitura, IA cria vírus que não existiam, loja com chefe robô vira desastre, ex-funcionária da OpenAI quer focar em telepatia, a bolha da IA está aí e ninguém se importa, MySpace ensaia a volta e muito mais!--Assine a newsletter da inovabra "Do hype ao ROI":https://inovabra.substack.com--RESUMIDO #375, apresentado por Bruno Natal--Loja RESUMIDO (camisetas, canecas, casacos, sacolas): https://www.studiogeek.com.br/resumido -- Faça sua assinatura! https://resumido.cc/assinatura
WASDE Wild Cards, Trading Volatility & Why Good Producers Still Struggle This week Kevin and Todd dig into today's WASDE report, where Kevin sees the biggest potential surprises, and why he believes the market may be sitting in a spot where one USDA number could trigger a much larger technical move. Kevin also explains why he is trading smaller as volatility increases, why he would rather react to a market mistake than try to predict the USDA, why some very good producers still struggle financially, and why the business side of agriculture is becoming an even bigger separator. A few highlights from this week's conversation: 00:40 — What should the most important room in agriculture be talking about?AI, robotics, government policy, new investment ideas, and one overriding question: How do we use all of these new tools to improve ROI? 02:15 — Kevin's biggest WASDE wild cardKevin says acreage may be the number that creates the surprise. He also discusses yield, feed and residual demand, exports, and why adjustments to last year's crop could still matter. 08:30 — Stop putting too much weight on weekly crop ratingsKevin pushes back hard on using USDA Good-to-Excellent ratings as a precise yield predictor and says he puts more weight on private tours, producer intelligence, and actual boots-on-the-ground observations. 19:25 — Don't predict the report. Wait for the market to make a mistake.Kevin compares trading around USDA reports to wrestling: stay balanced, let the opponent overextend, and then take advantage. 29:15 — Why Kevin is trading smaller than he used toMore speculative money, larger price swings, and greater volatility mean the consequences of being over-leveraged are dramatically higher. 37:40 — Are struggling producers simply bad operators?Kevin's distinction is important: most producers he knows are very good at producing a crop. The bigger separator is business — marketing, equipment decisions, insurance, inputs, technology, taxes, capital allocation, and ROI. 43:20 — Put a great businessperson against a great producer. Who wins?Kevin's answer is immediate: the businessperson. They may need time to learn production — or hire somebody who already knows it — but strong business judgment eventually becomes the advantage. 49:25 — The AI conversation comes down to one word: EXECUTEHaving data isn't enough. Having AI isn't enough. Having advisors isn't enough. The advantage comes from actually implementing what improves the business. 59:15 — Why Kevin is still holding substantial cash even as Wall Street gets more bullishKevin explains the difference between being bearish and maintaining dry powder. His long-term investing accounts remain bullish — he simply wants enough cash available to capitalize when markets hit one of the “trap doors” he believes are inevitable. KEVIN QUOTES “I'm not trying to predict or forecast what the USDA is gonna do… I'm trying to play if the market overreacts one way or the other.” “The whole key is to be able to stay with a move and not get shook out.” “The differentiator is on the business side.” “A great person can take a really shitty or bad idea and make it good. A bad person can take a really great business and make it really bad.” The bigger theme running through this episode is simple: Volatility creates opportunity — but only if you have the discipline, liquidity, and business structure to survive long enough to take advantage of it. Listen to the full episode of FARMCON Conversations. FARMCON — The Most Important Room in Agriculture
Send us Fan MailWe invest heavily in training salespeople to serve customers. So why aren't we investing just as intentionally in preparing leaders to serve our people? Abby Cornelius - Leadership Advisor at Elevate Actually and a 20+ year homebuilding veteran - joins Anya Chrisanthon for a conversation about the leadership training gap in homebuilding and what to do about it. And this one is personal: Abby was Anya's sales trainer at NVR, where Anya was named Rookie of the Year for her cohort.From intern to executive Abby got into homebuilding as a fluke - a finance major whose cousin talked her into an internship. She never left. Sales, national sales training, sales leadership, nine months in land acquisition, division president training, and Director of Sales. Her takeaway from sitting in every seat: when you understand how the whole operation works together, you show up better in the seat you're in.The training stopped As a salesperson, Abby went through a rigorous year-long program with ongoing coaching. Then she got promoted to leadership and it was: here's your team, go figure it out. Sitting in ops meetings Googling terms under the table, no tenured leader to lean on, and a generic two-day management course that didn't connect to homebuilding. It felt hard for about a year - and it's the same story she kept hearing from every leader around her.Breaking out of firefighting mode Only three things should derail your day: sales, starts, and closings - today, not future ones. Everything else needs a cadence. Abby shares the systems that saved her: scheduled one-on-ones that teach your team to save non-urgent items, and building processes around repeat pain points - like her offer sheet that ended the scrambled texts and half-baked emails. Building self-reliant teams You teach people how to treat you. If your team brings everything to you, you've become the bottleneck. Abby's tips: don't answer on the first ring for non-urgent items, ask "what have you tried?" before giving answers, and borrow her sister's kindergarten classroom rule - "three before me."Leadership is stewardship When a neighbor asked Abby's husband for parenting advice, he said: "It's only hard for the good ones." The same is true of leadership. If it feels heavy, that means you care. Your job isn't to keep things moving today - it's to care for your people and your business long-term.Leadership Elevated Everything Abby wished someone taught her sooner, built into homebuilding-specific leadership development: a two-day workshop for entire operational teams - sales, construction, purchasing, marketing, finance - plus a six-month virtual cohort limited to 10 leaders, launching in September. Because the ROI on well-equipped leaders shows up in margin, retention, and days under construction.One piece of advice for this week Pick one. One thing you want your team to get better at - and triple down on it. Scattered effort never gets the depth of solution you need.Connect with Abby on LinkedIn, subscribe to her free weekly LinkedIn newsletter Leadership Edited, and learn more about Leadership Elevated at elevateactually.com - click Work With Abby.About Anewgo Anewgo is an all-in-one new home sales and marketing platform. We equip builders with AI-ready homebuilder websites, interactive design tools, floorplans, sitemaps, AI Sales Assistants, and data analytics to create personalized buyer journeys. Learn more at anewgo.com or find every episode at anewgo.com/podcast.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anewgo-of-new-home-sales/id1602564768
In this episode of the Cannabis Accounting Podcast, host Raymond Guns sits down with Mitch Osak, Founder and President of Quanta Consulting, to unpack why small cannabis operators are outperforming the giants, and what it actually takes to raise and deploy capital the right way in this industry.Mitch has been in cannabis since 2016, working with over 200 companies across the globe, from Canada's earliest licensed producers to today's US and European operators navigating exports, M&A, and Schedule III.Mitch breaks down:
Most content gets measured by whether it was consumed. Growth content gets measured by what happens next. In this episode of Content Amplified, Erin McReynolds, Vice President of Marketing at Fremont Bank, breaks down the difference between volume content (did they download the PDF?) and growth content (what did they do after?), then walks through her four pillars for making content matter to the business: contributing to pipeline, impacting revenue, shortening the sales cycle, and addressing objections. Erin explains how growth content creates, captures, and accelerates demand, why the fastest way to surface objections is to befriend the sales team and mine sales call transcripts, and which objections show up almost everywhere: long evaluation periods, confusion about value, and the internal "do we really need this" friction that ROI content can preempt. She also gives her honest take on AI: it makes production cheaper and faster, but it cannot talk to your sales team or build the system that moves buyers forward. Her advice for this month is simple: optimize your content for progress, not attention. If you have ever had to justify content's existence to the business, this episode gives you the language.About ErinErin McReynolds is a career marketer of more than 15 years whose experience is in building brands and content systems that move business outcomes and contribute to growth. She is the Vice President of Marketing at Fremont Bank, one of the largest privately owned banks in California, where she built and launched both content marketing and social media marketing from scratch. There she leveled up the whole brand and created a content engine that is scalable and replicable. She loves talking about this stuff and is happy to help other marketers brainstorm what is next for their content teams.Show NotesConnect with Erin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmcreynolds/Erin's website: https://www.erinmcreynolds.comText us what you think about this episode!
The AI Breakdown: Daily Artificial Intelligence News and Discussions
Graph engineering is AI's latest buzzy term—but it offers a useful framework for organizing agents, tools, knowledge and humans into working systems. NLW explains the evolution from prompts to graphs. In the headlines: OpenAI delays Astra, ByteDance trains a massive model, open-weight AI tests revenue sharing and Claude Code embraces Auto Mode.AIDB's AI Summer Adventure: https://summeradventure.ai/Brought to you by:KPMG – Research from KPMG and the University of Texas at Austin shows the highest-impact AI users treat AI like a reasoning partner — and those skills can be taught at scale. Learn more at https://kpmg.com/us/SophisticatedHyperagent - Hire a fleet of always-on agents. New users get $1,000 in inference. hyperagent.com/aidailybriefRackspace Technology- One accountable partner to build, operate and run your full enterprise AI stack https://www.rackspace.com/Section - Section turns AI investment into workforce transformation and ROI - https://www.sectionai.com/Blitzy - Want to accelerate enterprise software development velocity by 5x? https://blitzy.com/AssemblyAI - The best way to build Voice AI apps - https://www.assemblyai.com/briefRobots & Pencils - Cloud-native AI solutions that power results https://robotsandpencils.com/The AI Daily Brief helps you understand the most important news and discussions in AI. Subscribe to the podcast version of The AI Daily Brief wherever you listen: https://pod.link/1680633614Our Newsletter is BACK: https://aidailybrief.beehiiv.com/Interested in sponsoring the show? sponsors@aidailybrief.ai