Podcasts about Senior Consultant

In this episode of The Dish on Health IT, host Tony Schueth, CEO of Point-of-Care Partners (POCP), is joined by colleagues Mary Griskewicz, Regulatory Resource Center Lead, and Janice Reese, Senior Consultant and Program Manager of FHIR at Scale Taskforce (FAST), for a wide-ranging discussion on two major proposed rules released in mid-December 2025: the HTI-5 proposed rule from the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) and CMS's latest proposal on healthcare price transparency.Rather than treating these rules as abstract policy exercises, the conversation focuses on what the government is trying to accomplish, how these proposals may reshape the interoperability and data access landscape, and why stakeholder participation during the comment period is not optional if the industry wants workable outcomes.Setting the Stage: How Proposed Rules Become RealityThe episode opens with a level set for listeners who do not spend their days in the Federal Register. Mary walks through how proposed rules originate, typically from legislation or executive policy, and how they move from proposal to public comment to either a final rule, an interim final rule, or, in some cases, a complete pause or reset.She emphasizes a point that often gets overlooked: every public comment is read and reviewed. The agencies group and analyze the comments section by section and respond to themes and concerns in the final rule text. Janice builds on this by explaining that the comment period is where high-level policy intent meets operational reality. The most effective comments are not lengthy manifestos, but specific, experience-based feedback that highlights feasibility issues, sequencing challenges, and unintended consequences.HTI-5: From Experimentation to ExecutionThe discussion then turns to HTI-5, with Mary outlining the core problem the rule is trying to address. Prior certification requirements placed a significant burden on vendors, often locking innovation into long development cycles while the market waited for updates. HTI-5 seeks to modernize this approach by reducing prescriptive certification requirements and relying more on modern, open architecture, particularly FHIR-based APIs, to enable faster, more scalable data exchange.Janice frames HTI-5 as a clear signal that the industry is moving out of the experimentation phase and into execution. By reinforcing a “FHIR-first” direction while pulling back on some certification detail, the rule implicitly raises expectations for real-world performance. As FHIR becomes the default, security, identity, consent, and trust cannot be treated as optional or inconsistently implemented components.From a FAST perspective, this shift is critical. HTI-5 creates the regulatory space, but the infrastructure and implementation guidance needed to make trusted interoperability work at scale must come from industry-led collaboration. Janice explains that FAST's work on security, identity, consent, and national directory services is about operationalizing trust so organizations are not reinventing these foundations on their own.Information Blocking, Automation, and Trust at ScaleA pivotal moment in the conversation centers on HTI-5's clarification that information blocking explicitly includes automated and AI-driven access. Mary underscores that automation is now central to how data moves across the healthcare ecosystem. When access decisions are embedded in APIs, workflows, and algorithms, trust becomes the defining requirement.Janice expands on this by noting that the issue is not just whether data can be accessed, but whether access is appropriate, provable, and governed. As automation increases, expectations shift toward accountability, auditability, and consistent enforcement of identity and consent. FHIR APIs, once viewed as certification checkboxes, are becoming the primary channel for data exchange across networks, including consumer-facing applications.Stakeholder Impacts: Vendors, Providers, and PayersThe episode then walks through how HTI-5 affects different stakeholder groups. For health IT vendors and digital health companies, Janice describes a trade-off: fewer certification guardrails provide flexibility but also remove a layer of protection. Vendors will be judged less on formal compliance artifacts and more on how their systems perform across networks at scale, including security, identity management, and reliability.Mary cautions that vendors should not interpret HTI-5 as traditional deregulation. With HTI-6 already on the horizon, organizations that underinvest now risk facing more stringent outcome-based expectations later. Tony reinforces this point, arguing that the real risk is collective. A single high-profile failure due to weak security or identity practices could undermine trust across the ecosystem and invite a regulatory response that affects everyone.For providers and health systems, the shift means becoming more informed consumers of technology. Certification alone will no longer guarantee interoperability or trustworthiness. Providers will increasingly need to ask vendors how solutions perform in environments beyond a single one and how identity, consent, and security are handled across organizational boundaries.From a payer perspective, Mary explains that while HTI-5 does not directly change prior authorization requirements, it fundamentally reshapes the data access environment. As FHIR APIs become the default, plans will be expected to exchange data more dynamically and through automated workflows. This raises expectations around timeliness, quality, and trust, and accelerates a shift from managing transactions to managing trust at scale.Price Transparency: Compliance Without ClarityThe conversation then transitions to CMS's proposed price transparency rule, with Tony noting the absence of POCP's usual price transparency expert and setting expectations for a higher-level discussion. Mary explains that this tri-agency proposal builds on earlier rules by clarifying standards, easing some reporting burdens, and refining requirements around machine-readable files, metadata, and reporting timelines.While these changes offer some relief to plans, Janice highlights a deeper challenge. Making pricing data available does not make it meaningful. Without consistent ways to connect clinical concepts to billing codes and pricing structures, patients and employers are left with technically accurate but practically unusable information. True transparency will require better integration of pricing data into real-time workflows, supported by APIs, governance, and trust frameworks.Mary also reminds listeners that employers are a critical stakeholder often overlooked in these discussions. As purchasers of coverage, they rely on usable pricing data to understand utilization and manage costs, making their perspective essential during the comment period.The Closing Message: Comment, Participate, Get InvolvedThe episode closes with a strong call to action. Mary urges listeners to “get off the bench” and engage, regardless of which rule is at issue. Comment periods directly affect compliance programs, product roadmaps, and competitive positioning. Janice reinforces that policy alone cannot solve interoperability challenges. Progress depends on shared implementation guidance, testing, governance, and sustained participation in standards organizations and multi-stakeholder initiatives, including FAST.The final takeaway is clear: HTI-5 and the price transparency proposal are not just regulatory events. They are inflection points. Organizations that participate now can help shape outcomes that are achievable, scalable, and trusted. Those that sit out will be left reacting to decisions made without their operational realities at the table.Listeners are reminded that both proposed rules have comment deadlines in late February, and that POCP is available to support organizations in understanding the implications and crafting effective comments. The episode closes, as always, with the reminder that Health IT is a dish best served hot. 

Leading Into 2026: Executive Pastor Insights Momentum is real. So is the pressure. This free report draws from the largest dedicated survey of Executive Pastors ever, revealing what leaders are actually facing as they prepare for 2026. Why staff health is the #1 pressure point Where churches feel hopeful — and stretched thin What worked in 2025 and is worth repeating Clear decision filters for the year ahead Download the Full Report Free PDF • Built for Executive Pastors • Instant access Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re continuing our conversations with executive pastors from prevailing churches, unpacking what leaders like you shared in the National Executive Pastor Survey, so you can lead forward with clarity. Today we're joined by Paul Alexander, Executive Pastor at Sun Valley Community Church and Senior Consultant with The Unstuck Group. With more than 25 years of ministry experience and nearly 15 years at Sun Valley, Paul brings a blend of practitioner insight and coaching wisdom. Sun Valley is one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, with six physical locations, a prison campus, and more expansion on the way. In this conversation, Paul helps unpack one of the most pressing themes from the National Executive Pastor Survey: staff health, culture, and organizational structure. Is your church clear on vision and strategy but still struggling to move forward? Do you sense tension or fatigue beneath the surface of your staff team? Paul offers candid, practical guidance on how leaders can cultivate both healthy and high-performing teams. Staff culture is often the real growth lid. // Many churches leave strategic planning sessions with remarkable clarity—clear vision, strong strategy, and actionable next steps—yet still fail to move forward. The reason is rarely theological or missional; it's cultural. Team culture and staff structure often become the limiting factor. Just as personal growth stalls when internal issues go unresolved, churches stall when unhealthy patterns persist within leadership teams. Healthy and high-performing. // Many churches swing between two extremes: high performance with little concern for soul health, or relational warmth with minimal accountability to achieve the vision. Neither honors the full call of ministry. The healthiest teams refuse to live at either end of the pendulum. Instead, they pursue a culture where people are cared for deeply while being challenged to steward their gifts faithfully toward the mission. You can't legislate health. // Health cannot be enforced through policies alone. Leaders set the tone through example, not rules. Staff watch how senior leaders manage time, rest, family, boundaries, and pressure. Late-night emails, skipped days off, and constant urgency quietly shape expectations—even if leaders say otherwise. Pastors need to lead with moral authority, not moral perfection: modeling rhythms that reflect trust in God rather than fear-driven overwork. Practical rhythms that protect people. // At Sun Valley, staff health is reinforced through intentional systems. Leaders are expected to take their days off and use vacation time; reports track whether staff actually do. Full-time staff receive sabbaticals every seven years, including non-director-level roles. Marriage retreats are offered as a gift to staff couples, recognizing that healthier marriages produce healthier ministry. These investments cost little financially but yield long-term fruit in sustainability and trust. Hire leaders, not doers. // A common staffing pitfall is hiring doers instead of leaders. While competence and skill earn someone a seat on the team at Sun Valley, long-term effectiveness depends on their ability to develop others. Staff are evaluated not on how much ministry they personally accomplish, but on how well they equip volunteers to lead. Volunteers are the heroes; staff exist to serve and multiply them. This mindset shifts ministry from bottlenecked to scalable. Structure must evolve with growth. // Churches often treat structure as fixed, but Paul insists that growing churches must restructure continually. Span of care, staffing ratios, and role clarity must be revisited regularly. He points to healthy benchmarks—such as staffing costs and staff-to-attendance ratios—as helpful indicators, not rigid rules. When leaders ignore structure, culture suffers; when structure is aligned, momentum increases. Fruit requires clarity and measurement. // Every staff role at Sun Valley includes measurable outcomes. Paul likens this to personal goals—no one expects a marriage to improve without intentional action. Clear metrics create focus, alignment, and accountability. Monthly one-on-ones blend personal care with performance review, ensuring leaders are supported holistically while still moving the mission forward. Encouragement for leaders sensing tension. // For executive pastors who feel something is “off” but can't quite name it, Paul urges them not to ignore that instinct. Growth exposes weaknesses, and structure or culture may need adjustment. Whether the issue is misalignment, unclear expectations, or misplaced roles, addressing it early prevents deeper damage later. To learn more about Sun Valley Community Church, visit sunvalleycc.com. For resources on staff health, structure, and strategy, explore theunstuckgroup.com or email Paul directly. Watch the full episode below: Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: SermonDone Hey friends, Sunday is coming… is your Sermon Done?Pastor, you don't need more pressure—you need support. That's why you need to check out SermonDone—the premium AI assistant built exclusivelyfor pastors. SermonDone helps you handle the heavy lifting: deep sermon research, series planning, and even a theologically aligned first draft—in your voice—because it actually trains on up to 15 of your past sermons. But it doesn't stop there. With just a click, you can instantly turn your message into small group guides, discussion questions, and even kids curriculum. It's like adding a research assistant, a writing partner, and a discipleship team—all in one. Try it free for 5 days. Head over to www.SermonDone.com and use promo code Rich20 for 20% off today! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Really glad that you’ve decided to tune in. We’re doing a special series here this month where we’re looking at the results of a national survey that we did of executive pastors across the country. And we’ve pulled in some leading XPs from prevailing churches to help us think through these issues. Like we’re sitting across the table, if you talk about this problem, they want to help you with that. And today it’s our honor, our privilege really to have Paul Alexander with us. He is the executive pastor at Sun Valley Church for over 10 years. He has 25 years of experience. He’s a senior consultant with Unstuck, I think for 13 years. And he’s worked with all kinds of churches on health assessment, strategic planning. Sun Valley, if you don’t know this church, you’re living under a rock. fantastic church in Arizona, six physical locations, if I’m counting correctly, plus in prison, plus online. It’s repeatedly one of the fastest growing churches in the country. Paul, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Paul Alexander — Yeah, Rich, glad to be with you. Hopefully the conversation can help your listeners, man.Rich Birch — I really appreciate that. Why why don’t you fill in the picture about Sun Valley? I know we’ve had you on in the past. You should go back and listen, friends, but kind of give us the Sun Valley picture. Kind of tell us a little bit about that to set some context today.Paul Alexander — Yeah, man, been here now for almost 15 years. It’s wild to think back. When I first joined the team, it was one location, 10 acres, one exit, one entrance.Rich Birch — Wow.Paul Alexander — And, you know, there’s a lid to what you can do with that. And so we had originally went multi-site because we had to go multi-site. You know, the mission that Jesus gave the church to help more people meet him and grow up in their friendship with him. We had a lid to that with the space we were in. And so we had to go multi-site. It wasn’t cool. It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t an experiment. It was like, if we’re going to obey Jesus, we don’t have an option.Rich Birch — Right. Yes.Paul Alexander — And so over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to add new locations. And, yeah, six physical locations, one in a prison. Our next prison campus opens up Q1. We grand open our Chandler location in March, and we break ground on San Tan in May. So, yeah, man, fun times, lots of people meeting Jesus.Rich Birch — So multi-sites not dead at Sun Valley.Paul Alexander — Man, multi-site’s not dead in America. Yeah.Rich Birch — I know. And it’s true, right? It’s one of those like, people are like, oh, I don’t know. That’s an old idea. I’m like, that’s not what I’m seeing. I’m like, gosh, there’s so many prevailing churches like Sun Valley that are just doubling down. That’s that’s fantastic. Rich Birch — Well, looking forward to today’s conversation. So friends, you’ve joined us actually for within, what did we ask, two questions that were about fears for next year and or for this year, 2026, you caught me. We recorded this late in 2025.Rich Birch — And we’re talking today about the biggest fear. 24.8% of all respondents identified staff health, organizational structure, morale, succession, leadership – the people issues as a primary fear heading into this year. In fact, and then a separate question we asked about data and insight. Where are you lacking some of that? Almost 9% of respondents answered that they’re looking for better data on staff pipeline and org chart and leadership development, these sort of things.Rich Birch — When you combine them together what does that mean? Nearly three in ten surface staff related tension as a defining pressure point for 2026. And when I was thinking about this issue, I thought of no one better than Paul to pull on and to have this conversation with. So Paul, when you look at the churches across the country, you interact with a lot of churches both just because you’re a great person and through Unstuck, and you’re and Sun Valley’s a leading church and people will ask you questions all the time. Where do you think staff health breaks down the most and why is that? Why is this such a tension for us as we lead from our seats?Paul Alexander — Yeah, well, to your point, Rich, it comes up repeatedly with my work with Unstuck with churches. It’s not uncommon to do a health assessment, strategic planning with the church, and you walk out of the room and they have great clarity on vision, on where they’re going next. They have great clarity on strategy, like how they’re actually going to pull this off and do it.Paul Alexander — And yet you walk out of the room and the lid to move towards that vision, actually obey Jesus and do what Jesus has commissioned and command commanded them to do, the lid is the culture of the team. And the team culture and the team structure is what’s holding them back from going where Jesus wants them to go. Paul Alexander — Which we shouldn’t be surprised by this, frankly. that’s That’s the organizational side of how that shows up. This shows up in our own life personally. So on a micro scale, what’s preventing you and I from actually following Jesus and what He’s calling us to do in 2026? Well, it’s not Jesus’s problem. The problem is not with him. The problem usually with us.Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — The problem is with how we structure our life, our family, our time, maybe something in our own heart and in the culture of our own heart and our families.Paul Alexander — And so on on a macro scalele scale in the church, it’s not a surprise that this shows up. Most most churches have a tendency to run on a pendulum, Rich, of either being a really high performing team or a very, very healthy team. And at Unstuck, we want we want staff teams to be both very healthy and very high performing.Paul Alexander — The the problem is most churches, their staff swing through that pendulum from one side to the other. And so, and you’ve seen this repeatedly, where it’s take ground and in just do the next thing. And they’re very project oriented and destination oriented, and they have a tendency to not really care about the soul of the team, the health of the team, and they’re caring much more about the the destination they’re chasing.Paul Alexander — Or they’re sitting around looking at each other, praying for one another, kumbaya-ing together, and they’re neglecting the actual call that God’s put on their life. It’s not just a personal holiness, but to invite others people other people to know Jesus as well.Paul Alexander — And while that’s an over-exaggeration, fundamentally, that’s very true of what happens with staff teams. And so, yeah, walking away from a strategic planning with the church, you’re thinking, oh, they’ve got everything they need.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — They just don’t have the culture to pull it off. their Their staff culture is going to prevent them from going where God wants them to go. Or they’ve hired ah a lot of doers on the team and they don’t actually have leaders. So they’ve hired people to do ministry instead of lead ministry. Or they don’t really have a development pipeline. You know, they don’t have a plan to coach up and build up people that the Lord’s already entrusted to them right underneath their nose, to invite them into leadership in the church. And so, yeah, there’s some overarching things that are common.Rich Birch — Yeah, so when I saw this came out, I wasn’t surprised by this result. We’ve seen similar results in past years. But whenever I look at this fear that leaders have, I’m reminded what our mutual friend Jenni Catrin says. She talks about senior leaders are, we think our staff culture is better than it actually is. Like from our perspective, sitting as an executive pastor, lead pastor, we look around and we’re like, man, this is a great place to work. But that’s not necessarily the case with our people. Rich Birch — Sticking with this idea of like high performing and healthy, when you think about Sun Valley or the churches you coach, what are some practical rhythms or structures that you’ve put in place or seen put in place that really help try to do both of those things. Cause I think that’s, I think that’s ultimately what honors the Lord is like, we do want to be high performing. We, the mission’s massive. Like, gosh, we got to get out and reach some people, but we, we don’t want to drive over our people to get there. Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — Help us understand what does that practical, some of those practical rhythms look like.Paul Alexander — Well, I don’t I don’t think a lot of XPs are going like what I’m about to say… Rich Birch — Uh-oh. Paul Alexander — …but you you cannot legislate health. You can’t. You can’t build enough guidelines. You can’t build enough policies. You can’t make people be healthy. You also can’t lead a healthy organization unless you yourself are healthy. It’s that’s a just it’s just a fact. You can’t take your family somewhere you haven’t been.Paul Alexander — You disciple people, to use a Bible word for a second, you can’t disciple your own children and your own family and people close to you by intention or neglect. We do that all the time, and unless you have something to actually give them. And so this is why even in the Old Testament, you know God gives the law and we realize we can’t live up to the law. And so it honestly only shows our own imperfection. Right. And so God you know, Jesus says, “Well, hold on a second. The Sabbath was made for man. Man wasn’t made for the Sabbath.” Paul Alexander — And so um what does that mean? It means, I think, as executive staff, senior staff in the church, you actually have to lead with some moral authority in this area. And so people are going to watch if if they get an email from you at 11 o’clock at night, that tells them what’s expected of them. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Without you ever even saying it, you’re telling them what’s expected. If you’re texting them after work hours, so to speak, and it’s not an emergency, it actually, you know, it could probably wait till tomorrow, but you’re having it right now because it’s important to you, and you don’t have the personal self-control to be able to not have that conversation with that staff member at that time.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Paul Alexander — You’re telling them how they’re supposed to behave. They’re watching you just again, leadership so much like parenting. And I don’t want to minimize this, but children watch their parents and they naturally adhere to and take on the behaviors of their parents and the family unit that they grow up in. Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so true.Paul Alexander — And culture a lot like that. It’s way more caught than taught. And so the leaders of the executive staff and senior staff, they’ve got to lead with moral authority, not moral perfection. We’re not going to see that this side of seeing Jesus, right? Not moral superiority. We’re not better than anybody. But just to be able to say, hey, man, if if everybody at my church and on my staff. If they manage their time the way I manage my time, if they manage their finances the way I manage my finances, if they used alcohol the way I use alcohol, or if they use the internet or social media the way I do, if they traded their… would my church be more of what Jesus wants it to be or less?Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s so good.Paul Alexander — And so there’s a moral authority component to this. They got to model this. Okay.Paul Alexander — Now, practically, Rich, because you know, okay, what does it actually mean? Take your time off. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Like that sounds so silly, but I mean, I remember as a young guy in ministry, my my wife was working Monday through Friday. Friday was supposed to be my day off. I’m not the kind of guy that’s going to sit around and like watch Oprah on Friday. Or like, you know, just snack and binge watch Netflix or something like that. That’s not how God wired me up. And so I would just go into the office.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And I’m like, my my wife’s working. Well, we don’t have kids. um I’m going to go get some stuff done. I’m going to move the ball forward.Rich Birch — Yeah.Paul Alexander — And I remember the XP I was working with on the senior staff at the time came in to get something out of the office. And he saw me and he’s like, Paul, what are you what are you doing? And so I do the whole, my wife’s working and I’m not going to sit around and watch Netflix, blah, blah, blah. He’s like… he gave me a gift. He said, Paul, if you don’t take every day off between now and the end of the year, don’t bother coming in in January.Rich Birch — Oh my goodness.Paul Alexander — Yeah, yeah, yeah.Rich Birch — Wow.Paul Alexander — And looking back, that high challenge was a tremendous gift, to begin to teach a young man in ministry that had a propensity to drive hard to learn how to actually slow down and enjoy my life and receive from the Lord.Rich Birch — That’s interesting.Paul Alexander — And so, um yeah, take your day off. It sounds so silly.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. No, it’s good.Paul Alexander — I get a report on my desk once a year, Rich, of all of our staff, even multiple campuses, all that, who’s taking their time off and who hasn’t taken their time off. And it’s not uncommon for me to have a conversation in January to say, hey, dude, if you don’t take all your time off this year, we’re going to have a problem. Because you’re no good burning out. The Lord needs you in the game for the long run.Rich Birch — Yeah.Paul Alexander — And I need you in the game for the long run. Sun Valley needs you in the game for the long run. Rich Birch — Yeah. Right. Paul Alexander — Your family needs that, and you can’t self destruct. So.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I had a similar interaction early on in ministry where I had a senior leader say to me, it with a similar kind of tone, don’t forget, take your day off is on the same list as don’t kill someone. Like, you know, which always stuck with me where I was like, you know, okay. And he said it in a funny kind of like, but but the message was was clear, right?Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — Same kind of thing. Hey, we, and I don’t know that I’ve always lived by that. Paul Alexander — Yeah, sure.Rich Birch — Are there other behaviors that you, you know, in a similar way would lean in. I think the fact that you’re pushing on, okay, as us as senior leaders, are we setting the pace with the health of our organizations? Lean a little bit more in on that for us.Paul Alexander — Yeah, sure. So a couple of practical things that any leader can actually make their decision to start doing today. Establish a finish line. In some regards, you know, when is ministry ever really done? Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Well, when 7.5 billion people on the planet know Jesus, we’re done, right? So it’s one of those, the poor will have you with you you’ll have with you always. There’s never going to be a done moment. So you got to choose each day when you’re done. And if you don’t choose it, someone else will choose it for you. Paul Alexander — And so talk with your family, figure it out. And there may be a moving target from day to day and what the rhythm of your family is and the rhythm of your ministry is the Lord’s entrusted to you. But you have to personally establish when’s the finish line. I’m going to turn my phone off. I’m gonna turn my email off. I’m going to mute this or whatever. And unless something’s burning down, I’m not going to I’m not going to jump in. Simple things.Paul Alexander — Marriage retreats. We started experimenting some time ago with marriage retreats for our staff at Sun Valley. And so like everybody would say, it’s a good thing for people’s marriages to get better. And sometimes we’ll do that for our people in our churches. And we just thought, well, gosh, what if we did that for our staff? You know, if the marriages of our staff got better, would the ministries that the Lord’s entrusted to them get better? Of course they would.Rich Birch — Of course they would, yeah.Paul Alexander — So we just started doing a marriage retreat couple times a year for our staff.Rich Birch — Wow.Paul Alexander — We invite, you know, 10 to 15 couples. We have a professional counselor that we pay for that runs the thing. And we we just do that as a as a gift to our staff. Because we think, if our staff marriages get better, the ministry that the Lord’s entrusted to them will get better. Paul Alexander — We do sabbaticals every seven years for our full-time director level staff and up. And there’s a period of time that they get and a financial allowance they get. And they think about it in three in three different buckets, like professional development, personal development, and just family. And and ultimately we want them to rest so they can minister from a from a full cup, you know?Paul Alexander — And ah some time ago, we actually made the decision. It didn’t cost us anything, Rich, that even our full-time staff, no matter what their level in the organization was. So for example, a full-time administrative assistant. If they’re full-time, every seven years they get a sabbatical. We give them… Rich Birch — Oh, wow.Paul Alexander — …yeah, you’re full-time admin at Sun Valley. You get, now the scale of it’s a little different.Rich Birch — Sure.Paul Alexander — We just give them a month off with no financial allowance, but we give a month off every seven years to take at one lump sum… Rich Birch — Wow. Paul Alexander — …to get out and refresh their soul and enjoy their life a little bit. What’s that really cost us? Nothing, but time.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Paul Alexander — Nothing.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And so, yeah, there’s some real tactical things that you can do to invest in your team. Again, you can’t make them be healthy people, but you can kind of roll the carpet out and pave the way for them to be healthy people.Rich Birch — I love that. That’s some real practical examples. I love what you’ve you’ve outlined there and been you know super practical. That’s, yeah, that’s fantastic. I get the sabbatical question actually quite a bit. I think churches wrestle with that and they you know they they think, oh, you know how should we do that? So you do, kind of like what we would typically think of as a sabbatical at director and above, but then everyone else does kind of this one one month off. That’s great. And they do they have to submit a plan for the sabbatical ahead of time? Some churches will do that where they have to kind of define, hey, this is how we’re going to do. Just give us a little more detail on that.Paul Alexander — Yeah. We’re not uber religious about it, Rich. Rich Birch — Sure. Paul Alexander — We, we, we, there is a plan and their supervisor talks through their plan with them… Rich Birch — Yeah. Paul Alexander — …because there’s a financial allowance that follows that. Rich Birch — Yep.Paul Alexander — So yeah, they have the conversation ahead of time. As a representative of the board, I actually sign off on all those sabbaticals just to make sure they’re thinking about and they’re thinking…Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — …intelligently about how they want to spend their time. But functionally, to be honest, like you and your wife just went on vacation, right?Rich Birch — Yep.Paul Alexander — If our staff went on vacation for like an entire sabbatical and sat on the beach for a month or two, and they came back a little bit more rested, and they’d read a couple of books and spent time with the Lord… Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — …and they walked and prayed and fasted and enjoyed their life a little bit, they’d probably come back a little healthier. Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, that’s great.Paul Alexander — So I don’t have strong feelings about it, man. Rest, enjoy your life.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, that’s good.Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — That’s so good. I love that. I want to loop back on one thing you talked about earlier. You talked about hiring or or are the way our staff position themselves as doers versus leaders. I think this is a critical Ephesians 4, how we’re supposed to be equipping our people. But I see way too many of our team members, I see us fall into this all the time where we just slip into doing. Coach us around that. What difference does that make around cultures in our organizations?Paul Alexander — Well, yeah. Wow. Now you’re starting to talk about where accountability comes into play in culture, right? And where culture gets violated.Paul Alexander — So it’s not uncommon. So I still, at the size we are, director level and up, I still at least have a phone conversation interview with every single director level hire and up about our culture as they’re joining the team here. And if they do join the team, we go through net new staff orientation. Once a quarter, Chad, the lead pastor and myself, spend a half a day with all of our new staff and talk through our culture and our philosophy of ministry and our strategy and all that stuff.Paul Alexander — And frankly, it’s just a time to hang out have a meal together and create some relational accessibility. Because most these people I’m not going to work with day to day. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — But I want them to know that we care about them, love them, and they’re they’re part of the family now. And so we we don’t hire people that aren’t absolutely fantastic, incredibly gifted people. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And it’s easy to compliment everybody in the room. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — Hey man, glad you’re on the team. Whether I hired you or somebody else hired you, I know you’re awesome because we don’t hire people that aren’t awesome. And you were gifted, you’re gifted. Someone saw something in you. We invited you to the team. But here’s the deal. You’re no longer going to be evaluated on how awesome you are. Now that you’re on the team—congratulations—you’re going to be evaluated how awesome you can make everybody else. Rich Birch — So good.Paul Alexander — And so your job and how great you are and gifted you are and skilled you are, that’s what got you in the room. What’s going to keep you in the room is your ability to make everybody else just as incredible as you. And so we just say that from the very beginning. Paul Alexander — And, you know, a lot of churches, their ministry staff kind of think, OK, I have to get all these volunteers in place to help them accomplish my ministry. At Sun Valley, we flipped that upside down. And the hero of the ministry at Sun Valley is the volunteer. We’re helping the church actually be the church. The staff’s role is to be a servant, to help people find their gifting, their place, their calling. And real leaders who are getting paid real money that attend your churches, um they want to solve big problems. They don’t want to just push a broom. Now, occasionally you run into the CEO or the general or whatever, who’s like, I just want to push a broom to help me remain humble. Great. We can we have a lot of brooms you can push.Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — But most people are competent, skilled, gifted, educated people. And they want to be called into something that’s big, and where they feel like they’re making a real difference. And so, yeah, our job as a staff is to call them into that, tee them up for that, support them in that, and let them run. Not let them run within the boundaries of our strategy and our culture and our vision, but let them run. So, but we’ve got to paint the riverbanks for them.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s really good. I love that. You know, kind of a related issue is how how is Sun Valley ensuring that you’ve got the right people in the right seats? What does that look like in your system? Like, how are you, like, what’s the what’s the cadence of, you know, regular reporting and like goal setting? Paul Alexander — Yeah.Rich Birch — And, you know, how are you holding people accountable? What does that what does that look like? I realize that could be like a whole episode in of itself… Paul Alexander — Sure. Rich Birch — …but give us kind of a thumbnail version of that.Paul Alexander — Yeah. Thumbnail. I mean, at the end of the day, I’ll give you the, how it happens, but, besides the hiring process and recruiting process, that stuff matters a lot. Right. So you’re inviting people to something that they’re actually gifted and called to. But at the end of the day, um it’s really results, Rich. The Bible way to say that is fruit. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — OK, for all of our listeners who are high on the theology side of things, I can sympathize with you. I went to Bible school, too. Really, it’s fruit. And when you are in a place, when your staff are in a place where they’re playing to their strengths and their gifting, and they’re in a place where they’re not overreaching and trying to attain a different role, and they’re not talking about career path, they’re just content to be the person and play the part in the body of the Lord’s gifted and call them to to play, they’re going to have more fun and they’re going to produce more fruit.Rich Birch — Yep.Paul Alexander — It’s just a fact. And so when when you see all this striving and, you know, this ambition to like, I want more, I want more, I want more. It’s a very American, Western idea, right? And the biblical way of doing that would be, hey, well why don’t you be faithful with what the Lord’s entrusted with you today? And when he sees fit to entrust more to you, guess what? He probably will.Rich Birch — He will.Paul Alexander — There’s probably going be some stray arrow out of the battle that was never even intended to hit that guy. It’s going to find just the right place in the chink in the armor. And you’re going to ascend to the throne at the right time when the Lord wants you to. So, you know, relax. Do what the Lord’s called you to do today.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Be faithful in that.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And he’ll entrust more to you when he’s ready.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — So that’s a big deal. that it may sound ah like a contrite, a little bit Bible answer to that. But when your staff are personally in a place where they’re doing what God’s called them to do, and they’re they’re very sober-minded about that, they’re going to have more fun. That’s really important. They’re go to have more fun in ministry. It’s going to be more fulfilling and they’re going to produce more fruit.Paul Alexander — Now, how’s that work its way out with what you’re talking about? We have an annual run of strategic planning that we do, both senior staff and then at the campus level. And that we refresh that every single year. Out of that come real clear objectives where the Lord’s calling us to go. Then goals, professional goals are set around that at the campus level. And then that kind of trickles down. That all gets into review systems. There’s monthly one-on-ones where they’re talking about the performance side of things.Paul Alexander — But it’s really normal, Rich, where if you and I were working with one another and I was reporting to you, you’d say, hey, Paul, what’s going on with you and Lisa? And you’d be asking about my daughters and you’d be asking about my sons. And we’d be talking about life and marriage and family. And and what’s the Lord doing in your life? What’s he saying to you these days? You know, and you know where’s he challenging you? Where’s he encouraging you? So they’re very natural, normal, that part of things there. You’d probably pray for me actually in that meeting that one-on-one. Paul Alexander — And then we talk about, okay, how are we doing with our goals? What what are the measurables? What are the setbacks? Because there’s always setbacks. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — And what are the things that went faster than you thought they would go? And you’re finding real real traction.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — And then my your job as a supervisor would be, how do you get roadblocks out of the way for me to be successful? Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — How do you fuel things that I need fueled so I can be successful and and reach my goals? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Paul Alexander — So yeah, does that make sense? Rich Birch — That makes total sense. So I, you know, in other contexts, I’ve said results matter because the work that you do matters so much. Like and, and we, and we, we want to think about results. We want to think about fruit. What percentage of, or you know, in a round sense of the team at Sun Valley has like a number or a metric or a like they can measure, it’s not like qualitative, like, oh, things are better. It’s like, no, no, we know. I know whether this is working or not. What percentage of your people you think have a metric like that they they think about on a regular basis?Paul Alexander — All of them.Rich Birch — Love it. Tell us about that. I think this is going to be mind blowing for leaders of churches who do not think about these things. And I know, you know, there’s people out there who, who they they haven’t wrestled with this idea. Unpack that a little bit more.Paul Alexander — Yeah. So, I mean, okay. So if I say, I want my marriage to get better this year, we’ll go real personal for a second. Rich Birch — Sure.Paul Alexander — I want to get my marriage. That’s wonderful. Who doesn’t want their marriage to get better? How are you going to do that?Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — That that just doesn’t magically happen. You don’t drift towards relational intimacy with your spouse.Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — What you do is you drift apart. That’s what happens.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Absence doesn’t make the grow heart grow fonder. It makes it wander. Rich Birch — Yes. Paul Alexander — And so, you know, you’ve got to figure out, okay, how many date nights am I going to do? How much am I going to budget towards this? Are we going to do an annual retreat as a husband and a spouse together, maybe a marriage retreat? Are we going to go on vacation? What are the conversations we feel like we need to lean into? Do we need some do we need some coaching? Rich, if you’re a professional counselor, do I need to go to you and get some some input and some professional coaching? Because goodness gracious, you can see some things that I don’t see because I’m in the fray of it day in and day out. Paul Alexander — So yeah, we’ll get real tactical and say, what book are you going to read? How many of those books are you going to read? What podcast? Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Are you going listen to the unSeminary podcast? You know. What are you going to do to to grow and in your marriage this year or as a leader. And so, yeah, if you can’t measure it, then you can’t actually do it. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — And then it gets down to opinions and, you know, everybody’s got one of those. So.Rich Birch — Yeah. Alright. I imagine imagine I’m an executive pastor you meet at a conference or you’re somewhere and you’re at an airport lounge, and they’re church of a thousand people, maybe 1500 people. They’ve got 10 staff and they’re sensing that, man, there’s some misalignment, but it’s it’s at the level of like, I think there might be a problem here. I’m not entirely sure. I feel like there’s cracks starting to happen in the staff culture, but it’s not like a giant fizzer. It’s just like things just don’t feel right. What would be some of the first steps that you would suggest a leader take to try to get clarity on actually where things are at with their staff team… Paul Alexander — Yeah. Rich Birch — …you know, in the next 90 days kind of thing?Paul Alexander — Yeah, that’s a good question. Okay, so first of all, I’d say, and this may sound, I mean, play Captain Obvious for a second, don’t ignore that inclination.Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — So the Holy Spirit is is is impressing upon you, something doesn’t smell right, then it probably doesn’t smell right.Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — Don’t bury that. Don’t avoid that. Avoiding something you know you have to solve is never going to make that situation better, ever.Rich Birch — That’s so true.Paul Alexander — And so don’t avoid it. Go with that feeling. Lean into it a little bit and and begin. Why? Why do I feel this way? What is what am I sensing that needs to be solved? Because my hunch is they’re anticipating something. If they are a good intuitive leader, they’re probably anticipating something before it’s going to happen.Paul Alexander — And so structure is always a lid to growth in a church. Churches always need to restructure. This is really important. So once you get a structure, it’s not like, oh we’re going to be with this structure for the next 15 years. Rich Birch — Right. Paul Alexander — And if it’s a growing church, you’re always going to need to restructure. And that’s just normal. Get used to it.Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — It’s just part of what it is. Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — And so I think you’ve got decipher, is it a structure issue or is it a culture issue? That that’s, you know, Wwhat am I sensing that needs to be actually needs to be solved? If it’s a culture issue, where is there a violation of your culture taking place, and how do you help it get better? Maybe you haven’t defined what your culture is. Rich Birch — Right.Paul Alexander — Maybe you can’t actually really articulate it. Maybe you haven’t written it down, trained it. Maybe you have not filmed 5 to 10 minute videos for every new staff member to to onboarding to actually understand your cultural distinctives. Maybe you’ve not embedded that into your annual reviews and actually, you know at review time, you’re actually reviewing me on how we’re doing, how I’m doing with our staff culture.Paul Alexander — So maybe that’s something you need to just kind of look in the mirror and say, you know what, as a leader, I have the power to change that. And I’m going to get that better this next year. We’re going really clear about what our staff culture is. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Paul Alexander — And then we’re going embed that and train it. If it’s a structural thing, is it truly a structural thing or do you have one or two players that just aren’t playing their part? You know, you’ve got ah this wonderful body the Lord’s put together. He talks about the church being the body of Christ, this wonderful body but where we’re limping because our ankle, we got a bum ankle. And the reality is we either need to rest it, you know, so we can get it healed up. We need to maybe get some repair done to it, or we need to like reconstruct that thing. We need a new ankle. Rich Birch — Yeah.Paul Alexander — All of those are fine answers. And I think just being honest about the team that we have and everybody playing in the right place. And then structurally, you start to get into span of care and you know do we have the right number of staff? Those are real answers you can really get. When we do staffing and structure with churches at the Unstuck Group, there are real healthy benchmarks. There are real healthy financial numbers that are good benchmarks, you know. If you’re spending more than 50 cents on the dollar on your staffing, you should ask yourself why.Paul Alexander — You know, if you have more than your staffing, you’re, you know, beyond one to 75 and you’re creeping into an area that’s really unhealthy. You know, I’ve seen churches that are staffed like one full time staff member for every 30 attenders at the church.Rich Birch — Right, right.Paul Alexander — And you’re just like. It’s sad, frankly, because the Lord’s called us to so much more. And um so those are those are like the basic science side of things that need to be changed. You know, if you’re not clear about who your senior staff is, if you got, if your senior staff, like your executive staff, are making decisions about like the color of the carpet, and they’re making decisions that that are low-level decisions, then you kind of got to look in the mirror and say, boy, are we training our staff that all big decisions have to come to us? Or are we pushing decisions down and actually teaching people how to lead and make decisions? So myriad of things.Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s so good. One of, in last year’s, kind of rundown of, you know, most listened to podcasts, Amy from the Unstuck Group, hers, I think was our second most listened to podcast. And she, she dove in deep on exactly what we were just talking about their, friends. You should go back in the archives, find that episode. It will, it’ll, you know, all that structure stuff. Rich Birch — And I would say on that, particularly on structure and some of those benchmarks, I think too many of us think our church is like this precious, it’s so different than every other church out there. And and and that’s true. It is a unique body. There’s a there’s one way that that is true. But in this way, there are actually a lot of commonalities you can learn from other churches and gain wisdom from folks like Paul who have done this before and talked with lots of churches. So don’t don’t be in isolation about this, Paul. This has been an incredibly helpful. I’ve got a page of notes and other questions I wanted to ask as we were going through. Oh, I want to talk about that. Oh, I want to talk about that.Rich Birch — But I know you’ve got other things to do than be on our podcast. But as you’re thinking about the 2026, the year coming up here, what’s a question or two that you’re wrestling with that you’re thinking through? It doesn’t have to be on what we just talked about there. But just as you think about the future of Sun Valley, what are some things that you’re thinking about going into this year?Paul Alexander — Yeah, that’s a good question. I mean, we pressure we’ve deal with pressure points just like every church does, right? Frankly, the pressure points we’re dealing with, we’re going through a season of a couple of years of pretty significant growth. A lot of people needing Jesus. last This is the first time in back-to-back years we baptized more than 1500 people, you know, in back-to-back years. And so there’s a huge responsibility that our growth, our front end growth is beginning to outpace our engagement. Things like people engaging in groups and building meaningful friendships that are around God’s word or, engaging and volunteering and being the church, not just coming to church, right? And a giving, learning to be generous, generous and steward with the Lord’s entrusted to them. Kind of these markers that we see of people who are actually beginning to look like Jesus. They’re not just, you know, you know, attending church and trying to figure Jesus out a little bit.Paul Alexander — And so in a lot of ways, we need a bigger boat. We’ve got multiple campuses that are doing two services on Saturday and three services on Sunday. And we’ve, we’ve got to get some bigger rooms. And you know, the other side of it is is growth sometimes can grow faster than our ability to grow leaders. I mean, you think about your own personal leadership, Rich. I mean, how long has it taken you to become the leader you are today?Rich Birch — Right. Right. Not overnight. Not in 18 months.Paul Alexander — Yeah, your whole life.Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.Paul Alexander — Yeah, the answer is your whole life. Rich Birch — Yes.Paul Alexander — And so there’s definitely been crucible moments. My hunch is if we unpack your leadership journey, there’s been crucible moments where the Lord has ah stretched and grown you in unique ways and unique seasons because of pressure points that you went through. And so um we’re figuring out how do we accelerate leadership in in our staff?Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — And you you accelerate leadership not by by giving resources, but by constricting resources. Because leaders always figured out and grow through constriction moments. Rich Birch — That’s good.Paul Alexander — And so giving stretch assignments, all those kind of fun things. So yeah, we deal with pressure points just like everybody else does. I mean, everybody’s like, oh, I’d love to have that problem. I know you would. It’s a wonderful problem to have. It’s still a problem because we don’t want to become a lid to more people meeting Jesus in 2026. You know, by us not solving something that’s in our control to solve.Rich Birch — Yeah. In other contexts, I’ve talked about platinum problems. Those are are great problems, but they’re still problems with things we have to wrestle with. And and friends, if you’re not tracking with Sun Valley, you should be, or Paul or the Unstuck Group, these are all organizations you should be getting a chance to kind of follow along with. If people want to kind of connect with the church, get a better sense, follow along with your story, where do we want to send them online? Tell us about that. And then also Unstuck Group. I want to make sure we we send people there too.Paul Alexander — Yeah, Unstuck Group is super easy to find. Unstuckgroup.com. The listeners can email me at paul@theunstuckgroup.com. That’s the easiest way to get me, frankly. The easiest, cleanest way to get me if someone has a question or wants to follow up on something personally. I’m happy to do that, man.Rich Birch — Thanks so much, Paul. I appreciate you being here today and and really looking forward to seeing what happens in 2026 at Sun Valley. Take care, man.Paul Alexander — Yeah, glad to, man. Thanks for the invitation. Hope the conversation is helpful.

New Article 12 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code Edwin E. Smith, Senior Consultant at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, joins host Patrick Dolan to review New York's new Article 12 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Edwin covers how Article 12 sets the rules for handling digital assets, highlights the differences between cryptocurrencies and government‑backed digital money, and explains the key terminology and transition rules introduced by Article 12.

Episode 53 - Federal Rule to State Reality & National Impact: How MHDC Is Shaping Prior Authorization On this episode host Tony Schueth, CEO of Point-of-Care Partners (POCP), and co-host Ross Martin, MD, Senior Consultant with POCP are joined by guest, Denny Brennan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium (MHDC). Together, they examine how MHDC is translating national interoperability policy into practical, statewide action, specifically around the CMS 0057 rule. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

The following article of the Energy industry is: “The Threshold of Collapse: An Urgent Call to Transform Our Future” by Adrian Sanchez Roa, Senior Consultant in Circular Economy and Applied Sustainability, Lealtad Verde.

The following interview is part of the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. In this series, we sit down with leaders and innovators who are making a real difference in scholarly publishing, libraries, and the broader information world. Each conversation is a chance to hear firsthand how these decision makers tackle new challenges, rethink traditional models, and collaborate across sectors. Today's episode features the next conversation from the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series.  Meg White, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, who talks with Judy Russell, Former Dean of Libraries at the University of Florida. Judy has had a long, distinguished career. She served as Superintendent of Documents at the US Government Printing Office and as Deputy Director for the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and just completed 18 years as the first dean of university libraries at University of Florida, before recently retiring. In this conversation, she talks about her journey into librarianship and her professional development along the way, playing an important role in the transition from print to digital information in her work with electronic government information.  She plans to continue her important work in accessibility with groups in Panama after her retirement. Judy says she believes in the durability and resiliency of libraries, despite the ongoing challenges. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/navZwS3ddmE Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megmorelandwhite/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithrussell/ Twitter: Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #AnnualReviews #LeadershipInLibraries #InnovationInLibraries #TeamWork #Team #ConferenceEvolution #LibraryCommunity #Librarianship #ProfessionalDevelopment #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #libraryCareer #librarySchool #LibraryLove #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication  #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf ##career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts  

We know how important it is to be inspired by both big businesses and individuals, which is why we are excited to present Talking Leaders, a monthly initiative from the AHDB which will see a series of inspirational speakers share their life experiences and deliver impactful stories to the AgriLeader community.In the December episode of Talking Leaders, we were delighted to be joined by Hattie McFadzean, Senior Consultant at Promar International and recent Nuffield Farming Scholar. With weather patterns becoming increasingly unpredictable, how can UK dairy farmers build resilience and adapt for the future? Hattie joins us to discuss the findings of her Nuffield study, “Enhancing the Resilience of the UK Dairy Sector: How Do We Practically Adapt to Increasingly Volatile Weather Conditions?”Drawing on insights from her travels and research, Hattie explores how dairy businesses around the world are responding to climate variability and what practical steps UK producers can take to “weather-proof” their own operations.Hear Hattie's reflections on leadership, innovation, and collaboration across the dairy sector – and how embracing change today can help secure a more sustainable future for tomorrow's farmers.

5G networks are rolling out across the region, promising faster speeds and better connectivity. But concerns have emerged about whether these high-speed signals could interfere with aircraft systems, especially during critical phases like landing. So far in Singapore, authorities say there have been no reported issues, but globally, regulators and airlines are keeping a close eye on the situation. So what does 5G interference really mean, Why does it matter? And what could it mean for travellers flying in and out of the region? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong breaks down all of this with Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Senior Consultant & Commercial Aviation Lead at Frost & Sullivan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1998, 120 countries came together to adopt the Rome Statute, creating what would become the International Criminal Court. Four years later, that treaty entered into force, and the ICC officially opened its doors as a permanent court tasked with prosecuting individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Now, looking around the world today, it's clear the ICC has not put an end to war crimes or crimes against humanity. But even so, the court—and the treaty that created it—have profoundly shaped international politics in ways that are often overlooked. My guest today is Mark Kersten. He's a Senior Consultant with the Wayamo Foundation and an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. We start with a brief history of the ICC, and then dig into how the court has influenced not just legal definitions of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but how states themselves behave. When we spoke, Mark had just returned from the ICC's annual Assembly of States Parties—the court's main governing body. He explains why that meeting offers a window into some of the biggest challenges the ICC now faces, including the very real possibility of U.S. sanctions—not just against individual court officials, but against the institution itself. This episode is produced in partnership with Lex International Fund, a philanthropic initiative dedicated to strengthening international law to solve global challenges. It's part of our ongoing series highlighting the real-world impact of treaties on state behavior, called "When Treaties Work."  

Hybrid work can make culture feel hard to see, but leaders have the power to bring it to life. Creating connection, trust, and belonging across distance is not accidental. It is a skill. In this episode, consultant Thomas Barnette, Senior Consultant with InQUEST Consulting, is joined by Kinna Pattani, Chair of ELFA's Inclusion subcommittee, and Jim Wall, Incoming Chair, to share energizing and practical approaches leaders can use to strengthen culture across remote and in-office teams. Hear how clear communication, intentional check-ins, and simple habits can spark collaboration, build psychological safety, and support employee well-being across remote and in-office teams. If you want tools to keep your team engaged and create a culture people can feel no matter where they work, this conversation will inspire your next steps. This episode was created in collaboration with ELFA's Inclusion Engagement and Resources Subcommittee as part of their ongoing work to strengthen connection and belonging across the industry. If you would like to learn more about the committee and its initiatives, visit https://www.elfaonline.org/industry-topics/inclusion

Hybrid work can make culture feel hard to see, but leaders have the power to bring it to life. Creating connection, trust, and belonging across distance is not accidental. It is a skill. In this episode, consultant Thomas Barnette, Senior Consultant with InQUEST Consulting, is joined by Kinna Pattani, Chair of ELFA's Inclusion subcommittee, and Jim Wall, Incoming Chair, to share energizing and practical approaches leaders can use to strengthen culture across remote and in-office teams. Hear how clear communication, intentional check-ins, and simple habits can spark collaboration, build psychological safety, and support employee well-being across remote and in-office teams. If you want tools to keep your team engaged and create a culture people can feel no matter where they work, this conversation will inspire your next steps. This episode was created in collaboration with ELFA's Inclusion Engagement and Resources Subcommittee as part of their ongoing work to strengthen connection and belonging across the industry. If you would like to learn more about the committee and its initiatives, visit https://www.elfaonline.org/industry-topics/inclusion

The following interview is part of the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. In this series, we sit down with leaders and innovators who are making a real difference in scholarly publishing, libraries, and the broader information world. Each conversation is a chance to hear firsthand how these decision makers tackle new challenges, rethink traditional models, and collaborate across sectors. Today's episode features the next conversation from the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series.  Meg White, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, who talks with Kathleen McEvoy, Senior Policy Fellow, EveryLibrary Institute. Kathleen is a senior communication executive with expertise in public relations, crisis communications, and public affairs. In this conversation, Kathleen talks with Meg about her professional journey from broadcast journalism to public relations to now her work with EveryLibrary. Kathleen also describes the dual role of EveryLibrary with their work to help libraries build local, state and national support as well as secure funding, and EveryLibrary Institute, which is public education on the role and value of libraries in American society. In the past 13 years, EveryLibrary has insured $2 billion in library funding through their efforts. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/pW2f5w45HY0 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megmorelandwhite/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenmcevoy/ Twitter: Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #AnnualReviews #LeadershipInLibraries #InnovationInLibraries #TeamWork #Team #ConferenceEvolution #LibraryCommunity #Librarianship #ProfessionalDevelopment #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #libraryCareer #librarySchool #LibraryLove #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication  #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf ##career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts  

This episode of The Dish on Health IT features Denny Brennan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium (MHDC), in conversation with host Tony Schueth, CEO of Point-of-Care Partners (POCP), and co-host Ross Martin, MD, Senior Consultant with POCP. Together, they examine how MHDC is translating national interoperability policy into practical, statewide action, specifically around the CMS-0057 rule.After brief introductions, the conversation quickly turns to MHDC's long history and why it matters. Founded in 1978, before the internet, MHDC guided Massachusetts through nearly every major health IT transition: HIPAA, Meaningful Use, ICD-10, and now interoperability and automation. Denny explains that this continuity has created something rare in healthcare: sustained trust across payers, providers, vendors, regulators, and associations. That trust, he notes, is what allows competitors to work through shared infrastructure problems that no single organization could solve on its own.From there, the discussion turns to why the MHDC community chose to coordinate and support members in their CMS-0057 compliance journey, versus just letting each member organization go it alone. Denny emphasizes that while healthcare is regulated federally, it functions locally. Each state has its own mix of insurers, hospital systems, rules, and market pressures. In Massachusetts, where long-standing relationships already exist, MHDC saw an opportunity to move faster, test real workflows, and generate lessons that could inform efforts far beyond the state.The discussion then moved to how work to improve prior authorization became such a high-priority focus. Denny describes how the process has grown into one of the most disruptive administrative burdens for clinicians. Rules vary by plan, criteria change frequently, and the information providers need is often hard to access in real time. The result is defensive behavior. Offices routinely submit prior authorizations “just in case,” often by fax or phone, simply to avoid denials and treatment delays. That inefficiency, he explains, ripples outward by slowing patient care, driving up providers' overhead, and requiring health plans to spend more time and resources processing and reviewing the required PA alongside the unneeded submissions.The financial impact quickly becomes apparent. Denny points to evidence showing that administrative costs consume a massive share of U.S. healthcare spending, with prior authorization playing a meaningful role. If automation is implemented through a neutral, nonprofit infrastructure, MHDC believes there is a much greater chance that savings will flow back into premiums and public program costs rather than being swallowed by inefficiency.Ross adds an important dose of realism. Prior authorization friction, he notes, is not always accidental. In some cases, operational complexity functions as a utilization control mechanism. That creates a built-in tension between access, cost containment, and patient experience, and helps explain why national reform has moved slowly despite widespread frustration.At that point, the conversation shifts from why this is broken to how MHDC is trying to fix it. Denny walks through MHDC's operating model: convene the full ecosystem early and often. In a recent deep-dive session, roughly 60 representatives from health plans, providers, and the state participated in a working session focused on what an automated prior authorization workflow could realistically look like. MHDC brought a draft framework to the table. The community pressure tested it and surfaced workflow conflicts, operational blind spots, and policy misalignments that no single organization could see on its own.That collaborative process, Denny explains, is the real engine behind adoption. When stakeholders help build the solution themselves, implementation becomes a shared commitment rather than a compliance exercise. It also reduces resistance later because decisions are not delivered top-down. They are constructed collectively.The discussion then turns to FHIR adoption and why, while real, progress has taken time. Denny traces the turning point back to the 21st Century Cures Act, which reframed patient access to health data as a legal right and categorized data blocking as a regulatory violation. That policy shift, combined with the growing maturity of API-based interoperability, created the conditions for real-time data exchange to finally move from theory to practice.Ross provides a historical perspective from the standards side. Earlier generations of health data standards were conceptually elegant but extremely difficult to implement consistently. FHIR changed that equation by aligning healthcare data exchange with the same API-driven architecture that supports the modern web. He points to accelerating real-world adoption, particularly from large EHR platforms, as evidence that FHIR has entered a phase of broad, practical deployment.Although pharmacy prior authorization falls outside the formal scope of CMS 0057, Denny makes clear that MHDC could not ignore it. For many physicians, especially in oncology, dermatology, and primary care, PA for prescriptions is far more frequent and far more disruptive than PAs for medical services. If MHDC solved only one side of the problem, much of the daily burden for clinicians would remain unchanged.Pharmacy prior authorization, however, introduces a new level of complexity. PBMs, pharmacists, prescribing systems, payers, and patients are all involved, often across fragmented workflows. Denny explains that the challenge looks less like a pure technology gap and more like an orchestration problem. It is about getting the right information to the right party at the right moment across multiple handoffs.Ross shares insights from the pharmacy PA research work conducted with MHDC and POCP. One of the most striking findings was the massive year-end renewal surge that hits providers every benefit cycle as authorizations tied to prior coverage suddenly expire. He also reflects on a recent national electronic prior authorization roundtable, where deep stakeholder discussion ultimately led most participants to conclude that today's technology alone still is not sufficient to fully solve pharmacy PA. The tools are improving, but the problem remains deeply multi-layered.As the episode winds down, the tone shifts toward practical calls to action.Denny challenges the industry to separate where competition belongs from where collaboration is essential. Contract negotiations may be adversarial by nature, he notes, but interoperability initiatives cannot succeed under the same mindset. Real progress depends on bringing collaboratively minded people into the room. These are people willing to solve shared infrastructure problems even when their organizations compete elsewhere.Ross builds on that message with a longer-term challenge: sustained participation in standards development. Organizations cannot sit back and hope others shape the future on their behalf. Active involvement in national standards organizations is critical. This is not for immediate quarterly returns, but to influence the systems everyone will be required to use in the years ahead.The episode closes with a clear takeaway. MHDC did not wait for perfect conditions. It moved when the pieces were good enough, tested real workflows with real stakeholders, adjusted in the open, and began sharing lessons nationally. In an industry often slowed by fragmentation and risk aversion, this conversation offers a grounded look at what forward motion actually looks like when collaboration, policy, and technology finally align.You can find this and other episodes of The Dish on Health IT wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Healthcare Now Radio. If you found this conversation valuable, share it with a colleague and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Have an idea for a topic you would like us to cover in future episodes? Fill out the form and tell us about it. Until next time, Health IT is a dish best served hot. 

Tehillah Niselow is in conversation with Andrew Pike, Senior Consultant & Head of Ports, Rail and Logistics at BowmansSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent report released by the World Health Organization, stated something that experts in India have been warning about for years: antimicrobial resistance or AMR in our country the report said, “is a serious and escalating threat, with resistance rates among the highest in the world.” The government is taking this threat seriously: it has now brought out National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR 2.0) — (2025-29) to combat AMR at all levels. So what is India facing in terms of infections that may not be able to be cured? What sectors does AMR affect outside of hospitals? What are the gaps in the latest AMR plan and how can they be managed? And finally, what can we, as individuals do? Guest: Dr. Abdul Ghafur, Senior Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospital, Chennai, and Coordinator, Chennai Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance  Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The following interview is the first in this year's Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. In this series, we sit down with leaders and innovators who are making a real difference in scholarly publishing, libraries, and the broader information world. Each conversation is a chance to hear firsthand how these decision makers tackle new challenges, rethink traditional models, and collaborate across sectors Today's episode features Meg White, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, who talks with Roger Schonfeld,  Managing Director of JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services. Roger is very prolific in the scholarly communication industry, both as a leader and as an innovator, with a large part of his career having been devoted to advancing and supporting the work of libraries. In this conversation, Roger talks with Meg about his background in librarianship and how he came to ITHAKA SNR over 20 years ago. He also talks about the new initiative that he's working on since recently becoming Managing Director of Digital Stewardship Services, which is a platform that helps libraries and archives generate discovery and impact and maximize access for their special and distinctive collections, working with all kinds of different materials- archives, photographs, rare books, oral histories, videos- with a goal to modernize the category to better help libraries manage their digital and digitized distinctive special collections, and bring together the core functionalities of a digital asset management system. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/qVdwkX-QbSQ https://www.linkedin.com/in/megmorelandwhite/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerschonfeld/ Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #AnnualReviews #LeadershipInLibraries #InnovationInLibraries #TeamWork #Team #ConferenceEvolution #LibraryCommunity #Librarianship #ProfessionalDevelopment #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #libraryCareer #librarySchool #LibraryLove #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication  #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf ##career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts  

Sponsored by SafeStart. Peter Batrowny, Senior Consultant at SafeStart, shares how safety professionals and supervisors can address common risks and hazards associated with working at night and develop a strong culture. He also discusses how effective communication and active listening can help you develop as a leader and improve safety and health performance.

In this heartfelt Stories from the Coaches episode of the Coaching in Education podcast, Richard Reid speaks with Penny Verdich — a highly respected educator, principal, coach, and Senior Consultant with Growth Coaching International. With more than four decades of leadership experience in NSW schools, Penny shares the key moments that shaped her coaching journey, her passion for professional learning and the profound impact she has had on school and system leaders across the state. As she prepares for retirement, Penny offers wisdom, insights and inspiration for everyone invested in developing leadership capacity and fostering meaningful professional conversations. A warm celebration of a career dedicated to helping others grow.

In this episode of the EY Sustainability Matters podcast, listeners will explore what it means to work in sustainability by hearing from three unique perspectives: Janine Osborne, CEO of Sustainable Seas Trust and marine conservation advocate; Alice Ashpitel, Sustainability Lead at Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team; and Benjamin Okpara, Senior Consultant in EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services. Together, they reveal how sustainability for them is more than a job - it's a mission that spans advocacy, business innovation and advisory work. Listeners will hear how Janine drives systemic change across Africa's blue economy, how Alice embeds sustainability in the fast-paced world of Formula 1 and how Ben helps organizations navigate complex environmental challenges. The episode delves into the realities of the field: balancing ambition with practical constraints, the importance of collaboration, and the personal motivations and experiences that keep these leaders moving forward. A career in sustainability can mean aligning personal purpose with professional action across advocacy, business and advisory roles. Resilience and adaptability are crucial skills for overcoming challenges and achieving long-term impact in the sustainability field. @2025 Ernst & Young LLP

Shad Ritchie, Senior Consultant, Stroudwater Associates, and Stacy Gerber Ward, Shareholder, von Briesen & Roper, discuss the various aspects of a successful physician compensation redesign. They cover anchoring the compensation redesign in compliance, working with legal counsel, starting the compensation redesign process, determining fair market value, structuring and implementing an effective compensation plan, and longer-term governance issues. Sponsored by Stroudwater.Watch this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed4QfVsSApILearn more about Stroudwater: https://www.stroudwater.com/ Essential Legal Updates, Now in Audio AHLA's popular Health Law Daily email newsletter is now a daily podcast, exclusively for AHLA Premium members. Get all your health law news from the major media outlets on this podcast! To subscribe and add this private podcast feed to your podcast app, go to americanhealthlaw.org/dailypodcast. Stay At the Forefront of Health Legal Education Learn more about AHLA and the educational resources available to the health law community at https://www.americanhealthlaw.org/.

Federal employees are experiencing disruptions in the workplace at a rate nearly three times the national average. Close to one-third of federal employees say their workplace has been disrupted to a very large extent this year, according to new data from Gallup. For more on the latest findings, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spoke with a Gallup director and Senior Consultant, Camille Lloyd.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textTPE (Targeted Probe and Educate) audits look benign, but could be scary. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade explores TPE audits with Kay Hashagen, Senior Consultant with LW Consulting. Hear how to know if you're an outlier, the importance of responding timely, why the best defense is a strong offense, how a TPE audit works, and a bunch of things that look benign - but could kill you. Learn more at CaptainIntegrity.com 

Join Actualize Consulting's Senior Consultant, Dom Boyle, and Senior Manager Will Robertson as they dive into crafting a powerful data strategy within treasury organizations. They break down the full transformation journey from understanding why data strategy matters to implementing enterprise data lakes and ensuring robust data governance. Whether you're looking to centralize your financial data, improve decision-making, or explore AI applications in treasury, this Actualizing Success episode offers actionable insights to help you get started.Listen to learn more about:The fundamentals of data strategy and its importance for treasurySteps to validate existing data, build a minimum viable product (MVP), and design a comprehensive data schemaHow to consolidate systems and build a centralized enterprise data lakeKey roles and responsibilities in maintaining data governance, including data stewards and governance leadsInnovative AI and machine learning use cases, from predictive forecasting to payment anomaly detection and automated core data enrichmentThanks for listening to this episode of the Actualizing Success Podcast! We hope you enjoyed the discussion and will come back for more. In the meantime, don't forget to rate this episode and leave a review!   Get in touch with Actualize at www.actualizeconsulting.com     We'd love to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or would like to collaborate on a future episode, please contact us at podcast@actualizeconsulting.com.     

The ability to pay for a college education usually depends on stable economic conditions and clear, predictable rules. But what happens when everything seems to change every day? Amy and Mike invited financial aid advisor Ed Recker to explain what federal policy changes mean for financial aid. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What federal policy changes will have the potential biggest impacts to students? What federal policy changes will have the potential biggest impacts to colleges & universities? Has the U.S. Department of Education's reduction in force (RIF) impacted the financial aid process? Were there any changes to the FAFSA or federal student loans? Are there any benefits to completing the FAFSA early? MEET OUR GUEST Ed Recker is a Director of High School Relationship Management with Sallie Mae, serving high schools, states, and professional organizations throughout the U.S. He joined Sallie Mae in 2019, and has over 20 years' experience in the financial aid and enrollment industry.  Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Ed was a Senior Consultant within the Enrollment Division of Ruffalo Noel Levitz, held the position of Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Findlay, and held various financial aid positions at the University of Findlay, Terra State Community College, and Bowling Green State University. Ed holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Toledo, and resides in Ottawa, OH with his wife Kate and daughter Evelyn. Ed appeared on the podcast in episode #492 to discuss The Better FAFSA For New And Previous Filers and in episode #544 to discuss First Impressions Of The Better FAFSA. Find Ed at Edward.Recker@salliemae.com. LINKS FAFSA 2026-27 - How to Apply for Financial Aid FAFSA Simplification: A Better FAFSA Process Means a Better Future for Borrowers | Federal Student Aid - Financial Aid Toolkit RELATED EPISODES HOW ARE POLITICAL CHANGES SHAPING HIGHER ED UNDERSTANDING YOUR COLLEGE TUITION BILL WHAT IS A NET PRICE CALCULATOR? THE PRICE YOU REALLY PAY FOR COLLEGE ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.  

Moving through Breast Cancer Treatment, the Warrior Journey of Heather Ouida Co-founder of thegameHERs & Mommybite Heather Ouida is a breast cancer survivor, passionate advocate, and seasoned entrepreneur dedicated to creating supportive communities that inspiring change. Her personal journey through a 2024 diagnosis and recovery drives her commitment to raising awareness about early detection, comprehensive care, and empowering others navigating similar challenges. In addition to her advocacy work, Heather is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the community building, marketing, and product development. She was the co-founder and CEO of thegameHERs, a platform devoted to empowering women gamers and fostering inclusivity in the gaming world. Heather also co-founded Mommybites, a thriving community for new and expectant moms, which she sold to a Manhattan media company in 2016. Most recently Heather extended her professional expertise to luxury travel and lifestyle services, where she serves as a Senior Consultant at KAX Lifestyle, a bespoke travel advisory. Whether advocating for breast cancer patients, fostering community and inclusivity for women, or redefining lifestyle experiences, Heather Ouida's work is united by her dedication to empowerment, connection, and innovation. info@herhealthcompass.com https://www.herhealthcompass.com/ @herhealthcompass Heather is Co-Host of “Her Health Compass” Radio Podcast with Heather Ouida heard every Wednesday 5am/5pmET on Dreamvisions 7 Radio Network see here https://dreamvisions7radio.com/her-health-compass/ Call In and Chat with Deborah during Live Show: 833-220-1200 or 319-527-2638 Learn more about Deborah here:  www.lovebyintuition.com

Many MBA applicants see business school as a chance to pivot—to shift industries, roles, or even entire careers. But how realistic is your pivot story, and how can you make it resonate with admissions committees and recruiters? In this episode of Inside the GMAT, GMAC Zach is joined by Pamela Jaffe and Laura Nelson, founders of MBA Pathfinders, who have over 30 years of combined experience guiding applicants through successful career transitions. Together, they break down the realities of the modern job market, why the MBA remains a powerful bridge for change, and how to craft an application that's authentic, credible, and ready for the career you want. If you're planning to use business school as a launchpad for change, this conversation will help you map your bridge from where you are to where you want to be. About MBA Pathfinders: https://www.mbapathfinders.com Pamela Jaffe has helped hundreds of applicants achieve entry into the top U.S. and European business schools. Pamela began her MBA consulting career in 2010 as a part-time consultant at mbaMission while concurrently working full-time as an internal strategist for companies including IBM, MetLife, Weight Watchers, Pfizer, and Dow Jones. She found her passion as a coach and an advisor; in 2019, she left corporate America to launch The Jaffe Advantage. Pamela leverages her MBA admissions consulting experience with her global business knowledge to advise her clients in the pursuit of their ideal MBA educational experience. She has lived and worked in both Paris and Singapore, focusing on the Asian, Middle Eastern and European markets. Pamela currently resides in New York City, but continues to travel extensively for work and fun. She holds a BA from Smith College and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Laura Nelson has served as a Senior Consultant with mbaMission, Stacy Blackman Consulting, and as the founder of LE Nelson Consulting to help hundreds of candidates earn admissions to top MBA programs. Laura's industry experience includes entertainment, media & publishing, and tech, with established companies and startup organizations. Most recently, she served as VP of Marketing with a SaaS startup. Laura's non-traditional career path and MBA admissions consulting experience enables her to help clients from less traditional backgrounds gain credibility with top programs, while helping those with traditional career paths stand out. Laura lived and worked in California for a decade prior to relocating to Colorado. She holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and earned an MBA from University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. Takeaways: Many MBA applicants seek to pivot their careers through business school. The MBA application process is crucial for defining career goals. Common pivots include banking, consulting, tech, and entrepreneurship. Misconceptions exist about the ease of career changes with an MBA. Candidates must demonstrate realistic and evidence-based career goals. Networking and experiential learning are vital for successful pivots. The recruiting cycle is urgent; preparation should start early. Candidates should avoid vague or trendy goals in their applications. Building a compelling narrative is essential for admissions success. Researching and validating career goals can lead to more authentic applications. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Career Pivots and the MBA Journey 02:51 Common Career Pivots for MBA Applicants 05:44 The Power of an MBA for Career Changes 08:48 The MBA Application as a Career Exploration Tool 11:53 Evaluating Realistic Career Pivots 14:01 Navigating the MBA Recruiting Cycle 17:19 Advice for Uncertain Career Paths 19:28 Crafting a Compelling Career Pivot Story 20:14 Understanding the MBA as a Bridge 22:07 Connecting Past Experiences to Future Goals 23:11 Real-Life Career Pivot Examples 26:24 Common Mistakes in Career Pivots 28:19 Building Credibility in Applications 29:28 Strategies for Non-Traditional Candidates 31:30 Advice for MBA Candidates Considering a Pivot 32:22 Leveraging Advisors for Application Success

If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 How much is your bad code costing you, and how much is your team's suffering just a ritual of amateur theatre? In this episode, Engineering and Agile expert Tim Ottinger and Ben challenge the core belief systems that plague software development, from the focus on individual productivity to the self-inflicted wounds of long release cycles. They break down the shocking truth about what slows software projects down, the high cost of errors in a complex system, and why doing work when it's easy is the only way to avoid the crushing complexity of doing it when it's hard. What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why teams might refuse to change and improve the way they work ● The importance of finding problems now, rather than waiting till later ● Why "crunch time" is killing your output, not boosting it ● When to be throwing work away and when to be making things real Bibliography: https://www.industriallogic.com/blog/faster-and-more-predictable/ Paired Programming Illuminated by  Lori Williams and Robert Kessler: The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt More about our guest: Tim Ottinger is a legendary figure in software development, having programmed since 1979 and been active in the early days of Extreme Programming and Agile. As a Senior Consultant at Industrial Logic, co-author of Agile In A Flash and a contributor to Clean Code, Tim brings decades of practical experience to dissect what goes wrong in most software development and how you can start doing better. Accolades and Publications: ● Co-Author: Agile In A Flash (with Jeff Langr). ● Contributor: Clean Code. ● Writing Credits: C++ Report, Object Magazine Online, Pragmatic Bookshelf magazine, Software Quality Connection. ● Recognized for: Compassionate and patient approach to working with individuals, sincerely interested in helping people reach their goals. Social Media and Websites: ● Website (Blog): https://agileotter.blogspot.com/ ● Company Blog: https://www.industriallogic.com/blog/ ● Twitter/X: @tottinge. ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agileotter/ ● Email: tottinge@gmail.com ● Other: https://randsinrepose.com/welcome-to-rands-leadership-slack/ Connect with us:

Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, talked with Justin Harden, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Phoenix Senior Living, and Kristine Schrudder, Senior Consultant at Yardi, about using a tech stack in senior living sales and marketing. Justin and Kristine explain what a tech stack is, the efficiencies of using one system for all platforms from a tech perspective, and how much time it saves senior living operators. Justin talks specifically about how much added sales time their teams have by using a tech stack, the simplicity of reporting, and Kristine shares her insights into the data that can be accessed to inform decision-making. Thank you Yardi for sponsoring this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast.

Jessica Trotman is the Assistant Town Manager of Black Mountain, North Carolina, where she leads recovery and resilience efforts following Hurricane Helene. She also serves as a Senior Consultant with the American Flood Coalition. To her work in resilience, Jessica brings 15 years of experience in sustainability, planning, stormwater, public health and public administration. She serves in multiple advisory roles, including the North Carolina Flood Resiliency Blueprint advisory committee and Resilience subcommittee of the Governorʼs Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery. Skip ahead to the following section(s): (0:00) Intro & Monthly Highlights (6:10) Conversation with Jessica Trotman (27:12) Q&A Discussion (33:33) CCL's October Actions Review Join CCL: https://cclusa.org/join  October Action Sheet: https://cclusa.org/actionsheet  October Meeting Slides: https://cclusa.org/october-meeting-slides  Pre-Call Video: https://vimeo.com/1126279438  Register for the Fall Conference (Nov. 14-15): https://cclusa.org/fallconference 

Host of UNSCRIPTED Sarah Nicastro takes us behind the scenes of the Future of Field Service 2025 Stand Out 50 leadership awards two of this year's judges: Ged Cranny, who retired earlier this year from his role as Senior Consultant with Konica Minolta's International Service Business after a 45-year career in field service and Roy Dockery, Sr. Director of Field Services Research at TSIA, Author, and also a former service leader himself. They share an inside look at the process of reviewing nominations to select this year's Stand Out 50, observations around the importance of recognizing service leaders, and a message for this year's recipients.

Sustainable remediation goes beyond cleaning contaminated sites—it's about supporting climate resilience, circular economy principles, and healthier communities. In this episode, we explore why traditional remediation methods are no longer enough, the opportunities of nature-based and in situ approaches, and the global collaboration driving innovation in this field.We hear from host Phil Dillard, joined by co-host Beatrice Bizzaro, Water Stewardship Technology Lead at HPC Italy and the Inogen Alliance Global Water Working Group Leader. Together, they speak with: Jason Lagowski, Senior Consultant at Antea Group USA and Gabriele Cerutti, Technology Leader Geologist at HPC Italy. Guest Quotes“Mother Nature is really good about cleaning itself up, but we can actually enhance it and speed up that process.” – Jason“Everyone can find the most complicated solution. The best way is to find the easier solution… we have a good opportunity to find the best solution using bioremediation or sustainable remediation.” – GabrieleTime Stamps00:51 Meet the Experts: Jason Lagowski and Gabriele Cerutti05:22 Defining Sustainable Remediation vs. Traditional Methods07:39 Regional Perspectives: Europe, the U.S., and Global Challenges15:11 Changing Mindsets: Why Stakeholders Struggle with Evolution16:18 The Role of Legislation and Circularity in Remediation18:55 What's at Stake: The Cost of Inaction23:00 Driving the Future: Innovation, Policy, and Collaboration26:03 Emerging Technologies to Watch in Remediation28:53 Key Takeaways: Nature-Based Solutions and Clear CommunicationSponsor CopyRethinking EHS is brought to you by the Inogen Alliance. Inogen Alliance is a global network of 70+ companies providing environment, health, safety and sustainability services working together to provide one point of contact to guide multinational organizations to meet their global commitments locally. Visit http://www.inogenalliance.com/ to learn more.LinksInogenAlliance.com/resourcesInogenAlliance.com/podcast Phil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phildillard/Beatrice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatrice-bizzaro/Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lagowskijasonj/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode of The Greener Way, Michelle Baltazar, Executive Director of Media at FS Sustainability, chats with Julia Lesky, Managing Director and Senior Consultant at ISS Sustainability in Australia, about the latest report from ISS's Climate and Nature Innovation Lab that evaluates corporate emission targets. They discuss the importance of setting ambitious climate goals, the challenges of comparing different types of targets, and how investors can use this information to achieve sustainability objectives. Beyond Companies' Emissions Target Setting: Tracking Decarbonization PerformanceThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

John Kempton is a Senior Consultant at FHS and is responsible for advising clients on program design and implementation, negotiating contracts, and implementing overall risk management strategy. Before joining FHS, John was the Southeast Zone Real Estate Leader and Senior Vice President for Marsh in Washington, DC. John entered the insurance industry in 2012. In this live from RIMS 2025 Chicago episode, John highlights industries that commonly outsource risk management, including real estate and hospitality, details the unique skillset of being a broker-turned-consultant, and offers encouragement to anyone who is wondering whether returning to the office is really worth the effort (it is).   Key Takeaways: ● John's role at FHS focuses on real estate and construction space. ● Industries that commonly outsource risk management. ● From history major to insurance industry — John's unexpected career path. ● Acquiring insurance clients in the real estate industry. ● The benefits of offering a flat monthly retainer. ● Brokers turned consultants offer a unique skillset to clients. ● John's engagement preferences in the real estate and hospitality industry. ● Growth in this industry is not slowing down anytime soon. ● In another life, John is managing a safari lodge in South America. ● John's networking advice to his early career self.   Mentioned in This Episode: John Kempton FHS Risk Management   Tweetables:   “Our job is to come in and manage the process rather than hijack the process.”   “Many of our clients don't even know that this outsourcing model exists.”   “The earlier we're involved with our clients, the better the outcome typically is.”   “Embrace being in the office and making connections.”  

In this episode, Bella Cowdin, HubSpot Certified Trainer and Senior Consultant at Denamico, unpacks the biggest AI announcements from HubSpot's INBOUND 2025. She shares how RevOps teams can use AI to amplify human potential—without replacing it—while avoiding common pitfalls.Highlights include HubSpot's recognition that customer data lives beyond its platform, the launch of Data Studio for seamless integrations, and the shift from SEO to AEO (AI Engine Optimization).This episode is a must-listen for RevOps professionals and marketing leaders who want to harness AI for growth while keeping humans first and AI second.What You'll Learn:How AI agents can help your best people 10X their output without replacing human decision-makingThe critical difference between using AI to help you vs. using AI to do things for youWhy HubSpot's new Loop Marketing Playbook declares the old inbound methodology "broken"How Data Studio is solving the scattered data problem plaguing most revenue operationsWhy businesses must shift from SEO to AEO to stay visible in an AI-driven search landscapeReal-world examples of AI implementation gone wrong and how to avoid themResources Mentioned:HubSpot INBOUND Fall Spotlight 2025- Annual conference featuring major AI announcementsLoop Marketing Playbook - HubSpot's new methodology replacing traditional INBOUNDAEO Grader - AI Engine Optimization tool (search for it on Google or ask your favorite AI)Data Hub (formerly Operations Hub) & Breeze AI - HubSpot's data management platform, HubSpot's native AI enrichment toolsIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you'll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizations A clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it's not) Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions Newsletter LinkedIn YouTube Explore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Danny Smith, Senior Consultant at SafeStart, joins us to discuss the danger of placing blame in the aftermath of workplace incidents and the impact it can have on your culture. He also shares why transparency and communication are so important to creating workplaces where team members feel empowered to speak up about workplace conditions and […]

When we talk about AI at cybersecurity conferences these days, one term is impossible to ignore: agentic AI. But behind the excitement around AI-driven productivity and autonomous workflows lies an unresolved—and increasingly urgent—security issue: identity.In this episode, Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli speak with Cristin Flynn Goodwin, keynote speaker at SecTor 2025, about the intersection of AI agents, identity management, and legal risk. Drawing from decades at the center of major security incidents—most recently as the head cybersecurity lawyer at Microsoft—Cristin frames today's AI hype within a longstanding identity crisis that organizations still haven't solved.Why It Matters NowAgentic AI changes the game. AI agents can act independently, replicate themselves, and disappear in seconds. That's great for automation—but terrifying for risk teams. Cristin flags the pressing need to identify and authenticate these ephemeral agents. Should they be digitally signed? Should there be a new standard body managing agent identities? Right now, we don't know.Meanwhile, attackers are already adapting. AI tools are being used to create flawless phishing emails, spoofed banking agents, and convincing digital personas. Add that to the fact that many consumers and companies still haven't implemented strong MFA, and the risk multiplier becomes clear.The Legal ViewFrom a legal standpoint, Cristin emphasizes how regulations like New York's DFS Cybersecurity Regulation are putting pressure on CISOs to tighten IAM controls. But what about individuals? “It's an unfair fight,” she says—no consumer can outpace a nation-state attacker armed with AI tooling.This keynote preview also calls attention to shadow AI agents: tools employees may create outside the control of IT or security. As Cristin warns, they could become “offensive digital insiders”—another dimension of the insider threat amplified by AI.Looking AheadThis is a must-listen episode for CISOs, security architects, policymakers, and anyone thinking about AI safety and digital trust. From the potential need for real-time, verifiable agent credentials to the looming collision of agentic AI with quantum computing, this conversation kicks off SecTor 2025 with urgency and clarity.Catch the full episode now, and don't miss Cristin's keynote on October 1.___________Guest:Cristin Flynn Goodwin, Senior Consultant, Good Harbor Security Risk Management | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristin-flynn-goodwin-24359b4/Hosts:Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.comMarco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com___________Episode SponsorsThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb___________ResourcesKeynote: Agentic AI and Identity: The Biggest Problem We're Not Solving: https://www.blackhat.com/sector/2025/briefings/schedule/#keynote-agentic-ai-and-identity-the-biggest-problem-were-not-solving-49591Learn more and catch more stories from our SecTor 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/cybersecurity-technology-society-events/sector-cybersecurity-conference-toronto-2025New York Department of Financial Services Cybersecurity Regulation: https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/cybersecurityGood Harbor Security Risk Management (Richard Clarke's firm): https://www.goodharbor.net/Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageWant to share an Event Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More

In today's episode, we're joined by Kevin Das, Senior Consultant at New Frontier Minerals, who sit right at the crossroads of the energy transition and geopolitics, with a portfolio of heavy rare earths and copper project, including their Harts Range project in the Northern Territory, and their copper asset at their Big One project.   We're going to get Kevin's overview of the company, its assets, and why heavy rare earths matter. We discuss the company's appointment of GeoDrill Australia and what that means for their Harts Range project as they move toward their maiden drilling program.   We'll also explore the company's vision, including the path to fast-tracking copper production at Big One, also look at funding strategies across both projects, and most importantly, why investors should be paying attention now KEY TAKEAWAYS New Frontier Minerals has a portfolio focused on two key projects: the Hearts Range heavy rare earth project in the Northern Territory and the Big One copper project in Northwest Queensland Heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium are economically superior and strategically important The Big One copper project is considered the company's most advanced asset. New Frontier Minerals has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a neighbouring company, Austral Resources, to explore the possibility of toll-treating their ore at the nearby Mount Kelly processing facility The company is making progress on both projects. They have recently appointed a drilling contractor to begin their maiden drill program at the Hearts Range project BEST MOMENTS "Not all rare earths are created equal, and when you get one rare earth, you get all 15 of your rare earths." "Rare earths have become a bit of a household name." "If you're going to play copper, it's definitely one of the places to be." "If we can get one of those projects to work through a discovery or development, if not both of them, I think there's definitely going to be a rerating and a real value add for all shareholders." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ GUEST SOCIALS  X: https://x.com/NewFrontierMin  ·  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newfrontierminerals/    ·  Registered and Principal Office: 45 Ventnor Avenue, West Perth, Western Australia 6005 ·  Email: info@newfrontierminerals.com https://newfrontierminerals.com/  CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people's experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Join Todd Miller of Isaiah Industries and co-host Seth Heckman as they delve into the world of construction and home improvement with industry legend Joe Talmon. Discover Joe's journey from B2B sales to becoming a pivotal figure in the home improvement sector. Learn about his strategies for building high-performing sales teams, the importance of marketing efficiency, and the keys to sustaining organizational growth. Joe also shares his insights on leadership, team training, and creating a successful and people-focused business culture. This episode is packed with valuable lessons and inspiring stories that will benefit anyone in the home improvement and construction industries.Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:14 A Legendary Guest: Joe Talmon02:22 Joe's Journey into Home Improvement06:33 Building a High-Performance Sales Team10:53 Overcoming Challenges in the 80s20:19 Turning Around Window Works31:48 The Valley of Death: Recognizing and Avoiding Complacency33:17 The Importance of Continuous Training34:06 Challenges in the Home Improvement Industry34:29 Effective Sales Training and Management37:06 Marketing Efficiency and Data Analysis39:47 Defining and Achieving Business Goals45:56 Networking and Learning from Others48:56 Rapid Fire Questions with Joe55:38 Final Thoughts and Contact InformationGuest BioJoe Talmon has a 40-year background in all areas of the home improvement industry. His earliest training started with Rainbow vacuum cleaners where he first learned the value of a high-powered sales presentation. He co-founded an Ohio company that was regarded as the largest hi-end vinyl replacement window company in Ohio for many years and was eventually sold to an investment group.He subsequently joined Dave Yoho Associates as a Senior Consultant and is recognized for his systematic approach to improving sales performace and making businesses more profitable, Joe has a relatable speaking style that combines humor and scientifically proven training and has been a featured speaker across the country.Joe has developed sales, marketing, and training programs for large and mid-sized industry companies from coast to coast and brings a rarely seen passion for business. He was most recently the COO and managing partner of WindowWorks in Chicago a company he took over and rebuilt to a powerhouse local brand with sales of nearly $60 million annually and it was sold to a major private equity group.Connect with Joe OnlineLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joetalmon/Email: jtalmon@me.com For more Construction Disruption, listen on Apple Podcasts or YouTubeConnect with us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedInThis episode was produced by Isaiah Industries, Inc.Construction Disruption was recently featured in this

Water stewardship has a critical role to play in the fight against the climate crisis - it's one of the key threads connecting climate action, environmental health, and community resilience. In this episode, we discuss regional water stewardship, technological opportunities and perceptions within the business community. We hear from the host of this episode, Beatrice Bizarro,  Water Stewardship Technology Lead at HPC Italy and the Inogen Alliance Global Water Working Group Leader, along with Annika Taylor, Senior Consultant at Peter J. Ramsay & Associates in Australia, Natalya Holm, Climate Risk & Water Stewardship Services Lead at Antea Group USA, and Chris Shanks, Environmental Discipline Manager and Environmental Scientist at Tonkin + Taylor in New Zealand.---------Guest Quotes“ We need to always keep in mind that climate and water, they go hand in hand and so do their solutions.” - Beatrice“ Climate mitigation can't succeed without water. So that's really one of the first things that you have to look at, and that's one of the first things that's really affected by climate change.” - Annika“ Water is that big mechanism in a way that we both experience effects of climate change, but it is also the mechanism in which we can mitigate a lot of those risks” - Natalya “ I saw the social harm that comes from not managing water supplies. That is a constant driver for me that, you know, we don't let that happen again ever.” - Chris---------Time Stamps01:02 Meet the Experts: Water Professionals from Around the World05:37 Challenges and Solutions in Water Management11:03 Technological Innovations in Water and Climate Action15:15 Global Perspectives on Water and Climate Risks25:38 The Importance of Simplifying Water Stewardship Communication30:06 Untapped Opportunities in Water Stewardship---------Sponsor copyRethinking EHS is brought to you by the Inogen Alliance. Inogen Alliance is a global network of 70+ companies providing environment, health, safety and sustainability services working together to provide one point of contact to guide multinational organizations to meet their global commitments locally. Visit http://www.inogenalliance.com/ to learn more. ---------Links Inogenalliance.com/resourcesInogenalliance.com/podcast Beatrice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatrice-bizzaro/Annika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annikataylor/ Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-shanks-7b557544/ Natalya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalyaholm/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Mission Matters, Adam Torres interviews Michelle Genece-Patterson, Co-Founder & Senior Consultant of MindFire Productions, on transforming real stories into impact—covering authenticity, letting subjects lead their narrative, and crafting sensory details that keep audiences engaged and mobilized. This episode is sponsored by ⁠Take The Lead Women. ⁠Register ⁠here⁠ to join the Take The Lead Women Conference. Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

J&J Show: Justin Fuente hired as Senior Consultant for the College Football Playoff

On December 8, 2024, Bashar Al-Assad fled Syria, bringing an end to the 13-year civil war that had devastated the country. Syrians who had endured years of conflict and deprivation, took to the streets in celebration. They were suddenly able to imagine a new future for their country. Assad's fall caught the international community by surprise, and policymakers in the region, in Europe, and in the United States were forced to adjust their policies, opening lines of communication to Syria's new leader, Ahmad Al-Shaara. Over the last six months, one issue has dominated the debate over Syria policy—lifting the Syria sanctions.Karam Shaar is the founder of Karam Shaar Advisory, a consulting company. He currently serves as the Chief Economic Consultant to the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Syria and a Senior Consultant at the World Bank. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the New Lines Institute.The Sanctions Age is hosted by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj. The show is produced by Spiritland Productions.To receive an email when new episodes are released, access episode transcripts, and read Esfandyar's notes on each episode, sign-up for the The Sanctions Age newsletter on Substack: https://www.thesanctionsage.com/

With AI taking over the tech industry, its role in game development is slowly shifting from novelty to potential necessity. Host Devin Becker sits down with Francois Courset, Senior Consultant at Naavik with experience around using AI in game development, to explore the current and near-future landscape of AI in game creation. The conversation covers everything from Francois' high-level perspective on AI's role in the industry to specific tools that are already proving useful, alongside those that show promise but still need refinement.The episode dives into where AI is making the biggest impact today, such as content generation and workflow automation, as well as less obvious areas that might benefit from AI with more maturity or experimentation. Francois also weighs in on whether studios should build internal AI expertise or lean on external support, and what developers should be doing now to prepare for what's coming. The episode wraps with a rapid-fire round on the worst, best, and most exciting AI use cases in games.Whether you're hands-on in production or thinking strategically about the future, this episode provides a grounded look at AI's growing role in game development.We'd like to thank Levellr — the Discord community intelligence platform — for making this episode possible. Learn more about unlocking real-time community insights at levellr.com.We'd also like to thank Neon – a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion – for making this episode possible! Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming and can help you sell direct without the typical overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavikIf you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe

In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...Kelly Lieu, Senior Consultant and Account Manager for the Southern California region at Ei Companies, joins the show for an enlightening conversation about what it means, code milestones, rating systems, the war between electricity and gas, key concepts to consider, and how to best execute your next project! Amir Rezaei, from Cannon Design, helps us out, providing his insight into high performance building analytics.If you enjoy our content, you can check out similar content from our fellow creators at Gābl Media. Spaces Podcast Spaces Podcast website LYNES // Gābl Media All rights reserved

In this episode of the HR Mixtape podcast, host Shari Simpson welcomes Dr. David Cohen, founder and senior consultant of DS Cohen and Associates. They dive into the concept of agile leadership and its relevance in today's evolving workplace, particularly in light of shifting employee expectations post-pandemic. This conversation is timely as organizations seek to enhance employee experience and foster inclusive leadership while navigating the complexities of AI in HR. Listener Takeaways: Learn how aligning organizational values with hiring practices can boost employee retention and engagement. Discover why emotional intelligence is crucial for modern leaders to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments. Explore strategies for fostering a culture of learning from failure to drive innovation and growth. Hit “Play” to gain valuable insights that can transform your approach to leadership and HR practices! Guest(s): Dr. David Cohen, Founder and Senior Consultant, DS Cohen and Associates

Aurora Scharff, Senior Consultant at Crayon, joins to break down how modern React development is evolving with features from React 18 and React 19. She explores real-world use cases for useTransition and useOptimistic, highlights improvements in async UI rendering and performance, and shares insights on building responsive interfaces with concurrent rendering patterns. The conversation also touches on server components, Next.js, and tools like Aria Kit and Redwood SDK, all shaping the next era of React development. Links Website: https://aurorascharff.no Github: https://github.com/aurorascharff X: https://x.com/aurorascharff Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/aurorascharff.no LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aurora-scharff-a86b88188 Resources Building Reusable Components with React19 Actions: https://aurorascharff.no/posts/building-reusable-components-with-react19-actions Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:18 Modern React concurrent rendering patterns explained 03:38 useTransition real-world examples 08:22 useOptimistic for faster UI feedback 30:10 React Server Components and Next.js integration 30:57 Building modern UIs with Aria Kit 34:07 Using Redwood SDK in the React ecosystem 39:00 Key takeaways and what's next for React development We want to hear from you! How did you find us? Did you see us on Twitter? In a newsletter? Or maybe we were recommended by a friend? Fill out our listener survey (https://t.co/oKVAEXipxu)! Let us know by sending an email to our producer, Em, at emily.kochanek@logrocket.com (mailto:emily.kochanek@logrocket.com), or tweet at us at PodRocketPod (https://twitter.com/PodRocketpod). Follow us. Get free stickers. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, fill out this form (https://podrocket.logrocket.com/get-podrocket-stickers), and we'll send you free PodRocket stickers! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces the UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Start understanding where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr)

This week, Justin chats with special guest Michael Stoyanovich, Vice President and Senior Consultant in Segal's Administration & Technology Consulting practice about the use of artificial intelligence in health plans.

Name: Tom HulickTitle: CEO – Strategy Asset ManagersAUM: $850MWebsite: https://strategyassetmanagers.com/Bio: Tom Hulick is CEO, CCO and Managing Partner of Strategy Asset Managers. He is the founding partner of Hulick Capital Management, LLC ─ the parent company of both Strategy Asset Managers and Holly Street Wealth Advisors. Mr. Hulick has worked for 25 years as a senior wealth advisor and investment manager for some of the largest financial and investment firms in the world.He is an active member of the Tulane University Fund Advisory Board and serves on the board of the WildlifeNOW ─ Tony Fitzjohn / George Adamson African Wildlife Preservation Trust. Mr. Hulick previously served on the advisory board of the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center in Pasadena, California and the Neighborhood Youth Association, serving underprivileged youth in Los Angeles, CA. He has been a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses volunteers since 2007.Mr. Hulick received a B.A. in political science from Tulane University and his MBA from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. He is also a graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Aresty Institute of Executive Education, Senior Consultant's Program, through which he received the designation of Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA).

Evan Marks is a seasoned mental performance coach with over 25 years of Wall Street wisdom, previously serving as a Senior Consultant and Performance Advisor at The ReThink Group. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a background in Division 1 Lacrosse, Evan's journey is a story of resilience, strategic thinking, and an unyielding pursuit of excellence. From tackling unpredictable markets to coaching a diverse clientele, including NASCAR pit crews, athletes, executives, and Wall Street pros, Evan lives by the belief that “pressure is a privilege.”In his role as a Senior Performance Coach, Evan brings cutting-edge techniques rooted in modern psychoanalysis and neuroscience to guide clients in high-pressure industries toward peak performance. Beyond the financial world, Evan extends his coaching experience to mentoring, showcasing his dedication to developing leadership, communication, and relationship skills.Here, Evan tells the story of the massive panic attack that forced him to rethink everything, from his health to his life's direction. He shares how chronic stress, ambition, and fear of regret shaped his early career and how he ultimately pivoted to become a performance coach focused on neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and sustainable mental fitness. We unpack why high performers burn out, how trauma creates false psychological safety, and what it takes to truly listen, recalibrate, and begin again.We also dive into key strategies for long-term clarity and resilience, like managing energy through night routines, embracing imperfect action, and learning to speak with intention instead of reaction. Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, or just feeling stuck, this conversation is packed with hard-won insights for moving forward with purpose.What's Inside:How a panic attack put Evan on a path of life transformationWhy high performers often experience burnoutHow to speak with intention over reaction Mentioned In This Episode:Evan Marks on LinkedInM1PerformanceGroup.com

In Episode 424 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Kamran Bokhari, Senior Director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy & Policy, who has served in the U.S. State Department and as a Senior Consultant with the World Bank. Bokhari first appeared on the podcast shortly after the October 7th attacks to discuss the violence ignited by Hamas, the nature and scope of Iranian involvement, and how various regional actors exploited the growing disorder to their advantage, as the Biden administration struggled to stabilize a region on the brink of another major war. In subsequent appearances, Bokhari has provided the Hidden Forces audience with critical context for understanding U.S.-Israeli and Iranian strategic aims and limitations, the interests and constraints of other regional states (including Saudi Arabia and Turkey), how the events in the Middle East are perceived in Beijing and Moscow, and how the situation may evolve from here. The broader conflict with Iran, which has consistently framed these discussions, has now directly involved the United States following its recent deployment of fourteen 30,000-pound bombs targeting three Iranian nuclear sites: the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, the nuclear facility in Natanz, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center. What happens next—and whether the White House's actions will ultimately prove beneficial to America's long-term strategic objectives—forms the central focus of this two-hour conversation. In the first hour, Bokhari and Kofinas update listeners on recent developments, assessing the initial successes and failures of U.S. and Israeli strategic planners, the Iranian response, immediate risks to the United States and its allies, and how this war is likely to reshape the economic and security order of the Middle East over the next five years. In the second hour, Demetri and Kamran widen their aperture to examine how the conflict will affect the economic and military imperatives of the United States and China, along with their respective alliances and trading networks. They also discuss the potential economic repercussions and secondary impacts resulting from America's attack on Iran. The episode concludes with an examination of best- and worst-case scenarios, ranging from a new investment supercycle in the Middle East to the deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons and heightened risks of international terrorism in the United States and Europe. Subscribe to our premium content—including our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports—by visiting HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you'd like to join the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community—with benefits like Q&A calls with guests, exclusive research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners—you can also sign up on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed today's episode of Hidden Forces, please support the show by: Subscribing on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, CastBox, or via our RSS Feed Writing us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Joining our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and support the podcast at https://hiddenforces.io. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 06/23/2025