Podcasts about Senior Consultant

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.  Heather Staines, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, talks with Frances Pinter, Director, Academic Relations, Central European University Press, and founder, SUPRR. Frances was born in Venezuela to Hungarian parents and lived on four continents by the time she was 20 years old, which she believes greatly influenced the international approach and outlook that she has held throughout her career. Frances has been a prolific figure, and a trail blazer, in Academic Publishing for over 50 years, working with companies of all different sizes and business cultures around the world. She is currently working to help Ukrainian publishers through SUPRR (Supporting Ukrainian Publishing Resilience and Recovery) which she founded. In this conversation, Frances talks with Heather about starting her own publishing company at a very young age while working on her PhD in international relations, and the importance of working with young authors and meeting people at a young age who challenged conventional wisdom, which stayed with her throughout her career. She also talks about her work in networking a computer system with Apple, why serving on industry committees is very important and the knowledge you can gain from being active in this capacity, and the story of how she won a contract against many big players to digitize the Winston Churchill archives. Frances also tells how she was influenced by an experience with a hands-on open access project in Africa that led to her founding of Knowledge Unlatched in 2012, which was acquired by Annual Reviews in 2025. Lastly, she talks with Heather about the role that librarians have played in her professional life.  The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/0XGbG5yY4y0 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaines/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-pinter-6091252/ Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #KatinaMagazine #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

The BC Conservatives finally have their new leader, so our political panel discusses what they expect from Kerry-Lynne Findlay. They also talk about what MLAs will be up to this summer (hint: it likely involves BBQs), and just how much money the World Cup will end up costing the province. Our political panel is former NDP cabinet minister Elizabeth Cull, former Green Party MLA and a member of the Tsartlip Nation Adam Olsen and former BC Liberal Deputy Director of Communications and Senior Consultant at Earnscliffe Andrew Reeve.Note: the political panel will be on hiatus for the summer, but will return in September (or earlier if there are big political stories to discuss). This is Vancouver Island will still be here on Thursdays.

In Part 2 of the Nonprofit AI Governance Tips webinar, Carolyn Woodard and Nuradeen Aboki, Senior Consultant who has been helping nonprofits explore and adopt AI tools, cover the practical steps your organization can take to move from AI experimentation to intentional governance.The conversation picks up with a closer look at what belongs in a nonprofit AI policy, who needs to be at the decision-making table, and how to make governance stick in day-to-day operations rather than just on paper. Nura shares a case study of a content-heavy nonprofit that built AI guardrails around their editorial process and came out ahead, and the two close with a question-and-answer session covering metrics, ethics, and the environmental impact of AI.Haven't listened to Part 1 yet? Find it in your podcast feed.This episode covers:A good AI policy addresses acceptable use, data handling, compliance requirements, vendor vetting, human review, and staff training expectations — and it needs to evolve as the tools and your organization do.Cross-functional governance works best when leadership, board oversight, IT, legal, HR, and end users all have a seat at the table. Research drawing on a national survey of 180 nonprofits found that organizations where staff and board co-developed AI principles launched 12 times more pilots and scaled AI more effectively.One nonprofit built AI governance around their editorial workflow: updated style guides, required human review of every AI-assisted draft, and targeted prompting training. The result was faster writing without sacrificing voice or accuracy.When things go wrong, the first step is a calm assessment: figure out who is using what, what went wrong, and whether the root cause was a training gap, policy vacuum, or misconfigured setting.Making governance real means publishing your policy internally, raising AI use in staff meetings regularly, and creating spaces where people at every comfort level can ask questions and share concerns without judgment.Resources Mentioned:AI Acceptable Use Policy Template — Community IT Innovators — https://communityit.com/template-acceptable-use-of-ai-tools-in-the-nonprofit-workplace/Dell Insights Report on Nonprofit AI Adoption — board.dev — https://board.dev/dell-insights-report-2/Community IT AI Resource Library — communityit.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/Community IT Governance Resource Library — communityit.com/governance/TAG AI Framework — Tech and Service Organizations — https://tagtech.org/page/AIAI Literacy and the Future of Work — U.S. Department of Labor — https://dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/ten-07-25No AI Use Policy? What to Do — Candid — https://candid.org/blogs/no-ai-use-policy-what-to-do/We Did the Math on AI's Energy Footprint — MIT Technology Review — https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/Securing Google Workspace for Nonprofits Webinar — Community IT Innovators — https://communityit.com/webinar-securing-google-workspace-for-nonprofits/ _______________________________Start a conversation :)Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.comon LinkedIn on reddit/r/nonprofitITmanagementon the Community IT websiteThanks for listening. 

In the first part of this two-part conversation, Carolyn Woodard and Nura Aboki, Senior Consultant at Community IT Innovators, dig into what it actually looks like to implement AI at a nonprofit - not in theory, but on the ground. With 80% of nonprofits using AI without any governance policies in place, unmanaged adoption is already happening. This episode helps nonprofit leaders understand where to start.Nura draws on real client experiences to walk through two case studies: a nonprofit that had to pause its AI rollout to answer a fundamental "why are we doing this?" and an environmental organization that wrestled with whether using AI conflicted with its mission. Both examples illustrate why values alignment and change management have to come before any tool selection.Carolyn and Nura cover:Why starting with a clear "why" before selecting any tool is the single most important step in AI adoption.What AI literacy means for nonprofit staff and where to find free and low-cost training options.A step-by-step framework for intentional AI implementation: communication, piloting, due diligence, and layered training.The risks nonprofits need to plan for, including shadow AI, vendor churn, data privacy, and the legal reality that humans are accountable for AI errors.Why appointing an internal AI champion matters even at - especially at - small organizations.Resources MentionedAI Acceptable Use Policy Template — Community IT InnovatorsAI Literacy and the Workforce — U.S. Department of LaborDigital Skills Center — TechSoupAI for Nonprofits Certificate — NTENThe Human StackAI Program Area — NetHopeMission-Aligned AI Adoption Model — Community IT InnovatorsNo AI Use Policy? What to Do — Candid _______________________________Start a conversation :)Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.comon LinkedIn on reddit/r/nonprofitITmanagementon the Community IT websiteThanks for listening. 

Tom Raffio interviews Dr. Nevin Zablotsky, Senior Consultant at Nova Southeastern University School of Dentistry and Medicine and tobacco cessation expert on the impact of smoking on your oral and overall health. 

Show NotesIn this episode, Simon Western speaks with seasoned psychoanalyst and organisational consultant Dr. Anton Obholzer about the hidden emotional and relational dynamics shaping leadership, organisations and society. Anton is a hugely respected organisational consultant from the Tavistock tradition, and it is a delight to hear his wisdom and insights on this podcast.  Moving beyond technical models of management and mental health, the conversation explores organisations as living systems embedded within wider social and political realities. Anton reflects on the Tavistock tradition, the influence of Eric Miller and the importance of understanding organisations not simply as structures of efficiency, but as emotional containers carrying anxiety, projection, creativity and possibility. Simon and Anton discuss leadership as a protective and generative force, creating the conditions for growth, talent and human flourishing.The dialogue explores the erosion of relational life in contemporary society, the dangers of organisations becoming spaces for unmanaged social anxiety, and the increasing dominance of technological and managerial rationality over human connection. They examine the importance of experiential learning, vulnerability, observation and creative practice in sustaining healthy organisations and societies.At the heart of the episode is a deeper question about how we live together in increasingly uncertain times. Rather than retreating into expertise, certainty or control, Anton calls for greater relational awareness, collective responsibility and societal imagination.Key Reflections Organisations are emotional and societal systems, not simply technical machines Leadership involves creating protective spaces where people and creativity can flourish Psychoanalysis offers ways to understand the hidden dynamics shaping organisational life Relational intelligence matters more than purely technical expertise Organisations often absorb and enact wider societal anxieties and fractures Creativity, art and dialogue are essential to organisational and societal health Experiential learning creates deeper awareness than abstract theory alone Technological advancement risks intensifying alienation and loss of human contact Mental health cannot be separated from political, social and organisational conditions Healthy societies require interdependence, vulnerability and collective responsibility KeywordsPsychoanalysis, Leadership, Organisational Dynamics, Tavistock, Anton Obholzer, Simon Western, Eco-Leadership, Relational Intelligence, Systems Thinking, Emotional Containment, Group Relations, Society, Human Connection, Organisational Culture, Creativity, Vulnerability, Interdependence.Brief BioDr. Anton Obholzer is a psychiatrist, Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and both a child and adult psychoanalyst, trained at the Tavistock Clinic and the Institute of Psychoanalysis in London. Alongside his clinical work, he trained as an organisational consultant under Eric Miller at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, helping pioneer the application of psychoanalytic thinking to organisations, leadership, and institutional life.Until 2002, he served as Chief Executive of the Tavistock & Portman Clinics in London and continues as Chairman of the Consulting to Institutions Workshop and Senior Consultant in the Tavistock Consultancy Service. He has designed and directed group relations and management conferences internationally, and lectures widely on organisational change, leadership, and resistance under conditions of stress and turbulence.A Visiting Professor at the Universities of Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck, faculty member at INSEAD's Advanced Management Programme, and teacher across Europe, Dr. Obholzer has spent decades exploring the unconscious dynamics that shape organisations - especially when systems are under pressure.He is also the co-editor of the influential book The Unconscious at Work, a seminal text that examines how unconscious anxieties and emotional dynamics operate within organisations and institutions. His writings and publications have profoundly shaped the fields of systems psychodynamics, organisational consultancy, and leadership studies.

Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received her bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, a master's degree in poultry science, and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is in meat and poultry food safety, and she specializes in integrated pest management (IPM).  In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher [1:39] about: Why pests become more problematic for poultry operations in the spring and summer months and which pets are of particular concern How pests in preharvest poultry operations are related to food safety threats like Salmonella that persist throughout production The importance and core pillars of a robust IPM program How chemical solutions like insecticides can provide an additional layer of defense alongside strong IPM Best practices for insecticide application to maximize effectiveness and mitigate resistance Different insecticide products and how they act on insects in all life stages The benefits of working with an expert IPM and insecticide partner like Elanco to ensure effective and proper insect control, especially moving into spring and summer. Resources Elanco Poultry Food Safety Solutions Sponsored by:  Elanco We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

What are the key differences between private mining companies and publicly listed mining companies when it comes to project development, risk, and reporting? In this episode of ‪@SnowdenOptiro‬ 's Fresh Thinking podcast, Senior Consultant, Laurie Hassall speaks with Managing Consultant, Julian Aldridge, about how private companies approach mining project economics compared with companies reporting under the CRIRSCO framework. The discussion covers: CRIRSCO Code compliance and disclosure requirements Investor protection and technical defensibility Resource and reserve classification Mining project economics and financing strategies Risk appetite in private vs public companies ESG considerations in modern mining projects How reporting standards influence mine development decisions This episode provides valuable insight for mining professionals, investors, geologists, engineers, and anyone involved in mineral resource development and project evaluation.

In this insightful episode, Stacey Bailey, Senior Consultant & Executive Coach of The Intention Collective, shares how creative founders can successfully lead their first team in stage 3. If you feel frustrated that no one else can keep up, think like you, or deliver the way you do, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- Why expecting your team to think and work like you creates unnecessary struggle and misalignment- How to create clarity around vision and expectations so everyone rows in the same direction- What it takes to build real trust and give effective feedback instead of being “nice.”This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizStacey Bailey is a leadership coach, strategist, and facilitator who helps entrepreneurs and creative leaders build businesses with heart. A certified System and Soul™ Implementor and Dare to Lead™ Certified professional, she brings more than 15 years of experience in leadership and operations within the creative services industry. Today, through Intention Collective, Stacey partners with founders and leadership teams of creative agencies generating $1M–$15M in revenue to build scalable, values-driven businesses. Her expertise includes leadership development, operational alignment, and strategic planning, and she has successfully supported organizations through private equity transitions, B Corp certification, and international expansion. Want to learn more about Stacey Bailey's work at The Intention Collective? Check out his website at https://intentioncollective.co/Email her at stacey@intentioncollective.coCheck out Stacey's personal website at https://www.stacey-bailey.com/ Connect with Stacey through her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceylbailey/Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you're a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you're doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

Employee engagement across Christian-led organizations has reached its highest level in 15 years. Yet nearly 4 in 10 employees still cannot bring their best to work each day. In this episode, Dr. Doug Waldo, Research Director and Senior Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explains what the 2026 State of the Christian Workplace Report reveals about trust in leadership, employee voice, and the organizational barriers that still limit engagement—and what leaders can do about them. You'll gain insight on: • why 61% engagement represents meaningful progress across Christian workplaces • how disengagement quietly reduces organizational capacity • the trust signals employees are looking for from leaders today • why giving staff a stronger voice improves engagement outcomes

In this episode of the Future of the Firm podcast, Natasha Cambell, Principal Consultant at Source, and Nicola Kostrzewska, Senior Consultant at Source, join Emma Carroll, Head of Client Voice, to explore the themes and findings of the latest Quality Ratings of Thought Leadership report.  Natasha and Nicola share insights that challenge the industry to rethink how content is created and activated to stand out in an increasingly crowded market and overcome the much-discussed "sea of sameness".  They address questions including:  What does great quality thought leadership look like from the perspective of senior buyers?  How is the rise of AI fuelling demand for innovation and making extreme audience specificity the most successful strategy for differentiation?   What made top-tier campaigns so provocative and successful?   Why do most clients rank "having a sense of how firms can help" as such a crucial attribute of thought leadership, and how can firms demonstrate this without resorting to a hard sell?   How can thought leadership teams consistently adopt an audience-first approach to build empathy with executives?  If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In the latest podcast episode, we spoke to Andrea Lattimore, Global Director – Compliance & Business Integrity at Vodafone, to explore how trust can be leveraged as a driver of growth and resilience in a global organisation.   

On this episode Gil and Gregg welcome Dr. Sai Praveen Haranath, Senior Vice President for Medical and Strategy at Apollo HealthAxis and Senior Consultant in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. Their conversation picks up where a chance green-room meeting at BioAsia 2026 left off. What follows is a candid, wide-ranging dialogue on the future of medicine: tele-critical care delivered from a command center in India to hospitals in rural America and the island of Fiji; AI tools that could restore empathy to time-starved clinicians; a 4.5-billion-person global access gap that demands urgent innovation; and Apollo's four-decade bet that prevention, technology, and human connection belong together. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. 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

In this episode of #AfriCanGeopardy

Durante décadas, a mentoria foi um caminho de sentido único: a experiência ensinava a juventude. Mas em 2026, com a aceleração tecnológica e a mudança de valores sociais, o jogo mudou. A "mentoria inversa" é hoje uma das ferramentas mais poderosas para revitalizar carreiras e modernizar empresas.Neste episódio, a Rita Patrícia Machado, Senior Consultant na Randstad Portugal, explica como as soft skills nativas da Geração Z — da agilidade digital à transparência radical — podem (e devem) ser aproveitadas por profissionais de todas as idades.Neste episódio, vais descobrir:O conceito de Mentoria Inversa: Porque é que as empresas mais competitivas estão a inverter a pirâmide da aprendizagem.Agilidade Digital: Como "beber" da facilidade tecnológica dos mais novos sem receio.Fim do "Sempre foi assim": Usar o espírito crítico dos novos talentos para inovar em processos estagnados.Performance vs. Bem-estar: As lições da Gen Z sobre saúde mental e prevenção de burnout.Liderança e Hierarquia: Como abordar um colega mais jovem para aprender sem perder a autoridade.Combate ao Idadismo: De que forma o mix geracional cria equipas mais resilientes e preparadas para o futuro (IA, Sustentabilidade e Diversidade).Aprende a olhar para o lado e a crescer com quem vê o mundo de uma forma diferente.Encontra a Randstad nas seguintes plataformas: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

As health systems increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools across clinical, operational, and administrative functions, legal and compliance teams are being asked to navigate new and complex questions around contracting, risk allocation, data use, and regulatory uncertainty. Zach Stephens, Senior Consultant, Clearwater, speaks with Carolyn Metnick, Partner, Sheppard, and Lauren Edelman Willens, Senior Counsel, Henry Ford Health, about why AI contracting is different, how organizations are responding, where vendors are pushing back, top “must ask” due diligence questions for AI vendors, the biggest pressure points around data rights and use, issues related to risk and liability, contracting strategies that are proving especially valuable, and common mistakes. Sponsored by Clearwater.Watch this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DplWjIIduILearn more about Clearwater: https://clearwatersecurity.com/ Essential Legal Updates, Now in AudioAHLA's popular Health Law Daily email newsletter is now a daily podcast, exclusively for AHLA Comprehensive 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 EducationLearn more about AHLA and the educational resources available to the health law community at https://www.americanhealthlaw.org/. 

I speak with Richard Fryer in this week's episode. Richard is a psychologist working in high performance sport in Australia. Richard works with many of Australia's highest profile sporting teams and athletes and has supported Australians at five Olympic and Paralympic Games. Richard's passion is helping individuals, teams, and organisations achieve their performance potential. Richard is a Senior Consultant with the Australian Institute of Sport, helping national sporting organisations design mental performance programs for athletes and coaches. Coming from a background in rowing coaching, Richard is passionate about helping coaches build their skills in the mental side of coaching performance. In this episode we discuss a paper Richard led which examines coaching under pressure.

Show notes  As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you would like to be a patron of the podcast and feel like nobility funding the podcasting arts, I would like to encourage such sentiments! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm If you are interested in the plot of the film you can read an overview on the wikipedia page here.  In 1953 writer Ray Bradbury released his magnum opus Fahrenheit 451. It quickly became a widely acclaimed cautionary tale about the dangers of censorship, authoritarianism and the effects of mass media on human ideas and connection.  One of the most prominent science fiction books it is easy to understand why François Truffaut, one of the French New Wave's most prominent directors, became utterly focused on making the story into a film.  The process had its challenges with producers, funding and a casting changes causing delays. The film was finally wrapped up and released in 1966 to both positive and negative reviews. It is an interesting watch if not a gripping one and my two expert guests unravel the ins and outs of how it came to be.  Ian Scott is a Professor of American Film and History at The University of Manchester. He has written extensively about politics and film in Hollywood including the book American Politics in Hollywood Film. Phil Nichols is a visiting lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton and a researcher with a special interest in Ray Bradbury. He is Senior Consultant to the Ray Bradbury Centre at Indiana University and editor of The New Ray Bradbury Review. He is also the man behind the Bradbury 100 podcast and the Science Fiction 101 podcas Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:32 Fahrenheit 451: a sci-fi heavyweight 04:36 Truffaut and the book 11:03 Suburban scifi in the mid century 13:33 Politics of the story 15:07 Truffaut's perspective 20:01 Julie Christie's double role 26:50 Searching for Montag 34:29 Burning with her books 39:12 Bernard Herrmann's score 40:40 The 2018 remake 49:56 Bradbury's stage play 51:37 Recommendations     Recommendations: Never Let Me Go (2010) The Wild Child (1970)   NEXT EPISODE! Next episode we will be discussing Fantastic Voyage from 1966! The film is annoyingly a little tricky to find online but can be rented easily on mainstream platforms in some countries. You can check the Just Watch website to see where it is available in your region.          

Susie Silver, CDE, joins Donald Thompson to make the ROI case for psychological safety, belonging, and people-first culture at scale." — used by Google Podcasts and podcast SEO toolsSummaryPsychological safety is not a perk — it is a performance strategy that drives measurable business results.In this episode, Donald Thompson sits down with his colleague and workplace consultant Susie Silver, a Certified Diversity Executive and Senior Consultant at the Workplace Options Center for Organizational Effectiveness. Drawing from her background in fine arts, education, and nearly two decades of consulting, Susie breaks down how the most successful organizations are the ones that treat human insight as a business asset, not an afterthought.Episode Long DescriptionIn this episode of High Octane Leadership, Donald Thompson and his colleague Susie Silver answer what people-first leadership actually means for executives who are accountable to both a culture scorecard and a financial one.In this episode of High Octane Leadership, Donald and Susie pull back the curtain on what it looks like to build a culture of psychological safety from the inside out, including including the specific story of how Susie's team pitched a microlearning program, earned Donald's buy-in at The Diversity Movement, and scaled it into a seven-figure opportunity. That is not a feel-good story. That is what happens when a leader creates the conditions for people to bring their best thinking.They also dig into what leaders get wrong about "bring your authentic self," why women leaders are often set up to fail by the very phrases meant to empower them, and how to balance the culture conversation with the financial conversation without sacrificing either one.This episode is built for HR executives, CHROs, and senior leaders who need the business case for culture — not just the philosophy.Key Talking Points:Human Insight as Strategy: How do you measure belonging the same way you measure revenue, and what are leaders who skip this step consistently getting wrong? The Micro-Training Revolution: What happened when one team replaced all-day workshops with 30-minute Monday sessions — and why 70% of an entire workforce, including the CEO, showed up every time?Psychological Safety in Practice: What does psychological safety actually require from a manager on a Tuesday morning, when the stakes are real and the buzzwords are useless?The "Be Bold" Lie: Why telling underrepresented leaders to bring their authentic selves — without redesigning the environment they are walking into — is one of the most damaging things a well-meaning organization can do?Empathy and Economics: What do organizations that treat culture and performance as competing priorities consistently get wrong — and what are the leaders winning right now doing instead?Chapter Markers0:00 - Intro: Susie Silver02:15 - From Fine Arts to the Boardroom: Susie's Journey05:00 - Translating Human Insight Into Business Strategy07:30 - What Psychological Safety Actually Looks Like in Practice10:00 - Teaching Employees to Speak the Language of Leadership13:00 - The Micro-Training Pilot: From Idea to Seven Figures18:00 - Stop Debating. Start Testing. Let the Data Lead.20:00 - Parenting in Unprecedented Times and What Leaders Can Learn From It24:00 - Flexibility Is Not a Weakness. It Is a Leadership Tool.27:00 - How Susie Consumes Information and Stays Current30:00 - The "Be Bold" Lie: What Women Leaders Are Really Up Against34:00 - How to Interrupt Bias in the Room in Real Time37:00 - You Do Not Have to Choose Between Empathy and EconomicsAbout the GuestSusie Silver is the rare workplace strategist whose frameworks were not built in a business school, they were built in fine arts studios, public school classrooms, and the kind of organizations where belonging was treated as a luxury until she made it a line item. Susie spent 18 years in fine arts education before realizing the most broken learning environments were inside corporations — and that career pivot became the foundation of her work as a Certified Diversity Executive and Senior Consultant at the Workplace Options Center for Organizational Effectiveness. With a background in fine arts, education, and nearly 18 years in the classroom, Susie pivoted into organizational consulting focused on psychological safety, inclusive culture, and LGBTQ plus inclusion. A serial entrepreneur and passionate advocate for building workplaces where people and performance thrive together, Susie brings a rare combination of creative thinking, business acumen, and real-world data to every engagement.Resources:Donald Thompson LinkedInDonald's Books: https://donaldthompson.com/books-resources/The Center for Organizational Effectiveness by Workplace Options Website Susie Silver LinkedInWorkplace Options 2026 Psychological Safety Study: https://psychsafety.workplaceoptions.com/resource/the-coe-2026-psychological-safety-study/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=psych_safety Stay connected with Donald: Get Donald's newsletter that is packed with actionable insights, and the kind of straight-talk leadership intelligence that helps build authority, drive performance, and stay ahead of what is coming next: donaldthompson.com.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldthompsonjrSubscribe on SubStack: https://substack.com/@donaldthompsonjr High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence.Order UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO'S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS, by Donald Thompson.

This week, we revisit our interview with Ann Hatcher. Ann is a Senior Consultant at Thrivence, based in Nashville, with more than 25 years' experience in all areas of human capital. Prior to joining Thrivence in 2022, Ann was the Chief HR Officer at Wellpath, a $2B private-equity backed healthcare company contracting with state and local governments. At Wellpath, Ann built a scalable HR function to support company growth. Prior to Wellpath, Ann held multiple VP roles at HCA Healthcare, one of the nation's largest publicly traded hospital companies. Ann received a bachelor's degree in economics from Washington & Lee University and Master of Business Administration from Belmont University. She serves on the board of the Urban League of Middle TN. She serves as Adjunct Faculty at Vanderbilt University's Master of Leadership and Organizational Performance. Ann and her husband Scott reside in Nashville, where they are cheering on their recent college graduate son Joseph.

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. Heather Staines, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, talks with Lorcan Dempsey. Lorcan is a librarian, consultant, writer, advisor and keynote speaker at the 2025 Charleston Conference. Lorcan has had a long, distinguished career beginning over 30 years ago in public libraries in Ireland, to working at the Centre for Catalogue Research at the University of Bath to JISC and then to OCLC for over 21 years where he worked in research, served as chief strategist and Vice President. He is currently a visiting professor at the University of Washington.  In this conversation, Lorcan explains why he feels that library education should think about libraries as social organizations, and in that context, a set of skills that would be required to manage them as social organizations, very much embedded within the environments they serve. He also talks about the importance of the role of library directors as storytellers to explain the library's value, the fragmented state of libraries, and how it hinders collective infrastructure, how the move to the cloud changed the relationship between libraries and vendors, the complexities of libraries sharing systems and data within those systems and managing the collective resource. Lastly, he talks about his teaching experience and the current trends he is seeing with recruitment within libraries. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/LZKrbox9USs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorcand/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaines/ Twitter: Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #KatinaMagazine #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

“If you understand your members, you'll know what products and services to offer.” - Rob NewberryThank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.My guest on today's show is Rob Newberry, Senior Consultant at Abrigo. Rob's story begins about as far from finance as you can get—on a dairy farm in rural Iowa. His perspective was shaped not by what he wanted to become, but by what he knew he didn't, and that path eventually led him from an entry-level role in the mortgage industry, to a VP position at Wells Fargo, and later to building a company of his own focused on supporting credit unions and community banks!In our conversation, Rob calls attention to something that feels increasingly rare in financial services: genuine human connection. He deconstructs why relationship lending still matters and why the best lenders aren't the ones chasing the lowest rate but rather the ones who truly understand their members. His “Know Your Members” mindset is a practical way to think about risk, retention, and long-term value. We also get into the conflict that can come up between efficiency and authenticity. With AI reshaping workflows on the daily—from loan write-ups to risk analysis—Rob offers a fresh but grounded take on what technology can and can't do.As we wrap up the episode, Rob shares his thoughts on effective leadership, where in the world he would like to travel, and his love for live music. Enjoy my conversation with Rob Newberry!Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.Connect with Rob:Rob Newberry, Senior Consultant at Abrigoabrigo.com Rob: LinkedInAbrigo: LinkedInBook mentioned: StrengthsFinder 2.0 by GallupFilm mentioned: The Terminator

What if we've been teaching Latin and Greek all wrong?In this episode of the Anchored Podcast, Soren Schwab sits down with Guillermo Dillon, Senior Consultant in the U.S. for the Polis Institute, to discuss why the future of Latin and Ancient Greek depends on something bigger than textbooks, but on our understanding of why these languages must be kept alive.Guillermo makes the case that Greek and Latin should not be treated as “dead languages” or mere tools for boosting test scores, but as living gateways into the intellectual tradition of the West—the "Republic of Letters", as the American Founding Fathers referred to it.From spoken Latin and immersive pedagogy to the growing demand for trained classical language teachers, this conversation explores what it would look like to teach ancient languages as languages once again.Be sure to check out Guillermo Dillon's forthcoming book, a practical teacher's guide designed to help educators teach "Unus, Duo, Tres" using a communicative, immersive Latin method. This resource is built specifically to help schools and teachers bring spoken Latin into the classroom with confidence.Learn more about Guillermo and the Polis Institute here:https://www.polisjerusalem.org/https://www.polisjerusalem.org/resource/unus-duo-tres-latine-loquamur-per-scaenas-et-imagines/Timestamps00:40 – Introduction & Guest Background02:54 – Guillermo's Educational Journey05:16 – Growing Up Bilingual & Learning Languages07:12 – Discovering Spoken Latin10:50 – Why Learn Latin and Greek?16:56 – Why Speaking Latin Matters17:01 – The POLIS Institute & Its Mission19:56 – The Classical Education Teacher Shortage25:51 – Training Teachers, Not Just Buying Curriculum30:25 – Advice for Schools Starting Latin Programs34:30 – Guillermo's New Book & *Unus, Duo, Tres*38:35 – Teacher Success Stories40:47 – A Book That Changed Guillermo's Life: *Antigone*43:38 – Final Thoughts & Closing#AnchoredPodcast #ClassicLearningTest #Latin #AncientGreek #ClassicalEducation #Humanities #GreatBooks #POLISInstitute #LiberalArts #TeacherTraining

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.  Heather Staines, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, talks with Elizabeth Bik, Science Integrity Consultant and Microbiologist. Elisabeth is a prominent microbiologist and renowned investigator into scientific misconduct, particularly the manipulation and falsification of research data. She has uncovered issues in over 7,000 scientific papers, resulting in more than 1,000 retractions. Her work has gained international attention, earning her the 2021 John Maddox Prize. In this conversation, Elizabeth shares with Heather about her early work in the field of microbiology with dolphins and discovering plagiarism of her own work using Google Scholar which began her drive to become a "scientific sleuth." In 2014, she began searching for not only plagiarism but also for images that had been duplicated. In 2019, she quit her job to work full time as a consultant to investigate cases for scientific publishers.   She talks about her frustrations over the slowness in correction or retraction, or complete lack thereof, and says that only about one-third of the papers she identified had been corrected or retracted after 5 years. She also talks about a human using their eyes to find duplications vs. AI tools designed to detect duplications or other problems within scientific papers. Elizabeth says there is often a battle between the tools to find misconduct versus tools to create or enable misconduct, create fraudulent data sets and fake AI photos that are very difficult to detect.  Elizabeth says she will continue to work diligently to raise awareness of scientific misconduct in its many different forms. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/kOOtgsI1CUg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-bik-4376782/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaines/ Twitter: Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #KatinaMagazine #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

In dieser Folge von career to go ist Alexander Rösler von Deloitte zu Gast. Alexander ist über ein Praktikum eingestiegen und heute Senior Consultant im Bereich Strategy, Risk & Transactions – mit Fokus auf Transaction Diligence. Alexander gibt authentische Insights: Wie läuft ein Financial Due Diligence Projekt ab, was sind hierbei die wichtigsten Themen und welche Skills helfen dir beim Einstieg?

What does it take to build a restoration company that doesn't rely on you?In this episode of The Restoration Master Class, in partnership with DocuSketch, special guests Ben Justesen, Enterprise Solutions Consultant at DocuSketch and Chris Laney, Senior Consultant at Midwest Remediation, break down how to move from owner-dependent to system-driven—with clear processes, better documentation, and stronger leadership.Learn how to streamline operations from first call to final invoice, leverage centralized estimating, and build a team that can execute without constant oversight.

What does it take to build a restoration company that doesn't rely on you?In this episode of The Restoration Master Class, in partnership with DocuSketch, special guests Ben Justesen, Enterprise Solutions Consultant at DocuSketch and Chris Laney, Senior Consultant at Midwest Remediation, break down how to move from owner-dependent to system-driven—with clear processes, better documentation, and stronger leadership.Learn how to streamline operations from first call to final invoice, leverage centralized estimating, and build a team that can execute without constant oversight.

A entrevista de emprego é uma rua de dois sentidos, mas muitos candidatos ainda assumem uma postura passiva. O momento em que o recrutador pergunta "Tem alguma questão?" não é apenas uma cortesia, é a tua maior oportunidade para te diferenciares e mostrares que tens visão estratégica.Neste episódio, a Gisela Pina, Senior Consultant na Randstad Portugal, revela as perguntas fundamentais que mostram que não procuras apenas um emprego, mas sim um projeto onde possas ter impacto real.Neste episódio, vamos analisar:o fator de desempate: por que razão não ter perguntas pode ser um sinal vermelho para o recrutador.foco no impacto: como passar da logística e benefícios para a estratégia e resultados.as 5 perguntas de ouro:expectativas de sucesso nos primeiros 6 meses.os desafios reais da equipa.cultura e valores sem parecer um interrogatório.o que diferencia um colaborador bom de um excecional.visão de futuro e alinhamento de carreira.preparação natural: como levar estas questões preparadas sem parecer que estás a seguir um guião decorado.Não saias da próxima entrevista sem as respostas que precisas para decidir o teu futuro.Encontra a Randstad nas seguintes plataformas: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

Was bedeutet es, Softwarearchitekt:in zu sein? Holger Kraus, Senior Consultant bei INNOQ, und Sven Johann sprechen darüber, wie die Architektenrolle aussieht, wenn man sie nicht als Alleinentscheider:in, sondern als Facilitator begreift: jemand, der erkennt, wann Klärungsbedarf besteht, die richtigen Stakeholder zusammenbringt und dafür sorgt, dass gute Entscheidungen im Team entstehen können. Es geht um Architecture Decision Records, Mikro- und Makroarchitektur und die Frage, welche innere Haltung gute Entscheidungskultur im Team erst möglich macht.

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.  Heather Staines, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, talks with Lucy Santos Green, Director, Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of Iowa. In this conversation, Lucy shares with Heather the myriad of details of her current role, which she says involves working with faculty to develop and implement the SLIS (school of library and information science) strategic plan, leading innovation in the curriculum and making sure that it responds to current market needs, managing the school's budget, all of the financial allocations, overseeing facilities,  hiring, performance evaluations for staff, tenure and promotion for faculty, HR resources and awards associated with SLIS, promoting and fund raising, encouraging and advocating for faculty and students, establishing and maintaining strong external partnerships and making sure that everyone is living and experiencing a welcoming and fair work and educational environment. Lucy also shares what her middle school librarian did that made her want to be a librarian, her later career journey from being a choir teacher into librarianship, and the overlap between these two jobs.   She went on to earn her MLIS at Texas Women's University and later a doctorate at Texas Tech in Instructional Technology with a focus on technology enabled learning and online pedagogy and became a professor of instructional technology.  Lucy also talks about the session in which she presented at the 2025 Charleston Conference. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/8IefVrpZ8wY Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-santos-green-376322272/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaines/ 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

When a fire or an accident with injuries occur, we instinctively call 911. In this episode, we will learn how to build a home or business maintenance 911 team to handle sudden emergencies like trees hitting the roof to broken water pipes and planned improvements and repairs. Get ready to get organized to be prepared and confident in maintaining, repairing and improving your home or business! Ed Hill, founder and host of MemphisHomeMaintenanceShow is also Senior Consultant with Masters Roofing Memphis and can be reached for inspections and estimates for roofing and exterior repairs at 901-273-6594. This episode is intended for educational purposes. Always seek advice from competent professionals and trades people. #news #memphis #memphisroofingcompanies #bartletttn #lakelandtn Photo attribution: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/cellphone

Carol Emerson Hill and I, who have both officially "retired," discuss how we personally have fared through this transition.  In our careers we have counselled many people about retirement and now have to go through it ourselves.  Carol's credentials are stellar as she worked in aspects of career management. Here are just some of her skills and experience: Senior Consultant, Career Management, Executive Coach | Career Coach | Resume & Interview   Consultant, Career & Retirement Management, Executive Coach | Career Coach | Resume & Interview Coaching. Right Management, global leader in talent and career management workforce solutions within Manpower Right Management, global leader in talent and career management Senior Career Consultant, Career Management, Silicon Valley 2011- 2019. Carol can be reached at  lilacjean55@gmail.com 

As states begin to take up the U.S. Secretary of Education's offer to apply for waivers to their obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, there are significant implications for English Learner (EL) students around the country. In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Education issued a letter encouraging states to seek waivers to their federal mandate to improve student academic achievement and maximize the impact of federal education funding. One state, Iowa, received waiver approval, and several other states have begun the waiver request process.  ESSA outlines statutory requirements that not only fund public education, but also provide guardrails to ensure all students, regardless of their background or community, have access to a quality education that prepares them to achieve in today's world. The law also grants the Secretary of Education the authority to waive certain requirements outlined in the law, which has long been viewed as ensuring that ELs and all other students receive an equitable, quality education.  While states have long had the ability to seek waivers, the Trump administration's efforts to end the federal role in education, including by diminishing civil-rights oversight of schools, and attempts to cut program funding for particular populations, such as ELs, underscore the importance of understanding the potential implications of these actions for ELs and their communities. This webinar brings together a panel of experts to discuss the ESSA waiver process and requirements, an overview of current state waivers and their objectives, and what these developments mean in practice for ELs and the schools they attend.    Speakers include: Megan Hopkins, Professor & Chair, Department of Education Studies, University of California, San Diego Trish Morita-Mullaney, Professor, English Language Learning, Purdue University Dave Powell, Senior Consultant, Education First Delia Pompa, Senior Fellow for Education Policy, MPI   More information: www.migrationpolicy.org

Building Healthy Leadership Teams: Strategic Insights from Stacey Bailey of The Intention CollectiveIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Stacey Bailey, Senior Consultant at The Intention Collective, to explore the foundational elements of high-performing organizational culture. Stacey, an expert executive coach, shared how small to medium-sized businesses can move past the friction of "moving goalposts" to establish sustainable growth through clear strategic planning. Their conversation provides a masterclass for founders and executives on how to bridge the gap between visionary thinking and daily execution by fostering deep clarity and robust accountability rituals.Cultivating Operational Excellence Through Clarity and 90-Day RhythmsFor many entrepreneurs, the greatest barrier to scaling is not a lack of vision, but a lack of consistent operational rhythm. Stacey explains that clarity is the cornerstone of a healthy leadership team; without it, ambiguity breeds resentment and stalls momentum. When leaders fail to be explicit about expectations, they inadvertently create "unkind" environments where team members feel set up for failure. By adopting a "clear is kind" philosophy, organizations can eliminate the hidden friction that slows down decision-making and project delivery, allowing the team to move in unison toward a shared objective.A central framework discussed in the episode is the implementation of 90-day planning rhythms. Human attention spans and motivation levels naturally fluctuate, often waning after approximately three months. By breaking down annual visions into quarterly sprints, leaders can maintain high levels of engagement while remaining agile enough to pivot based on real-world data. This structure prevents the common visionary trap of constantly shifting priorities mid-stream, which often leads to team burnout. Instead, a defined 90-day finish line provides the team with a predictable cadence of "doing" and "reflecting," ensuring that progress is documented and celebrated before the next set of goals is established.Ultimately, building a resilient leadership team requires a commitment to "frustration tolerance" and a growth mindset. Stacey uses the metaphor of learning a new craft to describe the leadership journey—it requires patience, a willingness to make visible mistakes, and the discipline to stick with a process until it yields results. Accountability in this context isn't about micromanagement; it is about creating a "system and soul" toolkit where feedback loops and weekly check-ins become the lifeblood of the culture. When leaders model vulnerability and invite honest critique, they build the psychological safety necessary for their teams to innovate and take the calculated risks required for long-term market leadership.About Stacey Bailey: Stacey Bailey is a Senior Consultant and executive coach at The Intention Collective. With a background in helping diverse organizations navigate growth and change, she specializes in helping leadership teams align their internal culture with their external strategic goals. She is a proponent of using structured rhythms to drive both professional excellence and personal fulfillment.About The Intention Collective: The Intention Collective is a consultancy dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses build healthy, high-performing cultures. By combining strategic planning with leadership development, they provide organizations with the tools to create clarity, implement accountability, and drive sustainable growth. Their "System and Soul" approach ensures that both the tactical and human elements of a business are optimized for success.Links Mentioned in This Episode:The Intention Collective Official WebsiteStacey Bailey on LinkedInKey Episode HighlightsFrustration Tolerance in Leadership: Why embracing the "messy middle" of learning new skills builds the resilience needed to lead through uncertainty.The Clarity Mandate: Implementing Brené Brown's "Clear is Kind" principle to eliminate team resentment and improve execution.90-Day Sprint Rhythms: How to align organizational goals with natural human attention spans to maintain year-round momentum.Defining "Done": Strategies for founders to stop moving the goalposts and start celebrating measurable milestones with their teams.System and Soul Toolkit: Creating feedback rituals that move accountability from a chore to a core cultural value.ConclusionThe conversation with Stacey Bailey highlights that organizational health is a continuous practice, not a destination. By committing to clear communication and structured planning cycles, leaders can transform their teams from a group of individuals into a cohesive, high-impact leadership unit.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

Technology is transforming how we live and work, and artificial intelligence is reshaping Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) in profound ways. In this episode, host Angie Dickson, President of the Inogen Alliance and EVP of Antea Group USA, is joined by Charlotte Buffoni, EHS Practice Director at Antea Group UK, Julie Kreger King, Senior Consultant and Technology Segment Leader at Antea Group USA, and Karl Huntzicker, Global VP of Health and Safety at Salesforce. Together they discuss how AI is being integrated into EHS practices, the challenges of trust and accuracy, the impact on the workforce, and the evolving role of EHS professionals in this new era. --------- Guest Quotes “AI is not the end all, be all… it needs to be guided, trained, and managed by humans consistently in order for it to be effective and accurate.” – Karl “Using AI can allow EHS teams to move away from repetitive tasks… freeing them up to focus more on strategic initiatives and stakeholder engagement.” – Charlotte “It's an iterative process. The more time you spend engaging with AI, the more comfortable and effective you become. Every EHS professional needs to start that journey now.” – Julie --------- Time Stamps 01:02 Introducing Guests and Setting the Stage 02:54 How EHS Teams Are Using AI Today 06:09 Practical Applications and Early Wins in Tech 09:40 Regulatory Research and Policy Challenges 15:23 Impacts of AI on the Workforce 20:26 New Skills and Mindsets for EHS Professionals 26:28 Benefits, Risks, and Emerging Industry Practices 30:26 Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in EHS --------- Sponsor copy Rethinking 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/resources Inogenalliance.com/podcast  Angie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angeliquedickson/  Charlotte on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-buffoni-a42b9629/  Julie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-kreger-king/  Karl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlhuntzicker/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

BACK in 2004. I took our kids back to Africa in 2004. Here's what happened. Due to a minor plane crash and having to make the trip overland, our kids went on into the Congo and I stayed behind with no plans for the week in the Central African Republic. THEN the invitations poured in! I happily taught many groups, pastors, deaconesses, school teachers, night watchmen and even high government officials! They were trilled at the positive news of Eden!NOW in 2026! We have two special events coming up! YOU are invited to our Event at the HQ of the American Bible Society on March 21 2026! We'll be presenting the Tru316 Medallion Award to ABS President Dr. Jennifer Holloran and our Keynote speaker will be Dr. Beverly Nyberg! Dr. Nyberg studied at the University of Nebraska and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. she has been Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University and Senior Consultant at Common Root Consulting. At the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) State Dept. she for 11 years she was responsible for the US Government global programs for children affect by HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR. She also had served with the Peace Corps in Africa and provided field leadership in DR Congo with The Evangelical Free Church Mission. The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Welcome to Automating Quality, the life sciences–focused show that bridges the gap between automation and quality management. In this episode, our host Philippe welcomes Paul Michel, Senior Consultant at SkillPad, with over 27 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, including more than two decades in manufacturing. Paul specializes in GMP training, compliance readiness, and supporting organizations through the complexities of product development and commercial manufacturing. Together, they explore the realities of GxP compliance in biopharma manufacturing — from the scientific complexity of biologics and evolving regulatory expectations to the growing demand for specialized quality skills and the expanding role of CDMOs. The conversation highlights how automation, digital maturity, and strong quality foundations are becoming essential to sustain growth in this fast-evolving sector.   Key Takeaways 02:11 Why biologics manufacturing is fundamentally more complex than small molecule production 04:10 How living cell systems introduce variability and demand tight process control 05:29 Why scale-up in biomanufacturing is scientifically challenging and risk-prone 10:00 The role of ICH Q5 guidelines and comparability studies in biologics compliance 13:06 The growing demand for advanced quality skills in biologics and digital environments 17:18 How modern CDMOs enable faster development from DNA to IND through platform approaches 20:47 Why automation and digitalization are critical to closing the CDMO capacity gap   Contact Paul Michel on LinkedIn here: Paul Michel (He/Him) | LinkedIn Contact us at solabs-podcast@solabs.com for questions or feedback!

Martin Runow en Costa Rica.

In this February 2026 episode, MSS intern Cheri Mitchell interviews Maddy Day, Proprietor and Senior Consultant of Maddy Day, LLC & Associates, and co-Founder and co-Chair of FAAN (Fostering Academic Achievement Nationwide). Influenced by her family's deep ties to child welfare, Maddy gained early insight into the realities facing non‑traditional families. Her career path ultimately led to the creation of FAAN in 2016, a network that grew from informal cross‑state conversations among practitioners that now includes more than twenty states. Maddy's journey and FAAN's expansion underscore the impact of connection, reliable data, persistent advocacy, and the importance of listening to students in creating equitable educational pathways for youth with experience in foster care.

On 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. 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/

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.

Podcast: CanadianSME Small Business PodcastEpisode: From Controls to Control: The Governance Imperative in OT / Critical Infrastructure CybersecurityPub date: 2026-01-13Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationWelcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by SK Uddin. Today we explore the world of Industrial Cybersecurity and how businesses can safeguard critical infrastructure in an increasingly connected environment.Our guest is Denrich Sananda, Managing Partner and Senior Consultant at Arista Cyber, a Harvard Business School alumnus and member of the ISA 62443 standard committee. Denrich and his team specialize in protecting Industrial Control Systems by ensuring cybersecurity, reliability, and uptime work in harmony.Key HighlightsGovernance & Standards: Denrich explains why frameworks like IEC 62443 and NIST CSF 2.0 are essential in OT environments. Leadership & Turnaround: He shares the key mindset shift that drove a major multi million euro corporate turnaround. Cybersecurity & Safety: Denrich breaks down how Arista Cyber unites cybersecurity, reliability, and functional safety. Resilience Roadmaps: He outlines layered security approaches like the Purdue Model and Industrial Threat Detection. Global Vision: Denrich discusses TÜV certification and Arista Cyber's long term mission to protect global critical infrastructure.Special Thanks to Our Partners:UPS: https://solutions.ups.com/ca-beunstoppable.html?WT.mc_id=BUSMEWAGoogle: https://www.google.ca/A1 Global College: https://a1globalcollege.ca/ADP Canada: https://www.adp.ca/en.aspxFor more expert insights, visit www.canadiansme.ca and subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Stay innovative, stay informed, and thrive in the digital age!Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from SK Uddin, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Clare Museum's Lecture Series present a talk by Bryn Coldrick and Tom Cassidy's ‘The Forgotten Defenders - Pillboxes of the Shannon Estuary.' It will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. This talk will present the findings of archaeological and built heritage investigations, historical research, and community engagement being carried out on World War Two-era pillboxes in the vicinity of the Shannon Estuary. On Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Bryn Coldrick, Senior Consultant with Archaeological Management Solutions based in Kilrush. Photo (c) Clare County Council

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

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

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. 

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

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.