Podcasts about smes

"Be authentic. If it doesn't feel right inside, don't post it." – Amy WenhamIn this episode, I sat down with Amy Wenham, founder of the Women's Business Network (WBN) in Ho Chi Minh City, to talk about one of my favourite topics—authentic content marketing.The conversation made me reflect on my own content. We talked about the podcast studio, the countless hours spent setting up lights and cables, and how I'd often forgotten to share the journey behind the finished product. It reminded me that people don't just want to see the final result—they want to understand the work that got you there.If you're a business owner, marketer, or content creator trying to build a genuine connection with your audience, this episode is packed with practical advice you can start using today.Key Takeaways:How Amy grew the Women's Business Network from just 23 members to more than 900 without paying for advertising.Why authentic stories consistently outperform polished, "perfect" content.The biggest content marketing mistakes SMEs make and how to avoid them.How to use AI without losing your own voice and personality.Why podcasting is one of the most powerful tools for creating authentic, long-form content.Chapters and timestamps:00:00 – Rapid-fire questions and why authenticity beats viral marketing04:00 – Why sharing challenges creates stronger engagement than polished content08:30 – Listening to your community and creating content your audience actually wants14:00 – The biggest content marketing mistakes SMEs make20:00 – AI, authenticity, and why your voice still matters26:00 – Why podcasting is the perfect format for authentic content marketingSend us Fan MailBook a free call with me here to help you create the best podcast possible! Book your free studio tour today! Email me (niall@sevenmillionbikes.com) or contact me on Seven Million Bikes Podcasts Facebook or Instagram to book your free Podcast Audit!

"Be authentic. If it doesn't feel right inside, don't post it." – Amy WenhamIn this episode, I sat down with Amy Wenham, founder of the Women's Business Network (WBN) in Ho Chi Minh City, to talk about one of my favourite topics—authentic content marketing.The conversation made me reflect on my own content. We talked about the podcast studio, the countless hours spent setting up lights and cables, and how I'd often forgotten to share the journey behind the finished product. It reminded me that people don't just want to see the final result—they want to understand the work that got you there.If you're a business owner, marketer, or content creator trying to build a genuine connection with your audience, this episode is packed with practical advice you can start using today.Key Takeaways:How Amy grew the Women's Business Network from just 23 members to more than 900 without paying for advertising.Why authentic stories consistently outperform polished, "perfect" content.The biggest content marketing mistakes SMEs make and how to avoid them.How to use AI without losing your own voice and personality.Why podcasting is one of the most powerful tools for creating authentic, long-form content.Chapters and timestamps:00:00 – Rapid-fire questions and why authenticity beats viral marketing04:00 – Why sharing challenges creates stronger engagement than polished content08:30 – Listening to your community and creating content your audience actually wants14:00 – The biggest content marketing mistakes SMEs make20:00 – AI, authenticity, and why your voice still matters26:00 – Why podcasting is the perfect format for authentic content marketing"Send me a message!"Book a free call with me here if you want to start your own podcast! Book your free tour of Saigon Podcast Studio! Support the show

Welcome to a revamped Everything Compliance. We have a new host, Adam Turteltaub, and a new panelist, Rebecca Walker, who joins returning regulars Matt Kelly, Jonathan Armstrong, and Karen Moore for the next iteration of Everything Compliance. Matt Kelly analyzes Bosch's export controls violations involving Huawei under the foreign direct product rule, resulting in a $36 million BIS penalty, DOJ declination after self-disclosure, and major remediation hiring. Karen Moore covers the UK Commercial Payments Bill, aimed at protecting SMEs via a 60-day payment cap, mandatory late-payment interest, dispute-timing rules, a stronger Small Business Commissioner, and “name and shame” disclosures with potential ESG/fraud implications for supplier-treatment claims. Rebecca Walker shares NAVEX 2026 survey findings linking leadership “say vs. do” gaps to higher violations. Jonathan Armstrong covers a recent speech by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, Graeme McNulty, who said the SFO intends to be a more active enforcer and to use the new failure-to-prevent-fraud offense with practical tips on policies, role-based training, fast tip-off response, properly resourced investigations, self-reporting, tone from the top, and third-party due diligence. Rebecca Walker focuses on speak-up culture, emphasizing post-report communications, lessons from KPMG Australia, and Navex data showing higher report volumes and longer investigation closure times. The members of Everything Compliance are: Rebecca Walker – a top legal mind in ethics and compliance. Woody can be reached at the law firm of Kaplan and Walker. Matt Kelly – Founder and CEO of Radical Compliance. Kelly can be reached at mkelly@radicalcompliance.com Jonathan Armstrong – a UK colleague and an experienced data privacy/data protection lawyer in London. He can be reached at Armstrong@puntersouthall.law. Karen Moore, a principal at Sounding Board Compliance, can be reached at moore@soundingboardcompliance.com The award-winning Everything Compliance is a part of the Compliance Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we're joined by Richard Meehan, CEO of Velico, the Boston-founded medtech company that has established its international headquarters in Ireland and is developing a groundbreaking dry plasma manufacturing system that could transform emergency trauma care around the world.From ambulances and military operations to mass casualty response, Velico's technology enables blood centres to produce spray-dried plasma that can be rehydrated within minutes when every second counts.With recent support from the French military—a global leader in dried plasma production—the company is gaining international recognition for its innovative approach.In this episode, Richard shares his journey from leadership roles across FMCG, real estate and ICT into the fast-moving world of MedTech, discusses the challenges and opportunities of scaling a healthcare technology company internationally, and explains why Ireland is playing a central role in Velico's global growth strategy.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

In this episode of the Big UC Update, UC Today's Christopher Carey sits down with Will Morey, Managing Director at Gamma, for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of the channel, the rise of AI, and what it really takes to deliver technology that works for SMEs.Will shares his journey from selling diesel to farmers to leading Gamma's channel business, and unpacks why the biggest opportunity in the industry right now isn't a product - it's helping customers figure out how to make AI actually work for their business.Topics Covered Include:Gamma's channel-first go-to-market and partner ecosystemWhy AI should be treated like electricity, not a productThe "iceberg model" — what sits below the waterline with GammaData sovereignty, compliance, and why they're suddenly front-of-mind for SMEsThe PSTN switch-off, CX, and what's next for the UC industry

What if your next tourism experience involved a hot tub on the River Shannon? Shane McCormack shares the story behind one of Athlone's most talked-about attractions and how it's helping draw more visitors to the Midlands. Maryrose Lyons explains how SMEs can embrace AI without breaking the bank, and what a new Google and Bank of Ireland scholarship programme could mean for Irish businesses. Plus, John Finn of The Treasury Hub connects the dots between Middle East conflict, rising oil prices, AI in banking and Budget 2027—revealing why global events matter more than ever to businesses across the Midlands.

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Mathew Mathews, Head of IPS Social Lab and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, about why more fathers in Singapore are taking paternity leave than ever before. As more fathers take up their full entitlement, they explore what's driving the shift, whether workplace culture is finally embracing fathers as caregivers, and the challenges businesses, especially SMEs, face in supporting longer leave. They also discuss whether family-friendly workplaces could play a bigger role in improving employee retention and even help address Singapore's declining birth rate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Something that is not talked about enough is pay transparency and the fact that on the 7th of June 2026 all EU countries had to comply with the EU pay discrepancy act. Ireland missed this deadline but will bring it on a phased basis and employers have been urged to take steps to prepare for its full implementation. To find out more about pay transparency and the EU pay discrepancy act I spoke to Crystel Robbins Rynne CEO HRLocker and Fredericka Sheppard Co-Founder and Managing Director VoltedgeCrystal and Fredericka talk about their backgrounds, salaries, putting good frameworks in place and more.More about HRLocker and Voltedge:HRLocker is the Irish people-management platform that transforms admin-heavy tasks, such as time & attendance and leave management, into one secure, intuitive system, so HR teams reclaim hours, eliminate errors, and focus on strategic people initiatives, not paperwork. Voltedge Management is an Irish-based HR consultancy supporting scaling businesses, SMEs, and multinational organisations with strategic HR, leadership, and organisational development solutions. The firm partners with clients across Ireland, the UK, and internationally to build high-performing teams and drive sustainable growth. 

Tonight, we unpack market movements with FNB Wealth and Investments, explore how AI could reshape wealth creation with Purple Group, examine the funding challenges facing manufacturing SMEs with Lula, discuss the future of Tongaat Hulett with the Vision Group, and, in AgriFocus, look at how FMD traceability could support SA's red meat export recovery with the National Agricultural Marketing Council. SAfm Market Update - Podcasts and live stream

Welcome to the latest ThinkBusiness Podcast. Today we're diving into the story behind one of Ireland's most dynamic hospitality brands –The Address Collective.Founded during the pandemic and rapidly scaled across Ireland and into the UK, the group represents a new model of design-led, experience-driven hospitality.Joining me today are Cian McGettigan, part of the family behind The Address Collective, and Gerardo Larios Rizo, Head of Hospitality Sector at Bank of Ireland.We're starting with a really interesting angle –what it means to build and scale an intergenerational family business –before moving into growth, rebranding, and the wider outlook for hospitality in Ireland.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Shutterstock Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI Kia ora. Welcome to Wednesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news of more Trump flip-flops in haphazard moves that show Trump has no strategy or exit plan from the mess he created in the Middle East. But first, there was a Pulse dairy auction overnight and prices mostly dipped from last week's full event. Both butter and SMP dipped -0.4%, but the exception was WMP which rose +0.3%. The recently higher NZD has made those changes less in local currency, reinforcing the Fonterra payout reduction. Elsewhere, the US released its June CPI result with a somewhat surprising dip with it falling to 3.5% after May's three year high 4.2%. Markets had expected a lesser dip to 3.8%. The biggest retreat was the -9.7% fall in petrol prices (although this monitoring only recorded a +6.8% fall). Inflation was on the mind of Fed speakers overnight, especially Kevin Warsh, who reiterated his commitment to fighting inflation saying he had "no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation". But he had no details or plans on how he is to tackle inflation. He was presenting the Fed's semi-annual Monetary Policy Report to Congress. The Fed's target is inflation at 2% and it has been above that for 63 consecutive months now, so the credibility of achieving that target is not high. The ADP weekly private jobs monitoring fell again, now under +20,000 and the first time it has reported a gain that low since mid-March. It has been tracking lower since early May. The lower fuel costs shifted the needle in the NFIB sentiment survey for SMEs, resulting in a less-negative June result. But these same respondents cited inflation as their biggest threat, the highest since October 2024. Yesterday, big US banks reported strong earnings gains, helped by their role in the Big Tech IPOs and other tech fundraising. Singapore said its economic activity was +5.7% higher in Q2-2026 than in the same quarter in 2025. While this was a bit less than the +6.3% first quarter result, it was above the expected +5.5% outcome. China said its June exports were up a remarkable +27% from the same month a year ago, driven by US companies stockpiling ahead of the expected inflationary effects of upcoming producer price inflation from the Middle East shocks, and by China's push to export cars, and far more than the +18% expected. It also said its imports were +36% higher than a year ago, driven by crude oil imports. That all meant that it had a near record trade surplus of +US$126 bln in June, only exceeded by the January 2025 +US$136 bln in that month. In Australia, the Westpac-MI consumer sentiment survey became less pessimistic in July, mainly because their fuel price pressures eased - and their interest rate fears moderated as well. Job loss concerns eased too. But consumers remained gloomy about the economy overall and that meant they don't think now is a good time to buy a major appliance. And, although it recovered somewhat from very low levels, Aussies are still very uncertain where their housing market is going. The story was quite similar for business sentiment in July as reported by the NAB survey. However, this one reported a sharper-than-expected improvement even if it is still negative. Price pressures also moderated, with input price growth slowing to its weakest pace since February and retail prices falling for the first time in seven years. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.57%, down -4 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold has risen to US$4059/oz, up +US$66/oz from yesterday. Silver is now just under US$59/oz, up +US$1.50 from yesterday. Oil prices are up +US$1.5o from yesterday at just on US$78.50/bbl in the US, while the international Brent price is now just over US$84/bbl and up +US$2. Hormuz transits have essentially dried up as the hot conflict explodes again and Iran declaring the Strait 'closed'. There have been just 3 crude tankers and 7 cargo ships exiting over the past 24 hours and all of those tied to Iran (1 dark with transponders off) but only 9 entering for new loads, all Iran-linked (1 dark). No-one was prepared to pay Trump's tolls, so Trump backed down (in a weird rambling announcement), less than 24 hours after announcing the levies. It is unknown if any are paying Iran's tolls. Plans to build pipelines to avoid the area are getting new momentum now. So Iran is shifting its focus to blockading the Red Sea at Yemen. The Kiwi dollar is up +50 bps from yesterday at just over 58.1 USc. Against the Aussie we are up +20 bps at 83.3 AUc. Against the euro we are up +40 bps at just on 50.9 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just on 62 which is up +50 bps from this time yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$64,477 and up +4.1% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been moderate at just under +/- 2.5%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow. Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI Audio soundtrack opening is licensed from Shutterstock, Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI

What happens when academic research, climate resilience, digital inclusion and community development all collide? In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Vicki Ayton, Founder of BizEd, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that exists to bridge the gap between research and real-world community impact. What started as a response to a local library closure has evolved into a growing community hub delivering digital inclusion support, climate resilience education, research projects and policy work across Shropshire and beyond. Vicki shares the realities of building a sustainable CIC, the challenges of balancing commercial income with social impact, and why digital skills are now fundamental to both business success and community resilience.   In This Episode From Research to Real Impact Vicki explains how her background in climate and environmental research highlighted a common challenge: excellent research often fails to reach the people who need it most. BizEd was created to translate knowledge into practical support for communities and businesses. A pivotal moment came when the local council approached BizEd to replace services lost when a library closed due to RAAC concrete concerns. That request became the catalyst for creating a physical community hub.   Why BizEd Chose a CIC Structure One of the most fascinating discussions centres around the decision to become a Community Interest Company rather than a charity. Vicki explains: Why financial resilience matters for community organisations How BizEd generates 60–70% of its income through trading activities The dangers of becoming overly reliant on grant funding How organisations can lose community trust when grant-funded projects disappear The CIC model provides greater flexibility to trade and generate sustainable income, helping create long-term impact rather than short-term projects.   The CIC Catch-22 The conversation highlights a significant challenge faced by many social enterprises. While CICs are encouraged to trade and become self-sustaining, they are often excluded from support programmes available only to registered charities. Examples include: Free software licences Digital infrastructure grants Technology support programmes Meanwhile, charities often have access to these benefits but face restrictions on how much income they can generate through trading activities. It's a structural challenge that many social enterprises continue to face.   Climate Resilience is a Business Issue Climate change is no longer a future concern. Vicki explains why businesses need to focus on resilience today, including: Managing disruption caused by extreme weather Protecting supply chains Supporting employee wellbeing during heatwaves Preparing for changing customer and community needs Rather than focusing solely on sustainability, businesses must also prepare for adaptation and resilience.   Digital Skills are Now Essential A major theme throughout the conversation is the importance of digital capability at every level. Vicki breaks digital skills into three areas: Foundation Skills Email Online services Digital communication Accessing information safely Workplace Skills Productivity software Collaboration tools Digital workflows Data management Advanced Skills Artificial Intelligence AI risk management Data analysis Automation opportunities She also highlights the growing overlap between green jobs and digital capability, where data and technology skills are becoming increasingly valuable.   Why Young People May Hold the AI Advantage For many small businesses, hiring experienced AI specialists isn't realistic. Vicki argues that younger people often bring natural AI fluency and experimentation skills that SMEs can benefit from immediately. For owner-managers looking to improve productivity, younger team members may already hold valuable expertise that businesses are overlooking.   Building Community Hubs That Actually Work One of BizEd's biggest lessons is that community needs rarely exist in isolation. Someone seeking digital support may also need: Benefits advice Banking assistance Employment support Access to other local services Vicki shares her vision for integrated community hubs that bring multiple services together under one roof, making support more accessible and effective.   Productivity Tools and Personal Effectiveness Despite operating in a highly digital world, Vicki's favourite productivity tool is surprisingly simple. Her trusted Busy Bee physical diary remains the cornerstone of her planning system. The discussion explores: Why writing things down improves thinking Managing the overlap between work and home life The importance of finding tools that suit your working style BizEd itself takes a tool-agnostic approach, using Trello, Notion, Planner and other platforms depending on team and client preferences. The focus is on removing barriers to collaboration rather than enforcing a single system.   The One Key Thing Building sustainable impact requires balancing purpose with commercial reality. The organisations that create lasting change are the ones that develop the resilience to generate income while staying true to their mission.   Standout Quote "Digital skills are no longer optional. They are the foundation of resilience for individuals, communities and businesses alike."   About Vicki Ayton Vicki Ayton is the Founder of BizEd, a Community Interest Company focused on climate resilience, digital inclusion, research translation and community impact. Through education, community engagement and policy work, BizEd helps bridge the gap between knowledge and practical action.   Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin You can get in touch with Kevin here: kevin@biz-smart.co.uk   G90 Summit Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter. If that's you, the G90 Summit is worth a look. A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, then commit to them and build the system to make sure they actually happen. Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat. http://Smart90.co.uk/summit Vicki can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickiayton/ https://www.bizedprojects.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bized_projects/ https://www.facebook.com/BizEdProjects   Resources: The Good Growth Podcast - https://www.bgf.co.uk/good-growth-podcast/ David Gallagher on Substack - https://gallagherjdavid.substack.com/ Jenny Anderson on Substack - https://howtobebrave.substack.com/ BusyB Diaries - https://busyb.co.uk/ Trello - https://trello.com/ Notion - https://app.notion.com/ Monday - https://monday.com/ Google Meet - https://meet.google.com/landing

The editorial this morning goes out to all the small and medium business people. Those of you who are starting the work week looking to earn your own keep, employ some New Zealanders, pay your taxes, and provide a product or service that people want or need. You don't want luxury yachts and private jets. You just want to work hard, be rewarded fairly, have people get out of your way, not be strangled by red tape. Seems a fairly reasonable state of being. But as we know, small and medium enterprises are struggling and have been struggling for a few years now. And with an election looming, the EMA has released its election policy directives for 2026 And there are five of them: stability and certainty, wouldn't that be lovely, infrastructure and consenting, energy supply, employment legislation, and investment and innovation. Amongst its directives, the EMA highlighted what it says is a big issue for businesses: the lack of work readiness among those graduating from educational institutions. The number of those not in employment, education, or training in the 18 to 24 age bracket continues to rise. They've come out of school, they've come out of training, and nobody will take them on, nobody's willing to take a risk. There's no doubt one of the drivers behind these numbers is a reluctance by employers to hire those new faces, says the EMA. They're simply not ready for the workforce, lacking many basic skills and struggling with the simple disciplines of turning up, listening, and engaging in the workplace. So the finger's being pointed squarely at the young people and the schools and educational institutions that have trained them. On early edition this morning, employment lawyer Max Whitehead disagreed. He said it's not the young people, it's the businesses lacking confidence to hire right now. Young people have always been young people. We've always been a bit useless when we start in our job unless you're a rare and wonderful unicorn, you don't know the job. You might have been trained, that's not the same thing as doing and being in the job, you don't really earn your keep until a little later. So it's no use pointing the finger at the young person. Max Whitehead said it's the environment and the conditions at the moment that mean employers aren't willing to take a chance. And he also says that the corresponding lack of productivity is due to us being a nation of one or two men bands who lack the technological capability to be more productive. New Zealand's now a nation of contractors. They're just like one or one man bands or just a couple of people of employees. And they are the people that are really the core of our country. And that's where I think EMA's missing out is focusing on that, getting them on their feet again. Maybe even if some of many of our contractors worked as cooperatives and actually purchased collectively some equipment that would make them actually more productive. That would be better ideas, but that needs to be incentivised. Where do you think the issue is? If you are a one or two man band, you might have a few little young people working for you. You might have some people who've been with you for 50 or 60 years, but three, four, up to 10 employees. There's been an ongoing issue with New Zealand's lack of productivity. It's not that we don't know how to work hard. People are working hard, but they're not being as productive as they could be. Max Whitehead says we lack the technological capability that a group of like minded SMEs could get together and buy the technology, the computer programs that might be expensive, the capital that might be expensive, that you couldn't do on your own but you might be able to do as a team. I just don't think it's the young people. Everywhere I look, there are young people keeping shops, stores, businesses going over the long weekend. Without them, we'd be stuffed. And I bet there'd be a hell of a lot more young people in work if they could get it. You certainly hear of young people going around and knocking on doors and wanting to work. if you're a small, medium business operator, owner operator, are you exactly where you want to be? If you're not, what is it going to take for you to be where you want to be, to be as productive and earning as much as you want to be? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The editorial this morning goes out to all the small and medium business people. Those of you who are starting the work week looking to earn your own keep, employ some New Zealanders, pay your taxes, and provide a product or service that people want or need. You don't want luxury yachts and private jets. You just want to work hard, be rewarded fairly, have people get out of your way, not be strangled by red tape. Seems a fairly reasonable state of being. But as we know, small and medium enterprises are struggling and have been struggling for a few years now. And with an election looming, the EMA has released its election policy directives for 2026 And there are five of them: stability and certainty, wouldn't that be lovely, infrastructure and consenting, energy supply, employment legislation, and investment and innovation. Amongst its directives, the EMA highlighted what it says is a big issue for businesses: the lack of work readiness among those graduating from educational institutions. The number of those not in employment, education, or training in the 18 to 24 age bracket continues to rise. They've come out of school, they've come out of training, and nobody will take them on, nobody's willing to take a risk. There's no doubt one of the drivers behind these numbers is a reluctance by employers to hire those new faces, says the EMA. They're simply not ready for the workforce, lacking many basic skills and struggling with the simple disciplines of turning up, listening, and engaging in the workplace. So the finger's being pointed squarely at the young people and the schools and educational institutions that have trained them. On Early Edition this morning, employment lawyer Max Whitehead disagreed. He said it's not the young people, it's the businesses lacking confidence to hire right now. Young people have always been young people. We've always been a bit useless when we start in our job unless you're a rare and wonderful unicorn, you don't know the job. You might have been trained, that's not the same thing as doing and being in the job, you don't really earn your keep until a little later. So it's no use pointing the finger at the young person. Max Whitehead said it's the environment and the conditions at the moment that mean employers aren't willing to take a chance. And he also says that the corresponding lack of productivity is due to us being a nation of one or two men bands who lack the technological capability to be more productive. New Zealand's now a nation of contractors. They're just like one or one man bands or just a couple of people of employees. And they are the people that are really the core of our country. And that's where I think EMA's missing out is focusing on that, getting them on their feet again. Maybe even if some of many of our contractors worked as cooperatives and actually purchased collectively some equipment that would make them actually more productive. That would be better ideas, but that needs to be incentivised. Where do you think the issue is? If you are a one or two man band, you might have a few little young people working for you. You might have some people who've been with you for 50 or 60 years, but three, four, up to 10 employees. There's been an ongoing issue with New Zealand's lack of productivity. It's not that we don't know how to work hard. People are working hard, but they're not being as productive as they could be. Max Whitehead says we lack the technological capability that a group of like minded SMEs could get together and buy the technology, the computer programs that might be expensive, the capital that might be expensive, that you couldn't do on your own but you might be able to do as a team. I just don't think it's the young people. Everywhere I look, there are young people keeping shops, stores, businesses going over the long weekend. Without them, we'd be stuffed. And I bet there'd be a hell of a lot more young people in work if they could get it. You certainly hear of young people going around and knocking on doors and wanting to work. if you're a small, medium business operator, owner operator, are you exactly where you want to be? If you're not, what is it going to take for you to be where you want to be, to be as productive and earning as much as you want to be? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain needs more homes, but what's really stopping us from building them? This week on Clive's Little Bit Extra, we unpack the UK's housing crisis and ask whether the government's ambitions can become reality.Following Andy Burnham's announcement to unveil the biggest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period about the future of housebuilding, we hear from Chris Carr of Carr & Carr Builders, who argues that SME builders must play a bigger role if Britain is serious about delivering the next generation of council homes.Plus, architect Andrew Waugh explains how engineered timber and modern methods of construction could transform the way we build - speeding up delivery while reducing environmental impact! Subscribe to Clive's Little Bit Extra and catch Clive Holland weekdays from 12–3pm on Fix Radio.Catch Clive On Fix Radio Monday - Thursday 12 PM - 3 PM Across The UK On DAB Radio And Online At https://www.fixradio.co.uk/ 

AI is not just changing how engineers write code. It is changing who gets close enough to shape the work.In this episode of The Tech Trek, Robert Stewart, CTO at Arbital Health, joins Amir to talk about how AI is bringing actuarial subject matter experts closer to product and engineering teams, especially in healthcare and risk based contracts. Robert shares how his team is pairing technically minded SMEs with software engineers, using AI tools in development, and rethinking technical hiring now that AI assisted coding is part of the job.Practical Takeaways• AI can reduce the distance between domain experts and engineering when the SMEs can clearly describe requirements, acceptance criteria, and edge cases.• Pairing a subject matter expert with an experienced engineer can be more powerful than traditional pair programming because each person brings a different kind of judgment.• Better written requirements matter more in an AI assisted workflow because tools can work directly from detailed tickets and context.• Technical interviews may need to test how candidates use AI, not whether they can avoid it.• Hiring teams need stronger signals around identity, environment fit, prompting skill, and how candidates respond to AI output.Timestamped Highlights00:00 Robert Stewart on Arbital Health, value based care, and the role of actuarial expertise in healthcare infrastructure.03:06 Why actuarial knowledge is hard to transfer into engineering teams through normal handoffs.04:40 How AI helps subject matter experts move closer to product and engineering work.06:08 Why engineering fundamentals still matter, even when AI makes code easier to create.09:55 How Arbital Health is using Cursor, Claude Code, and human review in a regulated environment.14:52 Why more detailed Jira tickets are becoming more valuable in AI assisted development.17:10 How AI is changing technical interviews from “you may use AI” to “you must use AI.”22:16 What suspicious candidates, remote interviews, and fake profiles are forcing hiring teams to rethink.One Line That Stuck“You can judge an expert by the type of questions they ask.”Pro Tips• Ask candidates to share their screen during AI assisted technical interviews.• Watch how they prompt, not just what they produce.• Look for whether they catch strange or weak AI output.• Use a rubric, but also evaluate whether the candidate fits the way your team actually works.• For AI generated code, add stronger human review, especially in regulated environments.Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more conversations on how technical teams are adapting around AI, data, product, platform, hiring, and engineering execution.

09 Jul 2026. We find out more about the Dubai vertiport that the aviation regulator has just signed off, with the people who built it, Damian Kysely of Skyports. Plus, we’ve got Malina Ngai, Global CEO of beauty retailer AS Watsons, in the studio during her one day visit to the UAE. And we’re kicking off a new series today, Summer Strategy, asking what businesses are putting in place for the hotter months. First up, Abdulla Al Shaibani of Axeed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ray White speaks to Jeremy Lang, Managing Director of Business Partners Limited about the growing pressure rising fuel prices are placing on South Africa's small and medium-sized businesses. The latest SME Confidence Index shows business confidence has weakened as higher transport and operating costs force many SMEs to focus on survival rather than growth. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every presenter already owns a vault of stories, examples and insights. The problem is not a lack of material. The problem is that most speakers fail to capture their experiences before they disappear into the fog of daily business life. In Japan, where audiences often value credibility, humility, context and practical examples, personal business stories can make presentations much more persuasive. Data and expert authority matter, but stories make the point come alive. A good story does not need Hollywood scriptwriting. It needs observation, relevance and a clear connection to the message. The smartest speakers plunder their own lives for insight and then use those moments to make their presentations memorable. Why should presenters use their own experiences in speeches? Presenters should use their own experiences because real stories make ideas more credible, memorable and human. Audiences trust examples that feel lived, observed and connected to the speaker's business reality. A presenter can quote data, cite an expert or show a graph, but a personal experience gives the message texture. In Japan-based leadership talks, sales presentations, training sessions and conference speeches, an authentic story can cut through formality and create connection. The story might come from a client meeting in Tokyo, a negotiation in Osaka, a leadership failure, a customer insight or a lesson from a mentor. These are not random anecdotes. They become evidence when tied to a clear point. Do now: Identify one key message in your next talk and match it with a real experience that proves the point. How can speakers collect better stories for presentations? Speakers collect better stories by keeping notes as soon as useful incidents happen. Memory is unreliable, so capture the raw material before it evaporates. Use Evernote, Apple Notes, Notion, OneNote, Google Keep or a simple notebook. Write down the date, setting, people involved, what happened, what was said and the lesson. Do not wait until you need a speech. Build the vault continuously. Business life is full of characters: difficult clients, brilliant colleagues, eccentric bosses, unexpected failures and surprising wins. Some of this stuff you couldn't make up, which is precisely why it works so well. Do now: Start a "presentation story bank" today and add at least one business incident each week. What makes a story useful in a business presentation? A story becomes useful when it directly supports the conclusion or key point of the presentation. Entertainment alone is not enough; the story must carry the argument forward. Start planning the talk by clarifying the conclusion. Then choose the main points that prove why that conclusion is correct. After that, search your story vault for examples that match those points. If the talk is about customer trust, find a moment where trust won or lost the deal. If the topic is leadership, choose a story about coaching, conflict or decision-making. The story must not wander off into businessland for its own amusement. Do now: For every story, ask: "What point does this prove?" If the answer is vague, cut it. How should presenters structure a talk around stories? Presenters should start with the conclusion, build the main points, then use stories as evidence inside the body of the talk. The opening comes last because it must grab attention quickly. This structure works for executive briefings, sales talks, training sessions and keynote presentations. First, boil the conclusion down to its essence. Second, select the major points that support it. Third, build the opening to break through the audience's distraction. Fourth, add evidence: data, expert authority and stories. In Japan, where audiences often appreciate logic and preparation, this structure helps the speaker sound organised while still being vivid. Do now: Design the close first, choose three supporting points and attach one story to each point. Where do good presentation stories come from? Good presentation stories come from successes, failures, observations and borrowed lessons from credible sources.Speakers should become collectors of business moments. Your own life is the best source, but not the only one. Stories can come from colleagues, clients, authors, biographies, business books, podcasts, industry news and public cases, provided you acknowledge the source and tell the lesson in your own words. In Japan, examples involving Toyota, Sony, Rakuten, SMEs, regional offices or cross-cultural teams can create relevance if they support the point. The key is observation. Most people walk past material every day and never harvest it. Do now: Look for stories in wins, mistakes, client reactions, market shifts and moments that changed your thinking. How can leaders make stories sound authentic? Leaders make stories authentic by telling them in their own words and connecting them honestly to the lesson learned. A story does not need theatrical polish; it needs truth, clarity and relevance. Avoid sounding like a motivational poster. Describe what happened, who was involved, what changed and why it mattered. The best stories often come from things that went wrong because failure carries lessons audiences want to hear. In Japan, where speakers may sometimes avoid personal vulnerability, a carefully chosen failure story can build trust. It shows the leader has earned the insight, not borrowed it from a slide deck. Do now: Tell the story plainly, include the lesson and avoid exaggeration. Authenticity beats performance every time. Final Summary Presenters do not need to wait for a professional scriptwriter to become better storytellers. They already have a lifetime of experiences, observations and lessons available. The smart move is to capture those insights, organise them and match them to the points they want to make. Start with the conclusion, identify the key points, then choose stories that bring those points to life. Keep a story bank, plunder your own experiences and stay alert to the characters wandering through businessland. There is no shortage of material. The opportunity is to capture it and employ it. Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

Send us Fan MailIn this latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast, Mark Bracknall welcomes Gareth Kane, Managing Director of Terra Infirma, sustainability consultant, author, and host of the Net Zero Business Podcast, to discuss sustainability leadership, organisational change, and achieving meaningful environmental progress.The conversation explores Gareth's journey into sustainability and the lessons he has learned from over twenty years of helping businesses implement effective environmental strategies.Gareth emphasises the critical role leadership plays in delivering successful sustainability initiatives, explaining why organisations must understand their own unique business case for sustainability rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach. He also discusses the psychology of organisational change and why engaging teams in the process is essential for long-term success.The episode explores how businesses of all sizes, from major organisations to manufacturing SMEs, are adopting innovative approaches to sustainability while creating commercial value.This is an episode you do not want to miss!You can connect with Gareth on LinkedIn here.Please like and subscribe - it genuinely helps grow the show and, in turn, helps push the industry forward.Theo James is a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. If you'd like more information about Theo James, feel free to get in touch with the team or Mark anytime.You can call us on 0191 511 1298. 

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept – it's rapidly becoming the operating system of modern business. From global tech giants to family-run farms in North Dublin, the ability to harness AI is quickly defining who scales, who competes, and who gets left behind.And yet, while the vast majority of Irish SMEs recognise AI's transformative potential, many remain stuck at the starting line – curious, but uncertain about how to turn that curiosity into practical, day-to-day advantage.So what's really holding businesses back? How big is the opportunity for Ireland if we close that gap? And what does it actually look like when small teams begin to think – and build – like software creators?In this episode, I'm joined by Karen Stolberg, Vice President of Google Customer Solutions for the UK and Ireland. We explore the real economic impact of AI, the psychological shift happening inside organisations, and a major new initiative from Google and Bank of Ireland that offers training for up to 10,000 Google AI certificates licences to Irish SMEs at no cost.From “vibe coding” and workflow automation to reclaiming entire workdays through AI fluency, this conversation is about unlocking capacity, competitiveness, and confidence across Irish business.If you've been wondering where to begin with AI, this is the conversation that cuts through the noise.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Charity Ibhadon is a Global Product Director at WPP, where she leads the development of an AI marketing tool. With 15 years in product — including three formative years at ASOS during its high-growth heyday — she came to the discipline via a decade in investment banking and an executive MBA. She has operated at VP and CPO level, leading large international teams across consumer technology and media.We discuss:— Why the explosion of product frameworks, books, and LinkedIn benchmarks has made it harder, not easier, to feel like you're doing the job well — regardless of seniority— How the physical symptoms of burnout can masquerade as markers of success, and why high-achieving women in particular are vulnerable to that misreading— What it actually takes to recover: stepping away, finding what your body needs outside of work, and stopping short of making your job your entire identity— Why being genuinely enjoyable to work with is a more durable career advantage than any certification or methodology— How the Eisenhower matrix — do, defer, delegate, delete — can be a practical daily tool for protecting energy, not just a poster on a wall— The case for "happy high status": remaining calm and unflappable under pressure as a learnable leadership behaviour, not a personality trait— Why commercial curiosity — understanding what moves the business and staying interested in the world — will matter more for long-term product careers than AI certificatesChapters:0:00 Introduction 1:29 Charity's background 4:00 Why product feels harder than ever 6:34 Why fun at work matters 8:45 Recognising burnout 10:25 When burnout feels like success 12:13 Finding your way back 16:18 Fun as a strategic advantage 18:00 Staying calm under pressure 22:26 The "CEO of the product" myth 22:41 Mindset for a long career in product 24:45 Building resilience 26:35 Wrap-upReferencedEisenhower matrix | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priorit...Charity's keynote at #mtpcon London |    • Product is Hard. It should still be fun: C...  Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

The Recfest Recap 2026   We're unpacking the absolute best moments, groundbreaking strategies, and actionable takeaways from RecFest 2026. Whether you were dodging the summer sun at Knebworth Park or couldn't make it across the pond, this exclusive recap session distills the high-impact content from the industry's top thought leaders. Get ready to supercharge your TA strategy, embrace the human advantage in an AI-driven world, and discover exactly what the future of recruitment looks like.   The Human Advantage in an AI World: Grace Lordan (LSE) explores how talent leaders can leverage AI, inclusion, and better decision-making to drive true performance rather than just processing efficiency.   From Recruiter to Talent Architect: A powerhouse panel featuring leaders from Amazon, EY, and Booking.com discusses the evolution of the recruiter role as AI absorbs operational tasks, shifting the focus to high-value, human-centric strategy.   The AI-Adjusted EVP: Joanna Hackett (Howden) reveals how forward-thinking organisations are evolving their Employee Value Propositions to focus on reskilling, internal mobility, and long-term career relevance in the age of automation.   TA as a Strategic Growth Engine: Chris Tennant (Infor) and fellow TA directors from Gilead and Mars share how to fundamentally redesign the talent acquisition function to operate as a core driver of business performance.   Amazon's Strategic Business Partner Model: Beckie Longworth and the Amazon TA team reveal how they shifted from a transactional, requisition-driven service into a strategic business partner function that acts as a consistent interface for growth.   Talent Intelligence at Scale: Andrew Sinclair and Charles Rue (S&P Global) demonstrate how to build a connected workforce by turning overwhelming talent data into actionable, confident market intelligence.   The Early Careers Talent Crisis: Aisha Lysejko (2040 Leaders) and experts from Shell and Danone warn against cutting early careers investments, explaining how doing so creates a dangerous "missing middle" that cripples future leadership pipelines.   Standardised Hiring Metrics: Adrian Thomas (Walbridge) and Jonathan Berry (House of Commons) break down the UK's first standardised hiring metrics, exploring what "good" really looks like in talent acquisition benchmarking today.   Global TA Transformation at Sanofi: Lia Manafova (Sanofi) shares the healthcare giant's journey of taking back ownership of their global recruitment landscape, transitioning away from decentralized models to centralise and streamline their tech stack.   Why should you carve out time in your busy schedule to join 'The Recfest Recap 2026'? Because the recruitment landscape is shifting faster than ever, and relying on yesterday's playbooks simply won't cut it. This webinar isn't just a summary; it's your shortcut to the strategies that are actively reshaping the industry—from deploying AI without losing the human touch to transforming TA into a strategic business partner. By signing up, you'll equip yourself with the tangible, future-proof tactics you need to attract top talent, elevate your employer brand, and lead your team into the next era of hiring. Secure your spot now and stay ahead of the curve!   We're on Wednesday 8th July at 2pm BST. Register by clicking on the green button (save your spot) and follow the channel here (recommended).   Ep392 is supported by our friends at Screenloop   Screenloop is the number one ATS for SMEs: covering interview intelligence, background checks, automations, candidate NPS and Quality of Hire analytics, all-in-one package.   Rated 4.9/5 on G2 our Interview Intelligence transcribes, fills scorecards, coaches hiring teams, so every hiring decision is faster, fairer and evidence-based. Importantly, our AI tools do hallucinate or over promise, it improves human led conversations.

In Episode 108 of the Cybersecurity Readiness Podcast Series, Dr. Dave Chatterjee is joined by Scott Harrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Infoblox and former leader of Cisco's $20 billion enterprise networking business — to examine one of the most consequential security blind spots in modern enterprise governance: the foundational network infrastructure layer that every other security investment depends on, and that almost no organization actively governs.The episode opens with the October 2025 Amazon Web Services outage, in which a single automated misconfiguration in a core routing service triggered a global cascade that took down AI services, financial platforms, and consumer applications worldwide, producing an estimated $581 million in losses. The cause was not a sophisticated cyber attack. It was a governance decision that had never been made — nobody was actively watching the foundational layer. That event becomes the opening frame for a conversation about DNS, DHCP, and IP address management: the three-part infrastructure, collectively known as DDI, that assigns every device an address, maps every application name to a network location, and routes every piece of digital traffic to its destination. When it works, it is invisible. When it fails — or when an attacker exploits it — everything built on top of it stops.Harrell's central argument is structural: 92% of all malware relies on DNS for its initial call-out to attacker-controlled infrastructure. The first thing any malware does when it lands on a network is resolve a malicious domain — and if that DNS request is blocked, the entire incident cascade never occurs. The payload is never downloaded. Lateral movement never begins. Privilege escalation never follows. The problem is that most enterprise security stacks are built to detect and respond to malware after it has activated — not to intercept the first domain resolution that enables everything that follows. This is the difference between reactive and preemptive security, and it is a governance choice that shows up in budget allocations: currently, only 5% of enterprise security spending goes to preemptive activities, with 95% consumed by detection and response. Gartner projects that organizations will need to reach a 50/50 split by 2030.The conversation addresses how to make the governance case for foundational infrastructure investment, what differentiated DNS security looks like, how agentic AI is about to make network complexity exponentially harder to manage, and what three metrics every senior leader should be demanding from their security teams. Analyzed through Dr. Chatterjee's Commitment–Preparedness–Discipline (CPD) Framework, the episode reframes network infrastructure security from an IT operational matter into a board-level governance imperative. The episode's core message is neither technical nor vendor-specific: the organizations that will withstand the next breach are not those with the most sophisticated detection tools — they are those that have decided to govern the layer on which everything else depends.To access and download the entire podcast summary with discussion highlights - https://www.dchatte.com/episode-108-the-invisible-foundation-why-dns-security-is-the-governance-gap-no-one-is-watching/Connect with Host Dr. Dave ChatterjeeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dchatte/ Website: https://dchatte.com/Books PublishedThe DeepFake ConspiracyCybersecurity Readiness: A Holistic and High-Performance ApproachArticles & Cases PublishedChatterjee, D. (2026). The Cryptographic Reckoning: Why Quantum Readiness Begins with Agility, Not Algorithms, The INFORMS Analytics Magazine, June 26, 2026Chatterjee, D. (2026). The New Digital Fragility: How AI-Enhanced Cyber Threats Are Reshaping Operational Resilience, The INFORMS Analytics Magazine, March 4, 2026Chatterjee, D. (2026). Root: Automating the Remediation Gap, Ivey Publishing, Jan 7, 2026.Ramasastry, C. and Chatterjee, D. (2025). Trusona: Recruiting For The Hacker Mindset, Ivey Publishing, Oct 3, 2025.Chatterjee, D. and Leslie, A. (2024). “Ignorance is not bliss: A human-centered whole-of-enterprise approach to cybersecurity preparedness,” Business Horizons, Accepted on Oct 29, 2024.Isik, O., Chatterjee, D., and Lourenco, D.A. (2024). “Getting Cybersecurity Right,” California Management Review — Insights, Accepted for Publication, July 8, 2024. Chatterjee, D. (2023). “Mission critical – How American Cancer Society successfully and securely migrated to the cloud amid the pandemic,” I by IMD, March 13, 2023.Chatterjee, D. (2022). “Preventing security breaches must start at the top,” I by IMD, September 28, 2022, Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, SwitzerlandChatterjee, D. (2022). “Making Cybersecurity Readiness Mainstream,” Executive Blog Post, NETSPI, March 1, 2022Benz, M. and Chatterjee, D. (2020). “Calculated Risk? A Cybersecurity Evaluation Tool for SMEs,” Business Horizons, available online from May 4, 2020Chatterjee, D. (2019). “Should Executives Go To Jail Over Cyber Attacks,” Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, Vol

Luvuyo Rani, Executive Director of Africa Forward and founder of the Silulo Foundation, speaks to John Maytham about what needs to change to unlock South Africa's township economies. Against the backdrop of the national debate around spaza shops and economic opportunity, Rani explains why the focus should shift from who owns businesses to how more South Africans can be empowered to start, sustain and grow successful enterprises. He discusses the barriers facing township entrepreneurs, the role of skills, finance and infrastructure, and why building stronger local businesses is essential for inclusive economic growth. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

① The Nordic Dimension of China–Europe Relations: Wang Yi's visit. (00:50) ② China's manufacturing and services sectors continue expansion in June. What role are SMEs playing in growth? (14:21) ③ Trump holds separate calls with Putin, Zelensky. Is there still political will for de-escalation? (25:03) ④ Britain and France pledge cooperation with Oman on maritime security. Could tensions in the region escalate further? (34:31) ⑤ FIFA's decision to suspend Balogun's red card sparks anger in European football: discussion of fairness. (43:56)

Vonny Laing is a user-centred design lead at the Student Loans Company, part of the UK government, where she oversees a service used by millions of people at every stage of their higher education journey. She has held roles spanning UX design, content design, and head of design across both public and private sectors, and completed an MBA specifically to earn the language of business — and with it, a seat at the table where design decisions get made. We discuss why designing from the majority inward produces invisible failures, how flipping to an underserved-first model creates a halo effect for all users, and why government service assessments make the happy-path approach structurally untenable. Vonny shares how a single day of guerrilla research at a further education college surfaced a critical gap between student loan payments and universal credit eligibility that years of data had never revealed — and why synthetic users can never replicate that. We also get into her "eat your greens" principle for designing across a user's whole life; the case for disaster thinking over happy-path optimism; how stories and verbatims move executives more reliably than dashboards; and why designers who learn to speak business become a secret weapon in any organisation.Chapters:(00:53) Welcome and introductions (01:23) Vonny background (02:10) Moving fast in the civil service (04:02) The UK government digital community (05:05) The pyramid model (07:03) Underserved versus edge case users (08:09) Designing at population scale (09:43) Service assessments and design accountability (11:01) Discovery research methodology (13:25) Finding users invisible in the data (16:22) Bridging gaps you cannot fix (18:42) Eat your greens: needs versus wants (20:07) Designing for users over time (21:04) Worst-case scenario thinking (22:11) Mining complaint logs and prioritising (25:47) Why synthetic users fall short (28:12) Where automated testing has a role (29:19) Leave the building: guerrilla research (33:03) Communicating research through storytelling (36:29) Why Vonnie did an MBA (39:03) Design's ceiling in organisations (42:04) Wrap-upOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

Becoming a new leader is one of the most dangerous promotions in business. The person who was promoted for hard work, strong KPIs, early starts, late finishes and personal accountability suddenly becomes responsible for other people's performance. That sounds like career progress, but it can become a trap. Many new managers in Japan, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US receive little or no formal leadership training. They are expected to work it out alone. The problem is that the skills that earned the promotion are not the same skills needed to succeed as a leader. The new game is leverage, coaching, persuasion and building capability through the team. Why do new leaders struggle after promotion? New leaders struggle because they keep doing the work that got them promoted instead of learning how to lead others. They remain top performers, but they fail to multiply performance through the team. This is common in sales, finance, operations, technology and professional services. A strong individual contributor becomes a team leader and still tries to personally save the numbers. That works for a while, until the organisation raises the target and individual output hits its limit. A leader with ten people has access to eighty hours of team effort in a single day, while one heroic manager has only sixteen hours at most. The leverage is obvious, but many new leaders miss it. Do now: Stop measuring your value only by your personal output. Measure how much better the team performs because of your leadership. How can new leaders stop doing and start leading? New leaders must deliberately shift time from personal production to team development, coaching and performance management. The goal is not to be the busiest player; it is to become the conductor of the orchestra. The orchestra conductor does not play the violin, trumpet or drums. The conductor studies the musicians, aligns timing, manages egos, draws out potential and lifts the whole performance. New managers must do the same. Yes, some may still carry clients or operational responsibilities, especially in SMEs and lean organisations. But over time, they should move those tasks to capable team members and invest more time in developing people. Do now: Audit your week. Reduce low-leverage personal tasks and increase time spent coaching, delegating and improving team capability. How should new leaders balance people and process? New leaders need enough process to protect the organisation and enough freedom to allow creativity, ownership and experimentation. Too many rules kill initiative; too few controls create risk. Compliance matters. Rules protect companies from legal, financial and reputational disaster. We have all seen finance-world examples where weak controls and adrenaline-fuelled risk-taking damaged or destroyed firms. But if every action requires permission, the team stops thinking. In Japanese companies, where stability and process discipline are often strong, leaders must create safe space for ideas while respecting governance. In startups, the danger may be the opposite: too much freedom and not enough control. Do now: Clarify non-negotiable rules, then invite the team to find better paths within those boundaries. Why should leaders encourage ideas from the team? Leaders should encourage team ideas because creativity, ownership and engagement grow when people help shape the solution. If every answer comes from the boss, the team becomes passive. New leaders often let ego get in the way. They think, "I am the boss, so the best ideas should come from me." Or worse, they fear that a talented team member might replace them. That is small thinking. Organisations everywhere are crying out for leaders who create more leaders. A manager known as a "leader creating machine" becomes more valuable, not less. If nobody can replace you, you may be trapped in the same role forever. Do now: Ask the team for options before giving your answer. Build people who can eventually replace you. Why is coaching essential for first-time managers? Coaching is essential because the leader's job is to help people become better than they already are. If everyone keeps working the same way, the team will keep getting the same results. Many new leaders were self-sufficient high achievers. They did not need much help, so they underestimate how much coaching others require. But people do not automatically change because the boss wants better numbers. They may want the company, market, customers or boss to change while they stay exactly as they are. That is where coaching, listening and persuasion become core leadership skills. Dale Carnegie-style leadership is not command and control; it is influence, trust and development. Do now: Schedule regular coaching conversations and focus on behaviour change, not just task updates. What should new leaders study to keep succeeding? New leaders should study leadership deliberately because management skill does not arrive through osmosis.Promotion gives authority, but study builds capability. First-time managers should study delegation, coaching, listening, persuasion, conflict management, motivation and performance accountability. In Japan's consensus-oriented business culture, persuasion and listening are especially important because blunt orders often create surface agreement without real commitment. In Western organisations, speed and directness may be valued, but influence still matters. The Darwinian "up or out" business world does not forgive leaders who refuse to grow. Do now: Treat leadership as a discipline. Study it, practise it and get feedback before small mistakes become career-limiting habits. Final Summary New leaders succeed when they understand that promotion changes the job. What worked before will not be enough now. The leader must stop being only the best player and start building the whole team's performance. Three priorities matter most. First, stop doing everything yourself and start gaining leverage through others. Second, balance process with people so the organisation stays safe while creativity survives. Third, become a genius coach who listens, persuades and develops capability. Study the new role seriously. In leadership, survival and success belong to the people who learn fastest. Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

Fear can destroy a professional presentation faster than weak slides, poor grammar or a short speaking slot. A senior executive reading a one-minute company introduction from an A4 sheet does not look careful; they look unprepared, unsure and unprofessional. Today's business audiences compare speakers with the polished delivery they see on Netflix, Disney, Hulu, HBO, YouTube, TED Talks and high-production corporate media. That comparison is brutal. In Japan, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US, executives, salespeople and leaders cannot assume the audience will politely listen. Smartphones, laptops, email and social media are always waiting to steal attention. Why does reading a short presentation damage professional credibility? Reading a short presentation damages credibility because it signals fear, poor preparation and weak executive presence. If a senior person cannot deliver one minute naturally, the audience starts questioning both the individual and the company brand. This is especially dangerous for name-brand firms, multinationals, SMEs and professional services companies, where trust is part of the product. A one-minute company introduction should feel confident, clear and human. When the speaker clings to paper, the audience sees a gap between corporate reputation and personal delivery. In Japan, where public formality and first impressions carry serious weight, that gap becomes even more visible. Do now: Memorise the flow, not every word. Know the opening, three key points and closing well enough to speak without reading. Why are audiences less tolerant of weak presentations now? Audiences are less tolerant because they are surrounded by professional media and can escape instantly into their phones. The speaker now competes with streaming entertainment, email, messaging apps and social platforms. In the past, "okay" delivery may have been enough. Not anymore. Business audiences have become used to cinematic production values, polished presenters and crisp storytelling. If a presenter is flat, hesitant or visibly fearful, people can quietly multitask. They check email on an iPhone, scroll LinkedIn, open Teams or Slack, then half-listen. That is the speaker's nightmare: physically present audience, mentally absent audience. Do now: Assume attention must be earned every minute. Use energy, eye contact and audience relevance to keep people with you. Is perfect English necessary for a professional presentation? Perfect English is not necessary; clear communication, audience engagement and confidence matter far more. Most listeners will forgive grammar mistakes if the message is understandable and the speaker is committed. This is a huge point for global business. English is widely used by non-native speakers across Japan, Singapore, India, Europe and multinational headquarters. Audiences routinely hear accents, mixed grammar and different speaking rhythms. They connect the dots. The speaker's fear of linguistic imperfection is often much bigger than the audience's concern. A leader with imperfect English but strong presence beats a paper-reading perfectionist every time. Do now: Stop chasing perfect English. Prepare clear points, speak with conviction and focus on being understood. How does fear change the way people present? Fear pulls presenters inward, making them focus on themselves instead of the audience. Once presenters become obsessed with mistakes, pronunciation or grammar, they stop communicating. This is where presentation coaching makes a visible difference. In the early stages, many participants worry about how they look, whether they will forget words or whether their English or Japanese will be judged. After practice and feedback, the focus shifts outward. They begin reading the room, noticing audience reactions and trying to create connection. That shift from self-protection to audience engagement changes everything. Do now: Before speaking, ask, "What does this audience need from me?" That question moves attention away from fear and toward service. Why should presenters analyse the audience before speaking? Presenters should analyse the audience first because the audience determines the language, examples, pace and level of detail. Preparation begins with who will be listening, not with what the speaker wants to say. A non-native English speaker presenting to mostly Japanese listeners may actually have an advantage if the vocabulary is simple and clear. The audience may understand that better than fast, idiomatic native-speaker English. In B2B sales, investor briefings, internal town halls and conference introductions, the same rule applies: know the audience's language level, interests, worries and expectations. Without that, the speaker prepares for themselves rather than for the room. Do now: Identify the audience's language level, business role, likely concerns and desired takeaway before building the talk. How can companies protect their brand through presentation training? Companies protect their brand by training anyone who represents them in public to present with confidence, clarity and energy. Public speaking is not a soft skill luxury; it is brand risk management. Every executive, manager, salesperson and technical expert becomes a brand ambassador when they speak. If they look frightened, bored or unprepared, the company pays the price. If they speak with enthusiasm, audience focus and professional polish, they strengthen the brand. In competitive markets like Japan, where reputation, reliability and trust matter, letting untrained people represent the organisation is simply too risky. Do now: Train presenters before they face clients, conferences, media, partners or internal leadership audiences. Final Summary Professional presentations are not destroyed by imperfect grammar. They are destroyed by fear, self-focus, lack of preparation and weak delivery. Reading from paper, especially for a short talk, tells the audience the speaker does not trust themselves. The audience then starts to question the company as well. The better path is clear: prepare thoroughly, understand the audience, forget linguistic perfection, bring energy and focus on engagement. A trained presenter becomes a brand ambassador. An untrained presenter can shred the brand in sixty seconds. Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

Democratizing Global Private Credit: AI Underwriting and Receivables Financing with Zach MarksIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Zach Marks, the Co-Founder and CEO of Jia, to dissect the systemic financial bottlenecks that restrict capital access for small-to-mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) across emerging economies. Zach, a global fintech innovator with a deep understanding of localized relationship dynamics and cross-border capital streams, details how legacy banking frameworks impose a staggering $6 trillion financing gap on underserved markets. This conversation provides an essential strategic guide for institutional investors, international founders, and financial technology executives looking to leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence and blockchain-backed liquidity pools to eliminate predatory lending and build transparent, highly automated capital distribution networks.The Architecture of Inclusive Finance: Processing Unstructured Data and Scaling Collateral-Free UnderwritingTraditional commercial banks in emerging sectors like Southeast Asia frequently strangle the scale of high-performing suppliers by relying on archaic, manual credit checks and rigid collateral mandates that small business owners simply cannot satisfy. Zach Marks explains that this systemic banking failure forces critical operations, such as regional snack manufacturers or agricultural wholesalers, to navigate 60-to-120-day invoice delays from corporate buyers without any cushion for cash flow management. When companies are unable to bridge the gap between delivering raw goods and receiving payments, they are routinely locked out of market expansion or driven into high-risk, unvetted private credit arrangements that carry opaque pricing and severe threats to their core business equipment. True operational scale is achieved when an enterprise bypasses centralized banking bureaucracies entirely, relying on tech-forward invoice financing platforms that convert outstanding receivables into immediate, fluid operating capital.Optimizing credit risk assessments and driving immediate underwriting velocity at scale requires an absolute commitment to integrating AI-powered document intelligence into backend compliance workflows. Many international financial institutions struggle to serve the mid-market segment effectively because they lack the administrative infrastructure to process messy, unstructured transactional data like scanned invoices, physical receipts, and fragmented bank statements. Real-world capital optimization is unlocked when a fintech ecosystem deploys advanced machine learning models to analyze this documentation in minutes, enabling automated credit decisions without sacrificing strict underwriting standards. This digital efficiency allows capital providers to review high volumes of application data, securely approving and delivering short-term liquidity funds to creditworthy business owners within a fractional 30-minute window.Furthermore, maintaining a premium global footprint and attracting top-tier institutional capital demands that financial platforms build resilient financing pipelines that pair secure on-chain ledger technology with deeply localized human support. Integrating decentralized blockchain infrastructure allows global investors to participate in secure, high-yield liquidity pools, democratizing access to private credit markets that were historically restricted to ultra-high-net-worth entities. However, technology alone cannot scale adoption in relational, cross-border markets where trust and human transparency remain the primary drivers of corporate validation. When an organization synthesizes a cutting-edge digital tech stack with a diverse, localized workforce that respects regional communication and cultural nuances, it successfully future-proofs its operations. This holistic approach converts international finance from an elite, exclusionary system into an accessible, highly structured asset class designed to predictably multiply market equity.About Zach MarksZach Marks is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jia, a disruptive financial technology pioneer, and a seasoned emerging-market strategist. Drawing from a diverse global background in team building and multi-cultural operations, Zach specializes in engineering automated, high-velocity lending solutions that empower small-to-mid-sized enterprises. He is a prominent fintech thought leader focused on dismantling systemic capital bottlenecks, optimizing international private credit distribution, and lecturing on the tactical use of AI and blockchain technology to drive inclusive economic valuation.About JiaJia is an elite fintech platform and alternative credit provider engineered to maximize financial access for underserved small businesses across emerging markets. The company specializes in delivering automated receivables-based invoicing solutions, AI-powered document intelligence, and blockchain-backed private credit infrastructure to eliminate predatory lending debt. Through transparent, collateral-free financing blueprints and structured technology licensing frameworks, Jia enables mid-market suppliers to optimize their cash flow velocity and safely scale their regional enterprise market share.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeJia Official Website: jia.phZach Marks on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zachmarksKey Episode HighlightsThe Emerging Market Credit Gap: Deconstructing the hidden operational bottlenecks that impose a $6 trillion financing deficit on global small businesses.Receivables-Based Capital Velocity: Implementing automated invoice financing to unlock immediate operational cash flow without asset-backed collateral mandates.AI Underwriting for Unstructured Data: Leveraging machine learning algorithms to instantly analyze messy physical invoices and bank statements for rapid credit decisions.On-Chain Global Liquidity Pools: Utilizing blockchain infrastructure to democratize private credit and connect international capital markets directly with localized SMEs.The Relationship-Tech Paradigm: Balancing advanced automated tech stacks with local human support desks to build authentic brand trust in relational economies.ConclusionThe conversation with Zach Marks reinforces that scaling inclusive global finance requires an intentional balance of advanced technological innovation and highly transparent corporate governance. By implementing rigorous AI data analysis, eliminating predatory fee structures, and ruthlessly protecting human-centric connection points, business leaders can transform a volatile, capital-starved environment into a highly organized, self-sustaining financial ecosystem.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

90% of businesses in the UK are classes as SMEs, or small and medium businesses, having 205 employees or less. So chances are, you might work for one, or even run one.Did you know that SME's account for around half of the total emissions for businesses? So making it easy, or easier for SMEs to get started with climate action, is a pretty big lever for reducing emissions. But time and money are usually limiting factors, and this is where Gikis new Giki actions platform comes in. You might remember today's guest, Jo Hand, as she's been on twice before, talking about different iterations of the work they're doing at Giki. In this episode we're diving into their new Giki actions workshops - free workshops for SMEs, that are just an hour long, that can help them get started on their sustainability journey. USEFUL LINKSGiki- Website- Giki actions- Giki business carbon footprint calculations- Giki guides – for individuals; for businesses- Giki comparisons calculators- Giki on Linked In- Giki on Instagram- Giki on FacebookJo Hand on Linked InGiki badges is now Impact ScoreTransition Plan TaskforceEpisode 194 - People, Planet, Pint with Adam BastockThe Climate PledgeB CorpSME Climate HubGreen Project Tech The Sustainable(ish) Clubhouse -come and join us for July!Do let me know if you manage to go on a workshop, or somoene from your organisation signs up – I'd love to hear! OR if you don't work for an SME, could you share this episode with someone who does, or share on your socials?Drop me an email with your thoughts and any feedback: jen@sustainableish.co.ukAnd please do leave a rating and a review wherever you listen to your podcasts

In this special episode of Accountants Daily Insider, produced in partnership with CreditorWatch, we reflect on how accountants are often the last line of defence for SMEs, and how they can intervene earlier by identifying warning signs to better support clients.  Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks to Patrick Coghlan, co-founder and chief executive of CreditorWatch, about: What the data suggests accountants need to be paying attention to right now. High levels of late payments being seen. What CreditorWatch's business risk index currently says about business conditions and headline takeaways from those insights. The idiosyncratic challenges facing different sectors. How concerned accountants need to be right now about insolvency risks, the signals to look out for, and the steps to take Ensuring optimal service for clients. To learn more about CreditorWatch, click here. 

In this episode, I sat down with my friend Heather Burright, who runs the Learning for Good podcast, and we got into our own career journeys, how we've invested in our own growth, and what it actually takes to build confidence and find your voice as an ID or L&D professional. If you've ever felt like you're doing great work, but still struggling to get a seat at the table, this one's for you.

How can Australia strengthen sovereign industrial capability while building a sustainable and globally competitive defence manufacturing sector? In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Philippe Odouard, former CEO of XTEK (now HighCom) and Quickstep, alongside David McLaughlin, co-founder and chief technology officer of 3D scanning technology company Bodd. Odouard brings extensive experience across Australian and international defence manufacturing, including leadership roles in aerospace, body armour production and major defence capability programs. McLaughlin brings experience in innovative advanced body scanning, equipment fitting and human performance data systems with applications across defence and commercial sectors. The podcast conversation includes the following topics: Industry perspectives on the National Defence Strategy 2026 and whether sovereign capability ambitions are being matched by procurement reform. Lessons from Australian defence industry success stories, such as F-35 supply chain participation, protected mobility vehicles and guided weapons manufacturing. The commercial realities behind onshore versus offshore manufacturing decisions and why Australian companies expand into international markets. How dual-use technologies are helping defence SMEs survive long procurement cycles and diversify revenue streams. Debate surrounding local content requirements, sovereign industrial policy and government willingness to support emerging capability. Strategies for Australian companies seeking entry into US and allied defence supply chains. Finally, the discussion wraps up by examining what policymakers can do immediately to support innovation, strengthen industrial resilience and ensure Australian defence capability is translated into long-term sovereign outcomes. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Recorded live at #mtpcon London, Lily sits down with Emily Tate — former MD of Mind the Product for a broad debrief on the day's themes. They cover why product and design may matter more in an AI world than ever before, how heritage organisations can navigate transformation without the luxury of greenfield conditions, and what it actually takes to get internal stakeholders on side. Emily also makes a case for why SaaS isn't dead, why positioning fundamentals haven't changed despite the AI frenzy, and why remote work is draining the fun out of product teams.Chapters0:00 — Intro1:00 — The state of AI in product: still an inflection point3:18 — AI is a technology, not a moat4:57 — Keeping the humanity in product work6:13 — Advice for PMs new to the industry8:38 — Why conferences need both practical and inspirational talks10:24 — How to start speaking: find your local ProductTank13:46 — You don't need a novel idea to give a great talk16:01 — Charity Ibhadon's talk: product is hard, but it should be fun16:19 — Remote work and the slow erosion of joy at work19:15 — Innovating inside heritage organisations21:39 — Stop trying to educate stakeholders about product24:06 — April Dunford on positioning: what AI changes, and what it doesn't27:00 — The SaaS-pocalypse myth28:47 — Predictions: 12–18 more months of heavy AI talk30:59 — Filtering signal from noise: where Emily reads31:40 — Eric Ries' Incorruptible and building companies that resist corruptionKey takeawaysIf your only moat is AI, you don't have a moat. AI is a capability, not a product. The question is how you're using it to serve customers better than you could before — not whether you're using it at all.Building is no longer the bottleneck — deciding what to build is. That shift makes strong product and design thinking more important, not less.Stop trying to teach stakeholders about product. Drop the methodology, use their language, show them something tangible, and bring them along in ways that make sense to them — not to you.SaaS has a defensible edge. Products built on experience across hundreds of customers carry knowledge that a single company building its own solution can't replicate. That's a positioning story worth telling.Positioning fundamentals haven't changed. Sprinkling AI on your messaging doesn't sharpen it. Outside of tech, leading with AI can actively damage trust.You don't need a novel idea to give a great talk. Your version of a familiar concept might be the one that finally makes it click for someone. Start at a local ProductTank.Don't try to be someone else on stage. Find your style by doing it. Authenticity beats borrowed charisma.Remote work is eroding team joy in ways we're not measuring. The informal moments that build relationships and make work fun don't happen on Slack or in back-to-back video calls — and the resulting friction is real.Featured links  Incorruptible by Eric Ries — https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460881/incorruptible-by-ries-eric/9780241692028The Decision Stack by Martin Eriksson — thedecisionstack.comChristian Idiodi — Silicon Valley Product GroupApril Dunford — aprildunford.comFind your local ProductTank — producttank.comMind the Product — mindtheproduct.comOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

In Episode 107 of the Cybersecurity Readiness Podcast Series, Dr. Dave Chatterjee is joined by Richa Kaul, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Complyance and a former public sector technology policy leader, to address one of the most consequential misunderstandings in enterprise security governance: the assumption that compliance equals security.Opening with two recent and high-profile incidents — the May 2025 ransomware attack on Marks & Spencer, which halted online operations for weeks and generated estimated losses exceeding £300 million, and a concurrent third-party support provider compromise that exposed customer data across multiple platforms including Discord — Dr. Chatterjee establishes the episode's central premise: organizations that invest heavily in GRC platforms, generate dashboards full of green indicators, and maintain formal compliance certifications can still be catastrophically breached. The gap between compliance and security is not theoretical. It is structural and where attackers operate.Kaul explains the root cause with precision. Traditional GRC tools were built to centralize data and automate workflow notifications — functions that reduce administrative burden but do not reduce risk. The result is a compliance theater dynamic in which organizations check boxes, pass periodic audits, and receive certifications that say little about their actual security posture. The Complyance platform is built on a different philosophy: compliance with standards should be a byproduct of genuinely good security practices, not the objective in its own right.The episode explores the architecture of intelligent GRC: continuous monitoring across all integrated sources of truth, agentic AI that automates evidence collection and remediation guidance, tiered third-party risk programs that apply scrutiny proportional to vendor criticality, and risk quantification frameworks that translate security signals into board-level governance decisions. Kaul is equally precise about what GRC platforms cannot do: they cannot substitute for operational security teams, and no platform — however sophisticated — can protect an organization whose leadership has not committed to genuine risk reduction as the governing objective.Analyzed through Dr. Chatterjee's Commitment–Preparedness–Discipline (CPD) framework, the conversation reframes GRC from a compliance function into a governance discipline. The episode's central message is neither technical nor vendor-specific: the organizations that will withstand the next breach are not those with the most compliance certifications — they are those that have claimed ownership of the problem, built the continuous processes to address it, and institutionalized the discipline to keep those processes operating after the audit is over.To access and download the entire podcast summary with discussion highlights - https://www.dchatte.com/episode-107-compliant-but-exposed-rethinking-grc-for-real-security/Connect with Host Dr. Dave ChatterjeeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dchatte/ Website: https://dchatte.com/Books PublishedThe DeepFake ConspiracyCybersecurity Readiness: A Holistic and High-Performance ApproachArticles & Cases PublishedChatterjee, D. (2026). Root: Automating the Remediation Gap, Ivey Publishing, Jan 7, 2026.Ramasastry, C. and Chatterjee, D. (2025). Trusona: Recruiting For The Hacker Mindset, Ivey Publishing, Oct 3, 2025.Chatterjee, D. and Leslie, A. (2024). “Ignorance is not bliss: A human-centered whole-of-enterprise approach to cybersecurity preparedness,” Business Horizons, Accepted on Oct 29, 2024.Isik, O., Chatterjee, D., and Lourenco, D.A. (2024). “Getting Cybersecurity Right,” California Management Review — Insights, Accepted for Publication, July 8, 2024. Chatterjee, D. (2023). “Mission critical – How American Cancer Society successfully and securely migrated to the cloud amid the pandemic,” I by IMD, March 13, 2023.Chatterjee, D. (2022). “Preventing security breaches must start at the top,” I by IMD, September 28, 2022, Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, SwitzerlandChatterjee, D. (2022). “Making Cybersecurity Readiness Mainstream,” Executive Blog Post, NETSPI, March 1, 2022Benz, M. and Chatterjee, D. (2020). “Calculated Risk? A Cybersecurity Evaluation Tool for SMEs,” Business Horizons, available online from May 4, 2020Chatterjee, D. (2019). “Should Executives Go To Jail Over Cyber Attacks,” Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, Vol 29, Issue 1, pp. 1-3.Abraham, C., Chatterjee, D., and Sims, R. (2019). “Muddling through cybersecurity: Insights from the U.S. healthcare industry,” Business Horizons, July 2019.

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guests, Stephen Anderson (CEO) and Marc Harrison (Account Director) discuss how crooton is transforming recruitment marketing with hyper-targeted, data-driven strategies. crooton is a recruitment marketing business specialising in location-based recruitment marketing powered by its proprietary, highly targeted technology. The company helps employers promote job vacancies directly to the right people in the right locations at the right time, rather than relying on candidates actively searching for roles. This approach enables organisations to reach both active and passive candidates, improving the quality of applications while often reducing cost compared with traditional recruitment agencies. By combining AI-driven insights with human expertise (“AI + HI”), crooton uses data to inform targeting while its recruitment specialists refine campaigns for maximum effectiveness. The team—made up of recruiters, data experts, developers, and digital marketers—designs and delivers tailored campaigns that improve ROI, strengthen employer brand visibility, and attract candidates who are more likely to stay longer and perform well. Founded in 2019 by Stephen Anderson, crooton was created to challenge traditional recruitment models and deliver better outcomes for employers in terms of cost and candidate quality. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the business supported large-scale NHS recruitment campaigns, which helped establish its reputation for high-impact, location-based hiring solutions across healthcare and other high-volume sectors. Today, crooton works with SMEs, global brands, and non-profit organisations to deliver strategic recruitment and digital marketing campaigns worldwide. Its technology and approach have also expanded into broader marketing services, enabling clients to run highly targeted, location-driven campaigns that connect them with the right audiences at scale. You'll hear practical strategies for finding consulting clients, marketing for HR & workplace consultants, and using AI in consulting. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you'll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How hyper-targeted geofencing campaigns help win large recruitment projects The emerging challenges (and solutions) with AI-driven application volumes in recruitment Why crooton's real-time tools and bespoke approach drive better ROI for recruitment clients Episode highlights: What crooton is and how it helps employers attract talent using geofencing and hyper-targeted campaigns. Why targeted local advertising is more effective than mass-market strategies for specific hiring needs. Sectors and role types where crooton's approach is most impactful (healthcare, logistics, retail, hospitality). The shift towards hyper-targeting and how it reduces wasted ad spend. How advances in AI have created new challenges with high application volumes—and how crooton's Crucial tool addresses this. Ways to identify and focus on quality applicants rather than just volume, and the importance of real-time campaign optimisation. The development and benefits of Atlas, a tool for visualising and planning recruitment campaigns collaboratively with clients. The role of face-to-face events, partnerships, and content marketing in crooton's growth strategy. Why effective recruitment increasingly relies on a balance of AI technology and human judgement. How Crooton Markets and Grows Their Business Using their own geofencing technology to target decision-makers at trade shows and industry events. Running digital billboard campaigns around key event venues to ensure visibility to relevant audiences. Attending and networking at recruitment events, conferences, and think tanks to directly engage potential clients. Building partnerships with complementary tech providers and RPOs to reach larger clients and co-market services. Publishing an online and print industry magazine, Untapped, to share stories and insights and extend brand reach. Resources & Links Mentioned: Company's website: www.crooton.com Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-anderson-993427a Marc's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcharrison1 Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss future episodes. For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here: www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business? Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Episode 230 with Soledad Sanchez Canamares, Family Friendly Workplace Policy Specialist at UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa, where she works with businesses, governments, and development partners to advance workplace policies that improve employee wellbeing, talent retention, workforce productivity, and long term business performance.As organisations across Africa and around the world face growing talent shortages, rising employee turnover, and changing workforce expectations, family friendly workplace policies are increasingly being recognised as a competitive advantage rather than simply an employee benefit. In this episode, Soledad explains why policies such as paid parental leave, childcare support, flexible working arrangements, and breastfeeding accommodations are becoming critical tools for attracting and retaining talent, improving workforce participation, and strengthening organisational resilience.Drawing on global evidence, business case studies, and UNICEF's Family Friendly Policies Toolkit, Soledad explores the relationship between workforce wellbeing and business performance. She discusses how employers can improve employee retention, productivity, engagement, and gender equality while building stronger and more resilient organisations. The conversation also examines the economic impact of care responsibilities, the role of workplace flexibility in the future of work, and why supporting working parents is increasingly being viewed as a business growth strategy.The discussion focuses on the African context, where informality remains high and many businesses operate with limited resources.What We Discuss With SolededWhy businesses may be losing money by failing to invest in family friendly workplace policies.Whether Africa is leaving billions in economic growth untapped because workplaces are not designed around how people actually live and care for their families.The hidden link between talent shortages, employee turnover, and the lack of support for working parents and caregivers.What family friendly workplace policies look like in Africa's informal economy, SMEs, and labour intensive industries where traditional models often fall short.Why investors, multinational companies, and global supply chains are increasingly treating family friendly policies as a competitiveness and business resilience issue.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss The Grandmothers Helping Solve Africa's Mental Health Crisis? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with SoledadLinkedIn - Soledad Sánchez-Cañamares RíosMany of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don't do it alone. If you'd like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:www.etkgroup.co.ukinfo@etkgroup.co.uk

When it comes to innovation and productivity, the challenge for the Australian government remains the inability to turn good ideas into long-term economic growth. In this episode, Kate Whitehead, MD of strategic grants and government funding advisory, Avant Group, explains what the proposed changes to the R&D Tax Incentive could mean for SMEs, innovation investment and Australia’s broader productivity problem. Then, leadership expert Kylie Paatsch explains why so many engagement strategies fail to deliver real performance. Her argument? The problem isn’t engagement; it’s lack of connection between leaders and teams. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lindsey Jayne is an independent product adviser and coach, and former chief product officer at the Financial Times. She began her career at the Government Digital Service, where she stumbled into product management by chasing someone down a corridor holding a MacBook that actually worked. What followed was 15 years moving through startups, scaleups, and ultimately one of Britain's most storied media institutions.Chapters00:00 — Introduction01:08 — Lindsey's origin story: from a broken government laptop to product management02:48 — Why product managers burn out: accountability without authority05:34 — Influencing stakeholders using discovery skills07:19 — What leaders can do to clear the way for their product teams08:44 — Stakeholder mapping: the influence and interest framework09:41 — Recognising burnout signals in your team at scale11:16 — Balancing passion and sustainability: when enthusiasm becomes a pattern14:16 — When to transition from individual contributor to product leader16:24 — Product reviews and cross-team knowledge sharing18:42 — How to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders20:40 — Career-defining advice: you don't have to die on every hill21:43 — Half your job is landing the product, not just building it22:25 — The most common mistake junior product managers make24:05 — How to tell your story after a difficult or toxic company exitOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

Innovation may look obvious from the leader's chair, but it often looks like extra work from the team's chair. Leaders may say, "We need to keep innovating," but employees hear, "Here comes another initiative on top of everything else we are already doing." In Japan, this resistance can be even stronger because change often feels risky, disruptive and uncomfortable. People have routines. They know how to do their current work. They are competent, comfortable and busy. The leadership challenge is not merely to announce innovation. The real challenge is to sell the need for innovation so clearly that the team understands why standing still is more dangerous than moving forward. Why do leaders need to sell the need for innovation? Leaders need to sell innovation because most employees do not automatically see change as attractive, urgent or safe. They may already feel overloaded, sceptical or tired from previous initiatives that disappeared without results. Innovation sounds exciting in strategy meetings, but it can sound painful at the frontline. In Japanese organisations, SMEs, multinationals and B2B service firms, people often worry about risk, mistakes, extra workload and unclear benefits. If the boss simply talks about "better, higher, further, faster," the team may mentally check out. The leader must connect innovation to business survival, client value, productivity and personal relevance. Do now: Start by asking what the team is likely to resist, not what the leader wants to announce. How should leaders prepare before presenting innovation? Leaders should prepare by analysing the audience's knowledge, experience, biases and likely resistance. Innovation persuasion begins with understanding the listeners before crafting the message. A team of engineers, salespeople, administrators or senior managers will each hear the same innovation message differently. In Japan, where consensus-building and risk avoidance often shape decision-making, leaders must anticipate objections early. Has the team seen failed innovation campaigns before? Do they believe management will support the work? Are they worried about resources, time or blame? Preparation means mapping these concerns before the presentation. Do now: List the audience's likely objections and build answers into the talk before anyone raises them. Why should leaders design the closing first? Leaders should design the closing first because the desired final impression determines the whole presentation. If the close is vague, the rest of the talk will wander. This feels counterintuitive, but it is practical. Before designing the opening, leaders must know the one message they want people to remember. Is the goal to gain agreement for innovation time? Secure resources? Encourage experiments? Change behaviour? The close forces the speaker to boil the ocean of possibilities down to one essential point. That clarity then shapes the examples, evidence and alternatives used throughout the presentation. Do now: Write the final sentence first. Make it so clear the team can repeat it after the meeting. How can leaders state the organisational need for innovation clearly? Leaders should state the need for innovation in one short, direct paragraph that explains the problem and the objective. The team should understand the point within two seconds. A clear statement might connect market pressure, customer expectations, digital transformation, labour shortages or productivity problems to the organisation's future. In Japan's post-pandemic workplace, leaders cannot rely on long hours or old routines to solve every challenge. The statement should not drown people in proof yet. Its job is to create immediate understanding. The supporting evidence comes later, but the first statement must be unambiguous. Do now: Create a two-second innovation statement: the problem, the risk and the objective. What kind of story helps teams accept innovation? A brief, concrete story helps teams accept innovation because it lets them picture the need before being told the conclusion. Storytelling turns abstract change into a visible business problem. The story should include people the team recognises, a specific location, timing, season and situation. For example, a missed client opportunity in Tokyo, a competitor's faster response in Osaka or a productivity bottleneck in a regional office can show why the current way is no longer enough. If the story is vivid and concise, listeners may reach the leader's conclusion before the leader states it. That is persuasion doing its job. Do now: Use one short story that makes the cost of not innovating obvious. Why should leaders present alternative solutions? Leaders should present several credible alternatives because teams trust a strategic comparison more than a single imposed answer. Options reduce resistance and show the leader has done the work. Offer three workable solutions and explain the pros, cons, costs and risks of each. Then present the preferred solution last, because people often remember best what they heard most recently. If the recommended choice is to invest team time and resources into innovation, explain why it beats the other alternatives. In Japanese organisations, this comparison also helps internal consensus because stakeholders can see the logic. Do now: Present three options, make the innovation option strongest, and explain why it is the best path. Final Summary Selling innovation is a leadership presentation, not a casual team announcement. The design order matters: prepare the audience analysis, design the close, clarify the organisational need, build a story, compare alternatives, choose the best solution and then craft the opening. The delivery order is different: open strongly, state the need, tell the story, present alternatives, recommend the best solution and close with clarity. Most importantly, rehearse. Treat this internal talk like a major client presentation because the stakes are high. Leaders are asking people to leave the comfort zone and enter uncharted territory. That requires persuasion, structure and conviction. Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

A proactive stance on product returns is an essential aspect of modern trade, as relevant for retailers as it is for wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers. In this blog post, we look at what a modern returns system should include and provide tips for SMEs. You can learn more in this episode or read about it on our blog For more information about the MRPeasy software, visit our website: mrpeasy.com

Kristof Horvat, Innovation Projects at Eurosender, discusses solving fragmented cross-border e-commerce parcel delivery. Cross-border pain points for SMEs that are growing Contrast between domestic e-commerce and expanding into cross-border e-commerce Problems merchants face in managing multiple carriers across different countries Understanding parcel pricing, surcharges and dynamic pricing The role of platforms in cross-border e-commerce delivery The different kinds of platforms available to e-commerce sellers How postal operators can help e-commerce sellers expand beyond their domestic market Options available to postal operators for better international coverage Post Luxembourg case study  

Send us Fan MailMost companies chasing AI transformation are doing it in the wrong order. Manuel Barragan spent 20+ years inside organisations like Reuters and HSBC before building his own consultancy - and what he learned is this: technology cannot fix broken people and broken processes. It can only run them faster.What You Will LearnHow to identify whether your company is truly transforming or just adding tools to existing dysfunction Why putting technology before people is the single most expensive mistake in digital transformation What AI governance actually means - and why ignoring it is exposing your company's data to the world How to close the AI literacy gap inside your organisation before it becomes a competitive liability Why the conductor, the musicians, and the instruments all have to be ready before the concert beginsTimestamps01:30 — From Reuters CTO to Regional CEO: What 20 Years Inside the Giants Taught Him 08:15 — Why "We're Transforming" Is the Biggest Lie in Business Right Now 10:18 — The AI Hype Trap: Why It's the Same Mistake Companies Made with SAP 14:16 — Data Governance & AI Literacy: The Hidden Risk Destroying Companies From the Inside 21:06 — This or That: Corporate World vs Entrepreneurship, AI Liberates or Replaces, and MoreAbout the GuestManuel Barragan is a fractional executive and digital transformation strategist with 20+ years of leadership across Reuters, HSBC, Marsh, IBM, and multiple CEO and Managing Director roles across Latin America. His firm, DTS Strategist, works with corporations and SMEs to fix the people and process foundations that determine whether technology investments succeed or fail. He is currently writing a book on navigating digital transformation through the human lens. Connect with Manuel LinkedIn: Manuel Barragan Website: www.dtstrategist.comConnect with HinaHina's WebsiteHina's LinkedInHina's InstagramHina's Youtube Channel Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday and Friday.Production Credit: Produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

Most leaders think they are good communicators, but that confidence is often built on a dangerous assumption. They believe communication means telling people what they think, what they want, and what should happen next. Real leadership communication is more demanding. It requires self-awareness, context, listening, empathy, emotional control, cultural intelligence, and the ability to create shared understanding. In Japan, Australia, the United States, Europe, and across Asia-Pacific, leaders now operate in workplaces overloaded with messages, meetings, dashboards, chat platforms, and cross-cultural misunderstanding. The leader's communication quality shapes trust, motivation, execution, and culture. What makes leadership communication more than just talking? Leadership communication is not one-way instruction; it is the disciplined creation of shared meaning. Leaders must understand their own assumptions and the listener's viewpoint before expecting action. Many bosses reduce complex ideas into headlines because they are busy. They skip background, context, and the "why," then wonder why people misunderstand or resist. Good communication begins with self-awareness. What assumptions am I making? What does the listener already believe? What vocabulary, cultural expectation, or past experience will shape how they hear me? In bilingual Japan workplaces, the gap can be even wider when English directness meets Japanese indirectness. Do now: Before giving an instruction, ask yourself, "What context does this person need in order to understand the real meaning?" Why should leaders listen before giving advice? Leaders should listen first because advice given too early often solves the wrong problem. The most important information may be hidden in what is not being said. Busy leaders often hear a fragment of an issue and leap into solution mode. That feels efficient, but it can silence the team and waste insight. Real listening means hearing words, tone, hesitation, emotion, and context. It also means resisting the temptation to show off experience or intelligence. Employees are more motivated when they feel the boss has genuinely heard them. In modern organisations, the leader no longer has a monopoly on ideas, expertise, or local knowledge. Do now: Listen for the unsaid message before offering advice. Ask, "What else should I understand before I respond?" How can leaders build an open communication culture? Leaders build an open communication culture by making it safe for many ideas to emerge, not just the boss's preferred opinion. Strong leaders welcome challenge; weak leaders demand agreement. A creative workplace needs more than slogans about innovation. It needs leaders who can throw hierarchy, status, and power out the window when ideas are being discussed. This matters in startups, multinationals, SMEs, professional services firms, and traditional Japanese companies where rank can easily silence junior talent. Open communication allows "a hundred flowers" of ideas to bloom, but it requires confidence from the boss. Leaders who are insecure often close discussion too early. Do now: In your next meeting, speak last on one important topic and invite the quietest person to contribute first. Why is empathetic listening the highest communication skill? Empathetic listening is the highest communication skill because it hears the person behind the words. It uses ears, eyes, and emotional awareness to understand what really matters. Empathetic listening means sensing the "how" of what is being said, not just capturing the literal message. Is the person anxious, hesitant, frustrated, embarrassed, or quietly enthusiastic? Are they withholding something because of hierarchy, face-saving, language limitations, or fear of being judged? This is especially important in Japan, where communication may be indirect and context-heavy. Leaders who listen empathetically can respond to the real issue rather than the surface-level statement. Do now: Watch tone, pace, facial expression, silence, and energy. Then check gently: "Is there something else behind this that we should discuss?" How does trust affect leadership communication? Trust determines whether the team receives the leader's message honestly or suspiciously. Communication is filtered through the leader's consistency, integrity, follow-through, and transparency. A leader cannot suddenly demand trust during a crisis. Trust is built layer by layer, through repeated behaviour. When the boss says one thing and does another, the team learns to discount the message. When the leader explains decisions clearly, follows through on commitments, and communicates bad news honestly, people listen differently. In any organisation, the grapevine becomes powerful when formal communication is weak, slow, or unbelievable. Rumours fill the vacuum leaders leave behind. Do now: Communicate early and consistently. If you do not provide the truth, the grapevine will provide a substitute. Why do leaders need to control emotional communication? Leaders must control anger, rage, disappointment, and irritability because these emotions communicate faster than words. Once released, the damage is difficult to reverse. A boss may believe they are simply "being direct," but the team may experience the moment as intimidation, humiliation, or instability. Emotional sparks are often selfish because they focus on the leader's inner turmoil rather than the listener's needs. In high-pressure environments, leaders need discipline before speaking. The rule is simple but difficult: speak to others as they want to be spoken to. This does not mean avoiding hard conversations. It means choosing clarity over emotional discharge. Do now: When emotionally triggered, pause before speaking. Ask, "Will this help the person understand, or will it simply release my frustration?" How does organisational culture shape communication? Leaders communicate inside the culture they create, and that culture determines how messages are interpreted. A trust-based culture receives communication differently from a fear-based culture. Every message has context. A short instruction from a trusted leader may feel clear and efficient. The same instruction from a volatile or political leader may feel threatening or manipulative. Communication is not just words; it is energy, action, sincerity, and intention. People watch what leaders do every day and compare it with what they say. This is why culture and communication cannot be separated. The leader's behaviour becomes the organisation's communication standard. Do now: Audit the gap between what you say and what your team sees you do. That gap is your real communication problem. Why is "my way or the highway" outdated leadership? The "my way only" leadership style is outdated because modern teams need understanding, inclusion, and shared ownership. The leader still decides, but better decisions come from first understanding the people affected. Command-and-control communication may feel decisive, but it often produces compliance without commitment. Employees today expect to understand the purpose behind decisions. They also bring expertise, customer knowledge, technical detail, and cultural insight the boss may not have. In Japan, where harmony and hierarchy can suppress open disagreement, leaders must work even harder to draw out real views. Seeking to understand subordinates first does not weaken authority. It improves judgement. Do now: Before finalising a decision, ask, "What am I missing from the people closest to the work?" Final summary Good leadership communication is not natural talent or polished talking. It is a set of disciplined habits: self-awareness, listening first, matching the listener's wavelength, creating open culture, listening empathetically, controlling emotion, building trust, communicating continuously, and rejecting "my way only" thinking. The uncomfortable truth is that poor communication usually starts with the leader. If people do not understand the why, context, priority, or expected action, leaders should not simply blame the listener. They should improve the message, the timing, the feedback loop, and their own listening. FAQs Are most leaders as good at communication as they think? No, many leaders overestimate their communication skill because they focus on speaking rather than understanding. Good communication requires the listener to receive, interpret, and act on the message correctly. Why is context important in leadership communication? Context explains the "why" behind the message. Without context, employees may hear the instruction but misunderstand the priority, purpose, or expected result. What is the role of empathy in communication? Empathy helps leaders understand what people feel, fear, avoid, and value. It allows the boss to tune into the human reality behind the work issue. Why is the grapevine so powerful? The grapevine becomes powerful when leaders leave an information vacuum. If formal communication is slow, vague, or untrusted, rumours and speculation take over. How can leaders improve immediately? Leaders can improve immediately by listening longer, speaking with more context, checking understanding, and controlling emotional reactions. These habits build trust faster than polished speeches. Quick actions for leaders Explain the "why," not just the task. Listen before giving advice. Invite ideas from different levels of the organisation. Match vocabulary and communication style to the listener. Watch for what is not being said. Communicate continuously to prevent rumour gaps. Control anger before speaking. Replace "my way" with "help me understand your view first." Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" in 2018 and 2021, and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2012. As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programmes, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers: Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery, along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō（ザ営業）, Purezen no Tatsujin（プレゼンの達人）, Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō（トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう）, and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā（現代版「人を動かす」リーダー）. Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

تواصل معانا وشاركنا افكاركهل التمويل هو أكبر تحدٍ يواجه أصحاب المشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة؟في هذه الحلقة من بزنس بالعربي، نناقش واحدة من أكثر الأفكار انتشارًا بين رواد الأعمال وأصحاب الشركات: هل نقص التمويل هو المشكلة الحقيقية، أم أن هناك عوامل أخرى أكثر تأثيرًا على نمو الأعمال؟نتحدث عن دور التكنولوجيا المالية (FinTech)، والدفع الإلكتروني، وتحليل البيانات (Data Analytics)، وكيف يمكن للشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة الاستفادة من هذه الأدوات لبناء أعمال أكثر استقرارًا وقابلية للنمو والتوسع.خلال الحلقة ستتعرف على:✅ أهم التحديات التي تواجه الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة (SMEs)✅ لماذا أصبحت البيانات أحد أهم أصول الشركات الحديثة✅ كيف تساعد المدفوعات الإلكترونية في تحسين إدارة الأعمال✅ العلاقة بين التحول الرقمي والحصول على التمويل✅ دور التكنولوجيا المالية في دعم رواد الأعمال✅ كيفية بناء مشروع قابل للتوسع والنمو✅ أهمية الأتمتة وإدارة المخزون وفهم سلوك العملاء✅ كيف يمكن للمشروعات الصغيرة الوصول إلى أسواق جديدة محليًا وعالميًاإذا كنت صاحب مشروع، رائد أعمال، تعمل في شركة ناشئة، أو تفكر في بدء مشروعك الخاص، فهذه الحلقة تحتوي على رؤى عملية وتجارب حقيقية ستساعدك على فهم مستقبل الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في العصر الرقمي.⏱️ محاور الحلقة:00:00 مقدمة01:39 أكبر التحديات التي تواجه الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة07:02 كيف تغيّر التكنولوجيا المالية مستقبل الـ SMEs11:14 أهمية البيانات في نمو الشركات13:26 التمويل الذكي وفهم طبيعة كل قطاع18:50 مستقبل الشركات الصغيرة في ظل التكنولوجيا21:06 كيف تفتح المدفوعات الإلكترونية أسواقًا جديدة27:05 من العمل الحر إلى بناء شركة قابلة للنمو

AI isn't just a technology problem in higher education — it's a people problem. From enthusiastic early adopters to deeply skeptical faculty, institutional leaders are navigating a wide spectrum of AI engagement across their campuses, and figuring out how to bring everyone along is where the real work begins. In this episode, we dig into practical, people-centered strategies for leading AI implementation in higher ed. How do you support faculty at different stages of readiness? How do you reduce resistance without dismissing legitimate concerns? And how do you build a roadmap that's both responsible and sustainable? Grounded in change management principles and shaped by the realities of higher education culture, this conversation gives leaders the tools to stop reacting and start leading with intention.

Dave Martin has spent more than two decades in product leadership, with a string of C-suite roles, a couple of exits and a book, The Product Momentum Gap, to his name. He is also dyslexic and ADHD, and has built a career while masking the effort it takes to "think normal". In this episode he makes the case that the advice handed to neurotypical leaders often fails the roughly half of tech workers who are neurodivergent, and lays out a practical playbook for landing your message, leading the room and progressing without pretending to be someone else. Chapters00:00) Welcome, and Dave's background in product(02:03) "I've been masking it": faking thinking normal(02:37) The meeting where your idea is ignored, then credited to someone else(03:28) AI as a "spell check for influence"(04:07) The myth that growth requires pretending to be neurotypical(05:15) Why standard leadership advice fails neurodivergent leaders(06:45) Executive presence, signal presence and signal drift(07:57) Is this universal, or specific to neurodivergence?(09:48) From "dumb kid" to writing C++ at ten(11:27) When a word processor flipped his Fs to As(13:24) The trap: leading with detail(15:42) The boardroom moment that gets you labelled "not strategic"(17:05) Designing for re-tell: what the room repeats when you leave(18:19) Three mistakes that kill your influence(19:36) The CALM framework(21:32) Authority and the signal prep exercise(22:14) Three questions: outcome, one-line recommendation, re-tell(24:44) "Minutes not months": seeding the line that gets repeated(26:56) Learning: vulnerability and psychological safety(28:27) Momentum, well-being and burnout(31:21) Why burnout is a leadership fault(32:01) Mia's story: the head of product who wanted to be CPO(34:20) Recognising the trigger and practising signal prep(37:06) When stakeholders started calling her strategic(38:31) The opposite trap: abandoning detail entirely(39:22) Why some leaders step back into IC roles(41:16) Free training and AI as your spell checker for influence(42:26) Closing thoughtsKey takeaways— Authenticity is not the goal; deliberate communication is. Dave's central provocation is that "be your authentic self" assumes everyone in the room thinks the way you do. For a leader who sees patterns instantly and works in deep, hyperfocused bursts, behaving authentically can mean failing to explain the obvious and struggling to empathise with those who need the journey, not just the destination.— The symptoms are universal, the tax is not. Everybody's message gets lost in meetings. What separates neurodivergent leaders is the cognitive cost of noticing that drift and correcting it. As Randy and Dave agree, the tools discussed here help everyone, but the impact is far larger for those paying the higher tax.— Leading with detail is the career trap. The very trait that makes someone an exceptional individual contributor, the ability to go deep and surface every edge case, can sink them in the boardroom. — Answer a strategic question with edge cases and you are labelled "not executive" with alarming speed, and undoing that label takes months of work.— CALM is the alternative. Clarity, authority, learning and momentum, delivered calmly. Authority comes from being clear on the outcome and the ask, asking for support and guidance rather than permission, and not feeling obliged to justify every edge case.— Signal prep is the practical tool. Three questions: what do I need from this room; what is my one-line recommendation; and what will they repeat when I am not in the room. A bonus question for higher-stakes meetings asks what the room feels now and how you want them to feel when you leave.— Design for re-tell. Dave's example of a leader who reduced a lengthy objective to "minutes not months for our customers", and repeated it, is the clearest illustration. That phrase, not someone else's reframe, is what got repeated in the room afterwards.— Well-being underpins momentum. Dave nearly named the framework around well-being. Without a sustainable pace, leaders cannot lead, and the unprocessed meeting that keeps you awake at 3am is a momentum problem. He frames widespread tech burnout as a leadership failure, because leaders set the expectation.— AI is a spell checker for influence. Just as a word processor turned Dave's Fs into As without changing his brain, AI tooling can help neurodivergent leaders translate their thinking into the right language for the room, supporting the communication without doing the thinking or the judgement for them.Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.