Podcasts about SWOT

Show Notes: “From Hidden Chaos to Visible Execution” Most founder-led companies do not need more theory. They need a clearer way to turn strategy into execution. In this episode of the TriMetric Roadmap Podcast, Scott and Jeff continue the Executive Performance System series by walking through what it actually looks like to install EPS inside a real company. The core idea: executive performance is not something you understand once and magically have. It has to be installed through clear priorities, leadership alignment, role clarity, captured knowledge, operating cadence, and visible execution. Scott and Jeff unpack why many businesses are successful because of the founder, but also stuck because of the founder. The very instincts that helped the company grow early can become the constraint when the business needs systems, accountability, and leadership infrastructure. They walk through the BFA process, including: Starting with the Business Health Diagnostic to reveal the truth of where the company really stands Identifying the biggest constraints and highest-leverage priorities Turning those priorities into CSIs — Critical Strategic Initiatives Using the Decision Matrix to connect SWOT-style thinking with the Five Freedom Levers Clarifying who owns what through the accountability chart Installing weekly cadence, scorecards, issue-solving, and follow-through Capturing institutional knowledge so the company no longer depends on what lives inside the founder's head A major theme in this episode is visibility. Hidden complexity creates chaos. Visible priorities, visible ownership, visible issues, visible knowledge, and visible execution create freedom. Jeff also shares a practical example of how tracking the right metrics revealed hidden problems in accounts receivable and accounts payable. Once the numbers became visible, the real issues could finally be solved. Scott ties the discussion back to the TriMetric Flywheel: Truth → Alignment → Action. The work starts by getting brutally honest about current reality. From there, the leadership team can align around what matters most and take focused action quarter after quarter. The episode ends with a simple but powerful question every founder can ask their team: “What is the most important thing we do as a company?” The answers will reveal how aligned — or misaligned — the business really is. Core Takeaway: Installing EPS is not about adding complexity. It is about removing hidden complexity by making the company's leadership, knowledge, priorities, and execution rhythm visible. That is how a founder-led business begins moving from founder follow-up to true leadership rhythm — and eventually, founder freedom.

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!How to Become A Successful Personal Trainer vol. 2 interviews coaches and trainers who have lead a successful personal training career. HINT HINT, they don't praise textbook certifications, they focus on hands on learning and building teams.If you want to make real money as a personal trainer, “getting certified” is not the finish line, it's the starting line. We're pulling back the curtain on what we see from the one percenters in the industry: the coaches clearing $125,000+ a year while everyone else wonders why their calendar is empty and their confidence is shaky. We walk through three traits that keep showing up among high performers. First, they chase hands-on learning, not just books and bundles. They do seminars, internships, mentorships, and supervised reps in the trenches, because that's where you learn to handle knee pain, shoulder issues, and real-world client chaos without freezing. Second, they build a serious network, especially physical therapists (DPTs) and registered dietitians (RDs) they can actually talk to, not just follow online. That support raises your competence, your results, and your ability to charge premium rates with integrity. Then we tackle the taboo topic: looking the part. Not extremes, not unrealistic influencer standards, but a clear signal that you practice what you preach and you fit your market. We also share practical ways to “level up” fast, from picking the right mentors to running a SWOT analysis on your business and physique. If you're done with the quick-fix mindset and ready to build a sustainable personal training career, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a trainer friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!Want to ask us a question?  Email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqANASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

In this special ScaleUp Radio episode, recorded live at our monthly ScaleUp Club Q&A session, Kevin Brent is joined once again by returning ScaleUp Radio guest Jennifer Appleton to explore one of the most powerful strategic concepts for growing businesses: the Hedgehog Concept from Jim Collins' Good to Great. Alongside the main discussion, members also heard an AI Pulse update from Paul at Green Gorilla Automation, showcasing how agentic AI tools like Claude can move from generic chatbot responses to genuinely useful strategic analysis when given the right business context. The conversation explores how founder-led businesses can avoid becoming "busy fools", stay focused on what truly drives profit, and use AI to enhance capability without losing the human insight that creates value. One standout theme throughout the session was this: "AI without context gives generic answers. AI with business context becomes a strategic thinking partner."   In this episode The Hedgehog Concept explained We break down the three circles behind the Hedgehog Concept and why it matters for scaling businesses: What you are deeply passionate about What you can genuinely become best at What drives your economic engine The discussion highlights why businesses often lose momentum by saying "yes" to too many opportunities and how the Hedgehog acts as a practical filter for strategic decisions. ISO QSL's real-world Hedgehog Jennifer shares how ISO QSL defines its own Hedgehog: Passion: helping SMEs implement ISO systems Best at: implementing management systems for SMEs Economic engine: a recurring monthly retainer model She also explains how the business adapted after a major Google algorithm change impacted lead generation, including: Building a stronger referral strategy Exploring Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) Protecting focus by avoiding distracting projects outside the core offer AI Pulse update – finding your Hedgehog with Claude Paul from Green Gorilla Automation demonstrated a live AI experiment comparing two Claude projects: One with no business context One connected to real company data including P&L, client lists and strategy documents The difference was dramatic. The context-rich AI project produced: Evidence-based strategic analysis SWOT recommendations Notion tasks Automated review scheduling A working hypothesis for the company's Hedgehog The session also introduced the practical "10/80/10" principle: 10% setup and context 80% AI execution 10% human review and refinement AI and the future of ISO auditing Jennifer also shared how ISO QSL is exploring AI-assisted auditing. Rather than replacing auditors, AI may: Pre-scan documents Identify gaps and trends Reduce low-value admin Allow auditors to focus on higher-value insight and improvement work The outcome: Increased capacity Better client experience Improved profitability without increasing fees   Key Takeaways Strategic focus is often about deciding what not to do AI is only as valuable as the context you provide it Founder distraction is one of the biggest blockers to scale Recurring revenue models create stability and scalability AI works best as an enhancer of expertise, not a replacement for it   The One Key Thing The businesses that scale most effectively are the ones disciplined enough to focus relentlessly on the few things they can genuinely become exceptional at.   About ScaleUp Club ScaleUp Club is our monthly peer-to-peer session for ambitious business owners looking to scale with more clarity, structure and accountability. Each session combines: Strategic learning Practical workshops Peer discussion Expert guests AI and leadership updates 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 Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter. If that sounds familiar, the G90 Summit is worth a look. It's a structured half-day session where we help founders identify the three to five priorities that genuinely matter over the next 90 days and build the systems to deliver them. Quarterly, virtual, and £97 a seat. You can find out more at http://Smart90.co.uk/summit . Jennifer can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iso-certification-iso9001/ https://www.isoqsltd.com/ https://oakhouseworkspace.co.uk/  

In this enlightening episode of the Developing the Leader Within Podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Shelli Brunswick, a visionary leader and Air Force veteran who is making waves in the realms of leadership, innovation, and global impact. As the CEO and founder of SB Global LLC and Secretary General at the World Business Angels Investment Forum, Shelli brings a wealth of experience and insight into how leaders can thrive in times of rapid change.Join us as Shelli shares her journey from military service to becoming a powerful voice in leadership strategy and space innovation. She discusses the timeless leadership principles she learned in the Air Force and how they have evolved to meet the challenges of today's dynamic landscape. Discover the concept of the "space mindset" and how it can help leaders navigate uncertainty while fostering innovation.You will learn the following:1. The importance of self-leadership and conducting a personal SWOT analysis for growth. 03:312. How to listen actively and learn from your team to enhance your leadership effectiveness. 06:02 3. The role of self-awareness in maintaining relevance amid technological advancements and global competition. 07:43 4. Strategies for implementing actionable steps that drive personal and professional development. 10:345. Insights from Shelley's upcoming book series that bridge space exploration with leadership principles. 12:23To get in contact with Shelli: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellibrunswickWebsite: https://shelli-brunswick.comThis episode is sponsored by   Triad Leadership Solutions  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://triadleadershipsolutions.my.canva.site⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our podcast is sponsored by   The Global Trends MagazineWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gc-bl.org/global-trends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Outlier Project   Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theoutlierproject.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ascend MeditationsWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ascendmeditations.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chop AiWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chopai.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castle and Compass AdventuresWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://castle-and-compass-adventures.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bonefrog Coffee CompanyWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bonefrogcoffee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupon code: DTLW BoomcasterWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.boomcaster.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SupaPassWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://supapass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Make sure to Catch us streaming on Roku and Amazon Fire TV on the Purpose Place Network.Also catch our Exclusive Members only content “Going Deeper Within” on the Lions Guide Academy.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.lionsguide.com/gdw

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/360.109-Strategic-Planning-1.mp3 Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at strategic planning. Many people think strategic planning is simply writing a document about business goals for the next few years. However, real strategic planning is much more than that. It is about asking important questions related to a company's vision, mission, values, and long-term direction. Strategic planning helps bring people together around a shared purpose. When teams and departments understand the same goals, they can work more effectively and see how their work fits into the bigger picture. This is why understanding the company, its people, its market position, and its business environment is very important. A key part of strategic planning is gathering the right information. Companies should not only look at their own performance, but also compare it with competitors. Businesses also need to think about future trends and changes in the market. One common tool used in strategic planning is the SWOT analysis, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Instead of simply making long lists, companies should focus on the most important areas and ask deeper questions. For example, businesses should think about which strengths are most valuable and whether those strengths will remain important in the future. Another useful tool is the PESTLE analysis, which looks at political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors. This approach helps companies understand outside forces that may affect future business decisions. Strategic planning should not involve only senior leaders. Strong companies include employees, customers, and partners in discussions and analysis. By collecting different ideas and information, businesses can create a clear vision and set better priorities for the future. Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Skills 360 – Strategic Planning (1) first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

In a highly volatile corporate world, leaders face an invisible enemy: the biological hijacking of their executive functions due to chronic environmental stress . In this comprehensive video explainer, we deep-dive into the revolutionary framework established by Marynês Pereira, an international authority in Neurobusiness, AI, and Emotional Intelligence with over 40 years of expertise and 12 published books. Discover the exact neurosensory and bioenergetic pathways that explain why a standard corporate SWOT analysis cannot protect a leader whose brain has been compromised by high cortisol and toxic environmental frequencies . ⏱️ Video Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction: The Biological Mechanics of Corporate Stress00:42 - Section 1: The Internal Battlefield (The VUCA/BANI Reality) 01:19 - Section 2: The Autopilot Mind & Unconscious Brain Dominance 02:40 - The 90-Minute Sleep Cycle & The "Stress Download" 03:17 - Section 3: Anatomy of Interference & The Neurotic Core 04:16 - Section 4: Interference Routing (Pineal Gland to Thalamus)04:47 - Why Office Stress Causes Emotional Explosions at Home05:17 - Section 5: The Cellular Hijack & Mitochondrial Energy Drain06:32 - Section 6: Frequency Engineering & Reclaiming Conscious Control07:46 - Protocol: The 5-Minute Transcendence Pause Learn how to keep a comprehensive "Trigger Diary" to map your ego's specific psychodynamic vulnerabilities and implement standard bioenergetic reordering techniques to stop mitochondrial hijacking in its tracks.

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS Watch Full Video Episode In this forward-looking conversation, Carm Capriotto and Chris Cloutier, CEO of AutoFlow and owner of three Golden Rule Auto Care locations, explore how artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the automotive repair industry; not as a replacement for people, but as a powerful tool that helps shop owners lead smarter, communicate better, and operate more professionally. Chris shares firsthand experiences using AI inside both his software company and his repair shops, revealing how the technology can dramatically reduce time spent on leadership and administrative tasks while improving workflow efficiency and customer communication. From refining technician notes to helping build business plans and expansion strategies, AI is becoming what Chris describes as a 'thought partner' for today's shop owner. What You'll Learn: Why AI should be viewed as a strategic business partner, not a threat to the automotive repair professionHow effective prompting and providing context can dramatically improve AI-generated resultsWays AI can streamline major business tasks such as SBA loan preparation, SWOT analyses, and growth planningHow AI-powered technician note rewrites improve customer communication and strengthen professionalismWhy clear, polished communication acts as a “curtain of professionalism” that builds customer trustHow AI can help bridge language barriers by translating repair orders and inspection resultsThe risks and humor of “AI versus AI” hiring practices, where both employers and applicants rely heavily on artificial intelligenceWhy Chris believes today is the least expensive AI will ever be, and why shop owners should begin learning it now The biggest takeaway from this episode is simple: AI will not replace highly skilled automotive professionals, but it will absolutely enhance the shops that learn how to use it effectively. From improving efficiency and communication to elevating the image of professionalism, AI offers tremendous advantages for modern repair businesses. However, Carm and Chris emphasize one critical principle throughout the conversation: trust, but verify. Just like quality control in the service bays, AI-generated information should always be reviewed carefully before being shared with customers or used to make important business decisions. Chris Cloutier, Golden Rule Auto Care, and CEO of Autoflow. Listen to Chris' other episodes HERE Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/ Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/ Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/ The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/ The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/ Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.

In this episode of the Org Design Podcast, host Tim Brewer welcomes Lorena Balestrieri, future chair of the European Organizational Design Forum, to discuss her unconventional career path—from hospitality in Argentina to tech leadership at Booking.com, and her pivot to helping mid‑career professionals reinvent themselves. Lorena shares how she identified gaps in HR and org design, built a niche helping middle managers and women navigate career transitions, and emphasizes the importance of networking, strengths assessment (SWOT), and practical tools like resume building and LinkedIn. She explains org design in simple terms, outlines her mentoring approach, and invites listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn for personalized support. The conversation highlights the evolving org‑design community, the need for mid‑level talent development, and actionable steps for professionals seeking career reinvention. www.functionly.com

3 Mei 2026 SpaceX meluncurkan CAS500-2, satelit Korea untuk pemantau bencana. Tapi di Talk Disaster, kita tidak berhenti di headline. Kita telusuri rantai lengkapnya: dari GUARDIAN yang deteksi tsunami dalam 8 menit via sinyal GPS, SWOT yang merekam kelahiran tsunami dari orbit, Starlink yang jadi tulang punggung komunikasi saat banjir Sumatera 2025, hingga Direct to Cell yang ingin kirimkan peringatan langsung ke ponselmu tanpa BTS. Semua data terverifikasi. Semua relevan untuk Indonesia.Talk Disaster | Waspada Ya, Panik Jangan.

AMERICA'S SUPPLY CHAIN ON THE BRINK: HIDDEN THREATS YOU CAN'T IGNORE - On this intense episode of Rural Route, host Trent Loos is joined by JC Cole from New Jersey for a hard-hitting breakdown of the growing dangers facing America's supply chain. JC unveils a powerful SWOT analysis identifying 13 looming “gray swan” events—serious threats that could trigger a nationwide collapse. From seismic activity along the New Madrid fault to rising concerns about solar EMP attacks, the conversation exposes just how fragile the system has become. The discussion dives deep into global instability, including fears of economic collapse, digital currency shifts, and escalating geopolitical tensions that could disrupt trade overnight. Trent and JC warn that years of ignored warnings may be creating dangerous complacency, even as risks intensify across the board. Turning to solutions, JC pushes for bold action—calling for localized food production and small-scale farming systems to protect communities, especially along the vulnerable East Coast. With reports of farm bankruptcies surging and fertilizer prices crushing producers, Trent highlights the growing pressure on American agriculture and the real threat of food shortages. The episode closes with a gripping look at gold and silver markets, questions surrounding U.S. reserves, and how global financial uncertainty ties directly into food security and survival. It's a powerful wake-up call about the future of farming, national security, and the fight to keep America fed.

Blue Dot host Dave Schlom takes a look at rivers from space and on the ground in this fluvial episode.

2026 is shaping up to be one of the most challenging and opportunity-rich years independent hearing care has seen in a long time. In this episode, Oli runs a full SWOT analysis on the modern private practice -- breaking down where your real strengths lie, what weaknesses need fixing, and which threats deserve your serious attention right now. Learn more at

In this episode of The Operational Arch, hosts Spencer Bates and DJ Taylor sit down with Steven Box, founder and CEO of Vanguard Tactics and a top-ranked competitive Warhammer coach, alongside SAMS professor Matt Yandura. The conversation explores how Box's "IDEA" framework — developed over years of competitive tabletop wargaming and coaching — maps surprisingly well to military decision-making: gathering the right information under time pressure, making rapid decisions, executing with composure, and assessing outcomes to adapt. The episode also digs into why SAMS invited an outside expert from a non-traditional field and what operational planners can learn from embracing failure, coaching others, and considering future operating environments.Content:0:00 — Intro & episode overview2:31 — Steven Box's background: from Royal Navy aptitude tests to volleyball, bodybuilding, and Warhammer7:42 — What is Warhammer? A layman's explanation9:03 — Why SAMS brings in outside experts: Professor Yandura on SAMS' mandate to experiment11:31 — Introducing the IDEA framework (the "Box Method")12:10 — I — Information: Gathering the right info under time pressure; SWOT analysis on the battlefield15:05 — D — Decision: Translating information into decisive action; identifying priorities and trade-offs18:47 — E — Execution: Resource allocation, composure under pressure, managing variance21:14 — A — Assessment: What went well, what didn't, and when to pivot23:57 — Coaching philosophy: meeting people where they are and building from there25:31 — The value of purposeful failure and learning from losses32:41 — SAMS' Future Operating Environment course: forecasting, futures thinking, and speculative scenarios45:32 — Closing takeaways & acknowledgments (CGSC Foundation shoutout)

Key Account Management (KAM) isn't just about maintaining relationships and securing renewals. Today's business environment demands a new approach—one rooted in strategic growth, deep customer understanding, and proactive leadership. I sit down with Alex Raymond, founder of Amplify, author of "The Growth Department," and leading expert in account management and client engagement, to explore what sets world-class key account managers apart and how organizations can improve their KAM strategies. We discuss how to define and segment key accounts, ways to align strategies with customer objectives, and the best way to access senior decision-makers through stakeholder mapping. Alex also shares his top dos and don'ts for effective account management and shares a real-world example illustrating relentless curiosity and how it leads to strategic growth.   Outline of This Episode [00:00] Mindset, relationships, and strategic focus in key account management [01:38] Power law versus Pareto principle in account management  [03:10] Differences in skill sets and approaches—hunters vs. farmers [04:34] Understanding customer goals and challenges [07:07] Risks of communicating only with lower-level stakeholders  [09:25] Adopting a growth rather than a support mentality  [15:37] Key questions for impactful account plans  [21:09] A real-world example of growing a strategic account Clear Segmentation in Key Accounts Too many companies default to the assumption that their largest customers are automatically "key accounts." However, identifying key accounts digs deeper, weighing not just current size but growth potential, strategic alignment, and the strength of mutual commitment. By focusing on the 10–20% of accounts that generate 80–90% of results, companies can use the power law to prioritize resources and attention where they matter most.   The Hunter–Farmer Divide: Why Role Specialization Matters One of the most common mistakes in account management is assuming that the same employee can seamlessly transition from a new-business "hunter" to a relationship-building "farmer." These roles require fundamentally different skillsets and mindsets. Hunters sell a compelling vision of the future; farmers deliver sustained value, focusing on whether customers are realizing the promised benefits, moving closer to their objectives, and overcoming real-world obstacles. Recognizing this distinction helps organizations assign the right people to the right roles and ensures that post-sale relationships receive the expertise and attention they deserve.   A Customer-Centric Key Account Strategy Building a strategy that aligns with customer objectives requires more than guesswork—it demands insight direct from the source. Often account managers neglect the most obvious step: talking to the customer. Alex recommends structured conversations to uncover not just stated goals but underlying drivers, ongoing initiatives, and pressing challenges. Supporting techniques like SWOT analysis or internal research can help, but nothing replaces genuine, curiosity-driven dialogue.   Unlocking Stakeholder Access and Mapping Relationships Strong, resilient relationships create the safety net for account success. Alex points out two major risks: having too few contacts and being confined to lower levels of the customer's organization. Effective stakeholder mapping means expanding both breadth and depth, forging connections at all relevant levels, especially with the most senior decision-makers. When you target strategic issues, you naturally gain access to those with broader authority and larger budgets.   Making Account Plans Living Documents Too often, account plans become static corporate theater, written once and forgotten. Alex suggests moving to agile, actionable plans that center on high-impact questions: What big problems are we solving? What assumptions need validation? What specific results are we driving? Practical, concise account plans, not cumbersome spreadsheets, help teams stay aligned and responsive. Key account management today is about more than retention; it is strategic, consultative, and growth-oriented. By segmenting strategically, specializing roles, practicing curiosity, leveraging the right tools, and living the owner's mindset, organizations can turn KAM into a true engine for business success.   Resources & People Mentioned The Growth Department by Alex Raymond Account Management Secrets Podcast  Sales Reinvented Episode 233: Connie Kadansky    Connect with Alex Raymond Alex Raymond on LinkedIn    Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show Notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com  

In this episode of Enterprise Sessions from the University of Bristol, Professor Michele Barbour speaks with Professor Paul Bates, world‑leading expert in flood inundation modelling and co‑founder of Fathom, one of the University's most successful research‑driven companies.Paul reflects on a remarkable career that began with a Bristol PhD in the late 1980s and evolved into pioneering work that transformed global flood modelling. He describes the technological shift that enabled a new generation of high‑resolution terrain data, the academic debates that reshaped the field, and the multidisciplinary collaborations that built the foundation for Fathom's modelling techniques.The conversation traces Fathom's origins from two ambitious PhD students with an idea, through early years of bootstrapping, to international clients including insurers, banks, multinationals, and the World Bank. Paul also discusses the challenges of spinning out before universities had mature commercialisation systems, the importance of staying ahead of competitors through transparency and innovation, and the recent acquisition of Fathom by Swiss Re.Finally, Paul reflects on what research entrepreneurship means within academia, how Fathom has strengthened Bristol's scientific capabilities, and what lies ahead for both him and the next generation of global flood models.

Most ISO Standards take what's known as a 'risk-based approach', which focuses on proactively identifying and mitigating potential risks while capitalising on opportunities. The methods for managing risk can be very varied, and many make the mistake of treating it as a separate task rather than as an integrated part of your existing processes. In this episode, Ian Battersby explains what risk management means in regard to ISO management, what this looks like in practice and breaks down different methods you can utilise for effective risk management. You'll learn ·      What is risk? ·      Where is risk referenced in ISO Standards? ·      How do you identify risks and opportunities? ·      How can you document risks and opportunities? ·      What does a Risk Register look like? ·      How are risks categorised? ·      How many risks should you document? ·      How do you evaluate and rate risks? ·      How do you address opportunities? ·      How can ISO 31000 help? ·      How different ISO Standards define their relevant risks ·      Governance and risk management   Resources ·      Isologyhub   In this episode, we talk about: [02:05] Episode Summary – Ian dives into the topic of risk management within in ISO. Explaining what risk is, how they should be documented and evaluated and what methods you can use to do so.    [02:45] Further info on risk management: If you want more guidance there is a dedicated risk management Standard (ISO 31000). [03:10] What is risk? Risk, as defined by ISO Standards is: "An effect of uncertainty on objective. An effect is a deviation from the expected. It can be positive, negative or both, and can address, create or result in opportunities and threats" So important to note that this includes both risks and opportunities. [03:40] Where is risk referenced in ISO Standards? The main risk related requirements can be found in Clause 6 Planning for most ISO Standards: 6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities - There's a positive and a negative aspect mentioned right from the start. However, these elements aren't relegated to a few clauses. ISO Standards are built on a 'risk-based approach', which is directly mentioned within the introduction: "This International Standard employs the process approach, which incorporates the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and risk-based thinking Risk-based thinking enables an organization to determine the factors that could cause its processes and its management system to deviate from the planned results, to put in place preventive controls to minimize negative effects and to make maximum use of opportunities as they arise." While it is prescriptive, it does allow flexibility for businesses to determine what risks are significant to them. Other places it's mentioned in Standards includes Leadership: "Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment by: d) promoting the use of the process approach and risk-based thinking" It's not just about adopting the risk-based approach, leaders have to promote it. The use of the word 'shall' indicates that this is not optional and cannot be delegated. [08:10] How do you identify risks and opportunities? The Planning clause directly references clause 4, which is Context of the organisation. Within that clause, businesses are required to think about the things which affect the way you operate, the world in which you work, the people and organizations you must consider, the obligations placed upon you. One key activity that typically happens at that stage is a SWOT and PESTLE, that's not specified by the Standard but it's a very popular method of identifying your risks and opportunities against multiple areas. The results of which can be fed back into Clause 6 Planning when it asks you to consider and do the following:- ·      Give assurance that the system can achieve its intended result(s); ·      Enhance desirable effects; ·      Prevent, or reduce, undesired effects; ·      Achieve improvement. ·      Plan actions to address these risks and opportunities; ·      Integrate and implement the actions into its system processes; ·      Evaluate the effectiveness of these actions. This is where you have the freedom to determine what significant risk means to your business. This also establishes the approach to risk management as proactive rather than reactive. [13:15] How can you document risks and opportunities? Just because you need to determine risks, you don't necessarily need a risk management process or methodology based on the guidance in a standard like ISO 31000. There's no requirement to even have a risk register! However, we do strongly recommend using one. If you choose not to use one, you could document each risk individually with the plan of action to mitigate it. This is fine, but a register allows you to see what's happening across all risks. It allows comparison of different types, different categories, across different parts of the organisation, at different levels. It can support decision making and allocation of resource where there's competition for that resource. It can prompt escalation and more significant management attention where it's needed. It can also form a basis for reviewing the effectiveness of your processes. So, while not a firm requirement, it can be a very useful tool. [15:20] What does a Risk Register look like?: A typical Risk Register usually sits in a table or Excel document. You can number your SWOT and PESTLE findings and put them into this Risk Register. One of the columns included is interested parties affected by it, e.g. the risk that your processes deliver the wrong product directly relates to your customers; the risk of enforcement may relate to your board; the risk of terrible PR may affect your investors; the risk of polluting may affect the local population, enforcement agencies etc Certain standards also require you to determine compliance obligations associated with each interested party, so that may be useful to add as a column. Then, you need a column for detailing what the impact of the issue is (remember, both positive and negative). Then you need to evaluate each entry, this involves measuring the significance, the size and scale. When evaluating risks, you need to indicate which processes you have in place that control the risk.  Then you need to rate the risks in their current (do-nothing) form. This is where it helps to have a register where different types and categories can be judged alongside each other, so you'll be able to see what's really important in one place. An organisation needs to decide what level of risk it's prepared to accept; this may be a straightforward decision where a specific value triggers escalation and action, but it may be more complex, depending on the organisation you are in and the environment in which you operate. If the risk is acceptable, should you still commit resource to addressing it; there's a balance in reducing risk overall; is it an easy win?  Is it easy to do? If you feel you should address a risk, what method of risk treatment should you adopt? The actions you propose to take should then be set out in proper detail: who will do what by when?  What resource?  Basically detailing the measures to assess effectiveness.  If a risk or a group of associated risks require an objective, state clearly and link to that objective. [21:35] How are risks categorised? The types of risks you will be focused on will depend on the ISO Standard you're implementing. For example, for ISO 9001 this will be the ability to consistently deliver the best we can to our customers. For ISO 45001 the ultimate aim is to protect your workforce from harm. Regardless, you can get quite broad with the nature of your risks, including considerations such as the ability to fund right equipment and infrastructure; or any investment in a sustainable future; the competence of personnel; the safe working environment to deliver products/services; compliance with relevant legislation; forces affecting our market; stability of supply chains; reputation; social attitudes to work, technology etc But, regardless of whether you're certified to a multitude of standards, operations are typically so interdependent that you can't separate financial risks from operational ones etc. [23:55] How many risks should you document? It's easy to get overwhelmed by generating a huge register when you're a small organisation, but you should be realistic. Focus on what's really significant. If you do a SWOT/PESTLE, if it generates lots of issues but not everything has to be treated as a risk and opportunity for the risk register.   First, ask yourself, what will actually have an impact on you if it materialises?  What is beyond control or influence?  What requires just monitoring? A larger organisation will tend to generate a larger register, but this can be categorised in different ways: ·      Split by functions ·      Split by category (operational, safety, compliance, financial) ·      Significance; operational vs strategic or corporate ·      This can be done by the scale of the risk, any risk above a specific threshold could be escalated to the strategic level ·      There could be factors in the risk evaluation which include strategic significance ·      There could be specific subjects (eg, compliance) which you automatically escalate to a strategic level [25:55] How do you evaluate and rate risks? There are lots of complex and sophisticated ways of doing this. Certain sectors, industries, processes have specific needs and ways of evaluating risk. But, if you're new to this, or there aren't such complexities to consider, a very simple methodology is best. Keep to a simple matrix of consequences and likelihood. Consider what the impact would be if the risk materialised, and rate these from 1 to 5: 1 = the consequences are not significant, it would only be a slight impact on the organisation, minor disruption, small financial loss, little/no physical harm. 5 = the consequences are disastrous, it could materially affect the way the organisation operates, it could cause serious physical harm, it could lead to severe financial loss, it could totally prevent us delivering our products/services. Now consider the likelihood of the event occurring, again rating these from 1 to 5 That could be qualitative evaluation: ·      1 = very rarely ·      5 = happens regularly, or it's certain to happen OR, it could be more quantitative ·      1= once in ten/five years ·      5 = daily/weekly Then multiply these numbers and plot them on a matrix. The matrix will then provide a visual heat map that indicates the level of risk and inform about the level of resource you should apply to addressing the risk. [29:15] How do you address opportunities? You can also evaluate opportunities in a similar manner. Rather than assessing negative consequences, you consider the positive impacts on the organisation when an event occurs. These are plotted in the same way on a matrix, but with appetite and tolerance rather than consequences and likelihood. Risk appetite can be defined as 'the amount and type of risk that an organisation is willing to take in order to meet their strategic objectives'. These appetites range from averse, cautious to an open, eager appetite. For example, a public sector risk appetite example could a local council adopting a "cautious" approach to financial management while having an "open" appetite for innovation in digital service delivery. This balances the need for fiscal responsibility with the desire for improved efficiency, often accepting higher risks for long-term environmental or social gains. Risk tolerance is the actual threshold that you can get away with, that your organisation can bear before action / escalation is needed; financial, operational, reputational, enforcement. This concept may not be for you if you're at an early stage of development, but one to keep in mind. [32:00] How can ISO 31000 help?  If we feel we should address a risk, what method of risk treatment should we adopt? ISO 31000 Risk Management Guidance suggestions include: ·      Avoiding the risk by deciding not to start or continue with the activity that gives rise to the risk; ·      Taking or increasing the risk in order to pursue an opportunity; ·      Removing the risk source; ·      Changing the likelihood; ·      Changing the consequences; ·      Sharing the risk (e.g. through contracts, buying insurance); ·      Retaining the risk by informed decision (no influence, cost too great) [33:40] How different ISO Standards define their relevant risks: ISO 45001 states: "The organization shall establish, implement and maintain a process(es) to: a) assess OH&S risks from the identified hazards, while taking into account the effectiveness of existing controls; b) determine and assess the other risks related to the establishment, implementation, operation and maintenance of the OH&S management system" ISO 22301 Business Continuity states: "The organization shall implement and maintain a risk assessment process. The organization shall: a) identify the risks of disruption to the organization's prioritized activities and to their required resources; b) analyse and evaluate the identified risks; c) determine which risks require treatment." Be careful not to confuse these types of risk with organisational, system risks. [36:05] Governance and risk management: A Risk Register is not a static document. It need to be reported on regularly, such as during Management Review meetings. The register itself isn't evidence of good risk management.  It's how you use it to demonstrate that your actions have addressed risks and opportunities which counts. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Most people walk into high-stakes conversations asking the wrong question. Michael Reddington breaks down the preparation strategy he developed from investigative interviewing and has applied for nearly two decades to negotiations, leadership conversations, performance discussions, and even high-stakes family situations.In this episode, Michael walks through the WTSO framework (Weaknesses, Threats, Strengths, Opportunities) and the 7 strategic preparation questions that form the bedrock of every high-impact conversation he and his team facilitate.You'll learn how to flip the script before you ever walk into the room.What You'll Learn:Why the traditional SWOT analysis can work against you in conversationsHow to reframe your preparation around weaknesses and threats firstThe single question that unlocked a confession when two agencies had already failedWhy asking "what do I need to say?" is the wrong questionThe 7 preparation questions that apply to any high-stakes conversationHow to double-check your strategy before you ever open your mouthChapters:(00:00) - Welcome and Episode Overview(00:50) - Why "Put Yourself in Their Shoes" Falls Short(02:41) - Flipping the SWOT: The WTSO Approach(05:52) - Starting with Weaknesses and Threats(06:55) - Using Weaknesses to Elevate Perceived Strengths(08:36) - The Case That Changed Everything(09:29) - The Napkin on the Plane(11:46) - The 7 Strategic Preparation Questions(12:39) - Question 3: Context Is King(13:29) - Why Shouldn't They? The Core Preparation Question(14:41) - Shifting From "What Do I Say?" to "What Do They Need to Experience?"(16:25) - The Final Check: Does Your Plan Match Your Goals?(17:30) - Putting It All Together(18:10) - Recap of the WTSO Framework and 7 QuestionsLinks and Resources:The Disciplined Listening Method: How A Certified Forensic Interviewer Unlocks Hidden Value in Every Conversation (https://a.co/d/01f8KGqU)Sponsor Links:InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com)Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

Yes! You are in!  Thank you so much for listening and when worthy, sharing!  Super fun to see some of those older episodes get further leveraged.  For wisdom never ages.  A lot of wisdom in those episodes by the Jogging Jesus, BW, Aftyn and so many others.  Getting Real and Pursuing Truth.  What works in life and what doesn't.  If you went to business school, you'll know the term SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).  Well BW has his own version of with a twist and actually spells it SWAT, here you go...

It's time to perform a special audit in your practice! This one is called the Invisible Friction Audit. Kiera guides listeners through how to catch problems that might not be very obvious, but are total gamechangers in terms of practice operations. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and today is going to be a great topic. I hope you guys are excited about it because it's going to be an audit of your practice. I think that there's oftentimes invisible friction that's happening inside practices and offices oftentimes don't catch it. They don't understand what's going on and they're like, something's happening and it's just this invisible friction. And so how can we actually catch this sooner in your practice? If you guys are new to our podcast, welcome. I'm Kiera Dent, host and founder of the Dental A Team and the Dental A Team Podcast.   I'm obsessed with all things dentistry, including my last name being Dent. Our mission is to possibly impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible and to influence, inspire, and to motivate you to have the best practice, the best life, and the best team that you could ever imagine. I genuinely know and believe that running a successful practice does not need to be hard. I've had hundreds of thousands of clients tell us that, Carrie, you've changed our perspective. You've made this to where...   I feel happy about going to work. You've inspired my team. We've got team members that text us telling us how much they love working with Dental A Team. And that's our mission. That's our passion. That's what we are truly experts in the field for. And today, this is one of those things of like, when you have friction that's invisible, how do you actually fix that? How do you actually make this thing better? How do you make it to where, my gosh, like, like we don't know and how can we catch this? So I wanted to just help you see like, here's the quiet, invisible, almost like.   cobwebs in the back corner that if you are able to figure this out, fix it so it's not there, you're not just walking past it, hopefully your practice will be able to thrive. ⁓ So number one is just like, how long does it take to make decisions to move your practice forward? And delayed decisions, I remember one of my favorite quotes is, a wrong decision is better than like indecision. ⁓ Indecision actually impacts far greater than making a wrong decision and...   I remember I was at this really big financial conference and they were talking about how one of the presidents of the United States, I don't remember which one it was, came in and there was this big thing of who we're going and what different things they were going to do. And it had serious impact. And the president came in and made a decision. like, well, how do you know that's the right decision? He said, I don't. But what I know is us sitting in indecisions costing us more than making a wrong decision. And I've thought about that a lot of, I don't even think half of the decisions we make in a day and day out of a practice.   would impact millions of lives and different pieces. And yet I think we sit on them acting as if they are these big audacious decisions rather than just making a decision. And I think it also builds the decision-making bone in our body where it's like, okay, we just make decisions and we move forward. And I think empowering your team to be able to make those decisions without needing to come through you to make every decision. So for example, like delayed decisions on.   treatment sitting in unscheduled. like, are we calling on those people who's taking responsibility for that? Like, let's just get unscheduled treatment called in on a consistent basis. What about like billing and insurance errors and issues? What about lab cases not being tracked? What about our Invisalign and Ortho cases? What about team members where it's like, let's circle back later, let's circle back later. Like, just make the decision in the meeting and move forward and make sure we count about it.   What about like patients who need multiple touch points to commit and to say yes to treatment? Like, why did CareDent get so good at closing cases? Because I hated the follow-up. So it was always, and like, it's a two, two, two follow-up. But these like delayed decisions or who are we going to hire or what things do we need to have for this or what budget do we have? And I understand that being a business owner is like death by a thousand cuts. Like you just get pummeled with question day in and day out. So it's like.   Let's have set days where we make decisions and like, let's make the decision and move forward. All of us execute on it. Attraction by Gina Wickman is very big on, we come to the table to solve and make decisions and we move forward and we solve them forever. So I think when you have like practices, like this is just invisible friction that you don't realize is there, but it's all these things sit there like looming storm clouds because we're not moving forward. We're not getting them done. We're not actually executing on things. And then we have to,   follow back up and team members need to remember. And I'm just big on interaction they teach a lot about. We have our weekly leadership meetings and we solve the issues. Now, if there's something that's gonna take longer and doesn't need immediate care today, it can actually go on what's called a parking lot or long-term issues. And I think having this in your practice, having this as part of your cadence, if it doesn't need to have your decision today, get it moving, but stop the friction. And what we've seen is like,   When I have practices that start working on this and people have clear owners and we stop the decision fatigue and we stop having a lag in this treatment goes up, schedules get more full, tasks start to get resolved, team members feel like they get answers, doctors don't feel like there's so much sitting on their shoulders. And that's honestly just you moving things forward and having owners of it. So I also think of like when a treatment coordinator owns all of the unscheduled treatment and they own our   monthly goal and they own how many people are supposed to be in there, we increase our scheduling. Like I was your treatment coordinator. So we start getting more people on the books sooner. We start hitting our daily goals sooner. And I've got a cadence of if you don't schedule today, I call you in two days, two weeks, two months. And then I send you a letter. There's no question marks of how I follow up with these people. There's no like, well, call people, Kiera. No, like it's just a set process that we follow. And then we make sure that people are being accountable to that. I think it's just great. Like it's not changing anything. We're not having to bring in more patients. We're not having to change up.   Our marketing, like we just move things along without having the delay. So I think when you guys are sitting in meetings or you're looking at it, like look to see how can we make decisions sooner and solve things forever rather than sitting here and being like, well, we'll get back to that. We'll solve that later. We'll solve that later. Make the decisions, give the clear owners and move things forward. The other one is going to be ⁓ an invisible friction of I think energy and practices have this is crazy. When we walk into offices, we're able to quickly feel   Is this practice thriving or is this practice like truly just like hanging on by a thread or do people not like each other? And I think that emotional piece ⁓ definitely plays. so looking at like, how's our team culture and what things are causing a rift in the culture. So are we making our one-on-ones every single month to find out how team members are truly doing? Are we looking at like, is our schedule consistent to where people know they can get out on time? Or if that's not ⁓ a culture piece, like people just know we're here for two hours afterwards and that's just our culture.   but at least that expectation can be met. What about like where we can add emergency patients? So front office knows, clinical team knows we're not having this like front office, back office divide. What about when we come into a room, is it clear on how we have our procedures set up so that way every person's there we're not having popcorn? What about like doctors like staying on time and if you're not on time, like let's adjust the schedule and then start scheduling more appropriately so that way we're not constantly running into lunch, running behind in the day.   Making sure our patients have all their new patient paperwork Thinking about are we doing Friday five shout outs? Are we doing team? Shout outs where people are looking at each other and like really finding happiness. We're working with each other I think it's just like that energy usually the drains start to happen on energy and culture and it's just that invisible friction when We can't count on our schedule. We can't count on getting lunch. We can't count on getting out on time I remember I worked in a practice and we were quote-unquote off on Fridays   And I was the one who, we had a patient that was scheduled on Fridays, I would be the one who was the assistant to cover. And without fail, every Wednesday or Thursday, the doctor would be like, we'll just add you on Friday. And it used to drive me absolutely crazy. So much so that I went and I interviewed at another office, I got another job, and then Jason got accepted to pharmacy school. And I think about like, why, Kiera why did you get to that space where you were like so dissatisfied? And it was because I could never bank on   when I had time off, I wish that they would have just hired me for four and a half days every Friday I knew. And if like patients didn't schedule, I'd get a Friday off. That would have been better for me to schedule rather than the like hope wish hoping that I have Fridays off. Cause I'm told like, we don't work Fridays unless we schedule a patient. Well, I'm angry with you every single time. Now that you schedule a patient, I don't want to help that patient. Like I do, but I wanted that Friday off. Cause I thought, so how can we give that, ⁓ consistency, the clear expectations clear is kind in these instances.   How do we make sure like, where do we add those ER patients? Where do we have like correct pieces for setting up? What about our hygiene exams? Making sure those are clear. Make sure our patients show up so hygiene's not running behind. Like all these little micro stressors really just eat at your team to where people like myself want to go look for another job. And it's not because they don't enjoy their job. It's just because all these things eat at team members too. And so I think predictability oftentimes like helps people feel safe. I think about   me with Jason, Jason has a great job and it allows me the freedom to go and be a bit more creative and unpredictable in the company. But my team does not need to feel unpredictable. ⁓ I need to create a safe, secure environment. Otherwise team members feel that like, like I said, it's an invisible friction that just causes them to create risks. And so when you have offices that ⁓ really truly keep their numbers strong, like we have strong numbers, we're constant on our cashflow, we're hitting our metrics.   you actually reduce team turnover. And the reason why is because it's not compensation, it's this predictability, like we're solid. And also the business owner is more solid. I remember I did a podcast a long time ago with Dennis Advisors and they said, team members, the best thing you can want for your boss and your dentist is to be a very profitable, like productive practice because the doctor's not concerned about cashflow and there's more stability and continuity within the practice.   ⁓ And so, and also what it does is it helps us prepare our days. We're not like chasing, trying to hit our production goals and always doing add-ins. Like it's more solid. Now we still need to maintain that level of flexibility and adaptability because dentistry is not perfect. I think it's, can we get 80 % where we can bank on, I get lunches, I get out on time. Those are big things that are micro stressors for teams. so creates a calm team and stronger execution. So I think we could even ask our teams through anonymous surveys of what are the things that just cause like   rifts or tension or frustration. And then what are the things that bring you like great joy and satisfaction? I'm really big on when I ask these surveys, I want to hear about pain points, but I also want to hear about good. So that way we don't get rid of the good while trying to fix the pieces. Also, you can ask about it in one-on-ones like, hey, what causes the most amount of stress? What causes the most amount of joy? These things are going to help you then be able to fix those little pieces. And then I think like one of the last things of this invisible friction that I see in practices is   like when standards start to slip without noticing. So like our morning huddles start to get shortened, case presentation is like not as consistent or as thorough. We don't have as strong of financial conversations. We're so busy that we're not answering calls. We don't have training. We're hiring a bunch of new people. We're tolerating like a good enough practice rather than excellent standards. I have found that   I think to me that that's just like a car that's like breaking down. Like we're not fixing, we're not taking in for regular oil maintenance. We're not filling it up with the best gas. We're not fixing when things break to where it didn't happen overnight, but it was a slow shift to where I had this great car that I loved and I enjoyed being to where I look at this car and I don't even know where it is. And so I think it's a, let's not, let's not lose the clinical excellence. Let's not lose our standard of excellence because teams want to be part of excellence. And especially in healthcare, these things really matter. Like we,   We follow our morning huddles. We follow our leadership meetings. We have department trainings and meetings. We make sure that we are solid on our case presentation. We're solid on our phone call answering. We're solid on our scheduling. don't lose the maintenance on our clinical and our practice excellence because that's going to really, really, really create friction where you're going to lose great team members because they want to go work for the best. They want to be at the best practice. You want to be the thriving practice. That's great for culture, great for our clinical excellence and great for our   our leadership within the practice. Like that's what we want to be known for. That's what teams strive to be a part of. And so how can you make more of that? And I think like when we let these little things slip, we're also letting other things slip. And I think about like my new year's resolutions and how often do I just let that slip a little bit or how often do I let some of my like, you know, we'll get to it later. I think keep yourself to a high level of standards of excellence because otherwise you do start to decay as a practice.   ⁓ And I think patients feel that teams feel that and you accidentally start to erode your practice. So when we look at it, we can actually like once a quarter, could SWAT or maybe once a year we SWAT analysis. So our strengths, our weaknesses, our opportunities and our threats. And maybe on our weaknesses, like where have we gotten a little too comfortable in our practice? Where have we maybe let that standard of excellence drop and it's hurting our culture and it's creating this friction. Those would be a few things. And so when we look at this and we think back on where the invisible friction piece is happening,   How are our decisions and are we taking too long on making them? What is draining our team energy and how can we fix that? And then where have our standards slightly started to slip and we wanna catch those. So those would be some great questions to ask at a quarterly meeting. You can ask them at a team meeting. But looking at this to see like, this is going to be that invisible friction. And if we get those things moving and evolving, there could be other pieces, but I find these really hit hard in practices often. And so I think it's where...   like a car, we don't wait for it to be broken and screaming and we can't get to work. We fix it on when the service light turns on or we make sure we get our oil change on a regular basis or we get our tires rotated on a regular basis. We don't wait for the tire to explode or the car to run out of gas or oil. Instead, we do that proactively. And I think when you look at proactive practices and our advanced and elite practices,   They are constantly SWOT analyzing. are constantly looking down the line. We're constantly checking to see where are we slipping and we're keeping it simple. So we're not expanding, but we're keeping it very simple and we're cleaning out where is this friction happening? So we don't lose team members. We don't have a practice that was like once great and now has deteriorated. We're literally looking to like, how can we boost through this and have it? So I think like a lot of times it's not about like pushing harder for growth and that's how we're going to hit the next level.   A lot of times it's more about how can we make success easier to maintain and sustain. And when we look at it that way, we can avoid like get rid of this invisible friction. We can make sure the undertones of the practice are really lively. And I hope that, I hope you feel the vibe and the energy when you walk into your practice. Feel, it like everybody's a unit, everybody's together. Sometimes it's not, sometimes it's hard and every practice goes through this. So just want you to know, like it's not you, it's not paramount to you, but every single practice goes through hard times. Every single practice goes through   changes. I think when we look at these pieces, I just want you to remember it goes through that. I did talk to my team a little while and I said, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge something important. We're in a season of real growth. And I think acknowledging that and calling it out sometimes is very important. And I listed off a lot of pieces of like, hey, I know this might feel chaotic, but this is meaningful expansion and growth like this requires focus, flexibility, and teamwork.   Growth seasons can feel full and sometimes uncomfortable, not because something is wrong, but because we're stretching into the next level of who we're becoming. The direction we're heading is strong, intentional, and incredibly exciting. This phase is part of building something exceptional and magical, something that truly positively impacts the world in the greatest way possible. Thank you for adapting, staying flexible, supporting one another, and continuing to deliver incredible results for our client. I'm deeply confident where we're going, and I'm grateful to be building it with each of you.   And I bring that up because there was some invisible friction in our company. You could feel the energy was off. You could feel people were feeling like question marks. And I think as leaders, sometimes you might not even need to fix it. You just might need to give a clear direction of this is where we're going. This is the season we're in and things are in a good space. Other times it's because we do have decision lag. We do have draining energy. We do have standards that are slipping. So figure out what it is and then commit to, I'm gonna fix this before.   It breaks. I'm gonna pay attention to these warning signals like I do in my car and I'm gonna listen to them in my practice. And if you need help, maybe you aren't even aware that the warning signs are buzzing off and that's what we as consultants are able to do. We either help fix them as they're blowing off or catch them before they even become an issue. So reach out, let's take a look, let's listen to your practice because truly running a successful practice does not need to be hard. It does not need to be something where you're hoping and wishing that you're gonna have greatness. You actually know when it's more predictable. I believe that success   Should not be something where you're like is it gonna happen or not? Like your success is inevitable. Let's make it happen together So reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or go to our website TheDentalATeam.com book a call I'd love to chat with you me too in person and as always commit to getting rid of that invisible friction commit to having the best practice It's gonna be great for you and your team and as always. Thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast

10 maj är det tänkt att Erik T för första gången ska klara att springa milen på under 50 minuter. Kommer det att gå? Vi analyserar styrkor, svagheter, möjligheter och hot. Dessutom: Erik T blir tokig på upphandlingsregler. Erik W noterar att det gått exakt 10 år sedan han åkte 43,9 mil skidor på ett dygn på en 412 meter lång varvbana. Tack till:

If you've ever caught yourself thinking “I can't charge those prices because of where I live,” this episode is here to gently call you out. Profitability in flower farming has a lot less to do with your zip code and a lot more to do with your process, your systems, and your ability to match real demand in your area. High prices don't equal high profit, especially when bigger markets come with bigger expenses. In smaller towns or lower income areas, lower overhead can actually give you a real advantage if you understand your costs and price with intention. This episode walks through practical ways to build a profitable flower farm business right where you are, from a la carte weddings to farmers markets to becoming the go to flower source in your community. You'll also learn how to use a simple SWOT analysis to identify opportunities, avoid common traps like underpricing, and make clearer decisions that actually move your business forward.Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Get your personalized profit roadmap: www.trademarkfarmer.com/roadmap Follow Jenny on Instagram: @trademarkfarmer Find free flower business resources: www.trademarkfarmer.com/note

Simon reviews six listed space stocks ahead of the expected SpaceX IPO, which could debut above $2 trillion as early as June. Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, Planet Labs and Spire Global each get a SWOT breakdown, with the Procure Space ETF (UFO) as a diversified alternative. On the local front, the JSE Top 40 just posted its worst month since September 2008, falling roughly 10 percent from all-time highs. A massive petrol price increase takes effect at midnight. Simon discusses investing into a falling market, revisits the Algorithm Holdings AI hype collapse, and explains why CrowdStrike's CEO selling stock is not worth losing sleep over. WorldWideMarkets is part of JustOneLap.com.

What does it actually take to prepare an athlete for a sport where the environment itself is part of the challenge? In this week's episode, Richard Graves sits down with Ryan Blake, Performance Coach, Consultant, and founder of Extreme Sports Performance, to explore the fascinating and often overlooked world of action sports performance. Ryan brings a unique perspective to this conversation. A former action sports athlete himself whose career was cut short by a life-threatening injury, he has since spent over 20 years working across elite sport, academy systems, private education, and national governing bodies, before circling back to the world he started in. Today, he works as a performance consultant for British Water Ski and Wakeboard, Head of Sport Science at St Paul's School in London, and Lead Tutor for the Youth Strength and Conditioning Association. This isn't a conversation about conventional periodisation or standard gym metrics. Ryan challenges the assumptions baked into most traditional performance models and makes a compelling case for why action sports, think X Games, halfpipe snowboarding, freestyle skiing, demand an entirely different approach. One built not around chasing peaks, but around building repeatable, durable performance that holds up under fatigue, variable terrain, and real-world unpredictability. He talks through his Restore, Apply, Own framework in practical terms, explains why training in a fresh state but competing in a fatigued one is one of the most underappreciated problems in sport, and shares how he uses a blend of velocity-based training, jump testing, readiness monitoring, and athlete-specific education tools to close that gap. He also weighs in on the growing use of AI in competition judging, the rapid rise of the X Games League, and why the preparation systems in action sports simply haven't caught up with where the sport is heading. Whether you're a sports scientist, strength and conditioning coach, or simply someone with an interest in how elite performance is built at the fringes of mainstream sport, this is a conversation worth your time. In This Episode You Will Learn Why traditional performance models fall short in action and adventure sports, and what needs to change The difference between performance capacity and durability — and why durability is the more important target in action sports How Ryan's Restore, Apply, Own framework structures athlete preparation from the ground up Why training athletes in a fatigued state is just as important as having them fresh — and how to do it effectively How to use a simple SWOT analysis to identify athlete needs and prioritise support when resources are limited The role of technology in action sports performance, including VBT, jump testing, readiness monitoring, and AI in competition judging Why strength training alone doesn't transfer to sport performance without progression through capacity, application, and environment How the rapid growth of the X Games League and Olympic inclusion is creating both opportunity and a preparation gap in action sports Practical first steps for coaches and athletes looking to engage with a more structured performance system in action sports About Ryan Blake Ryan Blake is a performance coach and consultant specialising in action and adventure sports. He founded Extreme Sports Performance in 2018 after a career that has taken him through elite academy systems, professional sport, private education, and national governing body consultancy. He holds accreditations from both the UKSCA and NSCA, holds an MSc in Maintenance and Enhancement of Elite Performance from the University of Portsmouth, and has worked with world champion athletes and Olympic medallists across disciplines including British Tennis, England Cricket, British Cycling, and now British Water Ski and Wakeboard. Alongside his consultancy work, Ryan serves as Head of Sport Science at St Paul's School in London and as Lead Tutor for the Youth Strength and Conditioning Association. His own background as an action sports athlete — and the life-threatening injury that ended that chapter — underpins his philosophy around risk, durability, and long-term performance. He is based in Guildford and can be found on Instagram at @extremesportsperformance or at extremesportsperformance.com. FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241 ​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively ​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery ​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In ​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese ​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More ​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance ​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes ​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

Key account management (KAM) is often seen as the pinnacle of business-to-business (B2B) sales, but it's also one of the most misunderstood areas. The stakes are higher, the relationships more complex, and the rewards, when managed correctly, can be transformative for both supplier and customer. In this episode of the podcast, I welcome Dr. Beth Rogers, former business development practitioner in the IT sector, visiting Fellow at Cranfield School of Management, and researcher in key account management, to shed light on what differentiates key accounts, mistakes salespeople make when transitioning to KAM, tools and methodologies, and how to build action-driven key account plans.   Outline of This Episode [00:00] Key accounts: building value and growth [03:48] Key account management challenges [08:02] Building and mapping key connections [12:50] Customer-focused key account strategy [15:45] Key account management tips [18:12] Steps to key account management success   What Makes a Key Account "Key"? A key account isn't defined by its current size or spend, but by its strategic value, which can change depending on your organization's objectives. As Beth Rogers explains, strategic value can be realized in many ways: volume of business, innovation, quality, and most importantly, growth potential. It's about asking, "How much could this account grow over the medium to long term?" rather than focusing on current revenue.   Transitioning from Sales to Account Management One of the biggest pitfalls for sales professionals moving into KAM is underestimating the complexity and the patience required. Key account management isn't about quick wins, it's a marathon, not a sprint. The tendency to rely on previous sales habits can cause frustration, making coaching and developmental support essential. Interestingly, coaches don't always have to be senior managers. Sometimes, external consultants add value by helping navigate internal politics and providing perspective, supporting account managers through the slower, relationship-driven process of managing strategic accounts.   Strategic Tools and Methodologies To align key account strategies with clients' business objectives, Beth recommends putting yourself in the customer's shoes and using analytical tools such as the 9-box SWOT. Unlike standard SWOT, this version offers a more nuanced mapping of the interplay between strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, helping uncover where internal capabilities meet external realities and where investment or change is required. Stakeholder mapping is equally vital, especially in complex B2B relationships. Leveraging relationship mapping software like IntraHive can reveal hidden connections, trust points, and potential introductions, which are useful in an era where job turnover is rapid and maintaining up-to-date relationship maps is a constant challenge.   Must-Have Tools for Modern Key Account Managers Effective KAM plans start from the customer's perspective and use logical flow to connect supplier capabilities to customer needs. Plans should be ideas-driven and, crucially, shared with customers. When customers see creativity and "sparks" in the plan, they'll hold account managers accountable, ensuring the plan becomes a living document rather than a shelf artifact. Beth offers a shortlist of methodologies: Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Delivers relevant messaging to decision-makers. Knowledge Management (KM): Identifies expertise within the supplier organization and matches it with customer needs. Relationship Mapping: Documents all touchpoints and connections. Scenario Planning / Horizon Scanning: Keeps the conversation with customers innovative and ahead of the curve. Always start with the big picture. Each day, focus on what will help your customer succeed strategically—and translate that into immediate, actionable steps. As companies move towards sustainable growth, key account management becomes a catalyst for partnership, innovation, and long-term value.   Resources & People Mentioned The 9-Cell-SWOT Matrix: A Theoretical Framework for Dynamic Strategic Analysis  Introhive   Connect with Beth Rogers Beth Rogers on LinkedIn    Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show Notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com  

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Jomboy & Jake Preview the 2026 Yankees Outfild by doing a SWOT analysis that determines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the its success. Switch to T-Mobile and get free MLB.TV​. Redeem March 24-30 at T-Mobile.com/MLB (Best Mobile Network in the U.S. based on analysis by Ookla ® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 2H 2025) Download the Fanatics Sportsbook app , use code JOMBOY https://fanatics.onelink.me/5kut/JOMBOY New customers who sign up and Bet $5, Get $100 in FanCash*. Use FanCash on bonus bets, profit boosts, team gear and more on Fanatics.com.   *New customers in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Must toggle on this promotion in your bet slip and wager $5+ cash on any market (min. odds -500) within 7 days of account opening to receive $100 in FanCash. Promotional FanCash expires 7 days from issuance (at 11:59pm ET). Terms, including FanCash terms apply-see Fanatics Sportsbook app. Use FanCash on bonus bets, profit boosts, team gear on Fanatics.com and so much more. +++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:45 STRENGTHS 9:20 WEAKNESSES 15:00 OPPORTUNITIIES 20:18 THREATS 23:08 VIDEOS  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jomboy & Jake Preview the 2026 Yankees Relief Pitching by doing a SWOT analysis that determines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the bullpen's success. Switch to T-Mobile and get free MLB.TV​. Redeem March 24-30 at T-Mobile.com/MLB (Best Mobile Network in the U.S. based on analysis by Ookla ® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 2H 2025) +++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:36 STRENGTHS 9:30 WEAKNESSES 14:37 OPPORTUNITIES   25:49 THREATS  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 155 - Stop Reacting, Start Strategizing with Patrick Thean Host Chris Yonker introduces the Enlightened Family Business Podcast and interviews Patrick Thean, a bestselling author and early contributor to scaling-up methodologies, on practical planning and execution for small to mid-sized (especially family) businesses facing succession or sale. Patrick shares his journey from Singapore to the U.S., training as an electrical engineer, working at Oracle, founding and selling a transportation logistics software company, and discovering a calling to help CEOs succeed. They discuss establishing an annual strategic planning rhythm, including SWOT/aspirations and specific "winning moves", quarterly 13-week execution plans, limiting priorities to three to five objectives, and balancing strategic vs. operational initiatives based on whether the business is in crisis. Patrick emphasizes using facilitators and outside-industry perspectives to overcome blind spots, avoiding overreliance on benchmarking, and reframing accountability as support for commitments, clarity, and agreed consequences.   ·       03:06 Meet Patrick Thean ·       03:36 From Engineer to Founder ·       07:11 Selling and Finding Purpose ·       08:17 Helping CEOs Succeed ·       10:43 Family Business Transitions ·       14:33 Annual and Quarterly Rhythm ·       18:04 Three to Five Priorities ·       19:18 Strategy vs Firefighting ·       23:44 Small Tweaks Win ·       25:12 One Permanent Improvement ·       31:41 Let the Pro Lead ·       35:12 Blind Spots and Tunnel Vision ·       38:36 Accountability as Support Websites: ·       fambizforum.com. ·       www.chrisyonker.com ·       Patrickthean.com ·       linkedin: @patrickthean ·       Instagram: @rhythmsystems   Patrick Bio: Patrick Thean is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and world-renowned strategy execution expert. He is the creator of the Think Plan Do® process and co-founder of Rhythm Systems®, helping CEOs achieve breakthrough results and scale with clarity. A seasoned CEO coach and speaker, Patrick has empowered thousands of leaders to turn vision into execution and boost company valuations along the way.

Jomboy & Jake Preview the 2026 Yankees Starting Pitching by doing a SWOT analysis that determines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to its success. Switch to T-Mobile and get free MLB.TV​. Redeem March 24-30 at T-Mobile.com/MLB (Best Mobile Network in the U.S. based on analysis by Ookla ® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 2H 2025) Pre-Order Now: mlbthe.show/jomboy Use code “JOMBOY” to unlock a pack for use in Diamond Dynasty. +++++++++++ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:08 STRENGTHS 9:42 WEAKNESSES   13:36 OPPORTUNITIES   20:44 THREATS   26:37 Over/Unders   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Managing Partners Podcast, Kevin Daisey interviews Jane Muir, founder of J. Muir & Associates in Miami, Florida, about her journey from being laid off during the 2009 financial crisis to building a seven-figure business law firm. Jane shares what it was really like starting with just $350 in revenue, facing payroll with only $17 in the bank, and realizing that being a great lawyer is not the same as being a great business owner. She explains how a simple SWOT analysis helped her pivot into business law, why tracking KPIs changed everything, and how thinking like a managing partner transformed her firm. In this episode, you'll learn: How to use SWOT analysis to choose the right practice area Why law firm owners must track KPIs and financial data The mindset shift from attorney to CEO How leadership and community involvement drive growth Today's episode is sponsored by The Managing Partners Mastermind. Click here to schedule an interview to see if we're a fit. If you're focused on law firm management, profitability, and long-term growth, this episode is packed with practical insight. Chapters (00:00:00) - Management Partners Podcast(00:01:55) - Start a Law Firm: Jane Rosenthal(00:09:32) - The Secret to Becoming a Better Lawyer(00:12:29) - How to Get Out of the Personal Injury Trap(00:17:37) - Should You Focus Your Law Firm?(00:24:43) - Bootstrapping: The Next Level(00:28:21) - How to Win a Win(00:28:32) - 10 Steps to Becoming a Million-Dollar Winner(00:31:52) - How to really listen to this podcast

MY NEWSLETTER - https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeJoin me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Brian O'Connor (https://x.com/BrianFOConnor).In this episode, I sit down with prolific entrepreneur Brian O'Connor to uncover how he walked away from a high-stakes corporate strategy job at Deloitte to build his own business empire. Brian reveals the exact breaking point that pushed him to leave the corporate world, it involves single-handedly saving his consulting firm $100 million and receiving a coffee gift card in return!We dive deep into the brutal reality of finding product-market fit, why traditional SWOT analysis is completely useless, and the secret corporate frameworks like the Choice Cascade that can help you create an unbeatable competitive advantage. Brian also shares the crazy story of managing 250 people while distributing billions in PPP loans during the pandemic, and how his journey ultimately led him to start a highly successful fractional CMO company and a unique staffing agency. If you want to know how to transition from a W2 employee to a thriving business owner, or how to navigate a highly competitive Red Ocean, you won't want to miss these insights.Questions This Episode Answers:Why is traditional SWOT analysis considered a waste of time for most businesses?What is the Choice Cascade, and how can it give you a massive competitive advantage?How do you know when you've truly found product-market fit?Should you prioritize deep strategy or raw execution speed when your business is making less than $1 million a year?How can rethinking your business model and adding an advisory component completely transform your customer retention?Enjoy the conversation!__________________________Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.__________________________MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98yApple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT__________________________This week we covered:00:00 Introduction to Brian's Entrepreneurial Journey01:23 Leaving the Corporate World02:10 Managing a Massive COVID-19 Project03:40 The Decision to Become a Fractional CMO05:48 Understanding Growth Strategy and Competitive Advantage07:42 The Choice Cascade Framework10:42 Strategic Choices for Business Success16:41 Balancing Strategy and Execution in Early-Stage Businesses20:47 The Evolution of Business Questions21:46 Balancing Confidence and Speed in Business Decisions22:07 Launching Business Units in Mexico: A Case Study24:51 The Role of Strategy and Execution in Small Businesses27:26 The Journey to Product-Market Fit30:44 The Importance of Positioning and Iteration34:56 Innovative Pricing Models in Talent Agencies38:58 Advisory Consulting as a Competitive Advantage

Essendon's 2026 season is almost here. With Round 1 against Hawthorn just 8 days away, Jono and Humey return for the annual Don The Stat Season Preview. Breaking down everything Bombers fans need to know heading into the new AFL season. After a brutal 2025 that saw 15 debutants and a 13-game losing streak, the big question is whether the young Bombers can take a step forward in 2026. In this episode we analyse: What the practice matches revealed The key statistical trends that shaped Essendon's 2025 season Which metrics will matter most in 2026 List changes and emerging young talent The biggest strengths and weaknesses of the squad A full SWOT analysis of the Bombers Our three bold predictions for the season ahead Plus: Another Damian Barrett Lifetime Achievement Award nomination Discussion around Essendon's midfield, intercept game and turnover defence Which players have surged into Round 1 contention If Essendon is going to improve in 2026, the answers will likely come from territory, turnovers and transition football. We break down exactly what to watch for. _____ Watch 'The Moment that Mattered' and listen to our Post Match First Thoughts exclusively on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/donthestat Don The Stat Website: https://www.donthestat.com/ Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky: Jono at twitter.com/JonathanJWalsh / https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjwalsh.bsky.social Ian at twitter.com/Kyptastic1 / https://bsky.app/profile/kyptastic.bsky.social Don The Stat Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/donthestat Follow Don The Stat on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/donthestat?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Essendon's 2026 season is almost here. With Round 1 against Hawthorn just 8 days away, Jono and Humey return for the annual Don The Stat Season Preview. Breaking down everything Bombers fans need to know heading into the new AFL season. After a brutal 2025 that saw 15 debutants and a 13-game losing streak, the big question is whether the young Bombers can take a step forward in 2026. In this episode we analyse: What the practice matches revealed The key statistical trends that shaped Essendon's 2025 season Which metrics will matter most in 2026 List changes and emerging young talent The biggest strengths and weaknesses of the squad A full SWOT analysis of the Bombers Our three bold predictions for the season ahead Plus: Another Damian Barrett Lifetime Achievement Award nomination Discussion around Essendon's midfield, intercept game and turnover defence Which players have surged into Round 1 contention If Essendon is going to improve in 2026, the answers will likely come from territory, turnovers and transition football. We break down exactly what to watch for. _____ Watch 'The Moment that Mattered' and listen to our Post Match First Thoughts exclusively on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/donthestat Don The Stat Website: https://www.donthestat.com/ Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky: Jono at twitter.com/JonathanJWalsh / https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjwalsh.bsky.social Ian at twitter.com/Kyptastic1 / https://bsky.app/profile/kyptastic.bsky.social Don The Stat Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/donthestat Follow Don The Stat on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/donthestat?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Review, organize, and plan for 2026 with a SWOT analysis! Discover what SWOT is and how it can help you create a plan for your insurance business. Read the text version   Get Connected:

Did you know that God has always been strategic? Long before business schools ever invented the SWOT analysis, God was already laying out His plan -- identifying strengths, addressing weaknesses, seizing opportunities, and neutralizing threats -- with a precision that spans thousands of years of human history. In this powerful message, Pastor Todd walks through an incredible biblical timeline, starting with Moses in the wilderness and spanning all the way to the Babylonian exile, to show just how intentional and purposeful God is about every detail of your life. Drawing from scriptures like Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:31, you'll discover that God's SWOT plan isn't just for nations -- it's deeply personal. He knows your name. He knows your strengths. He knows the threats you're facing. And He has a strategic plan to use every single one of those things for His glory and your good. Whether you've heard of a SWOT analysis before or this is a completely new concept, this message will give you a fresh way to think about your walk with God and your calling as a believer. Pastor Todd breaks down a spiritual SWOT framework that every believer can use to evaluate where they are and where God is calling them to go. You'll see God's SWOT, the believer's SWOT, and you'll be challenged to do your own personal spiritual SWOT -- sitting down with God, a cup of coffee, and a blank SWOT template to discover the opportunities and strengths you may not have even realized are already in your life. This isn't just theory. These are the swot analysis questions that can transform the way you see yourself and your purpose. If you've been feeling stuck, uncertain about your next step, or wondering whether God is really paying attention to your situation, this message is for you. God is not passive. He is not distant. He is strategic, intentional, and deeply involved in your story. You are not an afterthought -- you are part of His plan. Come ready to be encouraged, challenged, and equipped to live strategically for the God who has been strategic for you all along.

If you're a high-achieving professional, you might be making the mistake of using one strategy for both your career and business. This episode explores the importance of separating your career and business strategies, using the SWOT analysis as a tool to gain clarity, improve your focus, and ensure progress without burnout. You'll learn how distinct approaches to reputation, scalability, and sustainability can lead to sharper strategies and clearer outcomes for you.In This Episode:00:00 Career vs. Business: Separate Strategies02:24 Career as a Platform, Not a Destination04:44 Reputation: Different Outcomes07:25 Clarity Prevents BurnoutKey Takeaways:Differentiate your career platform from your business destination to avoid stalled growth.Apply SWOT analysis with distinct lenses for your career (performance, reputation, advancement) and your business (systems, scalability, sustainability).Understand that while your career provides resources, your business offers ownership and potential for greater impact.Recognize that reputation holds different ownership and outcomes in your career versus your business context.Align your career and business strategies to prevent burnout and ensure your efforts reinforce each other for sustained momentum.Resources:Well Why Not Workbook: https://bit.ly/authormauricechismPodmatch: https://bit.ly/joinpodmatchwithmaurice*FREE* 5 Bold Shifts to help you silence doubt and start moving: https://bit.ly/5boldshiftsConnect With:Maurice Chism: https://bit.ly/CoachMauriceWebsite: https://bit.ly/mauricechismTo be a guest: https://bit.ly/beaguestonthatwillnevrworkpodcastBusiness Email: mchism@chismgroup.netBusiness Address: PO Box 460, Secane, PA 19018Subscribe to That Will Nevr Work Podcast:Spreaker: https://bit.ly/TWNWSpreakerSupport the channelPurchase our apparel: https://bit.ly/ThatWillNevrWorkPodcastapparel 

You often get lost in the emotional whirlwind of your entrepreneurial journey, making strategic reviews a daunting task. Maurice shares his personal struggles with infrequent and emotionally charged reviews, revealing how this common pitfall can turn your minor issues into major setbacks, hindering your growth and intention.Chapter Summary:00:00 Strategy: Review, Don't Retreat03:13 Consistency: Theory to Traction06:27 Small Adjustments, Big Results09:32 Weekly SWOT: Your Growth CatalystFeatured Quotes:“Progress doesn't come from thinking harder once a year, It comes from checking alignment consistently.” - Maurice“Strategy fails when it's infrequent.” - Maurice“Growth favors those who reviews their information, i.e. the feedback loop.” - MauriceBehind the Story:Maurice opens up about the challenge of separating emotion from strategy, particularly for entrepreneurs like you who are deeply invested in your work. He highlights that without your consistent, unemotional review, your small problems can escalate, and your business can drift from your intended path. His approach to weekly SWOT analyses provides you with a framework for staying honest and making disciplined, fact-based decisions.Resources:Well Why Not Workbook: https://bit.ly/authormauricechismPodmatch: https://bit.ly/joinpodmatchwithmaurice*FREE* 5 Bold Shifts to help you silence doubt and start moving: https://bit.ly/5boldshiftsConnect With:Maurice Chism: https://bit.ly/CoachMauriceWebsite: https://bit.ly/mauricechismTo be a guest: https://bit.ly/beaguestonthatwillnevrworkpodcastBusiness Email: mchism@chismgroup.netBusiness Address: PO Box 460, Secane, PA 19018Subscribe to That Will Nevr Work Podcast:Spreaker: https://bit.ly/TWNWSpreakerSupport the channelPurchase our apparel: https://bit.ly/ThatWillNevrWorkPodcastapparel 

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!Feeling buried under 800 pages of NASM CPT 2026? We turn the noise into a clear, fast track that gets you to a passing score and into confident coaching. We walk through the OPT model in plain language, show you exactly which acute variables to memorize, and explain how to move from stabilization to strength and power without turning your sessions into rigid templates. If you've ever passed a test and still felt lost on day one, this guide closes that gap.We dig into the essentials you'll see on the exam and in real intake sessions: BMI ranges, blood pressure norms, and the practical differences between type one and type two diabetes. You'll hear why positive, client-first coaching beats fear-based assessments, and how to use simple screens without overwhelming new clients. We also unpack behavior change with the stages of change model and SMART goals so you can help people stay consistent long after the first workout high fades.Beyond the test, we talk career fundamentals that make you a pro others trust: track contracts and receipts for at least four years, understand CEU requirements, and use a quick SWOT analysis to map your growth. We share how focused study guides, mentorship, and hands-on seminars can compress your study time while sharpening real-world skills. The result is a study plan you can finish fast and a coaching approach that delivers results clients can feel.Ready to study smarter and coach with confidence? Hit follow, share this with a trainer friend who's cramming for NASM, and leave a quick review so we can send you our free NASM cheat sheet. Your next strong session starts here.Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world! Want to ask us a question? Email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show! Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqANASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

Episode Summary Doc Danny shares the single most beneficial exercise PT Biz ran at their staff retreat: a team SWOT analysis. Learn how to use strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to uncover blind spots, improve hiring, and align your team around smarter decisions. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why documentation burnout is one of the biggest frustrations for clinicians How a movement-first retreat cadence improves focus, creativity, and team connection What a SWOT analysis is and how to run it with your staff Why you need team members who see the world differently than you do How to spot alignment themes your clinic should prioritize immediately How this exercise strengthens culture by making staff feel heard and valued How to Run a SWOT Analysis With Your Team Have everyone write down Strengths. Share answers, discuss differences, and note where there is strong agreement. Repeat for Weaknesses. Look for blind spots, bottlenecks, and internal issues the owner may not see day to day. Repeat for Opportunities. Identify growth plays, niche expansion, and improvements that could create leverage. Repeat for Threats. Surface risks early so you can plan around them instead of reacting later. Key Takeaway A great team is not built by hiring people exactly like you. You need diverse perspectives to reduce blind spots, balance optimism with risk awareness, and make stronger decisions as you scale. Technology Spotlight Clinicians hate notes for a reason. Want to remove most of your documentation time? Try Claire free for 7 days and see how an AI scribe trained for physical therapists helps you stay present with patients and get your time back. Free Resource Want a clear plan to go from part-time to full-time in your cash practice? Join the free 5-Day Challenge. Connect Physical Therapy Biz PT Entrepreneur Podcast

Do you know how to use a SWOT analysis effectively—or are you making common mistakes that keep your strategy from reaching its full potential? In this episode, we break down what a SWOT is, why it matters for your business, and how to leverage your strengths, address weaknesses, and take advantage of opportunities in your market. We'll also cover the pitfalls many business owners encounter when conducting a SWOT and share practical tips to make this classic tool a true driver of strategic planning and growth. Tune in to learn how to think strategically and set your business up for success.

If you feel stuck trying to sell flowers everywhere and to everyone, this episode brings clarity fast. Jenny Marks breaks down why most flower farmers do not have a marketing problem... they have a niche problem! She walks through how to define your niche as a practical business model, not a vibe, by aligning what you grow, how you sell, and who you serve with real market demand, profitability, and the lifestyle you actually want as a farmer. This conversation covers using a simple SWOT analysis to uncover opportunities in your local flower market, choosing customers you enjoy and who are willing to pay, and designing a farm business that protects your energy and boundaries. You will learn how to test a niche without locking yourself into it forever, simplify operations, and build a more sustainable, profitable flower farm that gets easier to market and easier to run as you grow. Get the Find Your Niche worksheet: www.trademarkfarmer.com/niche Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Follow Jenny on Instagram: @trademarkfarmer Find free flower business resources: www.trademarkfarmer.com/note ​

Rebecca and Lauren sit down with Brittany Ofodile, a transplant from Dallas who now runs a business coaching and online community for women in St. Louis and beyond. Brittany discusses her transition to St. Louis, highlighting the city's homegrown atmosphere and the welcoming community. She emphasizes the importance of showing up with confidence and kindness to build connections. Brittany also shares her journey from stay-at-home mom to business coach, stressing the need for honest self-assessment and community support. Her initiative, HerMove, aims to help women elevate themselves through workshops and networking events, fostering personal and professional growth. Check out Britteney the Coach for all your business needs!Britteney Ofodile is a Business Architect, Sales Strategist, and the founder of HerMove—an empowerment movement and community for ambitious mompreneurs.Known as Britteney the Coach, she helps women turn big visions into clear strategies, profitable systems, and confident execution. A mom, wife, speaker, and restaurant consultant behind The Moniker in downtown St. Louis, Britteney blends corporate excellence, creative strategy, and community-building to help women show up boldly in their businesses and in life. Her mission is simple: You dream it… she'll build it.We hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! To learn more about Moms of the Lou you can go to stlouismom.com or follow us on Instagram and Facebook. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify. And don't forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! This episode was produced by the St. Louis Mom. It was recorded and edited by STL Bucketlist Studios in St. Louis, Missouri. 

What begins as a simple question about a better option for the SWOT analysis turns into a strategic planning (don’t call it that!) extravaganza! Join Stacey and Andy this week as they deconstruct the facilitated planning session and share tips, tricks and some horror stories, too. Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to send in questions to Questions@NonprofitEverything.com to keep the podcast rolling. Topics: What alternative to the SWOT analaysis can we use to get planning conversations going – skip to this question Mentioned this week: Review us on Apple Podcasts! Review us on Spotify! Review us on Podchaser! Hang out with us on Discord! Ask us a question Sponsor the podcast

How Solo PR Pros Can Use RFPs To Land New Business Episode 330 Episode Summary In this new year, many independent communications professionals are often looking for ways to make some noise and grow their businesses. For some, that path may lead to the dreaded Request for Proposal (RFP). In this episode of That Solo Life, Karen Swim, APR, and Michelle Kane tackle the topic we all "love to hate." While RFPs can sometimes feel like a heavy lift for a solo practitioner, they remain a vital avenue for securing work with corporations, government entities, and nonprofits. Karen and Michelle break down how to stop fearing the process and start strategizing for success. They discuss the importance of discerning which opportunities are worth your time, how to humanize a sterile bidding process, and why relationships often trump qualifications on paper. Whether you are looking to streamline your proposal workflow with an asset library or wondering how to use AI as a thinking partner, this episode offers practical tips to help you turn the RFP process from a burden into a winning business strategy. Episode Highlights [00:01:26] The Necessary Evil: Introduction to RFPs as a topic and why they are a valid pathway to new work in the current business climate. [00:03:24] decoding the "Cattle Call": Distinguishing between different types of RFPs—from government contracts to open calls on PR sites—and determining which are worth the effort. [00:04:51] The Human Element: Why you should always try to move beyond the document to have a personal conversation or "discovery call" before submitting. [00:05:37] Red Flags and Alignment: How to spot budget mismatches early and decide if a prospect aligns with your values before you write a single word. [00:09:32] Streamlining the Workflow: Tips for building a "library of assets," including case studies and testimonials, so you never have to start a proposal from scratch. [00:10:15] AI as a Strategist: Using artificial intelligence to perform SWOT analyses on prospective clients to demonstrate big-picture thinking in your response. [00:14:47] Standing Out Visually: How to use creative elements, visuals, and even audio/video to showcase your personality and brand alignment. Related Episodes & Additional Information Solo PR Pro Blog: How to Evaluate RFP Opportunities Solo PR Pro Blog: Succeeding at Business Development in a Tough Year Episode 313: Strategies for Securing New PR Business   Join the conversation and share your own RFP success stories (or horror stories) with the community. Host & Show Info That Solo Life is a podcast created for public relations, communication, and marketing professionals who work as independent and small practitioners. Hosted by Karen Swim, APR, founder of Words For Hire and President of Solo PR, and Michelle Kane, Principal of Voice Matters, the show delivers expert insights, encouragement, and advice for solo PR pros navigating today's dynamic professional landscape.   Ready to take your solo business to the next level in 2026? Don't navigate this journey alone! Subscribe to the Solo PR Pro Youtube channel for That Solo Life episodes and actionable tips and insights. If you found value in today's discussion about RFPs, please leave us a review and share this episode with a fellow communication professional.

We all love winners. We love hearing about the big wins and the perfect track records. It feels good. It feels safe. It instills us with a sense of trust. But I've been in business long enough to know that virtually all individuals who are long-term winners have had profound moments of failure from which they learned invaluable lessons. Those are the people I really want to hear from. They have the kind of knowledge we all need as we navigate through life. It's called wisdom. Surgeons have a saying: “If you've never had a complication, you haven't done enough surgery.” In my surgeon days, I had a handful of complications. Let me tell you—they are no fun. You stay up at night replaying things in your mind, trying to figure out how you could have done things differently—how you could have had a better outcome. Even when unavoidable, those complications teach you something you'll never get from textbooks. It's been no different for me when it comes to business and investing. But I take comfort in knowing that even the greatest investors of all time had their moments of failure and rose from the ashes stronger and wiser. Warren Buffett. Ray Dalio. Every big winner has a story of failure. And while it may be cliché to say that we learn best from mistakes, I truly believe it. The good news is that those mistakes don't have to be our own. Learning from other people's mistakes can be just as effective. This week's episode of the Wealth Formula Podcast is with Russell Gray—a guy many of you already know from his podcasting and radio career. Russ lived through 2008 up close. He took a beating, and he talks openly about what went wrong. But that period also changed the way he sees the world—in a good way. It changed how he thinks about risk, leverage, and what actually matters when things stop going up. That mindset is a big reason he's been successful since then. It's a conversation worth your time. Transcript Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate. If you notice any errors or corrections, please email us at phil@wealthformula.com.  If you let the debt run, at some point you fall into a debt trap where the interest on the outstanding debt consumes all of the available discretionary income, and then you’re borrowing just to service the debt. Welcome everybody. This is Buck Joffrey with the Wealth Formula Podcast coming to you from Montecito, California. Before we begin today, I wanna remind you there’s website associated with this. Podcast called wealthformula.com. It’s where you will go if you would like to, uh, become more, uh, ingrained with the community, including getting on some of our lists such as the Accredit Investor Club. Of course, it is a new year and there are new deal flows coming through. Lots of opportunities that you won’t see anywhere else if you are a, an accredit investor, which means you. Make at least $200,000 per year for the last couple years with a reasonable expectation of doing so in the future. That’s 300,000 if you’re filing jointly or you have a million dollars of net worth outside of your personal residence. If you, uh, meet those criteria, you are an accredited investor. Congratulations. You don’t have to apply for anything, whatever, but you do need to go to wealthformula.com. Sign up for the Accredited Investor Club, get onboarded. And all you do at that point is look at deal flow, and if nothing else, you’ll learn something. So check it out. And who doesn’t want to be part of a club? Now let’s talk, uh, a little bit about today’s show. You know, um, we all love winners, right? We love hearing about big wins, the perfect track record. It feels good. It feels safe, gives us a sense of trust. But the thing is, I’ve been in business long enough to know that virtually all individuals who are, what you would call long-term winners, have had profound moments of failure from which they learned, um, invaluable lessons. So those are the people that I really like to hear from. You know, they have the kind of knowledge we all need that as we navigate through all of life, and it’s called wisdom. Um, surgeons, as you know, I’m an ex surgeon. Have a saying, if you’ve never had a complication, you haven’t done enough surgery. Uh, in my surgery days, I certainly, you know, had a handful of complications just like anyone else who did a lot of surgery. And, and lemme tell you, there, there are no fun, right? So you stay up at night replying things in your mind, trying to figure out how you could have done things differently, how you could have had a better outcome. And sometimes you realize that those mistakes were unavoidable, but. You still learn something from them. And in these cases, you always learn something that you’re not gonna get from the textbooks, just from reading something. And you know what, it’s been no different for me when it comes to business and, and investing, but I, I take comfort in the fact, uh, that even the greatest investors of all time had their moments of failure and arose from the ashes stronger and wiser. All you have to do is look up stories of Warren Buffet and Ray Dalio. And Ray Dalio basically lost everything at one point, uh, because he, you know, he had a macro prediction that went completely south. But listen, uh, the, the point I’m trying to make here is that every big winner, every big winner I know of as a story of failure. And while it may be cliche to say, you know what we learned best from our mistakes, I, I truly believe that. But the good news is that those mistakes don’t have to be our own, right? So you can learn from other people’s mistakes as well, and that can be just as effective. Uh, so this week’s episode of Well, formula Podcast is featuring a guy that you may know. His name is Russell Gray. Russ, uh, has been around a long time, uh, in the podcasting world. And radio. You know, he talks a lot. He’s talked many times to me at least about living through 2008. And you know what that was like, the beating he took and, you know, what went wrong? Uh, you know, it’s, it’s something that he talks about because, you know, he’s a successful guy and that period in time changed. You know, the way he sees the world, the way in which he behaves in that world. How he thinks about things like risk and leverage and you know, what actually matters when things stop going up. Uh, it’s a mindset thing and it’s important. Um, and we also obviously talk about other things as well, such as, uh, Russ’s current take on the economy. Uh, so anyway, it’s a, a good conversation and it’s one that you’re gonna wanna listen to, and we’ll have that for you right after these messages. Wealth formula banking is an ingenious concept powered by whole life insurance, but instead of acting just as a safety net, the strategy supercharges your investments. First, you create a personal financial reservoir that grows at a compounding interest rate much higher than any bank savings account. As your money accumulates, you borrow from your own. Bank to invest in other cash flowing investments. Here’s the key. Even though you’ve borrowed money at a simple interest rate, your insurance company keeps paying. You compound interest on that money even though you’ve borrowed it at result, you make money in two places at the same time. That’s why your investments get supercharged. This isn’t a new technique, it’s a refined strategy used by some of the wealthiest families in history, and it uses century old rock solid insurance companies as its back. Turbo charge your investments. Visit www.wealthformulabanking.com. Again, that’s wealth formula banking.com. Welcome back to Show Everyone. Today my guest on Wealth Formula podcast is Russell Gray. He’s a second generation financial strategist and, uh, you may know him from being a, the former co-host of the Real Estate Guy Radio Show, which is one of the longest running, uh, uh, radio shows of its time, uh, in the United States. He’s, he’s a founder of. Raising Capitalist project, which is an initiative focused on helping aspiring investors and entrepreneurs how to better understand how wealth is actually created and how uh, economic systems really work. Uh, he’s best known for his emphasis on real assets, cash flow, economic cycles, and preserving wealth and what he views as an increasingly fragile financial system. Welcome, Ross. How are you? Good buck, happy to be here. And, uh, proud of your success on your show. I remember way back at the beginning you were like, Hey, I wanna start a podcast. Yeah. Yep. You’ve done a great job. Yeah, it was an idea. I was like, here’s the idea. Start a podcast, build a community, all that kind of stuff. But it’s interesting. Uh, well, and let’s talk about what’s going on now. You’ve spent decades teaching people about, you know, real assets and cash flow. But lately your writings feel more focused on systems and and macro forces. So what’s changed? Has something finally become too big to ignore? Well, I think there’s two things you know personally, uh, most people who have heard of me or followed me know that 2008 wasn’t kind to me. I was in the mortgage business. I was very leveraged into real estate all over the place. Had my businesses for cash flow, had the real estate for equity growth. Believed that real estate was hyper resilient and gonna be the beneficiary of inflation. Didn’t understand the dependency on credit markets in both my business and my portfolio. And so that was a big mess, not doing, uh, a real SWOT analysis and understanding. And the third part of that, that was tough, is that I operated the business primarily on credit lines as well. So I had virtually no cash. And so when the credit markets seized up. Canceled my income, it canceled my credit lines and it evaporated my equity. And now all I had was negative cash flow on debt, on real estate. I couldn’t control. And so I looked at that and I said to myself, you know, I’m a pretty smart guy. I. Pride myself on paying attention. So obviously I’m not paying attention to the right thing. So I became obsessed with the macro, uh, picture and, and the financial system, which, you know, to me it’s, it’s the macro economy is what’s going on with, uh. Geopolitics and the energy and, you know, even policy, uh, that affects, uh, how well money can flow through the system. Both monetary policy from the Federal Reserve and fiscal policy from the government now today in the Trump administration trade policy. And so I began to pay attention to all those things, but from the standpoint of not how it was gonna affect the stock market, but how it was gonna affect the bond market and interest rates and the availability of credit, and how it was gonna affect Main Street. Directly and specifically now in terms of jobs and job creation are real wages. And so when I started really looking at all that, um, I, I, I realized that there were some things happening that were gonna be really good, and there were also some things that we needed to pay attention to. And these things move very slowly. So in 2010. I saw that coming outta the financial crisis, the Chinese were very upset with the United States about how much the Fed Balance sheet was expanding, and they were concerned about their very large investment in US dollar denominated. Bonds, and so they began creating bilateral trade agreements with Russia and many other countries to where they could begin this large process of de Dollarizing. Well, that was the first time I’d seen that movie, because it was the same thing that the Europeans did after they saw the Nixon default. Right? They began working on the Euro, which took ’em from 71, 72 when they started, maybe 74 when they started, but it took ’em till 99 to get it done. But you know, once they got it in place, over time, the Euro, the Euro has taken over 20% of global trade. You know, that’s market share from the US dollar. And so I saw this BrickX thing beginning to form. Uh, and then I saw the other thing on the macro that I thought was gonna be really good was in the jobs act, something you’ve benefited from as a syndicator, we. I wrote that report, new law breaks Wall Street Monopoly. And so, uh, even though I, I can’t tell you I was a big fan of Barack Obama, but he signed that legislation that happened on his watch. And I think it was fantastic because now it allowed Main Street syndicators, main Street Capital raisers to advertise for accredited investors and began to really, uh, level that playing field and open up Main Street, uh, to invest directly in Main Street. And so I met you in the syndication program that we put together with the real estate guys to coach real estate investors on how to become capital raisers to, to capitalize on that trend. So that’s, you know, kind of how I kind of became doing what I’m doing. And then when I decided, uh, just about 20 months ago to depart the real estate guys, I wanted to take some of the things that I originally set out to do when I first met Robert Helms way back in the day. And, you know, as relationships go, you know, he has his interest in the things that he wants to do, and I had my interest in things I came to do. And for a long time we were aligned well enough to continue to work together. But it got to a point where, for me, I, I wanted to go off in a different direction, and part of that was driven. By the, the death of my late wife. Uh, you had me on the show right after that happened to me, and I was going through this like, who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do next? What do I really want to get done before I die? And so all of those things kind of informed my personal decisions to, to make a switch. And then of course, what’s going on in the macro. Um, what I saw with Trump 1.0, what I saw in the Biden administration and those policies, and then what I thought would happen in Trump 2.0. And I did a presentation on this at the best ever conference in March of 2025, right after he’d been inaugurated. And, and so, uh, that, that’s kind of has me where I feel like there’s some real opportunity coming. Uh, there’s also some things we need to be aware of on Main Street. Yeah. So you’re bullish on Main Street in general, but you’ve been pretty cautious about the broader financial system. So, uh, what are the things that you’re worried about? Well, I, I think if you understand the way the financial system works, uh, it has a shelf life and that. It’s because it’s, it’s a system that is, depends upon ever increasing debt. Um, people say, I wanna pay the debt off, but if they, if they really understood the system, at least the way I think I understand it, uh, and I’m not alone in this, so it’s not something I just figured out on my own. But, um, you know. I, I don’t want to sit here and pretend like I’m the world’s foremost expert, but the way I understand the way the system works is that it, it requires ever increasing debt, and if we were to pay the debt off, it would collapse the system. So I think you waste a lot of time and energy and from a policy perspective, trying to argue about doing that. And I think that’s why it’s never, ever, no matter what administration, what politician, what mix of congress, what. Pressure there is everywhere globally. The system, the central banking system, the way it works globally, is designed to create ever increasing debt. So the, the flip side of that then is to let the debt run. And if you let the debt run, at some point you fall into a debt trap where the interest on the outstanding debt consumes all of the available discretionary income. And then you’re borrowing just to service the debt. Yeah, that’s about $1 trillion right now, by the way. Which is. Which is, uh, about the, the, the defense, uh, budget. Well, and I think that the bigger thing is when you look at, at the interest on the debt and mandatory spending, there’s virtually no room left after that. So if you’ve got, you’ve got the mandatory spending and you’ve got, um, debt service, you, you have very little room. So it’s not. Feasible either for two reasons. One is there’s just not enough discretionary room to be able to cut expenses enough to, to ever manage the debt. Number two, as I previously mentioned, if we were ever to effectively try to pay down the debt in any appreciable way, it would crash the the system. So the, the way I look at it is it’s, it’s, it’s got to be replaced. There’s going to be a great reset. I think the World Economic Forum was trying to set that up for the world, and they had an agenda. I’m, I’m not particularly fond of. Um, there’s been talk about creating a central bank digital currency, which I think is what, you know, the Federal Reserve and the, what I all call the wizards, uh, or the powers of B would prefer. Uh, but I think if you care about privacy and, and, you know, individual sovereignty, uh, and, and just personal freedom, um, I have a lot of concerns about a central bank digital currency. Um, I think the popularity of Bitcoin, uh, if it was, you know, and who knows what the. True origins were, but let’s just take it at face value. I think a lot of the people, at least that were the early adopters before it had the big price run up, was just a way to escape, uh, the system before it failed. And so you’ve got that. And then you’ve got, again, as I mentioned, the bricks and this global effort to de dollarize, which was I think really kicked off. After the great financial crisis and the massive expansion of the Fed’s balance sheet. And then I think picked up a little steam when we froze Russian assets and people began to see that the US might use the dollar and the dollar system, uh, for political instead of being neutral. And I think that picked up some steam. And, and so there’s, there’s both a geopolitical drive to. Uh, come up with a new system. There is, I think we’re at the end of a shelf life that some type of a new system is gonna have to be, uh, created. Uh, and, and then you look at what Donald Trump is doing and what he’s espousing. You know, let’s get rid of income taxes. Let’s get back to pulling in, uh, revenue from tariffs the way the country was originally founded. Uh, he’s talked about eliminating the IRS and going with an ERS, an external revenue service. There’s people that think that he might beat. Wanting to try to get back on some form of sound money, you know, coming out of, Hey, let’s audit the Fed, let’s audit the gold. I mean, let’s audit the gold. And, um, so, you know, we, you, you never know what what’s really gonna happen, but, but I think what we have to pay attention to are the signs that the system is beginning to break down. And one of those signs that I pay a lot of attention to is monetary, metals, gold and silver. I make a distinction between precious metals, which would also include platinum and palladium, and of course they’re strategic metals, but I just focus on monetary metals, which would be gold and silver, and gold and silver. We’re telling you that people would prefer to be the, the, the safe ha haven asset is no longer us treasuries, but, um, but, but gold and central banks have been driving a lot of it. This isn’t the retail market driving it yet. It, it’s really central banks have been accumulating. And so those are the ultimate insiders when it comes to currency. And if the insiders in the currency markets are repositioning into gold, uh, I’d, I’d call that a clue. Yeah, absolutely. Um. Yeah. You recently commented on the public criticism, president Donald Trump made toward, uh, uh, Peter Schiff. What stood out to you about that exchange? Maybe give us some background people. Not everybody knows who Peter is and, and, uh. And all that. So, yeah. Well, I mean, as you know, I’ve known Peter for 12 or 13 years and, uh, I had read his father’s work way back in the day. He is a very famous in the tax protestor world as somebody who just believed that income taxes were unconstitutional. And he resisted that and ended up going to jail for, died in jail as a matter of fact. And so that was, uh, I think sad. Um. But, but to me it felt like a little bit of being a political prisoner, but be that as it may, that’s how I got to know Peter. And so Peter is a guy that comes from the Austrian School of Economics and he believes in sound money. He believes in gold. He does not like Bitcoin. I’ve sat on panels the last two years with Peter, uh, in between him and Larry Lepard. And you know, Larry is a, a former gold guy. He’s still not opposed to gold, but he’s a hardcore sound money guy. But he likes Bitcoin. Peter hates Bitcoin and they get into it, and I usually sit in between ’em and try to keep things calm. Well, you know, so Peter ended up going on Fox and Friends, uh, I think on whatever it was, Friday the eighth I think it was, or whatever, whatever day that was. And he, he criticized Donald Trump’s spending. And, um, budget deficits and said that it would lead to inflation, and that’s a hot button for Trump. And so Trump, yeah. Uh, responded to him, uh, I think like four 30 in the morning on Saturday morning and called Peter, uh, a. Jerk and a total loser. Well, actually I saw it before Peter did, and so I took a screenshot and I texted it to him. I said, Hey, have you seen this? You know, maybe I’ll press is good press. And I think to a degree, maybe it has been me from, I understand Peter ended up on Tucker Carlson’s show as a result of that. So, but I made a video right after that because I, you know, there was a time when. I’m friends with Peter Schiff and I’m friends with Robert Kiyosaki. As you know, I, we introduced you to both those guys and, and at one point they didn’t like each other very much. They got into it ’cause, you know, and, and so we introduced ’em to each other and found that they had more in common than they, they didn’t. And I, I think that that would be true. Not that I’m in a position to introduce Peter to, to Donald Trump, but I think the way Peter is looking at it is true. Um, but there’s context and I think the context is super important. Now I’ve been studying Donald Trump as a businessman way before he was a presidential candidate or a politician, you know, before he was a polarizing guy, a pariah for some people. He, he was just this real estate guy. He’s good at marketing, he’s a real estate guy, and as you know. We got to know his longtime attorney, George Ross. And so I’ve had a chance to have conversations about what it was like working with Donald Trump, the real estate guy, and when he became a politician, I asked George, is he a crazy man? Does he shoot from the hip? And you know, I got a lot of reassurances that he is a sober sound. Methodical, self-disciplined guy and, and I think he uses the eroticism to keep people off balance as a negotiating tactic. And he writes about that in the art of the deal. So the context that I think that people need to have, and I’m not here to defend Donald Trump, the man. I’m not here to defend Donald Trump, the politician, but I look at the policies and what I think he’s up to in the context of realizing that we have a system that is fundamentally flawed and has to be remodeled. So to use a real estate, uh, metaphor, it would be like we have a hotel building that is very tired. It’s at the end of its life, it’s got to be remodeled, and so you can’t. Completely shut it down because it’s an operating business, so it’s gotta operate during the remodel. And so you begin to, um, reposition things and. You, you, you’re not gonna run optimally, so you’re gonna run some deficits while you’re doing the remodel. You’re gonna go into debt because you got a lot of CapEx to do, and during that period of time, your debt and deficits are gonna be a problem. But real estate guys look at debt and deficits not as a permanent condition. I think Peter is saying, Hey, you’re just running up debt and deficits. Well, in the short term he is. Honestly, I don’t think Trump is concerned about that. I think he’s focused on getting this remodel done, and part of that remodel was showed up in the last jobs report, right? We lost jobs to a degree, but they were government jobs, and what we got was a lot of gains in private sector jobs. Scott descent, his treasury secretary, has come out and overtly said, we are an administration for Main Street, not for Wall Street. So if you’re going to de financialize this economy and turn it back into a productive economy. You’re going to have to have policies that are gonna stimulate Main Street, and that’s, that’s the, the, the new units that you’ve rehabbed in your hotel that you wanna move people into. At the same time, you gotta move them outta the old units, which is people making money, trading claims on wealth instead of producing real goods and services, which is the financial ice economy. So it’s not about banking, it’s not about stocks, it’s not about Wall Street. You know, you need the stock market to stay up. But really what you need to do is you need to create production. And, and, and I think that’s fundamental. I think he understands we’re never gonna pay the debt off by cutting. We’ve got to keep the system running until we can get to some form of sound money. We’re actually paying the debt off as realistic, and then we have to earn so much money that the debt relative to our earnings shrinks. So it’s not paying down the debt, it’s paying down the percentage of GDP by growing GDP. And the presentation I did at best ever in March of 2025 was me explaining why I thought. His policies, were going to allow him to increase velocity and increase wages by cutting taxes, interest regulation, transportation costs, and, and again, that was six weeks into administration. That was theory. I’m gonna do a follow up in March of this year to say, okay, looking back when I gave the speech a year ago, what’s transpired, but I can already tell you a lot of the stuff that I thought he would do. He’s done. And I think that’s muting some of the inflation that his spending and deficits to Peter’s point are causing. And that’s why when this last CPI report came out, it wasn’t as ugly as everybody thought it would be. And, and this is when you don’t look at, when you look at it in the mono, you just look at one thing and Peter’s very fixated on this quantity of money theory. Then the expectation is that you print a bunch of money, you run a bunch of deficits, you’re gonna get inflation. And it’s just a. Equals B or A leads to B. But there are other nuances and I think Trump is looking at more like a real estate developer, which makes sense. ’cause that’s his background. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It’s, I mean, and then the other just point to, to make there is that there is probably, um, now inflation’s a tricky thing, right? Like on the one hand you don’t want this riding up, but on the other hand, it actually helps with that debt. You’re, you’re basically eroding the debt by letting inflation ride a little bit higher at the same time. And I think the Trump administration knows that it’s a tricky thing to balance, but the goal is to, you know, get GDP pumping at, you know, four or 5%, but it’s gotta be real production buck. And that’s the difference, right? The old way of dealing with the debt was inflation. And, and I think people think that he’s using the old formula, but I don’t think he is. Well, I think it’s, I think, I think it’s definitely geared towards increasing real GDP, but I think in the process there’s probably, they probably care less a little bit. Of inflation riding up a little bit in the meantime. ’cause you’re still gonna have, I think he thinks he can mute it. I think he can mute it with lower taxes, lower interest expense, lower energy costs. And the energy is the economy. And from day one, that was the first policy. He’s, he’s aggressively gone after lowering energy costs because that has a, a, a ripple through, it just affects every area of the economy. And then the regulations in, in the last cabinet meeting. It was reported, the way I understood it, that for every regulation his administration passes, they’ve eliminated 48. So it’s actually, he’s removing the friction. And I think the bigger thing is, and I, and I was on a panel at Limitless, uh, this last summer, and TaRL, Yarborough was moderating the panel, asked the panelists what we were looking at that maybe other people weren’t looking at that. Um. You know, is, is a signal about maybe the direction it was. We, I, I can’t remember. This was a prediction panel and what I said was trade policy because everybody in finance spends all their time looking at the flow of money and trying to get in front of the flow of money. And we’re so used to the money coming from the Fed or coming from the treasury. So they’re gonna come from monetary policy or fiscal policy. And that’s what Peter’s doing. He’s looking at the Fed and he is looking at the treasury. And so what I’m looking at is not just the tariff income, which is relatively minor, but I’m looking at the trade deals, and those are published at the White House and there’s a couple trillion dollars of money that’s FDI, foreign Direct Investments coming right into Main Street. And it’s gonna build infrastructure. It’s gonna build factories. It’s good. And they tell you where it’s gonna be because they, they came back with the opportunity zones, which I thought they would do. Makes sense. It’s the way he thinks. And then taking those opportunity zones, the governors can say where in their state they want that money to go. Well, people on Wall Street don’t think geography ’cause they operate in a commodity world that trades on global exchanges. But real estate people. Geography matters a lot. So if I’m a Main Street person, I live on Main Street and I’m looking for Main Street opportunities, I wanna look where that money is going to be flowing in geographically. And then there may be opportunities in real estate or small businesses in those economies, and you can see it coming, but nobody talks about it. So I created Main Street Capitalist as a show to begin to talk about it. I still do the investor mentoring club, which is, you know. A premium thing where we get together every month and we talk about these things. And the point is, is that if you understand, I think what he’s doing, then you can, you can begin to paddle into position. And I think, again, I am really bullish if he loses inflation. If he loses to inflation, he’s cooked. He knows it. I think that that even the suggestion that Peter made that he was losing to inflation is what flared him up. And so I wasn’t trying to necessarily defend. Peter and I wasn’t trying to defend Trump, I was just trying to reconcile that it is possible that both guys could be right at the same time from their perspective. And so I, you know, I, I had one guy take exception because he felt like I was defending Trump, but for the most part, I got positive feedback on the video. I, I, I, you saw it. So you tell me. Did it make sense? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. So when you look at today’s environment, everything going on, where do you think investors are most vulnerable? Um, I, I think that if you are very dependent upon, um, healthy credit markets, we could have a disruption. And that’s what happened to me. If Trump loses the inflation battle even for a little while, little be reflected in interest rates. And the challenge is right now that he is asked the Fed to quote unquote lower rates, but the Fed actually doesn’t like. Set rates, what they do is they set a target and then they manipulate markets to achieve those rates. And if, if people believe the fed, there’s a little bit of front running. So what’ll happen is the Fed will come out and go, oh, we’re gonna lower rates, which means bond prices are gonna go up. So they’re like, that’s great, let’s go buy a bunch of bonds, which drives rates down. So the Fed just by talking. Begins to move the market and then they hope that later on the Fed will buy those bonds from them at a profit to push rates down. Does that make sense? So, so when the last two times the Fed has raised rates in their target, the 10 year has responded in the opposite direction. Which means that the market is like not buying in, and the Fed is gonna have to step in. And when the Fed steps in, they do it by printing money out out of thin air. Now, the concern about that is that when they print the money out of thin air. If they’re replacing bonds on their own balance sheet, that’s kind of a circle and it doesn’t leak out into the economy. If they’re buying new issuance from the the treasury, then that money is gonna work its way through the government to to to main street. Now, the Trump administration can prevent some of that by keeping the money in the Treasury, for example, uh, Trump 1.0 left. The Biden administration with, I think over a trillion dollars in, in the treasury checking account, and Janet Yellen put that into the economy right away during the lockdowns, which immediately created extreme inflation because you muted production at the same time you goose. Uh. Purchasing power, you know? So anybody with like three ounces of economic understanding could have told you that that inflation was gonna come, it was gonna come hard, it was gonna come fast, and it was gonna be stickier than than you thought. ’cause once you let that money out in the economy, it’s out. It’s out and the only way to mute it is either to suck it back, which is very, very difficult, or to outproduce it, and it’s very hard to produce anything when everything’s in lockdown. So I think that, you know, those days are behind us. I think the policies that we’re embracing now are more. Pro productivity. And I think that even if the Fed does have to step in, as long as that money doesn’t leak out into the economy, and part of it is the treasury being able to throttle some of that, and the money that does go into the economy doesn’t go into stimulus, but goes into CapEx and infrastructure, that’ll actually, uh, create. Production. Then I think that, you know, this, this game plan that I think they’re trying to execute has a chance. And so I, I’m, I’m watching for it. And of course, to answer your question, what do we have to worry about that it doesn’t work? Right? If it doesn’t work, then inflation will show up. Interest rates will rise, credit markets will crash, it will take real estate values with it. And the hedge is really gonna be, what I’ve always talked about is gold. I started talking back in 2018 when we were the zero bound with interest rates. Hey, there’s only one way interest rates can go and that’s up. And if they go up fast, then that’s gonna crash bonds. So it would be smart, and that’s gonna take real estate equity with it. So it’d be smart when you have real estate equity and low rates to pull some of that equity out and move it into gold. And I called that my precious equity strategy. If I have a video I did at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference in January of 2022, explaining that when you could still really execute on that, and I’m not saying that you couldn’t do it today, but it’s harder, but the people who did it back then, I mean, you know, they’ve, they’ve seen their gold almost triple. And at the same time, they were able to lock in interest rates that are, you know, a half what they are today. So when you see those mega trends and you can begin, and that’s the stuff I didn’t know how to do in 2006, 2007. I didn’t understand any of this stuff. The, the, you know, losing everything in 2008 forced me to become a hardcore student and then try to apply that to Main Street strategy. And so I think gold and real estate and debt, they all work really well together depending on where you are in the cycle. Do you think that Main Street investors may actually have some advantages in periods like this? Yes, a ton because I think what’s gonna happen is if we have a, um, a, a, a restructure of the financial system into something more responsible, which I think is either gonna be forced upon us or it’s gonna be done by design, and I hope we do it by design. But when that happens, then the days of just buying low and selling high and riding the inflation wave that goes away. And so now it’s gonna be very, very important to understand how to invest for. Productivity. So I call it, you know, buy low sell high trading as an acronym, B-L-S-H-T you. You can sound it out for yourself phonetically. And then the other one is poo, which is productivity of others. And I think that if people focus on investing in the productivity of others, which is what Main street investors, especially real estate investors, focus on, I think cash flow, real profits on small businesses, not speculating on. Uh, exit price or a company that’s gonna take a company public, everybody trying to tap into this giant flood of money that gets pre created from thin air in the banking system and in Wall Street. If, if, if people on Main Street will just start investing. Kind of what Kenny McElroy was doing going through 2008, just focusing on sound assets and good markets with good fundamentals. That cash flow and, and are run by good managers, whether it’s a business, an apartment building, a mobile home park, a self storage, residential assisted living doesn’t really matter. Invest in real businesses that produce real profits where you’re not overpaying for that production of income and especially where there’s some upside. Not to flipping out of the stock, but to actually growing the market share and growing the income. That’s what investing really should be. Wall Street has perverted it into just placing bets and riding a wave and trying to figure out where the money is gonna flow from the Treasury or for from Fed stimulus. And I think Main Street is gonna pick up on the new game sooner. And the good news is if you get good at playing that game, even if the system stays the same, you’re probably gonna do better off anyway. When you talk about buying, buying or investing into productive businesses, I mean, what, what’s the difference in your mind between investing in a private business versus investing in a, you know, a publicly traded business that’s run off, you know, dividends? Yeah, so I, I, I think that it could be okay if the dividend yield makes sense, but anytime you have a publicly traded security, it’s a highly liquid market, which means it’s gonna be volatile and the stocks become chips in the casinos where professional traders are just gambling all day long. And some of that gambling can create an impact on the stock, and it doesn’t matter to you if you’ve only bought it for production of income. Um. And so, uh, you know, I, I don’t think it’s bad. I’ve, you know, Peter’s always been an advocate of, uh, dividend paying stocks, and I think if you’re gonna be in the stock market, that’s what you want to do. I think the opportunity in a private placement in a small business is the opportunity not to have to pay the high multiples because it’s not a perfect market. It’s, it’s the same reason there’s so much more opportunity in real estate. If real estate could trade on an electronic exchange where. You know, millions of buyers could find it, and you could have perfect price discovery. It’s very difficult to find a deal, right? It’s very difficult. But we, if you buy a private business, you know there’s gonna be considerations. You, you deal with a, a owner. Who cares about his customers, who cares about his team, maybe would be willing to carry back the way you would if you were buying a, a, a piece of property from somebody that cares about their neighbors or whatever. I mean, there’s, there’s, there’s a lot more humanity in it. There’s a lot more room for negotiation in it. And a lot of times there’s a lot more room to have control. So, you know, one of the adages with real estate that real estate investors like is, I’m gonna buy an asset, one that I understand, two that I can control. And so when you buy a stock, like a dividend paying stock, you, you might understand the business, you may not understand completely the. Uh, market dynamics that drive the stock price. But as long as the dividends are there, that can be okay, but you don’t have any control. When you actually go buy a small business, you have a, a degree of control. Now, if you’re a passive investor buying into a syndication, then you still have a little bit more, um. Relationship, you have a little bit more insight. You maybe have a voice. You may know the people that are making the decision and running the company personally. So it’s the same thing. You know, you Buck is a syndicator. When you go do a deal, your investors know you. They have a personal relationship with you. Go buy stuff in the stock market and mutual fund managers and investor. You don’t have a relationship with that fund manager and I think that’s worth something if you have a voice right. So we’ve, we’re talking a little bit about credit markets, um, volatility, you know, interest rates. Are they gonna go down like, you know, Donald Trump would like to see, and you know, we’ve got a new fed share coming, all that kind of thing. How should investors be thinking about leverage and risk right now? I, I think the adage with real estate, uh, I mean, sorry, with leverage is always the same, is, um, you know, manage cash flow. I, if, if you use leverage to speculate, that could be a real problem. And whether you did it. Do it for real estate like I did by having very thin or negative cash flow and making that up someplace else and believing that somehow, you know, rents or appreciation are gonna do it. Or buying a non-income producing asset with borrowed funds hoping it’s gonna go higher. I think that would be dangerous, but I think if you fundamentally use debt as a tool. Based on cash flows and you use conservative cash flows, you know, so the debt service coverage ratio, you know, if you have $10,000 a month going out in debt service, make sure you have at least, you know, $12,000 a month coming in on income or above. Then that’s how you begin to build resiliency into your portfolio. And the other thing is don’t borrow long to invest short, right? So your duration matters a lot. We were talking about this before we hit the record button, and I think what happens is people. Uh, make a mistake when they try to operate like a bank. ’cause banks lend short and invest long. And the only reason they get away with it is because they have the Federal Reserve Bank system backstopping them. But you don’t have that as an individual, so you better to do the opposite. Um, if you can match the durations, that’s perfect, right? ’cause then you know what your interest expense is for the, for the duration of the investment. And once you lock in the spread, then you just have the counterparty risk of the, whoever is responsible for creating that income stream that’s gonna service the debt you use to control the asset. And then it just comes down to underwriting and then recourse. And if you feel comfortable with the underwriting and you feel comfortable with the recourse, and you’ve got spread and you’ve locked in a, a duration. Um, that, that is compatible, then that can be a, a, a fairly safe way to use debt. And if interest rates work against you, then you’re okay. And if interest rates work for you, you might be able to refinance your debt and actually increase your spread, but you don’t need it to happen to be successful. Let’s talk a little bit more about what you’re doing right now. So in the past year, you’ve launched, um, several new initiatives. You had masterminds via platforms. Tell us a little bit about this and, and a little bit more what, what you’re trying to accomplish. Well, you know, after losing my wife, um, you, you go through this. Period of time of like figuring out, okay, life is short. What do I want to get done before I left die myself. And so, um, after thinking about that, I went back to really what I came to do when I first met Robert Helms and got involved in the real estate guys. And so I just kinda went back to home base and. Then the other thing is now I’ve got 17 grandchildren, and so I’m thinking a lot less like a father, more like a, a grandfather, a founding father. And, um, and so I’m thinking about what the world is gonna be like in 40, 50, 60 years, and what can I do to plant a seed that will make that world better for my grandchildren? And so I, I did a couple things. One is, um, after I left the real estate guys, we were going through a merger with Ken McElroy, George Gammon and Jason Hartman to create, um, a mastermind group, which we did. And I, I was CEO of that for the. The year during the merger. And that took up some time. And the second thing I decided to do, uh, ironically, it was after a conversation I had with Charlie Kirk. I had a conversation with Charlie Kirk. I said, Hey, I’ve got this idea to help, uh, K through 12 get involved in, in capitalism by starting businesses or working with businesses. Their parents start, and I explained to him the model. He goes, I love it. I want to help you. And so that encouraged me. And then I had a follow up meeting in January of 20. 24 with Mark Victor Hansen, and he really encouraged me. And so with the strength of those two endorsements, I go, you know, I’m gonna do this. And so, uh, I left the real estate guys in, um. March, late March of 2024, and in the summer of 2024, I, I launched the Raising Capitalists Foundation, and people can learn more about that by going to raising capitalists plural.org. And I, I literally launched it at Freedom Fest on July 13th, 2024 and five minutes before I took the stage, Donald Trump got shot. Always remember where I was and how distracting it was, but I did record that presentation and it’s on the website, and so it explains the model. But in, in short, it’s pairing, um, or it’s, it’s putting parents who are in what Kiyosaki, uh, rich Dad would call the E-Class employees. And, uh. Put them under a mentorship program with experienced entrepreneurs and investors to help them start a business, a side hustle. They need the money and they need a mentor. And so then they, um, it can create a situation where their children can come to work for them in the business. And today, information Society, you know, there’s a lot of things kids can do where they learn real life skills, um, working with their parents. So that’s what the Raising Capitalist Foundation is all about. Then I launched two shows. Uh, in 2025, uh, one is I literally just launched like a week ago, and that’s. That Donald Trump video was really the first one that I put out, the Donald Trump versus Peter Schiff video on YouTube. I haven’t even started the podcast side of it. Um, and in on September 27th, uh, on pray.com, I started, uh, another show that, that one’s called the Main Street Capitalist. So if you go to YouTube and look at the Main Street capitalist, you’ll, you can find me there. And then the other one I created was the Christian capitalist. And I kind of went back to, you know, my, my core roots of realizing when I started looking at. Where the country was at, John Adams said that, um. Our Constitution was designed for a moral and religious people and is really wholly inadequate for any other, and so I thought, you know what? I’m I, I’m going to do that because my experience as a, as a Christian businessman is that I find that sometimes the stuff I get in church is more consumer oriented, and it doesn’t, it’s more employee oriented. I, I don’t. And, and then the other part of that is I created a, a ministry called Fellowship, a Christian capitalist, which is really about helping people put purpose into their business and then, you know, express their faith. Love your neighbor. Through their business. And so I’ve got all these different initiatives going and then I created the Main Street Media Network because I wanting to reach youth. I hired a YouTube coach and I said, look, I want to create content to encourage youth. He goes, that’s great. You can’t do it. You’re too old, he said, so what you need to do is find young people you can mentor and teach them the things that you’ve learned and let them teach it in their own words and they’ll reach their generation better than you. So with Main Street Media Network, I’m I, I’ve got. Two guys that I’m apprenticing right now, but I’m gonna be adding a lot more. Um, one, one young man is 20 years old, the other one is 26 years old. And, uh, I just came back from the Turning Point USA event where we had a broadcast booth and they were conducting interviews and I did the New Orleans Investment Conference. And so these guys are sitting down with Peter Schiff, Robert Kiyosaki, Mike Maloney, Ken McElroy, you know, you, you know what that did for you, buck with your show. You know, you, you met all these people through us and then you. We’re able to build upon that and create a very credible show. So I’m doing that for these guys that are in their twenties with the idea that they will be able to reach a generation of people. Uh, I call it putting Boomer Wisdom in Gen Z mounts. I mean, they get to process it and it gets to be their own. And I’m helping them build financial podcasts that actually make the money and is the foundation of, in this case, they’re both capital raisers of their capital raising business. I got all these different things going, but I’m doing it through leaders, so I’m not trying to do all things myself. Yeah, yeah. Um, but I’m building out an ecosystem to accomplish all these goals and so far so good. It’s a lot. Sounds working like a young man, man, man. I’ll tell you that. I know, I know. Wow. I I thought you were gonna slow down after you. No, I’ve actually, I put my, I put, I put my foot on the gas. I, I’ve probably never worked, uh, harder. Um, but I, I think I’m working smart, you know, so I’m hiring coaches and I’m bringing in, um, leaders and going through all that EOS and organizing to scale stuff. Sounds good. Well, always a pleasure, Russ. Um, make sure not to be a stranger to have you on again, um, you know, in a few months and figure out where you’re going with all this stuff. All the new things that you’ve accomplished, but it’s, uh, it’s great to see you. Well, happy to be here, proud of you. Uh, keep up the good work and keep educating people. Thank you. You make a lot of money, but are still worried about retirement. Maybe you didn’t start earning until your thirties. Now you’re trying to catch up. Meanwhile, you’ve got a mortgage, a private school to pay for, and you feel like you’re getting further and further behind. Now, good news, if you need to catch up on retirement, check out a program put out by some of the oldest and most prestigious life insurance companies in the world. It’s called Wealth Accelerator, and it can help you amplify your returns quickly, protect your money from creditors, and provide financial protection to your family if something happens to you. The concepts here are used by some of the wealthiest families in the world, and there’s no reason why they can’t be used by you. Check it out for yourself by going to wealthformulabanking.com. Welcome back to the show everyone. Hope you enjoyed it. As always, Russ, uh, is, uh, you know, he’s, he’s got a lot of wisdom. He is the guy you really wanna listen to. And I would encourage you to follow his work anyway. Uh, just pivoting back, you know, to where this economy is and all that. I think for me personally, it’s about allocating capital in a market that is a, uh, is certainly losing value in its dollars. And, um, and I think that we’re gonna continue to see that. Speaking of that, make sure if you haven’t, as I mentioned before, sign up for the Accredited Investor Club. Go to wealthformula.com, go to investor club, as we have plenty of those types of things that are hedging against inflation, um, saving taxes in terms of tax mitigation strategies, that kind of thing. Check it out. That’s it for me This week on Well Formula Podcast. This is Buck Joffrey signing off. If you wanna learn more, you can now get free access to our in-depth personal finance course featuring industry leaders like Tom Wheel Wright and Ken McElroy. Visit wealthformularoadmap.com.

Discover the 5 key components of effective strategic planning for churches and nonprofits. Pastors Bobby, Andrew, and Randy share insights from their 3-day strategic planning retreat, covering accountability systems, SWOT analysis, 3-year vision planning, yearly goal setting, and 90-day rocks. Learn how to move from long-term vision to weekly execution using proven frameworks like EOS. Perfect for church leaders and nonprofit executives looking to create alignment, build trust, and execute their mission with clarity.

Let's Get Ready For 2026 Today we discuss how to apply the SWOT method to your own life plan, cover our usual Monday segments on pantry management and financial progress, and cover a question from a listener about erosion.

As the year winds down, most practice owners feel the pull to "look back" and "plan ahead." But too often, that process turns into either a surface-level glance at revenue—or an overwhelming spiral of things you should have done better. That's not helpful. And it's not how you build a practice that actually supports the life you want. In this week's episode, I walk through a more grounded, intentional way to review the past year and plan the next one—starting with a question most business owners skip entirely: What does success actually mean to you? Because if you don't define that first, you're shooting in the dark, and your KPI's and goals could be leading you in the wrong direction. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why success must be defined before reviewing any numbers How to review the past year without burnout or self-judgment Which key performance indicators actually matter in a cash-based model How to use a SWOT analysis in a practical, non-overwhelming way How to turn insights into a realistic plan for the year ahead USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind  

A practical 10-step guide to creating your small business strategic plan for the year ahead. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/590-annual-strategic-planning/ In this episode, Henry Lopez breaks down how to create a clear and practical strategic plan for the year ahead, without overcomplicating the process. Strategic planning gives small business owners a roadmap for growth, helping them stop reacting and start leading with intention. Henry walks through a 10-step framework that includes reviewing the previous year, refining your vision, conducting a SWOT analysis, defining strategy, setting goals and KPIs, breaking plans into quarterly actions, budgeting, and executing with discipline. He also explains why strategic planning matters even when circumstances change: "If we don't plan, then you really have no path to follow… things will happen to you instead of you making things happen." This episode is designed to help you clarify where you're going, stay aligned with your long-term vision, make smarter decisions about limited resources, and create a focused plan you can adjust throughout the year. You'll also learn Henry's five best-practice tips for more effective planning, starting with basing everything on reality, limiting priorities, tracking KPIs consistently, assigning ownership, and ensuring everything leads to real action. If you want to enter the next year with clarity, confidence, and intention, this episode provides the structure you need. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

In this Friday Field Notes episode, Ryan Michler explores what it truly means for men to take risks and why it's essential for growth, leadership, and purpose. He outlines the importance of knowing your “why,” weighing risk versus reward, hedging your bets, and preparing every area of your life before making bold moves. Ryan also emphasizes the need for courage, resilience, and guidance from mentors. This conversation is a practical and powerful guide for men who want to step into greater responsibility, push past fear, and live with meaning while taking calculated, righteous risks. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:14 Big goals and the role of risk 02:24 The importance of knowing your why 07:03 Measuring risk versus reward 09:27 Hedging your bets 11:50 Getting your house in order 14:16 SWOT analysis for decision-making 16:37 The mandate to take righteous risk 18:55 Coaching opportunities and Iron Council Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready