Podcasts about us bank

The American consumer is being misread. Surveys say people are panicking, but their behavior tells a completely different story. On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, we take a page out of The Pirate Street Journal, as Christopher Lochhead, Eddie Yoon, and Bri Clark broke down three forces reshaping the economy through a category design lens. From historic lows in consumer confidence to AI-generated buyers to an entire generation betting on prediction markets, the picture is not one of collapse. It is one of reinvention. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go.   Record Low Consumer Sentiment Is a Category Creation Engine The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index dropped to 44.8 in May, the lowest reading ever recorded, following what was already a record low in April. Yet unemployment is near zero, GDP is growing, and the stock market keeps hitting new highs. The numbers do not add up because the survey is measuring something different than economic health. It is measuring the death of an old life script. The linear path of college, marriage, house, promotion, and retirement no longer delivers the meaning it once promised. People are not curling up in a ball. They are buying fewer cars, skipping packaged foods, and trading stuff for experiences. When an old script breaks, people are forced to find meaning on their own terms, and that search is historically the most powerful category creation engine the economy has ever seen.   The Synthetic Customer Will Scale Mediocrity If You Let It Research shows that AI-generated synthetic customers can replicate roughly 90 percent of real conjoint study outcomes, including which features drive choice and early price sensitivity. Companies like Target and US Bank are already testing products on synthetic audiences before launch. The technology is genuinely exciting and could transform how businesses plan, build, and compete. The danger is that most companies will point their synthetic customer tools at the fat part of the bell curve, optimizing for the average buyer and calling it an insight. Eddie Yoon has spent decades proving that the super consumer, roughly 8 to 10 percent of any customer base, can drive up to 90 percent of gross margins. Synthetic customers are only as powerful as the data they are trained on. Train them on average, and you simulate mediocrity at scale. The unlock is running synthetic studies on super consumers first, then non-consumers, and finding where those two extremes could meet. That intersection is where new categories are born. Proprietary data sets and purpose-built AI applications will separate the companies that discover the next wave from the ones that simply made the status quo slightly cheaper to produce.   Gen Z Is Not Irrational, They Are Responding to Real Data Roughly 32 percent of Gen Z investors have played prediction markets, a similar share are in crypto, and about 69 percent of Polymarket accounts have lost money since 2022. On the surface this looks like recklessness. In context, it makes complete sense. This generation grew up through 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and Covid, all before they could legally drink. Every institution that promised safety failed at least once during their formative years. The Nasdaq 100 returned roughly 21 percent annually over the last decade. The S&P returned 13 to 14 percent. Sitting still in an index fund would have made them wealthy. But when certainty has detonated repeatedly, patience does not feel safe, it feels naive. The speculation is not stupidity. It is a rational response to a world where the old guarantees proved hollow. The prescription from Eddie Yoon is to hold all three investment buckets at once: a boring cash safety net covering 3 to 18 months of expenses, smart index-based investments with consistent long-term returns, and a smaller speculative position built on genuine expertise and category-level knowledge. Speculation itself is not the enemy. Speculating without a superpower, without real edge, is where the damage gets done. To hear more from the Pirate Street Journal, download and listen to this episode. You can also read more Pirate Street Journal entries in the Category Pirates newsletter.   We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!

Most teams can identify friction in their customer experience. The challenge is convincing leadership to invest in fixing it. Digital leaders from Walmart, FanDuel, US Bank, and American Eagle have all faced that challenge. In this encore episode, hosts Chuck Moxley and Nick Paladino revisit key lessons on elevating frictionless experiences to the C-suite and reveal what separates ideas that get funded from those that don't.Vijay Jayaraman from Walmart explains how teams use peak events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday to quantify the impact of customer experience issues before they become major business problems. Shawn Sheely from US Bank shares how his team reframed accessibility from a compliance requirement into a billion-dollar market opportunity, helping reduce onboarding costs by 70%.Catherine Gignac from American Eagle offers a powerful perspective on designers as connectors, bringing together the work of dozens of stakeholders into a single customer experience.Scott Smith from FanDuel challenges a common assumption: stop obsessing over competitors. Your customers chose your brand for a reason. Instead of copying what others are doing, focus on understanding why your customers engage with you and what keeps them coming back.You'll also hear practical insights on measuring friction, defining the "spine" of an experience, interpreting customer behavior data, and translating customer pain points into business outcomes that executives care about.Key Actionable Takeaways:Quantify friction using peak seasonal periods to justify investment - A problem affecting 10,000 Walmart users today could impact millions on Black Friday; use known high-traffic events to correlate current issues with future revenue impact and demonstrate why fixing seemingly trivial problems matters nowReframe compliance as market opportunity not checkbox - US Bank saw accessibility as a billion-dollar market rather than legal requirement, reduced onboarding costs 70%, and opened entirely new customer channels by simplifying experiences for assistive technology usersPrioritize customer voice over competitive benchmarking - Your customers chose you because your brand resonates with them specifically; copying competitor journeys misses the point because their customers are fundamentally different people with different needs and preferencesWant more tips and strategies about creating frictionless digital experiences? Subscribe to our newsletter! https://www.thefrictionlessexperience.com/frictionless/ Download the Five Step Site Speed Target Playbook: http://bluetriangle.com/playbookDom Costa's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dominickcosta  Nick Paladino's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/npaladino Chuck Moxley's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/chuck-moxley Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(03:18) Quantifying friction(06:20) Vijay peak periods(11:10) Black Friday first impressions(15:15) Scott traffic conversions(20:40) Sean accessibility market(27:00) Compliance reframe(31:25) Team alignment(38:00) Katherine designers as builders(43:40) Voice of customer(45:25) Customer vs competitor focus(53:15) Vijay customer first(57:00) Katherine friction tools(01:01:20) Data interpretation(01:03:31) Conclusion

A second home in the Lake Tahoe area is possible and within your reach, but only if you have a trusted real estate professional and lender in your corner. Mason Hibbard (CA DRE# 01303064 and NV S. 0184919) from Compass Realty and Mark Clore (NMLS # 502169) from US Bank join us to talk about selling, buying and financing real estate around Lake Tahoe. Talk to the experts in Lake Tahoe Real Estate: Mason.Hibbard@compass.com or 415-990-1212 Mark.Clore@usbank.com or 775-552-3931 Peter@Sageintl.com or 775-786-5515

Do you ever wonder if you are wasting money on your marketing efforts? Or how do you navigate today's big changes in paid marketing? Our guest today is Jeff Greenfield, and he shares with us his marketing insights and the changing paid advertising landscape. TODAY'S WIN-WIN: Aspire to be less wrong today than you were yesterday as there is no right answer to measurement. LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:Schedule your free franchise consultation with Big Sky Franchise Team: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/. You can visit our guest's website:      www.getprovalytics.com.Attend our Franchise Sales Training Workshop:  https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/franchisesalestraining/Connect with our guests on social:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgreenfield/ABOUT OUR GUEST:Jeff Greenfield is an entrepreneur, advisor, and disruptor with more than three decades of leadership in strategy, growth, and marketing. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Provalytics, an AI-driven, cookie-less attribution and measurement platform that helps marketers prove the impact of upper funnel channels such as CTV and podcasts to drive smarter budget decisions. Previously, Jeff was the COO and Co-Founder of C3 Metrics, a leading multi-touch attribution platform serving brands such as JP Morgan, US Bank, Hertz, Nestlé, Carhartt, Edward Jones, Fender, and Peapod. Widely known as the “Cookie Monster,” Jeff is a recognized expert on cookies and their impact on the digital advertising ecosystem.Jeff has spoken at hundreds of industry conferences and his thought leadership has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, ABC, CBS, and Investor's Business Daily.This episode is powered by Big Sky Franchise Team. Big Sky Franchise Team is consistently recognized as one of the best franchise consulting firms in the United States, helping entrepreneurs franchise their businesses through a proven 3-Step franchise process rooted in ethical principles, hands-on guidance, and customized deliverables.  If you are ready to talk about franchising your business you can schedule your free, no-obligation, franchise consultation online at: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/. The information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any business decisions. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Big Sky Franchise Team, or our affiliates. Additionally, this podcast may feature sponsors or advertisers, but any mention of products or services does not constitute an endorsement. Please do your own research before making any purchasing or business decisions.

Send us Fan MailMeet Laura Best, keynote speaker who helps global brands like US Bank activate passion as a science-back method to drive energy, motivation, engagement and performance in their people. She is the bestselling author of Born to Buzz and the founder of Passion Collective- a group of thousands seeking to embed more passion into their daily working lives. Today, Laura advises some of the world's biggest passion-driven brands across sectors. Hit play for the lowdown! [2:54s] History to PR: Laura's genesis story[5:25s] What first sparked ‘Born to Buzz' [12:09s] Passion-led jobs versus passion-less ones[19:47s] Purpose versus Passion[32:55s] The generational aspect of purpose-at-work[36:21s] Laura's top tips for organizations to cultivate passion [45:45s] Laura's top tips for you to avoid burnout RWL: Read: Laura's book Born to Buzz: How to Spark Your Passions (Without Quitting It All)  Laura's recommendation to read: ‘Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics' by Dan HarrisConnect with Laura on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.  This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together'. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook 

The numbers are staggering. The “magnificent seven” Big Tech companies are expected to have combined capital spending of about $800 billion this year. Data centres' electricity demand is soaring, and hundreds of billions of dollars more are being mobilised to invest in power infrastructure to meet that demand. In this special episode, recorded at the ACORE Finance Forum in New York, host Ed Crooks speaks with five guests at the heart of the revolution in energy finance: bankers, a deal lawyer, a data centre operator and a head of policy. James Wright, Managing Director and Head of US Corporate Banking at CIBC Capital Markets, explains the connection between power, data centres and AI with an analogy borrowed from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Think of AI as a layer cake, with power as the base, data centre infrastructure above it, then hardware, then AI models, and the applications as the icing on top. For banks like CIBC, it is those bottom two layers that matter most. James explains how power developers and data centre builders are increasingly converging. Gas, solar and battery storage are driving the bulk of activity in new power generation, though gas turbine supply chains remain severely stretched. “Powered land” projects, created as sites to attract data centre developers, are a popular idea at the moment. But many of them are highly speculative. James estimates that for every twenty conversations, perhaps a couple result in a financeable transaction. Another hot topic is of behind-the-meter generation and co-located power. James sees it happening, but only at the margin. Grid connections are still the ultimate goal.  Adam Altenhofen, Senior Vice President for Impact Finance at US Bank, brings a different perspective on energy finance. US Bank has deployed more than $33 billion in renewable energy since 2008, primarily through the tax credit programmes for solar, wind and battery storage. The wind and solar tax credits are winding down, but projects that start construction before 4 July this year can still be placed in service through to the end of 2030. The storage tax credit was preserved through to 2036. Behind-the-meter generation, Adam argues, presents a fundamental challenge to the project finance model. If the load disappears, so does the revenue. And unlike for a grid-connected project, there will be no readily available alternative revenue streams to fall back on. Guarantees covering the full duration of the power supply contract are the floor, not the ceiling, for what lenders would need to get comfortable, Adam says.  Mona Dajani, Global Co-Chair of Infrastructure, Energy and Real Estate at the law firm Cooley, sees something structural changing. Hyperscalers are now behaving like utilities, she says. They assess data centre locations based on access to power, reliability and duration of supply. Meanwhile, some utilities are becoming more like infrastructure platforms, building unregulated arms and investing in new technologies to serve growing demand. A cultural gulf used to separate the tech and energy industries. But as they have come to understand their mutual interdependence over the past few years, more constructive collaborations have emerged. Jon Edwards, Executive Vice President and Head of Capital Markets at the data centre developer Switch, offers the operator's perspective. Switch currently consumes roughly one third of Nevada's total power supply and operates at 100% green power. Jon explains how the company decoupled from the utility grid for generation purposes back in 2015, buying its own generation while still using the utility for transmission and distribution, and how that model helped reduce Nevada consumer electricity prices by double digits in 2025. He is another sceptic about behind-the-meter power: it is useful as a bridge in some circumstances, but grid-connected utility power remains the primary and preferred solution for serious, long-duration data centre operations. On the financing side, Jon discusses Switch's recent $2.6 billion letter of credit facility, designed to give utilities the financial certainty they need to invest in new infrastructure, knowing they can be confident the data centre load will be there.  The episode closes with Lesley Hunter, Senior Vice President for Policy at ACORE, who sets the policy backdrop against which all of this activity is playing out. ACORE's latest investor survey makes for sobering reading: 69% of capital providers who replied to the survey said they thought the US industry had in the past year lost attractiveness compared to clean energy sectors in other countries. The same proportion, 69%, expect a further relative decline over the next three years. Lesley identifies two main pain points: the still-unresolved foreign entity of concern rules (FEOC) for tax credit eligibility, and the Department of Defense slow-walking agreements needed for wind development that has held up more than 160 projects. Her message for policy-makers is that regulatory stability is vital. “The core ask of the industry right now is to ensure that players have the rules of the road,” she says. “That those rules won't change mid-stream, and they are able to deploy capital, and trust the federal government when making these long-term investments in US infrastructure.”  Follow the show wherever you're listening so you don't miss an episode. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Angie King went from contractor to VP of UX Design at US Bank in five years — not because she had all the answers, but because she was the person in the room asking the right questions. She's now the content strategy manager at Mayo Clinic, where she's putting the ORCA framework to work on one of the most complex content systems in healthcare.In this episode of The UX Level-Up Podcast, Sophia and Angie get into what it actually looks like when a veteran content strategist finds a framework that finally clicks — and why Angie believes it's not just career-changing, but field-changing. If you've ever felt like the smartest person in a conversation but struggled to explain why something was off, this episode is for you.LINKS:Register for Angie's Button Conference Talk: https://www.buttonevents.com/2026-sessions/object-oriented-ux-a-content-first-approach-to-meaningful-content-designConnect with Angie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angieking/Continue the conversation in the OOUX Forum:Connect with Sophia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiav/Follow Sophia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiavux/Check out the OOUX Website: https://ooux.comFollow Sophia on Medium: https://sophiavux.medium.comInterested in training your team on OOUX? Book a call here: https://calendly.com/ooux/opportunityGet on the Cohort 12 waitlist: https://ooux.com/certificationCheck out Zoe: https://ooux.com/zoe

US Bank has published new research and the results may surprise you. Derik Farrar - Head of Everyday Banking and Borrowing at U.S. Bank had the details for Vineeta on the WCCO Morning News.

US Bank has published new research and the results may surprise you. Derik Farrar - Head of Everyday Banking and Borrowing at U.S. Bank had the details for Vineeta on the WCCO Morning News.

Send us Fan MailWe got into dentistry to care for patients, but sometimes it can feel like we're working in finance. Dr. Jennifer Bell spoke with Jason Gamble about how US Bank supports dentists so we can do more of what we love. US Bank offers dental practice startup financing with various lending options & no limitations on who can apply. But they don't just stop at start-ups: they stay with you every step of the way to offer financial advice as you scale your practice. Their process is a truly customized experience that aligns with your healthcare goals. ✨Connect with Jason to finance your healthcare practice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-gamble-0b653110/

Most business owners are focused on the day-to-day. The problem is… that mindset is quietly limiting their growth.In this episode of Grow Your Business & Grow Your Wealth, guest host Jack Reeder sits down with Grant Daffin, CPA and founder of Daffin Financial, to talk about what really drives long term success for entrepreneurs.Grant shares his journey from public accounting at EY and internal audit at US Bank to launching his own firm, driven by a desire to build a better culture and deliver more meaningful value to clients. The conversation goes deep into the gaps most business owners do not see until it is too late, including poor financial visibility, lack of internal controls, and waiting far too long to think about tax strategy or exit planning.One of the biggest takeaways is simple but powerful: many business owners are operating without any real financial plan at all. Grant explains why that is one of the most common and costly mistakes he sees, and how investing time and resources into financial planning can dramatically improve outcomes.This episode also covers the difference between bookkeeping, controller services, and fractional CFO support, helping business owners understand when it is time to level up their financial operations.→ Many business owners wait too long to plan for taxes or an exit → Financial statements are often inaccurate without proper oversight → Internal controls are critical once a business begins to scale → Most entrepreneurs are operating without a true financial plan → Investing in planning can unlock significantly more growth potential → AI can support efficiency, but expertise and human insight still matterLearn more about Grant Daffin and Daffin Financial:https://www.daffinfinancial.com/For more information on Guest Host: Jack W. Reeder, CLU®, ChFC®Chartered Financial Consultant978-335-2267

There could be big changes coming to longstanding bank regulations. With earnings season heating up, the discussion over capital rules is back in focus.    Credit Currents is on the ground in Washington, D.C. as the world's top policymakers and regulators attend meetings with the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Institute of International Finance (IIF).    We unpack what looser capital requirements could mean, the implications for credit, and how regulators and the US Federal Reserve are responding.    Host: Chandra Ghosal, Vice President, Senior Credit Officer, Moody's Ratings   Guest: Megan Fox, Associate Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, Moody's Ratings   Related Research:  Banks – US – Proposed changes to risk-based capital requirements will likely be credit negative 18 March 2026 Banks – US – New philosophy of US banking supervision and regulation is credit negative 23 March 2026 Banks – US – A policy shift on liquidity regulation would have mixed credit implications 13 March 2026 Banking – US – Solid bank results likely in 2026, though sensitive to widening tail risk 16 March 2026 © 2026 Moody's Corporation and/or its licensors and affiliates. All rights reserved. Go to www.moodys.com/pages/globaldisclaimer.aspx for complete legal terms and conditions governing use of Moody's information made available in this video. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Seine Karriere ist die vielleicht krasseste Underdog-Geschichte eines Deutschen in der Finanzwelt: Mit 26 Jahren spricht Jörg Ambrosius kein Wort Englisch, heute verantwortet er die Verwahrung eines 54-Billionen-Dollar-Vermögens für eines der wichtigsten Finanzinstitute der Welt: State Street. Über die Infrastruktur der US-Bank werden rund 13 Prozent der weltweiten Wertpapiertransaktionen abgewickelt, viel mehr Systemrelevanz geht kaum. Im OMR Podcast spricht Jörg Ambrosius darüber, was es bedeutet, für die Sicherheit eines Vermögens zu sorgen, das etwa zehn Mal so groß ist wie das BIP von Deutschland. Außerdem verrät er, wie er es von der Ausbildung bei der Volksbank Cochem bis an die Spitze eines US-Giganten geschafft hat, warum Europa regulatorisch den Anschluss verliert und warum er nicht daran glaubt, dass Bitcoin eine Zukunft haben.

Alan sits down with Kirk Dewart of US Bank to pull back the curtain on the world of dental practice finance. With 15 years of experience in the healthcare banking niche, Kirk debunks the myth that individual ownership is dead and discusses why dentistry remains one of the safest bets for lenders. The conversation covers the critical importance of early preparation for buyers, how banks evaluate student debt, and the value of building a local advisory team—including a CPA, attorney, and a banker who understands the dental landscape. Whether you are an associate looking to acquire your first practice or an owner considering a startup, this episode provides a roadmap for navigating the financial side of your career. Some links from the show: U.S. Bank Dental Practice Loans Join the Very Dental Facebook Group using one of these passwords: Timmerman, Paul, Bioclear, Hornbrook, Gary, McWethy, Papa Randy, Frank or Lipscomb!  The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! We're proud to be supported by the folks at Net32! I'm a big fan of the Bioclear Method! I think you should give it a try and I've got a great offer to help you get on board! Use the exclusive Very Dental Podcast code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% OFF your total Bioclear purchase, including Core Anterior and Posterior Four day courses, Black Triangle Certification, and all Bioclear products. Are you a practice owner who feels like the bottleneck in your own business? If you're tired of being the hardest-working person in your office, I've got something you need to hear. Dr. Paul Etchison, is hosting a virtual event that is a total game-changer. Paul is honestly one of the most brilliant minds in dental leadership today, and he's hosting the 3-Day Freedom Practice Workshop from February 19th through the 21st. He's going to show you exactly how to break through that two-million-dollar revenue ceiling while actually compressing your clinical week. It's about building a leadership team that takes ownership so you can finally step into the CEO role you deserve. Head over to DentalPracticeHeroes.com/freedom to grab your spot. And do me a favor—mention the Very Dental podcast when you sign up. It's 100% guaranteed, so you've got nothing to lose but the stress. Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code "VERYSHIP" you'll get free shipping on your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

BREAKING: First US Bank Launches Bitcoin ETF TOMORROW► Bitcoin Well: https://www.nmj1gs2i.com/63CFP/FGXLG/?source_id=podcast► Ledn: https://www.nmj1gs2i.com/63CFP/9B9DM/?source_id=podcastSimply Bitcoin clients get 0.25% off their first loan► Bitkey: https://www.nmj1gs2i.com/63CFP/7XDN2/?source_id=podcastSIMPLY for 20%► SAT123: https://www.nmj1gs2i.com/63CFP/KMKS9/?source_id=podcastUse code SIMPLY for 15% off► Stamp Seed: https://www.nmj1gs2i.com/63CFP/M2GJW/?source_id=podcastPROMO CODE: SIMPLY for a 15% discount► HIVE Digital Technologies: https://www.nmj1gs2i.com/63CFP/6JHXF/?source_id=podcast► Bitcoin Conference Las Vegas: https://2026.b.tc/PROMO CODE: SIMPLY for a 10% discountFOLLOW US► https://twitter.com/SimplyBitcoin► https://twitter.com/bitvolt► https://twitter.com/Optimistfields► Nostr: npub1vzjukpr2vrxqg2m9q3a996gpzx8qktg82vnl9jlxp7a9yawnwxfsqnx9gcJOIN OUR TELEGRAM, GIVE US A MEME TO REVIEW!► https://t.me/SimplyBitcoinTVSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE► https://bit.ly/3QbgqTQSUPPORT US► On-Chain: bc1qpm5j7wsnk46l2ukgpm7w3deesx2mdrzcgun6ms► Lightning: simplybitcoin@walletofsatoshi.com#bitcoin #bitcoinnews #simplybitcoinDISCLAIMER: All views in this episode are our own and DO NOT reflect the views of any of our guests or sponsors.Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. If you are or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video and have a problem with the use of said material, please contact Simply Bitcoin.

Find out about this new initiative with Michael Lacorazza-Chief Marketing Officer for US Bank, on The WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar! Photo- Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Find out about this new initiative with Michael Lacorazza-Chief Marketing Officer for US Bank, on The WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar! Photo- Patrick Smith/Getty Images

In this episode, we'll talk about how United credit cards make United miles more valuable, how Southwest discount codes make Southwest points more valuable, and we'll take you on a ride through a classic card show discussing credit card "collectibles".Giant Mailbag(01:34) - Justin: I was annoyed to discover I couldn't change the frequent flyer number on my upcoming award booking from my Atmos number to my AAdvantage number, which would have made me and my girlfriend eligible for Oneworld Emerald perks...Learn more about Alaska not allowing frequent flyer number changes on award tickets hereCard News(05:33) - United cards now unlock better earnings on paid flights, 10%/15% discount on award flights, and more Polaris business class saver awardsRead more about recent United changes here(10:46) - Amex card offersLearn more about The Business Platinum Card® from American Express hereLearn more about the American Express® Business Gold Card here(16:18) - Amazon Business Amex moving to US Bank(17:59) - Southwest cardholder discount codesRead more about Southwest discount codes hereMattress Running the Numbers(20:28) - Hyatt/Under Canvas cardholder promoLearn more about the Hyatt 2K promo here: https://frequentmiler.com/hyatt-promo-earn-2k-bonus-points-per-night-at-under-canvas-properties/Awards, Points, and More(27:32) - National Car Rental's One Two Free Promo ReturnsLearn more about National Car Rental's One Two Free promo here: https://frequentmiler.com/national-car-rentals-one-two-free-promo-returns/(29:27) - Transfer bonusesLearn more about transfer bonuses here: https://frequentmiler.com/current-point-transfer-bonuses/Main Event: Credit Card Collectibles(35:00) - Citi® AAdvantage® Globe has us predicting the next credit card collectibles(35:44) - Find our Coffee Break Ep35 here: https://frequentmiler.com/predicting-the-next-credit-card-collectibles-coffee-break-ep35-12-3-24-podcast/(36:56) - Citi collectibles(53:36) - Chase collectibles(59:54) - Bank Of America(1:01:25) - Capital One(1:06:15) - US Bank(1:14:46) - Almost collectiblesQuestion of the Week(1:28:42) - Do you have suggestions for how to preemptively link loyalty accounts to Chase, Capital One, or Amex without needing to transfer points?Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkVisit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Another big swing from Wendy Williams Blackshaw and her team at Minnesota Sports and Events. They are submitting a bid to bring the spectacle that has become the NFL Draft, to Minneapolis in 2028. What is the planning process like? Wendy talked with Vineeta Sawkar on The WCCO Morning News

Please join Ralf Preusser in conversation with Ralph Axel, Katie Craig and Ebrahim Poonawala on US banks. The call will take place on Fri 20 March at 10 am ET, 2 pm GMT, 3 pm CET. We will discuss US bank liquidity regulations and the impact on bank behaviour, reserve and UST demand, Fed balance sheet and rates.   You may also enjoy listening to the Merrill Perspectives podcast, featuring conversations on the big stories, news and trends affecting your everyday financial life.   "Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Jeff from Superior, Dan from Wrenshall, the future of nuclear power in the US, US Bank building data, Randy Rhodes, Caesar Chavez, fraud in MN, and Don from Aitkin...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sat down with Kat from Space and Time to talk about what real institutional adoption actually looks like. While crypto Twitter feels bearish, banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are hiring entire teams focused on digital assets. Space and Time has already onboarded over 100,000 students in Southeast Asia for verifiable education credentials, shipped a zero-knowledge proof for databases, and is working with major institutions on tokenized assets and compliant stablecoin reward distribution. We dive into AI-powered vibe coding, why surviving the bear market matters more than anything else, and why the next wave of builders will have access to on-chain data like never before. --- CONNECT ---Space and Time: https://spaceandtime.io/https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-and-time-db/https://discord.com/invite/spaceandtimeDBTwitter/X - Space and Time: https://twitter.com/SpaceandTimeDB--- KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS ---• [00:00:00] Space and Time has onboarded over 100,000 students in Southeast Asia for verifiable education credentials• [00:02:00] Major university partnerships expanding in both Southeast Asia and the US• [00:03:00] Dream Space - AI vibe coding platform allowing non-developers to build apps and smart contracts• [00:04:00] Institutional adoption is the biggest growth area - stablecoin issuers, tokenized assets, major banks• [00:06:00] Despite bearish sentiment on crypto Twitter, institutions like JP Morgan, US Bank, Fidelity, and Goldman Sachs are more bullish than ever• [00:07:00] Banks are hiring entire teams of digital asset specialists, not just single roles• [00:09:00] 98% of stablecoin market is USDT/USDC, but new categories will emerge as adoption expands• [00:11:00] Marketing in crypto changes dramatically between bull and bear markets - focus on real value proposition and real customers• [00:14:00] Space and Time invented a patented zero-knowledge proof specifically for databases, making data computations fast and efficient• [00:18:00] Nearly $2 trillion of institutional capital waiting on the sidelines to enter crypto over next 2-5 yearsDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

Der Markt für private Unternehmenskredite ist auf zwei Billionen Dollar gewachsen. Jetzt häufen sich dort die Unregelmäßigkeiten – und eine prominente US-Bank warnt vor Risiken.

https://theslyshow.com/2026/03/12/the-sly-show-s22e77/

Join host Adam Larson as he chats with David Frieder, Head of Corporate Payment Systems at US Bank, about his unique journey from college intern to leading payment innovation. David Frieder shares real stories on how banks build new products, why real-time payments are gaining momentum (and where they're not), and the practical challenges of bringing new tech to traditional finance teams. They cover everything from instant payments and AI-driven fraud prevention to what it takes to build trust and lasting relationships between banks and finance professionals. David also gives a behind-the-scenes look at how he leads his team with a focus on joy and purpose. Packed with actionable insights and candid advice, this episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the future of payments, technology in banking, and how innovation really happens in finance. ___________________________________________________________BILL is a leading financial operations platform for startups to established brands. Headquartered in San Jose, California, we're a trusted partner of leading US financial institutions, accounting firms, and accounting software providers. We empower business owners, CFOs, controllers, and accountants to save time and take control of their payables, receivables, spend, and expense management. For more information, visit bill.com.

Episode Description On this episode of the MTM Travel the miles & points show Mark dives into his real world experiences with the new Bilt cards and Bilt cash. An unexpected promo came, but is it working out? We also discuss: finding cheap Hyatt mattress runs by stacking promos, the overlooked US Bank business card bonuses and how Southwest is tiering their credit card bonuses for the first time! 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:36 Update on Bilt's new card experience 3:20 Using Bilt Cash & how it all works in reality 7:23 Bilt makes money wuth customer experience expense? 10:10 Southwest launches first tiered card offers 13:53 Southwest's unhappy customers are a thing 15:48 Stacking Hyatt promos - Nights from 1,900 points? 19:45 Hyatt's unique promos & the art of finding mattress runs 21:37 Overlooked US Bank cards - Big money offers Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

We're living through one of the biggest shifts in the internet since it began: a move from building content for people to building content for machines, on behalf of people. On this week's episode, Jim Stengel is joined by James Cadwallader, Co-Founder and CEO of Profound, and Daniel Shin Un Kang, Head of Organic and Agentic Search at Expedia, for a thoughtful, practical conversation about AI search, answer engines, and what this shift means for the future of marketing.James founded Profound in 2024, raising $60 million and earning recognition from Redpoint Ventures as one of the most promising private AI companies shaping applied artificial intelligence. Today, Profound works with brands like US Bank, Chime, Expedia, and DocuSign to help them navigate the transition from traditional search to a world of answer engines, agents, and AI-led experiences.After building companies and investing in high-growth technology businesses, Daniel moved from the venture world into operating at global scale. He now leads Organic and Agentic Search at Expedia, where he's helping redefine how one of the world's largest travel platforms shows up in AI-powered search and discovery.Together, James and Daniel unpack how brands actually appear inside AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini, why traditional SEO metrics no longer tell the whole story, and how CMOs should rethink visibility, content, and measurement in an AI-driven world.This episode offers a rare look at AI search from both sides of the table: the platform builder shaping the category and the operator putting it to work inside a performance-driven global brand. If you're a CMO wondering what to focus on now, this conversation is a strong place to start.—This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and the IAB.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode Description On this episode of the MTM Travel miles & points show we dive into some of the better deals and happenings this week. Bilt is back with Rent Day and a great transfer bonus, but there are still some frustrations. Hyatt has a somewhat new 5 free night offer, but is it worth going for over the points? Finally we show you how to grab a massive $1,200 checking bonus that you can fund with a credit card. 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:32 Hyatt's 5 free night offer - A better alternative? 3:05 Points or certs? How to decide which is better 5:57 Bilt Rent Day - Accor transfer bonus & frustrations 9:18 Mr. Beast joins Bilt - Free rent & more goodies 11:58 Amex Business Platinum airline credit kerfuffle 15:27 US Bank's crazy $1200 business checking bonus 16:40 How to fund your crazy bank bonus with a credit card 18:05 Easy $200 savings offer + fund with credit card Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

In this episode of the Investing in Integrity podcast, Ross Overline, CEO and Co-founder of Scholars of Finance, welcomes Stephen Philipson, Vice Chair and Head of Wealth, Corporate, Commercial, and Institutional Banking at U.S. Bank, America's fifth-largest bank, to unpack how principled leadership shapes modern finance. Stephen shares how embracing calculated risk, most notably during the 2009 crisis, can accelerate long-term growth when paired with disciplined downside assessment. He explains U.S. Bank's interconnected approach to banking, where unified business lines strengthen client relationships and operational resilience. The conversation also explores why authenticity, transparency, and ethical clarity remain essential traits for leaders navigating rapid technological change. From AI's role in enhancing, not replacing, client service to impact finance opportunities, Stephen offers a blueprint for building durable institutions grounded in purpose and integrity.Meet Stephen PhilipsonStephen Philipson is a vice chair and head of Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking (WCIB). He has been with the organization since 2009. WCIB comprises several businesses, including Asset Management and Institutional Services, Commercial Real Estate, Equipment Finance, Global Capital Markets, Global Corporate Trust, Global Fund Services, Institutional Client Group, U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, and Wealth Management. Prior to becoming head of WCIB in 2024 and adding oversight of U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance to his responsibilities in 2025, Philipson led the Global Markets and Specialized Finance group within WCIB. Philipson has more than 20 years of financial services experience. His past roles include working at Morgan Stanley in Global Capital Markets and then Fixed Income Trading, and at Wachovia, where he was director of the Financial Institutions Syndicate. Philipson chairs the board of governors of Isidore Newman School and serves on the boards of directors of the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community. He serves on the board of directors of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). He earned a bachelor's degree with a double major in economics and East Asian studies from Washington and Lee UniversityEpisode Timeline• 00:00 Intro• 04:40 From New Orleans to Wall Street: Stephen's Early Finance Journey• 15:51 Joining US Bank During the 2009 Financial Crisis• 18:26 Building a $670B Balance Sheet: Growth Strategies Across Diverse Businesses• 22:24 Leading 16 Leaders: Management Committee Dynamics at US Bank• 25:53 Innovation Without Recklessness: Balancing Safety and Evolution• 28:21 AI as a Productivity Multiplier, Not a Job Eliminator• 34:21 Impact Finance: Profitability and Purpose Working Together• 37:08 Leadership Through Authenticity and Radical Transparency• 39:12 Creating Unified Culture Across Capital Markets, Trust, and Real Estate• 41:41 The Three Non-Negotiables for Next-Generation Finance Leaders• 44:08 Rapidfire Round

In this final episode of The Found Podcast's Ages & Stages Series, I sit down with Nancy Lynk — Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking at US Bank, community leader, mentor, and lifelong learner — for a conversation that spans generations of leadership, resilience, and self-discovery. From growing up on a Century Farm in rural Iowa to navigating the 1980s farm crisis as a young ag lender to leading complex commercial banking portfolios to now guiding others through career and life transitions, Nancy's story is a masterclass in listening deeply, honoring your values, and becoming fearless with your own growth. Together, Nancy and I explore: • Building confidence before the world gives you permission • Lessons from the 1980s farm crisis and the power of human potential • Career pivots that shape long-term leadership • Why reflection, journaling, and contemplative practice matter • Letting go of chronic busyness to invest in yourself • Becoming the mentor you once needed • And the truth Nancy discovered: she was the only thing holding herself back This episode is an invitation to pause, listen inward, and ask: Where am I ready to stop standing in my own way? Listen now to the full episode of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth and guest Nancy Lynk. Connect with Us Get in touch with Nancy on LinkedIn  Follow Molly on Instagram

Patrick Talty is the President of Indiana Sports Corp   Listen to Circle City Success Podcast episode 225, where you'll hear Patrick tell us about...   ● How he got his start in the venue management space and a move to Phoenix to open a new stadium eventually landed him an opportunity in Abu Dhabi ● That hosting the NCAA Men's Final Four while GM at US Bank stadium put him in conversations with the NCAA, and how those conversations afforded him the chance to move back to Indy to take a position with Indiana Sports Corp ● The Indiana Sports Corp was the nations's first sports commision, how they partner with other local Indy organizations to bring the biggest events to the city, and the 2050 vision which includes the 25 year sports strategy built on 5 pillars: sports events, sports tech, sports academia, sports business and leadership, and women's sports     Circle City Success Podcast Sponsors

Does “Buy Term and Invest the Difference” Really Work? Episode 368 – “Buy term and invest the difference” sounds like a great idea on paper. But does it actually work? More SML Planning Minute Podcast Episodes Transcript of Podcast Episode 368 Hello, this is Bill Rainaldi, with another edition of Security Mutual's SML Planning Minute. In today's episode: does “buy term and invest the difference” really work? For those who are unfamiliar, there are two basic types of life insurance: term and permanent. Term life insurance is pretty basic: you make a simple payment in exchange for a death benefit. The good news is you pay a specific premium for a specific number of years, say 20. Your premium purchases the specific death benefit you need, say $1 million. That's it. There is no cash value, however Return of Premium options may exist, which would likely increase the premium. The bad news is that you must die to collect the death benefit for the benefit of your heirs. The premium can be relatively inexpensive. For example if you're 30 years old and in good health, you might only pay $600 or so per year for your coverage under a 20-year term policy. If you survive the year, you typically pay the same amount the following year and each year thereafter until the 20-year term is complete. But the problem with term insurance is that it only covers you for the period you've chosen. What happens at the end of the 20 year period? You may need to start over, except now you're 50 years old, and the cost to insure your life will be much higher, say somewhere around $2,300 per year. And this assumes that 20 years later, your health is still good enough to qualify for coverage, and at the most economical rates. On the other hand, various types of permanent life insurance exist, are generally more complex, and involve higher initial premiums. In the case of our 30-year old, the premiums may be three-to-four times the cost of term, or more. But if structured properly and premiums are paid on time, these types of policies can provide lifetime coverage, not just for a period of years. They also can potentially provide a cash value, which is the amount you would receive if you surrendered the policy for cash. You might also be able to borrow against, or withdraw some of the cash value later on. But some people are scared off by high permanent life insurance premiums compared to term. The difference is that permanent life insurance is designed to cover you for your entire life, not just a specific term. So, what do you do if you don't want to—or can't afford to—pay that much? Keep in mind that there are numerous ways to structure a permanent policy, and some of those can be considerably more affordable than others. There's also an old adage in the insurance industry that you may have heard: “buy term and invest the difference.” In other words, you could buy the term policy, figure out what the premium difference is between the term and permanent policies, and invest that amount in some other place, like the stock market. The theory goes that if you're disciplined and invest well, you'll be better off in the long run. But does it actually work? The concept seems to make sense. You buy a term policy to cover your insurance needs temporarily and invest the difference in premium into a diversified portfolio. By the time your term policy expires, your new account may have accumulated enough money that you can now, essentially, self-insure for your permanent life insurance needs. The theory may work on paper, especially when you consider that so many of your liabilities, such as your home mortgage or a future college education for your child, are expected to be paid off in the future. But it's not that simple. For one thing, you must commit to investing the difference every year. More on that in a minute. In addition it's important to consider any tax advantages that permanent life insurance may offer. We spoke earlier about the cash value that a permanent policy can provide. That cash value typically grows on a tax-deferred basis. And if you structure the policy properly, cash withdrawals and loans may also receive favorable tax treatment. Then there's the so-called “sequence of returns” risk. It's a concept that many people—including some well-known-financial pundits—fail to consider. Sequence of returns risk is normally thought of in the context of retirement planning. It's the issue faced when there is a market downturn late in your working years or early in your retirement years. When this happens, it could have a much bigger impact on your planned retirement income, simply because you don't have the time you need to recover.[1] And it applies equally to “buy term and invest the difference.” Permanent life insurance, paired with another option such as guaranteed income from an annuity, can help protect against sequence of returns risk.[2] But perhaps most importantly, and we touched on this briefly a minute ago, “buy term and invest the difference” requires consistency and discipline over many years. Needs change significantly over time. The real world can be expected to throw a curve at you from time to time and even one missed investment can adversely affect the process. For example, what happens if you have a major medical emergency or other adverse financial development during one of those interim years? For many, the tendency is to skip your planned investments when money is tight, or the market is down. The entire “buy term and invest the difference” plan could crumble as a result. Is that worth the risk? Are there times when it makes sense? Absolutely. But remember that term insurance is designed for a temporary need. The simple truth is that permanent coverage can work better when the need is permanent. Confused as to which options are the best for you? A Security Mutual Life insurance agent can help. Your trusted life insurance agent will discuss and assess your needs and objectives, coordinating with you, your attorney and tax professional to review your situation and to determine the insurance plan that will best suit your needs and objectives. [1] U.S. Bank. “How sequence of returns risk can impact when to retire.” USBank.com. https://www.usbank.com/retirement-planning/financial-perspectives/sequence-of-returns-risk-impact-when-to-retire.html (accessed January 7, 2026). [2] Garcia, Gonzalo. “Why “Buy Term and Invest the Difference” No Longer Holds Up.” Linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-buy-term-invest-difference-longer-holds-up-gonzalo-m-garcia-clu-fuwhe/ (accessed January 7, 2026). More SML Planning Minute Podcast Episodes This podcast is brought to you by Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, The Company That Cares®. The content provided is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Information is provided in good faith. However, the Company makes no representation or warranty of any kind regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information. The information presented is designed to provide general information regarding the subject matter covered. It is not to serve as legal, tax or other financial advice related to individual situations, because each individual's legal, tax and financial situation is different. Specific advice needs to be tailored to your situation. Therefore, please consult with your own attorney, tax professional and/or other advisors regarding your specific situation. To help reach your goals, you need a skilled professional by your side. Contact your local Security Mutual life insurance advisor today. As part of the planning process, he or she will coordinate with your other advisors as needed to help you achieve your financial goals and objectives. For more information, visit us at SMLNY.com/SMLPodcast. If you've enjoyed this podcast, tell your friends about it. And be sure to give us a five-star review. And check us out on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you next time. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. The information presented is based on current interpretation of the laws. Neither Security Mutual nor its agents are permitted to provide tax or legal advice. The applicability of any strategy discussed is dependent upon the particular facts and circumstances. Results may vary, and products and services discussed may not be appropriate for all situations. Each person's needs, objectives and financial circumstances are different, and must be reviewed and analyzed independently. We encourage individuals to seek personalized advice from a qualified Security Mutual life insurance advisor regarding their personal needs, objectives, and financial circumstances. Insurance products are issued by Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Binghamton, New York. Product availability and features may vary by state.​ SubscribeApple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPandoraBlubrryby EmailTuneInDeezerRSSMore Subscribe Options

Prashant Mehrotra, Chief AI Officer at US Bank, discusses how the bank evaluates AI initiatives and scales projects from pilot to production. He explains how to build customer trust through responsible AI design and prepare for the future of autonomous banking in CXOTalk episode 906. This conversation covers key aspects of AI in business and AI implementation within a large banking institution.=======Please support our sponsor Emeritus: Explore executive education programs from Emeritus, in collaboration with top universities: https://cxotalk.partner.emeritus.org/=======Key topics discussed:→ Why AI should transform processes, not simply make them more efficient→ How U.S. Bank cut governance approval times in half by engaging risk partners early→ The critical role of baselines in determining whether AI pilots scale or fail→ Why "AI without data is a hallucination" and how the bank organizes Digital, Data, and AI under one leader→ Building AI literacy across the entire workforce, from executives to frontline associates→ The shift from building models to leveraging external foundation models at scale→ Balancing personalization with privacy in customer interactionsMehrotra emphasizes that the client remains the "North Star" for every AI initiative. He offers practical guidance on metrics, funding pilots through to production, and creating repeatable governance processes that accelerate rather than slow down AI deployment.

If you have to pick, which elite status would you prefer, American or Alaska? How does this new edit credit work? We answered these and many other questions on the Ask Us Anything hosted live on January 7th of 2026.(03:34) - ​​Curious to hear what 'coupons/credits' you just let go of, without redeeming by 12/31. I didn't use my first The Edit credit and can't stop feeling guilty.(05:48) - How does this new edit credit work, because there are so many different answers...?You can see a map of The Edit by Chase Travel℠ properties here:(10:05) - ​​What do you think about the Apple Card takeover by Chase?See Greg's old post about the Apple Card here(12:48) - Have any of you proactively lowered the credit limit on a card?(17:17) - ​Do you think that the Bilt leak is real or fake? There are 3 different leaks right nowFind coffee break episode 86 about Bilt leaks here(18:44) - ​​I started with Chase (I'm newer to points), but I'm curious what you all think are the best uses of each of the ecosystems and/or what you personally use them for?Learn more about Citi transfer partners here(23:05) - ​​Last October, I booked a stay at the Hyatt Regency Rome for mid-April 2026, not realizing it was a new hotel. The website now shows reservations starting May 1, 2026, with no availability in April. ​​I'm concerned about whether my reservation will be honored. If the hotel isn't ready, will Hyatt relocate me, and how soon would I be notified? I've booked a backup hotel, but would appreciate any tips(25:25) - Do the miles and points conventions mention things that aren't normally discussed in free podcasts like yours?(26:53) - ​​Alaska miles redemption for Europe often entails BA metal that has high fees. Any tips on European redemptions? Or are Alaska miles mainly for AA or Asian partner awards?(35:22) - ​​Does that PLAT airline credit still work for United Travel Bank this year?See our "Amex airline reimbursement fees...what still works?" post here(36:53) - ​​Venture X travel credit is a discount rather than a credit. If I have two bookings and have to cancel the one booked with the discount, can I retroactively have them lower the second booking?(37:25) - ​​What is everyone's US Bank strategy? I cashed mine out at 1.5x(42:00) - If you have to pick, which elite status would you prefer, American or Alaska?Find our podcast episode about American vs Alaska here(48:01) - Find coffee break episode 86 about Bilt leaks here(48:24) - Tim - In what cases is it worthwhile to keep both Atmos cards (Summit and Ascent)(54:10) - ​​For 2026, any new programs you're prioritizing for earning or status? E.g. Citi to PHR, Atmos, etc?Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth...

The backbone of the economy is feeling both confident and squeezed, and we wanted to get specific about what actually helps. In this episode I sit down with Shruti Patel, Chief Product Officer for Business Banking at U.S. Bank, to unpack fresh small business data and the concrete tools that turn payments into faster cash, lighter admin, and clearer decisions.We start with the Small Business Perspective survey: high optimism paired with pressure from inflation, tariffs, and supply chain uncertainty. Shruti explains why access to working capital and lower operating costs remain top priorities, and how owners are already using AI to sharpen marketing, streamline service, and simplify back office tasks. From there, we dig into U.S. Bank's strategy shift from methods of payment to jobs to be done - bundling what matters so owners can open, accept, pay, and reconcile without the swivel-chair fatigue.You'll hear how Business Essentials merges a no-fee operating account with Elavon acquiring, a free mobile reader, and same-day funds to ease cash flow. We explore Cashflow Central for bill pay across card, ACH, and e-check, plus embedded payroll via Gusto that replaces separate subscriptions many owners used to carry. Shruti also walks through spend management tied to small business cards, giving real-time controls and visibility. Looking ahead, we separate signal from noise on stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and agentic commerce, and we map where AI will make an impact in 2026 - faster underwriting, smarter support, and fewer steps for the jobs that happen every day.If you run a small business or build for them, this conversation lays out a practical blueprint: consolidate workflows, shorten time to cash, and adopt AI where it saves hours, not just headlines. 

We have Mike Monaghan on the show today and covering the “Birth of an ETF.” He’s going to talk about the Founders ETF and its new launch. We’re also going to talk a little bit about what it takes to get an ETF up and running. From a compliance perspective, remember, there’s no guarantee of future performance. https://youtu.be/o-m3PYHKXqk?si=qBaHkJpUt7xgdpjG Transcript of “The Birth of an ETF” 00:00 The Founders ETF Frazer Rice (00:00.986)Welcome back, Mike. Michael Monaghan (00:02.616)Frazer, it’s great to be back. Frazer Rice (00:04.4)You are at an interesting point in time right now. You’re about to start up Founders ETF and I think you’re about to get trading authorization to get going. Maybe tell us a little bit about the process to set up an ETF. Then we’ll dive into the strategy a little bit. Michael (00:21.25)Yeah, absolutely right. We should start trading on the SIBO Thursday, so two days from now. And we’ve launched our first fund, the Founders 100, that owns the 100 best founder-led companies. I’d be happy to go through some of the process that it takes to set up an ETF. Frazer Rice (00:40.014)Love it. ETFs are the main way to go now in terms of getting an inveestment cvhicle up and running. What has your experience been around? The Popularity of the ETF Structure Michael (00:52.014)Yeah, so ETFs have become the primary investment vehicle for a few reasons. Let’s outline those reasons. Then we can go through some of the steps that it takes to set up an ETF. So on the advantage side of an ETF, they’re typically a bit lower cost than traditional mutual fund products. Importantly, they’re tax advantaged. So there’s no gains or losses that occur during the normal ETF growth phase. Everything that happens within the ETF is done with what’s called an authorized participant. So you do exchanges. And so there’s no capital gains that are assigned to the investors. As long as they hold the ETF, a tax trigger only occurs when they actually sell the ETF. Finally, it’s a great way to get exposure to the market. So whether you want to own a broad market index, one of the legacy indexes, or a vehicle like ours. That gives you in one single trade, rather than having to guess who’s going to win. Is Nvidia going to win or Palantir who’s going to win? You can own a hundred of the best winners in the market in one single stock ticker. In our case, FFF. Frazer Rice (02:07.364)So let’s dive into that theme a little bit. As you said, it’s the top hundred founder led companies. First and foremost, public I assume, private, you’re not diving in those waters. Public vs Private Michael (02:20.59)Correct. So these are the hundred best publicly traded founder led stocks. And we generally fish from the 200 largest founder led publicly traded stocks. So a lot of these are names and founders that are very well recognized. Whether it’s Elon at Tesla or a Mark at Metta, Larry at Oracle, Rich Fairbanks at Capital One. These are all very well known founders. They’re great entrepreneurs who are leading highly scalable, very high performing publicly traded stocks. 02:53 Understanding Founder-Led Companies Frazer Rice (02:53.914)So let’s define founder a little bit. Obviously we have sort of the cult of personality around high-end CEOs. It sounds like you’re identifying companies that have been founded. The people who are running them not only founded them, but they scaled them. They have now gotten them to a level of maturity. That’s different from the typical public company that we find in the S &P 500. Definition of Founder Michael (03:19.104)Yeah. So first let’s define a founder. Then let’s talk about why we think the founder led companies outperform a traditional S&P company. We define the founder as being a chief executive leader. It could be chief executive officer, could be chief technology officer. Sometimes that say a scientific or medical company, would be the chief scientific or chief medical officer. And that person conceived and founded the company, took it from zero to one. It’s their imprint that has guided it over its 10 or 20 or 30 year period. That’s taken it from a small private company to a venture backed company to a large publicly traded company. And so the idea being the person that founded it continues to run it to this day. We talk about the fact that we own an Nvidia that Jensen still runs. But we don’t own Intel. We own Meta because Mark still runs it, but we don’t own Google. We own Dell computer because Michael Dell still runs it. But we don’t own Apple. We own Capital One because Rich Fairbank still runs it, but we don’t own American Express. Investment Process Frazer Rice (04:25.86)Got it. So lots of things to get into here. How does it a company get on your radar screen? And then ultimately, how does it get off of it? Michael (04:35.806)Great question. the getting on the screen is fairly mechanical. We look at the 200 largest by market capitalization founder led stocks. So we look at all U.S. listed. So it could be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ, but it has to be U.S. listed. We then look at the 200 largest. And from there, we select the 100 best using a quantitative factor model. So I’m have a Sanford Bernstein background and so do some of the folks here. And so for folks who are familiar with Bernstein’s research, we use a Bernstein factor model to pick the best, the hundred best names out of the 200 largest. That’s how they get on our radar. And to get off is quite simple if they retire. So if a CEO announces he’s retiring, per the prospectus, we have 90 days to sell the stock. once we, so for example, Mr. Buffett recently stepped down from Berkshire Hathaway. And so we sell Berkshire Hathaway on his announcement and no longer own the stock. Frazer Rice (05:38.0)things like corporate mergers or divestitures or maybe even a reclassification of stock where the founder stays on in some capacity but their decision making has been reduced. How do you analyze that? 05:54 The Investment Strategy Behind the ETF Michael (05:54.326)Yeah, so there is some human overlay judgment calls here and the founder has to be an executive officer leading the company. So they can’t just run a division. They can’t just be chairman of the board. They have to be the executive in charge of running the company. Frazer Rice (06:14.0)And if for, I guess one of the exits possibly would be if, and I don’t know if this is even possible, but if NVIDIA were to take over Meta and there isn’t room for Jensen and Mark in the same suite, how do you analyze something like that? Michael (06:34.253)So in the business combinations where you have two founder-led companies or a non-founder-led company swallowed up by a founder-led company, as long as an original founder remains, it remains in the portfolio. So we’ve had some stocks that had, say, three to four co-founders. And as long as one of those co-founder remains, it remains in the portfolio. Voting Shares Frazer Rice (06:58.352)So one of the things that’s a bee in my bonnet is the concept of having shares where, in a sense, they’re super majority or voting components and then shareholders that have less decision making authority to act as a check and balance around the company. Is that something you’re not really that worried about or is it something that may be a factor that’s important later on? Michael (07:24.525)So we actually think that’s one of the opportunities that this exists. Like one of the things that we haven’t talked about yet is why is all this alpha there? Why is this uncaptured alpha there for us to go get? And we think historically in the past, active money managers have sometimes shied away from these founder led companies because to your point, Frazier, oftentimes the founder has managed to have super voting control, 10 to one shares, 101 shares. So they completely control the company. And some of these larger active money management complexes have said, well, we as the shareholder, we need to be able to have a vote and we’re going to underown these stocks. We have the opposite view. We think these founders are special. So we think that by the time a Mark or a Elon has driven their company into the public markets, they’ve showed that they know how to set the vision, ruthlessly execute and generate value for the shareholders. Concerns? And so we’re not concerned by super voting structures. Oftentimes those are the stocks that we want to own because it’s the founder that’s in control and setting the direction of the business and generating high returns for the shareholders. We view it as you either believe in them and you own the stock or you don’t believe in them and sell the stock. We’re not interested in other people’s getting on the board and monkeying with the decisions of the founders. Frazer Rice (08:30.255)Is this it? What is it about the founders, especially for those that go from zero to one, then to scale, and then to shepherding a mature business? What makes them better and what drives the alpha that you’re trying to seek? In terms of putting together a portfolio of these types of companies? 09:01 The Importance of Founders in Business Michael (09:02.891)Yeah, so the great ones tend to be a bit irreverent. They tend to be highly visionary. They tend to be charismatic communicators and relentless in their execution ability. They’ve got a great ability to pivot if a change needs to be made. And rthe moral authority to set a tone to generate very high rates of return. We see it sort of over and over and over in these founder led companies. And if you look at some of the studies that we’ve done. There’s a study that Bain Capital, Bain had done years ago in combination with Harvard Business Review, founder led companies tend to outperform non-founder led companies in say the S &P 500 by 3X. So it’s this personality type of high vision and high execution tends to drive outsize returns. And it’s a bit of a self-selecting process. What makes Founders Unique? If you think about it by the time any of these founders that we own or talk about have got to the public market. They first had to identify an opportunity to go after. They had to develop a great product by listening to their customers. And they’ve shown that they can scale all the way from a series A round, B, C, D, all the way investing and generating high rates of return in the private markets. Transitions of Founders to Executives They get to the public markets, continue to do that. And now you get a little bit of an effect of a echo of that, of now all of sudden you’re in the public markets. If you get enough scale, you have this highly effective business. Now you’re getting relatively cheap capital that you’re feeding into your business through the public markets. And now you continue to grow. Frazer Rice (10:42.096)Just to summarize at least what I’m hearing is that they’ve gotten to the point of becoming public. They’ve been able to say no to losing control in exchange for either putting some liquidity back in their pocket or otherwise moving on. And so they’ve almost ratified their vision and message and they keep going. And by the fact that they’re public, there’s enough liquidity for everyone else out there in terms of their investments. So it ends up being a win-win. Michael (11:11.157)I think so. That’s what we see. Frazer Rice (11:13.316)So one thing that I’ve been sort of reading about and thinking about is the concept that the number of public companies is becoming less, well, it’s decreasing, and that many people are able to stay private for longer. Do you worry that your universe is going to get too small to provide sort of a canvas for your ideas here? 12:02 Market Trends and Future Outlook Michael (11:37.549)Let’s talk about three phases of that. We don’t, we actually see the data showing that there’s more and more opportunities within founder led. So let’s look at history and then let’s move to the future. So historically, probably about the time you and I joined the securities business, they would actually take the, to your point, they would take the founder, they would kick out this charismatic founder. They would put in some mid-level proctor or GE middle level manager to be the you know, the suit in the room to take the company public. And that was sort of in the late nineties and people figured out that wasn’t such a good idea. So if you actually look at the chart, there’s more and more founders staying and leading their public, their, their publicly traded companies. That’s number one. Number two. Yes. We have seen some companies stay private, obviously Stripe, SpaceX, but we are now seeing, for example, SpaceX coming to the public markets. Eli is talking about coming next year. so we, we haven’t seen it so far impact the pool with which we can fish in. And as I mentioned, that’s what we saw historically. Public Markets and the Future In the future, think, Frazer, I think we’re going to start to see a conversion of public and private markets, meaning these private mega cap companies have liquidity. And I think that you’ll see more and more ability to trade those stocks almost in public liquidity. So I think these two markets are converging. So I think that Not only do we have plenty of founders in the traditional public markets, I think that the liquidity and the big privates is going to converge to a public market style shortly anyway. Frazer Rice (13:13.232)You’re in a curious time as far as launching an ETF around this concept. I know a lot of people are wary of Mag-7 and ultra valuations and issues related to that. How do you respond to that concept that a lot of the growth has taken place in seven, maybe seven out of the hundred that you’ve chosen? Debunking the Mag-7 (to the Mag-3) Michael (13:33.356)Yeah, so that’s a misconception. We see Mike Saylor get on TV and wave his arms around it, but it’s not really true. First of all, what’s interesting, if you tear apart the Mag-7, it’s actually the Mag-3. The outperformance in the Mag-7 has come from Meta, Tesla, and NVIDIA. So it’s not just the Mag-7, it’s a founder led. And now you say, well, that’s a small sample set. Let’s look at a bigger sample set. So if you look at the NASDAQ 100, for example, It’s actually the 20 founder led companies have driven most of the outperformance over the last 25 years. And what I’m about to tell you about the S &P 500 probably won’t surprise you. It’s the 37 founder led companies that have driven most of the outperforming the S &P 500. So the outperformance is coming from founders, not from any specific part of the market. And one of the things that we think is great about this ETF is to avoid concentration. 14:50 Risk Management I know you’re really familiar with the concept of active share and that’s how different you are than the S &P 500. We have an 85 % active share to the S &P 500. So if you own the founders 100 ETF, you have much different exposure to the market than say the S &P 500. And so we think it helps reduce some of that concentration. We’ve done some things to make sure that we are diversified. First of all, we do own 100 stocks. Diversification So really good diversification across that. And then number two, while we run a market weight portfolio, we cap. No stock can be bigger than 7 % of the portfolio, so we don’t get out of balance at any point. So we think that we mitigate some of those concentration risks and we allow people to invest in innovation without being over concentrated to any one name, say the MAG-7, for example. So we think that we’re giving our investors really good exposure to innovation through the founders, but not exposing them to pre-existing market concentrations. And then finally remind everyone It’s not the MAG-7, it’s not the NASDAQ-100, it’s not the S &P-500, it’s the founders within each of these are what are driving the outsized performance in those analytical groups. Frazer Rice (15:36.218)So from a diversification standpoint, obviously not everything in one name, the 7 % cap you described, do you have sector concentration guidelines as well? Michael (15:45.749)We don’t have sector concentration guidelines, but if you look at the nature of the portfolio, we were fairly well diversified. We’re slightly overweight tech and financials versus say the S &P, but we own healthcare stocks, own consumer stocks, we own energy stocks. So we’re giving you a broad exposure to the market. Leverage Frazer Rice (16:05.924)Let’s talk about leverage for a second. I know a lot of people are trying to juice returns by piggybacking off of other people’s money on that front. Does that have a place in your ETF? Michael (16:17.004)So there’s no leverage in the ETF. We sort of believe in get rich the slow way. I like to tell people that it’s very hard to make money in the stock market over the short term, but it’s not particularly difficult over the very long term. think Mr. Munger and Mr. Buffett used to talk about this. the idea being, leverage can impact you in times that are not favorable. So we believe in just owning the stocks unlevered, let them compound over very long periods of time. And we think that by doing that, we and our shareholder, we think our shareholders can generate wealth over very long periods of time. Taxes Frazer Rice (16:54.98)So tax efficiency, the concept of holding period, does that play into your process at all? Michael (17:04.316)So remember within the ETF, as long as you’re managing your trading properly within the ETF, there’s no tax implications inside of it for your shareholders. Your shareholders only would be impacted at selling. So assuming they hold the stocks for over a year, any gains would be long-term capital gains treatment. Frazer Rice (17:27.024)And when you’re describing the investor profile that you’re looking to attract here, who is this for? Michael (17:35.916)Yeah, so the person that, you we really think it’s appropriate for you if you have a five year or more holding period and you want to have long-term capital appreciation. You know, if your goal is to be exposed to the best minds and public securities, that’s the founder led companies, and you want to compound your wealth over a very long period of time and have a high probability of outperforming the traditional broad market indexes, this ETF is designed for you. 17:59 Investor Profile and ETF Positioning Frazer Rice (18:04.705)And as you’re sort of outlining that profile and for those people who are trying to figure out where this fits in from an equity allocation perspective, you’re in charge in many ways of the spoke of a hub and spoke component of people are really sort of looking at indexes as the base of their equity portfolio. What are you looking for? What kind of benchmarks do you sort of measure yourself against? Michael (18:35.007)Yeah, so we think this is absolutely a core holding. So if you’re looking to build out you or your client’s portfolio, we think this should sit at the core. It is on the growth side, so it’s core growth. We think that it is a one-for-one replacement for, the NASDAQ 100. Or, for example, somebody holding the triple Qs. We think this is a better holding than the triple Qs. So we benchmark ourselves against them and against the S &P 500. Ee look at beating those two broad market indexes, generating better risk return for our investors. Frazer Rice (19:13.019)For those listeners that are out there and want to find out more, what’s the best way that they can either get a hold of you or maybe even better, do you have a ticker symbol ready that people can discover? FFF and Contact Information Michael (19:25.215)Yeah, absolutely. So the ticker is FFF. So that’s the FFF ETF that we’ll trade on. And investors can find that at their favorite brokerage firm, whether they’re Schwab customers, Interactive Brokers customers, Fidelity customers, trades under one ticker, just like a stock. Frazer Rice (19:44.365)And let’s take, we have a few minutes to go here, which is great. Your experience in terms of establishing the ETF, maybe a couple of some of the touch points when you went from vision to execution here, what was the process? Michael (20:00.106)Yeah, so ETF has a few basic processes that are regulated under the 1940 Securities Act. And so a lot of those rules are set up to protect the end investors. So for example, the securities live within a trust. So we set up our own trust. Some people use a mingled trust. We thought it was better for our end investors to have our own trust that we set up that has an independent trust board that oversees to make sure that we’re executing our strategies as we’ve outlined in the prospectus to make sure that we’re Doing the best we can for our investors. You’ve got to set that up There’s a few firms that do the plumbing for the for the ETFs would say US Bank is probably the largest player. So US Bank provides our our fund custody and fund administration and then there’s just a few other vendors in the space that sort of help with all the plumbing to make sure that the ETF runs smoothly. So it’s probably a six month process if you stay really focused to get all of that set up. 20:58 Navigating the ETF Launch Process Frazer Rice (21:03.313)You get that set up, how do you approach the Schwabs and the Fidelitys and the other platforms to make sure that people can access, buy, sell, whatever they want to do with your ETF? Michael (21:14.347)Yeah, that’s a great question. So the online brokerages typically put you on the platform as soon as you’re listed on a major US exchange. So you’ve got to get listed on NASDAQ, NYSE or CIBO. We chose CIBO. So again, on the traditional online brokers, you’re there day one. And then the big wire houses, JP Morgan, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, BAML, they typically have a few hurdles that you’ve got to get through, whether it’s daily trading liquidity assets under management. And over time, as you run the wickets through their process, you’re added to those platforms. Macro Issues? Frazer Rice (21:48.721)We live in a political age and a time when there’s just chaos everywhere, different types of rules in order to allocate capital. If you’re an investor trying to guess what’s happening politically, et cetera, that are difficult, you must be positive as far as the environment for founders to find success in this country and beyond. Is there anything that you’re looking for to make sure that those conditions hold? Michael (22:18.225)Yeah, we don’t really look at the macro or political backgrounds. think over very long periods of time, U.S. innovation outperforms. so we sort of we think that, again, one of the great things with investing in founders is they keep adapting as the background changes behind them. So we think over very long periods of time, the U.S. has great economic growth. And for those people that have worried about little blips along the way, we think the founders are the absolute best at mitigating those blips. Frazer Rice (22:48.334)I like to say you bet against America at your own peril and it sounds like from a founder perspective it’s still a great place for them to locate their businesses and grow them here. Michael (23:01.042)Absolutely. 23:50 Final Thoughts and Contact Information Frazer Rice (23:02.971)Just to reiterate, FFF is the ticker symbol for people to find it. any other contact points for people to find you if they’re interested in what you’re putting together. Michael (23:15.613)Yeah, so we have a great website at FounderETFs.com. can go check out there or anyone’s happy to email me, just michael at FounderETFs.com. Happy to chat with anyone who has interest about the portfolio, the strategy, or what we’re building. Frazer Rice (23:32.197)Well, great to have you back on, Mike. Thank you for putting up with my attempt at looking like Steve Jobs. It’s 25 degrees in New York here, and I am the stupid one who’s not in California or somewhere warm. appreciate you taking the time to be on and talking about your new product. Michael (23:48.011)Yeah, it was great to be on here. Really a huge fan of your podcast and just the level of guests that you’re able to interview and help educate your viewers. Frazer Rice (23:56.849)Mike, thanks for being on. Michael (23:59.061)Thanks a lot, Frazer. https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/ Previously with Mike Monaghan ETF EDUCATION ARTICLES ON ETF.COM

Voilà 100 jours que Sidi Ould Tah a pris la tête de la Banque africaine de développement (BAD). Et, le banquier mauritanien affiche déjà une action positive pour ses trois premiers mois : la levée mardi 16 décembre de 11 milliards de dollars pour le Fonds africain de développement. Une hausse de 23 % par rapport à la précédente session des donateurs. Et, ce, malgré la baisse drastique des enveloppes d'aide au développement cette année. Le président de la BAD explique ses ambitions pour l'Afrique dans un environnement financier en recomposition. Il répond à Sidy Yansané   RFI : M. le président Sidi Ould Tah, vous êtes à Londres pour la réunion des donateurs du Fonds africain de développement, le FAD, qui est, pour le dire simplement, une cagnotte réservée au financement de projets dans les pays africains les plus pauvres. Et cette semaine, le FAD a recueilli 11 milliards de dollars. Un montant que vous qualifiez d'historique.   Sidi Ould Tah : Absolument ! Nous sommes pour l'élan de solidarité historique que nous venons de connaître, qui devrait nous permettre, au cours des trois prochaines années, de mieux répondre aux attentes des populations africaines, en particulier les 37 pays les plus fragiles et les moins dotés de l'Afrique. Du coup, cette année, qui sont les principaux contributeurs ? Malgré le contexte international que nous connaissons tous et qui se caractérise par des pressions fiscales importantes et aussi des pressions sur les ressources, les partenaires du FAD et les pays africains ont décidé ensemble d'augmenter leur enveloppe dans cette 17ᵉ reconstitution du Fonds. C'est un message très fort de solidarité avec l'Afrique et pour l'Afrique. Et aussi un message très fort des Africains pour la prise en charge de leur propre développement. Justement, vous vous félicitez de l'engagement de l'Afrique dans son propre fonds. 23 pays du continent qui ont contribué à près de 183 millions de dollars. Une véritable transformation, vous dites. Mais finalement, 183 millions sur un total de 11 milliards, cette transformation que vous vantez est-elle bien réelle ? Ce qu'il faut regarder au-delà des chiffres, c'est le geste lui-même. Je crois que c'est la dynamique qui commence et ça montre quand même un engagement très fort de la part des pays africains. Si on rapporte ce montant au PIB des pays africains contributeurs, on se rend compte quand même que l'effort est considérable. Mais ce qu'il faut aussi regarder, c'est la volonté commune des deux parties d'aller au-delà de l'aide publique au développement pour aller vers l'investissement, vers le partenariat économique, tout en prenant compte de l'intérêt de nos pays donateurs. Parlons de ces partenaires. Avant de prendre les rênes de la BAD, vous teniez pendant dix ans ceux de la BADEA, la Banque arabe pour le développement économique en Afrique, notamment financée par les pays du Golfe que vous connaissez bien. C'est cette « nouvelle génération de collaborateurs à grande échelle », comme vous le dites, que vous comptez développer ? Il ne s'agit pas d'individualiser des partenaires contre d'autres. Ce qu'il faut voir, c'est l'ensemble des partenaires de l'Afrique. Le continent a toujours reçu un appui constant de la part de ses partenaires historiques, et cet appui continue et se renforce. L'arrivée d'autres partenaires ne fait que renforcer ce partenariat, et ne diminue en rien le partenariat existant. Nous avons consacrée tout une journée au secteur privé avec un certain nombre d'acteurs financiers. Nous sommes à Londres qui est une place financière internationale. Dans ce cadre, le FAD pourrait jouer un rôle important dans l'atténuation du risque perçu dès qu'il s'agit du continent africain, de quoi rassurer les investisseurs et permettre le développement des projets transformateurs dans les différents pays africains. Revenons sur la Banque arabe pour le développement économique en Afrique, qui s'engage à donner jusqu'à 800 millions de dollars pour le développement en Afrique. Engagement similaire de l'OPEP à hauteur de 2 milliards de dollars. Ce sont les sommes annoncées par la BAD que vous présidez. N'y a-t-il pas là une alternative aux contributeurs habituels ? Vous savez, les besoins de l'Afrique sont immenses. Annuellement, on estime ces besoins de financement et de développement à 400 milliards de dollars. Donc, toutes les contributions sont les bienvenues. Toutes les participations sont nécessaires, que ce soit à travers la mobilisation du secteur privé, qui doit aussi jouer un rôle important dans la mise en œuvre des projets d'infrastructures, la transformation des matières premières, le secteur de l'énergie, des transports, les ports, les aéroports, les chemins de fer, mais aussi dans le domaine digital. En novembre, vous étiez présent au G20 organisé en Afrique du Sud et boycottée par Washington. Comment comptez-vous composer avec la nouvelle politique américaine des deals pour paraphraser le président Donald Trump, notamment sur les matières premières ? Les Etats-Unis ont toujours soutenu la BAD et continuent à la soutenir. Et nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec nos actionnaires dans l'intérêt du continent africain. Le rôle de la Banque est un rôle de financement du développement et de mobilisation des ressources pour le continent africain, et nous continuerons à le faire, y compris avec le secteur privé américain comme la DFC, comme US Bank. C'est les projets qui vont contribuer à l'amélioration du bien-être des populations africaines. À lire aussiBanque africaine de développement: le nouveau président invite à «changer de paradigme» face aux défis du continent

Crying is not masculine.  Of course, this statement is false.  In fact, many are beginning to believe it to be quite the opposite.  Today I sat down with Mitch Harris, and we talked about the true meaning behind masculinity and how we can make a point to spot the toxic side, alongside the true meaning of the word.    In this episode, you'll discover…  Key trait to win at home and at work (1:26) Why do we need his book? (12:44)  Mastering Masculinity (16:05) How we reverse toxic masculinity (24:29) Mitch's Bio:  Coach Mitch is an Award-Winning author of two important works: Analyzing the Black Box: Bullying & Depression amongst African American Youth and Mastering Masculinity: A guided resource for navigating manhood. He further shares his insights as a co-host of Cincinnati's insightful "The Black MEN-tality" segment on Senovia Byndon's IHU-I HEAR YOU! radio show. With an unwavering heart for service and a commitment aligned with his faith, Coach Mitch remains steadfast in sharing his skills, knowledge, time, and resources to uplift and empower all of whom he comes into contact. Mastering Masculinity, the book.   What's Next?  NEW!! Join the new RISE community. Check out my newest book, 'Rise and Go', HERE!

Beth Ann Bovino, the Chief Economist from U.S. Bank, is in Minneapolis and joined Vineeta for a look at what is brewing later today with the Federal Reserve. All on The WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar.

Crypto News: JPMorgan Chase has introduced a structured note linked to BlackRock's IBIT that matches BTC's four-year halving cycle. US Bank is testing custom stablecoin issuance on the Stellar XLM Blockchain.Brought to you by

In today's episode of Cybersecurity Today, hosted by Jim Love, several major cybersecurity incidents are discussed. US banks are assessing the impact of a security breach at SitusAMC, where the ALFV ransomware group claimed to have stolen three terabytes of data. CIOP has targeted Broadcom through Oracle's E-Business Suite vulnerabilities. A new malware campaign hides inside Blender 3D models, exploiting the auto-run feature to deploy Steel C malware. The JavaScript ecosystem faces a supply chain attack from the Shai-Hulud malware compromising 500 NPM packages. Additionally, a phishing campaign leveraging visual deception with look-alike domains is targeting Microsoft account holders. The show is brought to you by Meter, which provides integrated networking solutions. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:21 US Banks Data Theft Incident 02:24 Broadcom and Oracle ERP Breach 04:09 Blender Files Supply Chain Attack 06:24 NPM Packages Compromised 08:21 Phishing Campaign Targeting Microsoft Accounts 10:19 Conclusion and Sponsor Message

XRP is showing explosive momentum, and traders are watching closely. Could this be the start of the long-awaited rally toward the $5 target?

The path to progressing as a leader isn't always linear. SUMMARY Col. (Ret.) Mike Ott shows how a childhood dream can evolve into a lifetime of impact—from commanding in uniform to leading innovation in healthcare and national defense. Hear more on Long Blue Leadership. Listen now!   SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   MIKE'S LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS A leader worth his or her salt should be comfortable not being the smartest person in the room. Striving for a lack of hubris is essential in leadership. Setting a clear vision is a fundamental leadership skill. Moving people without authority is crucial for effective leadership. Resource management is key to achieving organizational goals. Acknowledging what you don't know is a strength in leadership. Effective leaders focus on guiding their teams rather than asserting dominance. Leadership is about influencing and inspiring others. A successful mission requires collaboration and shared vision. True leadership is about empowering others to succeed.   CHAPTERS 00:00: Early Inspiration 06:32: Academy Years 13:17: Military Career Transition 21:33: Financial Services Journey 31:29: MOBE and Healthcare Innovation 40:12: Defense Innovation Unit 48:42: Philanthropy and Community Impact 58:11: Personal Growth and Leadership Lessons   ABOUT MIKE OTT BIO Mike Ott is the Chief Executive Officer of MOBĒ, a U.S.-based company focused on whole-person health and care-management solutions. He became CEO in April 2022, taking the helm to lead the company through growth and operational excellence following a distinguished career in both the military and corporate sectors.  A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Mike served as a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves before shifting into financial services and healthcare leadership roles including private wealth management at U.S. Bank and executive positions with UnitedHealth Group/Optum. His leadership ethos emphasizes alignment, acceleration, and human potential, building cultures where teams can thrive and leveraging data-driven models to improve health outcomes.   CONNECT WITH MIKE LinkedIn MOBE CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Ted Robertson | Producer:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org    Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     OUR SPEAKERS Guest, Col. (Ret.) Mike Ott '85  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   FULL TRANSCRIPT Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 A quick programming note before we begin this episode of Long Blue Leadership: This episode will be audio-only, so sit back and enjoy the listen. Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Today, on Long Blue Leadership, we welcome Col. (Ret.) Mike Ott, Class of 1985, a leader whose vision was sparked at just 9 years old during a family road trip past the Air Force Academy. That childhood dream carried him through a 24-year Air Force career, culminating in retirement as a colonel and into a life of leadership across business, innovation and philanthropy. Mike is the CEO of MOBE, a groundbreaking company that uses data analytics and a revolutionary pay-for-results model to improve health outcomes while reducing costs. He also serves as a senior adviser to the Defense Innovation Unit, supporting the secretary of defense in accelerating commercial innovation for national security. A member of the Forbes Councils, Mike shares his expertise with leaders around the world. A former Falcon Foundation trustee and longtime supporter of the Academy, Mike has given generously his time, talents and resources to strengthen the Long Blue Line. His story is one of innovation and service in uniform, in the marketplace and in his community. Mike, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We're so glad to have you here.   Mike Ott 1:29 Naviere, thanks a ton. I'm glad to be here. Naviere Walkewicz 1:31 Yes, yes. Well, we're really excited. I mean, you're here for your 40th reunion.   Mike Ott 1:35 Yeah, it's crazy.   Naviere Walkewicz1:37 You came right in, and we're so pleased that you would join us here first for this podcast.   Mike Ott 1:39 Right on. Thanks for the time.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:41 Absolutely. Well, let's jump right in, because not many people can say at 9 years old they know what they want to do when they grew up, but you did. Mike Ott 1:48 Yeah. I guess some people can say it; might not be true, but for me, it's true, good or bad. And goodness gracious, right? Here for my 40th reunion, do the math team, and as a 9-year-old, that was 1972, And a lot was going on in the world in 1972 whether it was political unrest, Vietnam and all of that, and the Academy was in the thick of it. And so we had gone — It was our first significant family vacation. My father was a Chicago policeman. We drove in the 1968 Buick LaSabre, almost straight through. Stopped, stayed at a Holiday Inn, destination Colorado, simply, just because nobody had ever seen the mountains before. That was why. And we my parents, mom, mom and dad took myself. I have two younger sisters, Pikes Peak, Academy, Garden of the Gods, Royal Gorge. And I remember noon meal formation, and the bell going off. Guys at the time — we hadn't had women as cadets at that point in time — running out in their flight suits as I recall lining up ready to go. And for me, it was the energy, right, the sense of, “Wow, this is something important.” I didn't know exactly how important it was, but I knew it was important, and I could envision even at that age, there was they were doing good, Naviere Walkewicz 3:21 Wow. Nine years old, your family went on vacation, and it just struck you as this is important and something that I want to do. So what did that conversation look like after that experience that you had as a 9-year-old and kind of manifest this in yourself? How did that go with your parents? Mike Ott 3:36 Well, I didn't say too much about it, as I was in grammar school, but as high school hit, you know, I let my folks know what my plans were, and I had mom and dad — my mother's still alive, my father passed about a year ago. Very, very good, hard-working, ethical people, but hadn't gone to college, and we had been told, “Look, you know, you need to get an education.” They couldn't. I wish they had. They were both very, very, very bright, and so I knew college was a plan. I also knew there wasn't a lot of money to pay for it. So I'm certain that that helped bake in a few things. But as I got into high school, I set my sights. I went to public high school in Chicago, and I remember freshman year walking into my counselor's office, and said, “I want to go to the Air Force Academy,” and he kind of laughed.   Naviere Walkewicz 3:21 Really?   Mike Ott 3:22 Well, we had 700 kids in my class, and maybe 40% went on to college, right? And the bulk of them went to community college or a state school. I can count on one hand the number of folks that went to an academy or an Ivy League school or something of that. So it was it was around exposure. It had nothing to do with intelligence. It was exposure and just what these communities were accustomed to. A lot of folks went into the trades and pieces like that. So my counselor's reaction wasn't one of shock or surprise insofar as that's impossible. It was, “We haven't had a lot of people make that commitment this early on, and I'm glad to help.”   Naviere Walkewicz 5:18 Oh, I love that.   Mike Ott 5:19 Which is wonderful, and what I had known at the time, Mr. Needham...   Naviere Walkewicz 5:23 You Remember his name?   Mike Ott 5:24 Yeah, he was in the Navy Reserves. He was an officer, so he got the joke. He got the joke and helped me work through what classes to take, how to push myself. I didn't need too much guidance there. I determined, “Well, I've got to distinguish myself.” And I like to lean in. I like a headwind, and I don't mind a little bit of an uphill battle, because once you get up there, you feel great. I owe an awful lot to him. And, not the superintendent, but the principal of our school was a gentleman named Sam Ozaki, and Sam was Japanese American interned during World War II as a young man, got to of service age and volunteered and became a lieutenant in the Army and served in World War II in Europe, right, not in Asia. So he saw something in me. He too became an advocate. He too became someone that sought to endorse, support or otherwise guide me. Once I made that claim that I was going to go to the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz 6:30 Wow. So you mentioned something that really stuck with me. You said, you know, you didn't mind kind of putting yourself out there and doing the hard things, because you knew when you got to the top it was going to feel really great. Was that something you saw from your father? Was that something, there are key leaders in your life that emulated that? Or is that just something that you always had in yourself? Mike Ott 6:51 I would say there's certainly an environmental element to it — how I was raised, what I was exposed to, and then juxtaposition as to what I observed with other family members or other parts of the community where things didn't work out very well, right? And, you know, I put two and two together. y father demonstrated, throughout his entire career what it means to have a great work ethic. As did mom and, you know, big, tough Chicago cop for 37 years. But the other thing that I learned was kindness, and you wouldn't expect to learn that from the big, tough Chicago cop, but I think it was environment, observing what didn't occur very often and how hard work, if I apply myself, can create outcomes that are going to be more fulfilling for me. Naviere Walkewicz 7:48 Wow, you talked about kindness. How did you see kindness show up in your journey as a cadet at the Air Force Academy? Or did you? Mike Ott 7:58 Yeah, gosh, so I remember, started in June of 1981, OK, and still connected with many of the guys and women that with whom I went to basic training and all that. The first moment of kindness that I experienced that it was a mutual expression, but one where I recognized, “Wow, every one of us is new here. None of us has a real clue.” We might have some idea because we had somebody had a sibling or a mother that was in the military or father that went to the academy at the time, but none of us really knew, right? We were knuckleheads, right? Eighteen years old. Maybe there were a couple of prior-enlisted folks. I don't recall much of that, but I having gone to a public high school in Chicago, where we had a variety of different ethnicities. I learned how to just understand people for who they are, meet them for who they are, and respect every individual. That's how I was raised, and that's how I exhibited myself, I sought to conduct myself in high school. So I get to the Academy, and you're assigned, you know, the first couple three nights, the first few weeks before you go to Jacks Valley, you're assigned. It was all a alphabetical, and my roommate was an African American fellow named Kevin Nixon. All right, my God, Kevin Nixon, and this guy, he was built. I mean, he was rock solid, right? And he had that 1000-yard stare, right? Very intimidating. And I'm this, like, 6-foot-tall, 148-pound runner, like, holy dork, right? And I'm assigned — we're roommates, and he just had a very stoicism, or a stoic nature about him. And I remember, it was our second night at the Academy, maybe first night, I don't quite recall, and we're in bed, and it's an hour after lights out, and I hear him crying, and like, well, what do you do? Like, we're in this together. It was that moment, like we're both alone, but we're not right. He needs to know that he's not alone. So I walked around and went over his bed, and I said, “Hey, man, I miss my mom and dad too. Let's talk. And we both cried, right? And I'll tell you what, he and I were pals forever. It was really quite beautiful. And what didn't happen is he accepted my outreach, right? And he came from a very difficult environment, one where I'm certain there was far more racial strife than I had experienced in Chicago. He came from Norfolk, Virginia, and he came from — his father worked in the shipyards and really, really tough, tough, tough background. He deserved to be the Academy. He was a great guy, very bright, and so we became friends, and I tried to be kind. He accepted that kindness and reciprocated in ways where he created a pretty beautiful friendship. Naviere Walkewicz 7:48 Oh, my goodness. Thank you for sharing that story. And you got me in the feels a little bit, because I remember those nights, even you know me having family members that went through the Academy. There's just something about when you're in it yourself, and in that moment, it's raw.   Mike Ott 11:13 Raw is a good word. Naviere Walkewicz 11:15 Oh, thank you for that. So you're at the Academy and you end up doing 24 years. I don't mean to, like, mash all that into one sentence, but let's talk… Mike Ott 11:22 I didn't do very much. It was the same year repeated 24 times over. Like, not a very good learner, right? Not a very good learner. Naviere Walkewicz 11:30 Yeah, I was gonna ask, you know, in that journey, because, had you planned to do a career in the Air Force? Mike Ott 11:36 Well, I didn't know, right? I went in, eyes wide open, and my cumulative time in the Air Force is over 24 but it was only it was just shy of seven active duty, and then 22, 23, in the Reserves, right? I hadn't thought about the Reserves, but I had concluded, probably at the, oh, maybe three-year mark that I wanted to do other things. It had nothing to do with disdain, a sense of frustration or any indignation, having gone to the Academy, which I'm very, very proud of, and it meant an awful lot to who I am. But it was, “Wait, this is, this is my shot, and I'm going to go try other things.” I love ambiguity, I'm very curious. Have a growth mindset and have a perhaps paradoxical mix of being self-assured, but perhaps early on, a bit too, a bit too, what's the word I was thinking of? I wrote this down — a bit too measured, OK, in other words, risk taking. And there were a few instances where I realized, “Hey, man, dude, take some risk. What's the downside? And if it isn't you, who else?” So it was that mindset that helped me muscle through and determine that, coupled with the fact that the Air Force paid for me to go to graduate school, they had programs in Boston, and so I got an MBA, and I did that at night. I had a great commander who let me take classes during the day when I wasn't traveling. It was wonderful. It was there that I was exposed to elements of business and in financial services, which ultimately drew me into financial services when I separated from active duty. Naviere Walkewicz 13:17 Well, I love that, because first you talked about a commander that saw, “How can I help you be your best version of yourself?” And I think the other piece of financial service, because I had to dabble in that as well — the second word is service. And so you've never stopped serving in all the things that you've done. So you took that leap, that risk. Is that something that you felt developed while you're at the Academy, or it's just part of your ethos. Mike Ott 13:41 It developed. It matured. I learned how to apply it more meaningfully at the Academy after a couple, three moments, where I realized that I can talk a little bit about mentoring and then I can come back to that, but mentoring — I don't know, I don't recall having heard that term as a mechanism for helping someone develop. I'm sure we used it when I was a cadet at the Academy and out of the Academy, and having been gone through different programs and banking and different graduate programs, the term comes up an awful lot. You realize, wow, there's something there helping the next generation, but also the reciprocity of learning from that generation yourself. I didn't really understand the whole mentoring concept coming out of Chicago and getting here, and just thought things were very hierarchical, very, very command structure, and it was hit the standards or else. And that that's not a bad mindset, right? But it took me a little while to figure out that there's a goodness factor that comes with the values that we have at the Academy, and it's imbued in each one of you know, service excellence, all of those pieces. But for the most part, fellow cadets and airmen and women want to help others. I mean, it's in service. It's in our DNA. Man that blew right past me. I had no idea, and I remember at one point I was entering sophomore year, and I was asked to be a glider instructor. I'd done the soaring and jumping program over the summer, and like, “Hey, you know you're not too bad at glider. You want to be an instructor?” At the time, that was pretty big deal, yeah, glider instructors. Like, “Yeah, no, I'm not going to do that, you know? I've got to study. Like, look at my GPA.” That didn't really matter. “And I'm going to go up to Boulder and go chase women.” Like, I was going to meet women, right? So, like, but I didn't understand that, that that mechanism, that mentoring mechanism, isn't always bestowed upon a moment or a coupling of individuals. There are just good people out there that see goodness in others that want to help them through that. I had no clue, but that was a turning point for me.   Naviere Walkewicz 15:56 Because you said no.   Mike Ott 15:58 I said no, right? And it was like what, you know, a couple months later, I remember talking with somebody like, “Yep, swing and a miss,” right? But after that, it changed how I was going to apply this self-assuredness, not bravado, but willingness to try new things, but with a willingness to be less measured. Why not? Trust the system. Trust the environment that you're in, the environment that we're in, you were in, I was in, that we're representing right now, it is a trusted environment. I didn't know that. And there were a lot of environments when I was being raised, they weren't trusted environments. And so you have a sort of mental callous mindset in many ways, and that that vigilance, that sense of sentinel is a good protection piece, but it prevents, it prevents... It doesn't allow for the membrane to be permeated, right? And so that trust piece is a big deal. I broke through after that, and I figured it out, and it helped me, and it helped me connect a sense of self-assuredness to perhaps being less measured, more willing to take ambiguity. You can be self-assured but not have complete belief in yourself, OK? And it helped me believe in myself more. I still wish I'd have been glider instructor. What a knucklehead. My roommate wound up becoming one. Like, “You, son of a rat, you.”   Naviere Walkewicz 17:29 So tell me, when did the next opportunity come up where you said yes, and what did that look like in your journey? Mike Ott 17:36 I was a lieutenant. I was a lieutenant, and I was looking for a new role. I was stationed at Hanscom Field, and I was working at one program office, and I bumped — I was the athletic officer for the base with some other folks, and one of the colonels was running a different program, and he had gotten to know me and understand how I operated, what I did, and he said, “Hey, Ott, I want you to come over to my program.” And I didn't know what the program was, but I trusted him, and I did it blindly. I remember his name, Col. Holy Cross. And really good guy. And yeah, I got the tap on the shoulder. Didn't blink. Didn't blink. So that was just finishing up second lieutenant. Naviere Walkewicz 18:26 What a lesson. I mean, something that stuck with you as a cadet, and not that it manifested in regret, but you realized that you missed that opportunity to grow and experience and so when it came around again, what a different… So would you say that as you progress, then you know, because at this point you're a lieutenant, you know, you took on this new role, what did you learn about yourself? And then how did that translate to the decision to move from active duty to the Reserve and into… Mike Ott 18:56 You'll note what I didn't do when I left active duty was stay in the defense, acquisition, defense engineering space. I made a hard left turn…   Naviere Walkewicz 19:13 Intentionally.   Mike Ott 19:14 Intentionally. And went into financial services. And that is a hard left turn away from whether it's military DOD, military industrial complex, working for one of the primes, or something like that. And my mindset was, “If I'm not the guy in the military making the decision, setting strategy and policy…” Like I was an O-3. Like, what kind of policy am I setting? Right? But my point was, if I'm not going to, if I may, if I decided to not stay in the military, I wasn't going to do anything that was related to the military, right, like, “Let's go to green pastures. Set myself apart. Find ways to compete…” Not against other people. I don't think I need to beat the hell out of somebody. I just need to make myself better every day. And that's the competition that I just love, and I love it  it's greenfield unknown. And why not apply my skills in an area where they haven't been applied and I can learn? So as an active-duty person — to come back and answer your question — I had worked some great bosses, great bosses, and they would have career counseling discussions with me, and I was asked twice to go to SOS in-residence. I turned it down, you know, as I knew. And then the third time my boss came to me. He's like, “OK, what are you doing? Idiot. Like, what are you doing?” That was at Year 5. And I just said, “Hey, sir, I think I'm going to do something different.” Naviere Walkewicz 20:47 Didn't want to take the slot from somebody else.   Mike Ott 20:49 That's right. Right. And so then it was five months, six months later, where I put in my papers. I had to do a little more time because of the grad school thing, which is great. And his commander, this was a two-star that I knew as well, interviewed me and like, one final, like, “What are you doing?” He's like, “You could have gone so far in the Air Force.” And I looked at the general — he was a super-good dude. I said, “What makes you think I'm not going to do well outside of the Air Force?” And he smiled. He's like, “Go get it.” So we stayed in touch. Great guy. So it had nothing to do with lack of fulfillment or lack of satisfaction. It had more to do with newness, curiosity, a challenge in a different vein. Naviere Walkewicz 21:30 So let's walk into that vein. You entered into this green pasture. What was that experience like? Because you've just been in something so structured. And I mean, would you say it was just structured in a different way? Mike Ott 21:48 No, not structured. The industry… So, I separated, tried an engineering job for about eight months. Hated it. I was, I was development engineer at Ford Motor Company, great firm. Love the organization, bored stiff, right? Just not what I wanted to do, and that's where I just quit. Moved back to Chicago, where I'm from, and started networking and found a role with an investment bank, ABN AMRO, which is a large Dutch investment bank that had begun to establish itself in the United States. So their headquarters in Chicago and I talked fast enough where somebody took a bet on me and was brought into the investment banking arm where I was on the capital markets team and institutional equities. So think of capital markets, and think of taking companies public and distributing those shares to large institutions, pensions funds, mutual funds, family offices.   Naviere Walkewicz 22:48 So a lot of learning and excitement for you.   Mike Ott 22:51 Super fun. And so the industry is very structured. How capital is established, capital flows, very regulated. We've got the SEC, we've got the FDIC, a lot of complex regulations and compliance matters. That's very, very, very structured. But there was a free-wheelingness in the marketplace. And if you've seen Wolf of Wall Street and things like that, some of that stuff happened. Crazy! And I realized that with my attitude, sense of placing trust in people before I really knew them, figuring that, “OK, what's the downside? I get nipped in the fan once, once or twice. But if I can thrust trust on somebody and create a relationship where they're surprised that I've trusted them, it's probably going to build something reciprocal. So learn how to do that.” And as a young fellow on the desk, wound up being given more responsibility because I was able to apply some of the basic tenets of leadership that you learned and I learned at the Academy. And face it, many of the men and women that work on Wall Street or financial services simply haven't gone to the Academy. It's just, it's the nature of numbers — and don't have that experience. They have other experiences. They have great leadership experiences, but they don't have this. And you and I may take it for granted because we were just four years of just living through it. It oozed in every moment, every breath, every interaction, every dialog, it was there.But we didn't know it was being poured in, sprinkled across as being showered. We were being showered in it. But I learned how to apply that in the relationships that I built, knowing that the relationships that I built and the reputation that I built would be lasting and impactful and would be appropriate investments for the future endeavors, because there's always a future, right? So it wasn't… again, lot of compliance, lot of regulations, but just the personalities. You know, I did it for the challenge, right? I did it because I was curious. I did it because I wanted to see if I could succeed at it. There were other folks that did it simply because it was for the money. And many, some of them made it. They might have sold their soul to get there. Some didn't make it. Maybe it wasn't the right pursuit for them in the first place. And if I go back to mentoring, which we talked about a little bit, and I help young men and women, cadets or maybe even recent grads, my guidance to them is, don't chase the money, chase the environment, right? And chase the environment that allows you to find your flow and contribute to that environment. The money will come. But I saw it — I've seen it with grads. I've seen it with many of the folks that didn't make it in these roles in financial services, because I thought, “Hey, this is where the money is.” It might be. But you have to go back to the basis of all this. How are you complected? What are your values? Do they align with the environment that you're in? And can you flow in a way where your strengths are going to allow success to happen and not sell your soul? Naviere Walkewicz 26:26 Yeah, you said two things that really stood out to me in that —the first one was, you know, trusting, just starting from a place of trust and respect, because the opportunity to build a relationship faster, and also there's that potential for future something. And then the second thing is the environment and making sure it aligns with your values. Is that how you got to MOBE? Mike Ott 26:50 Yeah, I would say how I got to MOBE, that certainly was a factor. Good question.   Naviere Walkewicz 26:57 The environment, I feel, is very much aligned Mike Ott 27:00 Very much so and then… But there's an element of reputation and relationship that allowed me to get there. So now I'm lucky to be a part of this firm. We're 250 people. We will do $50 million of revenue. We're growing nicely. I've been in health care for four years. Now, we are we're more than just healthcare. I mean, it's deep data. We can get into some of that later, but I had this financial services background. I was drawn to MOBE, but I had established a set of relationships with people at different investment banks, with other families that had successfully built businesses and just had relationships. And I was asked to come on to the board because MOBE, at the time, great capabilities, but struggled with leadership during COVID. Lot of companies did. It's not an indictment as to the prior CEO, but he and the team struggled to get through COVID. So initially I was approached to come on to the board, and that was through the founders of the firm who had known me for 20 years and knew my reputation, because I'd done different things at the investment bank, I'd run businesses at US Bank, which is a large commercial bank within the country, and they needed someone that… They cared very little about health care experience, which is good for me, and it was more around a sense of leadership. They knew my values. They trusted me. So initially I was asked to come onto the board, and that evolved into, “No, let's just do a whole reset and bring you on as the CEO.” Well, let's go back to like, what makes me tick. I love ambiguity. I love a challenge. And this has been a bit of a turnaround in that great capabilities, but lost its way in COVID, because leadership lost its way. So there's a lot of resetting that needed to occur. Corpus of the firm, great technology, great capabilities, but business model adaptation, go to market mechanisms and, frankly, environment. Environment. But I was drawn to the environment because of the people that had founded the organization. The firm was incubated within a large pharmaceutical firm. This firm called Upsher-Smith, was a Minnesota firm, the largest private and generic pharmaceutical company in the country, and sold for an awful lot of money, had been built by this family, sold in 2017 and the assets that are MOBE, mostly data, claims, analysis capabilities stayed separate, and so they incubated that, had a little bit of a data sandbox, and then it matriculated to, “Hey, we've got a real business here.” But that family has a reputation, and the individuals that founded it, and then ultimately found MOBE have a reputation. So I was very comfortable with the ambiguity of maybe not knowing health care as much as the next guy or gal, but the environment I was going into was one where I knew this family and these investors lived to high ethical standards, and there's many stories as to how I know that, but I knew that, and that gave me a ton of comfort. And then it was, “We trust you make it happen. So I got lucky. Naviere Walkewicz 30:33 Well, you're, I think, just the way that you're wired and the fact that you come from a place of trust, obviously, you know, OK, I don't have the, you know, like the medical background, but there are a lot of experts here that I'm going to trust to bring that expertise to me. And I'm going to help create an environment that they can really thrive in. Mike Ott 30:47 I'm certain many of our fellow alum have been in this experience, had these experiences where a leader worth his or her salt should be comfortable not being the smartest gal or guy in the room. In fact, you should strive for that to be the case and have a sense of lack of hubris and proudly acknowledge what you don't know. But what I do know is how to set vision. What I do know is how to move people without authority. What I do know is how to resource. And that's what you do if you want to move a mission, whether it's in the military, small firm like us that's getting bigger, or, you know, a big organization. You can't know it all. Naviere Walkewicz 31:30 So something you just mentioned that I think a lot of our listeners would really like, would love a little bit to peel us back a little bit. You said, “I know how to set a vision. I know how to…” I think it was move…   Mike Ott 31:45 Move people without authority and prioritize.   Naviere Walkewicz 31:47 But can we talk a little bit about that? Because I think that is really a challenge that some of our you know younger leaders, or those early in their leadership roles struggle with. Maybe, can you talk a little bit about that? Mike Ott 32:01 For sure, I had some — again, I tried to do my best to apply all the moments I had at the Academy and the long list of just like, “What were you thinking?” But the kindness piece comes through and… Think as a civilian outside looking in. They look at the military. It's very, very, very structured, OK, but the best leaders the men and women for whom you and I have served underneath or supported, never once barked an order, OK? They expressed intent, right? And you and I and all the other men and women in uniform, if we were paying attention, right, sought to execute the mission and satisfaction of that intent and make our bosses' bosses' jobs easier. That's really simple. And many outsiders looking in, we get back to just leadership that are civilians. They think, “Oh my gosh, these men and women that are in the military, they just can't assimilate. They can't make it in the civilian world.” And they think, because we come from this very, very hierarchical organization, yes, it is very hierarchical — that's a command structure that's necessary for mission execution — but the human part, right? I think military men and women leaders are among the best leaders, because guess what? We're motivating men and women — maybe they get a pat on the back. You didn't get a ribbon, right? Nobody's getting a year-end bonus, nobody's getting a spot bonus, nobody's getting equity in the Air Force, and it's gonna go public, right? It's just not that. So the best men and women that I for whom I've worked with have been those that have been able to get me to buy in and move and step up, and want to demonstrate my skills in coordination with others, cross functionally in the organization to get stuff done. And I think if there's anything we can remind emerging graduates, you know, out of the Academy, is: Don't rely on rank ever. Don't rely on rank. I had a moment: I was a dorky second lieutenant engineer, and we were launching a new system. It was a joint system for Marines, Navy and Air Force, and I had to go from Boston to Langley quite often because it was a TAC-related system, Tactical Air Force-related system. And the I was the program manager, multi-million dollar program for an interesting radio concept. And we were putting it into F-15s, so in some ground-based situations. And there was this E-8, crusty E-8, smoked, Vietnam, all these things, and he was a comms dude, and one of the systems was glitching. It just wasn't working, right? And we were getting ready to take this thing over somewhere overseas. And he pulls alongside me, and it's rather insubordinate, but it was a test, right? He's looking at me, Academy guy, you know, second lieutenant. He was a master sergeant, and he's like, “Well, son, what are we going to do now?” In other words, like, “We're in a pickle. What are we going to do now?” But calling me son. Yeah, it's not appropriate, right? If I'd have been hierarchical and I'd relied on rank, I probably would have been justified to let him have it. Like, that's playing short ball, right? I just thought for a second, and I just put my arm around him. I said, “Gee, Dad, I was hoping you're gonna help me.” And mother rat, we figured it out, and after that, he was eating out of my hand. So it was a test, right? Don't be afraid to be tested but don't take the bait. Naviere Walkewicz 35:46 So many good just lessons in each of these examples. Can you share a time at MOBE when you've seen someone that has been on your team that has demonstrated that because of the environment you've created? Mike Ott 35:57 For sure. So I've been running the firm now for about three and a half years. Again, have adapted and enhanced our capabilities, changed the business model a bit, yet functioning in our approach to the marketplace remains the same. We help people get better, and we get paid based on the less spend they have in the system. Part of some of our principles at MOBE are pretty simple, like, eat, sleep, move, smile, all right. And then be thoughtful with your medication. We think that medicine is an aid, not a cure. Your body's self-healing and your mind controls your body.   Naviere Walkewicz 36:32 Eat, sleep, move, smile. Love that.   Mike Ott 36:35 So what's happening with MOBE, and what I've seen is the same is true with how I've altered our leadership team. I've got some amazing leaders — very, very, very accomplished. But there are some new leaders because others just didn't fit in. There wasn't the sense of communal trust that I expected. There was too much, know-it-all'ing going on, right? And I just won't have that. So the easiest way to diffuse that isn't about changing head count, but it's around exhibiting vulnerability in front of all these folks and saying, “Look, I don't know that, but my lead pharmacist here, my lead clinician here, helped me get through those things.” But I do have one leader right, who is our head of vice president of HR, a woman who grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota, who has come to myself and our president and shared that she feels liberated at MOBE because, though this firm is larger than one that she served as a director of HR, previously, she's never had to look — check her six, look right, look left and seek alignment to ensure she's harmonizing with people. Naviere Walkewicz 37:49 Can you imagine being in an environment like that? Mike Ott 38:51 It's terrible, it's toxic, and it's wrong. Leaders, within the organization, I think you're judged more by what you don't do and the actions that you don't take. You can establish trust, and you will fortify that trust when you share with the team as best you can, so long as it's nothing inappropriate, where you made a mistake, where we went wrong. What did we learn from that? Where are we going to pivot? How we're going to apply that learning to make it better, as opposed to finding blame, pointing the finger or not even acknowledging? That happens all the time, and that toxicity erodes. And regretfully, my VP of HR in prior roles experienced that, and I don't have time. Good teams shouldn't have time to rehearse the basic values of the firm. We don't have time the speed of business is like this [snaps]. So if I can build the team of men and women that trust one another, can stay in their lanes, but also recognize that they're responsible for helping run the business, and look over at the other lanes and help their fellow leaders make adjustments without the indictful comment or without sort of belittling or shaming. That's what good teams, do. You, and I did that in the Air Force, but it is not as common as you would think. Naviere Walkewicz 39:11 20 we've been talking about MOBE, and you know, the environment you're creating there, and just the way that you're working through innovation. Let's talk a little bit how you're involved with DIU, the Defense Innovation Unit. Mike Ott 39:21 Again, it's reputation in relationships. And it was probably 2010, I get a call from a fellow grad, '87 grad who was living in the Beltway, still in uniform. He was an O-5 I was an O-5. Just doing the Academy liaison work, helping good young men and women that wanted to go to the Academy get in. And that was super satisfying, thought that would be the end of my Reserve career and super fun. And this is right when the first Obama administration came in, and one of his edicts and his admin edicts was, we've got to find ways to embrace industry more, right? We can't rely on the primes, just the primes. So those were just some seeds, and along with a couple other grads, created what is now called Joint Reserve Directorate, which was spawned DIUX, which was DIU Experimental, is spawned from. So I was the owner for JRD, and DIUX as a reserve officer. And that's how we all made colonel is we were working for the chief technology officer of the Defense Department, the Hon. Zach Lemnios, wonderful fellow. Civilian, didn't have much military experience, but boy, the guy knew tech — semiconductors and areas like that. But this was the beginning of the United States recognizing that our R&D output, OK, in the aggregate, as a fund, as a percentage of GDP, whether it's coming out of the commercial marketplace or the military DoD complex, needs to be harnessed against the big fight that we have with China. We can see, you know, we've known about that for 30 years. So this is back 14 years ago. And the idea was, let's bring in men and women — there was a woman in our group too that started this area — and was like, “How do we create essential boundary span, boundary spanners, or dual-literacy people that are experiences in capital markets, finance, how capital is accumulated, innovation occurs, but then also how that applies into supporting the warfighter. So we were given a sandbox. We were given a blank slate.   Naviere Walkewicz 41:37 It's your happy place.   Mike Ott 41:38 Oh, super awesome. And began to build out relationships at Silicon Valley with commercial entities, and developed some concepts that are now being deployed with DIU and many other people came in and brought them all to life. But I was lucky enough after I retired from the Reserves as a colonel to be asked to come back as an adviser, because of that background and that experience, the genesis of the organization. So today I'm an unpaid SGE — special government employee — to help DIU look across a variety of different domains. And so I'm sure many of our listeners know it's key areas that we've got to harness the commercial marketplace. We know that if you go back into the '70s, ‘60s and ‘70s, and creation of the internet, GPS, precision munitions and all of that, the R&D dollars spent in the aggregate for the country, 95% came out of DOD is completely flip flopped today. Completely flipped. We happen to live in an open, free society. We hope to have capital markets and access a lot of that technology isn't burdened like it might be in China. And so that's the good and bad of this open society that we have. We've got to find ways. So we, the team does a lot of great work, and I just help them think about capital markets, money flows, threat finance. How you use financial markets to interdict, listen, see signals, but then also different technologies across cyberspace, autonomy, AI. Goodness gracious, I'm sure there's a few others. There's just so much. So I'm just an interloper that helps them think about that, and it's super fun that they think that I can be helpful. Naviere Walkewicz 43:29 Well, I think I was curious on how, because you love the ambiguity, and that's just something that fills your bucket — so while you're leading MOBE and you're creating something very stable, it sounds like DIU and being that kind of special employee, government employee, helps you to fill that need for your ambiguous side.   Mike Ott 43:48 You're right. You're right.   Naviere Walkewicz 43:49 Yeah, I thought that's really fascinating. Well, I think it's wonderful that you get to create that and you just said, the speed of business is this [snaps]. How do you find time in your life to balance what you also put your values around — your health — when you have such an important job and taking care of so many people? Mike Ott 44:06 I think we're all pretty disciplined at the Academy, right? I remain that way, and I'm very, very — I'm spring loaded to ‘no,' right? “Hey, do you want to go do this?” Yeah, I want to try do, I want to do a lot of things, but I'm spring loaded. So like, “Hey, you want to go out and stay, stay up late and have a drink?” “No,” right? “Do you want to do those things?” So I'm very, very regimented in that I get eight hours of sleep, right? And even somebody, even as a cadet, one of the nicknames my buddies gave me was Rip Van Ott, right? Because I'm like, “This is it.” I was a civil engineer. One of my roommates was an astro guy, and I think he pulled an all-nighter once a week.   Naviere Walkewicz 45:46 Oh, my goodness, yeah.   Mike Ott 45:50 Like, “Dude, what are you doing?” And it wasn't like he was straight As. I was clearly not straight As, but I'm like, “What are you doing? That's not helpful. Do the work ahead of time.” I think I maybe pulled three or four all-nighters my entire four years. Now, it's reflected in my GPA. I get that, but I finished the engineering degree. But sleep matters, right? And some things are just nonnegotiable, and that is, you know, exercise, sleep and be kind to yourself, right? Don't compare. If you're going to compare, compare yourself to yesterday, but don't look at somebody who is an F-15 pilot, and you're not. Like, I'm not. My roommate, my best man at my wedding, F-15 pilot, Test Pilot School, all these things, amazing, amazing, awesome, and super, really, really, happy and proud for him, but that's his mojo; that's his flow, right? If you're gonna do any comparison, compare yourself to the man or woman you were yesterday and “Am I better?”. Naviere Walkewicz 44:48 The power of “no” and having those nonnegotiables is really important. Mike Ott 45:53 Yeah, no, I'm not doing that. Naviere Walkewicz 45:56 I think sometimes we're wired for a “we can take on… we can take it on, we can take it on, we can take it on. We got this.” Mike Ott 46:03 For sure. Oh, my goodness. And I have that discussion with people on my team from time to time as well, and it's most often as it relates to an individual on the team that's struggling in his or her role, or whether it's by you know, if it's by omission and they're in the wrong role, that's one thing. If it's by commission, well, be a leader and execute and get that person out of there, right? That's wrong, but from time to time, it's by omission, and somebody is just not well placed. And I've seen managers, I can repatriate this person. I can get him or her there, and you have to stop for a second and tell that leader, “Yeah, I know you can. I'm certain that the only thing you were responsible for was to help that person fulfill the roles of the job that they're assigned. You could do it.” But guess what? You've got 90% of your team that needs care, nurturing and feeding. They're delivering in their function, neglect, there destroys careers, and it's going to destroy the business. So don't, don't get caught up in that. Yeah. Pack it on. Pack it on. Pack it on. You're right. When someone's in the crosshairs, I want to be in the crosshairs with you, Naviere, and Ted, and all the people that you and I affiliate with, but on the day-to-day, sustained basis, right to live, you know, to execute and be fulfilled, both in the mission, the work and stay fit, to fight and do it again. You can't. You can't. And a lot of a little bit of no goes a long way. Naviere Walkewicz 47:40 That is really good to hear. I think that's something that a lot of leaders really don't share. And I think that's really wonderful that you did. I'd like to take a little time and pivot into another area that you're heavily involved, philanthropy side. You know, you've been with the Falcon Foundation. Where did you find that intent inside of you? I mean, you always said the Academy's been part of you, but you found your way back in that space in other ways. Let's talk about that. Mike Ott 48:05 Sure. Thank you. I don't know. I felt that service is a part of me, right? And it is for all of us, whether you stay in the military or not. Part of my financial services jobs have been in wealth management. I was lucky enough to run that business for US Bank in one of my capacities, and here I am now in health care, health care of service. That aligns with wanting things to be better across any other angle. And the philanthropic, philanthropic side of things — I probably couldn't say that word when I was a cadet, but then, you know, I got out and we did different volunteer efforts. We were at Hanscom Field raising money for different organizations, and stayed with it, and always found ways to have fun with it. But recognized I couldn't… It was inefficient if I was going to be philanthropic around something that I didn't have a personal interest in. And as a senior executive at US Bank, we were all… It was tacit to the role you had roles in local foundations or community efforts. And I remember sitting down with my boss, the CFO of the bank, and then the CEO, and they'd asked me to go on to a board, and it had to do with a museum that I had no interest in, right? And I had a good enough relationship with these, with these guys, to say, “Look, I'm a good dude. I'm going to be helpful in supporting the bank. And if this is a have to, all right, I'll do it, but you got the wrong guy. Like, you want me to represent the bank passionately, you know, philanthropically, let me do this. And they're like, “OK, great.” So we pivoted, and I did other things. And the philanthropic piece of things is it's doing good. It's of service for people, entities, organizations, communities or moments that can use it. And I it's just very, very satisfying to me. So my wife and I are pretty involved that way, whether it's locally, with different organizations, lot of military support. The Academy, we're very fond of. It just kind of became a staple. Naviere Walkewicz 50:35 Did you find yourself also gravitating toward making better your community where you grew up? Mike Ott 50:41 Yeah, yeah, yeah. One of my dear friends that grew up in the same neighborhood, he wound up going to the Naval Academy, and so we're we've been friends for 50 years. Seventh grade.   Naviere Walkewicz 50:53 Same counselor? Mike Ott50:54 Yeah, no. Different counselor, different high school. His parents had a little bit of money, and they, he wound up going to a Catholic school nearby. But great guy, and so he and I, he runs a business that serves the VA in Chicago, and I'm on the board, and we do an awful lot of work. And one of the schools we support is a school on the south side, largely African American students and helping them with different STEM projects. It's not going to hit above the fold of a newspaper, but I could give a rat, doesn't matter to me, seeing a difference, seeing these young men and women. One of them, one of these boys, it's eye watering, but he just found out that he was picked for, he's applying to the Naval Academy, and he just found out that he got a nomination.   Naviere Walkewicz 51:44 Oh my goodness, I just got chills.   Mike Ott 51:46 And so, yeah, yeah, right, right. But it's wonderful. And his parents had no idea anything like that even existed. So that's one that it's not terribly formal, but boy, it looks great when you see the smile on that kid and the impact on that individual, but then the impact it leaves on the community, because it's clear opportunity for people to aspire because they know this young man or this young woman, “I can do that too.” Naviere Walkewicz 52:22 Wow. So he got his nomination, and so he would start technically making class of 2030?   Mike Ott 52:27 That's right. Naviere Walkewicz 52:28 Oh, how exciting. OK Well, that's a wonderful…   Mike Ott 52:27 I hope, I hope, yeah, he's a great kid. Naviere Walkewicz 52:33 Oh, that is wonderful. So you talk about, you know that spirit of giving — how have you seen, I guess, in your journey, because it hasn't been linear. We talked about how you know progression is not linear. How have you grown throughout these different experiences? Because you kind of go into a very ambiguous area, and you bring yourself, and you grow in it and you make it better. But how have you grown? What does that look like for you? Mike Ott 53:02 After having done it several times, right, i.e. entering the fray of an ambiguous environment business situation, I developed a better system and understanding of what do I really need to do out of the gates? And I've grown that way and learn to not be too decisive too soon. Decisiveness is a great gift. It's really, really it's important. It lacks. It lacks because there are too many people, less so in the military, that want to be known for having made… don't want to be known for having made a bad decision, so they don't take that risk. Right, right, right. And so that creates just sort of the static friction, and you've just got to have faith and so, but I've learned how to balance just exactly when to be decisive. And the other thing that I know about me is I am drawn to ambiguity. I am drawn… Very, very curious. Love to learn, try new things, have a range of interests and not very good at any one thing, but that range helps me in critical thinking. So I've learned to, depending on the situation, right, listen, listen, and then go. It isn't a formula. It's a flow, but it's not a formula. And instinct matters when to be decisive. Nature of the people with whom you're working, nature of the mission, evolution, phase of the organization or the unit that you're in. Now is the time, right? So balancing fostering decisiveness is something that that's worth a separate discussion. Naviere Walkewicz 54:59 Right. Wow. So all of these things that you've experienced and the growth that you've had personally — do you think about is this? Is this important to you at all, the idea of, what is your legacy, or is that not? Mike Ott 55:13 We talked a little bit about this beforehand, and I thought I've got to come up with something pithy, right? And I really, I really don't.   Naviere Walkewicz 55:18 Yeah, you don't.   Mike Ott 55:19 I don't think of myself as that. I'm very proud of who I am and what I've done in the reputation that I have built. I don't need my name up in lights. I know the life that I'm living and the life that I hope to live for a lot longer. My legacy is just my family, my children, the mark that I've left in the organizations that I have been a part of.   Naviere Walkewicz 55:58 And the communities that you've touched, like that gentleman going and getting his nomination. I'm sure.   Mike Ott 56:04 Yeah, I don't… having been a senior leader, and even at MOBE, I'm interviewed by different newspapers and all that. Like I do it because I'm in this role, and it's important for MOBE, but I'm not that full of myself, where I got to be up in lights. So I just want to be known as a man that was trustworthy, fun, tried to meet people where they are really had flaws, and sought to overcome them with the few strengths that he had, and moved everything forward. Naviere Walkewicz 56:33 Those are the kind of leaders that people will run through fire for. That's amazing. I think that's a wonderful I mean that in itself, it's like a living legacy you do every day. How can I be better than I was yesterday? And that in itself, is a bit of your living and that's really cool. Well, one of the things we like to ask is, “What is something you're doing every day to be better as a leader?” And you've covered a lot, so I mean, you could probably go back to one of those things, but is there something that you could share with our listeners that you do personally every day, to be better? Mike Ott 57:05 Exercise and read every day, every day, and except Fridays. Fridays I take… that's like, I'll stretch or just kind of go for a walk. But every day I make it a moment, you know, 45 minutes to an hour, something and better for my head, good for my body, right? That's the process in the hierarchy of way I think about it. And then read. Gen. Mattis. And I supported Gen. Mattis as a lieutenant colonel before I wanted to and stuff at the Pentagon. And he I supported him as an innovation guy for JFCOM, where he was the commander. And even back then, he was always talking about reading is leading none of us as military leaders… And I can't hold the candle to the guy, but I learned an awful lot, and I love his mindset, and that none of us can live a life long enough to take In all the leadership lessons necessary to help us drive impact. So you better be reading about it all the time. And so I read probably an hour every night, every day.   Naviere Walkewicz 58:14 What are you reading right now?   Mike Ott 58:15 Oh, man, I left it on the plane! I was so bummed. Naviere Walkewicz 58:17 Oh, that's the worst. You're going to have to get another copy. Mike Ott 58:22 Before I came here, I ordered it from Barnes & Noble so to me at my house when I get home. Love history and reading a book by this wonderful British author named Anne Reid. And it's, I forget the title exactly, but it's how the allies at the end of World War I sought to influence Russia and overcome the Bolsheviks. They were called the interventionalists, and it was an alliance of 15 different countries, including the U.S., Britain, France, U.K., Japan, Australia, India, trying to thwart, you know, the Bolshevik Revolution — trying to thwart its being cemented. Fascinating, fascinating. So that's what I was reading until I left it on the plane today. Naviere Walkewicz 59:07 How do you choose what to read? Mike Ott 59:10 Listen, write, love history. Love to read Air Force stuff too. Just talk to friends, right? You know, they've learned how to read like me. So we get to talk and have fun with that. Naviere Walkewicz 59:22 That's great. Yeah, that's wonderful. Well, the last question I'd like to ask you, before I want to make sure you have an opportunity to cover anything we didn't, is what is something you would share with others that they can do to become better leaders? Maybe they start doing it now, so in the future, they're even stronger as a leader. Mike Ott 59:42 Two things I would say, and try to have these exist in the same breath in the same moment, is have the courage to make it try and make it better every day, all right, and be kind to yourself, be forgiving. Naviere Walkewicz 59:59 That's really powerful. Can you share an example? And I know I that's we could just leave it there, but being courageous and then being kind to yourself, they're almost on two opposite sides. Have you had, can you share an example where I guess you've done that right? You had to be you were courageous and making something better, and maybe it didn't go that way, so you have to be kind to yourself. Mike Ott 1:00:23 Yeah, happy to and I think any cadet will hear this story and go like, “Huh, wow, that's interesting.” And it also plays with the arc of progress isn't linear. I graduated in '85 went to flight school, got halfway through flight school, and there was a RIF, reduction in force. And our class, our flight class, I was flying jets, I was soloing. I was academically — super easy, flying average, right? You know, I like to joke that I've got the fine motor skills of a ham sandwich, right? You know, but, but I didn't finish flight school. And you think about this, here it is. I started in 1981 there were still vestiges of Vietnam. Everyone's going to be a fighter pilot. Kill, kill, kill. Blood makes the grass grow. All of that was there. And I remember when this happened, it was very frustrating for me. It was mostly the major root of frustration wasn't that I wasn't finishing flight school. It was the nature by which the determination that I wasn't finishing was made. And it was, it was a financial decision. We had too many guys and gals, and they were just finding, you know, average folks and then kicking them out. So our class graduated a lower percent than, I think, in that era, it was late '85, '86, maybe '87, but you can look at outflows, and it was interesting, they were making budget cuts. So there was a shaming part there, having gone to the Academy.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:02:02 And knowing since 9 years old. Mike Ott 1:20:04 Right, right, right, and I knew I wanted to go the Academy. I'd like to fly, let's check it out and see if it's for me. I would much rather have been not for me, had I made the decision I don't want to do this or that I was just unsafe and didn't want to do it. The way it turned out is, and this is where I learned a little bit about politics as well. In my class, again, I was very average. Like, nobody's ever going to say, like, yeah, I was going to go fly the Space Shuttle. Like, no way, right? Very, very average, but doing just fine. And a lot of guys and gals wanted to go be navigators, and that's great. I looked in the regs, and I learned this as a cadet, and it's helped me in business, too. If there's a rule, there's a waiver. Like, let me understand the regs, and I asked to go to a board. Instead of just submitting a letter to appeal, I asked to go to a board. And so I went to a board of an O-5 five, couple of threes O-4 four, and ultimately shared the essence of why I shouldn't be terminated in the program. And son of a gun, they agreed, and I still have the letter. The letter says, “Recommend Lt. Ott for reinstatement.” Nobody in my class has that letter, nobody makes the appeal. And I'm like, I'm going downstream. I'm going downstream. And that's the Chicago in me, and that's the piece about… but also move forward, but forgive yourself, and I'll get to that. And so I, I was thrilled, My goodness, and the argument I had is, like, look, you're just not keeping me current. You put me in the sim, and then you're waiting too long to put me in the jet. The regs don't allow for that. And like, you're right. So I'm assigned to go back to the jet. My pals are thrilled. I'm going to stay in the same class. I don't have to wash back. And then I get a call from the DO's office — director of operations — and it was from some civilian person so the DO overrode the board's decision. Heartbreaking. Heartbreaking.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:04:12 You were so high, you did all of your work. And then… Mike Ott 1:04:15 Yeah, and then heartbreaking and frustrating, and I guess the word is indignant: anger aroused through frustration. In that I figured it out. I knew exactly what's happening. I made the appeal and I won. And it wasn't I was expecting to be assigned to fly a fighter. It was like, “Just let me, let me express the merits of my capabilities. It's how the system is designed.” The son of a gun, I jumped in my car and I ran to base and I waited and reported in. He didn't really know who I was. That's because he didn't make a decision. It was just it was that decision, and that's how life comes at you. That's just how it is. It isn't linear. So how do you take that and then say, “Well, I'm going to be kind to myself and make something out of it.” And he went through, you know, a dissertation as to why, and I asked him if I could share my views, and it's pretty candid, and I just said, If my dad were something other than the Chicago policeman, and maybe if he was a senator or general officer, I wouldn't be sitting here. That lit him up, right? That lit him up. But I had to state my views. So I knew I was out of the program. Very, very frustrating. Could have had the mayor of Chicago call. Didn't do that, right? Like, OK, I understand where this is it. That was very frustrating and somewhat shaming. But where the forgiveness comes in and be kind to yourself, is that I ran into ground. I ran into ground and drove an outcome where I still… It's a moment of integrity. I drove an outcome like, there you go. But then what do you do? Forgive yourself, right? Because you didn't do anything wrong, OK? And you pivot. And I turned that into a moment where I started cold calling instructors at the Academy. Because, hey, now I owe the Air Force five years, Air Force is looking for, you know, things that I don't want to do. And thank goodness I had an engineering degree, and I cold called a guy at a base in Hanscom. And this is another tap on the shoulder.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:06:24 That's how you got to Hanscom. Gotcha.   Mike Ott 1:06:27 There was a friend who was Class of '83, a woman who was in my squadron, who was there. Great egg. And she's like, “Hey, I was at the O Club.” Called her. I said, “Hey, help me out. I got this engineering degree. I want to go to one of these bases. Called Lt. Col. Davis, right? I met him at the O Club. I called a guy, and he's like, “Yeah, let's do this.”   Naviere Walkewicz 1:06:44 Wow, I love that..   Mike Ott 1:06:46 It was fantastic So it's a long winded way, but progress isn't linear. And progressing through that and not being a victim, right, recognizing the conditions and the environment that I could control and those that I can't. Anything that I could control, I took advantage of and I sought to influence as best possible. Ran into ground and I feel great about it, and it turns out to be a testament of one of my best successes. Naviere Walkewicz 1:07:17 Wow. Thank you for sharing

“When we combine our skills and expertise with (credit unions') ability to service members, it's a very synergistic relationship.” - Mitch Pangretic Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.My guest on today's show is Mitch Pangretic, SVP and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Elan Credit Card. He joins me to discuss his career journey and the value that Elan brings to credit unions as well as so much more, such as how he initially wanted to be an astronaut but ended up in the payments industry, working at companies like Discover, American Express, and US Bank before joining Elan in 2007.In our conversation, Mitch explains Elan's "agent issuing" model where they act as the credit card department and servicing team for credit union partners, allowing credit unions to offer robust credit card products and features without the complications of managing it all themselves. Elan provides the technology, risk management, marketing, rewards programs, and more! Mitch also highlights how Elan can help credit unions ensure that their members have access to the right credit card products, whether that's travel rewards, cash back, or even options to help build/rebuild credit. He discusses valuable member-facing features such as the Elan mobile app, which provides free credit scores, budgeting tools, and the new "Extend Pay" installment lending feature.Mitch notes Elan's expertise and how it can complement the deep member relationships of credit unions. By combining Elan's credit knowledge with the credit union's understanding of their members, they can help provide the best financial guidance and education to help members improve their credit. Mitch also looks ahead and shares Elan's focus on continuing to enhance the integrated technology and user experience for both credit union partners and their members.As we wrap up the episode, Mitch talks about the leader who most influenced him, his vacation bucket list, and how he loves visiting California. Enjoy my conversation with Mitch Pangretic!Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.Connect with Mark:Mitch Pangretic, SVP and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Elan Credit Cardelanfinancialservices.com Mitch: LinkedInElan Credit Card: LinkedInBook mentioned: Four Friends by William D. Cohan

This season on Moneda Moves, we have been expanding how we talk about capital, because it's not just about money. It's also about power and access, across sectors. Today, we're talking about what it takes to gain access to one of the most traditional forms of capital: loans.According to the Latino Business Action Network, the odds of loan approval from national banks are 60% lower for Latino-owned businesses than for comparable white-owned businesses in 2024. And for Latina-owned businesses, the gap is even wider — with just 39% average approval rates from both national and local banks.That's why voices like Vanessa Sancha matter. She is an Assistant Vice President and Bilingual Business Access Advisor for the Chicago/Milwaukee region of U.S. Bank, providing support in both Spanish and English. In her role, Vanessa helps bridge critical gaps in information, connections, and capital, which otherwise can limit growth and opportunity for small business owners.A seasoned financial professional and community leader, Vanessa is driven by a mission to empower diverse business owners through access to capital and resources. Her financial services career spans over 16 years, including a notable tenure at PNC Bank, where she advanced through leadership roles in business banking and branch management.Vanessa also served as a Relationship Manager at local CDFI, Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), managing and underwriting a commercial portfolio. Her expertise lies in building strong client relationships and offering tailored guidance to help businesses thrive across diverse industries.Beyond her professional accomplishments, Vanessa is deeply committed to giving back. She serves on the board of the Wisconsin Veteran Business Alliance and the WWBIC loan committee. She has developed and led financial education programs for youth and adults through organizations like Journey House, WRTP, Milwaukee Christian Center and Running Rebels, inspiring participants to achieve their goals and contributing to more equitable economic outcomes in her community.She is committed to advancing opportunities for underserved communities and helping build a more inclusive economy where every entrepreneur can succeed. When she's not connecting with business leaders or volunteering, Vanessa enjoys spending time with her daughter, cheering her on at basketball and volleyball games.In this week's episode, we're talking about how banks can partner with local businesses and open the door to opportunities that have historically been closed to them. Financial capital, like loans, offers local businesses the chance to grow and create more financial stability for the community. With these programs, big banks are reaching out to entrepreneurs to offer guidance, help them navigate the financial challenges they're facing, and help them increase their chances of getting loans. Tune in to hear more about these programs and how local entrepreneurs can grow their businesses through financial capital.   Follow Vanessa on Instagram @_v.s.anabel_ and on her LinkedIn. Check out the US Bank's Access Commitment here! Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMovesFollow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaroMain podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound.Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST, an Afro-Latina-owned boutique podcast production and copywriting studio.

Eric Freedman, Chief Investment Officer at US Bank Wealth, joins Excess Returns to discuss markets, the economy and his investment process. Freedman shares his “control the controllables” investment framework, why he's maintained a glass-half-full view on the U.S. economy, and how data—not emotion—drives portfolio decisions. The conversation covers macro trends, inflation, the Fed, AI, valuation, and how to stay disciplined as an investor.Topics covered:Data-driven investing and the “control the controllables” frameworkWhy the U.S. consumer remains resilientInflation outlook and how sticky prices impact portfoliosThe Fed's next moves and what investors should watchGlobal diversification and the case for international stocksHow to think about inflation protection and real assetsThe diffusion of AI and separating winners from pretendersMarket concentration, valuations, and managing riskLife lessons from a CIO: discipline, process, and informed decision-makingTimestamps:00:00 Introduction03:00 Controlling the controllables06:00 Why Eric remains optimistic on the economy10:00 How portfolio decisions flow through US Bank15:00 Data-driven insights vs. gut feel18:00 Consumer strength and scorecard22:40 Inflation outlook and Fed challenges30:00 Bond market risk and the “Brazilian steakhouse” analogy34:00 Global competition and diversification38:00 Inflation protection and real assets41:30 The reality of AI and productivity47:00 Market concentration and the Mag 752:00 Valuations and long-term returns55:45 Lessons for investors

Adam Carter is in for Jason. He talks with Chris Riemenschneider, music critic for the Star Tribune about tonight's Paul McCartney show at US Bank stadium. Plus, what was the vibe like at the Purple Rain the musical. Plus, is Ace Frehley underrated? (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

I am worried about the global economySimon Jack, BBC Business Editor speaks to global financial titan Jamie Dimon. He's the Chief Executive and Chairman of JP Morgan Chase, America's largest bank, and one of the biggest banks in the world. He oversees more than $4 trillion of assets, and has the ear of world leaders.He believes we are living in a time of uncertainty, and is concerned about the impact on the global economy. The risk of a serious fall in the US stock market within the next two years is being underestimated, he claims, adding he is far more worried about this than others. But he still puts his faith in the American economy, saying it is the best in the world. And while he says the United States is now a “less reliable” international partner, it is thanks to the actions of President Trump that other NATO members have stepped up their spending on defence. Such investment he believes is essential, in a world more dangerous since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Jamie Dimon has been at the helm of JP Morgan Chase for nearly twenty years. Now he has been tipped as a potential US Treasury Secretary, something he says is not on the cards.Thank you to the Big Boss Interview team for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Simon Jack Producers: Oliver Smith, Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.