In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, we must rethink strategy development. Traditional methods no longer suffice in a dynamic world fueled by technological advancements and shifting consumer demands. We unlock innovation, growth, and success opportunities by embracing a fresh perspective. Rethinking strategy development fosters adaptability and resilience, enabling us to navigate uncertainties and seize emerging trends. Our guest in this episode has redesigned how organizations traditionally approach strategy. He encourages organizations to find new ways to understand their evolving needs, preferences, and markets.

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of unconscious bias. We dive deep into the unconscious biases that affect our thoughts, decisions, and actions without realizing it. We shed light on this often-overlooked phenomenon and discuss its impact on our personal and professional lives. We explore new strategies that help us recognize and address unconscious bias, ensuring a fair and inclusive environment. We challenge our assumptions and expand our perspectives with an expert in this field.

Being able to Influence and persuade are the two critical skills that successful leaders share. But they are not only skills needed in leadership; they also come in handy in everyday life. It does not matter if you are trying to convince your family to go mountains rather than the beach; these skills are handy. But no matter if it is in leadership or private life, we sometimes do not always pay attention to the process of persuading and influencing; we just go through the motions and hope for the right outcome. Persuasion also often gets mixed up with negative behaviors like manipulation, but it is not; it is more of a process and takes conscious skills. In this interview, we explore how persuasion works, including how we influence ourselves and others and the conscious process behind it.

When we talk about leadership, most of the time, the focus is on the results, like share prices and profit, rather than on the elements that create them, and this distracts us from the aspects of good leadership. Today's challenge in this profit-focused world is encouraging good leadership practices and recognizing talent when we see it. Leadership expert Chris Pearse used an analogy in his Forbes article 2018 on Leadership in Crisis, he said if you want to grow a pumpkin, you need four elements, earth, water, sun, and a seed. During the process of growing that pumpkin, your focus is on those four elements, not the pumpkin, and if done correctly, the result is a great pumpkin, and is this not true when it comes to growing leaders? This episode will examine leadership dynamics and explore ways to improve leadership in today's challenging economy.

AI is advancing at an astonishing speed! The rate of development is truly remarkable, with breakthroughs and innovations happening every day. From machine learning to natural language processing, AI technologies rapidly evolve and transform our lives and work. It revolutionizes how businesses connect with customers, enabling personalized experiences and data-driven decision-making. With AI algorithms analyzing vast amounts of consumer data, marketers can tailor their offerings to individual preferences, ensuring maximum relevance and engagement. In this episode, we speak with Christian J. Ward, a data and AI expert, about this rapidly evolving technology and how we can use it in targeted areas.

Many people influence us, and we influence many people, but what is influence, and how does it differ from power? Power is more your ability to impose your will or thoughts on others, while influence is the ability to affect behavior and benefits. In leadership, influence can get you much further than power; positive influence can significantly impact outcomes. This episode explores the positive influence and its correlation with outstanding leadership.

AI is advancing at an astonishing speed! The rate of development is truly remarkable, with breakthroughs and innovations happening every day. From machine learning to natural language processing, AI technologies rapidly evolve and transform our lives and work. It revolutionizes how businesses connect with customers, enabling personalized experiences and data-driven decision-making. With AI algorithms analyzing vast amounts of consumer data, marketers can tailor their offerings to individual preferences, ensuring maximum relevance and engagement. In this episode, we speak with Christian J. Ward, a data and AI expert, about this rapidly evolving technology and how we can use it in targeted areas.

In 2018, an experiment was conducted by four female educators and psychologists that tested a group of adolescent girls in Zambia on their ability to negotiate. After the initial test, the educators put the girls through six two-hour after-school sessions, where the eighth-grade girls engaged in discussion, role-playing, storytelling, and gameplay to learn four negotiation principles from Zambia educators. The results documented were that all the girls could improve their skills and better represent themselves in discussions and negotiations. Why was this experiment meaningful? Regardless of where it took place, it showed that given the proper support and tools, women can improve their negotiation skills and overcome some stereotypes women face when stepping up to the negotiation table. In this episode, we discuss the art of feminine negotiation and how women can profoundly impact any negotiation.

In 2018, an experiment was conducted by four female educators and psychologists that tested a group of adolescent girls in Zambia on their ability to negotiate. After the initial test, the educators put the girls through six two-hour after-school sessions, where the eighth-grade girls engaged in discussion, role-playing, storytelling, and gameplay to learn four negotiation principles from Zambia educators. The results documented were that all the girls could improve their skills and better represent themselves in discussions and negotiations. Why was this experiment meaningful? Regardless of where it took place, it showed that given the proper support and tools, women can improve their negotiation skills and overcome some stereotypes women face when stepping up to the negotiation table. In this episode, we discuss the art of feminine negotiation and how women can profoundly impact any negotiation.

Becoming a startup Unicorn is the dream for many ambitious entrepreneurs. In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, a Unicorn refers to a start-up company valued at over $1 billion. The path to achieving this prestigious status requires a combination of innovative thinking, strategic planning, and relentless determination. Becoming a startup Unicorn is not an easy feat. Still, with the right combination of innovative thinking, strategic planning, strong execution, and valuable relationships, entrepreneurs can turn their dreams into reality. In this episode, we speak with the CEO of a Portuguese startup recognized as potentially being one of Portugal's next Unicorns. In this episode, he talks about his journey and what it takes to bring a startup to success.

Imagine a world where every sales interaction begins with a genuine understanding of our customers. Placing the customer at the heart of the sales process is a philosophy that resonates deeply across industries. It empowers us to craft personalized experiences that cater to their unique needs. To truly connect with our customers, we must invest time and effort into understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points. By listening actively and empathetically, we can uncover hidden opportunities and create tailored solutions that effectively address their requirements. It's not just about making a sale; it's about making an impact. In this episode, we discuss how to do just that.

We all think we know what accountability is but very often, we mix up the words accountability, responsibility, answerability, obligation, and many others. We often use these words in the same context and relate the meaning to forced or given tasks rather than inner motivation or drive. Instead, we should discuss conscious accountability, where individuals and teams work towards a common goal to which everyone wants to contribute. This episode discusses how we can develop conscious accountability and how it transforms teams and impacts results.

The decline of newspaper and print media over the last 20 years has been dramatic. In 2000, the print revenue of newspapers worldwide peaked and has declined ever since. The rise of the internet has changed how news is produced; it’s now not only continuously updated, but it has also led to a massive explosion in bloggers and social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It has also impacted the advertising world. Digital advertising is now the dominant medium, and consumers constantly change their buying behavior. Is technology driving consumer change, or are consumers demanding better technology to meet their specific demands? In the end, it does not matter because we are living in a constant world of change. In this episode, we look at how the media scene has changed and affected traditional advertising.

We often miss vital signals that can help us better prepare for life's surprises. We very often focus on the wrong things and do not see the things we should. But there is one thing that can help us see better, and that is trust. Trust presence cements relationships by allowing people to live and work together, feel safe, and belong to a group. Trust in a leader will enable organizations and communities to flourish, while a lack of trust can cause fragmentation, conflict, and even war. But to quote His Holiness the Dalai Lama, To earn trust, money, and power aren't enough; you must show concern for others. You can't buy trust in the supermarket. In this episode, we discuss trust and how it is an essential part not only in our private lives but in business.

In today’s digital age, having a strong and effective online presence is crucial for small and medium-sized businesses. In this episode, we will explore how these businesses enhance their digital presence to reach their target audience in a competitive online space. We discuss the importance of having a mobile-friendly website, effective social media strategies, and search engine optimization techniques and look at what businesses are doing and where they are falling behind. Based on the Siinda Landscape survey, partnered with Duda, we examine the challenges some small and medium businesses face regarding resources and expertise. Listen now as we explore the complex world of digital marketing and offer practical tips and insights to help small and medium-sized businesses succeed in the online realm

We all think we know what accountability is but very often, we mix up the words accountability, responsibility, answerability, obligation, and many others. We often use these words in the same context and relate the meaning to forced or given tasks rather than inner motivation or drive. Instead, we should discuss conscious accountability, where individuals and teams work towards a common goal to which everyone wants to contribute. This episode discusses how we can develop conscious accountability and how it transforms teams and impacts results.

Being able to Influence and persuade are the two critical skills that successful leaders share. But they are not only skills needed in leadership; they also come in handy in everyday life. It does not matter if you are trying to convince your family to go mountains rather than the beach; these skills are handy. But no matter if it is in leadership or private life, we sometimes do not always pay attention to the process of persuading and influencing; we just go through the motions and hope for the right outcome. Persuasion also often gets mixed up with negative behaviors like manipulation, but it is not; it is more of a process and takes conscious skills. In this interview, we explore how persuasion works, including how we influence ourselves and others and the conscious process behind it.

Microsoft launches a new AI tool, and Google strikes back. AI bots on social media compete with each other, fighting for prevalent places in our lives. AI touches almost every aspect of our lives, but it is most prevalent in media. From content generation to digital advertising targeting, it learns from how we behave and then tries to influence how we, consumers, behave. It has not only changed the media landscape but also how digital advertising agencies and professions go about their operations. In this episode, we look at how AI is changing the media landscape and how the people behind the scenes are coping with this rapidly evolving technology.

Many people influence us, and we influence many people, but what is influence, and how does it differ from power? Power is more your ability to impose your will or thoughts on others, while influence is the ability to affect behavior and benefits. In leadership, influence can get you much further than power; positive influence can significantly impact outcomes. This episode explores the positive influence and its correlation with outstanding leadership.

Many people influence us, and we influence many people, but what is influence, and how does it differ from power? Power is more your ability to impose your will or thoughts on others, while influence is the ability to affect behavior and benefits. In leadership, influence can get you much further than power; positive influence can significantly impact outcomes. This episode explores the positive influence and its correlation with outstanding leadership.

Being able to Influence and persuade are the two critical skills that successful leaders share. But they are not only skills needed in leadership; they also come in handy in everyday life. It does not matter if you are trying to convince your family to go mountains rather than the beach; these skills are handy. But no matter if it is in leadership or private life, we sometimes do not always pay attention to the process of persuading and influencing; we just go through the motions and hope for the right outcome. Persuasion also often gets mixed up with negative behaviors like manipulation, but it is not; it is more of a process and takes conscious skills. In this interview, we explore how persuasion works, including how we influence ourselves and others and the conscious process behind it.

In 2018, an experiment was conducted by four female educators and psychologists that tested a group of adolescent girls in Zambia on their ability to negotiate. After the initial test, the educators put the girls through six two-hour after-school sessions, where the eighth-grade girls engaged in discussion, role-playing, storytelling, and gameplay to learn four negotiation principles from Zambia educators. The results documented were that all the girls could improve their skills and better represent themselves in discussions and negotiations. Why was this experiment meaningful? Regardless of where it took place, it showed that given the proper support and tools, women can improve their negotiation skills and overcome some stereotypes women face when stepping up to the negotiation table. In this episode, we discuss the art of feminine negotiation and how women can profoundly impact any negotiation.

In 2018, an experiment was conducted by four female educators and psychologists that tested a group of adolescent girls in Zambia on their ability to negotiate. After the initial test, the educators put the girls through six two-hour after-school sessions, where the eighth-grade girls engaged in discussion, role-playing, storytelling, and gameplay to learn four negotiation principles from Zambia educators. The results documented were that all the girls could improve their skills and better represent themselves in discussions and negotiations. Why was this experiment meaningful? Regardless of where it took place, it showed that given the proper support and tools, women can improve their negotiation skills and overcome some stereotypes women face when stepping up to the negotiation table. In this episode, we discuss the art of feminine negotiation and how women can profoundly impact any negotiation.

The Monologue and Dialogue are two literary devices that involve speech. Monologue refers to a speech delivered by one person to express thoughts. In contrast, the Dialogue refers to a conversation between two or more persons, and very often, we think of these as literary devices because they are. So, the question we pose in this episode is, where do these literary devices belong in business, and how can we use them effectively? More importantly, how is AI helping companies develop trust-centric customer dialogues, which will help us improve customer interaction and satisfaction?

Have you ever thought about why companies have difficulty promoting the right people? Is it that they do not know how to recognize talent and potential? Or are we looking for the wrong things? Our expectations are too high. Do we want leaders to be superheroes who are good at everything? And what about the people that get promoted? How can we better support them, so they succeed? In this episode, we talk about leading in the new economy and what kind of leadership we need.

Thirty years ago, advertising was in newspapers, billboards, and telephone directories, and there was always effective word of mouth. Today we still have word of mouth but in a completely different form, social media. It is hard to imagine a world without social media because we all use it, regardless of age or where we live. And there is no generation gap; there are 87-year-olds on Facebook and Instagram looking for local businesses. You will also find social media in the most remote locations in the world because of the use of mobile phones. Companies big and small are all over social media., but the question we pose is, what are the best channels to reach people? In this episode, we discuss the impact of social media on our lives and how small and medium businesses can take advantage of the latest trends.

When we talk about leadership, most of the time, the focus is on the results, like share prices and profit, rather than on the elements that create them, and this distracts us from the aspects of good leadership. Today's challenge in this profit-focused world is encouraging good leadership practices and recognizing talent when we see it. Leadership expert Chris Pearse used an analogy in his Forbes article 2018 on Leadership in Crisis, he said if you want to grow a pumpkin, you need four elements, earth, water, sun, and a seed. During the process of growing that pumpkin, your focus is on those four elements, not the pumpkin, and if done correctly, the result is a great pumpkin, and is this not true when it comes to growing leaders? This episode will examine leadership dynamics and explore ways to improve leadership in today's challenging economy.

A Forbes Leadership article encourages leaders to pick up a novel that will engage and stretch the right side of their brain—the creative, reflective, empathetic side—because the left side of your brain is busy so many hours a day while you work. They say by doing this it can help you be a better leader. But does this work with all fiction or just with certain novels? How can fiction be better than learning from Business Leadership books? The consensus seems to be that a balance between reading fiction and other leadership development can help create stronger leaders. In this episode, we speak with a leadership expert and uncover the secrets behind why reading fiction can help you become a better leader.

In the face of changing customer demands and hybrid buying behaviors, the SMBs that are pivoting quickly and welcoming new technology are demonstrating higher adaptability and resilience than those SMBs who are slow to embrace change. In layman's words, the SMBs embracing change are maintaining and growing their customer base, while others need to catch up. The SMBs taking the digitalize to survive' mantra to heart are ahead of their colleagues and competitors. But what are these SMB digital leaders doing differently than the SMB digital followers? This episode discusses what SMBs need to do to maintain competitiveness and win new customers and market share.

When it comes to technology, the key for any organization is uptime. Every company has employees, whether a small business with one or two employees or a large enterprise with thousands. However, they all use technology, so it must be reliable and ensure the company has a strong network. But this is not easy to do. Technology is constantly changing, the needs of the business change, and customer expectations change. And this means companies, regardless of size, must keep their networks up to date. Having a dynamic digital strategy can help a company remain up-to-date. However, the plan must go beyond the fundamentals. It must leverage synergies and create efficiencies while always keeping the customer in mind. This episode discusses how large and small businesses can do this.

Negotiating is critical for women, and we know it leads to better outcomes: for example, when it comes to wages, women who ask for a raise are more than twice as likely to get one as women who don’t. But the truth is that women face unique challenges when negotiating, beginning with the fact that they are often viewed as “unlikeable” or “aggressive” when negotiating. When it comes to family and children, women negotiate almost daily, but they tend to underestimate their value and abilities in the work environment. It is like women have been socialized to avoid situations that call for complex negotiations making negotiating more difficult. Still, it is no less important —a skill everyone woman should practice. This episode explores how women can overcome their aversion to negotiating and become top negotiators.

Many people have ideas and want to start their own businesses, but how many of these ideas become successful businesses? Pursuing an idea and trying to start and run a business can be scary because you must give up a lot. You may need to give up a well-paying job, your home, your nest egg, and your security, And this is even before you know if you will succeed. Unfortunately, the statistics say that only two out of ten startups succeed. In this episode, we explore ways to pursue your dreams without giving up your house, nest egg, or future. We explore a five-step system that helps entrepreneurs be successful.

As a consumer, if a product or service does not meet our expectations, we usually consider whether we should complain or not. Half the time, we do not because complaining can be exhausting as a customer, and sometimes you do not get any results. But on the other hand, if something is wrong, we should inform the company. Companies can only improve if they hear from their customers, right? But many companies do not want to hear complaints. Many companies do not understand that complaints may help them improve. Our guest in this episode is an expert on customer service and complaints, allowing companies to see complaints as gifts.

Mergers and acquisitions happen constantly, but being acquired can sometimes be tough for many companies because it comes with many challenges. Still, it can also be an excellent opportunity for many companies. It can be an opportunity to rethink strategies, consolidate markets and customers, set new goals and KPIs, and build a new culture. In this episode, we will look at a company in the Ad Tech industry that found opportunities in being acquired and used them to implement new systems to ensure growth and success.

When you google or ask an individual what the future office will look like, you usually get an answer like “hybrid, greener, home office, open spaces, modern, but these are things already happening today. They are also very “material oriented or space oriented”. It is very seldom that someone will think outside the box and change the questions of what the future office will look like to how I, as an individual, or how I want my organization to work. In this episode, we step out of the box we live in today and imagine what the future of work, or where we will work, will look like. We speak with Joseph Press, the author of Office Shock- Creating Better Futures for Working and Living.

Why do most businesses make their organizations so complex? According to a new study by The Economist Intelligence Unit, 55 percent of all surveyed organizations would call their operational structure very or extremely complicated. Only 1 percent – around three of the 331 executive respondents – believed their business was not complex at all. So why do we do this to ourselves, and is there an easier way to do business? In this episode, we speak with an expert on organizational structures and try to dissect why they are like they are and how we can simplify them.

We, as leaders, are always starved for data. We want facts, analysis, and research and are given it, but even when surrounded by data, we often still need a clue. Why is that? Because even if we are starved for data, we drown in it. Sometimes we must find a way to differentiate between valuable data and data waste. As leaders, we often need to learn how to set up our organizations to ensure they focus on valuable data. We must determine how it can contribute to our business growth when we finally get it. This episode discusses why and what data is valuable, how to set up a data-literate organization, and how to use that data to make real change.

Leadership books are abundant online, in bookstores, and in libraries, numbering in the hundreds or even thousands. As leaders, we may seek out a few to broaden our perspectives, but there is another way to improve our leadership skills—looking to history. The best leaders learn from others by studying the successes and failures of past and present leaders and reflecting on what they can learn from them. By combining personal experience with this knowledge, one can develop exceptional leadership qualities. In this episode, we will examine great military and political leaders throughout history, focusing on understanding what we can learn from them and how we can apply their lessons to our leadership skills today.

As a consumer, if a product or service does not meet our expectations, we usually consider whether we should complain or not. Half the time, we do not because complaining can be exhausting as a customer, and sometimes you do not get any results. But on the other hand, if something is wrong, we should inform the company. Companies can only improve if they hear from their customers, right? But many companies do not want to hear complaints. Many companies do not understand that complaints may help them improve. Our guest in this episode is an expert on customer service and complaints, allowing companies to see complaints as gifts.

In this episode, we explore the impact of the global pandemic on the workplace, with a particular focus on remote workforces. While only 6% of people worked from home before the pandemic, this number rose to 35% in May 2020 and is now at around 38%. Despite this increase, 44% of companies still do not allow remote work. We examine the benefits and challenges of remote workforces and discuss strategies for managing them effectively. Our goal is to provide insights into the future of work, shaped by various changes affecting the workplace and the dimensions of organizations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a term coined by. emeritus Stanford Professor John McCarthy, in 1955, defined by him as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines,” Now, over 60 years later, it has become part of our daily lives. It is used in various industries. AI does everything from saving lives to making our lives more efficient. But it is also used in marketing. From conversation commerce to targeting to SEO, it brings consumers and buyers together in new ways. In this episode, we look at AI in general and particularly its use in marketing and consumer interface.

Being able to Influence and persuade are the two critical skills that successful leaders share. But they are not only skills needed in leadership; they also come in handy in everyday life. It does not matter if you are trying to convince your family to go mountains rather than the beach; these skills are handy. But no matter if it is in leadership or private life, we sometimes do not always pay attention to the process of persuading and influencing; we just go through the motions and hope for the right outcome. Persuasion also often gets mixed up with negative behaviors like manipulation, but it is not; it is more of a process and takes conscious skills. In this interview, we explore how persuasion works, including how we influence ourselves and others and the conscious process behind it.

Being able to Influence and persuade are the two critical skills that successful leaders share. But they are not only skills needed in leadership; they also come in handy in everyday life. It does not matter if you are trying to convince your family to go mountains rather than the beach; these skills are handy. But no matter if it is in leadership or private life, we sometimes do not always pay attention to the process of persuading and influencing; we just go through the motions and hope for the right outcome. Persuasion also often gets mixed up with negative behaviors like manipulation, but it is not; it is more of a process and takes conscious skills. In this interview, we explore how persuasion works, including how we influence ourselves and others and the conscious process behind it.

The famous management Guru Peter Drucker said, Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Intuitively we know this; we know a strong culture is needed for a company's overall health, competitiveness, and profitability, but sometimes culture takes a back seat to profits and strategy. And today, in 2023, culture is even more critical than before companies try to find talent; Today's employees seek out companies that they feel are worthy of their talent and pay much attention to culture when doing this. In this episode, we speak with an expert in corporate culture and discuss the kind of culture companies must develop to be competitive and attract and retain talent in 2023.

If you’ve ever had a personal assistant, then you understand what this does to your purchasing process—all the pre-purchase research, placing an order, and even making the payment is done with support. Well, conversational commerce is heading in that direction. It’s a kind of virtual assistant” that can help guide you through the purchasing process. It can give you information on products, and brands, compare prices, etc. But is it there yet with its functionality, or is it just a next general messaging app today? Also, who is using it? We know large enterprises and brands are, but is it user-friendly enough for SMBs? In this episode we explore the emerging trends in conversation commerce.

Most believe companies and the government track and monitor their online and offline activities. Most adults think going through a day with data collected about them is impossible. Data-driven products and services are often marketed with the potential to save users time and money, but do they do that? Of course, most adults see risks as they continue to hit yes on every cookie banner. But we contradict our beliefs as we accept cookies without reading the text. And once we say yes, where are all our data stored? If our data is in the cloud, the answer is that we don’t know where it is. Most likely, it is spread across data centers worldwide because most cloud providers back up the data across multiple sites. So this means that our data probably exists simultaneously in more than one place, possibly across different countries or continents is possible? In this episode, we discuss the current situation surrounding data and privacy and the future.

Fast-moving consumer goods like consumer electrics, the movie industry, and the advertising and marketing industry are today's most rapidly changing market segments. This means that the companies serving businesses and consumers in these market segments must all endure rapid change, be flexible, and learn new technology. Still, many companies need to catch up because change is difficult. In this episode, we speak with an expert about one of the most rapidly changing industries: advertising. We look at what has happened over the last few years and the industry's future.

It is one year and approximately one month since Russia invaded Ukraine. An act almost no one thought would happen. So where are we today? What is the current situation, and what are the motives behind Putin’s actions? More importantly, what have we learned in the political arena, and what can leaders learn from this tragic situation? In this episode, we discuss the current state of affairs and what leadership lessons we can learn from this conflict.

Digital marketing has transformed the business world and brought marketing to a new level. Driven website traffic, brand awareness, and getting high-quality leads are what businesses are looking for from digital marketing, and digital marketing does deliver. But it also is an evolving marketing medium with new channels and new technologies appearing faster than we can keep up. So how do we keep up? But some experts can help us navigate this ever-changing digital landscape. In this episode, we discuss the changing landscape and how businesses can distinguish which digital channels are best for them.

We all think we know what accountability is but very often, we mix up the words accountability, responsibility, answerability, obligation, and many others. We often use these words in the same context and relate the meaning to forced or given tasks rather than inner motivation or drive. Instead, we should discuss conscious accountability, where individuals and teams work towards a common goal to which everyone wants to contribute. This episode discusses how we can develop conscious accountability and how it transforms teams and impacts results.

We all think we know what accountability is but very often, we mix up the words accountability, responsibility, answerability, obligation, and many others. We often use these words in the same context and relate the meaning to forced or given tasks rather than inner motivation or drive. Instead, we should discuss conscious accountability, where individuals and teams work towards a common goal to which everyone wants to contribute. This episode discusses how we can develop conscious accountability and how it transforms teams and impacts results.

In 2010, Tech magazine reported the boom of the App culture. Today it is not a culture but a way of life, but it is not only for end-users or B2C and B2B situations. B2B mobile apps make work management and tracking easy and allow a platform where many people and departments can collaborate. So, it is not just about the end-user consumer today; it is about business. Although when we say the word App what pops into our minds are music, fitness, photos, and social media, and not business apps; they are essential to businesses of all sizes and can significantly help small and medium enterprises operate more efficiently. In this episode, we talk about digital trends and the importance of apps for businesses of all sizes.

What can the private sector learn from the public sector? Lots We often talk about management practices, organization management, process efficacies, and how to make companies more customer-oriented, efficient, inclusive --ultimately more profitable; we mainly discuss the private sector, when we discuss governments or the public sector if it is often in the form of a complaint. Having worked as a CEO for over 20 years in the private sector, I would be hard-pressed to use the words good management and the public sector in the same sentence. I would use the word leadership (or sometimes lack thereof) in the sentence with the government, but I would mostly use words like bureaucracy, long processes, and inefficacy. Or at least that’s what I used to say until I read our guest's book. After reading the book by today's guest, I realized there are some things the private sector can learn from the public sector. However, people are also trying to improve things in the public sector. In this episode, we talk about management, innovation, and continuous improvement in the Government and public sectors.

Any organizational infrastructure must anticipate a rapidly changing world where technologies, politics, company, and employee needs will differ from today. We learned this three years ago as we got tossed into a virtual world that we thought was years away. Many companies did not have the technology or infrastructure to support the millions of home offices that happened virtually overnight. Unfortunately, they did not have the processes for a sudden change. But in the end, we all adapted, and we learned. We learned that we must prepare for change, and the optimal infrastructure is the one that reflects future needs. This episode discusses how companies can prepare roadmaps for evolving organization infrastructures using technology, leveraging productivity, and streamlining the process.

Debriefing is essential for identifying errors, reviewing trends, improving communication, reviewing performance, and providing data to help predict future performance, change, and expectations. It also helps form strategies and operations for the future. In this episode, we will debrief the digital advertising industry, look at 2022, and discuss emerging trends in 2023. We look at how we can predict the future by examining the trends that will help reshape the advertising reseller industry.

Startups are essential because they drive economic growth. They are the source of new jobs, products, and services. They drive innovation and create wealth, and today most founders have spouted from the generation of the millennials, but that is going to change. By 2030, Gen Z will become the world's most significant demographic economy; studies show that almost two-thirds of that generation want to work for themselves. So, what does this mean? It means startup ecosystems will boom, and new startups will change the world. They will help us to be more productive. This new generation will help develop new products and services that make it easier for us to get our work done. They will create new working methods that make us more efficient. Therefore, we must nurture startup ecosystems today to help them prepare for tomorrow. In this episode, we speak about how we can help these ecosystems grow.

What defines leadership today in this unpredictable world? We can examine leadership styles from around the world, which vary, but there is always a similar foundation and framework, even if the focus has changed over the last ten or even three years. Leadership has become more situational, especially since the pandemic. Technology has also impacted leadership today, but the foundation of good leadership remains the same. In today's episode, we talk about what that foundation is, the core components that make leaders today, and we explore the solutions outlined in the book Two Words at a Time: Simple Truths for Leading Complicated People.

Most people agree that the foundations of digital marketing skills are not hard to learn. However, it can be challenging to master those skills and put them to practical use in a digital marketing campaign. Most large companies have teams of digital marketers that can do this for them by specializing in one area or another, but what about SMEs? They are focused on their product and services, without teams to do the marketing for them. With a bit of help, they can learn how to navigate through the rough seas of digital marketing and, with support, build themselves a competitive online presence. In this episode, we explore the solutions outlined in the book No Business is too small for Digital Marketing-Everything you need to know to Grow your business.

Cultural forces are always at play in today’s Global Economy. Although effective management of cultural differences is not necessarily a guarantee of business success, understanding and deepening one’s knowledge of the other culture is vital to the success of any venture. Culture influences communication, decision-making, negotiation, resolution of conflicts, the management of cross-national alliances and diverse teams. Without understanding the impact culture plays in any business transaction. Without knowledge of the other culture you are dealing with, it may be difficult to pinpoint what specific aspect of culture might be impacting your relationship. In this episode, we speak with an expert in doing business across different cultures. Dr Rajesh Kumar, helps people and companies understand how understanding cultural differences can promote business success

As we begin 2023, it is time to reflect on our careers. Career development is one thing to reflect on, but it is the short-term actions that one takes to learn a skill, fine-tune a strength or development a weakness. Career growth refers to the big picture, the overall progress of someone’s professional life. It is defined by the different roles and responsibilities we take on throughout our career journey, and this journey can go in several directions, but it is rarely linear. It is also a bit more complicated because it can be affected by our environment, available opportunities, people, and circumstances. Understanding these challenges and opportunities can help make our journey a little smoother. In this episode, we speak with a career advice guru who has serval books on the market about how to maneuver your way through this complicated work world and come out on top.

As we begin 2023, it is time to reflect back on one of the most impactful incidents in our lifetime. Although the war in Ukraine has become part of our daily lives, we can not give up, and we must remember. On 21 February 2022, began the aggression against democracy as Russian invaded Ukraine. Most of us thought this may happen but never really believed it would happen. Since then, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, many live without infrastructure, and many have died. Today we reflect back on one family's story remembering the 1800-kilometer journey they made to get to safety. We remember the happiness they felt when they reached safe ground and the disappointment and challenges they faced when trying to unite with family in the USA. We do this to encourage people to continue supporting those within the Ukrainian Border and those waiting to return home.

As we close 2022, we reflect on the digital marketing landscape of SMBs and how it has changed in the last twelve months. More importantly, we look at the opportunities for SMBs in 2023. How business models are changing, what tools are available to SMBs, and how agencies can support SMBs. We discuss emerging trends and what agencies can do to grow in scale and increase profitability in the new digital economy.

According to the team at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School, the most powerful cyber countries in the world are as follows: United States, China, UK, Russia, Netherlands, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Israel. Now some of these do not surprise us, but some do. Like the Netherlands, with 17 million people or little Israel, with 9 million, size and location play a role. But what is the most important thing is the human factor. People play an essential role not just when it comes to developing a security culture in countries but also when it comes to companies. Developing a security culture in a company moves beyond teaching employees about security; it is about living in every process and every department. The guest in this episode takes to us on how to develop and maintain a security culture.

As 2022 ends, it is time to take stock of what matters to businesses and consumers. What matters today in December 2022 differs from what mattered to us in January of this year. For example, in January, consumers were looking forward to finally “getting out of the house”, and SMBs worldwide were thinking about when I could let my customers back in. Today in December, we are living the new normal with a hybrid consumer society that is online and in person. Today it’s not about how I shop; it is about Where I can get the best prices. With inflation and energy costs, we have changed our focus as consumers, SMBs, and enterprises must change their approach. They are all fighting for that one Euro or one Dollar from the same consumer. So, what do SMBs, and Brands need to do to ensure they are the ones walking away with the spend? In this episode, we talk about how your company cab stays competitive and ahead of your competitors.

When you look at culture in the sense of communities ( nations, groups), It is a vital determining factor of how that community reacts, responds, and grows. Culture plays a significant role in the lives of everyone in a community. It gives people a sense of belonging, especially when everyone speaks the same language and not necessarily in a literal way. Corporate culture is not much different. It provides people with a sense of belonging and commitment, and when a company has a positive culture and people are working towards a common goal, the company will grow. But many companies now need help to rediscover or redefine their culture. As we moved from an office environment to a virtual one and then to a hybrid one, many companies’ cultures were shifted or even lost. In this episode, we speak to an expert on corporate culture in this hybrid environment.

In 1965, the rock band The Who released Talkin bout my Generation which expressed the difference between generations. Peter Townsend, the songwriter, was experiencing the disconnect between himself and his parent's generation. Peter, now 77 and born on the cusp of the baby boomer generation, was trying to explain to the world- his new generation. Today, this could translate to each generation that has followed. The generational gap has been discussed since Karl Mannheim, a German psychologist wrote an essay called The Problem of Generations. published in English in 1952. Today we are in 2022, and as we live longer, and the discussion on generations continues as we live with sometimes six generations in one home. In this episode, we talk with an expert on generational communication and how we should embrace the experience, the differences and the similarities. We talk about how to embrace this in the workplace and at home.

SEO--- another acromion we hear all the time and use it in a verity of ways, but you can’t fully appreciate the value of SEO without an understanding of what it is. SEO really is. It’s the complex practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through search engine results. The goal of SEO for business is to generate organic traffic—by allowing searchers clicking through to your website from a search engine results page (SERP). Simple right? Not really. It is very complex and most small businesses, although they may think they get it, really do not. Most online experiences begin on a search engine, making search the most used digital tool, and is why it is important that small business do get it right, and very often they need help. In this episode we explain how SEO works, what the key elements are and how one company helps SMBs get it right.

The term Private equity evokes all kinds of reactions. Private equity firms have reputations ranging from aggressively good to aggressively bad, depending on which chair you sit in, but they can increase a company's value. Their ability to achieve high returns is attributed to incentives for private equity portfolio managers and operating managers, the aggressive use of debt, and a determined focus on cash flow. Different from Venture Capital, private equity focuses on buying and selling companies after a period of performance improvement or growth. Very often, this can occur in Mergers and acquisitions, which are the acts of consolidating companies or assets, intending to stimulate growth, gaining competitive advantages, increasing market share, or influencing supply chains. But in general, private equity keeps the market dynamic. As a result, private equity and other financial institutes play a critical role in forging a frontier of growth. In this episode, we discuss private equity's position and the factors that can make these transactions successful.

According to data gathered by SCORE, 77% of small businesses use social media to help build brand awareness, facilitate customer service, and increase revenue. For example, data from Meta shows that 83% of Instagram users say they discover new businesses and brands while using the platform. And according to Forbes, small business owners have jumped on the train, but it also appears many owners are buckling under the added social-media marketing workload. Worse yet, most do social media marketing in a vacuum since they do not track results. But the fact is, we must recognize the growth in social media among small and medium businesses. They need social media to reach customers and during the pandemic social media virtually rocketed small and medium businesses into this space, but very often without strategies or deep knowledge. This episode explores what SMBs are doing in social media, the best channels, and practices for them. We explore how professionals can help SMBs get it right.

Our work environments were evolving before the pandemic, but when the pandemic hit, everything changed. As a result, companies are obligated to completely rethink their work environments, processes, and employee relations. New ways of working have become commonplace, and new environments and processes are emerging. As a result, new working models will predominate, meaning that firms will have to speed up their change management to keep up with changing technology, customer expectations and employees' needs. In this episode, we talk about what is happening to the work environment and how companies can successfully redesign their ways of working successfully.

Career development is the short-term actions that on takes to learn a skill, fine tune a strength or development a weakness. Career growth refers to the big picture, the overall progress of someone’s professional life. It is defined by the different roles and responsibilities we take on throughout our career journey, and this journey can go in several directions, but it is very rarely linear. While it’s easier to manage our own career development, growth is a bit more complicated because it can be affected by our environment, available opportunities, people, and circumstances. Understanding these challenges and opportunities can help make our journey a little smoother. In this episode we speak with a career advice guru who has serval books on the market about how to maneuver your way through this complicated work world and come out on top.

According to Shopping Local Research 2022, 78% of consumers use the internet to find information about local businesses more than once a week (up from 69% in 2020). However, 21% of consumers use the internet to find information about local businesses daily (down from 34% daily). This means that businesses that do not have an excellent online presence could be missing out on reaching new customers. But Building a digital presence for a local business isn’t the same as developing one for a national brand because, simply put, they do not have the capacity or the know-how. Moreover, establishing an outstanding online presence is a lot of work when focusing on what your company does best, like baking bread, fixing plumbing, or selling toys. Still, with the help of agencies and experts, local businesses in Europe are getting better. In this episode, we look at the online presence of local businesses across Europe.

Since May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has harmonized the rules on the processing of personal data, both private and public, across the Europe. Similar regulations have since popped up worldwide, with the US following suite with similar regulations like CCPA in California and regulations in most of the 50 US States. One of the unique aspects of these regulations, especially the EU’s GDPR is it is not only directly applicable in all EU member states but anyone who does business in the EU. While the data protection laws give users new rights and control over their data this poses a huge challenge for businesses. All processes must be checked to ensure that they comply with the regulation because any violation can cause a serious fine of up to €20 million or 4% of the firm´s worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher. In this episode we talk with Daniel Johanssen, CTO of Usercentrics on how data protection and consent regulations have developed since 2018, and what the new landscape looks like and how SMB’s are adapting to GDPR legislation.

Our guest podcast guest says, People who discuss digital transformation often focus on new technology with a presumption that the working population will embrace it enthusiastically. But human beings are still instinctively dominated by fear, a single complicating reflex which will always be the default response. In simple words, humans are hardwired to resist change. Our brain resists change as a threat which releases reactions such as fear, fight, or flight. These are difficult responses to deal with when emerging technologies are constantly tossing us into change, and fear is one of the most prevalent responses. Fear can have enormous repercussions on an organization, including increased vulnerability to ransomware and cyberattack, increased employee turnover, loss of competitiveness, loss of market share, resistance, sabotage, discrimination, and litigation. So how do we deal with this? How do companies deal with fear in the organization as new technologies are introduced, and organization transformation takes place? This podcast explores what kind of fear is prevalent in the workforce, how people react to it and what we can do about it.

Scaling artificial intelligence (AI) across industries, enterprises, and even small and medium businesses can create an excellent competitive advantage, but it’s not enough to invest in cutting-edge technologies and algorithms; you need to rewire your organization. From decision-making to data analysis to operations, if you want to extract value from AI, you need to understand it and how to best use it. Our guest today is an expert in extracting value from data and AI. He helps organizations understand how AI can benefit them. In this episode, we talk about the future of technology, AI and how it can support not only enterprise businesses but also SMBs and, ultimately, the consumer.

According to the team at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School, the most powerful cyber countries in the world are as follows: United States, China, UK, Russia, Netherlands, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Israel. Now some of these do not surprise us, but some do. Like the Netherlands, with 17 million people or little Israel, with 9 million, size and location play a role. But what is the most important thing is the human factor. People play an essential role not just when it comes to developing a security culture in countries but also when it comes to companies. Developing a security culture in a company moves beyond teaching employees about security; it is about living in every process and every department. The guest in this episode takes to us on how to develop and maintain a security culture.

The voice of the customer plays a critical role in today's competitive markets. It does not matter if it is customer feedback on a product, service or individual; when companies do not get feedback, they cannot improve customer satisfaction and may lose their competitive edge. The other key factor is that people who leave feedback expect something to happen. Again, it does not matter if it is a call, e-mail or note, but people like to know they are taken seriously. As a result, businesses are in a never-ending quest to find out what customers need and deliver it accurately hoping to meet customer expectations. Our guest in this episode has found technology to help customers give feedback more consistently and easily while giving businesses data that they can use to ensure companies meet their customer's expectations and have a positive customer experience.

Talent management is about how employers recruit and develop a workforce that is as productive as possible and likely to stay with their organization long term. When implemented correctly, this process can help improve the business's overall performance and ensure that it remains competitive. However, when not implemented correctly, it can result in high turnover and lack of innovation, and a company can lose its competitive edge. But developing a talent-centric organization is not easy. The principals and components are complex and need constant alignment. Our guest in this episode is an expert in recognizing good talent management programs and helping companies develop talent-centric organizations.

Sales and the customer journey. Are we giving salespeople the right tools to help them succeed? Years ago, sales were about pushing the customer in a direction and convincing them to buy. Today it is about discovering the customers’ needs and proving to them their return on investment. Today we also have the tools to help sales persons guide them through the process and show the customers facts, not fiction. This episode explores the customer journey, beginning with customer contact and sales. Then, we explore what automation is available to sales today and how salespeople can best use it. Our guest is a regular contributor to our show and an expert in sales and the customer journey.

Leadership expert Chris Pearse used an analogy in his Forbes article in 2018 on “Leadership in Crisis” This analogy made us think about leadership. It brought to light the mistake we often make in leadership today. Although not in exact words, he said if you want to grow a pumpkin, you need four elements, earth, water, sun, and a seed. While growing that pumpkin, your focus is on those elements, not the pumpkin. With the right focus, result will be a great pumpkin. In leadership, most of the time, the focus is on the results like share prices and profit, not on the elements that create them. Unfortunately, this end focus distracts us from the aspects of good leadership, resulting in a challenge. How do we promote good leadership in this profit-oriented world? How do we encourage good leadership practices, and how do we recognize talent when we see it? Our guest in this show has taken a good look at leadership dynamics and how to recognize the attributes of exemplary leadership

In May 2020, just as SMBs worldwide struggled to get their businesses online because of the pandemic, Google introduced core web vitals. In addition, Google informed businesses that these vitals would soon be ranking signals worldwide. In other words, if a business did not get this right, their ranking would be affected. Finally, in August 2021, Google fully rolled out Core Web Vitals as a Google ranking factor. So we are now in April 2022, 6 months later, and what are we experiencing? Do businesses understand core web vitals and which vital is the most critical for ranking? Our expert in this episode comes to form one of the world’s leading website builders for SMBs and Enterprises. He talks to us about what he believes is the most critical core web vital companies need to pay attention to and how they can do that. In addition, he talks to us about how focusing on this web core vitals can improve ranking and conversions.

Consumer Behaviors have drastically changed in the last 24 months. We can observe the changes in foot traffic ( in-person behaviour ) when we are at the grocery store, airport, or simply walking in any city centre. Still, we do not always see the changes in consumer behaviours online. We all know how our own search behaviours have changed, but unless you own a business with an e-commerce shop, you may not know how your customers search for your products or services. You may also not be unaware of what search engines are most interested in today. But if you own a business, understanding what consumers are doing and how search engines react is essential if you want your business to be found. In this episode, we speak with an expert from one of the worlds leading technology companies, and he helps us understand the mysteries behind getting found on the web.

Germany's “Umwelt Bundesamt” talks about the new “Green Economy. “They claim the present economic system is destroying our natural resources with the result of eroding the prosperity of future generations. They say that “Business as usual” in industrialised countries’ are resource-intensive, and with emerging countries following suit, it is not a feasible course for the future, which is why transforming into a Green Economy is necessary. . But this is Germany; what is the rest of the world saying? Are other countries, including the US, the world’s largest economy, moving towards a Green Economy with clean energy? Is a new economic development model with positive connections between ecology and economics emerging? In this episode, we explore what is going on worldwide and in the world’s biggest economy to advocate intelligent business practices and politics that link the economy and the environment with the perspective of saving our environment for future generations.

A company’s greatest asset is its people. It does not matter how innovative your product or services are; the people who stand behind the products and services interact with the customer and continue to innovate to move a company forward. In March 2020, as companies struggled to move their workforces remotely, employers also faced “The Big Quit”. As a result, many companies struggled to retain employees, but those companies that forged a collaborative and flexible culture thrived. In this episode, we look at how one company in the digital marketing/technology sector shifted their workforce, developed a great company culture and rose to the top of its market segment by encouraging employees to contribute and collaborate.

On February 22, 2022, the world shifted when Russia invaded Ukraine. Now five months later, we still witness devastation in Ukraine and the attack on democracy. We are seeing criminal acts as Russia uses war tactics that target civilians in the hope that the solidarity and will of the Ukrainian people will be broken. We are also feeling the wars impact the world economy. So when and how will this end? No one has a crystal ball, but we can examine the direction the world's most robust and influential economies are taking in the hope that this will end sooner rather than later. In March, at the beginning of the war, we spoke about the invasion with one of our most knowledgeable and repeat guests Dr. Jeffrey McCausland . Five months later, we check in with Dr. McCausland, whose vast military and leadership experience can help us understand what is happening today and where we may be heading.

Digital Marketing has become very complicated. Consumers have changed their behavior, Google is constantly polishing their Core Web Vitals, and new media channels are popping up daily. At the same time, we have other trends like stricter personal data restrictions while new technologies are emerging, and AI is becoming more prevalent when it comes to targeting audiences. This makes digital marketing trends hard to keep up for SMB’s and even for brands who dedicated digital marketing teams. But is not hopeless because we have Digital Marketing Agencies who help businesses succeed. The top Digital Marketing companies have forged culture that helps the rest of us understand what is going on in digital marketing. In this episode, we speak with a Digital Marketing Agency that not only understands the trends but has built a unique company culture that supports its clients and helps them swim on top of the Digital Marketing Ocean rather than sink to the bottom.

Today we are facing the “Big Resignation”. All over the world, companies are struggling to find personnel, and no one can answer why this is happening. Possible reasons are wage stagnation amid the rising cost of living, long-lasting job dissatisfaction, safety concerns around COVID-19, and the desire to work for companies with better remote-working policies and new work-life balance values stemming from the pandemic. Some economists have described the Great Resignation akin as a general strike of the people, but we still cannot pinpoint what is happening. Our guest in this episode believes we may not be having the right conversations with our employees today. If we had better conversations, we could increase engagement and maybe find the key to the “Big Resignation”. We talk about the new best-seller “The Revelation Conversation: Inspire Greater Employee Engagement by Connecting to Purpose” and how it can help bring leaders and organizations back on track.

Consumer Behaviors have drastically changed in the last 24 months. We can observe the changes in foot traffic ( in-person behaviour ) when we are at the grocery store, airport, or simply walking in any city centre. Still, we do not always see the changes in consumer behaviours online. We all know how our own search behaviours have changed, but unless you own a business with an e-commerce shop, you may not know how your customers search for your products or services. You may also not be unaware of what search engines are most interested in today. But if you own a business, understanding what consumers are doing and how search engines react is essential if you want your business to be found. In this episode, we speak with an expert from one of the worlds leading technology companies, and he helps us understand the mysteries behind getting found on the web.

We live in a world where change and transformation are the new normal, but sometimes we make decisions and go about change as we have always done. Today have more data and information available than we have ever had in the past, but we do not always use it when making decisions or initiating change. When it comes to transformation, many companies and organizations tend to look outward rather than inward when inward is where they should be looking. An organization's digital footprint can tell us a lot about processes, employee engagement and focus. The guest in this episode is an expert on transformation and change. He helps companies look for the answers by looking into their organizations rather than outward.

When executives speak about diversity, you often hear them say, yes we are good at meeting our targets around diversity. But diversity is not about numbers; it is about fostering a culture of innovation from a mix of people with different experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds where they can contribute to achieving a common goal. It's about DEI, which is more than just diversity it’s about equity and inclusion. It is proven that companies that foster DEI outperform companies that do not. But unfortunately, many companies just do not understand the critical components of DEI, and simply miss the mark. In this episode, we speak with an expert that helps organizations lift their performance through fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in their organizations.

On 21 of February, started aggression that all of us thought may happen but never really believed would happen. Russia attacked Ukraine, an independent democratic country. In the week following, the world changed, and so did the lives of millions of people. In this episode, we talk with a family that fled Ukraine the first weeks after the attack. They talk about the long, trying 1800-kilometer journey to get to Europe and the challenges of re-uniting with family in the United States. . They talk about the happiness they felt reaching safe ground and the struggles on the way. Finally, they speak to us about what we can do to help families like them and we hear about the great hero that unselfishly helped them along the journey.

Today, customer experience is more important than ever, and the first person the customer meets in the customer journey is usually a salesperson. But customers today are more informed than they were in the past, which means the average salesperson can no longer fly by the seat of their pants when conducting a sales call. Today, the salesperson needs a lot of knowledge and a whole new set of skills. In this episode, we talk to a customer experience expert about how companies can manage their sales forces to ensure that they win customers on the first contact. We also talk about sales structures, channels and training, what works, does not work and what companies need to do to improve.

Cultural forces are always at play in today’s Global Economy. Although effective management of cultural differences is not necessarily a guarantee of business success, understanding and deepening one’s knowledge of the other culture is vital to the success of any venture. Culture influences communication, decision-making, negotiation, resolution of conflicts, the management of cross-national alliances and diverse teams. Without understanding the impact culture plays in any business transaction. Without knowledge of the other culture you are dealing with, it may be difficult to pinpoint what specific aspect of culture might be impacting your relationship. In this episode, we speak with an expert in doing business across different cultures. Dr Rajesh Kumar, helps people and companies understand how understanding cultural differences can promote business success

According to a poll by Manta, the majority of small business owners agree that online marketplaces have positively impacted their sales. Nearly 70% of small business owners stated that marketplaces like Amazon and eBay have helped them increase sales, although about 30% believe they have had a negative impact. In addition, most small businesses (81%) believe that online sales are critical to their company's success, but most rely on their websites. Only around 20% of use e-commerce solutions as a growth strategy. So, what is a small or medium business to do? How can they implement their growth strategy through implementing technology that reflects the ever-changing consumer behavior? In this episode, we speak with the CMO of Vendasta, a Canadian based company which is on the cutting edge of technology that reflects consumer behavior and supports SMBs worldwide.

When people search online for products or services, if your website is not visible on the first page of the relevant keyword searches, you might not get traffic from the search engines. Google, the most widely used search engine, and other search engines provide the most significant area of opportunity for inbound marketers. According to SearchEngineWatch.com, websites on top grab 36.4% of the traffic missed by lower-ranked websites. If you don't rank highly in search results, you probably won't attract qualified leads and traffic to your site. And when your site doesn't get any traffic, you may also be missing out on valuable foot traffic. In this episode, we speak with two executives from Boostability about how businesses can get valuable online traffic and how SMBs improve their search engine ranking.

It is the fifth anniversary of GDPR, which went into effect and 2018. Since its passage, there have been significant efforts at compliance, At the same time, unfortunately, consumers still felt nudged or bullied by big tech companies into agreeing to business under the old rules, posing the question is the spirit behind the legislation on a level playing field. Then came the pandemic, and in March 2020, the world changed. Virtually every business was forced online and reached out to their consumers digitally. However, GDPR was not at the forefront of most business activities as companies focused on customer retention and not necessarily if they were compliant. Technology has also changed- it went into warp speed in 2020, forcing legislators to keep up with new technology channels. This episode talks about what has happened and what will happen in the upcoming years as countries try to formulate new ePrivacy Regulations.

Having honesty and integrity in the workplace is one of the essential qualities of outstanding leadership in business; we all know that but do we all know what that means. Like most things, we probably all have different understandings of what it means. Some may say it is not cheating; it is telling the truth or doing the right thing just because it is correct. There will be different interpretations because honesty and integrity are a state of mind and are not situational. If one compromises in small situations with little consequence, it becomes very easy to compromise on the larger ones, and leadership trust can be compromised. But honestly, in organizations is complicated. It draws on many dimensions, and our guest in this episode is an expert on forging honesty in organizations.

Broadcasting is challenging and competitive, but it can be gratifying and fulfilling. It has also changed drastically over the last 25 years. Technology has made media more accessible and widened coverage, regardless if it is sports or news. The people have also changed. Today broadcasting is accessible to almost everyone. From podcasters to influencers to reality TV, media is not what it was years ago. In this episode, we speak with a 25-year broadcasting veteran and award-winning camera operator. He talks about what has changed and will change in the future.

Can you combine a good employee experience with endpoint security? In 2020 most of us were forced into a virtual working environment. Unfortunately, companies and employees were not really aligned on how this would work because it happened so quickly. Cyber-attacks increased 500% as employees used personal devices, security policies did not cover remote work, and leadership did not know how to manage the transition of old employees, never mind the new employees they had never met in person. It is now two years later, and although we have become accustomed to virtual work models, the question is, are we good at it? What is the employee experience, and how is endpoint security? In this episode, our guest is an expert in helping remote and mobile workforces navigate the balance between staying motivated, feeling connected to the company, and ensuring that the technology they are using is secure.

In May 2020, just as SMBs worldwide struggled to get their businesses online because of the pandemic, Google introduced core web vitals. In addition, Google informed businesses that these vitals would soon be ranking signals worldwide. In other words, if a business did not get this right, their ranking would be affected. Finally, in August 2021, Google fully rolled out Core Web Vitals as a Google ranking factor. So we are now in April 2022, 6 months later, and what are we experiencing? Do businesses understand core web vitals and which vital is the most critical for ranking? Our expert in this episode comes to form one of the world’s leading website builders for SMBs and Enterprises. He talks to us about what he believes is the most critical core web vital companies need to pay attention to and how they can do that. In addition, he talks to us about how focusing on this web core vitals can improve ranking and conversions.

Women are underrepresented in most global companies, particularly among senior leadership teams—and companies are missing out on opportunities as a result. The pandemic also hit women employees more than men, with women having to return to the roles of educators and traditional family roles as work moved from the office to the home. The pandemic also put a new level of focus on how a sudden change disproportionately impacts certain underrepresented groups. Now companies are trying to fix this problem but very often try to fix it incorrectly. The center of their efforts usually lay solely on women, but this is not enough to bring about material change. Such a narrow focus labels gender diversity as a women-only issue instead of positioning it as a broader topic that significantly affects overall company performance. It very often excludes the focus on men. Our guest today helps companies and men focus on how they can get engaged in supporting gender diversity and help men define healthy masculinity.

Suppose you ask people what they’re most excited about as life begins to normalize after Covid. You’re likely to get a range of answers: a trip, a family reunion, a dance party, a favourite restaurant. But, of course, most people want to be “in-person” again. But ss people start to get out and about, the question we pose is what will happen to the virtual life we have become accustomed to over the last two years. Will digital services drop across most industries? We, as consumers, have picked up a lot of new habits in the last 24 months; will they stick? What will happen to industries like restaurants and food delivery? Have they forever changed, or will consumer behaviour return to a “pre-pandemic” norm? As the world opens up and consumers have more choices, are we moving to a hybrid model, combining pre-pandemic preferences for physical channels with digital channels? In this episode, we talk with a company at the forefront of digital change in a country that has long been the head of the digital transformation, France.

In this episode, we bring back a distinguished guest, not for a reportage of what is happening in Ukraine; we see the horrendous destruction every evening when we turn on the television. Instead, our interview talks about the motives behind the Russian attack and how history plays a role in today's conflict. We talked with an expert who is a retired Colonel from the US Army and an author, leadership expert, and a historian. This interview brings to light some things the average person may not have thought of or maybe has forgotten. This episode is insightful and informative.

On 21 of February, started aggression that all of us thought may happen but never really believed would happen. Russia attacked Ukraine, an independent democratic country. In the week following, the world changed, and so did the lives of millions of people. In this episode, we talk with a family that fled Ukraine. They talk about the long, trying 1800-kilometer journey. They talk about the happiness they felt reaching safe ground and the disappointment that they are still not united with their family in the USA. Finally, they speak to us about what we can do to help families like them. We will also hear about a great hero that unselfishly helped them along the journey.

In business and life, we sometimes have the inability to fully understand and tackle human emotions, impacting our behavior, especially in business. As leaders, we should exemplify the kind of behavior we want in our organizations, and without both emotional & social intelligence, we cannot do that. We need both emotional and social intelligence to make decisions, manage stress and set examples for others. We need to know and understand our own emotional state to impactfully lead others. In this episode, we speak with an expert who helps us understand what emotional and social intelligence is and its impact on leadership.

In the wake of significant social and political incidents, the emergence of a world economy, a changing workforce, and the focuses on “inclusivity: many companies are taking steps to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through corporate programs. Yet, progress in most sectors remains slow because many of them do not change systems. Many times, HR staff often leads programs that do not really understand what DEI is or measure it by numbers thinking that numbers alone will change systems. Other times, leaders initiate programs they believe are fashionable or legally correct, but they delegate them downward and remain unengaged. Leaders and organizations find it challenging to focus on DEI solutions, and there is no silver bullet, no single solution. Yet, pushing ourselves to think outside the box and draw on the best empirical evidence that exists helps. We also must focus on systems. Our guest in this episode talks about what we have to do to get DEI right.

Many people do not like the term “Feminism”, but Feminism was the backbone of the women’s suffrage movement. In August 1920, because of Feminism, women won the right to political equality. But what has happened since 1920? Sure we have made some progress, but we have not moved the needle very far. Social, economic, employment and other types of equality have only made baby steps since 1920, and the question is why? We have equal employment laws that try to protect us once we are in a position, but doors are still closed on many opportunities. This is why we need to focus on changing systems and opening more opportunities to everyone. It is about opening markets, industries and companies to women and allowing women the opportunity to move ahead. Our guest in this episode has given a lot of thought to how we can change systems. She has looked at where we are today, why we are here and what we can do to move the needle in the right direction.

The stock market attracts millions of people from all over the world. It is a great way to earn money sitting at home by just investing a few hours of the day. The stock market is not just all about profit, but there is a risk where you might suffer losses. But to be successful in any field, it is imperative to have a good knowledge of that domain. Knowledge, in this case, can be observation, learning and practice. Our guest today understands the markets and help others understand them also. She not only helps people understand trading, but she supports trading, inspiring young women to enter the field.

Networks are considered one of the most critical resources in organizations, governments, social-cultural systems, and they are all around us, whether we’re aware of them or not. They are created to provide a means to satisfy an objective or need and diffuse information. Networks allow people to develop relationships with others they might not otherwise be able to connect with. In addition, networks can provide support systems for those in them. In the business world, networks can boost business productivity and help companies and leaders reach their objectives. But how can we become more aware of the networks around us and how can we better use them? Our guest in this episode is an expert that not only understands networks but helps us learn how we can get the best out of them.

According to Harvard Business Review, “90% of business leaders cite data literacy as a key to company success, but only 25% of workers feel confident in their data skills”. And then Harvard also notes some other statistics that suggest that nearly nine in 10 data science professionals are white, and only 18% are women. Research from General Assembly indicates “that data science lags behind even other tech-oriented disciplines”. Which brings us to the question if leaders see data literacy as a critical building block to a company’s success, why are they not focusing on it more? Moreover, why is the field not drawing a more diverse workforce of experts? Achieving data literacy is critical for a company to become more data fluent. It can be crucial to their success because it helps companies and employees make data-driven decisions regarding customer needs, products, and services. But how do we develop a diverse, data literate workforce? Today, our guest has given a lot of thought to how companies and individuals can become more data literate.

Why does it seem that adaptable people and organizations process change more quickly and with what is perceived as seamless effort? In March 2020, as the pandemic came into full force, the companies that grasped the new situation and were able to provide innovative solutions to their successful organizations succeeded. The individuals that embraced change and adjusted their expectations around how they needed to carry out their jobs and their lives that came out on top. What was the common denominator, adaptability? Though adaptability is an innate human skill, most people have lost it along the way. But it is possible to regain this ability. Adaptability helps us get through difficult times even when the situation seems hopeless. Its adaptability makes it possible to move smoothly through life and career changes. An adaptable organization has more engaged employees and fosters innovation. In this episode, we speak with an expert that helps individuals and organizations become more adaptable.

Fiction gives us the chance to provide power to or destroy cultural values, sensitivities, current or past issues and much more. We can learn from what characters do, where they are, how they behave and much more. Fiction is not just about a good story but also what we take away from the story. In this episode, we have a chance to talk with Suzanne Brockmann, the New York Times bestselling romance author. We talk about how she came about writing fiction that focused on Navy Seal Hero’s before they became popular in all kinds of fiction. Suzanne not only was writing about Navy Seals before it was popular, but her books are also informative. Weaved into her stories are history lessons, cultural values, diversity, family relations and social-economic issues that make us think. In this episode,Suzanne talks about her writing, characters, and her new movie coming out that aired in 2021..

A lot has happened in leadership since 2020. The workplace has changed, the general public has become more anxious and frustrated as lockdowns, and border restrictions continue. The roller coaster of heading back to the office only to be sent home to a virtual office two months later makes leadership challenging. Workers are frustrated in many jobs, such as in the travel and gastronomy industry because many customers are just plain old grumpy. So, what kind of leadership do we need to get through this all? In this episode, Kimberli Lewis has a conversation with Audrey Cavenecia, co-producer of Amplify Voices, about how leadership is transitioning and what leaders need to do in 2022, as the new normal in the workplace continues to form.

As Siinda Launches its E-Learning Platform powered by Boss Start-up Science in 2022, we revisit why such a platform is needed. History shows that crises can be startup incubators. Some of today’s biggest companies were founded during and shortly after the 2008 economic crisis, including Uber, Credit Karma, Slack, WhatsApp and Groupon. But crisis or no crisis, launching a start-up is a challenge. From limited resources to just knowing what to do, many ideas are never realized and fall apart before the business gets off the ground. But there are lessons to learn from both start-up failures and from those start-ups that succeed. These lessons can be bundled into a formula for success. In this episode we look at the start-up formula for success that is in Boss Start-up Sciences E-Learning Platform.

When in the Holiday Season, we shops to think about all the troops around the world that serve, and the Leaders that lead them. We thank all the men and women who serve with passion and dedication, it is a hard but respectful job. Leading in the Military is also one of the most challenging jobs. Military leadership involves making critical decisions, often in high-pressure situations with significant risks. Influential military leaders ask the right questions and think strategically about making well-informed conclusions upon which they can act; they also know how to motivate teams. In this episode encore episode, back by high demand, we discuss what we can learn from effective military leadership.

Behaviors show that people don't alter privacy settings online, they don't complain when their phone numbers are asked for and they certainly don't insist on encrypted e-mail. As we were propelled into a completely digital world in 2020, the issue of privacy became even more apparent. Tracking and tracing, made us question data protection, and we revisited everything. The year 2022 will prove to be a big year in protection, data, and digital services. The EU moving to regulate AI with prohibited, high risk and low risk categories. There will be changes in with the Digital Market Act and Digital Services Act that are made to give businesses a fairer playing field and consumers more transparency. Globally, even countries like China are putting in privacy policies similar to GDPR. So where are we headed? In this episode, what kind of privacy legislation is on the horizon for 2022. We speak with an expert who is following the trends in digital sector and regulations in the EU and worldwide. .

The Importance of Storytelling cannot be underestimated. The world we live in today could not exist without the influence from past generations, the experiences from people across the globe and the experiences from those that surround us. As creatures of habit and tradition we instinctively hand down lessons and share knowledge. We crave communal knowledge, which very often comes from the stories we share. It is one of the most traditional and human processes. Great stories often reflect the world we live in now, combined with the world we do not know or can only imagine. But the world we live in now has changed. Technology is helping us capture what we experience and share it faster than we ever shared before. Our ability to use technology to learn from others, share knowledge to give ourselves an insight into our own problems gives us an advantage that we did not have in the past and helps expand the art storytelling.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. Resignations peaked in April and have remained abnormally high for several months, with a record-breaking 10.9 million open jobs at the end of July. The trend has not yet hit Europe in the forces like in the U.S.. Still, Personio recently conducted a study among Dutch workers which had ‘US-like results’, wherein it found that 46% of those surveyed planned to quit in the next six months to a year — five per cent higher than the global percentage. You will hear several arguments about why jobs are hard to fill, from too much governmental support to zoom exhaustion. But one thing for sure is that the pandemic has caused many to reflect and reconsider their jobs. As a result, there has been some shifting of values and focus. Many started rethinking their careers, resulting in “The big resignation”. But is there a way to continue your career and life the way you want to without “quitting your job”? In this episode, we explore how you can do that.

In the wake of significant social and political incidents, the emergence of a world economy, a changing workforce, and the focuses on “inclusivity: many companies are taking steps to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through corporate programs. Yet, progress in most sectors remains slow because many of them do not change systems. Many times, HR staff often leads programs that do not really understand what DEI is or measure it by numbers thinking that numbers alone will change systems. Other times, leaders initiate programs they believe are fashionable or legally correct, but they delegate them downward and remain unengaged. Leaders and organizations find it challenging to focus on DEI solutions, and there is no silver bullet, no single solution. Yet, pushing ourselves to think outside the box and draw on the best empirical evidence that exists helps. We also must focus on systems. Our guest in this episode talks about what we have to do to get DEI right.

When foot traffic stopped in March 2020, Small and Medium Businesses had to become digital. Even though before March 2020, most local businesses had a presence on the web, and they knew that presence was necessary, they recognized that having a poor presence was almost like having no presence at all. But then the pandemic came, and SMBs finally understood their web presence was critical and that they needed to focus on the customer experience and engagement online. With the lockdown in place, it was the only way they could engage with their customers during the lockdown. But what happened to SMB’s online presence after the pandemic propelled them into the future? How do they look now? Are they and continuing to improve as things return to normal? SIINDA, The Search and Information Industry Association of Europe, along with Duda, one of the top leading professional website builders and Insites, a top web intelligence company, decided to conduct a study. They took a look at thousands of SMB’s across Europe to see how their web presence has changed since the pandemic. In this episode, they talk about what they found.

Many people do not like the term “Feminism”, but Feminism was the backbone of the women’s suffrage movement. In August 1920, because of Feminism, women won the right to political equality. But what has happened since 1920? Sure we have made some progress, but we have not moved the needle very far. Social, economic, employment and other types of equality have only made baby steps since 1920, and the question is why? We have equal employment laws that try to protect us once we are in a position, but doors are still closed on many opportunities. This is why we need to focus on changing systems and opening more opportunities to everyone. It is about opening markets, industries and companies to women and allowing women the opportunity to move ahead. Our guest in this episode has given a lot of thought to how we can change systems. She has looked at where we are today, why we are here and what we can do to move the needle in the right direction.

Rohit Talwar opens his new book with a statement that says it all: “An Incomplete Past and an Uncertain Future” Rohit says that “The world has run out of adjectives to describe the shockwaves caused by the pandemic and the damage it has done to lives, societies, businesses, economies, and entire nations” Somewhere along the way we not only ran out of adjectives but we stopped predicting when things would go back to normal. If you think about it, in May 2020, we all hoped normal would be by September 2020,,then we convinced ourselves all would be OK by February 2021. , Finally in May 2021we realized we are living the new normal. But not all is bad. Rohit Talwar says that” during this continuing global pandemic, we are also witnessing a level of innovation and positive change that most have never experienced in our lifetimes.” Good things are happening, and in this episode we are look at what is happening and what it means for our future and the future of the next generation.

There are a lot of leadership lessons you can learn from military actions. However, in 2021, one military action proved things could go completely wrong and were highly unlikely to end positively. This was the withdraw of troops from Afghanistan. In World War II, they used the slang a total “Goat-Fuck” to describe a situation similar to this. But instead blame and criticism, let’s look at what we can learn from the mistakes made. What leadership lessons we can learn from the situation so we do not make the same mistakes again. Let’s also look at how those leadership lessons transition into the business world. In this episode, we use Afghanistan as an example for examining the critical leadership steps that need to be taken to forge success instead of failure.

Fiction gives us the chance to provide power to or destroy cultural values, sensitivities, current or past issues and much more. We can learn from what characters do, where they are, how they behave and much more. Fiction is not just about a good story but also what we take away from the story. In this episode, we have a chance to talk with Suzanne Brockmann, the New York Times bestselling romance author. We talk about how she came about writing fiction that focused on Navy Seal Hero’s before they became popular in all kinds of fiction. Suzanne not only was writing about Navy Seals before it was popular, but her books are also informative. Weaved into her stories are history lessons, cultural values, diversity, family relations and social-economic issues that make us think. In this episode,Suzanne talks about her writing, characters, and her new movie coming out on Netflix just in time for Halloween 2021..

The line between fiction and reality is blurrier today than ever before. Sometimes a book or a movie filled with fictional characters can remind us of reality and often we tend to forget those are made-up stories may have no connection with reality. Very often real-life experiences can shape fiction and fictional experiences can shape the way we think. As we go through life we participate in the lives of others. We observe, we learn, and we think. Writers use their experiences to help readers imagine, broaden their perspectives, and very often convey important messages. Readers very often can relate to the experiences of the characters they read in a book, which can stir up memories of their own experiences. In this episode talk with a writer who has used his vast experiences in business, as part of the team that founded Xbox, to provided us sound business advice. He has also weaved his experience into fiction. Fiction that is thrilling, stirs up memories, and gets you so caught up in his characters that you cannot put the book down.

When Covid-19 struck, it forced societal changes around the world. Overnight, governments issued orders that limited large gatherings of people, restricted in-person business operations, and encouraged people to work from home as much as possible. The result was that businesses began to look for ways to continue their operations remotely, as consumers fast-forwarded into an almost entirely digital world. So what happened? Consumers shopped more online, and businesses had to adapt. But we are in the new normal, which is blended. So what are consumers looking for? Have we become new brand loyalists, and where are SMB’s in the mix. Are they online, and who is helping them? This episode looks at the new “ Digital World on Steroids” and what consumers are doing, and how SMB’s and enterprises are reacting.

Earlier this year there was the announcement of a massive computer breach that allowed hackers to exploit numerous US government agencies left the US government and the world in shock. The hackers attached malware to a software update which gave them access to government networks and private company systems, putting infrastructures, data, operations and priority information at risk. But this is not the only attack we have seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Chris Versace estimates that in the first 100 days of the pandemic Covid-themed spam messages increased by 26%, and impersonation attacks jumped by 40%. This is worrying news as the world transitions into a virtual workforce, AI advances and healthcare systems and data are a priority. In this episode, we explore how and why we have become so vulnerable and how we can better protect ourselves.

Financial security, what is it? For many, it is having the peace of mind to ensure that you can live and not live hand to mouth. For some, it means being prepared for whatever life sends your way is an essential part of being financially responsible. For others, it is having a steady income. One thing is for sure in 2020 and 2021, many people had financial difficulties as the economy went into a stand-still, businesses closed, people lost jobs, and many were struggling. But some people were prepared, so how do you prepare yourself for unseen roadblocks and the future? In this episode, we speak with an expert on how almost anyone can become financially secure.

We live in an undeniable digital world where most of the global population are active web users, and the pandemic has been a contributing factor to the increasing inactivity. The internet is being used for communication, staying social, working from home, learning, entertainment, and shopping. When you consider these trends and consider that in the US and the EU, it is estimated that 15% of internet users have some disability that hinders their full use of a website, it is time to ask ourselves how we can make the web more accessible? When we see a handicapped parking place, a ramp or brail in an elevator, we do not think about it, but, when it comes to accessibility on the web, we forget about it. In this encore episode, because of high demand, we speak with the CEO of a platform that powers 1000’s marketing agencies. One of their missions is to help every business understand how vital web accessibility is.

Three years ago, the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in an effort to protect its citizen’s privacy. Deemed as the toughest privacy and security law in the world, it imposes obligations onto organizations anywhere, not just in the EU, so long as they target or collect data related to people in the European Union. So how are SMBs coping with the challenge that Data Protection and Data Management poses? Data Management is key whatever the size of the company and increasing rules on data protection and data management can sometimes be very difficult to follow and cope with. The trends towards first-party data and the rise in privacy management from big players also put pressure on companies to tackle data protection the right way. Siinda partnered with Usercentrics, a leader in the area of Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) headquartered in Munich, Germany to run a survey of 600 SMBs in Germany, France and the UK on their data protection and data management awareness and practices. In this episode our guest reveals the results of said research and share GDPR best practices, opportunities and challenges.

Do you know what your boss or your company wants from you in your job? A hot question, right? Many of us will answer-well I think so- I think I know what they want. When we apply for a position, we get interviewed, and we get a job description. However, we often do not know what contribution the position makes to the company's overall performance. Part of the responsibility lies with the organization or the hiring manager, who should explain this to every applicant. Still, a lot of the obligation to understand what is expected from a position lies within ourselves. For example, suppose we want to impact a job or organization. In that case, we have to realize what contribution is valued the most by our leaders, and what role the position plays in the companies overall performance. In this episode, we talk about how to impact our careers by really contributing to our jobs. We also talk about how leaders can help others make an impact.

Why do some speeches keep your attention and pique your interest, and others have you multitasking or turning the volume up on your i-tunes? I believe it is all about summing up all the information you want to communicate and conveying it clearly. A manner that keeps the listener attention and getting them engaged. But this is not easy. Regardless of whether it is writing a speech or communicating a written form, it takes practice and understanding. In this episode, we speak with an expert in communicating, an expert that helps people untangle their thoughts and put them in clear, direct words. Our expert is a strategic messaging consultant that helps people get their message across. She will give us some tips on doing this and what communication pitfalls to look out for. We will also explore the world of gender-neutral words in speechwriting and written communication.

Body language and non-verbal gestures are the first things we notice when we meet someone in person, but what about in the virtual world? Is it the same? According to the European Commission, in 2019, only 5.4% of employees in the EU worked from home. However, in March 2020, this number had drastically increased, with most non-essential workers forced to work from home as the EU was in lockdown. This meant a new world of virtual meetings and conducting business remotely. However, aside from the technology issues, many people did not know how to conduct themselves in the virtual business world. And today, we are returning to in-person meetings after 18 months of being behind the camera, so how are we adapting? As we transition to this blended business world, we need to be aware of out body language and we give off? In this episode, we speak with one of Europe's premier body language experts about how you can leave a lasting impression in virtual meetings and in the new normal.

Three years ago, the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in an effort to protect its citizen’s privacy. Deemed as the toughest privacy and security law in the world, it imposes obligations onto organizations anywhere, not just in the EU, so long as they target or collect data related to people in the European Union. So how are SMBs coping with the challenge that Data Protection and Data Management poses? Data Management is key whatever the size of the company and increasing rules on data protection and data management can sometimes be very difficult to follow and cope with. The trends towards first-party data and the rise in privacy management from big players also put pressure on companies to tackle data protection the right way. Siinda partnered with Usercentrics, a leader in the area of Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) headquartered in Munich, Germany to run a survey of 600 SMBs in Germany, France and the UK on their data protection and data management awareness and practices. Today, our guest reveals the results of said research and share GDPR best practices, opportunities and challenges. Please welcome Jurgen Weichert.

Following our 3 part series on the book Battle Tested! Gettysburg Leadership Lessons for 21st Century Leaders which aired in April and May 2021, we dig deeper into what we can learn about leadership from the military. Military leadership involves making critical decisions, often in high-pressure situations with significant risks. Influential military leaders ask the right questions and think strategically about making well-informed conclusions upon which they can act; they also know how to motivate teams. In this episode, we discuss what we can learn from effective military leadership.

Rob Lachenauer, the CEO at Banyan Global Family Business Advisors in Boston, was quoted in Forbes as saying: “In a non-family business, you can quit your job, and it’s usually a career-enhancing move. In a family business, you sure can’t quit your family,” But family businesses are the backbone of most economies. In the US, the immigration waves during the first part of the 19th century brought new Americans seeking greater economic opportunity, and many began family businesses. In Europe, the family business has been the backbone of trade dating back to the middle ages. So what makes a family business so solid and sustainable? How and why are they different from public companies and enterprises, and what can we learn from them. In this episode, we speak with one of the owners of a 9 figure family business in its 4th generation to understand how and why family businesses flourish.

We all have a roadmap that guides us through our work life and our personal lives, and as David Nour says, it's not about balance it's about blending But our maps are not linear, as life is not linear and there are many forces that influence us. Last week ( July 13 episode Leadership Beyond Borders ), with spoke with leadership advisor and author David Nour about his new book Curve Benders. We talked a lot about personal and professional growth, transitions rather than transactions, work-life bending and relationship blending. In this episode, Part ll, we will dig a little deeper and talk about the 15 forces that impact our life's journey and the seven steps in Curve Benders.

We all have a roadmap that guides us through our work life and our personal lives, and as David Nour says, it's not about balance it's about blending But our maps are not linear, as life is not linear and there are many forces that influence us. Strategic relationships can also dramatically alter our non-linear growth trajectory against the forces that will shape the future of how we will work, live, play, and serve others. These are the words of our guest in Part I of this two-part series. We explore these concepts and the book Curve Benders, fresh off the press in 2021. A great book for navigating both your life and your company.

We live in an undeniable digital world where most of the global population are active web users, and the pandemic has been a contributing factor to the increasing inactivity. The internet is being used for communication, staying social, working from home, learning, entertainment, and shopping. When you consider these trends and consider that in the US and the EU, it is estimated that 15% of internet users have some disability that hinders their full use of a website, it is time to ask ourselves how we can make the web more accessible? When we see a handicapped parking place, a ramp or brail in an elevator, we do not think about it, but, when it comes to accessibility on the web, we forget about it. In this episode, we speak with the CEO of a platform that powers 1000’s marketing agencies. One of their missions is to help every business understand how vital web accessibility is.

Earlier this year there was the announcement of a massive computer breach that allowed hackers to exploit numerous US government agencies left the US government and the world in shock. The hackers attached malware to a software update which gave them access to government networks and private company systems, putting infrastructures, data, operations and priority information at risk. But this is not the only attack we have seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Chris Versace estimates that in the first 100 days of the pandemic Covid-themed spam messages increased by 26%, and impersonation attacks jumped by 40%. This is worrying news as the world transitions into a virtual workforce, AI advances and healthcare systems and data are a priority. In this episode, we explore how and why we have become so vulnerable and how we can better protect ourselves.

We live in a global economy and a multi-cultural world and being culturally adaptable is becoming ever more critical. It does not matter if you call it cultural intelligence, adaptiveness, or sensitivity; you must have some attributes that make you culturally agile to be a successful professional. Being culturally agile can help professionals from different backgrounds interact more effectively and ultimately increase overall individual and company performance. But this is easier said than done. Many individuals and companies do not understand the attributes that make someone culturally agile. They are unsure what competencies and skills people need. This episode examines not only the importance of cultural agility but also the attributes that contribute to it.

As usual, brands must consider their target audience when developing their messages, and this expectation is intensifying as consumers place greater emphasis on brands' actions. People relate to positive messages around social issues such as the environment, coronavirus safety, and systemic racism; therefore, how a business or brand positions itself can impact consumer loyalty. It essential for businesses and brands to recognize diverse cultures and different values. We all have unconscious biases and draw from our own experiences as our default, and this makes it hard for marketers to spot when a marketing campaign is not as inclusive as it could be. Therefore, we must monitor diversity and inclusion in marketing, and there are different ways to do this. In this episode, we explore how we can do this and ensure we reach every possible consumer group and leave no-one out.

Truly successful individuals and leaders recognize that they cannot always have the answer themselves and that it is unrealistic for any one person to be the expert on everything. Truly great leaders, though, understand that they may not have to be the answer themselves. They merely need to be the catalyst for others to generate the answers, as well as to create a safe culture and environment for such energies to come forth. This quote from Dr Jeffrey Magee, author of The Managerial Leadership Bible: Learning the Strategic, Organizational, and Tactical Skills Everyone Needs Today, gives an insight into this episode. In this episode, we explore key leadership issues that can make or break a company from ensuring the company's mission statement cascades through the organization to how to foster change. Dr Magee gives us significant bits of advice about managing a company, an organization, and even managing ourselves.

On December 31, 1999, the world was in a panic related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for 2000. Even though we had years to prepare for this, we still waited until the last minute, and 21 years later, there is another panic. Businesses are wondering what happened when Google changed to mobile-first indexing on March 31, 2021. They are also wondering what will happen when the core values for website ranking change in May and yesterday was the deadline. Businesses’ need to prepare themselves, but they have had other priorities over the last 12 month, adapting their business models because of the pandemic. But some good has come out of the pandemic. Businesses have been propelled forward into the digital and mobile world. Google quickly jumped on these changes with a whole new suite of core values for website ranking. This episode looks at them and explains what you need to do to make your website visible.

Change is inevitable, it is sometimes in our control and is deliberate and predicted and sometimes it is out of our control. Sometimes there are slight changes and sometimes we face changes of magnitude like we all faced over the last 18 months. But as leaders how we deal with change will be reflected in how our employees will deal with it. Our approaches, reactions and attitudes and either lead people to change or have them resisting it. In this episode we talk about some of the levers we can use to best implement change while getting everyone on board the train. Our guest on this show is an expert in the area of change.

If you gathered some of the worlds top CEO’s in one room, what would they say were the lessons they learned from the crisis we have been through over the last 18 months? What would they say about the future? In this episode, we speak with an executive coach/journalist who spoke with CEOs from all over the world to find out what they were thinking and, more importantly, what they were doing!. Interestingly, many of them identified the same challenges and opportunities that have emerged from the pandemic. From the book “Leaders in Lockdown: Inside stories of Covid-19 and the new world of business”, we not only explore what these leaders say, we try to use their messages to pave the way for the future..

There used to be two forms of marketing; online marketing and offline marketing and then the explosion in digital happened and now there are now more than 41 different types of marketing happening on numerous platforms. Because of all these options, it becomes confusing for companies when they begin to build a marketing strategy. Developing an effective marketing strategy takes time and expertise and sometimes businesses just do not know how. But there are essential elements that need to be in a marketing strategy and this episode talks about the options available and how to make the best marketing channel choices for your business.

Today’s business leaders face several challenges, and they all did not just start with the pandemic, but they are not alone. For hundreds of years, our military leaders have been facing challenges even more significant than those we face today. So the question we pose in this episode, what can we learn from our military leaders. In Part 3 of this three-part series, we look at history and one of the US’s most important Civil War battles, Gettysburg. We use this battle to teach us some essential leadership lessons that can benefit you as a leader today.

Today’s business leaders face several challenges, and they all did not just start with the pandemic, but they are not alone. For hundreds of years, our military leaders have been facing challenges even more significant than those we face today. So the question we pose in this episode, what can we learn from our military leaders. In Part 2 of this three-part series, we look at history and one of the US’s most important Civil War battles, Gettysburg. We use this battle to teach us some essential leadership lessons that can benefit you as a leader today.

Today’s business leaders face several challenges, and they all did not just start with the pandemic, but they are not alone. For hundreds of years, our military leaders have been facing challenges even more significant than those we face today. So the question we pose in this episode, what can we learn from our military leaders. In Part I of this three-part series, we look at history and one of the US’s most important Civil War battles, Gettysburg. We use this battle to teach us some essential leadership lessons that can benefit you as a leader today.

In business and life, we sometimes have the inability to fully understand and tackle human emotions, impacting our behavior, especially in business. As leaders, we should exemplify the kind of behavior we want in our organizations, and without both emotional & social intelligence, we cannot do that. We need both emotional and social intelligence to make decisions, manage stress and set examples for others. We need to know and understand our own emotional state to impactfully lead others. In this episode, we speak with an expert who helps us understand what emotional and social intelligence is and its impact on leadership.

For the last two decades, there has been a shift in how we hire and retain employees. This shift primarily began with the entrance of the millenniums into the workforce and then there was another shift as Gen Z made their appearance. At the same time, technology in the workplace has allowed organizations to reimagine the way they work and manage talent. One of the most impactful changes has been how technology allows companies to screen and hire employees no matter where they are located. It also allows employees to collaborate from different locations and time zones. And although this all started a few years ago, we were pushed into fast-forward when COVID hit the world. Companies had to hire and manage virtually. They had to use the technology available, and processes had to be adjusted. In this episode we explore the best practices for hiring, retaining and engaging employees in during the pandemic and not only in middle size companies but also in SMBs

On December 31, 1999, the world was in a panic related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for 2000. Even though we had years to prepare for this, we still waited until the last minute, and 21 years later, there is another panic. Businesses are wondering what will happen when Google changes to mobile-first indexing on March 31, 2021. They are also wondering what will happen when the core values for website ranking changes in May. Businesses’ need to prepare themselves, but they have had other priorities over the last 12 month, adapting their business models because of the pandemic. But some good has come out of the pandemic. Businesses have been propelled forward into the digital and mobile world. Google quickly jumped on these changes with a whole new suite of core values for website ranking. This episode looks at them and explains what you need to do to make your website visible.

Change happens every day, it is a constant and transitions are inevitable, but some of us bare better than others when it comes to change. Many people spend a great deal of time and energy trying to avoid change, but you cannot run away from change, it will catch up with you. Look what happened at the beginning of the panic, that was change that none of us could run away from this kind of change. Some kinds of changes are controllable, and some are not. If you can learn to cope with change, you’ll lower your risk for anxiety and depression, and you will just feel better. At the end of the day no person or situation will stay the same forever. At the minimum, we all change, we all grow older, and we all are forced to open our eyes to new ways of life. It does not matter if it is in your personal life or your professional life you will face change. In this episode we talk about how to better cope with change and how to become more resilient.

Who is the most exciting person in the room when you’re at a networking event or a social outing? Simple, it’s whoever has the most unique and insightful stories to tell. It’s all about content, and content marketing is built on the same principle. By seeking to answer the unanswered questions or provide unique insights into complex problems, great content captivates an audience and sparks meaningful conversations. Content marketing can do the same thing; it can spark engagement between your brand or business and your customers or prospects. In this episode, we learn how to effectively use content marketing through thought leadership articles, blogging, market research and more. We speak with a company that is a leader in using content marketing and a CMO that knows the ropes. We talk to us about how to use content marketing effectively with some great examples of thought leadership and market research in the digital marketing and local search arena.

There are a lot of podcasts talking about what enterprise as well as small businesses should do to keep their businesses floating during the pandemic, but not a lot of them talk about how to plan now for the recovery and comeback. Only a few brands, retailers and local businesses are managing to sufficiently compensate the loss of offline revenue with online sales. They have basically but their businesses into hibernation, but now with the light at the end of the tunnel, it is time to plan the comeback. This process is especially going to be hard for lifestyle companies , where the owners live from their businesses. In this episode we talk about a method that can help lifestyle companies develop a plan not only for recovery but for growth.

Small businesses have a lot to gain by implementing digital transformation. “Going digital” can help business owners develop productive and cost-effective workflows, reduce administrative overhead, and unlock growth opportunities. However, many small business owners find it challenging to embrace digital transformation. It’s not that they don’t want to - it’s just that many of them find that technological solutions aren’t as accessible as they hoped, and that the intimidating knowledge gap can be hard to bridge. All this changed this year. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, said: “We saw 2 years of digital transformation in 2 months” Suddenly, businesses that were online-skeptical are rushing into the digital space because they simply must. In this episode we talk to a company that helps businesses reach “tech savviness” regardless of the industry they are in.

As usual, brands must consider their target audience when developing their messages, and this expectation is intensifying as consumers place greater emphasis on brands' actions. People relate to positive messages around social issues such as the environment, coronavirus safety, and systemic racism; therefore, how a business or brand positions itself can impact consumer loyalty. It essential for businesses and brands to recognize diverse cultures and different values. We all have unconscious biases and draw from our own experiences as our default, and this makes it hard for marketers to spot when a marketing campaign is not as inclusive as it could be. Therefore, we must monitor diversity and inclusion in marketing, and there are different ways to do this. In this episode, we explore how we can do this and ensure we reach every possible consumer group and leave no-one out.

B2C deals directly with the end consumer and the end consumer operate on emotions. B2B deals with companies, and they mostly use logic. There are apparent differences in how B2C and B2B companies engage, interact with, and serve their customer bases. Still, when consumer expectations rise in B2C companies, the B2B companies need to step up. End consumer expectations have risen over the past years, and since March 2020, they have exploded. The customer journey is no longer linear. It is 360-degree never-ending customer experience, that has changed how B2B companies need to deal with their customers. B2B companies need to apply the same customer experience and personal service that consumers expect from B2C companies. In this interview, we look at some market research that reflects how B2B companies must adapt their products and services to meet their customers' changing needs and, in turn, the end consumer.

If you walk into a room with ten people and two of them are entrepreneurs, how would you recognize the two on sight? You probably would not until you started a conversation with them. Once in a conversation, you may recognize certain traits or a certain mindset often associated with entrepreneurs, but this does not mean that those two entrepreneurs are alike. Not all entrepreneurs follow the same path to get to where they are. In part I of this series we discussed how innovation is a component of entrepreneurship, in this episode we discuss how not every entrepreneur approaches innovation in the same way. In Part II of this 2-Part series we discuss the Entrepreneurial Mindset and Journey, and the different ways entrepreneurs approach the journey. We explore the contribution of different entrepreneurial styles and how they can contribute to teams and to the different stages in the entrepreneurial journey.

In December 2019 at the onset of COVID-19, we saw a wide array of responses form businesses and entrepreneurs. Many businesses moved their activities online while entrepreneurs sought out new opportunities in the crisis. But the one thing we did see was innovation. German Breweries started making hand sanitizers and tech companies developed tracking and tracing apps. Essentially innovation blossomed in light of the crisis. This episode is Part I of a 2-Part series that explores innovation and entrepreneurship. In this episode, we discuss the routes of innovation, how we can foster innovation and its relationship to entrepreneurship. In Part II we explore the Entrepreneurial Mindset and Journey. Why is this so important? Because Innovation increases our chances to react to changes and discover new opportunities. Entrepreneurship propels us forward with new solutions, helping us embrace change. This series provides us with timely insight into both innovation and entrepreneurship.

History shows that crises can be startup incubators. Some of today’s biggest companies were founded during and shortly after the 2008 economic crisis, including Uber, Credit Karma, Slack, WhatsApp and Groupon. But crisis or no crisis, launching a start-up is a challenge. From limited resources to just knowing what to do, many ideas are never realized and fall apart before the business gets off the ground. But there are lessons to learn from both start-up failures and from those start-ups that succeed. These lessons can be bundled into a formula for success. In this episode we look at the start-up formula for success. A formula that can help increase the success rate of start-ups, no matter what industry they are in, or what kind of product and service they want to bring to market. In this episode we reveal to you what the formula of success..

Time is the most precious resource we have because once it is gone you can't get it back and many times we only realize this when it is too late. Today we live in such a superficial world, where we often value money much more than time. Being busy is seen as being successful. Our jobs consume us, leaving us very little time to focus on our families and ourselves. When we talk about time management we often focus on how we manage our workflow in the office, but not how we manage our lives. We talk a lot about work-life balance but we very often do not practice what we preach. On top of all this the pandemic has not helped. We have brought our offices into our homes, making it very difficult for us to draw the lines between our private lives and work. In this episode we talk about time, money and time-management, not just from the prospective of time-management at work, but with a more global view, how we can better use the time we all have been gifted.

The recent announcement of a massive computer breach that allowed hackers to exploit numerous US government agencies left the US government and the world in shock. The hackers attached malware to a software update which gave them access to government networks and private company systems, putting infrastructures, data, operations and priority information at risk. But this is not the only attack we have seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Chris Versace estimates that in the first 100 days of the pandemic Covid-themed spam messages increased by 26%, and impersonation attacks jumped by 40%. This is worrying news as the world transitions into a virtual workforce, AI advances and healthcare systems and data are a priority. In this episode, we explore how and why we have become so vulnerable and how we can better protect ourselves.

Prominent business disasters such as the collapse of Enron and Northern Rock, to such devastating events as the BP Texas City oil refinery explosion, are very often blamed on Company Boards and Governance. But many of these disasters happened in times that were not as turbulent as they are today. A recent report done by Deloitte on the challenges of Boards, states that “The way in which Boards do their work at this time will be a critical factor in an organization’s ability to emerge from the current crisis and push forward into a new era of economic recovery and opportunity for the benefit of all stakeholders.” In this episode, we pose the question: Are Boards up to governing in these challenging times and do they have the proper governance that can help guide them through rough times and onto recovery?

Leaders todays are asking everyone to make sacrifices and if there is one group of people whom you would expect to be provide great examples in a crisis, it would be a leader. , It does not matter if it is the shift manager at McDonald's or the President of a country, we all have certain expectations of leadership and how leaders meet our expectations is critical, especially right now. But to meet our expectations, leaders first need to understand what leadership is about and in confusing times that is hard. Leaders very often receive contradictory messages and in a crisis it is easy to forget leadership basics. In this episode we explore what good leadership is. We also explore how leaders can get support and why they do not need to make their journey's alone.

As we dive deeper into the virtual world and consumer behavior is more online than offline, digital marketing is becoming more and more important. At the same time, marketing expectations are placing new pressures on agencies and marketers who try to ensure their customers are found among the sea of digital advertising. Marketers are frequently expected to produce online miracles like getting customers ranked on the top search machines or making sure their pop-ups are enticing enough to earn a click. Companies today also want to know exactly what data agencies are using to track performance. They are measuring ROI more than in the past. In this episode we look at the digital agency landscape, different business models that support digital agencies and what the latest digital marketing trends are.

In ancient times the ability to memorize was a considered a magical skill --sometimes even thought of as mystical and it was essential to the passing down of stories, legends, history, and taboos and laws. It was used as a basis for social and economic development. Today, the Internet seems to be making memorization irrelevant. What we don’t remember, we look up. Many schools have also generally abandoned requiring students to memorize poems, famous speeches, math tables, and all sorts of academic material that used to be ingrained in the curriculum. The question is -Is technology making us mentally lazy and if so how does that affect us in our business and private lives?’ Memorization is a discipline of the mind and our guest on this episode believes we should exercise our memory more than we do. After 8 months of virtual working we are repeating this interview to exercise our brains.

COVID-19 has impacted our healthcare systems, in both positive and negative ways. The challenging strain we have felt on our healthcare infrastructure has very often masked the positive impacts the pandemic has had on medical technology advancements, and artificial intelligence has moved to the forefront. The application of AI across healthcare networks and in medical devices is helping us improve systems that perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence. It is giving us the bandwidth to perform tasks at greater speed, with better accuracy and helps us in predicting patterns. But just as any technology AI can have security issues when not managed correctly and when it comes to health and medicine this could cost lives. In this episode we look at AI in healthcare and medicine and talk about the kind of cyber security we need to not only protect our personal data but to keep us from harm.

COVID will be remembered as a time of tremendous upheaval and change. One that extends across industries and economies, as well as social and political structures and the impact, will be felt for at least a decade if not a generation or more. COVID has changed how we communicate, how we behave and also how we consume. If you have to point to one phenomenon that characterizes the COVID-consumer experience, it’s e-commerce. Online shopping grew in the US and Europe by triple digits during the lockdown periods, as people were compelled to shop online. But what kind of impact is this having on the local economy? Will these current trends be the foundation for consumer behavior in the future? In this episode we look at this new consumer behaviour, what kind of impact it is having on local businesses, retail and brands, as well as how they are and should be preparing themselves for the future.

As the Coronavirus Escalates we are being asked to download tracking and tracking apps, fill out papers with personal information and supply our data to multiple organizations. At the same time, we are seeing a surge e-commerce. We are buying more online which ultimately leaves it easier for companies to target us online. In general, our personal data is in more places today than it was before the pandemic, while cybercrime has ramped up amid this crisis. Working from home, multiple platforms use, the majority of the population workings online and much more, makes both company and personal data more vulnerable today than in the past. It’s been over 2 years since the EU introduced GDPR, followed by similar laws like CCPA in the USA. In this episode we talk to 2 privacy experts, about has happened concerning privacy in the last 2 years, how the pandemic has effect privacy laws and we expect to see in 2021.

Over the last months we have sometimes witnessed the clashes of values and beliefs and many of them have revolved around our views concerning gender and roles. I heard an interview from a US voter, who clearly said that women do not belong in the White House, while at the same time political discussions concerning wage equality, the validity Roe vs Wade and many other gender issues are always in the media. But it seems that most of the discussions revolve around women, leaving the question, what is happening to men in today’s world? Gender roles have shifted both at work and in the home, and expectations of both genders is shifting as our values and understanding catch up with the times. In this episode, we explore what is happening with men. What are they facing in this shifting world, and will masculinity be newly defined?

Business has certainly changed, today we are facing new challenge and new opportunities but even in the midst of this crisis business and negotiations must go on. We are operating in highly unusual and disrupted commercial environment today, therefore even the location of negotiations has changed, they may not be happening in the board room today but on virtual platforms. But no matter where discussions and negotiations are taking place and under what conditions and what altered business practices we have ; the principle of the negotiation process has not changed. Our circumstances may mean we are facing different kinds of discussions, negotiations, conflicts, disputes and difficult conversations today, with everyone from family members to clients and customers, but differences are still there, maybe even more prevalent than before. This is why the skill of negotiating has never been as important as it is today, and this episode helps you make the art of negotiation easier.

As we move into another period of lockdown, we would like revisit some of the observations we made in the beginning of the year when we first faced the unseen enemy of the pandemic. Revisiting what we predicted in April can help us reflect on what has become the new norm and what we may have not yet implemented because--- lets be honest--- it was hard to change all practices and processes at once. In March, time-strapped, and under tremendous pressure we were forced to re-evaluate practices and processes. We witnessed great creativity from agile companies. Quick to respond, they showed us best practices that we continue to learn from. In this episode we speak with the Chief Commercial Officer of a medium-sized European Company, that was first out of the gate with many best practices that have now been adopted in many companies. Listening to this episode can help you review your own practices as we enter this second wave.

Growing up, it was a Sunday tradition that my Dad would get up in the morning and go get a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts . We could each pick one kind for ourselves, and the rest was a surprise mix. My brother always took the Jelly Stick ( with the illusion it was bigger ), my mother the chocolate glazed, and I always picked the mysterious Butternut. Back then, I thought Dunkin’ Donuts was a neighborhood shop, our local donut shop, because the brand blended so well into our neighborhood. It was years later I realized it was a national franchise and even later in university, realized it is one of the best brand stories in the history of entrepreneurship in the USA. In this episode, we get to speak with Robert Rosenberg, whose father founded the famous donut chain and where he served as Chief Executive Officer of Dunkin’ Donuts from 1963 until his retirement in 1998. His story is fascinating, a story of entrepreneurship, vision and leadership that we all can learn from.

Holiday parties, mistletoe, lighting the Menorah, 3 King Celebrations, children sitting on Santa’s Lap or just meeting a group of friends in the pub for a pint are memories of holidays past as we adjust to 2020’s new reality. Typically, December is a time of traditions, and part of its charm is knowing what’s coming every year, but this year will be different. The torrent of shoppers in the run-up to the Holidays has been around as long as Holiday Glitter, but many long-standing traditions, are now on the verge of change. As we approach the most significant shopping time of year, we see changes in consumer behavior and some retailers are adjusting, while others are still trying to navigate the new world. In this episode, we take a look at what is happening in retail this Holiday season how can the local “Brick and Mortar Shops” actually thrive in this new world of limited foot traffic and more e-commerce.

Prominent business disasters such as the collapse of Enron and Northern Rock, to such devastating events as the BP Texas City oil refinery explosion, are very often blamed on Company Boards and Governance. But many of these disasters happened in times that were not as turbulent as they are today. A recent report done by Deloitte on the challenges of Boards, states that “The way in which Boards do their work at this time will be a critical factor in an organization’s ability to emerge from the current crisis and push forward into a new era of economic recovery and opportunity for the benefit of all stakeholders.” In this episode, we pose the question: Are Boards up to governing in these challenging times and do they have the proper governance that can help guide them through rough times and onto recovery?

Companies today should have plans to grow their businesses while increasing sales and profits, but there is more than one way to do this. Some growth strategies include market penetration, market development, product development, diversification and even acquisitions. But all of these strategies require a full understanding of how a business is currently performing and then identifying the right strategy to move forward. This is because a growth strategy involves more than simply envisioning long-term success. If you don’t have a tangible plan and an approach method your chances of success diminish. In this episode, we talk about a method that helps companies increase their chances of being successful. A method that not only works for existing business but a method that can be used for start-ups.

All business planning begins and ends with the sales forecast, and sales is a hard job. Not too many Years ago prospective buyers had limited access to buyer-related information and relied on salespeople to provide the information they needed. And then the world changed, buyers became more empowered. All of a sudden buyers became digitally savvy and had access to a wealth of information. A lot of them actually tried to avoid interacting with a salesperson, until absolutely necessary. And just as salespeople began to adapt to these newly empowered customers the world changed again with the onset of COVID-19. The COBID-19 pandemic struck at the very heart of every business, sales. Companies focused on retaining existing customers at first and then realized that their long-term existence still depended on new customers, but the job of sales prospecting was even harder than before. This episode focuses on how to prospect effectively and win more new customers.

If you walk into a room with ten people and two of them are entrepreneurs, how would you recognize the two on sight? You probably would not until you started a conversation with them. Once in a conversation, you may recognize certain traits or a certain mindset often associated with entrepreneurs, but this does not mean that those two entrepreneurs are alike. Not all entrepreneurs follow the same path to get to where they are. In part I of this series we discussed how innovation is a component of entrepreneurship, in this episode we discuss how not every entrepreneur approaches innovation in the same way. In Part II of this 2-Part series we discuss the Entrepreneurial Mindset and Journey, and the different ways entrepreneurs approach the journey. We explore the contribution of different entrepreneurial styles and how they can contribute to teams and to the different stages in the entrepreneurial journey.

In December 2019 at the onset of COVID-19, we saw a wide array of responses form businesses and entrepreneurs. Many businesses moved their activities online while entrepreneurs sought out new opportunities in the crisis. But the one thing we did see was innovation. German Breweries started making hand sanitizers and tech companies developed tracking and tracing apps. Essentially innovation blossomed in light of the crisis. This episode is Part I of a 2-Part series that explores innovation and entrepreneurship. In this episode, we discuss the routes of innovation, how we can foster innovation and its relationship to entrepreneurship. In Part II we explore the Entrepreneurial Mindset and Journey. Why is this so important? Because Innovation increases our chances to react to changes and discover new opportunities. Entrepreneurship propels us forward with new solutions, helping us embrace change. This series provides us with timely insight into both innovation and entrepreneurship.

More now than ever we require a future perspective, which can take our discussions beyond current issues such as lockdown policies, social distancing, increasing and decreasing COVID-19 numbers, getting children back to school and everything else that occupies our minds daily. Individuals, leaders, and organizations must have a vision of what kind of world we will be facing - a month from now and or even in the next decade. In this episode, we explore the visions of some great minds. We ask if their visions are generally optimistic, seeing the pandemic as a once in a generation opportunity for positive change. Or do they believe we still have a long bumpy road ahead of us? With the co-author and one contributor, of the book: Aftershocks and Opportunities – Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic Future, we discuss some of the opinions of the noted leaders that contributed to the book. While we try to imagine what our lives will look like ten months or even ten years from now.

Local Search is about ‘near me’ searches that were incredibly popular and based on intent, proximity, location optimization and relevance, the searcher was getting what they wanted in a very local sense. Given the recent restriction of offline movement, one could ask how this has affected Local Search? It would be natural to assume that it has dramatically fallen or even evaporated. Yet that’s not the case. As footfall has declined for most local retailers and other merchants, online visits and calls have grown. In other words, local search behaviour has shifted from generating driving directions to more website traffic and higher call volumes. At least that is what the data shows from a recent analysis done by the company Uberall locate in Berlin. In this episode, we explore what has happened to the “near me” experience and what it means for the future of Search.

There are many models and theories concerning organization culture and if you have attended university you may have been taught many of them. The issue is that most of the models are based on either economical or psychological foundations. In this episode we question what would happen if we looked at organizational culture form another angle? What about if you used cognitive science to look at organizational culture? Most leaders think of organization culture as employee attitude and the way employees interact with their workplace is. Leaders very often think that they are the drivers of organization culture, but what if someone told them that culture really does not start of the top? What if someone explained to leader’s that culture emanates from the people and practices within? This episode takes a new look at organizational culture, the myths we are taught and what we really need to do to make corporate culture shifts.

Everyone is talking about the new normal, and this new normal has changed our business practices, it also includes a flood of changes and new trends in tech. Software development has become more integral in every part of business and in every part of the world, meaning that new software development is having a great impact on our lives. While we cannot always predict what lies ahead for tech, but we are seeing new technology and new trends that will continue into the new decade. Deep learning: a subset of machine learning, Blockchain and other tech developments are some of the things we are seeing. New tech hubs are springing up in geographical regions we did not anticipate and in industry sectors that had a legacy for being slower in tech are speeding up. In this episode we discuss--the who, what and where of software development. We look at the latest trends and try to make some predictions on what will happen next.

During the Corona crisis, tech has been a blessing in many ways. But the use of tracking and tracing apps in various countries have raised the question whether we are putting our privacy at stake. In this episode of Leadership Beyond Borders we speak with Juergen Weichert, CRO of Munich based ad tech company Usercentrics. We talk about the use of tracking and tracing apps in the wake of the corona crisis and why the crucial question is how the data is being stored. We discuss the concept of Consent Management Platforms and help you understand how website and app operators can keep their Opt-in rates high whilst being legally compliant. We also take a glimpse at what the future holds for Consent and Preference Management and what website and app operators can do to be prepared, all this while keeping the end user in mind.

Business has certainly changed, today we are facing new challenge and new opportunities but even in the midst of this crisis business and negotiations must go on. We are operating in highly unusual and disrupted commercial environment today, therefore even the location of negotiations has changed, they may not be happening in the board room today but on virtual platforms. But no matter where discussions and negotiations are taking place and under what conditions and what altered business practices we have ; the principle of the negotiation process has not changed. Our circumstances may mean we are facing different kinds of discussions, negotiations, conflicts, disputes and difficult conversations today, with everyone from family members to clients and customers, but differences are still there, maybe even more prevalent than before. This is why the skill of negotiating has never been as important as it is today, and this episode helps you make the art of negotiation easier.

The Importance of Storytelling cannot be underestimated. The world we live in today could not exist without the influence from past generations, the experiences from people across the globe and the experiences from those that surround us. As creatures of habit and tradition we instinctively hand down lessons and share knowledge. We crave communal knowledge, which very often comes from the stories we share. It is one of the most traditional and human processes. Great stories often reflect the world we live in now, combined with the world we do not know or can only imagine. But the world we live in now has changed. Technology is helping us capture what we experience and share it faster than we ever shared before. Our ability to use technology to learn from others, share knowledge to give ourselves an insight into our own problems gives us an advantage that we did not have in the past and helps expand the art storytelling.

Everyone knows the famous expression in English: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But many people do not like challenges, they like predictability, and when we cannot inject predictability into our lives, we sometimes get frustrated and do not know how to cope. Today live in a time where there is very little predictability. In the last 3 months many people lost jobs, we have seen borders opened and closed, we live with new rules and we do not know what is around the corner. We cannot predict anything. These are the most adverse times we have seen this century and how an individual copes really shows what that individual is made of. As humans we all know that adverse situations can make us stronger. In this episode we are going to explore why adversity can actually help us grow and how to make the best out of tough times.

More now than ever we require a future perspective, which can take our discussions beyond current issues such as lockdown policies, social distancing, increasing and decreasing COVID-19 numbers, getting children back to school and everything else that occupies our minds daily. Individuals, leaders, and organizations must have a vision of what kind of world we will be facing - a month from now and or even in the next decade. In this episode, we explore the visions of some great minds. We ask if their visions are generally optimistic, seeing the pandemic as a once in a generation opportunity for positive change. Or do they believe we still have a long bumpy road ahead of us? With the co-author and one contributor, of the book: Aftershocks and Opportunities – Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic Future, we discuss some of the opinions of the noted leaders that contributed to the book. While we try to imagine what our lives will look like ten months or even ten years from now.

Paul Van Der Merwe, author and engineer is known for the quote “Money makes the world go around; however, happiness greases the axle. Without this lubricant, life will seize.” But most us only know the expression money makes the world go round which can be interpreted that that money is the most important or one of the essential things in life. We all have different attitudes toward money, and we all have different practices when it comes to earning, saving and spending money and some practices better than others. With a worldwide economic crisis and the US national unemployment rate reaching 14.7% in May this year, and around 14.0% in some European Countries such as Spain, our focus has turned to being very mindful about money. Our guest today is an expert on Money and the author of Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend. He helps us make the concept of money tangible through best practices and tips.

Most people do not question rules because they are designed to protect the status quo and create a level playing field, but sometimes we need to bend them a little if in order to get a desired result. In the right context, this can be ok because rules are not static, they evolve and are based on the information we have at a certain time. Not to be confused with laws, which are in place to protect us, rules are very often open to interpretation, rules can be changed. Sometimes we need flexibility and we need to “think out of the box”. Our guest has studied the subject of rules and processes and has concluded that most successful people engage in what he calls “intelligent disobedience” when it comes navigating the journey to an end goal. This episode explores what intelligent disobedience is and how it can contribute to being a strong leader.

A business that is visible is also considered creditable. Visibility today means being present across all digital channels and using the right tools to make sure you stand out among the competition. With the decrease in foot traffic and increase in online traffic, if customers cannot find you, they will not know who you are, and they will give their business to someone else. As study by Riverbed found that 99% of business decision makers agree that optimizing digital performance is essential to business results. The question is how do you do this if you are not a digital advertising expert? A great online presence consists of many elements, but visibility is mostly driven from a great SEO/SEM strategy. In this episode, we talk to a Sunrise System about what makes a great SEO/SEM strategy. We talk about current online marketing trends, what elements contribute to a strong strategy and how to make sure your company is visible.

During the Corona crisis, tech has been a blessing in many ways. But the use of tracking and tracing apps in various countries have raised the question whether we are putting our privacy at stake. In this episode of Leadership Beyond Borders we speak with Juergen Weichert, CRO of Munich based ad tech company Usercentrics. We talk about the use of tracking and tracing apps in the wake of the corona crisis and why the crucial question is how the data is being stored. We discuss the concept of Consent Management Platforms and help you understand how website and app operators can keep their Opt-in rates high whilst being legally compliant. We also take a glimpse at what the future holds for Consent and Preference Management and what website and app operators can do to be prepared, all this while keeping the end user in mind.

As we start to come out of this crisis and things very slowly get back to normal, those companies that have shown strong leadership are the first ones to bet on. Some industries were impacted more than others, regardless of how strong the leadership is. Still, it is the companies that have shown innovation, flexible business models, excellent customer communication and strong leadership that will recover. In this episode, we explore what great leadership looks like by talking with an influential leader in the digital marketing space. In this episode, we pose questions such as do you need to manage or lead your company in times of a crisis? We discuss what kind of leadership traits are needed to drive short term stability and long-term success. We also explore how important innovation and speed is during tough times. Listen to this episode to learn what real leaders think and do.

Luka Lucic, a Pratt Institute psychologist who studies the effects of war said “People, during times of prolonged, radical change, end up changing,” The question we will pose in this episode, how have local businesses changed and what does the new normal look like. Until the Covid-19 is subdued either by a vaccine or by a global campaign of strategically coordinated lockdowns our lives will not look like they did before. Businesses will not look they did before, and we will continue to have challenges, but we will also have opportunities. It is amazing how creative small businesses have become during these times. Developing and finding new business models, finding ways to speak with customers, and coming up with new products and services. In this episode, we talk with a company that helps small business and we speak with a local small business who has had to change his business model.

As the world reaches COVID-19 exhaustion and we all realize that this crisis has already changed our daily lives, very often we do not recognize what else the crisis has changed including its impact on global opinions surrounding politics, the environment and technology. Our attitudes toward potential opportunities—and risks— of using Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to combat COVID-19 are varied. There are examples of data and AI-based technologies that combat viruses and the spread of the epidemics. Many of these examples illustrate the potential of data and AI to combat the invisible enemy, through diagnosing, tracking, testing, monitoring and anticipating a viruses progression. However, many deployments of AI remain experimental and limited. This episode explores the technologies we are using today and what new technologies are evolving because of the pandemic.

For the first time in history, we are working with six generations in one workforce but whether this multi-generational workforce is collaborative and productive, or challenging and stressful, is up to how we manage. Over the past months we have experienced a crisis making it more complicated to do business-as-usual. Remote teams and lockdown policies have changed how we communicate. Different people react to these changes in different ways, but are different generations reacting to these new challenges in different ways? Some generations have been through recessions or pandemics, and others are just experiencing them for the first time, so what kind of impact is this having in our companies? How should leaders relate to employees of different age groups? What can you do to encourage employees of different generations to share their knowledge and work together in regular times, and does it differ in a crisis? This episode explores those questions and many more.

Local Search is about ‘near me’ searches that were incredibly popular and based on intent, proximity, location optimization and relevance, the searcher was getting what they wanted in a very local sense. Given the recent restriction of offline movement, one could ask how this has affected Local Search? It would be natural to assume that it has dramatically fallen or even evaporated. Yet that’s not the case. As footfall has declined for most local retailers and other merchants, online visits and calls have grown. In other words, local search behaviour has shifted from generating driving directions to more website traffic and higher call volumes. At least that is what the data shows from a recent analysis done by the company Uberall locate in Berlin. In this episode, we explore what has happened to the “near me” experience and what it means for the future of Search.

Marketing practices are adapting to the corona crisis in both the B2B and B2C sectors. E-commerce is surging among SMBs, while business models are changing. Demands are shifting in online product orders. High-demand for new products and services in a world where everyone is shopping online creates new competition and makes channels such as affiliate marketing a logical choice. In this episode we take a look at the affiliate marketing channel, how it works and why it can be a reliable marketing channel for not only brands but the local B2C businesses as they change their product portfolios. We examine the B2B sector as trade fairs, and other B2B channels are not possible at this time, we explore how affiliate marketing can bring new opportunities. Listen now, as we speak with one of the original entrepreneurs in the area of affiliate marketing and learn how it started and how it works today.

Sales Operations have shifted. You can no longer look you customer in the eye, so what do you do? In this episode we discuss how businesses are transforming their sales operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, what we can learn from how remote sales have been done to date. We discover the best practices that are going on and what type of training is needed for salespeople who may be transitioning from field sales to telesales or inside sales. We explore the challenges of how this can be done effectively from home, even with children and pets underfoot and what tools can support the system. We also discuss and what the future of sales might look like after the pandemic, during which certain trends will likely be accelerated.

Start ups are generally known for their agility and quick response, while large organizations are rarely so flexible. Large organizations often resist disseminating plans until they are completely sure, and then they are reluctant to change for fear of creating confusion both within the organization and with customers. But now large organizations are being forced to learn from smaller and medium size organizations as we all fight to keep our heads above water in this unexpected crisis. Time-strapped, and under tremendous pressure we are forced to re-evaluate practices, and we are witnessing great creativity from the agile companies. Quick to respond, they are showing ups some best practices that we can learn from. In this episode we speak with the we its Chief Commercial Officer of a medium size European Company, that was first out the gate with many best practices that are now being adapted by many.

Keeping calm and thinking both strategically and operationally can be challenging when a crisis occurs, and that’s what we are in. Facing a massive number of customer requests and questions, some of them desperate and some of them just inquisitive, can be challenging even in the best of times. We as leaders and companies must consistently provide transparent and accurate communication that maintains a trusting relationship with our customers, employees and other stakeholders. What kind of message should we communicate? How do we help our employees deal with customers and learn how to speak with them differently because different times need different approaches? In this episode we discuss what the message should be both internally and externally when speaking with customers in this crisis. We speak with an executive who is doing his best to give support to customers and partners in this time of crisis.

The Importance of Storytelling cannot be underestimated. The world we live in today could not exist without the influence from past generations, the experiences from people across the globe and the experiences from those that surround us. As creatures of habit and tradition we instinctively hand down lessons and share knowledge. We crave communal knowledge, which very often comes from the stories we share. It is one of the most traditional and human processes. Great stories often reflect the world we live in now, combined with the world we do not know or can only imagine. But the world we live in now has changed. Technology is helping us capture what we experience and share it faster than we ever shared before. Our ability to use technology to learn from others, share knowledge to give ourselves an insight into our own problems gives us an advantage that we did not have in the past and helps expand the art storytelling.

It is difficult enough to balance career, family, children and still have time for yourself, and then we suddenly find ourselves in a world health crisis and everything changes. We find ourselves “locked down” with family under foot, trying to build a rountine so that life can somehow go on. In this episode we speak with two female executives on how they are mannaging and organizing their family in these difficult times. We speak about everything from organizational best practices to how to explain to children what is going on in the world today and how to communicate with colleagues and manage a career from home.

Many of us saw the outbreak of SARS or EBOLA, but both of these pandemics were before we had a fully embraced world economy. Today we have a full global and connected economy, one that has spirited our growth but also brings with it certain risks because we are so globally connected. Now we are now living those risks. The pandemic is hitting the entire economy, and maybe the big guys will survive, with government help, but what about the local businesses? They are being hit the most. Local businesses depend on local foot traffic and many are not prepared to do business any other way. In this episode we explore how businesses can help themselves and the support agencies can give to them. With a spirted solidarity, we explore how we can support each other and what we can do for local businesses.

A recent Forbes article published research by the Carnegie Institute of Technology which indicated only 15% of financial success actually comes from knowledge or technical skills. The remaining 85% of success comes from the ability to effectively communicate and negotiate with others, and a lot has to do with body language and habits. We sometimes have habits and act in certain ways that we do not even recognise in ourselves, and these behaviours can have either a positive or a negative effect on the way others see us. It is also easier for us to recognize these certain behaviours in others than in ourselves. Have you ever had a colleague, boss, or co-worker where you said to yourself, “oh I hate when he or she does that” or ”here we go again, I knew she/he would react that way”. Well people could be reacting to you in the same way and you may not know it. This episode explores behaviours that are often recognizable and can impact our careers.

Although statistics vary, most are showing that around 61% of Generation Z entering the workforce now, say they want to be entrepreneurs, and very few want to do it because of money. Being creative, solving a problem and making life more efficient top the reasons why. But being an entrepreneur is hard. With 8 out of 10 start-ups failing it would be not very easy to be a success without much experience and some sound advice. In this episode, we look at why start-ups fail, but more importantly, we reveal the secret formula that can help entrepreneurs succeed.

We all know that marketing is changing fast, we only need to blink and there is something new. The big guys like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Google have redrawn the customer buying journey and redefined how companies and consumers interact. But this is only the beginning. As technologies and tools continue to advance and digital channels to begin to expand our options will become overwhelming. Therefor the question is, how do we choose which channel to use? The answer is easy, because best practices for developing a sound marketing strategy today still revolve around the story. A good story, solving a problem and knowing your target market will help you choose the proper channel. Measurement tools will also continue to improve, helping you understand you ROI. In this episode we explore current marketing trends, with real success stories and advice form an expert marketing executive.

There is a lot of thought today that goes into what true leadership is and what its relation is to corporate sustainability. Leadership is much more than authority, it is about developing people and helping others reach their full potential. It is also about equipping others with the right tools to not only to maximize the success of the company, but also the success of those that have a relationship to the company. This could be customers, communities and much more. When people guide others in their actions they become role models for the people they lead, motivating them, supporting them, and facilitating communications that have an effect that reaches far beyond the company. Through their leaders, companies should make conscious decisions to implement practices that have a wider effect. This episode looks at leadership from the individual to the systemic impact leaders have.

There is a lot of talk in the financial industry today about transition and technology, and for good reason. How we think about money, spend it and save money is changing and as a result the banking sector is in transformation. Banks are investing millions of dollars into technology to digitize nearly every aspect of their businesses. But it’s not only about technology, it’s about the customer. The customer profile is changing. With the new generations of Gen Z and millennials, banks need to be high performing if they want to win and keep customers in the long run. But what do banks need to do to win and keep customers? What are the practices make a bank high performing? In this episode we pose the question, how can the financial sector ensure they stay ahead of the game and perform in this competitive environment where Fintech is disrupting our traditional views on banks. We also explore how other business sectors learn from the turbulent banking sector?

The value of a high-performing team has long been recognized. 90 percent of investors think the quality of the management team is the single most important non-financial factor when evaluating an IPO and this is why the value of high performing teams has long been recognized. Its importance is not about to diminish as digital technology reshapes the workplace. Teams look different than they did 10 years ago. They may be virtual and diverse as we focus on a global economy. The traditional type of employee contract has changed from permanent to temporary or freelance and partnerships have become more important in business. These all impact teams. These changes do not be obstacles to putting together high performing teams. Building a team is not only about finding energetic, ambitious and capable people. We are going to discuss what makes a high-performing team “click”.

The world was shocked when Equifax announced that 143 million people's Social Security numbers were compromised, and everyone asked how did this happen? But they are not the only ones to suffer a comprise in data security. Many other firms have had data breachs, even though we only hear about the big ones. In 2017, PwC interviewed 9,600 firms globally and found that 41% of them had experienced at least one security incident in the past year For many leaders and companies these figures should make it clear that securing corporate data is a must, it is no longer just an option. But the challenge is that the hackers are getting more and more sophisticated, and it is not just about technology, it is about of social engineering. Therefore, Cyber security must be deeply embedded in every aspect of your business. This episode looks at cyber security from the mind of a hacker and security expert who will help you understand what you need to do to protect your business.

Internet retailing is riding on an upward trend is due to the technologically-savvy population and growing consumerism of the middle class. The rise of omnichannel is sure to continue in 2020, especially in retail therefor retailers need to offer consistent buying regardless of channel, and one channel is internet retail. The convenience provided by online platforms, product variety, and discounts offered to act as magnets to consumers, but it is a competitive business. Building a successful start-up in this area takes real entrepreneurship and a lot of patience. When we know that 8 out of 10 start-ups fail, we have to ask ourselves what are the 2 start-ups that succeed doing right? In this episode, we speak with an entrepreneur that has not only been successful but also in the competitive market of online retail.

The word “narcissistic leader” has become a buzz word, especially since the presidential elections that took place in the United States. The general public has gotten into the habit of labeling many leaders-in both business and politics narcissists, but is this really fair and is it really true? Narcissism and leadership have been widely studied, and there is some evidence that narcissists are more likely to succeed in attaining leadership positions. This makes sense, because they are normally somewhat aggressive, confident and have charisma. They know what they want, they believe they are the best person for the job. They can be visionaries and move companies forward. But there is also a dark side to narcissistic leadership. These kinds of leaders can sometimes have a negative impact on both individuals and organizations. They often plow forward leaving destruction in their path. In this series, we will look at the good, bad and the ugly of narcissistic leadership.

Artificial intelligence is changing everything. It is changing our personal lives and it will change the future of business. We already see it being used in internet searches, customer targeting, and even in performance evaluations. It is merging our personal lives with our business lives as devices learn more about us and location-based intelligence always knows where we are and what we are doing. But it can also frustrate us. As social media uses it to target us, cookies track our behaviour; we very often feel like big brother is watching us. AI also makes mistakes. Algorithms sometimes predict wrong behaviour and bots very often cannot answer our customer service questions, proving that AI is still at its infancy. But AI is influencing innovation. It is helping us become more creative and as we try to solve problems in new ways. This episode explores the state of AI and how it is stimulating innovation while pushing us into the future.

Body language is something we notice but do not think about especially when it comes to gender and cultural differences. One of the questions that very often is asked, is why do the genders exhibit different body language and how do we interpret these differences? Are these differences learned or instinctive? Do we form stereotypes when it comes to body language? What about cultural differences, how are they reflected in body language? Body language can heavily influence how anyone feels about interacting with us, it plays an important role in our careers, and our lives, and the gender and cultural differences in body language needs to be understood and recognize especially in business. In this episode, we talk about the gender and cultural aspects of body language, one of Europe’s foremost expert in body language.

Now there is no debate that your professional image is important. Normally, when we think of professional image, we think about meeting or seeing someone in person, although in today’s global marketplace we live in a world where contacts take place online. Images are built on social media and on professional online networks. There are many professional online networks where you can develop your professional image, but there is only one professional network that has 467 million members and that is Linkedin. With 87% of recruiters using Linkedin to find qualified candidates, this is the one place you need to portray your image and build your brand. A good Linkedin profile can propel your career forward, and if you have a profile that is not optimal you will just get lost in the crowd. This episode will give you tips on how to build a powerful Linkedin profile, what to pay attention to in your profile and how to use Linkedin to increase your future opportunities.

In the digital age, it is essential for all businesses to have an online presence. It does not matter if it’s a website, an e-commerce platform, a social media page, or a combination of all three; you need to be online regardless if you conduct business online or not. However, what constitutes an excellent online presence, and what ensures a business can be found online? The answer is content. Have you ever heard the phrase, “content is king”? Well, it's true. Content marketing used to be a way to set yourself apart from your competitors, but it has now become a necessity for being found and building a brand. Content marketing can provide conversion rates that are six times higher than other digital marketing methods. In this episode, we explore digital PR and content marketing; their relation to SEO and how they can help businesses be found online.

Women make up approximately 50% of the today’s workforce in many countries and 40% worldwide, although most of these positions are in not in management. When they are in management, they are normally below the middle management level and not at the executive level. The number of women in executive positions worldwide is less than 10%. If you look at the Fortune 500 companies, the numbers are even worse, accounting for approximately only 4.2%. So, what is happening? Are women not preparing themselves correctly for executive positions? Do women not have enough opportunities? Have women not learned to play the game according to the male rules that have existed forever? With over 60% of today’s university graduates being women, how can women help shift the system and change these statistics? What has to happen to the system to get more women in executive positions? This episode looks at the challenges women face today, as well the opportunities that are available.

Privacy is dead, right? Facebook knows everything about you, LinkedIn has documented your entire career and consumer behaviour shows, repeatedly, that people just don't care about privacy, no matter how much they complain about it. Research shows that most U.S. adults — 60 per cent —claim they care about privacy but will barely lift a finger in an effort to make sure it's enforced. Regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and regulations in the US are trying to protect privacy, but are we too late? There is so much data out there already, are we really going to be able to ensure privacy after the fact? Content regulation of the Internet is also now an issue that both governments and net users are concerned about. Moves by governments to ensure privacy and to filter and restrict content are making life very complicated for leaders and business owners, and this episode explores what leaders and businesses need to know.

The new generation of workers is pushing back. They expect and demand flexibility — benefits, latest technology, like the ability to work remotely, come in late or leave early, or make time for friends and the things they enjoy. And all this is happening while they chat on their phones, using visual images on Instagram, snap chat and other social media. They are re-shaping everything as we know it and reshaping it for us, but the question is are we ready to be re-shaped and how will this happen? There are some big obstacles when it comes to re-shaping what weave know as common work practices and it’s not just HR and company policies that are struggling with these changes. Managers and even the young generation of workers are struggling while we all try to find the right practices and the right rhythm. This episode explores what changes are taking place and how we all can deal with them.

In leadership, we have many experts, successful people, and those who have not been so successful, but they all have a lot to say, and many of them want to become writers. Many are seeking fame and encouragement because many believe validity and meaning will arrive out of publication. They see fame as offering a measurable amount of worth and competence. But others want to share a story and are not worried about fame. Some of the most famous writers we know, such as Stephen King says that it was an entirely personal reason he started writing. But no matter what someone’s motivation is, writing is a craft, and it does not come easy, and can only be done with a particular determination, time and dedication. This episode explores the craft of writing and what you need to do to become a successful writer.

Influencer marketing has always been around with sports figures recommending various products or commercials that say “9 out of 10 dentists recommend this toothpaste”. But times have changed, and Influencer is not only about big brands, but it is also about local businesses. Alongside this, Influencers have also changed, they are no longer only sports figures and celebrities, but the “girl and guy next door” has gotten into the game. Leveraging existing social media influencers, local businesses are beginning to use Influencer marketing in their marketing mix. But like any marketing strategy, it subject to changes in trends, audiences, and technologies. It is also not that easy to understand and although influencer marketing is an effective campaign strategy for many small businesses, the challenge lies in determining the best way to approach and work with influencers and what content you need in order to get engagement. In this episode, we look at exactly that.

Long ago when I thought about curiosity the first thing that jumped to my mind was the quote Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back', a saying we often heard as children. But today when I think of curiosity, I know that it is constantly cited as a trait that most successful leaders demonstrate. In May 2018, Success Magazine, noted curiosity as one of the top 7 leadership traits leaders can have, stating that “Great leaders are intensely curious about ideas that come from fields like art, literature, philosophy and more” Management guru Peter Drucker said knowing the right questions to ask is at the core strategic thinking and today many leaders have adopted Drucker’s “be (intelligently) curious” philosophy, in their leadership style. Our guest in this episode is an expert on the trait of curiosity and talks with us about the relationship between curiosity and successful leadership.

When words are well-written in well-written communication they can help define goals, identify problems, promote understanding that can help people arrive at solutions. But we very often do not think about the impact of written communication. It is one of the most effective forms of communication one can use because if you write it correctly it can be understood by all. Written communication can very often be thought of as less personal as compared to oral communication that is why many people don’t use it for sending emotional messages. But what all sides cannot deny is that the words you write or speak to others can leave a huge impact and create a lasting memory--either good or bad—and it is important to choose them wisely regardless if it is in business or private life. This episode looks at the power of the written word and examines how we can better communicate with each other in any situation.

As part of the Women in Tech Series, in this episode, we explore the impact innovation and technology is having on our businesses, our personal lives, and society in general. Today we are overwhelmed by data and new technologies, and we pose the question: Are emerging technologies positively or negatively disrupting the existing order of things? Our personal and business lives are touched by technologies such as voice-detection, suggestive searches, facial recognition and more, but where is this all going? We know autonomous cars are here, but what is next? And is all this disruptive or advancement? In this episode we talk to an expert in the area of technology and innovation and its social impact. We discuss data and the vast amounts of it we are confronted with everyday. We explore new technologies and the impact they will have on our lives, and we do this all with one of the leading Women in Tech.

People very often compare success in sports to success in business and management. This is because we can learn a lot from how athletes train and focus. When you look at high performers across all fields, whether it is a CEO or a Super Bowl quarterback these people do tend to have some common professional characteristics, personality traits, habits, lifestyles, and verbiage. But what we do not see is the mental and physical struggle that goes on and teaches high performers the disciplines that make them succeed. This is the work that goes on behind the scenes and is often a little more transparent in high performing athletes when they’re tired, injured, underperform and then recover, improve, and win. Because it is more transparent in sports, than in the Board room, you can really see the traits that make successful athletes perform and learn from them. This episode looks at what managers can learn from sports in an interview with a top athlete

It used to be the only way to recognize a good leader was through their executive abilities or management qualities. When developing leaders, if something was lacking, then we would send that leader into leadership training. Today neuroscience has entered the world of leadership training. Today we are looking at the brain and its relation to leadership behaviors. The brain is very much a social organ and the impact of different types of tasks on the brain can result in different behaviors that may impact productivity, thoughts and emotions. As leadership styles change from the old fashion command and control leadership model, with its focus on process, targets and top-down directives, the brain is becoming more important because of its emphasis on interconnectivity and sustainability. In this episode, we to talk to a brain researcher and scientist who is an expert on learning and development. We talk about how we can improve our brains and be better leaders.

In this episode, we have turned the table on Kimberli J. Lewis as she is interviewed by professional writer and editor, Thornton Sully, Editor-in-Chief at A Word with You Press. Thorn talks to Kimberli about her thoughts on diversity, gender roles, life’s importance and many other subjects that are both about business and some that are very personal in nature. It is a fun episode that helps you get to know the host of Leadership Beyond Borders, at a very different level while making the listener reflect on their own thoughts and opinions.

Today is the first time we are working with four generations in the same workforce and by 2020 we will have five. We as leaders must address generational differences and most recently the hot topic was “how to manage millennials in the workforce”, but this topic is now obsolete. As the next generation begins to enter the workforce, everything will change. From a traditional view the new Generation Z was born between the mid-1990s to early 2000s. They are now entering the workforce, but their behaviors are stemming from forces that influence all of us, not just their age group. These forces are breaking down the traditional generational barriers propelling all of us into Generation Z. Generation Z is no longer about age, it is about behaviors. As leaders we have to understand the forces that are changing this traditional generational view, and if we want to keep pace with business and competition we need to become part of Generation Z. This episode looks at the Gen Z effect

The advertising and media industries have always fascinated us. As far back as 1961, Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall teamed up in a comedy called Lover Come Back. It was about a cocky advertising exec who inadvertently pitches a campaign for a product that doesn’t exist. This movie gave us some surprising insights into the creativity that goes into advertising campaigns, and the behaviors they drive. But the advertising and media industry has changed since 1961, and so have the consumers. The one thing that does remain is that creativity is still at the heart and soul of these industries. But how important is creativity today with the overload of stimulus we receive as consumers? Does it take the unusual or the personal aspect that gets our attention? At the same time, changes in technology have these industries heading in new directions that are hard to keep up with. In this episode, we talk to an expert who understands the dynamics behind advertising and media.

Technology start-ups are like mushrooms in the forest, and unfortunately, 90 percentage of them fail but from the ones that succeed we can learn valuable business lessons. And the lessons that can be learned are not only for other technology companies but also for small and medium businesses. There are 125 million formal micro, small and midsize businesses in the world, including 89 million in emerging markets and they are just as important to the economy as technology start-ups. When you take a successful technology start-up that actually helps businesses succeed you have a win-win combination. This episode talks with a technology start-up that has been successful by finding the right products and the most exciting aspect of this company is their products help SME/SMB s succeed by helping them be found by their customers.

Gone are the days when executives are just executives and managers are only managers. Leaders are encouraged, even expected, to develop themselves and to more effectively manage their teams and companies. Workers today put in 50 or more hours per week in their job. Managers and executives tend to make about 400 million business trips in a year resulting in the fact that our lives are consumed by our jobs. In todays fiercely competitive business world we are working longer hours, more than many years ago and we are expected to do more with ever fewer support networks. On top of all this, we encounter endless business issues… making it difficult to keep the focus on the strategic direction of the organization, the management of every individual employee and our own careers. Sometimes we just need support. Coaches today are no longer performance correctors, but performance enhancers. In this episode, we talk about why coaching is essential and what it can do for you and your career.

The numerous articles and blogs we read about data and technological inductions show that we are still in a transition and adjustment phase when it comes to the tools we use to search, and one of those tools that is rapidly emerging is voice search. So, are we ready for this? As users we are slowly migrating to voice search while most small and medium businesses are still struggling to optimize their online presence and not even thinking about voice search. Studies show that enterprise companies and brands are also not optimized for voice search. The biggest question is what kind of impact will these new user search preferences have on businesses. Will businesses be able to ride the wave, or will they always be playing catch-up? This episode explores online user presences and how consumer behaviour is changing and the impact on how business are being found today in our new emerging economy of choice.

Fashion has always been an important part of how people define themselves and others. It's a powerful tool of influence. First impressions are very often formed because of fashion and we are more likely to trust and even obey orders from people dressed in styles which dictate control, such as uniforms or the power suit. It has to be one of the most influential industries with secure business practices that make us follow trends, follow people, and drive us to confident choices that then define who we are. It is an industry that has taken a functional product, and made into a reflection of style, wealth, desire, and expression. It is an industry that we can learn from. Regardless if it is market segmentation, branding or logistics the fashion industry gives us lessons that we can apply to almost every other industry. This episode explores not only what business lessons we can learn from the fashion industry but we also take a look at the up and coming trends.

A Supplier Gender Diversity program is a proactive business program which encourages the use of gender neutral supply chain selection and promotes women owned businesses. This is important because women-owned business enterprises are among the fastest-growing segments in the world-wide economy. But one of the most interesting observations about the status and progress of women business ownership is that it is not always correlated to the wealth and level of development of an economy, there is a lot more to it than that and many Africa Countries are leading the way, according to the MasterCard Index of Women Entrepreneurship. But even with the growth in WOB, these businesses are having difficulty competing for corporate and government contracts and earning less than 1% of the money spent by these organizations worldwide. This episode takes a look at what women owned businesses in Africa are doing to get their piece of the pie and give some tips to women owned businesses

Data is one of the greatest assets of a company, and when information is lost, it can result in substantial costs. Data can be lost several ways, the most common ways are through technology and process errors or external exposure. Firms such as Amazon and Walmart have had customer passwords leaked online, and these are only the significant breaches that we hear about, but there are many more. It also costs time and money to fix a breach. In a 2018 PwC UK report on the state of global information security, companies averaged a recovery time of 19 hours when they encounter a security breach, and 49 percent of these breaches occurred because of the lack of preparation. These figures should make it clear that securing corporate data is a must, and it is no longer just an option. As hackers and technology advance, companies and individuals need to stay ahead of the game. In this episode, we talk about assessing your risk and how you can minimize your exposure.

In the digital age, it is essential for all businesses to have an online presence. It does not matter if it’s a website, an e-commerce platform, a social media page, or a combination of all three; you need to be online regardless if you conduct business online or not. However, what constitutes an excellent online presence, and what ensures a business can be found online? The answer is content. Have you ever heard the phrase, “content is king”? Well, it's true. Content marketing used to be a way to set yourself apart from your competitors, but it has now become a necessity for being found and building a brand. Content marketing can provide conversion rates that are six times higher than other digital marketing methods. In this episode, we explore digital PR and content marketing; their relation to SEO and how they can help businesses be found online.

In ancient times the ability to memorize was a considered a magical skill --sometimes even thought of as mystical and it was essential to the passing down of stories, legends, history, and taboos and laws. It was used as a basis for social and economic development. Today, the Internet seems to be making memorization irrelevant. What we don’t remember, we look up. Many schools have also generally abandoned requiring students to memorize poems, famous speeches, math tables, and all sorts of academic material that used to be ingrained in the curriculum. The question is -Is technology making us mentally lazy and if so how does that affect us in our business and private lives?’ Memorization is a discipline of the mind and our guest on this episode believes we should exercise our memory more than we do. Our guest also believes that not only should we exercise our memory but he helps people learn how to do this.

Years ago, if someone had told us that a social media site would be limited to 140 characters and still be successful, none of us would have believed them. But Twitter has accomplished this. With only 140 characters, they have made social media a contextual and personal experience. But why does work so well? Experts say it is because people can get a sense of who you are on Twitter or what your business is about. It reveals what type of things you are interested in; it will suggest things you are interested in. It essentially lies at the heart of this new sharing economy and it is a global. But it does not come without controversy, and Tweets become worldwide discussions. But it can also be great for your image or your business. In this episode, we talk about the advantages of Twitter, the pitfalls that you need to avoid and the advantages that come with Tweeting.

The tech industry takes pride in changing the world of work, but it is further away from achieving gender equality than other industries. Looking at top companies, the leadership positions that women hold waver around 25 %. In school, girls get better grades than boys. So why do women not pursue technology at the university level, where technology has one of the highest gender disparities in course subjects? Is it because there is a lack of role models for women in the technology sector? As part of our Women in Technology series, we like to look at women who are role models in technology. In this episode, we not only speak to two women in technology but two women who are setting the strategy and vision for their company. Tech Strategy is one of the most demanding fields in technology, and the vision and creativity women are contributing is changing the future. Listen to these two women who tell us their story and how they think women can add to technological advance.

We live in a digital world and businesses are taking advantage of the increasing marketing channels available, such as mobile, but at the same time we are seeing stricter controls with ad blockers and data privacy regulations. Marketing departments are also facing new challenges. Maybe what is happening today is a result of the media misuse in the past, or are we finally making digital marketing and advertising more ethical and possibly more effective. As consumers, we applaud new privacy regulations but as business people, we are in conflict. Our businesses must adapt to these changes, and every day we are faced with new challenges which also bring us new opportunities. Today we are going to look at the ever-changing digital media landscape. We will talk about some of the concrete issues businesses are facing today with advertising on the web. We will also take a brief look at how we got to where we are and what may be coming down the road.

From the cave to the condo, gender communication has been a tenuous art and certainly not a defined science. We know that men and women communicate so differently they may as well be from different planets, says Dr. John Gray. We also know we live in a very disruptive world today where communication channels are changing, where stress impacts the way we act and where we all seem to have too little time. On top of that, initiatives such as gender diversity in the workplace, the changing roles of women and men at home and changing technology are also having an impact on how we communicate with each other. This episode looks at gender communications and the difference between men and women. We explore how these differences are shifting, what we have to do to understand each other better and how we can all communicate better, regardless if it is in the workplace or at home. Ultimately, we ask the question: Who makes a better manager: a man or a women?

Coaching has developed over the years when it used to be considered a from of “punishment” it is now considered a necessary “performance enhancer”. Top CEO’s are proud to say they have coaches, just like top athletes always have. Businesses also need coaches. In today’s global and competitive economy, having someone help you lift either your individual performance or your company results are a must. But there are all kinds of coaching models and finding the right recipe is sometimes hard. In this episode we look at different kinds of coaching models from individual to business and look at the best practices that make them work. We take a look at the practices that can drive companies to growth and help individuals and teams lead, while helping companies pull profits out of the hat.

There is increase worldwide in High Conflict Personalities (HPC). Is it the media, the extreme competition, the global economy, video games and movies or a combination of all of the above? It sometimes seems that HPC, narcissistic and sociopathic behaviours are dominating our boardrooms and the political arena, but we are the ones putting them there. The traits that accompany these personalities have been widely studied, and there is some evidence that these people are more likely to succeed in attaining leadership positions and are more likely to be elected in politics explaining is why we are seeing more and more of them in such positions. But is this good for our nations, companies and ourselves? In this episode we discuss how narcissists, HPC behaved individuals and sociopaths are not sneaking their way into our lives, how we can recognize them and what to do about it.

Hyperconnected and digitally charged organizations have become the norm today, and this has brought with it new challenges. The rules for conducting business have changed and managing constant change is a necessity in our already a volatile and ambiguous world. From dealing with a global economy to changing consumer behaviours, leaders need to be agile in order to hold the competitive advantage, but they also need courage. But how do leaders find courage and what skills do leaders need to lead in an agile, respectful way while keeping the needs of the individuals, teams, and the enterprise in mind? Can they do all this by themselves or sometimes does a small “kick in the ass” to help them along the way? Our expert today, has written several books that help leaders find courage and he also believes leaders sometimes need to experience a small kick in the ass to help move them in the right direction

Globalization is very often thought of as a new phenomenon, but it isn't. It is simply the contact between diverse individuals and it actually began when prehistoric wandering tribes settled and integrated themselves into more stable tribal environments. Digitalization- what is that? It will be a tremendous opportunity for society: over the years to come, it will be one of the strongest drivers for growth, jobs, and well-being. But it is a little scary. You toss in the span of generations working today, diversity, integration and everything else and we conclude we are living in a rapidly changing world. These changes can also be overwhelming for the individual, for society as a whole and for business. But we must grasp these opportunities with both hands and welcome. This speaker integrates her own philosophy not only into her private life but helps companies recognize how important shifting values and social changes are in leading successful businesses.

Body language is something we notice but do not think about,but body language is the unspoken element of communication that we use to reveal our true feelings and emotions. Our gestures, facial expressions and posture, for instance tell people what we are thinking. Body language can heavily influence how anyone feels about interacting with us, it plays an important role in your career, and affects whether you have a positive or negative impression of you after an interaction. And when we are able to read these signs, we can use it to our advantage and when we are not aware of what our own body language is doing others can use it to their advantage. It is something so simple yet so complicated and in this episode we talk with a body language expert that helps us better understand the in’s and outs of body language.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing everything. It is merging our personal lives with our business lives as devices learn more about us and location-based intelligence always knows where we are and what we are doing. We see AI used in internet searches, customer targeting applications, performance evaluations and it is rapidly changing many industries and the future of work. But AI is not new. In 1956, the term artificial intelligence was used at a conference at Dartmouth College, but not until 1997, when IBM’s Deep Blue became the first computer to beat a human at chess did it become a popular term. Now, 20 years later, AI is still in its infancy, even though we have voice-detection technology, suggestive searches, and autonomous cars. The question is where is AI headed? Many companies are competing to be the first to unveil the next level of AI do we really understand its capabilities? This episode takes a lot at AI from a very practical point of view.

Consumer insight is one of the most powerful tools marketers and publishers can hold. Discovering where your audiences are, and their interests and habits can not only allow you to talk to them in the right manner, with the right message, you can engagement them and grow your business. While mobile usage is on the raise, and people engage more and more with their mobile phones, there is one channel that leads the way in getting consumers engaged and that is the APP. Most businesses would love to have the engagement rate that some of the top APPS have, therefore we ask what can businesses learn from this APP behavoir? This episode explores the lessons we can learn from the way consumers engage with APP’s and how they can be applied to everyday business operations.

The ‘digital Sector’ is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of industries – all having a big impact on the way that we live, work and play. Companies that create digital products or are involved in digital advertising must serve a wide and diverse customer base and they need a talent pool that understands this customer base. Their products and messages must be free of ideology, bias or prejudice. That’s why having more diverse teams at every level of development in a digital company means that end products and services can better reflect users and diverse groups. This episode explores why diversity in digital services is not just a nice to have, but a must.

As part of our series on the Middle East and Africa, this episode explores the digital opportunities in East and West Africa. Africa is on the verge of massive digital disruptions with the explosion of mobile, the increase of cross-border data and the constant focus on development that is skipping a lot of the earlier digital technologies. But even while all this is going on only about 15% of SME’s in East Africa have a website. When you compare this to South Africa with 30%, select ME countries with 45% and select European countries with 80-90%, African SME’s have a lot of catching up to do, despite the digital disruption that is going on. Considering that between 80 – 90% of buyers in developed markets will conduct some research online before making a purchase decision – the lack of digital presence could be hurting the region. Our guest in this episode wants to help change this and has established a project that will help SME’s in East/West Africa get online.

When are artificial intelligence and big data going to achieve traction within Fortune 1000 corporations? We think It actually already has. In 2018 NewVantage partners’, conducted an annual executive survey on AI and Big Data. The study was conducted on 60 Fortune 1000 or industry-leading companies, with 93.1% of respondents as C-level executive decision-makers. The main findings of the survey revealed that an overwhelming 97.2% of executives reported that their companies are investing in building or launching Big Bata and AI initiatives and there is a growing consensus that emerging AI and Big Data initiatives are becoming closely intertwined. One of the companies leading the way in recognising, reporting and contributing to the opporutnites that AI and Big Data bring, is Dun & Bradstreet. As experts they provide insights and knowledge to companies, governments and the general public. In this episode, we interview the Vice President, Chief Data Scientist at Dun & Bradstreet.

In ancient times the ability to memorize was a considered a magical skill --sometimes even thought of as mystical and it was essential to the passing down of stories, legends, history, and taboos and laws. It was used as a basis for social and economic development. Today, the Internet seems to be making memorization irrelevant. What we don’t remember, we look up. Many schools have also generally abandoned requiring students to memorize poems, famous speeches, math tables, and all sorts of academic material that used to be ingrained in the curriculum. The question is -Is technology making us mentally lazy and if so how does that affect us in our business and private lives?’ Memorization is a discipline of the mind and our guest on this episode believes we should exercise our memory more than we do. Our guest also believes that not only should we exercise our memory but he helps people learn how to do this.

We still do not have enough equality in the C-suite. It does not matter how we cut the numbers they are just not there, and the question is why? One of the answers could be that we are all still living with unconscious biases, which can close the door to equality in the workplace. Many companies have diversity, equal opportunity and discrimination policies but they are not always “living missions and values”. But unconscious bias can also be within ourselves, and very often we women stand in our own ways when it comes to climbing the career ladder. But regardless if the biases are conscious or unconscious and the challenges stem from internal or external factors, we still need to understand them and face them. This episode looks at what the research “Shooting for the C-Suite” reveals about the challenges women face today. It helps women explore the challenges, face up to them and help them grasp the courage to move ahead with great advice from an expert in the field.

When are artificial intelligence and big data going to achieve traction within Fortune 1000 corporations? We think It actually already has. In 2018 NewVantage partners’, conducted an annual executive survey on AI and Big Data. The study was conducted on 60 Fortune 1000 or industry-leading companies, with 93.1% of respondents as C-level executive decision-makers. The main findings of the survey revealed that an overwhelming 97.2% of executives reported that their companies are investing in building or launching Big Bata and AI initiatives and there is a growing consensus that emerging AI and Big Data initiatives are becoming closely intertwined. One of the companies leading the way in recognising, reporting and contributing to the opporutnites that AI and Big Data bring, is Dun & Bradstreet. As experts they provide insights and knowledge to companies, governments and the general public. In this episode, we interview the Vice President, Chief Data Scientist at Dun & Bradstreet.

Globalization is very often thought of as a new phenomenon, but it isn't. It is simply the contact between diverse individuals and it actually began when prehistoric wandering tribes settled and integrated themselves into more stable tribal environments. Digitalization- what is that? It will be a tremendous opportunity for society: over the years to come, it will be one of the strongest drivers for growth, jobs, and well-being. But it is a little scary. You toss in the span of generations working today, diversity, integration and everything else and we conclude we are living in a rapidly changing world. These changes can also be overwhelming for the individual, for society as a whole and for business. But we must grasp these opportunities with both hands and welcome. This speaker integrates her own philosophy not only into her private life but helps companies recognize how important shifting values and social changes are in leading successful businesses.

We’re used to thinking of start-ups as primarily high-tech innovation companies and geographically located in Silicon Valley, but that has changed. First, start-ups have gone global with Hubs popping up from Tel Aviv to Toronto and from Berlin to Shanghai. Also, start-ups are not just about tech, but about local businesses. Harvard research has shown that there are four shifts taking place with start-ups and VC: Expansion, Globalization, Urbanization, and a Winner-Take-All Pattern trend. But these are trends among VC and tech oriented businesses. There is another trend with more and more local entrepreneurs starting small businesses. But start-ups have challenges, with 50% of small businesses not even surviving the first 4 years and with VC backed businesses the success rate ranges only from 5-25%. But regardless of location or size, the principles for success remain the same. This episode talks about how to Increase success rate of start-ups.

In ancient times the ability to memorize was a considered a magical skill --sometimes even thought of as mystical and it was essential to the passing down of stories, legends, history, and taboos and laws. It was used as a basis for social and economic development. Today, the Internet seems to be making memorization irrelevant. What we don’t remember, we look up. Many schools have also generally abandoned requiring students to memorize poems, famous speeches, math tables, and all sorts of academic material that used to be ingrained in the curriculum. The question is -Is technology making us mentally lazy and if so how does that affect us in our business and private lives?’ Memorization is a discipline of the mind and our guest on this episode believes we should exercise our memory more than we do. Our guest also believes that not only should we exercise our memory but he helps people learn how to do this.

With the lifting restrictions on cannabis, many say that the current “green rush” will actually have even more impact on the economy than the reintroduction of alcohol in the 30’s. But it is not that easy to grasp the entrepreneurial reins that are needed to make it in this industry. Restricted licenses, regulations and new technologies in an industry that is really in its infancy, makes it exciting but also very demanding and great leadership plays an important role. But it is not only about great leadership, it is also about social responsibility. In new industries, that are just forming, leaders have to be the ones to set the standards. Setting the standards means leading the way in innovation, and creating what the future vision of the industry should be. In this episode, we talk with one of the most innovative and socially responsible companies in the cultivation, manufacturing and marketing of medical cannabis.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing everything. It is merging our personal lives with our business lives as devices learn more about us and location-based intelligence always knows where we are and what we are doing. We see AI used in internet searches, customer targeting applications, performance evaluations and it is rapidly changing many industries and the future of work. But AI is not new. In 1956, the term artificial intelligence was used at a conference at Dartmouth College, but not until 1997, when IBM’s Deep Blue became the first computer to beat a human at chess did it become a popular term. Now, 20 years later, AI is still in its infancy, even though we have voice-detection technology, suggestive searches, and autonomous cars. The question is where is AI headed? Many companies are competing to be the first to unveil the next level of AI do we really understand its capabilities? This episode takes a lot at AI from a very practical point of view.

Digitalization is happening at all levels of the economy and it is impacting small and medium size businesses (SMB’s) as much it impacts enterprise companies. The challenge is that SMB’s do not always have the same digital resources or knowledge that large enterprises have. For this reason, it is hard for SMB’s to keep up with the various types of digital media available resulting in a lack of web presence that may hinder being found when customers are ready to buy. SIINDA, The Search and Information Industry Association of Europe, conducted a Digital Landscape Survey which took a look at the digital presence of SMB’s across Europe and the United Arab Emirates. The study which was in cooperation with Silktide ,UK and partnered with Mono Solutions, Denmark, for the UAE, gives us insights into where SMB’s need to improve their presence and what they need to do to increase customer engagement. In this episode, we take a look at the results.

There is no place in the world where digital marketing is changing and advancing so fast as in the Middle East and African (MEA). In preparation for our LOCALCOMM SIINDA event, to be held at Google Headquarters, March 6 & 7 in Dubai, we are talking today with a MEA digital expert. . According to the latest telecom Intelligence reports, Mobile phone usage is skyrocketing in the MEA and the region is expected to account for the second-largest mobile phone population of any region in the world, with an over 200% penetration. And this mobile phone growth, which is mostly smart phones, along with smart city initiatives is driving digital advertising and location based advertising opportunities in MEA. A recent report by PwC, on the state of the media and entertainment industry, forecasts the spend on internet advertising in the MEA will grow from ca. $707 million in 2013 to $2.46 billion in 2018. In this episode, we talk about the opportunities and the changing MEA digital landscape.

Traditional marketers and business owners think that the word 'digital' in digital marketing is simplistically taken to mean 'our website' or 'our Facebook page' and this thinking limits the scope and opportunity that digital marketing brings. The use of the Internet, digital media and other new technologies support ‘new age marketing’ but it has also given rise to a number of labels created by professionals and marketers. These labels drive us to believe digital marketing about media, devices, data and technology, but it’s really about the people we want to reach, relationships and the engagement we accomplish with them. The terms digital marketing, Internet marketing, e-marketing, web marketing and other terms should help us focus on the end goal which is the development of relationships. Understanding what digital marketing is, the importance of digital marketing and its importance to the future of marketing is critical for any business and this episode discusses just this.

Privacy is dead, right? Facebook knows everything about us, LinkedIn has our entire careers documented and consumer behaviour shows, that people just don't care about privacy, no matter how much they complain about it. Research shows that most U.S. adults — 60 percent —claim they care about privacy but will barely lift a finger in an effort to preserve it. Regulations such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation that went into effect in May of this year will to go worldwide. Why are governments taking control of our privacy, is it because we have none anymore? But, the train has already left the station, hasn’t it? We already live in a digital world, so how can we control what is already out there? Will the implementation of new rules and regulations make data non-accessible? How can we keep advancing and use new technologies such as AI if we cannot use personal data? These questions and more are the questions confronting us today and we will talk about in this episode.

We were shocked when Equifax announced that 143 million Social Security numbers were compromised. Amazon and Walmart have had customer passwords leaked online. These are only the big breaches that we hear about, but there are many more. A 2017 PwC survey interviewed more than 9,600 IT executives globally and found that 41% had experienced at least one security incident in the past year. Of those, 37% reported financial losses as a result. The challenge is that hackers are getting more and more sophisticated, and it is not just about technology, it is about social engineering. Cyber-security must be deeply embedded in every aspect of business from product development, customer relations, to HR. Understanding how to develop a cyber-security awareness program is not only essential for big companies but for every company. In this episode, we not only talk about why it is important but how to do it.

We are in the 4th Industrial Revolution and we are facing rapid change in the way we work and the kinds of work we do. Our workforce is experiencing more changes than ever before, with economic transformation driven by new technologies, automation, a global economy and changing consumer behaviour. It is expected in the US that freelancers will make up the majority of the workforce by 2027 and also worldwide. In the UK, France and the Netherlands, freelance growth has outpaced overall employment growth. The number of freelancers doubled between 2000 and 2014, making them the fastest growing group in the EU labour market. One of the biggest driving forces behind the changes in our workforce is technology. The simple function of the cloud allows us to work from anywhere at any time, and in this episode, we talk about the emergence of the freelance workplace, how we can make ourselves successful as freelancers and how it is changing the structure of employment.

Thought Leadership is all about having the answers to the biggest questions on the minds of your target audience. It is about sharing a unique perspective on topics relevant to certain audiences. Thought leadership becomes effective when the passion and expertise of the thought leader coincide with the interests of the audience. Thought leadership is important in all aspects but it is also important to companies in both the B2C and B2B world. This also means it is important for leaders and entrepreneurs to engage in thought leadership. Thought Leadership can come from any source – executives, customers, product managers, designers, customer service reps, salespeople. We all have knowledge, experience and a point of view. But ultimately, thought leaders need to inspire– and take their audiences to the next step in their journey. Our guest today is a thought leader on the subject of thought leadership, and how both companies and entrepreneurs can engage in thought leadership

According to OECD Better Life report, the Danish have a better work-life balance than any other country surveyed. Danes also rank above average in other areas like environmental quality, civic engagement, education, skills, jobs, earnings and general well-being. And when it comes to Gender Diversity, they are in the Top 5 for Gender equality, with both men and women working, and very often in high-level jobs, but they are able to balance this with a great work-life balance. According to the Danes themselves in a recent study, they say the key is to prioritize life and work. Ensure there is a high degree of flexibility at work, and ensure you have the correct attitude. In this episode, we go to Denmark and talk to a high-powered career couple who manage to balance not only their CEO jobs but to organize the lives of themselves and their 2 children. It very seldom we get to hear what work-life balance is like in Denmark, directly from those who live it.

A Supplier Gender Diversity program is a proactive business program which encourages the use of gender neutral supply chain selection and promotes women owned businesses. This is important because women-owned business enterprises are among the fastest-growing segments in the world-wide economy. But one of the most interesting observations about the status and progress of women business ownership is that it is not always correlated to the wealth and level of development of an economy, there is a lot more to it than that and many Africa Countries are leading the way, according to the MasterCard Index of Women Entrepreneurship. But even with the growth in WOB, these businesses are having difficulty competing for corporate and government contracts and earning less than 1% of the money spent by these organizations worldwide. This episode takes a look at what women owned businesses in Africa are doing to get their piece of the pie and give some tips to women owned businesses

On paper, things have never looked better for female entrepreneurs. In fact, more than 11 million U.S. firms are now owned by women, employing nearly 9 million people and generating $1.7 trillion in sales, according to 2017 data from the National Association of Women Business Owners. But these numbers only tell part of the story. Women-owned firms are still in the minority, and the hurdles faced by women who have embraced entrepreneurship are vast and often very different than those experienced by their male counterparts. The guest on this episode has not only started one business and been successful but has started many businesses and while raising a family. She has positively always looked for the next opportunity and she talks to us about the lesson she learned along the way. She also gives us a few tips on how to increase your chances at success.

Leadership is the most influential and critical element in business. Effective leaders have the necessary tools and skills to inspire and impact their teams allowing firms to run competently and smoothly. But there are different levels of leadership ranging from non-effective to highly effective, so how does one become a highly effective leader? One of the first things you have to do is understand where you are on the scale of effective leadership and where you want to be. Understanding the behaviours and qualities of strong leaders is also critical and comparing them to your own behaviours is a beginning. But it is not just about leadership behaviours and qualities, it is about much more. It is about being able to embrace the process that will develop you into a strong leader and reach the next level of leadership. In this episode we talk about this process and how to help you reach your potential and the next level of leadership.

The power of the web has affected more than just the way we communicate and the vast access to information we now have, it also carries with it a variety of legal issues. These issues are o related to intellectual property concerns, copyright, trademark, privacy, and more, particularly in the context of doing business on the Internet. Authorities are seeking to apply new laws in traditional ways that expand the legal control over the connect world, but they are facing many challenges due to the global nature of the Internet. The EU, who has led the way with its GDPR Legislation, has really disrupted the ADvTECH ecosystem, and in the USA, many states have followed suit. At the same time in other parts of the world, data protection is almost non-existent. With the constantly changing laws, barely keeping up with the constantly changing technologies, it can be confusing for everyone. This episode addresses those issues and much more.

Artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things is changing everything and it very often raises more questions than it does answers. Our guest in this episode is convinced that asking the right questions will help us adapt to this changing world. As leaders are aware of many of the opportunities technology changes are bringing us, but we also recognise the challenges. . In 2014, a Pew Research study revealed that 48 per cent of respondents believed that robots and digital agents will displace significant of blue-collar and white-collar workers by 2025, so I pose the question how can we embrace these changes and make the future workplace a better place not just a scary prediction. Today we are going to talk about how leaders can lead these changes. What we need to do to embrace the changing workforce that includes the Internet of Things, Artificial intelligence while putting an emphasis on talent instead of labour.

The Network Marketing and Direct Sales profession hit a new record in 2016 with $184 BILLION in global sales and in 2018 it is one of the fastest growing industries. It has become the new marketing method with intelligence, using AI to match buyers and sellers. Network marketing is no longer just a way to sell products by putting feet on the street. It is much more, and spans across industries form movies to organic products. It has even penetrated the SMB market. As digital marketing channels change the landscape of marketing in general, direct sales are becoming the focus of many businesses. Even SMB’s are reaching out to new channels, which is why automated network marketing is growing so rapidly. In this episode we talk about how SMB’s are dealing with marketing changes in general and how AI is changing the network marketing landscape and helping boost sales.

The new trend shaping the future of marketing is the notion of Purpose. Influential marketing leaders say that becoming more focused on purpose-driven marketing will help increase business because both businesses and consumers are demanding it. As marketing becomes more purposeful with an increased focus on customer experience, engagement, right time marketing and technology changes such as AI, it needs visionary leadership. Visionary leaders are builders, working with imagination, insight, and boldness. They present a challenge that calls forth the best in people. They work with the power of intentionality and align their visions with a higher purpose. They are able to clearly and vividly communicate what the future looks like, and lead teams forward. In this episode, we to talk to a visionary leader in the area of marketing and advertising. One of Forbes 30 under 30, Liz Walton talks to us about her leadership style and what she believes the future of marketing looks like.

Business Etiquette is a set of rules by which we conduct business. Essentially, business etiquette enables a company to function smoothly in its interactions with other businesses, its own employees and the general public, although today it has taken on new dimensions. In this global environment, we need to pay attention to the subtle differences in behaviour that lie behind proper etiquette. What is acceptable in one culture may not be acceptable in another, even though the foundation of proper business etiquette, which is curtesy and respect, remains the same. Proper business etiquette is also the key to successful business relationships. Successful people generally have good business instincts, which include proper etiquette among other habits. We are going to talk about why business etiquette is important, how it can help you court clients and customers. We also take a look at other habits that make people successful.

“Show me your friends and I will show you your future” Mark Ambrose. We all have friends, peers and associates that are part of our everyday life. Very often they provide us with support, they motivate us and give us a sense of community, but if we do not surround ourselves with the right people, it can also affect us negatively and hold us back. Speaker Jim Rohn says “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with” and if these people are not helping you focus in the direction you want to go, then maybe you should not spend time with them. But very often leaders or aspiring leaders do really think about this. The old quote “It’s lonely at the top” reinforces the thought in a lot of leaders that they are alone and have to do everything alone, but this is not true. There are a lot of ways to find great peer groups and communities where you can learn and grow. This episode explores the power of peer groups and how they can help you navigate your career.

If we really want to break down the boundaries and have diversity in all industry sectors, we had better start reversing the trends, and one of the most difficult sectors to do this in is technology. The number of women that tech companies employ has declined from 37 percent in 1995 to 24 percent in 2016, and this trend should really be going the other way. There are many reasons why this industry belongs at the top of the list of industries that do not promote and, in many instances, do not hire women for important jobs. This episode explores some of those reasons. This episode also sends a message to the tech industry. You must start integrating women into leadership roles, senior management, and middle management positions because Information Technology is the future, and we cannot exclude 50% of its users in as this industry grows. Our guest today has done a lot of research and a lot of thinking on how we can reverse these trends and get more women into the technology sector.

Influencer marketing has gotten big in the past few years, but what is it about? It is the process of leveraging existing social media influencers—people who carry a strong reputation with a large number of people in a given niche—by having them endorse your brand, support your content, or co-create content with you and your brand. In 2017 research showed that 39% of marketers were increasing their marketing budgets for 2018, with 86% of marketers integrating some kind of influencer marketing in their campaigns. Now that 2018 is almost over what have we seen? We have seen that influencer marketing is indeed still on the rise. So, with so much success, should we all be jumping on the influencer bandwagon? Maybe. Although influencer marketing is an effective campaign strategy for many, the challenge lies in determining the best way to approach and work with influencers. This episode talks with a successful influencer marketing and how to manage it from all sides.

Powerful partnerships are the key to improving sales revenues, margins and profits. They are also the best way for you to exponentially increase your business success and grow you company. Partnerships help you increase market share, get more qualified leads, give differentiation & a competitive edge, gain and Close ratios and margins. But partnerships are also difficult to form. Finding the right partner and getting to a win-win position is a lot about identifying the right partner, finding out how you can help each other and then negotiating a win-win solution. In the end, partnerships and cooperation?s are about finding the best way to help your company grow. In this episode, we explore why partnerships and cooperation?s are important and how they can lead to revenue growth. We also talk about how they are changing the face of sales.

According to OECD Better Life report, the Danish have a better work-life balance than any other country surveyed. Danes also rank above average in other areas like environmental quality, civic engagement, education, skills, jobs, earnings and general well-being. And when it comes to Gender Diversity, they are in the Top 5 for Gender equality, with both men and women working, and very often in high-level jobs, but they are able to balance this with a great work-life balance. According to the Danes themselves in a recent study, they say the key is to prioritize life and work. Ensure there is a high degree of flexibility at work, and ensure you have the correct attitude. In this episode, we go to Denmark and talk to a high-powered career couple who manage to balance not only their CEO jobs but to organize the lives of themselves and their 2 children. It very seldom we get to hear what work-life balance is like in Denmark, directly from those who live it.

The world is no longer obsessed with the Millennial Generation. Today we are more concerned about understanding Generation Z, and the two are different. Although the two generations share the same affinity for technology, a better understanding of Global culture and both generations have endless opportunities, they do not always share the same concerns and values. Understanding this is important for leaders and educators. Generation Z may be the next generation that really has a great impact on jobs, education, and social issues, such as inclusion and humanity. In this episode, you will hear from two expert guests who are constantly working with Generation Z and preparing them to enter the work force. They are helping educators and leaders understand the values of this new generation. They have conducted extensive research and gathered many Generation Z stories and will share their findings and conclusions with you on this show.

State of Women-owned business reports that in the USA alone, there are an estimated 11.6 million women-owned businesses that employ nearly 9 million people and generate more than $1.7 trillion in revenues. Even with the growth in women owned businesses, these businesses are having difficulty competing for corporate and government contracts and earning less than 1% of the money spent by these organizations. They are simply not getting their share of the contracts. But at the same time, corporations are focusing on diversity and inclusion programs, but they very seldom include diversity in the supply chain. But with the help of women’s organizations, this issue is finally coming into focus. A supplier diversity program is a proactive business program which encourages the use of minority-owned, women owned, and other minority or underutilized businesses who normally do not get the chance at becoming suppliers. In this episode, we take a look at diversity in the supplier chain.

In 2015 CBS news reported-- according to a government study-- 1 in 10 adults in the workforce have either an alcohol or drug addiction problem. In 2016, Quest Diagnostics analysed 10 million workforce urine test results and noted an increase across the board for cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamines meaning employees were using more drugs. The Drug Testing Index statistics in 2018 are constantly revealing the increase of drug use in the workplace and the on-going threat drugs pose to workplace productivity and safety. So, in general we can say alcohol and drug abuse is on the rise and not only in general but in the work environment. But what about the new kid on the block--- Opioids? Where do they fit into this grim picture? In this episode, we talk about the increase in opioid abuse not only in the workplace, but also in our communities and in our families. We explore the cause and effects, and what we can do to recognize and reverse this trend.

Small and Medium size businesses (SMBs) want to stay ahead of their competition, but do not always understand how to do it. Digital marketing, although very effective, is confusing and time consuming for the SMB. While most local businesses have some kind of presence on the web, they seldom understand that poor presence is almost like having no presence at all. And because SMBs do not have huge marketing budgets, much of the digital marketing is done by non-professionals, leaving a gap in their presence. SIINDA, the Search and Information Industry Association of Europe, whose members support SMBs with digital marketing advice, took a look at the digital landscape of small and medium size businesses in Europe. Surveying 10% of the SMB market, they were able to form a picture on SMB’s digital presence. SIINDA’s market research focused on Europe, although the conclusions reflect worldwide trends. This episode talks about the state of digital marketing among SMBs in general.

Today’s organizations and leaders are focused on doing things effectively and producing good financial results. We have created a competitive world where only business counts and the individual is lost in the process. The result is very often dysfunctional behaviour by leaders, a lack of respect for business partners and customers and certainly no sense of deeper purpose at both the individual and organizational level. This is why development plans in corporations are very often hard skill based and not focused on the development of the individual as a well-rounded leader. In Asia there are leadership models which are embedded in eastern cultures, such as in the practices of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism that focus on the spiritual side of leadership, rather than the efficiency we focus on in the west. We can learn from these practices. This episode looks at leadership models that combine spiritual practices along with the development models we are accustomed to.

The digital transition has been going on now for over a decade and although we see it and live it every day we will not have made the transition to a fully digital life until the work flows and processes around new technology are modernized and adapted. This means that companies need to look at digital transition with a 360-degree view. They have to understand what digitalization means to sales, marketing, customer relationship management, recruiting and just about every process in their company. And leaders must understand their people. Even the clearest digital strategy will fail if your people are unprepared to embrace it. As critical as defining where you want to be is, setting up the capabilities and processes that will enable it are even more critical. This episode looks at digital transition as a whole, with a focus on what it means for sales, marketing and the people that are leading us into the next generation of business.

Privacy is dead, right? Facebook knows everything about us, LinkedIn has our entire careers documented and consumer behaviour shows, that people just don't care about privacy, no matter how much they complain about it. Research shows that most U.S. adults — 60 percent —claim they care about privacy but will barely lift a finger in an effort to preserve it. Regulations such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation that went into effect in May of this year will to go worldwide. Why are governments taking control of our privacy, is it because we have none anymore? But, the train has already left the station, hasn’t it? We already live in a digital world, so how can we control what is already out there? Will the implementation of new rules and regulations make data non-accessible? How can we keep advancing and use new technologies such as AI if we cannot use personal data? These questions and more are the questions confronting us today and we will talk about in this episode.

State of Women-owned business reports that in the USA alone, there are an estimated 11.6 million women-owned businesses that employ nearly 9 million people and generate more than $1.7 trillion in revenues. Even with the growth in women owned businesses, these businesses are having difficulty competing for corporate and government contracts and earning less than 1% of the money spent by these organizations. They are simply not getting their share of the contracts. But at the same time, corporations are focusing on diversity and inclusion programs, but they very seldom include diversity in the supply chain. But with the help of women’s organizations, this issue is finally coming into focus. A supplier diversity program is a proactive business program which encourages the use of minority-owned, women owned, and other minority or underutilized businesses who normally do not get the chance at becoming suppliers. In this episode, we take a look at diversity in the supplier chain.

From the cave to the condo, gender communication has been a tenuous art and certainly not a defined science. We know that men and women communicate so differently they may as well be from different planets, says Dr. John Gray. We also know we live in a very disruptive world today where communication channels are changing, where stress impacts the way we act and where we all seem to have too little time. On top of that, initiatives such as gender diversity in the workplace, the changing roles of women and men at home and changing technology are also having an impact on how we communicate with each other. This episode looks at gender communications and the difference between men and women. We explore how these differences are shifting, what we have to do to understand each other better and how we can all communicate better, regardless if it is in the workplace or at home. Ultimately, we ask the question: Who makes a better manager: a man or a women?

Communication is not just about the words we speak, it is also about the questions we ask, how we listen and the body language we use. We give off thousands of unconscious signals through our body language that help others learn instantly and instinctively something about ourselves, which normally ends in a judgement, very often what we call a first impression. A huge part of the judgments we make are VISUAL. Studies have suggested over 50% are VISUAL, and that is why body language, our expressions and our habits are so important. Your communication, both verbal or bodily, can be your success or your downfall, and that is what this episode is about today. How to achieve success through using good verbal and visual communication skills. Our guest has done a lot of thinking, writing, teaching and speaking on this subject. He is not only an expert on the subject but he communicates his knowledge with humour that reveals the truth and makes you laugh but also makes you think.

Unfortunately, fewer women are interested in participating in the digital sector, be it higher education, jobs or entrepreneurship. The recent study conducted by the European Union demonstrated that only 24 out of every 1000 female graduates study ICT related subjects - of which only six go on to work in the digital sector, therefore widening the gender gap in digital. The statistics in the USA and other countries are not that much different. But there are strategies to reverse this trend, and they range from not only having role models at the C-Suite level but role models in executive management and management. Role models that encourage women to pursue positions in digital. In this broadcast, we speak with a woman whose passion lies in the digital sector and is an example of determination and success. As the digital advertising and media landscapes changes, we explore how can women contribute and lead the way.

According to OECD Better Life report, the Danish have a better work-life balance than any other country surveyed. Danes also rank above average in other areas like environmental quality, civic engagement, education, skills, jobs, earnings and general well-being. And when it comes to Gender Diversity, they are in the Top 5 for Gender equality, with both men and women working, and very often in high-level jobs, but they are able to balance this with a great work-life balance. According to the Danes themselves in a recent study, they say the key is to prioritize life and work. Ensure there is a high degree of flexibility at work, and ensure you have the correct attitude. In this episode, we go to Denmark and talk to a high-powered career couple who manage to balance not only their CEO jobs but to organize the lives of themselves and their 2 children. It very seldom we get to hear what work-life balance is like in Denmark, directly from those who live it.

We are moving from an industrial era to a pure digital era where AI will play a role and these changes are coming at us so fast and furiously that we do not have time to think about them. In such a short span of time, technology has created new social norms, new human behaviours, new business models and new ecosystems. We as individuals, have also developed digital profiles, defined by the technological touch points we engage with every day. These touchpoints produce data that relates to predictive behaviour and this predictive behaviour will be the basis for a new economy. This combined with the future capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a closely networked Global economy, means we have to approach problems differently today, differently than we have in the past. This episode takes a look at what Tom Koulopoulos calls “Revealing the Invisible”, the touchpoints and changes that are forcing us into a new era.

The UK, Germany and the US are leading the percentages of online retail sales. For consumers around the globe the most well-known form of eCommerce is business-to-consumer, which includes online retail or online shopping. It is predicted that online commerce will reach to 4.48 trillion US dollars by 2021. In Asia e-retail sales accounted for about 13% of all retail in 2017. As more and more businesses are moving to e-commerce enabled platforms, it remains that only 26% of local business engage in eCommerce because although setting up eCommerce platform is quite simple, it can also be quite confusing. For the big guys, eCommerce is about spend, brand, positioning and customer service which wins you returning loyalty. If you are a small business or an entrepreneur, you need to consider other issues such as good product ideas, logistics, the technical side, and even how to launch your first ad campaign. In this episode, we are going to talk about how to get eCommerce right.

In the business and cultural world, individuals and organizations create, innovate, come up with new ideas and create new experiences for us every day but this Innovation and creativity would not happen if we did not have intellectual property laws. Intellectual property protection (IP) is important to fostering innovation and encouraging creativity. Without the protection of ideas, businesses and individuals would not get the full benefit of their inventions and creations and this could stifle innovation. The global economy has made IP protection necessary, not just in your home country but in foreign countries. Digitalization has made drawing the line between what is IP and what is not a little more complicated, even when the basic concepts behind IP remain the same. In this episode, we take a look at what IP laws are and what you need to be aware of. We are going to help make the subject of IP in this digital world a little more transparent.

Today, even though we are seeing more and more women starting businesses, there continues to be a shortage of capital for women when they do. In 2017 only 2.2% of the Venture Capital money available went to women, even though women founded 17% of the start-ups. But even the number 17% is too low a number, we need more women starting businesses. But the struggle is not only in entrepreneurship. While women continue to be key players in the workforce and it is hard to find an organization that has less than a 50% gender mix, these statistics are not being reflected in executive management. So, the battle continues. From executive equality to entrepreneurship opportunity and economic equity, women today are finding a new voice. This episode explores the opportunities for women in executive leadership and entrepreneurship and discusses how we can help make a shift and ensure that women are afforded the opportunities they deserve.

The late Millennials, and Generation Z, are shaking up the workforce, they are changing purchasing channels, customer service expectations and they have developed what we call a sharing society, but at the same time, they have the reputation for making some of us from other generations crazy. There have been numerous books written about the new generations, seminars how to integrate them into the workforces, but it is seldom we have the opportunity to hear advice straight from the horse’s mouth. This episode is dedicated to hearing not what people think about millennials and Generation Z but what they think about the world. We interview an influencer in the world of Millennials and Generation Z. Born on the cusp of these generations, he has created his own path and is extremely knowledgeable about not only about the changing digital world around us, but also about the habits and behaviours we can expect from these well studied generations, from an insider point of view.

The hiring process has transformed dramatically over the years, in large part due to technological advancements. Beyond just the rise of the internet, tools like video interviewing and interview scheduling software have helped to streamline the hiring process, saving both time and money and making a hiring manager’s life much easier. Before social media and the internet, a person looking for a position would send in a resume, and if they wanted to draw attention they used tricks like sending the resume in a sneaker with a note saying, “I would like get my foot in the door”. And then we all moved online. Applications became easy and efficient for the HR departments, but it also meant to me as a CEO I may be missing talent. So, in this digital hiring process, as an employer, how do I find the talent I need and as a job seeker how to I draw attention to myself? This episode talks about how to get the most out of technology and the new hiring process.

You're sitting in a meeting or conference staring at the face of someone and you want one thing and they want something entirely different. It occurs to you that neither party is going to get what they want. Negotiating is not getting what you want or giving in to what the other party wants. It's not an 'either/or' situation. It's about having both parties walk away satisfied. You really need a pre-determined approach or prepared plan of action to achieve a specific goal or objective and to potentially find and make an agreement or contract in a negotiation with another party. But on the other hand, you sometimes do not have time to prepare a plan, when situations come up spontaneously, and this is where real negotiation skills come into play. So how do you get them? Can you learn them? After a few lessons will you be an expert? Probably not but good negotiation skills will make you a better leader and our guest on this show is a professional negotiation coach.

Artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things is changing everything and it very often raises more questions than it does answers. Our guest in this episode is convinced that asking the right questions will help us adapt to this changing world. As leaders are aware of many of the opportunities technology changes are bringing us, but we also recognise the challenges. . In 2014, a Pew Research study revealed that 48 per cent of respondents believed that robots and digital agents will displace significant of blue-collar and white-collar workers by 2025, so I pose the question how can we embrace these changes and make the future workplace a better place not just a scary prediction. Today we are going to talk about how leaders can lead these changes. What we need to do to embrace the changing workforce that includes the Internet of Things, Artificial intelligence while putting an emphasis on talent instead of labour.

We live in a digital world and businesses are taking advantage of the increasing marketing channels available, such as mobile, but at the same time we are seeing stricter controls with ad blockers and data privacy regulations. Marketing departments are also facing new challenges. Maybe what is happening today is a result of the media misuse in the past, or are we finally making digital marketing and advertising more ethical and possibly more effective. As consumers, we applaud new privacy regulations but as business people, we are in conflict. Our businesses must adapt to these changes, and every day we are faced with new challenges which also bring us new opportunities. Today we are going to look at the ever-changing digital media landscape. We will talk about some of the concrete issues businesses are facing today with advertising on the web. We will also take a brief look at how we got to where we are and what may be coming down the road.

Men hold the overwhelming majority of positions in IT leadership, where women fill less than 17% of CIO. The lack of diversity remains an issue and the numbers are unlikely to improve a lot right away but there is hope. Initiatives like Europe’s 2020 legislation, which has the goal of reaching a 40% gender diversity on the Boards of publicly held companies, has boosted the initiatives for more CIOs. The number of CIO’s in the Fortune 500 has been dropping, from 24% in 2015 to only 15% as of November 2017, so what do we do? Today the CIO role focus on driving business transformations, customer-facing initiatives, on-demand services and developing “smart cities and companies”. To have gender equality we need role models and CIO’s who are encouraging women to go into technology and focus on management and operations. Today we are going to be speaking with a woman who has made it to the Board and is a CIO, a role model in the field of technology and an encouragement to all.

Now there is no debate that your professional image is important. Normally, when we think of professional image, we think about meeting or seeing someone in person, although in today’s global marketplace we live in a world where contacts take place online. Images are built on social media and on professional online networks. There are many professional online networks where you can develop your professional image, but there is only one professional network that has 467 million members and that is Linkedin. With 87% of recruiters using Linkedin to find qualified candidates, this is the one place you need to portray your image and build your brand. A good Linkedin profile can propel your career forward, and if you have a profile that is not optimal you will just get lost in the crowd. This episode will give you tips on how to build a powerful Linkedin profile, what to pay attention to in your profile and how to use Linkedin to increase your future opportunities.

In 2016, an estimated 163 million women were starting or running new businesses in 74 economies around the world. In addition, an estimated 111 million were running established businesses. These statistics are more impressive when we consider that women’s entrepreneurship rates increased by 10% on average vs 5% for men. But one thing which has been shown is there is a distinct gap between men and women in their perceived capabilities to start a business. The bottom line is we very often lack confidence. Sometimes it is because how we are raised, or because the stats are against us and sometimes it is just that the challenges may seem so big that we give up. What does it take to be a successful woman entrepreneur? We are going to talk to a woman who has “scratched” herself to the top of local media, and long after she had raised her family. Someone who knew what it was like to grow up in a generation that said, “girls should not do that” but made her own way as an entrepreneur.

In 1956, the term artificial intelligence was used at a conference at Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, and in the years after that government, corporate and public interest had waned and risen until in 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue became the first computer to beat a human at chess when it defeated world champion, Gary Kasparov. This brought to light the question of what else could we teach a computer to do? Voice-detection technology, suggestive searches, and autonomous cars are just a few of the ways that artificial intelligence has burrowed into our lives, and companies are quickly bringing AI to the next level. How is AI changing our lives and where lay the human aspects of AI? Do we really understand all the capabilities? This episode explores some of those questions with one of the top AI and Robotic experts and as part of our Women in Technology Series. Our expert is one of the leading women in the field of AI and Robotics, where women make up only around 20%.

There are hundreds of different management methodologies. Google management methods or leadership styles, and you'll get plenty of advice but little of which truly covers the entire spectrum of managing a business from A to Z. Business leaders come up with our own methods by based on our years of experience. Good business leaders can instinctively create a leadership and management system focused on deliverables and has a 360 view of the business and customers but it is very often easier to have a method you can follow. One method that is very popular is called the Entrepreneurial Operating System, which consists of a complete set of simple concepts and practical tools that help managers and entrepreneurs run their businesses. It is not a magic system, rather a logical approach to business. If you are staring out, or transforming your business, you want to pay a little more attention to its framework and use it as a guideline for transforming or growing your business.

Years ago, if someone had told us that a social media site would be limited to 140 characters and still be successful, none of us would have believed them. But Twitter has accomplished this. With only 140 characters, they have made social media a contextual and personal experience. But why does work so well? Experts say it is because people can get a sense of who you are on Twitter or what your business is about. It reveals what type of things you are interested in; it will suggest things you are interested in. It essentially lies at the heart of this new sharing economy and it is a global. But it does not come without controversy, and Tweets become worldwide discussions. But it can also be great for your image or your business. In this episode, we talk about the advantages of Twitter, the pitfalls that you need to avoid and the advantages that come with Tweeting.

The value of a high-performing team has long been recognized. 90 percent of investors think the quality of the management team is the single most important non-financial factor when evaluating an IPO and this is why the value of high performing teams has long been recognized. Its importance is not about to diminish as digital technology reshapes the workplace. Teams look different than they did 10 years ago. They may be virtual and diverse as we focus on a global economy. The traditional type of employee contract has changed from permanent to temporary or freelance and partnerships have become more important in business. These all impact teams. These changes do not be obstacles to putting together high performing teams. Building a team is not only about finding energetic, ambitious and capable people. We are going to discuss what makes a high-performing team “click”.

Sales used to be a structured approach and the heart of the approach was questioning, fact finding, reflecting back and closing. But today customer behaviours and demands have changed. Customers don’t want to spend 40 minutes telling you about their problems and then listening to you while you tell them how you can help them. Customers are also much better-informed today. They research a lot more before they buy. They are more demanding and everyone wants the best value. Social media has also changed the landscape, by changing “word of mouth” to recommendations from strangers. All these changes now make what used to be a simple process-selling- more complicated what needs to change in the selling process to meet the needs of customers today. We will explore how the sales process has changed and how you can ensure your sales team will be successful.

The expression go the extra mile. can be traced back to the New Testament injunction 'And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain' (Matthew 5:41). Today when we use this expression it generally means going above and beyond the call of duty or using your own efforts to reach beyond normal expectations. But going the extra mile also takes effort. It can mean stepping out of your comfort zone, it could mean giving a little more than you thought you could give and it could mean doing something you never thought you would do. Regardless if it is in your professional or private life, there are many ways you can go the extra mile, and this episode talks about how you can do that while contributing value and adding positive energy to almost everything you do.

Everyone agrees that the more diversity there is in politics the more innovative we will be and, the more likely we’ll address the needs and challenges of the diverse communities that are emerging in this Global Economy. But the lack of progress in the representation of some groups, such as African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and other minorities in many industries and in politics is particularly notable, especially in the United States and Europe. This episode celebrates minorities. We take a look at the contributions people of colour have made in the development of this world economy. In celebration of Black History Month, we recall the history of African-American contributions in the United States and we look at what we have to do today to ensure we have more minorities in both corporate and political leadership position.

The digital transition has been going on now for over a decade and although we see it and live it every day we will not have made the transition to a fully digital life until the work flows and processes around new technology are modernized and adapted. This means that companies need to look at digital transition with a 360-degree view. They have to understand what digitalization means to sales, marketing, customer relationship management, recruiting and just about every process in their company. And leaders must understand their people. Even the clearest digital strategy will fail if your people are unprepared to embrace it. As critical as defining where you want to be is, setting up the capabilities and processes that will enable it are even more critical. This episode looks at digital transition as a whole, with a focus on what it means for sales, marketing and the people that are leading us into the next generation of business.

If you thought you just figured out the Millennials, just wait for the next generation of future leaders. Gen Z-ers are now influencing the world. They are the ones that grew up digitally connected; they’re accustomed to having data and content thrown at them all day and from all angles. As lifelong digital natives, they to have a special affinity for artificial intelligence, specifically because it mimics their natural tendency toward global mobile communication and engagement. In this episode, you will hear from two amazing Generation Z-er’s, one of them who is a capital allocation analyst and the other who has made an impact in Artificial Intelligence, even before he is old enough to drive! You will hear insights from the world’s youngest IBM Watson Programmer and his sister, who are setting the pace for Generation Z. You will also hear an amazing story of family support and encouragement which is inspiring and is a great example of the global economy will live in.

Engineering continues to be a male dominated profession despite encouragement from women’s groups and the fact that the career has real prospects for women. It is one of the most diverse areas to work in. and the numerous engineering careers offer variety and opportunity. Engineers find new ways of doing things, develop creative solutions for modern problems and help create a better world. So why are the number of women in this field so low? The low number of women in engineering is often attributed to the challenges women have historically faced in such male dominated careers, gender conditioning and stereotyping. So how can we encourage more women to enter engineering? What do we need to do to promote an engineering career among women, to help women succeed and help companies bring diversity to engineering? In this episode, we speaker with a successful female engineer about how women can succeed in engineering and how we can encourage more women to enter the field.

Now there is no debate that your professional image is important. Normally, when we think of professional image, we think about meeting or seeing someone in person, although in today’s global marketplace we live in a world where contacts take place online. Images are built on social media and on professional online networks. There are many professional online networks where you can develop your professional image, but there is only one professional network that has 467 million members and that is Linkedin. With 87% of recruiters using Linkedin to find qualified candidates, this is the one place you need to portray your image and build your brand. A good Linkedin profile can propel your career forward, and if you have a profile that is not optimal you will just get lost in the crowd. This episode will give you tips on how to build a powerful Linkedin profile, what to pay attention to in your profile and how to use Linkedin to increase your future opportunities.

Jobs, we need them and when you have one the golden rule has always been never quit a job before you have another job to go to!, but maybe this has now changed. Although this advice seems sensible, it is sometimes difficult to follow when you find yourself in a job or position that you really do not want to be in. Even if it is harder to get hired when you're unemployed, sometimes you reach a point where you can't force yourself to go a job you do not like. You sometimes find it hard to motivate yourself and it begins to effect your entire life. You want to find a job you love, and you can, there are many ways to combine your passions with your job. Entrepreneurship is on the rise, because todays employees what to “to be their own boss”, and “manage their own time!”. People also want to create businesses around their passions, and this is what this episode is about. How you can find your passion and then make that passion into a career?

What is the VUCA world? It is a global work environment which has volatility, uncertainty, change and ambiguity as a norm and only leaders who can continually transform will suceed. But being able to transform means adapting a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when you can take your talents and abilities and develop them through effort, good teaching, persistence and by basically taking control of your own mind. Once you have control of your mind you can change and adapt. You will begin to see set-backs as chances, and you will have more impact on the world around you. For leaders, this is essential because your mindset influences and determines how you think about and interpret situations, your emotional reactions, the decisions you make, and the actions you take. It also is impacts how others see you. In this episode, we talk about how to develop a growth mindset that will help you be a better leader in this VUCA world.

Big data, it can, can bring big benefits such as targeted advertisements, smart cars and more. It is available in wearables, implantable devices and as artificial intelligence in normal household gadgets. But It can also lead to big privacy problems. We all generate thousands of data points every day about where we go, who we communicate with, what we buy, and when we do this it makes us vulnerable because we do not know where the data ends up. Because of issues like these there have been multiple expressions of concern from privacy advocates and governments, but there has been little action to improve privacy protection in the online, always connected world. And whose responsibility is it anyways? Companies certainly have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to data, but very often they do not fully understand what those responsibilities are. In this episode, we look at the obligations companies have when it comes to handling data and understanding privacy laws.

What is the VUCA world? It is a global work environment which has volatility, uncertainty, change and ambiguity as a norm and only leaders who can continually transform will suceed. But being able to transform means adapting a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when you can take your talents and abilities and develop them through effort, good teaching, persistence and by basically taking control of your own mind. Once you have control of your mind you can change and adapt. You will begin to see set-backs as chances, and you will have more impact on the world around you. For leaders, this is essential because your mindset influences and determines how you think about and interpret situations, your emotional reactions, the decisions you make, and the actions you take. It also is impacts how others see you. In this episode, we talk about how to develop a growth mindset that will help you be a better leader in this VUCA world.

If you thought you just figured out the Millennials, just wait for the next generation of future leaders. Gen Z-ers are now influencing the world. They are the ones that grew up digitally connected; they’re accustomed to having data and content thrown at them all day and from all angles. As lifelong digital natives, they to have a special affinity for artificial intelligence, specifically because it mimics their natural tendency toward global mobile communication and engagement. In this episode, you will hear from two amazing Generation Z-er’s, one of them who is a capital allocation analyst and the other who has made an impact in Artificial Intelligence, even before he is old enough to drive! You will hear insights from the world’s youngest IBM Watson Programmer and his sister, who are setting the pace for Generation Z. You will also hear an amazing story of family support and encouragement which is inspiring and is a great example of the global economy will live in.

Years ago, if someone had told us that a social media site would be limited to 140 characters and still be successful, none of us would have believed them. But Twitter has accomplished this. With only 140 characters, they have made social media a contextual and personal experience. But why does work so well? Experts say it is because people can get a sense of who you are on Twitter or what your business is about. It reveals what type of things you are interested in; it will suggest things you are interested in. It essentially lies at the heart of this new sharing economy and it is a global. But it does not come without controversy, and Tweets become worldwide discussions. But it can also be great for your image or your business. In this episode, we talk about the advantages of Twitter, the pitfalls that you need to avoid and the advantages that come with Tweeting.

It is critical to diligently watch and manage your online reputation in order to ensure business success and growth. It is also important to have a have a well-thought-out reputation development strategy in place for your business, but what does that mean? It means understanding your online presence, engaging your potential clients /customers and managing the entire customer process, including customer feedback. It is crucial to know what your customers/clients are saying about your business while at the same time, taking measures to develop your business reputation. Many businesses are timid when it comes to feedback because of possible complaints. Learning to deal with complaints and turn them into improvements for your business is what business owners and leaders need to do. This episode deals with the entire online marketing process from online presence to reputation development and we talk about how to use customer complaints to improve your business.

Women make up approximately 50% of the today’s workforce in many countries and 40% worldwide, although most of these positions are in not in management. When they are in management, they are normally below the middle management level and not at the executive level. The number of women in executive positions worldwide is less than 10%. If you look at the Fortune 500 companies, the numbers are even worse, accounting for approximately only 4.2%. So, what is happening? Are women not preparing themselves correctly for executive positions? Do women not have enough opportunities? Have women not learned to play the game according to the male rules that have existed forever? With over 60% of today’s university graduates being women, how can women help shift the system and change these statistics? What has to happen to the system to get more women in executive positions? This episode looks at the challenges women face today, as well the opportunities that are available.

It is important for companies to form collective values that can be shared and communicated to their employees and customers. Many companies do this, they have core values, but many companies fall short. Many companies identify core values that very often become part of their vision statement, but unless these values are really lived, they are worthless. They also must be lived and lead by example-from the top of the organization. Core values are what support the vision, shape the culture and drive the essence of a company’s identity. They are the principles, beliefs and philosophies that the leaders and employees must live by. Companies that focus only on competencies fall short because they forget the underlying values that make their companies run smoothly. Establishing strong core values can provide both an internal and external advantage to any company. In this episode, we look at why core values are so important in today’s global and competitive market.

Years ago, leadership development was made up of lectures and presentations, then came, the era of new development programs focused on “horizontal” development (competencies), but with very little time spent on “vertical” development (developmental stages). But today, leaders face new challenges and companies are asking themselves what kind of leadership development programs do we need today? Do we need collective development or individual development programs? Should they be horizontal of vertical? What about co-learning and new development methods? And who should own the leadership development process? This episode looks at the future of leadership development. What kind of leadership development do we need in this constantly changing environment? What kind of new innovative programs are out there and how can companies begin to “think out of the box” when considering leadership development programs.

The world was shocked when Equifax announced that 143 million people's Social Security numbers were compromised, and everyone asked how did this happen? But they are not the only ones to suffer a comprise in data security. Many other firms have had data breachs, even though we only hear about the big ones. In 2017, PwC interviewed 9,600 firms globally and found that 41% of them had experienced at least one security incident in the past year For many leaders and companies these figures should make it clear that securing corporate data is a must, it is no longer just an option. But the challenge is that the hackers are getting more and more sophisticated, and it is not just about technology, it is about of social engineering. Therefore, Cyber security must be deeply embedded in every aspect of your business. This episode looks at cyber security from the mind of a hacker and security expert who will help you understand what you need to do to protect your business.

Great leaders have a solid understanding of how their emotions and actions affect the people around them, and this is called emotional intelligence. When leaders have emotional intelligence, they can discern the emotions of others while using information and thought to guide their own behaviour. Studies have shown that people with high emotional intelligent have greater job performance and demonstrate better leadership skills. But do you know how good your emotional intelligence is? Did you also know that emotional intelligence is related to the degree of self-esteem you have, because it is a component of emotional intelligence? Did you also know that both emotional intelligence and self-esteem can be developed no matter how old you are? Listen to this episode and you will learn, how this can be done. You will learn the secrets of emotional intelligence and about an revolutionary method that will help you increase your self-esteem.

The Millennials are now full force in the workforce. As Generation X begins to move into the Board Rooms and Baby Boomers begin to find new interests, the Millennials are emerging in management positions. They are setting new rules, bringing new ideas and bringing change to the way we do business. With an estimated 80 million Millennials in the USA and large percentages around the world, they are making up a large portion of the workforce. They are a major economic contributor and they are shaping the future of business leadership. The values and expectations of Millennials differ from the traditional workplace values that Generation X and Baby Boomers grew up with. Very often these differences between generations cause challenges, but they also bring opportunities. This episode looks at how we can better integrate Millennials into the workforce. We give practical advice not only for companies and managers, but also with some practical advice for Millennials.

The world was shocked when Equifax announced that 143 million people's Social Security numbers were compromised, and everyone asked how did this happen? But they are not the only ones to suffer a comprise in data security. Many other firms have had data breachs, even though we only hear about the big ones. In 2017, PwC interviewed 9,600 firms globally and found that 41% of them had experienced at least one security incident in the past year For many leaders and companies these figures should make it clear that securing corporate data is a must, it is no longer just an option. But the challenge is that the hackers are getting more and more sophisticated, and it is not just about technology, it is about of social engineering. Therefore, Cyber security must be deeply embedded in every aspect of your business. This episode looks at cyber security from the mind of a hacker and security expert who will help you understand what you need to do to protect your business.

Family-owned or -controlled businesses account for an estimated 80% of companies worldwide and are the largest source of long-term employment in most countries. In the United States, they employ 60% of workers and create 78% of new jobs. Studies are showing that less and less members of the second generation are taking over their family businesses and when they do they face challenges. The leaders of family businesses acknowledge this and agree that succession can sometimes be difficult, but it can also yield great opportunity. Today the new generation of local business owners have more exposure to good management techniques than their predecessors. They are very often better educated and have wider social and cultural exposure. These things can contribute to a more successful local business, which in turn contributes to the local economy. This episode takes a “down home” look at local leadership and asks a local business leader what they think is important.

br Good and clear communication is a leadership fundamental. Leaders need good communication in order to manage all aspects of their positions and their businesses. br Good communication impacts all management transactions and poor communications is one of the biggest obstacles to maximizing success. br If you want to be an effective leader you need to learn to articulate in a clear and concise manner. You need to be compelling and you need to gain creditability. br The best leaders are first-rate communicators and in this broadcast we are going to focus on the what you have to do to be a first-rate communicator. br We are going to talk about how you can use good communication skills to gain credibility, how to communicate when dealing with difficult people and how to navigate situations when gender communication seems to be a challenge. br Our guest is one of the world’s top communication expert’s and you will take away sound advice and many tips on how to improve your communication.

Business leaders can learn quite a bit from creative industries. When we sit down and watch a film we generally do not think about how it all came together. We may look at the special effects, be in awe with the setting, fall in love with the actors and actresses, but we rarely think about what went on behind the scene. Films by design are a product of many minds and energies and are great examples of teamwork and good leadership. In addition, creativity and innovation are core components of any film, components we often lack in business. Film makers are also great entrepreneurs. It takes a lot of guts, persistence and self-confidence to toss yourself into this creative industry, and leaders from the business world can learn a lot by watching how leaders in creative industries, such as film, make things happen, and make things happen on-time. This episode looks at what business leaders can learn from creative industries, such as the film industry.

Data is valuable. Cloud computing and user-generated platforms based on data sharing is on the rise. The Internet of things is growing. New technical possibilities are emerging and all this means that the expectations on data anonymization, usage and control is in the legislative forefront. In the past, compliance requirements were largely driven by U.S.-based regulations, but that has changed and Europe is now driving many issues concerning the internet. They have been the drivers of the antitrust, case against Google, and they are now driving a law called GDPR, which deals with restrictions around personal data and how companies use it. This episode helps leaders understand what the new data protection laws are and why, regardless if you are a US company, a European company or an Asian company, if you handle or have acquired, directly or indirectly, European data you will need to comply with Europe’s new regulations. This episode is a must for all leaders.

The Millennials are now full force in the workforce. As Generation X begins to move into the Board Rooms and Baby Boomers begin to find new interests, the Millennials are emerging in management positions. They are setting new rules, bringing new ideas and bringing change to the way we do business. With an estimated 80 million Millennials in the USA and large percentages around the world, they are making up a large portion of the workforce. They are a major economic contributor and they are shaping the future of business leadership. The values and expectations of Millennials differ from the traditional workplace values that Generation X and Baby Boomers grew up with. Very often these differences between generations cause challenges, but they also bring opportunities. This episode looks at how we can better integrate Millennials into the workforce. We give practical advice not only for companies and managers, but also with some practical advice for Millennials.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing everything. It is not only changing the way we go about our personal lives but it is also it is changing the future of business. It’s predictive behaviors are forcasting trends for many companies, AI is taking over mundane tasks that waste time and money and it is supporting us in our decision making precesses by providing us with more and more data, while predicting future trends. But AI is also a little bit scary. We very often ask ourselves , What do all these changes mean to future of business? How will jobs change and how will we manage workforces that are half man and half machine? In this episode we will talk about what industries are using AI now, how enterprises can prepare themselves for the changes AI will bring and how small businesses can take advantage of the open sourse AI tools that are available on the internet. Most importantely, we talk about how leaders we prepare themselves for the use of AI in business.

As today’s global economy becomes stronger, international executive positions are becoming more abundant, but not everyone has the leadership skills to achieve an international position, but among those that do, many are women. A woman at the helm of an international company brings diversity to the table, it can bring new ideas and insights but it can also be challenging for the women that take this path. Today the percentage of women sitting in international CEO positions varies only between 7-18%, depending on country. There is also a new trend for women not to take CEO positions, there a sudden death of female international CEOs while many women decide to “opt out” of these careers and take other paths. This episode will explore one women’s journey to an international CEO position. She will talk to us about the opportunities and challenges she faced. She will talk about the attributes you need to become an international CEO no matter what gender you are.

Global mobility has increased greatly over the years and the number of international assignment’s is estimated to reach about 56 million in 2017, but even at 56 million this is still only a fraction of all the jobs worldwide. With the percentages not really in anyone’s favor, many young ambitious managers ask, “how can I land an International assignment?”. This is the first question most people ask, but the second and most important question is be “how do I succeed in an international assignment”? The re-call quota for expatriate positions ranges between 6% and 40% - so how can you make sure that you will get it right? How can companies make sure they select the right people? In this episode, we talk about getting, keeping and succeeding in an international assignment. We look at not only what individuals have to do, but also how companies can adjust their selection process to make sure everyone gets it right.

How do local businesses begin? Normally, it starts with a good idea that then grows into a business. For most companies, building and maintaining a local customer base is one of the first steps to success, but what happens when the local customer base is just not enough anymore? In today’s Global Economy, many businesses begin to think globally, and there are a lot of great success stories, but there are also a lot of failures and many failures are due to not having good leadership or not understanding the challenges that come with global expansion. It is natural that companies have a desire to expand, but the emphasis on globalization has made people think that it is quite easy, very often easier said than done. In this episode, we are going to take a look at a small US company that has expanded beyond its borders. We are going to look at what has made them successful and what are the challenges they are facing. If your business is thinking of global expansion, this story is for you.

A strong sense of trust in an employee-manager relationship encourages loyalty, increases productivity, maintains retention and contributes to the company’s bottom line. But people are the ones that either decide to extend trust or not. Trust can also be gained or lost in the blink of an eye, and in business this means with one small incident. Trust may also mean different things to different generations, cultures or the meaning can be interpreted differently depending on the situation. In this episode, we look at the different pillars of trust and the behaviors that support them. We will help you understand how you can begin to build trust and become a trusted leader no matter what role you are in or what the situation may be. We will share with your stories, give you examples, but most importantly you will take away actionable tips that can help you build trust in your leadership role.

Today is the first time we are working with four generations in the same workforce and by 2020 we will have five. We as leaders must address generational differences and most recently the hot topic was “how to manage millennials in the workforce”, but this topic is now obsolete. As the next generation begins to enter the workforce, everything will change. From a traditional view the new Generation Z was born between the mid-1990s to early 2000s. They are now entering the workforce, but their behaviors are stemming from forces that influence all of us, not just their age group. These forces are breaking down the traditional generational barriers propelling all of us into Generation Z. Generation Z is no longer about age, it is about behaviors. As leaders we have to understand the forces that are changing this traditional generational view, and if we want to keep pace with business and competition we need to become part of Generation Z. This episode looks at the Gen Z effect

The word “narcissistic leader” has become a buzz word, especially since the presidential elections that took place in the United States. The general public has gotten into the habit of labeling many leaders-in both business and politics narcissists, but is this really fair and is it really true? Narcissism and leadership have been widely studied, and there is some evidence that narcissists are more likely to succeed in attaining leadership positions. This makes sense, because they are normally somewhat aggressive, confident and have charisma. They know what they want, they believe they are the best person for the job. They can be visionaries and move companies forward. But there is also a dark side to narcissistic leadership. These kinds of leaders can sometimes have a negative impact on both individuals and organizations. They often plow forward leaving destruction in their path. In this series, we will look at the good, bad and the ugly of narcissistic leadership.

From the cave to the condo, gender communication has been a tenuous art and certainly not a defined science. We know that men and women communicate so differently they may as well be from different planets, says Dr. John Gray. We also know we live in a very disruptive world today where communication channels are changing, where stress impacts the way we act and where we all seem to have too little time. On top of that, initiatives such as gender diversity in the workplace, the changing roles of women and men at home and changing technology are also having an impact on how we communicate with each other. This episode looks at gender communications and the difference between men and women. We explore how these differences are shifting, what we have to do to understand each other better and how we can all communicate better, regardless if it is in the workplace or at home. Ultimately, we ask the question: Who makes a better manager: a man or a women?

Today we live in competitive and stressful world. We want to be good employees, good leaders and we want to manage everything, but sometimes the stress gets to us and we all react to stress in different ways. Some of go to the gym, some of us go on vacation and some of us reach for a glass or two. A recent Gallup Poll Study shows that the higher the income and the education the more likely you are to drink alcohol and least 20% of those who do have a real problem. Studies are also showing a rapid increase in alcoholism among executive women. As we all try to keep up with the social and customer dinners, trade shows and travel we have in business, we could be developing a problem we do not realize. A problem that could affect our work and our families. In this series, we talk with Marc Treitler, a successful executive and lawyer, who not only battled the disease of alcoholism, but with the support of his family beat it. His observations and his story are a lesson for all of us.

Very often great leadership is defined based on the successful examples of the past, but we seldom think about what great leadership will like in the future. A lot of leaders today feel overwhelmed and unprepared for a future they cannot predict. They are feeling unsure if they have the right skills to deal with a rapidly changing global economy complicated by varying political climates, new organizational structures, a new generation of workers and changing customer demands. In this episode, we will discuss what the future of good leadership looks like. We will talk about what competencies leaders need today and what competencies leaders will need going forward. In this episode, we will help you understand what companies will be looking for from their future leaders and how you can develop those skills so that you can have an impact as a leader not only today but also tomorrow.

A strong sense of trust in an employee-manager relationship encourages loyalty, increases productivity, maintains retention and contributes to the company’s bottom line. But people are the ones that either decide to extend trust or not. Trust can also be gained or lost in the blink of an eye, and in business this means with one small incident. Trust may also mean different things to different generations, cultures or the meaning can be interpreted differently depending on the situation. In this episode, we look at the different pillars of trust and the behaviors that support them. We will help you understand how you can begin to build trust and become a trusted leader no matter what role you are in or what the situation may be. We will share with your stories, give you examples, but most importantly you will take away actionable tips that can help you build trust in your leadership role.

Very often great leadership is defined based on the successful examples of the past, but we seldom think about what great leadership will like in the future. A lot of leaders today feel overwhelmed and unprepared for a future they cannot predict. They are feeling unsure if they have the right skills to deal with a rapidly changing global economy complicated by varying political climates, new organizational structures, a new generation of workers and changing customer demands. In this episode, we will discuss what the future of good leadership looks like. We will talk about what competencies leaders need today and what competencies leaders will need going forward. In this episode, we will help you understand what companies will be looking for from their future leaders and how you can develop those skills so that you can have an impact as a leader not only today but also tomorrow.

Very often it is hard for leaders to ask for their own professional development because they believe it could be interpreted as sign of weakness. But leaders also deserve someone to help them enhance their potential. Additional training is one method, but there is also a new generation of development that helps build stronger leaders and as well as stronger organizations. It is coaching, but not always in the classical sense. There is a new generation of coaching which incorporates such practices such as Gestalt to help individuals reach peak performance. When it comes to coaching teams the new kid on the block is Systemic Team Coaching, which does not just look at the team as an isolated entity but uses a systemic approach that looks at everything from the individuals in the team, to the shareholders as well as the external influences that may affect the team. In this series, we take a look at the new generation of coaching practices and how they can help you and your organization.

We all intuitively know that diversity in the workplace matters, but we continue not to leverage the diverse talent pools available to us. We know that inclusive leadership should not just be associated with social responsibility, it should be considered common business sense because numerous studies have proved that diversity has a positive effect on the bottom line. In today’s Global economy, we cannot continue to ignore the fact that we do not have diversity in leadership. The gender and ethnic quotas in our leadership positions prove this as they do not reflect the market trends in the overall workforce. In our premier episode of Leadership Beyond Borders, we will not only look at why diversity matters, but what we must do to balance the scales now. We will talk about what companies or countries are doing today that either promotes or hinders diversity. We will look at how organizations can promote inclusion and what action steps individuals and leaders must take now.