How an ‘environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer’ is changing how we think about agriculture
Posted On December 17, 2019
How does an English major become a successful farmer? And how does a man who just wanted to see if he and his wife could subsist while farming his family’s land become an internationally renowned authority on regenerative, environmentally-friendly farming and ranching methods? Joel Salatin, our guest in a recent episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” says it all happened like most great success stories – largely by accident. With his family, Salatin co-owns Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and refers to himself as a “Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer.” What he and his family have done… Read More
Categories: What's Working with Cam Marston
Want to succeed in sales? Listen to a coach
Posted On December 16, 2019
We’ve all heard the saying: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” But is it true? And, more specifically, is it true about those who teach how to do sales? There is a healthy amount of skepticism about the effectiveness of sales coaches, but in a recent episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” we talked with one with a track record of success that shows teachers know their stuff. Jeff Brinson, a professional sales coach with Southwestern Consulting, says anyone can do sales – and, in reality, we all already do. “Everybody in the world is a salesperson,”… Read More
Categories: Uncategorized
Managing an institution like the Grand Hotel means respecting tradition and creating memories
Posted On December 12, 2019
What does it take to manage a place that people love so much, they come back year after year? Scott Tripoli can tell you. Our guest in a recent episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” Tripoli is the general manager of the Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa in Point Clear, an institution on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay that draws a loyal following of repeat customers. “I’ve met people who say: ‘This is my 72nd straight year at the Grand Hotel,’” Tripoli says. That’s a different sort of customer than most of those Tripoli dealt with in… Read More
Categories: What's Working with Cam Marston
Catching back up with Eleven86: More than just selling water
Posted On December 3, 2019
Back in April, we met Marquis Forge, who left the automotive industry to answer a call from on high – a call to enter an industry he knew little about. Forge founded Eleven86 Water in Autaugaville, Alabama with a mission to help revitalize the town in which it’s produced. “This is a homegrown, bottled-at-the-source, state of Alabama product,” Forge notes. Recently, I caught back up with Forge in a live edition of “What’s Working With Cam Marston,” and got an update on how the business has grown in the seven months since we last spoke. That growth has been steady…. Read More
Categories: What's Working with Cam Marston
OK, Boomer: iGen strikes back
Posted On December 2, 2019
If you are of a certain age and like to share your opinions on open social media platforms like Twitter, you may have come across a cryptic response: “OK, Boomer.” It should not be mistaken as acquiescence. You have just been given a two-word slap-down by the younger generation, a phrase that has taken on a life of its own. As noted in a recent New York Times article, what started as a cynical reaction to the same old, tired generalizations about millennials and iGen has become a rallying cry of sorts, complete with memes, merchandising opportunities and the inevitable… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y / Millennials, Generations, iGen
Logistics is more than moving cargo from Point A to Point B
Posted On December 1, 2019
Say a company wants to buy some marble from Italy for its new headquarters, or needs to get a new piece of equipment shipped from Germany. But it’s not in the import business and isn’t sure of the best, most efficient way to get its purchases shipped across the pond. That’s where a company like Page & Jones comes in, a third-party logistics provider that specializes in international shipping. In a recent episode of “What’s Working With Cam Marston,” we talked with Page & Jones Chief Operating Officer Bill Kraus, who described what the company does as “like a travel… Read More
Categories: What's Working with Cam Marston
Travel agents aren’t going the way of the Dodo just yet
Posted On November 29, 2019
With the advent of online travel tools that allow you to book a flight, rent a car, schedule a tour and find a hotel or AirBNB, it would seem that travel agents would follow milkmen and full service gas station attendance into obsolescence. And yet, travel agents have survived. Our guest in a recent episode of “What’s Working With Cam Marston” tells us how. Bowden Sarrett, a vice president and travel advisory at Brownell Travel, says the key for her firm is creating personalized experiences. “These days travel is so easy with a cellphone. You can go out on your… Read More
Categories: What's Working with Cam Marston
The therapeutic benefits of cannabis: science or voodoo?
Posted On November 26, 2019
Dr. Jan Roberts’ interest in cannabis began when she got shingles. The medication she’d been prescribed by her doctor wasn’t having the desired effects, and a friend suggested she try cannabis. “It was an ‘a-ha’ moment for me,” she says. “Oh my god, there’s something therapeutic here.” Roberts, a licensed clinical social worker who teaches at the NYU Silver School of Social Work, has turned into a crusader of sorts for education about the therapeutic effects of cannabis. She and Joe Brown, owner of Your CBD Store of West Mobile, joined in a recent episode of “What’s Working With Cam… Read More
Categories: What's Working with Cam MarstonIncreasing 401k Plan Contributions – Our Successful Campaign
Posted On November 14, 2019
Showing off a bit of our work with an independent recordkeeper who we’re working with to increase plan contributions in test groups. This will be seen by 20-24 YO Males Enrolled in their plan. It will arrive to them via email and USPS on / near the same day. You should ask, “Is it working?” Answer: YES. Quite nicely, in fact.
Categories: Financial Services, Product Design, Work
Focus on Financial Services: The Re-Architecting of Business
Posted On November 12, 2019
I’ve been working on this new presentation since the spring and am happy to report that it has been met with great success with my financial services clients. Most recently was the Schwab IMPACT! Conference in San Diego last week. Our office has received requests for this presentation to other groups since last Tuesday. Below is the presentation description. For more info, give us a call. The Re-Architecting of Business: Focus on Financial Services The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job category of Financial Managers will have significant growth between today and 2026, adding nearly 110,000 new jobs. At… Read More
Categories: Uncategorized