Want to learn to fly? Auburn University has a program for that. The roots of Auburn’s aviation program stretch all the way back to the Wright brothers, and include pilot training for World War II. These days, they’re preparing students for jobs in an aviation industry in desperate need of replacing a retiring generation of pilots. Our guests in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston” were Auburn aviation program coordinator James Birdsong and professor of aviation management Jim Witte, who told us it’s a great time to enter in the industry if you want to learn to… Read More
Categories: Blog, Education, Podcast, What's Working with Cam MarstonHave you ever heard of a geriatric care manager? I hadn’t, until I needed one. And if you have aging parents or loved ones, chances are you might be needing one soon, too. A geriatric care manager is a healthcare professional who helps families that are dealing with an aging or disabled loved one. Many of them are nurses, social workers or other healthcare professionals, and certification is available through the Aging Life Care Association. They can find resources in the community for the client and family; evaluate the home care situation and create a care plan; recommend retirement communities,… Read More
Categories: Blog, Matures, Podcast, What's Working with Cam MarstonIf you follow social media trends, you probably already know that Facebook is not the place to reach millennials and Generation Z. But did you know that Google is not the primary search engine for many of them, as well? Our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston” was Tim Dozier, CEO of Hummingbird Ideas, a full-service advertising agency in Mobile. Part of his job is getting his clients’ messages in front of the audiences they’re trying to reach. If those audiences are in the younger generations, that’s increasingly in places like TikTok and YouTube. Dozier… Read More
Categories: Advertising, Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Generations, iGen, Podcast, What's Working with Cam MarstonIt’s tough enough to build and run one successful business. But starting over in a new industry at 67? For Hatton Smith, taking on a new challenge has been invigorating. After helping his family’s business, Royal Cup Coffee, become a national leader, Smith became the CEO and largest investor four years ago in Back Forty Beer Company, a Gadsden-based craft brewery. Smith, who had also played an integral role in helping resuscitate UAB’s football program, saw a company led by people who knew how to brew great beer, but needed capital. He was able to bring that capital and… Read More
Categories: Blog, Entrepreneurship, Podcast, What's Working with Cam MarstonI have long been an advocate of Baby Boomer and Generation X CEOs and managers not only listening to their millennial employees, but learning from them and giving them an active role in the decision-making process. The unique perspectives and skills of millennials are valuable in today’s workplace and can help a business ensure it is reaching the younger segments of the marketplace in the most effective ways. In the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” I spoke with someone who has taken that mindset a step further. Tanya Hart Little met Allison Johnston Frizzo while serving as… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Entrepreneurship, Generation Y / Millennials, Generations, Podcast, Real Estate, What's Working with Cam Marston, WorkplaceFor today’s generation of young people, their smartphones are extensions of themselves. That’s how they communicate, how they entertain themselves, how they connect with others. One might even call it an addiction. Screen time predictably climbed noticeably during and after the pandemic, as recent studies show that young people spend an average of almost seven hours daily looking at a screen. How will that reliance manifest itself as this generation of young people enters the workplace? For answers, we turned to Kristi Bush, a licensed social worker, national education consultant and social media safety advocate, who joined us in the… Read More
Categories: Blog, iGen, Parenting, Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston, WorkplaceYears ago an audience asserted that my content on generational differences in the workplace didn’t apply to rural communities and the people who work in those communities. “It wasn’t applicable,” he said, “because people in farming communities like ours know how to work.” I assured him that if it wasn’t applicable at the time, it was coming. Today in Nashville I presented to about 125 ag co-op workers and leaders at the request of a fertilizer manufacturer. Their struggle? Finding, hiring, and retaining next-gen workers. I followed an economist – nice slot to have. (Thanks Rich Tiller for the booking!)… Read More
Categories: Blog, WorkplaceStop me if you’ve heard this before: The young people of today’s generation are only concerned about themselves. They have no loyalty. They are self-entitled and have no work ethic. It was said about Generation Xers. It was said about millennials. Now it’s being said about the latest generation to enter the workforce – Generation Z. And it’s not particularly true of any of them. According to Bruce Tulgan, one of the leading voices in generational workplace research, Gen Z is neither lazy nor self-entitled. They are simply reacting to the times in which they’ve grown up. Tulgan, our guest… Read More
Categories: Blog, Generations, iGen, Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston, Work, WorkplaceThe phrase “urban forest” sounds like an oxymoron. But for Beau Brodbeck, it makes perfect sense. One needs only visit city parks in any number of metropolitan areas, or drive down Government Street in my hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to see the value of trees in an urban setting. The canopy formed by Mobile’s live oaks over the city’s main east-west thoroughfare creates a signature effect that leaves an impression. Commercial or residential, trees typically add value to a property — and not just aesthetic value. As an Auburn University Extension Specialist focused on urban forestry, Brodbeck’s job is to… Read More
Categories: Blog, Podcast, What's Working with Cam MarstonSuccessful entrepreneurs typically see a problem in need of a solution or an unfilled niche in the marketplace. Then they build a business to fill that niche or fix that problem. Mike Molyneux has done just that with Symbol Health Solutions, the company he built and currently serves as president and CEO. Our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” Molyneux shares how he identified a problem in the healthcare marketplace and built a business to fill that need. Molyneux, a physical therapist, had over 1,500 employees in the healthcare company he co-founded and found that… Read More
Categories: Blog, Entrepreneurship, Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston