Phil Smoker finds himself in a unique situation these days. The fifth generation to build Smoker Craft boats, Smoker has seen his company average about 20 percent growth since rebounding from the recession in 2010. He’s had to hire a lot of people to keep up with that growth. And now for the unique part: His company is located in Elkhart County, Indiana, where about half of all the RVs in the country are built. The unemployment level in Elkhart County is 2.4 percent – just under half the national rate. So Smoker, whose company builds several different brands of… Read More
Categories: LibsynLisa Mestas is passionate about giving high quality care to her patients. She loves the systems that provide the care and loves the need to continually refine those systems to reflect the changing needs of her patients. Lisa came of age in a health system where it was common for senior nurses to “eat their young,” but now that Lisa is running the show, she offers compassionate mentoring to her new nurses and works hard to put them into roles that are a natural fit. The demand for nurses is surging and will not ebb any time soon. An aging… Read More
Categories: LibsynPeter Ricchiuti is a funny guy. A normal guy. He’s intelligent and fun to be around. Strangely, he’s also an economist and teaches at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business. I asked him to make heads or tails of today’s stock market and he offers some good insight into the volatility and what’s going to effect it further. We’re way overdue for a recession he says, and he’s no fan of tariffs, citing them as one of the reasons for the volatility. We focus on businesses based in the deep south with a focus on energy companies which play a… Read More
Categories: LibsynOctavio and Shannon Arzola left corporate America to pursue the American dream of being business owners. They both had deep backgrounds in food service and hospitality which played right into their hands. They recruited Shannon’s brother, Chuck who has experience in running businesses of his own. Did they begin a fine food restaurant? No. They started making gourmet popsicles. Based in southern Mississippi, Pop Brothers artisan ice-pops are making waves. Some recipes use only local ingredients, some are the most indulgent combination of goodies you can find affixed to a popsicle stick, and some are delightful mixtures of seemingly odd… Read More
Categories: LibsynStaying busy and relevant in the New Orleans music scene isn’t easy. It requires talent and commitment because there is always someone in the wings waiting to replace you, especially in New Orleans – one the the nations busiest and most competitive music scenes. How John stays sharp is a lesson for all of us, and how he feeds energy to his bandmates and how he takes their inspiration is a message we can all benefit from. John knows What’s Working because he’s doing it every day. Besides all of this, he may just be the coolest guy I’ve ever… Read More
Categories: LibsynMark Tibergien is a titan in the financial services profession. He’s “industry famous” for his deep understanding of how the investment community should grow their companies and their people. And he was then paired with Kayla Flaten, a Millennial, to be mentored. It’s called reverse mentoring and Mark though initially skeptical, has become a disciple of the process and he and Kayla walk us through what it is, how it works, and how we should take reverse mentoring to heart. Check out this episode!
Categories: LibsynThose old retail buildings in so many tier 2 and 3 cities that have been unoccupied forever? Well, they’re in demand again. This time as offices space for co-working sites or office spaces for hip, new, agile thinkers. The co-working spaces offer community to small businesses or regional outposts who are tired of spending their work days at their kitchen tables. They share thoughts, ideas, and become social colleagues in what would otherwise be a lonely existence. And the retail spaces are great offices spaces for companies interested in investing in their community and for employees who want to live… Read More
Categories: LibsynWhat are employers looking for? What are the biggest mistakes people make in interviews when they’re looking for a job? What types of questions should employers ask to get the best understanding of a job candidate’s abilities? These questions and more with Liz Freeman who is third generation in the family’s temporary staffing industry. Check out this episode!
Categories: LibsynConflicting accounts surface all the time regarding whether we as a nation are retirement ready or not. And whether our Social Security benefits will be there for us or not. And how much they’ll be, if anything. And what about inflation? And what is the responsibility of my kids to care for me? What about me caring for my parents? So much to talk about. So much to know. We try to get to the bottom of this issue and what you and I need to take responsibility for ourselves so that we, personally, can say we are retirement ready…. Read More
Categories: LibsynChris calls it “SKU”mageddon. So many different types of beer now available and necessary to keep today’s fickle consumers happy. Add to that the challenge of finding drivers, sales staff, and keeping up with the whims of the youngest generation of consumer and Chris is…busy. Check out this episode!
Categories: Libsyn