Back in the groove: Why vinyl records are making a comeback
Posted On May 6, 2019
Did you know that vinyl albums are still being produced today? It’s not just reissues, but new releases by current artists. And people are buying them. The introduction of the compact disc three decades ago ended the mass production of vinyl albums as a primary medium for musical recordings. And after record stores traded their bins of vinyl for racks of CDs, the advent of the internet and music sharing platforms such as Spotify and Pandora sent most of them out of business. But albums didn’t go away completely. Now, there’s a growing demand for vinyl, both by collectors and… Read More
Categories: Podcast, What's Working with Cam MarstonHow a New Orleans music icon is still keeping it funky after five decades in the business
Posted On April 10, 2019
George Porter, Jr., has been playing music for five decades, starting out as the bassist with legendary New Orleans funk band The Meters and continuing with a number of different bands and sit-in performances with artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, David Byrne, Jimmy Buffett, Tori Amos and Patti Labelle. Now 71 years old, he’s still going strong, which begs the question: How does he keep doing it? “For me, it’s afternoon naps,” says Porter, our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working With Cam Marston.” While finding creative ways to catch some extra shut-eye is important, it’s not… Read More
Categories: Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston, Work
Education in the 21st century: Technology is a means, not the ends
Posted On March 28, 2019
Many of the jobs in today’s workplace wouldn’t have been fathomable a decade ago. How are our schools preparing today’s students for them? Our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working With Cam Marston” is on the front lines of that battle. Blair Fisher, head of school at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, says that incorporating technology into the classroom, while important, is only part of the solution. “There are definite ways where technology, if thoughtfully deployed, can help learning, but I far too often see it where the technology becomes and end in itself, and it’s whatever… Read More
Categories: Education, Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston
Why “coaching is coaching” is a myth
Posted On March 20, 2019
You don’t need me to tell you that women are a force in today’s workplace – just look around. Women are established at all levels of management, from corporate boardrooms to main street entrepreneurs, even in industries that were once completely male-dominated. But are they motivated in the same ways as men? Should managers coach or mentor them in the same ways? Or are there mentoring approaches that work with men that might not be as effective with women, and vice versa? In the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” I asked these questions to two women who… Read More
Categories: Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston, Women, Workplace
Creating significance: How to sell young people on hard work
Posted On March 8, 2019
Have you ever heard that kids these days don’t really want to work? Do you often feel that way yourself? Our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston” would disagree. Sid Sexton, founder and president of Daphne, Alabama-based Sexton Lawn & Landscape, has made a living – and a thriving business – off selling young people on the benefits of hard work, and watching them succeed at it. Lazy millennials? “That has not been my experience,” Sexton says. Sexton, a former college soccer player and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, started his landscape business 15 years ago… Read More
Categories: Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston, Work, Workplace
‘A passion project:’ Varsity Brands not only sells sports gear, but works to create school spirit
Posted On February 19, 2019
With iGen following in the digital footsteps of the millennial generation, having grown up with technology at their fingertips as a primary source of communication, many of us Generation X parents find ourselves desperately seeking outlets that will force them into face-to-face social interaction. And many of us are turning to team sports. Our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston” is working to fuel – and equip – this phenomenon. Adam Blumenfeld is CEO of Dallas-based Varsity Brands, a major youth sports equipment distributor that does much more than sell bats and gloves. Varsity Brands… Read More
Categories: Entrepreneurship, iGen, Podcast, Product Design, What's Working with Cam Marston
Advertising in the social media age: Why it’s still worth it to lean on the professionals
Posted On January 31, 2019
What makes good advertising? And in an age of social media, easily available metrics and intricate video editing tools, why can’t we just do it ourselves? Our guests in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” Jennifer Dira and RT Herwig of the Mobile-based advertising firm Lewis Communications tell us that while technology may make the idea of DIY advertising tempting, that old business adage still applies – you get what you pay for. “Everybody thinks they can do everything now,” Herwig says. “It really comes down to being able to craft stories.” Because stories are still what… Read More
Categories: Blog, Podcast, What's Working with Cam MarstonA Passion for People and Service, Cars are Just the Product
Posted On January 21, 2019
Third generation president of the Joe Bullard Automotive Group, Ty Bullard frankly tells us that he’s not a car guy. Torque ratios? No clue. Horsepower? Unknown. But he knows service, knows how to deliver it, and knows how to lead his team in delivering it. His customers come back because Ty and his team solve their problems, not just sell cars. And his passion for aggressively pushing his company forward is evident in the words he chooses and the energy behind those words. Take a ride with us as we meet Ty and learn what motivates him and what his… Read More
Categories: Automotive, Libsyn, Podcast, Succession Planning, What's Working with Cam Marston
Papa Grows Funk, but what can a musician teach us about growing a business?
Posted On December 6, 2018
In past posts on this blog, we have examined lessons that people from various backgrounds, from military officers to football coaches, can teach us about running a business. But stay with us on this next one: What about musicians? Our guest in this week’s episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” is John “Papa” Gros, a longtime New Orleans musician who toured the world with his band, Papa Grows Funk, but often found himself dealing with issues that might seem familiar to managers in many different lines of business. Papa Grows Funk came together organically, Gros says – they knew… Read More
Categories: Blog, Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston
Try and hire: Temporary staffing in a run of low unemployment
Posted On November 14, 2018
We have addressed, in previous blogs, how the current low level of unemployment is affecting companies looking to hire new staff. But what about companies whose job it is to provide staff, or recommend new hires, to other companies – temporary staffing agencies? Our guest in the latest episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston” is Liz Freeman, president of Long’s Human Resources, who shares with us how the current economy has affected her temporary staffing business. Freeman says her firm is working a lot more of late with permanent direct placements, where her agency acts as a headhunter of… Read More
Categories: Podcast, What's Working with Cam Marston, Workplace