Airbus is Creating their Workforce of the Future and Honoring their Commitments

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Airbus has been a fixture in the city of Mobile for fourteen years. During that time the partnership with the city, the community, and the workforce has grown and evolved into something all parties are proud of. Airbus’ recent announcement of their new workforce development plan called FlightPath9 takes talented high school kids and gets them hands-on experience in the field of airplane assembly. Upon completion, the students are then immediately enrolled into Airbus’ Fast Track training program and, upon completion of Fast Track, they’re full fledged Airbus employees. Airbus struggled to find the workforce they needed so they’ve created their own. It’s a story of strong will and workforce innovation.

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Has Online Communication Slowed the Printing Business? Not At Gwins.

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Mike Payne has survived where others have not. He can rattle off the printers along the Gulf Coast who have closed their doors due to poor bets on the economy and machinery trends that have not paid out. He even lost his largest customer the day AFTER a very expensive piece of machinery was shipped to his facility and he didn’t cancel the order. Instead, he sold new customers on what the new printer could do. Mike often references the slow, deliberate pace of turtles to define his success. Take things slowly, let others make the mistakes and learn from them, don’t take on debt, and make the customer look smart to their customers. It’s a recipe that keeps working.

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Keith Glass Can’t Shake the Music Business. And Shouldn’t.

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Keith Glass went from successful and popular musician touring the world to a vinyl record store owner in Mobile, Alabama where the world is now coming to him. Just last week a group of guys from France came to Mobile to shop in his store. Originally concerned if he could fill the store with enough inventory, he’s now packed to the seams. And the vinyl record business is for real today, much to my own surprise. Not only collectors looking for rare and valuable collector’s pieces, but new albums by current artists, too. We meet Keith and learn a lot about this sector of the music business.

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A Rigorous Right of Passage that Transforms All Who Enter

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Rights of passage change people, especially difficult ones. And the Mission that young men and women participate in for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just may be the last remaining difficult right of passage since the draft ended in the 1973. Lon Henderson went to Germany when he was a young man to serve on his mission as a member of the Church. It transformed him. Later Lon oversaw the mission in Brisbane, Australia where young men and women from across the world were in his care. He tells us about the mission, its purpose, and why the young men and women who return are, simply, better people.

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A Charismatic Personality Plus a Solid Business Plan Equals Success And Longevity

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Garrett’s business is not dependent upon him. He does not have a “job.” Instead he’s created a business out of personal training, instruction on healthy living, and coaching others to success. To train at Personal Edge Fitness, candidates must have a degree in some sort of training related field, you must go through an internship, and you must get very familiar with the employee handbook and training manual that focuses as much on lifts and technique as it does the emotional side of the clients as they struggle to achieve their goals. Garrett’s model is unique for the training industry and his success reflects that.

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George Porter Jr. has music pouring forth and is still honing his sound

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When musicians speak one-on-one to George Porter, Jr., they often share that he’s a role model of theirs, he’s their inspiration for playing the bass or the drums, or even for choosing to play funky music in the first place. George is polite. He smiles and says “thank you very much.” But inside he’s wondering what they’re talking about and wishing they’d sit back down at their instrument and get to work. There’s music left to be discovered and to play. His success, he says, comes from giving 100% each time he’s performing. And having performed with Flea, John “Papa” Gros, Allen Toussaint, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, David Byrne, and Tori Amos to name a few, he’s, perhaps surprisingly, a nice and humble guy. I catch up with him after a long night in his home studio preparing some recordings for a New Orleans Jazz Fest release.

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Marquis Forge heard the call. Obeyed. And is now selling LOTS of water.

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Heeding a call from God, Marquis Forge began a bottled water company in depressed Autaugaville, Alabama. Knowing nothing about the water business, and competing with Nestle, Coca-Cola, Dannon, and all the others, he was simply obeying God’s command. And whenever questions would arise or expertise was needed, the answers would show up. Sometimes literally. Just over a year old now, the product has distribution throughout the state of Alabama via Budweiser’s state-wide distribution network. It’s an amazing story. And, personally, I’ll never buy another brand of water again after hearing it. Incidentally, it’s the best water the testers have ever tried.

And, for what it’s worth, Autauga is a native American word meaning “good water”, which Marquis learned after starting the company. 

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Are we correctly educating kids today for the jobs of tomorrow?

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Blair Fisher’s resume clearly shows that he’s tracking the learning trends shaping today’s students as well as tracking the workplace’s needs of the future. Blair is communicating both these trends to the St Paul’s faculty to help them amend their teaching methods to best serve the students. But teachers are notoriously change averse, so Blair, like anyone in his position, must emphasize the urgency to change to his faculty regularly. Blair is also keenly aware of social media’s impact on the self esteem and confidence of today’s students and has helpful insight into the plight of boys – why they’re falling behind and struggling much more so than they ever have.

This is a conversation that will strike home to any parent of high school aged children and younger. You’ll want to tune in.

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Coaching Women in the Workplace: Different than Coaching Men?

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Lisa Marston has won at every level of volleyball she’s coached and she’s been at it over twenty years. She’s found a method for working with her players that has proven repeatedly successful. I ask her about coaching women, what lessons we can take to the workplace, and what would surprise people in the workplace who have females on their team. Full Disclosure: Lisa’s my wife.

We then meet Karen Novak, the Chief Operating Officer of Advisor Solutions at BNY Mellon | Pershing who has been a mentor and role model of women for years. Karen offers her insight on female competitiveness and advice for both male coaches and female employees.

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