Bruce Lee built his legend around his expertise in martial arts and his massive success in motion pictures.However few see him as a mindset or business thought leader.Turns out, there’s a lot of we can learn from Bruce Lee.  This episode of A Seat at The Table features host Jane Singer and guest Thomas Lee discussing what every business can learn from Bruce Lee. Thomas Lee's new book titled "The Bruce Lee Code", which explores Bruce Lee's mindset and business strategies.    Mr. Lee discusses how Bruce Lee was a brand before personal branding became common, and how his core philosophies can be utilized in business or personal life. Throughout the discussion, the speakers highlight the importance of vision while being adaptable, intellectual curiosity for progress, opening oneself up to diversity, and collaborating with different socioeconomic groups. They emphasize the value of simplicity in demonstrating innovation and sophistication, and draw parallels between Bruce Lee and Steve Jobs in terms of their approach to innovation. The speakers also mention how Bruce Lee's ability to bring his visions to reality through energy, charisma, resilience, and innovation made him an X factor in achieving his goals.1. Core philosophies of Bruce Lee that anyone could utilize - in business or personal life.2. The key tactic that Bruce Lee and Steve Jobs had in common.3.  How to maintain your vision, while being adaptable to circumstances4.  Why we need to be aware of patterns - use them strategically.USEFUL LINKS:'The Bruce Lee Code' on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Lee-Code-Mastered-Confidence-ebook/dp/B0BDKDBNRSConnect with Thomas Lee:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-lee-09b8a03/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Considering how fast wages are rising these days, many CFOs would love to be able to predict the future of pay. Unlike other inputs, salaries and wages seem hard to track and even more difficult to forecast that got one man thinking. Meet Cary Sparrow, a former US naval officer and founder and CEO of greenwich.hr, where he helps HR professionals and consulting firms predict the future of pay. He's leveraged 35 plus years of combined engineering, military consulting, and operations leadership to help companies achieve organizational growth. Today on A Seat at The Table, Cary will be discussing How to predict what pay will look like in the futureWhy predicting patrons can help companies stay ahead of competitors,How real time pay trends help make the labor market more transparentUSEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comWagescape's website:  http://wagescape.com/Connect with Cary Sparrow on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carysparrow/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Running a successful e-commerce business continues to get more complicated - and more costly.   The old days when a web strategy was little more than a simple online shop have morphed into a complex, hyper competitive business model.Today, surging costs and few barriers to competitors have raised the stakes for e-commerce businesses.   That’s requiring new tools and new skills.Meet Matt Putra is the CFO of eightx.co, which helps companies with that all important financial forecasting - so that leadership can make more strategic decisions and gain control over their cash flows.He’s helped e-commerce brands around the world scale their businesses,  and has created  a financial model for a $750 million government fund concept.Today Matt joins us on A Seat at The Table to discuss:•How e-commerce businesses can gain better control over their cashflow - and preserve cash.•Insider advice about negotiating with suppliers.•Financing strategy for e-commerce businesses.SPONSOR MESSAGE:Having a strong financial plan is critical to the success of any business. However it’s also essential to have the right people who can execute on that plan and keep tight controls on your finances.Finding those first rate financial managers is not that easy with the top talent being in big demand.  That’s why many leadingenterprises and even medium sized businesses look to Asianet Consultants to help them recruit the right people for their finance departments.  Asianet has decades of experience and a vast network that enables them to identify and reach out to talent that might otherwise not be accessible.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Matt Putra:   linkedin.com/in/mattputraeightx.co website:  https://www.eightx.co/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

We often talk about brands on this show, but so far we’ve never talked about manufacturing brands.In fact, until this guest came on A Seat at The Table, I hadn’t given it much thought.Turns out, I was overlooking a huge marketing opportunity - and it seems that a lot of businesses are too!Today Jim Huebner joins us on a Seat at The Table to discuss what manufacturers need to now know about branding to not only grow their market but to also protect the market share they already have.Jim is the Founder and CEO of Huebner Integrated Marketing, a 34-year-old company devoted to helping manufacturing brands become more relevant to their customers and sales channels, and to become more profitable in the process.Today he’ll be sharing 1. What makes a manufacturing brand relevant to today’s consumers.2. The process for helping brands establish their most robust brand positioning.3. The 4 pillars of his “GIVE Manifesto” - What  that meansA great brand can lift a product out of obscurity and give it a new life.  In a similar way, great leadership can play a pivot role in getting a business back on track or in driving it to greater success.To take your company to the next level, you need top talent who understand the market - and understands your product.To find the best talent, brands look to Asianet Consultants.  They have an extensive network that helps them connect with leading directors, managers and tech experts.It’s why both enterprises and indie companies look to Asianet when they need to fill a difficult to fulfill position.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asisanetconsultants.comIntegrated Marketing's website:  https://www.huebnermarketing.com/Connect with Jim Heubner:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwhuebner/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Almost every business leader is discussing what role AI will play in their company.  For manufacturers, AI is considered to be foundational to the move towards Industry 4.0.  However most manufacturers are not quite sure how to specifically apply AI to their operations.   How to go from theory to practical application.  Meet Bryan DeBois, director of Industrial AI at RoviSys, one of the largest independent global system integrators focused on manufacturing.Today on A Seat at The Table, we’ll be answering some of the questions manufacturers have about operationalising technologies such as AI, Data Infrastructure and Advanced Analytics - and how they can boost productivity for manufacturers.Bryan will be discussing1.  How smart factories are transforming the manufacturing industry with data and AI2. How to start a digital transformation journey for medium-to-large manufacturing companies3. How to integrate a new data pipeline into an existing infrastructure with minimal disruption to its operations?4. The role that key humans will play in new tech-driven operations.Despite all the advancements in technology, people still play a vital role in the success of a business.  That’s why top companies invest in getting the best talent on board.  However finding good people is not always easy - especially when you need people with very specific skills or experience, such as with new technologies.That’s why leading companies turn to Asianet Consultants to help them recruit that winning talent that will give them a competitive edge.  Asianet has decades of experience and a vast network that gives them an edge in finding the right executives for even niche positions.You can find out more about them at asianetconsultants.com.  I’ll also leave a link in the show notes.Meanwhile, let’s find more about the future of manufacturing from Bryan.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultant's website:  https://asianetconsultants.comRovisys website:  https://www.rovisys.com/Connect with Bryan Debois:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-debois/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Manufacturing is getting modernised as companies look to boost process efficiencies, create more resilient supply chains - and of course reduce costs.Elon Musk redefined manufacturing through Tesla and SpaceX, where he leaned into new technologies to make his processes faster and better.The manufacturing sector is now starting to look to startups and SaaS solutions.Meet  Renan Devillieres, CEO of OSS Ventures, which developes and scales technology-driven businesses in the manufacturing space.He joins us on A Seat at The Table to talk about how startups are shaping the future of manufacturing.  In this podcast Renan discusses:1. How manufactures can navigate the evolving landscape of SaaS in operations.2. What manufactures might be overlooking about implementing SaaS in their businesses.3. How even small manufacturers can use what is often seen as enterprise level applications.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comOSS Ventures website:  https://www.oss.ventures/Connect with Renan on Lin kedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/renan-devillieres/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

The value of establishing a strong brand is indisputable.  Even in tough times companies with power brands - or even just strong brand recognition within one sector - outperform the market.  Established brands are also better positioned to ride the economic peaks and troughs that often crush near competitors.While understanding why we need to invest in brand building is easy, figuring how to do it is a bit more complicated.Meet Carolyn Walker, CEO & Managing Partner of Response Marketing, an award-winning independent marketing agency that has help market leaders such as Logitech, McAfee, Office Depot and Tylenol build revenues and maximize market competitiveness.Today, Carolyn will be sharing her expertise on 1. Why brands need both brand building and performance marketing to ensure their survival.2. The critical role of ‘core belief’ in brand building.3. Whether marketing can actually save brands that are failing.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comResponse Marketing's website:  https://response.agency/Connect with Carolyn Walker:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynwalker/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

The game for online sellers has gotten a lot more competitive.   The free money that was funding start ups and the subsidies that drove massive pandemic-era online shopping are off.The soaring costs of reverse logistics - in fact all logistics, as well as customer acquisition - is on!It’s definitely gotten a lot hotter in the e-commerce arena - and retailers are now a lot more worried about getting burnt with losses than driving record shattering top line growth.The market dynamics have clearly changed.  To succeed - or to just survive - e-commerce players need to rethink their strategy, but first they need to truly understand the underlying issues that are shaping e-commerce right now.Meet Rick Watson, a renown e-commerce strategist, consultant and influencer who has helps private equity grow digital revenue streams.  His work with e-commerce investor due diligence and acquisition analysis has given him a unique behind-the-scenes look at what’s working, what’s not - and what companies might want to do next.I’m Jane Singer and welcome back to a Seat at The Table where we expand our vision of the opportunities and possibilities in today’s fast moving, global business world by speaking with the people who are making things happen.Today, Rick Watson will be discussing: What e-commerce players should be focusing on right now in order to not only drive sales, but to build their bottom linesFaced with the return to stores, what people who manage e-commerce channels should be looking at right now. Opportunities or potential challenges that e-commerce businesses might overlooking.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comRick Watson's website:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/Connect with Rick on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ecommercestrategyconsulting/Listen to Rick Watson's podcast:  https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweeklyVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

After being heralded as the next digital hotspot, the Metaverse plummeted out of favor - in tandem with the fate of its parent company, Meta.  Brands that were tripping over each other to grab a space in this new space suddenly started to make a hasty exit.The post-covid world was retuning to stores, people wanted experiences - in real life - and were making the internet a part of their lives rather then the center of their lives.However despite the overall trend of moving back to the physical world, there might just be some unique opportunities for brands in the Metaverse - if they know what they are and how to capitalize on them.Meet Kate Newlin, a renowned business and brand strategist with a keen sense of what the future might look like, in part due to her previous tenure as managing director of Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve.I’m Jane Singer and welcome back to a Seat at The Table where we expand our vision of the opportunities and possibilities in today’s fast moving, global business world by speaking with the people who are making things happen.Today Kate Newlin will be discussing what she sees as massive brand opportunities in the Metaverse that most companies are overlooking.  She’ll be sharing1. Metaverse marketing: Trend or Fad? 2. Why she believes the Metaverse is a step-change for business growth and brand development. 3. The rules of the road: What separates the winners from wannabes in this space. 5. How  a brand can begin this journey. USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comKate Newlin's website:  katenewlin.comConnect with Kate Newlin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-newlin-11186/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

It’s gotten to the point where most digital native brands are looking to physical stores to grow their business.To maximise our e-commerce marketing, we need to first identify which metrics we should be measuring.  And it turns out that many of the traditional metrics are not the best indicators of how well your business is doing.Meet Valentin Radu, founder of Omniconvert and a specialist in increasing customer lifetime value.According to Valentin, e-commerce sellers spend too much time chasing new customers and not enough time nurturing their existing customers.  Just by changing their focus, brands can massively increase their sales - and profits on line.That’s just one of many insights that he’s discovered through his work at Omniconvert.In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Valentin will discuss:1. The importance of being able to extract more value from existing customers.2. Identifying your best customers - and prioritizing how you allocate your resources.3. A new methodology for customer value optimization.Being able to find people with solid e-commerce experience is easier said than done.  The fast growth of the channel has left many companies scrambling to find skilled marketing leadership.Fortunately, the team at Asianet Consultants is able to leverage  their massive network and find those often overlook executives who have exactly the right experience - and a solid track record.Meanwhile, let’s sit down with Valentin and find out how we can make our e-commerce channels a lot more profitable.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnected with Valentin Radu:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentinradu/ More about Omniconvert:  https://youtu.be/TE-dyZLNXFEVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

The pandemic put supply chains in the spotlight.  Companies doubled down on identifying weak links and looking for solutions to ensure greater resilience in the future.Most people believe the solution - or at least the foundational part of it - is greater automation and digitisation.  But what if we are misunderstanding the problem? Or maybe just need to look at it from a different perspective?Could we be overlooking incredible supply chain strengths and opportunities that resulted from the unexpected stress test of a global pandemic?I’m Jane Singer and today we’re talking with Dr. Yossi Sheffi, an award-winning global supply chain expert and Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics.  He is the author of nine books, including the soon - to - be -released The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, A.I., and The Future of Work. According to Dr. Sheffi, the pandemic was proof of how resilient supply chains actually are. He further challenges our conventional wisdom by arguing that despite the power of AI, there are many things that we still need people to do.There’s a lot to unpack - and I would have loved to spoken with Dr. Sheffi for much longer if time permitted.  However he covers a lot of thought provoking insights here … and for the rest … well we’ll just have to read his new book.In this episode of a Seat at The Table Dr. Sheffi discusses:1. Where global supply chains proved how resilient they actually are.2.  The greatest vulnerability in over reliance on automation.3. Where humans surpass computers in supply chain operations.One of the biggest challenges companies face is finding the right people with the right expertise to help them adapt to an environment that is increasingly driven by advanced technology.The developments are happening so quickly that even seasoned IT people are struggling to keep pace.That’s why a growing number of companies are looking to Asianet Consultants to help them find that all important IT talent.Asianet has a long history of being able to fill even those really difficult to fill positions.  The team there has a vast network within key supply chain functions giving them access to some of the region’s top talent.In the meantime, let’s sit down with Dr. Sheffi and find out what we might be overlooking about supply chains.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Dr. Yossi Sheffi:  https://sheffi.mit.edu/   or  https://www.linkedin.com/in/yossi-sheffi-b38b731/Dr. Yossi Sheffi's newest book:   https://sheffi.mit.edu/magicbeltVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

A big part of winning at retail is understanding what motivates consumers to buy.It’s a topic that has gotten increasingly complex now that retail spans so many different channels.One man has made it his life’s work to go deep and get inside the mind of the consumer.Meet Paco Underhill, founder and former CEO of Envirosell, a behavioural research and consulting firm that tests prototype stores, as well as monitoring consumer behaviour on websites and in brick and mortar stores.In this episode, Paco discusses:1. How fashion has evolved into what he refers to ‘uniforms’ and ‘costumes’2. The new influences on women’s choice of career wear.3. Shifts in how consumers shop - and some best practices in how retailers can respond.So let’s sit down with Paco and try and make sense of today’s fast changing retail market.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Paco Underhill:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacounderhill/Envirosell's website:  https://envirosell.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Digitising product development and design is the way forward - both from a cost cutting and speed to market point of view.  However certain aspects of digitising more complex products such as apparel and home textiles are still difficult to do - creating a sticking point for taking this from concept to wide spread implementation.One of those challenges is being able to digitise fabric swatches so that when brought into a 3D design environment they show all the nuances that the fabric would show if viewed in real life.That means capturing subtleties in texture, colour, drape, light reflection - and even hand feel.In a sense, the fabric part of the equation has been sort of the last frontier.However that is about to change.  Today I’m sitting down with the man who is at the forefront of a new technology that is making it possible to capture textiles in full detail.  Not only that, he and his team have found a way to make this technology accessible to any company - even SME’s or solopreneurs.Meet Jorgen Sevild, founder of INQOVA and a partner at Bandicoot. Jorgen has been a pioneer in the development of technology that can solve the problem of creating highly realistic digital textile images.His academic training as an industrial systems engineer gave him the technical knowledge to work on building this system.  However years of working hands on in the textile industry have given him that all-important understanding of the nuances of textiles - and how they apply to apparel.  It’s this perfect pairing of the theoretical and the practical that have helped make Bandicoot such a remarkable solution.In this episode, Jorgen will be discussing1. The key to digitising fabrics so that they look nearly the same in a 3D rendering as they do in real life.2. The simple, affordable technology that is set to revolutionise the digitisation of textiles. 3. What a digitised future looks like - from product development through to retail.One of the biggest challenges that companies face when they look to digitise their design departments - or any other department - is finding that right people with the right skills and experience for this relatively new field of expertise.However without solid leadership and a good team, companies will face more struggle than success as they try to adapt their business to new digital best practices.That’s why leading companies turn to Asianet Consultants.  They have a long history of helping businesses find the right talent with the right expertise.I’ve seen them fill even very difficult to fill positions, ones that enterprises have struggled for months to find the right hire for.  You can learn more about Asianet Consultants at https://asianetconsultants.comMeanwhile, let’s sit down with Jorgen and get an inside look at some incredible new technology.USEFUL LINKS:Asiannetconsultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Jorgen Sevild:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgensevild/Bandicoot Imaging Science website:  https://www.bandicootimaging.com/INQOVA website:  https://www.inqova.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands.That’s exactly what Dawn Strachan did. With her primary school aged daughter and son  facing learning challenges - and unable to muster support for them from her local school system, Dawn realised that she would need to find her own solution.So she leaned into her university training in early learning development and education and created her own methods for helping them with math, spelling and reading.  Dawn realised two fundamentals:  learning needed to be fun in order to keep the student engaged in the lesson. And, each child learns differently, so lessons needed to be modified to the specific needs of the student.Her success tutoring her own children caught the attention of other parents whose children faced similar challenges.And thus began a small, sideline tutoring business.  That business is now 11 years old and Dawn now has a team of over 10 tutors who she has trained in her methodology.She’s also started a franchise business so that parents in other cities or even countries can help their children over come obstacles that might be holding them back in their school work.  Recognizing the helplessness and frustration that parents can feel when their children are struggling in school, Dawn started a Facebook membership group where parents can find advice and support - from her, as well as other group members.Today Dawn joins here on A Seat at The Table to share her journey and tells us more about how she built Clara James Tutoring.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Dawn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-strachan/Connect with Dawn on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/dawn.strachan.39Clara James Tutoring:  clarajamestutoring.co.ukVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Anyone who has a professional position - whether they are senior executive, a C-suite boss or an entrepreneur - knows that they need to have a presence on LinkedIn.For most (including myself) that typically ends up being some version of their resume or CV - and not necessarily one that is up to date or particularly compelling.  However, with companies increasingly using LinkedIn as one of their recruiting tools and clients often using LinkedIn as part of the way they learn about companies or consultants they are considering working with - it might be worth giving your LinkedIn profile a glow up.To learn about some of the best practices for LinkedIn, I’ve invited LinkedIn branding expert Donna Serdula to join us here on A Seat at The Table.Donna is a pioneer in LinkedIn profile optimisation and has worked with more than 6,000 executives, entrepreneur and professionals over the past decade to help them stand out in the increasingly crowded world of LinkedIn.In this episode Donna talks about:  1. Why your LinkedIn profile should be more than a resume or CV.2. How companies can enhance their brand image by boosting the profiles of key employees.3. What executives should post on LinkedIn - and how frequently.LinkedIn has become the go to repository for job search and recruitment - from mid tier to C-suite.  However sifting and sorting through even the most highly filtered results - and then trying to determine who might be the right fit, connect with them and begin the recruitment process is massive task.  One that most companies only realise once they’ve started to do it.Leading companies solve this problem - and make the right connections with the right talent - by working a specialised executive search firm like Asianet Consultants.I’ve seen how the team at Asianet has successfully filled some of the most difficult to fill positions. With several decades of experience in challenging markets, Asianet has honed the skillset and connections to help companies recruit the kind of people that give them a competitive market advantage.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comLinkedIn Makeover website:  LinkedIn-Makeover.comConnect with Donna Serdula on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/todonna/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Managing global supply chains has become one of the most challenging, risk intensive aspects of  just about any business.While the logistics crisis that rocked the past three years has now normalised, geopolitical issues are escalating, key retail markets are uncertain - at best - and then there’s the increasing pressure to meet more stringent demands for transparency.Oh, and let’s not forget about the ubiquitous price pressure that has always been part of product sourcing.A growing number of people are looking to technology to create greater supply chain stability.  However even the most advanced technology is only a tool.  The foundational strategies will come from the people who manage the sourcing operations which the technology is supporting.So then what could companies do to build more stable supply chains?  And what might the new, more resilient supply chain look like?To find out, I invited Christophe Roussel to join us here on A Seat at The Table.Christophe has 30 year experience building, shaping, and transforming consumer goods global supply chains (including product development, sourcing, manufacturing, quality, sustainability). He’s worked for big box retailers such as Carrefour in France or Tesco, and Morrisons or Sainsbury’s in the UK. Most recently he was EVP Global Sourcing & Manufacturing at U.S. casual wear brand the Gap, Inc.Christophe’s own consultancy, advisory and interim leadership business, Big Ideas,  helps brands and retailers to transform their end-to-end product supply chains and build integrated partnerships with strategic suppliers.  At the same time, the consultancy is also helping vendors and manufacturers to diversify their production base into new country of origins and rethink strategically their approach to the customers they want to work with.In this episode, Christophe will be discussing:- Practical and actionable ways to create more resilient supply chains- How to balance the need for reliability with the quest for cheaper prices- Which technology developments are likely to make the biggest impact on supply chain resilienceUSEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comBig Ideas Consultants:  https://www.bigideasconsultants.comConnect with Christoph Roussel:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rousselchristophe/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

E-commerce is an essential retail channel, but the costs associated with selling online have become daunting.From soaring warehousing and last mile delivery costs to high volumes of returns, it can get to the point where the more you sell, the more money you lose.One cost that has gotten out of control is customer acquisition cost or CAC.Those pay-per-click ads that drive traffic also take a bit out your margins - in fact they can devour so much of your profits that many sellers are left with mere crumbs.Today Liam Patterson, co-founder of Bidnamic, a marketing technology platform that helps retailers unlock the full potential of Google Shopping, is joining us here on A Seat at The Table.Bidnamic uses AI to help retailers optimise their ad spend on Google Shopping, the leading pay-per-click advertising platform.In this episode Liam will be discussing:- How the best players are competing - and winning - using Google Shopping.- How AI can help retailers attract better traffic - rather than more traffic.- How to develop a strategy to make better ad spend decisions.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comBidnamic:  www.bidnamic.comLiam Patterson:  Linkedin.com/in/liam-pattersonVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Leadership is a big topic these days.  From staff retention to getting better performance from teams, there is a lot of pressure on leadership to be be better leaders.Probably one of the best of the places to look for role models and best practices in leadership is to the people who manage professional sports teams.The stakes are high - and so is the pressure.  After all, sports is really all about performance.  And measured in each and every game - and even down to single plays.And one of the best teams to learn leadership from is the legendary Dallas Cowboys.Mark Oristano spent 30 years with the Cowboys. Today he is joining us on A Seat at The Table to share the leadership principles that he feels helped drive the Cowboys tremendous success.Mark worked under the legendary Cowboy president and general manager, Tex Schramm, where he was part of that incredible management style that kept employees working for the team for decades.  In this episode Mark will share:- Three ways to to build your team for a long-term future - and that massively reduces turnover.- How to relate to your team so you become each members’ champion.- How to be a strong leader without creating a culture of fear.USEFUL LINKSConnect with Mark Oristano:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/markoristano/Lead with Principle website:   LEADWITHPRINCIPLE.COMAsianet Consultants website:  https://asianetconsultants.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

On the one hand, there’s a low barrier to entry so any size company can participate.  On the other hand, it has become increasingly complex, time consuming - what worked yesterday could very well not be effective tomorrow.Mastering digital marketing has become a must for most businesses.  Thus learning what’s working - and what’s not - is  critical in order to develop the right strategy for your organisation.Today’s guest is going to share how to do this.Chris Pistorius has over 15 years experience in digital marketing.  Before starting his own marketing agency in 2009, he worked for online marketing giants including AOL, Time Warner, Dex and MapQuest.In this podcast he’ll be discussing:- What’s working best right now in digital marketing.- Why paid advertising could be a better strategy than simply increasing your number of posts on social media.- How to use social media to create a more personal connection with your market.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Chris Pistorius:Website: https://kickstartdental.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/kickstartdentalmarketingTwitter: https://twitter.com/KickStartDentalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pistorius/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Typically marketing and sales  are handled by a company’s  marketing and sales team - who, not surprisingly, approach the task using the standard marketing and sales tools.But what if we could uncover hidden opportunities or boost our success rate by taking an entirely different approach?  Our guest today will be talking about why we might want to solve marketing and sales challenges like an engineer - and how his has used this strategy in his company.I’m Jane Singer and it’s great to have you with us on A Seat at The Table.Today we have Timothy Partasevitch, Chief Growth Officer at Smart IT joining us.Tim is a sales and marketing specialist, who solves business challenges like an engineer by focusing on data insights, analyzing what works, what doesn’t, and what can be improved from a technical and financial perspective.In this podcast he shares his views on:- How B2B businesses can create a marketing strategy that drives sales.- Why marketing and sales should be one department - not two.- The value of building a marketing process.- Why sales engineering should be your primary strategy.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Timothy Partasevitch:  https://by.linkedin.com/in/tim-partasevitchVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

For anyone who travels frequent flyer or loyalty programs as they are called play an outsized role in our airline choices.While most don’t want to admit it, the lure of a free flight or an upgrade is almost irresistible.  While most of us are active participants in loyalty programs, few of us really understand why they say are so beneficial - to the airlines.What you you find out might surprise you as much it did me.Today we are joined by Mark Ross-Smith,  Founder of industry news site “Travel Data Daily”, and CEO of Status Match.He has 20 years experience leading loyalty programs in telecoms and travel, most recently at Malaysian Airlines. In this podcast Mark will be unpacking his insider knowledge about how these programs work including- How loyalty programs are actually a revenue stream - and often profit centre - for airlines.- New ways that airlines are using customer data find hidden revenue opportunities.- How loyalty programs can work against a company - if they are not well executed.USEFUL LINKSAsianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Mark Ross-Smithhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/markrosssmith/https://www.statusmatch.comhttp://www.TravelDataDaily.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Today most leaders are so focused on survival that don’t even dare to dream of being able to win praise from their employees or truly find a way to consistently manage both their time and their energy.However this might not be as out of reach as it seems and our guest today will be showing us how.Take we have Herdis Pala Palsdottir joining us.Herdis is co-founder of Opus Futura and a frequent lecturer on the future of work, as well as having sat on many management boards.She champions the concept of self-leadership as a concept that senior executives can use to become more effective team leaders - but to also improve the quality of their work life  and even life outside of work.In this podcast Herdis will discuss:- Small changes that managers could make to be the best manager their employees ever had.- Why we need to look at “energy management” as well as “time management”.- The next big trend in human capital - and how it might impact organisations.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Herdis Pala Palsdottir:   www.linkedin.com/in/herdispala  About Herdis:   https://www.herdispala.is/english  Herdis's website:  www.opusfutura.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Digital marketing is now something that every business needs to include  - even if only in a minimal way.That’s left a lot of companies either wondering what to do - or wasting time and money doing the wrong thing.One of the core tactics is building links on your website.  They can significantly boost your ranking in search, add credibility to your website and help attract more visitors.Like most aspects of digital marketing, the cost can be low, but the time required to do it right can be massive.   The question is how to do this effectively and efficiently?Today we’ll be speaking with Aaron Anderson, an SEO and Link Building expert whose company Link Pitch prides itself on offering link building services done the right way. With a focus on scalable outreach-oriented link building, Link Pitch is completely obsessed with building high-quality, relevant links that  benefit their clients’ sites for the long term.In this podcast Aaron will be discussing: - How link building works and why it is critical for every website to have backlinks.- The best way to build those all-important backlinks - even for brand new websites.- Key mistakes companies make when outsourcing their link building.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Aaron Anderson:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronanderson22/Link Pitch's website: https://linkpitch.io/Let's Talk Link Building podcast:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2057466Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

In an environment where interest rates are continuing to rise, suddenly raising venture capital is not as easy as it used to be.If fact, it’s getting a lot more difficult.However, there are always investors who are looking for interesting opportunities.  The key now is knowing how to find them.I’m Jane Singer and it’s great to have you as part of our global community of industry leaders here at A Seat at The Table.Today we are joined by Ron Bauer, Founder of Theseus Capital Ltd, principal investor in a number of science and technology companies and author of “Capital: Raising Money in a Digital World”.Ron’s helped and managed 5 IPOs to raise over $200 million and scale their businesses.In this podcast he’ll share- How performance expectations for startup have changed in the past year, from an investor’s point of view.- How any entrepreneur can reach new investors and raise the capital they need (even if you’re not slated to be the next unicorn).- Classic mistakes founders make when pitching investors that can cost them the deal.USEFULL LINKSAsianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Ron Bauer:Instagram:  @ronbauer888Twitter:  @ronbauer888LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/ronbauer888Website:  www.thescapital.com and  www.ronbauer.vcVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Many companies think that having survived the pandemic that the worst is behind them.  However they might be surprised to find that economic instability can strike at any time.To ensure that they can survive in any circumstances, leaders need to continually be looking for those ’silent business killers’ that are often lurking in even seemingly healthy companies.Today we’re joined by Steven Blue, CEO of Miller Ingenuity and author of five bestselling books that teach senior leaders and CEOs how to increase profit, take market share, and beat the competition.In this podcast Steven will be talking about:- The warning signs of failure that he’s seen in top international companies.- The six ‘silent business killers’ and how you can avoid them.- Why too much success can lead to failure.- Why conflict amongst colleagues can help companies avoid critical mistakes.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Steven Blue:http://www.stevenlblue.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenblue/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

One of the biggest challenges service providers face is getting new clients.  Not just more clients - but the right clients.  Those people who need and want their services.Typically, executives needed to invest a huge amount of time networking - from attending conferences to working the room at local events.While you can certainly meet a lot of people this way, it takes up a huge amount of time - not mention the travel travel costs.In an age of where everything has a digital component surely there has to be a better way to attract the right clients?Today we have Luke Charlton on the show.  Luke’s a master digital advertising strategist and copywriter who has help his clients bank $50 million in sales.  He’s written copy for leading online gurus including Bob Proctor, Mike Dillard, Neil Patel, Grace Lever and others.In this podcast Luke is going to discuss:- The framework behind using paid advertisements to attract the right clients.- A free tool that attracts dream clients who want your services.- Three things service providers can immediately do to getter better results with email.USEFUL LINKSAsianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Luke Charlton:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukecharlton/https://LukeCharlton.comLuke’s Epic Resource ListThe 9 Email Offers that Get Clients Free:(Includes bonus “1-Sentence Offer” gift. Just email Luke and ask)https://9emailoffers.comThe 15 Minute Client Workshop:(Reveals Luke's complete daily email client attraction system for free)https://The15MinuteClientWorkshop.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

For years companies have been talking about digital transformation but many are still trying to figure out what might be the best pathway for transitioning their operations onto a more automated platform.The idea of digitising sounds great. Executing on it often seems daunting.  And in fact it can be.  As a result, companies end up with a compilation of old and new solutions - which can be less efficient and actually cost them more than taking the leap to fully digitising.Today’s guest is going to talk about how companies of all sizes can not only take advantage of cloud-based solutions, but can get greater use out of solutions they are already paying for.Andrew Cohen is the Managing Director of Netsurit, a $30M MSP firm that helps organizations take advantage of the latest technology to enhance their business by providing a roadmap to evolve their IT infrastructure.In this episode Andrew discusses:- Barriers companies face in getting from discussing to implementing  digitization in their organisations.- How companies can establish metrics around both people and operational automation.- What companies can do now to add more stability and resilience to their operations.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Andrew Cohen:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-cohen-91945a4/Netsurit:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/netsurit/Netsurit on FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/Netsurit/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Most companies have learned how to attract people to their websites or their online stores.The challenge is converting those visitors into customers.  In an increasingly crowded and noisy market, how can we develop the right strategies to get people to move from looking to buying?In this podcast we are joined by Carl Weische, co-founder of ACCELERATED and an expert in CRO.  That’s conversion rate optimisation.Accelerated works with some of the fastest scaling D2C brands helping them grow from 8 to 10 figures.In this podcast Carl will be sharing- What marketers can do to boost their conversion rates.- The role that frequency plays in driving sales growth.- Benchmarks for conversion, based on working with real brandsUSEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Carl Weische:www.acceleratedagency.comhttps://twitter.com/CarlWeischehttps://www.youtube.com/@carlweische Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Technology has become essential to almost every aspect of our business operations.Organisations of all sizes are looking to new digital solutions to help them successfully navigate complex and often fast changing environments.Today it’s not only about automating repetitive tasks or making our employees more productive.  Newer technology solutions are providing more immersive ways to use applications, as well as far greater predictive capabilities.  So what are some the newer technologies - and how they shaping the future of business?I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table - and being part of our global community of industry leaders.Today we have Slava Podmurnyi with us.  Slava is Co-founder and CEO at Visartech, a software development agency that helps companies create and implement advanced technologies to transform their business.During his 14 years of applying technologies to diverse business niches he’s  worked on fintech solutions, metaverse platforms, SaaS products, and interactive apps. In this podcast, Slava will be talking about:- Digital Twin Technology: A Brand New Way of Business Process Transformation.- How To Align Metaverse Solutions With Your Specific Business Goals- Web 3D Technologies: The Driving Force To Provide In-Depth Content PerceptionEven companies with state-of-the-art technology know that they also need top talent to growth their business and drive success.That’s why leading corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website https://asianetconsultants.comUSEFUL LINKSAsianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Slave Podmurnyi:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/visartechceo/Visartech's website:  https://www.visartech.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Customer loyalty is something every company wants, but nowadays few are able to achieve.  This leaves most companies spending more and more budget to acquire customers who quickly hop to the next brand or chase the newest offer.A big part of running a successful business is being able to retain your existing customers, while continuing to attract new ones.With customer acquisition costs across all channels at record highs, investing in retaining those customers you already have could be the smartest growth tactic a company could employ.For many companiesthe question is how to  do this effectively.I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table where we support global business leaders in sharing ideas, innovations and best practices for running successful organizations.Today we are joined by Rajiv Lamba, Founder and CEO of Neurosensum & SurveySensum.  Rajiv is a seasoned market research expert whose clients include auto industry leaders Mercedes, BMW, Nissan and Honda, as well as insurance giants Allianz, Manulife and Apriea Healthcare, as well as other consumer goods brands.In this podcast he talks about:- The newest initiatives that market leaders are implementing to get better customer feedback.-  The advantage leading e-commerce platforms are gaining by moving their market research in-house.- How companies are using real time customer survey data to help reduce churn rates and influence customer retention.As most of business leaders know, staff retention can be just as challenging as these days as customer retention.  A big part of building and maintaining happy and productive teams is being able to find and recruit the best executives.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website asianetconsultants.comUSEFUL LINKSAsianet Consultants:   https://asianetconsultants.comRajiv Lamba:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiv-lamba/Surveysensum:  https://www.surveysensum.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Companies have always focused on growth, but now there’s increasing pressure to drive profitability.  Typically this means cutting costs.  However in a highly competitive market that will no longer work. Businesses are going to have to ‘invest their way to success’.  Winning companies will need to super charge their creativity and build high performing teams.Now you’re probably thinking ‘That sounds good, but how exactly can organisations execute on this?’I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table - and being part of our global community of industry leaders.Today we have Tim Redmond joining us.  Tim is CEO of Redmond Growth Consulting, an organisation that helps companies growth their profits and their business.By leveraging his previous experience with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and growing a software company from 2-400 employees and then selling it to Intuit, he’s able to pinpoint opportunities that companies might be overlooking, help find creative solutions to a wide range of business challenges, and coach leadership on building high performing teams.In this podcast Tim talks about- Some of the costly mistakes that businesses are making and what they should be doing instead.- How to super charge creativity to find innovative solutions and ideas.- What successful team leaders get right that mediocre ones overlook.USEFUL LINKSAsianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comConnect with Tim Redmond:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachtimredmond/Redmond Growth Consulting:   redmondgrowth.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Most companies understand that we need to be able to tell the story of what we do to our customers.However it turns out that there are powerful advantages to being able to communicate our story to our own team members.In an era where businesses are facing daunting challenges on the home front - from recruiting top talent to retaining the people they have - as well as managing to boost diversity and team work - communicating mission and values is foundational.The question is, how can we do this effectively, while also running a profitable, competitive business?Today we are joined by the dynamic Martha Marchesi, CEO of JK Design, a full-service, women-owned creative agency that helps companies create and communicate powerful brand stories to their customers, partners and employees.Martha is a Madison Avenue veteran where she crafted targeted, award-winning creative campaigns at legendary shops such as Young & Rubicam, Grey, Saatchi and Saatchi, and Della Femina.A master brand storyteller, her experience spans a wide variety of clients in the B2B and B2C spaces and includes brand strategy, creative direction, and employer branding.In this podcast, Martha will be talking about:The importance of developing an 'employer brand'.How leaders can create those traditional bonds amongst colleagues who are working off-site.How management can more effectively retain and motivate talent in an of ‘Quiet Quitting’.How to overcome some of the biggest challenges in implementing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusivity) initiatives in your company.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Martha Marchesi:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthamarchesi/JK Design website: jkdesign.comAsianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

A growing number of companies struggling to cope with the many seismic shifts that are rocking global markets.  In good times even poor leadership can keep the ship afloat.  But more turbulent times calls for enterprises to rethink their leadership.However knowing you need to double down on finding the right people to lead your business - and actually defining what kind of talent you need to get the job done - is more challenging than it seems.It’s led to a new way of looking at who might be the right people, and what might be the right personality traits and experience to take your organization from where it is to where you’d like it to be.I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table. - and being part of our global community of industry leaders.Today we have the pleasure of having Robert Jordan join us.Robert is co-founder and head of the leadership team at InterimExecs,  a leadership executive matching firm that has helped fix global giants like Pepsi, Microsoft, UPS, and more by identifying the right leaders to step in during times of trouble or stagnation.His new book, RIGHT LEADER, RIGHT TIME: Discover Your Leadership Style for a Winning Career [G&D Media / March 29, 2022], is the executive reader’s one-stop guide to assessing their distinct leadership style and a step-by-step plan for optimizing that style to best suit their business and scale its growth.In this episode Robert talks about:How companies can stay afloat—and thrive—during periods of internal instability. How a leader’s leadership ‘style’ and actions can help make or break a business.Why sometimes leaders can - and maybe should - lean on theirteams.Having the right leadership can be game changing. But finding the right talent can take a lot searching, especially in a fast changing market. That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com.Now let’s sit down with Robert and find what kind of person we need to lead our organization through these uncertain times.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Robert Jordan:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjjordan/InterimExecs website: https://interimexecs.com/https://www.rightleader.com/ (to take the free FABS leadership assessment) Asianet Consultant’s website: https://asianetconsultants.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Automation and fashion are two words that are increasingly coming up in the same sentence.Brands want to keep inventories at a minimum - and need faster production to make that possible.They also need to maximize personalization in order to provide consumers with what they want - when they want it.Figuring out how to pull all of these components together in one smooth running system has elude most manufacturers.But there is one man who looks like he’s cracked the code.I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table. - and being part of our global community of industry leaders.Today we have Samuel Moses joining.  Samuel is founder and CEO of Sockrates Custom Socks, which specializes in producing high quality custom socks with blazingly fast turnaround times.He combined his hands on experience in market research, finance and retail to come up with a system that provides customers with a unique product that is out performing the market.With over 4,000 clients worldwide, Sockrates must be doing something right.In this episode Samuel talks about:How to find a niche customer baseHow he continually improves efficiency in his organization.Using data and market research to identify and deliver the right products for your market.Finding the right talent takes a lot searching, especially in a fast changing market.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com.Now let’s sit down with Samuel and find how he has disrupted the sock industry.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Samuel Moses:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-moses-51a0325/Sockrates Customs Socks website:  www.Sockratescustom.comAsianet Consultants:   https://asianetconsultants.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

In an increasingly noisy market, even those brands with massive marketing budgets can struggle to stand out.Not only are companies trying to figure out where to get the most bang for their buck with paid advertising, there’s also the challenge of social media - a channel that has become increasingly overwhelming.Finding the right strategies - and figuring who you need to execute them effectively - can leave business leaders frustrated, and prompts many to just give up.Is there a better way to rethink our marketing efforts so that they work for us - rather than against us?I’m Jane Singer and its great to have you here with us today on A Seat at The Table - and as part of our international community of industry leaders.Today we are joined by Oren Greenberg, Founder and Fractional Chief Marketing Officer of Kurve, a boutique digital marketing agency specializing in search marketing.Oren  is a pragmatic and compassionate mentor helping mid-weight and senior marketers become the marketing leaders of tomorrow.He’s worked in-house for 3 VC backed ventures generating over £1.3 billion revenue.   Oren splits his time between working with Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 250 companies such as Canon, Investec Bank, Lenovo & HomeServe and supporting a number of the world's fastest scale-ups.In this episode he’ll be talking about:Tactics and strategies brands can use to stand out in a noisy, competitive market.How leaders can run competitive marketing campaigns - without burning out their teams.Achieving rapid growth through proper and efficient utilization of internal teams.Good management is foundational to any successful business.  However finding the right management, at the right time - and in the right place - can be daunting.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com.Okay, now let’s sit down with Oren and find how we can 10x our marketing efforts.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Oren Greenberg:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/orengreenberg/Kurve's website: https://kurve.com.ukAsianet Consultant's website:  https://asianetconsultants.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Automation is making even the most complex tasks easier and faster.   This has led  a growing number of businesses to look at everything they do and try and figure out how they can digitize it.  Both large and smaller enterprises are being increasingly challenged to squeeze every bit of inefficiency and redundancy out of commonly performed tasks to reduce costs, save time - and ideally minimize errors.But what about things that are typically more personalized? Such as consulting? Can even that be digitized?I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table. - and being part of our global community of industry leaders.Today we have Stefan Debois joining us.  Stefan is CEO of Pointerpro, an assessment software platform that helps professional services companies to automate their advisory processes.If you were wondering how consulting services could be digitized (and I know I was) then stay tuned because Stefan will be sharing how to digitize your consulting services to deliver advice to clients at scale and why consultants need to stop charging their clients by time.In this episode you’ll learn:- How to digitize a highly customized business like consulting or other advisory services.- How consultants need to rethink the consultant-client dynamic.- Why it is better to base consulting contracts on outcomes or results rather than on hours worked.- The most effective strategies and tactics for successfully bootstrapping a business.No matter how much you digitize your business, ultimately you need top talent who can drive growth, build customer or supplier relationships, or  successfully lead teams.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com.Okay, now it’s time to sit down with Stefan and learn how we can digitize even those more customized aspects of our business.USEFUL LINKSConnect with Stefan Debois:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefandebois/ PointerPro’s website:  https://pointerpro.com/ Asianet Consultant’s website:  https://asianetconsultants.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Developing a tech product sounds like a dream job.  Definitely a lot more fun and a lot cooler than what most of spend our days doing.But as is often the case, the rewards can mask years of endless work, angst and despair - before finally getting a product to market.  And then holding your breath and hoping that customers will buy - and that suppliers will deliver.I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining us in today’s episode of our   Launch to Legendary series, where we get to hear from entrepreneurs and innovators who have taken the ordinary and turned it into the extraordinary.  Who have built their businesses by seeing opportunities in inopportune circumstances.  Who’ve defined success in their own terms.  Together we’ll be able to learn from their experiences and be inspired by what they’ve achieved.In this episode we’ll be getting up close and personal with what it takes to launch a successful new tech product.Meet Shea Gerhart, founder and CEO of Buderflys, groundbreaking new earbuds that you can literally wear all day - and even sleep in.Buderflys are disrupting the earbuds market - by offering an alternative to those often uncomfortable molded plastic earbuds.  Shea realized that while comfort was critical, people also wanted outstanding audio quality.  So she designed Buderflys to include state-of-the-art sound (we’re talking music industry professional quality) - and equipped with them Productivity AI Based Hardware.While Buderflys are currently selling so fast that suppliers can’t keep up with the demand, the road from concept to commercial success was a rollercoaster ride of high highs - and low lows.Shea will be sharing her story including:- The most challenging part of taking Buderflys from concept to market - and how she overcame this.- The biggest lesson she learned launching a successful startup.- What led Shea to develop Buderflys and how she came to disrupting the earbuds sector.Innovation plays a critical role in keeping any company competitive.  However finding the right people who can solve problems, develop bestselling products or successfully lead teams continues to frustrate many companies.That’s why leading corporates and even small to medium sized enterprises look to Asianet Consultants to help them find the right talent.Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com.Now let’s sit down with Shea and find out what it takes to launch a successful tech product.USEFUL LINKSConnect with Shea Gerhardt:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/shea-gerhardt-21a4b45/Buderflys website:  http://buderflys.com/Learn more about Asianet Consultants:  asianetconsultants.comVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Mention written communication and most people immediately call you out for being ‘old school’.Yet today more than ever before most of our communication is actually written.  In fact, many argue that verbal communication is now a thing of the past.From email to text messages, we spend most of our days writing -  to customers, team members,  friends and even family.  Unfortunately, while technology has made written communication faster and easier, it has not made it better.  More often than not, it’s made it worse.From misunderstandings to misintrerpeted messages - our writing can be our downfall.But are there short cuts or techniques - or forgotten rules - that can help us make this better? I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table.It is my pleasure to have written communications expert Rob Ashton with us today.In 1998 Rob founded Emphasis, a global learning company that has enabled more than 80,000 people to make much more impact with their professional writing. His advice has been sought by everyone from the tech giants of Silicon Valley to the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace.Rob has been investigating the brain science of reading and writing for more than six years, giving him a unique insight into why so much of our written communication fails. He says writing is ‘the invisible medium, hidden in plain sight’.Today Rob will be talking about:Typical mistakes that can make many of the messages we write backfire.What a neural circuit breaker is - and why they stop us from getting the decisions we want.The real (and surprising) reason that email makes us angry.Why often its better to not write, but to talk instead.One of the most difficult things to write is a job description.  I always struggle with this.  And yet it is a critical part of being able attract the right talent to your business.  The competition to find top talent and fill those critical position is one of the biggest challenges companies face these days - especially in certain markets.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com.Now let’s learn from Rob how to improve our written communication.USEFUL LINKS:Asianet Consultants:  www.asianetconsultants.comConnect with Rob Ashton:  https://linkedin.com/in/robashton1Follow Rob Ashton:  https://www.facebook.com/robashtonwritesRob Ashton on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/robert_ashtonEphasis website: http://www.writing-skills.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

When someone mentions online learning we typically think of the pandemic years when students were participating in classrooms much the same way that their parents were spending their days in Zoom meetings.In fact, that’s only one part of the game changing advancements that are taking place as traditional education meets 21st century tech solutions.Today new use cases are being developed that make education more immersive and more accessible for students - regardless of where they are located.  And its making it possible for people of all ages and circumstances to better themselves - thus helping to provide a solid path for poor nations to develop better educated populations.  As well as supporting people in advanced nations to boost their skillsets and move up in their careers.The key is the fast growing field of EdTech.  And today’s guest is going to give us a window on what is actually happening around the world.I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me here on A Seat at The Table.Today we’re honoured to have Atul Temurnikar, executive chairman of Singapore-based Global Schools Foundation join us.Global Schools Foundation, or GFS, is a not-for profit institution with 23 campuses of multicultural environments.In this episode, Atul will be talking about:How EdTech is changing the education landscape in both developed and emerging nations.His experience helping to shape India’s education policy.How AI, data analytics and machine learning can empower teachers and enhance the classroom experience for students.And the world changing benefits of being able to provide people without financial means access to education.Education also plays a key role in providing nations and organisations with both leaders and skilled workers.  And as most companies are finding, it’s not always easy to find the right talent in the right place.  In fact, many are struggling to fill position in certain markets.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com. Now let’s find out from Atul how technology is helping to spread education far and wide.USEFUL LINKS:Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Mention venture capital and everyone imagines multi-million dollar rounds of funding, the thrill of founding the next unicorn - all leading to a windfall of cash when the company has its IPO.At least that what’s become somewhat of an urban legend.The reality can be quite a bit different.  The road from startup to cashing out is typically frustrating, frenzied and at times even frightening. I’m Jane Singer and thanks for joining me here and being part of our international community.  Today we’re joined by Nick Fogle, Founder & CEO of Churnkey, who shares some advice and cautionary tales about the pros and cons of venture capital.  Nick  fought through the 2008 recession and bootstrapped his side business, Wavve, and eventually sold the company for a mid 7-figure sum. Taking everything that he learned from gaining venture capital and customer retention, Nick then founded Churnkey. In this episode Nick talks about:The Potential Pit Falls of Venture CapitalThe Highest Impact Areas Where A Founder Should Invest Their Time The Top 3 Lessons He Learned While Fielding Acquisition Offers And Ultimately Being Acquired… and much more!Whether you’ve got heaps of venture capital funding, are an established corporate or are bootstrapping it, you need good people on board. One of the biggest challenges companies face is trying to find top talent - particularly to fill critical leadership roles.  Nowadays, having the right people can really determine a company’s success or failure.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com. Now let’s sit down with Nick and get the inside track on venture capital funding. USEFUL LINKSConnect with Nick Fogle:Churnkey website:Asianet Consultants website:   https://www.asianetconsultants.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

There’s an old saying ‘Same bed, Different dreams’.  That is often the case with teams.  You have a group of enthusiastic players but each has their own vision of what the outcome should look like.The result can be a lack of efficiency, a failure to meet deadlines or realise any out come at all - or even conflict.And so one of the many things that effective leaders need to achieve is to get everyone on the same page with a shared vision.  The concept is easy to understand.  Making it happen can be a bit more challenging.  However today’s guest aims to help solve that - and much more.I’m Jane Singer and thanks for joining me here and being part of our international community.  Today we’re joined by Curtis Jenkins, business coach and author of Vision to Reality: Stop Working and Start Living.Curtis found that the most important thing to resolve was getting everyone involved in a project to visualize the same outcome. This would lead to motivated team members who were enthusiastic at the realization of the outcome.He quickly implemented this knowledge, fine-tuning his own projects to ensure the outcomes contribute to his vision. He soon realized there was no one size fits all methodology, but that in order to bring the vision to reality required creativity and soft skills. From that realization sprang The Realization Framework Experience.Curtis will be talking about:Why many companies fail to bring their goals to fruition.The importance of mental preparationbefore implementation.His ‘Vision to Reality’ framework - and how any business can apply this.… and much more!To achieve key goals you need good people. One of the biggest challenges companies face is trying to find top talent - particularly to fill critical leadership roles.  Nowadays, having the right people can really determine a company’s success or failure.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website. That’s asiannetconsultants.com.  Now let’s hear what Curtis has to say about how we can get from vision to reality.USEFUL LINKSConnect with Curtis L. Jenkins:  https://www.linkedin/in/curtis-jenkins-pmpCurtis Jenkins’ website:   https://cljassoc.com/Asianet Consultants website:  https://www.asianetconsultants.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

There’s a lot of conversations around leadership these days.  From what generally makes someone a good leader to narrower focuses on leadership styles, decision making, conflict management and just about anything else you can think of.There’s ongoing debate over which leadership playbook is the best way - and what skills are most important to develop in order to effectively lead an organisation - especially in what looks to be uncertain times .But what if we didn’t need ‘new skills’.  What if the answer lay in going back to core values, character building and even old fashioned ethics?I’m Jane Singer and thanks for joining me here and being part of our international community.  We’ve got Maria Kelly with us today and she’ll be talking about what she sees as the simple, but not always easy-to-follow principles that define good leaders.Maria is an executive coach, mentor and business consultant, who strengthens her client’s leadership development and ongoing professional growth. With over 20 years of experience, she supports emerging and C-Suite leaders, internationally renowned experts, and many others, giving them the tools to lead bravely with their head and heart. Maria’s mission is to empower managers and leaders who care about their people and their social impact, to become more effective, better communicators and courageous leaders.She’ll be talking about:What she sees at the most important skill today’s leaders need to have.The critical importance of being decisive.Why good leadership often rests on simply being courageous.… and a lot more.Speaking of leadership, one of the biggest challenges companies face is trying to find top talent - particularly to fill critical leadership roles.  Nowadays, having the right people can really determine a company’s success or failure.That’s why top corporations and even smaller enterprises rely on Asianet Consultants to help them fill key positions.  Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires.  They have a well-earned reputation for being able to fill even those difficult to fill positions.So if you need to recruit new talent - or think that you might be doing that soon, head on over to their website and check them out.  That’s asiannetconsultants.com.  Now, let’s hear what Maria has to say about what it takes to be a great leader. USEFUL LINKSConnect with Maria Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askmariakelly/Maria Kelly’s website:   https://AskMariaKelly.comAsianet Consultants website:   https://www.asianetconsultants.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

One of the biggest marketing challenges that companies face is differentiating themselves from their competitors.Unfortunately, most companies  think the best strategy is to make themselves look as much like everyone else - or as much like the market leaders - as possible.Their website adopts a similar look.  Their logo follows the same style.  Promotional material looks like what everyone else is doing.The thinking is that what works for one will work for all.  The reality is that customers see a group of companies that all look that same - and so you don’t stand out or catch their attention.  It makes it very difficult for customers to see why they should take the time to see what you offer.But can you really take a product or service that seems more like a commodity than a one-of-a-kind and make customers see it as not only different - but maybe even better?I’m Jane Singer and thank you for joining me and being part of our international community that now spans over 100 countries. Today I’m speaking with Matthew Stibbe, CEO at Articulate Marketing, a UK marketing agency specializing in the technology sector.  He’s created marketing strategies, content and campaigns for clients including Microsoft, Google and HP.Before that he founded and was CEO at Intelligent Games, a 70-person computer games company where he designed games for LEGO and produced two games based on Dune.Even if you are not a technology company, Matthew offers a lot of best practices that are applicable to any B2B company.In this episode Matthew talks about:1. How using an educational approach can differentiate your product in the market.2. Turning your company website into a lead generating machine.3. How a B2B company can stand out - even in a very crowded market.And a lot more…Another challenge that companies face today is finding the right talent for those difficult to fill positions.  Most companies that have tried to fill positions on their own have found that it often ends up in weeks or months of frustration.  A lot of successful businesses have solved this problem by partnering with Asianet Consultants, which helps companies fill those often difficult-to-fill positions in Asia. Since 1988 Asianet has been working in partnership with its global clients to help them make the right strategic hires. Let’s find out from Matthew how we can position our products to stand out - and win customers.Helpful Links:Connect with Matthew Stibbe:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewstibbe/Articulate Marketing’s website:  www.articulatemarketing.comMatthew’s blog about modern management:  www.geekboss.comLearn more about Asianet Consultant:  https://www.asianetconsultants.com/Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

E-commerce offers many unique retail opportunities - not the least of which is being location independent.  You can, at least in theory, sell to customers anywhere in the world.However as the e-commerce market becomes increasingly competitive, even power brands are having to devote more resources to drive growth.That leaves small to medium sized brands increasingly frustrated as they struggle to increase sales - and more importantly - to make a profit.Today Lesley Hensell, co-founder of Riverbend Consulting, a small business e-commerce consultant with over two decades helping companies solve issues in their online retail businesses,  joins us on A Seat at The Table.  Lesley has personally helped hundreds of third-party sellers get their suspended Amazon accounts and ASINs back up and running, learn which KPI’s actually matter, and how to improve their operations and profitability.In this episode she discusses- Strategies small to medium sized sellers can implement to compete with even giant players.- Key mistakes she sees companies make when they get started in e-commcerce.- How sellers can minimise risk - while also growing their revenue.… and a lot more.USEFUL LINKSRiverbend Consuting’s website:   https://riverbendconsulting.comConnect with Lesley Hensell:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesleyhensell/Learn about The Current Situation in Sourcing:  https://thecurrentsituation.netVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

We talk a lot about leadership here on A Seat at The Table.  It’s a critical part of running any business these days - whether its a global corporation or a small local operation.Nowadays, for many senior executives, there’s the dual challenge of keeping themselves focused in the face of an onslaught of market twists and turns, as well as supporting their teams and giving them the direction and confidence so that they can deliver their best performance.That leaves many leaders increasingly asking: “What’s the best way to do this?” … “I wish I had a playbook for how to handle some of these unexpected challenges.”If fact, there’s is such a playbook - and today I’m talking with the man who wrote it.Andrew Bryant is a coach and c-suite advisor who has helped leaders at every level adapt to this new environment.His latest book “Enter The New Leadership Playbook” is the definite guide for leaders who are looking for a practical guide to understanding people and driving accelerated results, while also being human.In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Andrew talks about:1. What ‘Self Leadership’ is and how does it effectively bring leaders and teams together.2.  His 7 principles of the leadership playbook.3.  Why job satisfaction and quality of life can be enhanced significantly by drawing talent.4. How leaders can articulate what is required of an employee in a way that they can meet the objective.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Andrew Bryant:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbryant/Self Leadership website: http://selfleadership.com/Learn about The Current Situation in Sourcing:  https://thecurrentsituation.netA Seat at The Table website:  https://seat.fmVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

AI is one of the most talked about technologies.  However most people increasingly see AI as either a kind of super technology that can perform a limitless range of tasks.  Or as technology gone rogue with sci-fi images of AI powered machines taking over the world.Turns out neither really defines AI.  In fact, it could be said that AI is one of today’s most misunderstood technologies.There’s a lot that AI can do and even more that it will be able to do … but it has its limitations too.In today’s episode Robb Wilson,  founder, lead designer, and chief technologist behind OneReach.ai, joins us on A Seat at The Table.Amongst its many achievements, OneReach is the highest-scoring company in Gartner’s first Critical Capabilities for Enterprise Conversational AI Platforms report.  Robb has spent more than two decades applying his deep understanding of user-centric design to unlocking hyper automation. His forthcoming book, "Age of Invisible Machines: A Practical Guide to Creating a Hyperautomated Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers" is a must read.  It provides an easy-to-understand look at what’s really happening with AI.Unlike many books about technical topics, Age of Invisible Machines is - as its title implies - a practical guide to bring AI into the work place.Am I recommending you read this book? Yes I am!  It’s a must read for anyone looking to determine how AI and specifically hyper automation, is the next big thing to stay competitive.In this episode Robb discusses ... 5 ways that AI is programming us and how to stop it.3 questions to ask when charting a course toward hyperautomation in your organizationCommon myths about conversational AI... and a lot more.USERFUL LINKS:OneReach’s website:   https:// onereach.aiConnect with Robb Wilson:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/invisiblemachines/Learn about The Current Situation in Sourcing:  https://thecurrentsituation.netA Seat at The Table website:  https://seat.fmVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

For many people who’ve turned into this podcast, you might be wondering “what is a super app?” And “if I’m not a tech developer, why is this relevant to my business?”I was thinking the same thing.But it turns out that the things that make these apps so attractive to so many people - and keeps them loyal - can be applied to almost any business.In this episode I’m speaking with Kevin Shimota, a leading expert on digital technology in China, a former senior executive at WeChat and then Director of Platform Strategy for Accenture.He’s also the author of “The First Superapp: Inside China’s WeChat and the New Digital Revolution”.The First Superapp tells the inside story of how the phenomenon of superapps began in China's unique internet market. It explores WeChat's creation and its climb to become the first superapp, and explains the fundamentals of these new apps and how they could be reproduced beyond China.Today Kevin will be talking about:What differentiates China’s super apps from anything that exists in the West.Why user value is the biggest moat that any brand can build around its business.The massive benefits of heavy investment in customer goodwill.Why KPIs tend to measure the wrong things - and can lead companies away from long term success.USEFUL LINKS:Connect with Kevin Shimota:  www.kevinshimota.comKevin’s podcast:   www.greatfirechat.com“The First Superapp: Inside China’s WeChat and the New Digital Revolution” : www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2DKXW2W/Learn about The Current Situation in Sourcing:  https://thecurrentsituation.netA Seat at The Table website:  https://seat.fmVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

A lot of conversations around leadership tend to focus on corporate culture.  While culture is important, it tends to be a bit ‘big picture’ and not particularly relatable to the entire hierarchy of team members.This is where ‘purpose’ can play an important role in helping support both individual team members to find more fulfilment in their work, as well as creating a greater sense of direction for teams.If you’re wondering how a company can inspire people to change the world, then this is the podcast for you.In this episode I’m talking with Dr. Ahktar Badshah, creator of Purpose Mindset Workshops, and author of Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires Employees and Alumni to Change the World Dr. Badshah is  a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in international development, managing a corporate philanthropic program and co-founding a global nonprofit for social enterprise. He led Microsoft’s philanthropic efforts for ten years, where he administered the company's community investment and employee contributions. In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Dr. Badshah will be discussing:The game changing value of focusing on who you want to serve as opposed to who you want to be.How your values and mission combine to create your purpose.Purpose Accountability: Why being transparent with your purpose is crucial.Why we should prioritise being effective over being efficient.Why doing things the right way might not be as rewarding as doing the right thing.USEFUL LINKSDr. Akhtar Badshah’s websites:  www.purpose-mindset.org https://evans.uw.edu/astwww.catalyticinnovatorsgroup.com  www.restart.usLearn more about The Current Situation in Sourcing:https://thecurrentsituation.netYour Seat at The Table: A road map to landing guest spots on podcastshttps://seat.fm/podcastcourseA Seat at The Table podcast website:https://seat.fmVisit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm