Power & Impact

Alison Moore, CEO of Comic Relief US, stops by Power & Impact to discuss their partnership with 1-800-Flowers.com to help end the cycle of child poverty. Comic Relief US stages celebrity-studded fundraising events to benefit charitable organizations, and have raised over $380 million to help nearly 31 million children worldwide. As part of the Red Nose Day campaign, Comic Relief US and 1-800-Flowe...

Music industry veteran, David Nathan teamed up with International DJ, Sam Koch to launch Happy Jack Entertainment . They are on a mission to bring mental health awareness and advocacy to all through music and are on a path to disrupt the industry in order to do so.    David Nathan tragically lost his 19 year old son, Jack, in July of 2020. Before his passing, Jack founded a mental health awareness...

In this episode, Dr. Angela Jackson, the Founder of Future Forward Strategies, and Jim discuss the ever-evolving relationship between education and technology, ways to make education and career opportunities more accessible, technological inequity, the future of work, and how our relationship with work and education will change as people continue to live longer.   Future Forward Strategies is a la...

Can finding the right mentor at the right time make all the difference for young women? If you were to ask Illana Raia, she'd say yes.    Studies have shown that girls' confidence drops between ages 8 and 14, and many girls start to quit their hobbies and interests before they get to high school.     To counter this, Illana Raia founded Être Girls, a company whose mission is to keep girls close to...

Consumers today are more conscious than ever about the brands they use. They see their dollars as a way to support causes and companies they believe in, and use them to make their voice heard in the marketplace.    Retail thought leader Joel Bines noticed this movement and defined it in his new book, The Metail Economy. Joel is an expert business leader from AlixPartners who has a track record of...

What is true hospitality? Is it the service that we receive, or is it something more?   Hospitality is the cornerstone of Tom Colicchio's approach to restaurants. He understands that creating an atmosphere of genuine hospitality goes beyond simply serving exceptional food; it encompasses every aspect of the guest's experience, from the moment they step through the door to the time they leave with...

In this episode of Power & Impact, Jim McCann interviews Mindy Grossman, Partner at Consello Group and former President and CEO of WW (formerly Weight Watchers). Mindy shares her journey in the apparel industry, her time at Nike, and the importance of understanding and connecting with the consumer. She shares the vision behind Consello and how they are leading the way as a one-of-a-kind financial...

It's no secret that AI is rapidly changing the world we live in. We've just scratched the surface at 1-800-FLOWERS.com with our own versions of AI, MomVerse and DadJokeGPT.  Some fear the long-term impacts, or write it off for trivial reasons, but I see it as a tool to accelerate and improve. ChatGPT and other AI tools can help people be the best versions of themselves, overcome constraints, and e...

Thanks to the internet, today's world is more connected than ever. Communication is as simple as sending an email, home goods can be ordered to your door at the press of a button, and online communities have brought us closer together.   But it wasn't always that way. It took many years, extensive research, and brilliant leaders behind it's creation. Vint Cerf, one of the "Fathers of the Internet"...

Innovative technologies have opened up a new era of connection, allowing us to build more relationships in new, meaningful ways. The opportunities today are nearly endless, as we can now keep in touch with loved ones abroad and make honest, heartfelt relationships with people that we have never met in person (and perhaps, never will).   Emmet B. Keeffe III has been at the front line of this evolut...

Vicky Ward knows when there is more to the story, as she has built a career covering high-profile events and individuals, always going the extra mile to find the underlying motivations. Vicky Ward is the New York Times bestselling author of Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.  She is also the host of the popular podcast series "Cha...

When I need perspective on resilience, one of the first people I turn to is Anthony Scaramucci. Anthony and I have been friends and connected in many ways for a long time, including our shared Long Island roots. In fact, Anthony attributes much of his resilience to Long Island's "culture for risk-taking, being yourself, and comfortable in your own skin." Anthony has built a career as a successful...

Behind the barbecues and pool parties that celebrate the Fourth of July is the remembrance of those who gave their lives in defense of this country. To honor the occasion, Power & Impact is presenting a special military-focused episode. To share perspectives on the men and women in uniform, we're sitting down this week with Rob Newson. Rob has had a highly accomplished military career as a U.S. Na...

One of my core beliefs is that we have to be intentional about building and maintaining our relationships with the people that matter most to us. Every activity is an opportunity to deepen a connection we have with somebody important or new in our lives which is why I applaud Dan Hermann for what he has created with PaintNite.com.    Paint Nite is a fun and engaging live events company centered ar...

This week, Smile Farms opens its 12th campus in partnership with Catholic Health.  The new campus is unique in serving those who are specifically dealing with mental health diagnoses and behavioral challenges and is the first campus exclusively dedicated to donations.    The donated produce will support Catholic Health's Food Insecurity Initiative, built to screen emergency room patients for vital...

Lately, I've been exploring the role relationships play in our well-being. Cultivating deep and meaningful relationships is critical to maintaining mental health and finding personal fulfillment, but it's also something that many men struggle with.   I've become acutely aware that many men are reporting difficulty connecting with other men beyond surface-level or acquaintanceship, and this trend h...

How does scarcity play into this and are companies using it as a tactic to influence consumer habits?   To answer this question and more, we turn to Dr. Mindy Weinstein. Dr. Weinstein has a 20-year career as a successful marketing consultant and educator and earned her PhD in General Psychology. She is also the Founder and CEO of Market MindShift, and a well-respected expert on scarcity. Her recen...

Scott Corwin, the US Leader of Sustainability and Climate Change at Deloitte sits down with me for a special episode of Power & Impact.   The massive implications of climate change really came together for me last year at the Techonomy Climate Summit. Ever since that event, I've been on a personal journey learning about sustainability, climate change, and the importance of protecting our environme...

As we age, we face a choice: do we slow down and stop contributing, or do we take our decades of knowledge and connections and put them towards something meaningful?   Author Cynthia Haller visits Power & Impact to discuss how people can live their lives in a crescendo so that their best is always yet to come.   Cynthia is the daughter of Stephen R. Covey, who you may know from his best-selling cl...

Today on Power & Impact, we're sharing an impactful story of mental illness and recovery.   You might know Chuck Thuss from his exceptional athletic career as a team owner, coach, and All-American hockey player. What you might not know is that despite his polite demeanor and athletic success, Chuck was suffering in silence from severe anxiety and depression.   After what he believed was divine int...

For nearly 45 years, Bob Diamond has been an influential figure in the world of banking. Starting his banking career at Morgan Stanley, Bob went on to hold leadership positions as CS Boston and Barclays PLC, where he rose to the rank of CEO. Currently, Bob is a Founding Partner and CEO of Atlas Merchant Capital, a company that seeks to build long-term value for their investors through differentiat...

Today on Power & Impact, we welcome leadership expert and keynote speaker Stephen Shedletzky, better known by his nickname "Shed."  Shed's prolific career leading teams and building culture stems back to his experiences growing up, and his ability to help people compartmentalize and develop their points of view made him and Jim fast friends. 

Climate change has and will continue to affect many things in our daily lives, including… wine?   Greg Jones is somewhat of an expert on the matter. Greg is a prominent member of the Pacific Northwest's winemaking community, sitting on the boards of multiple industry associations. He is also the CEO of his family business, Abacela Vineyards, located in Oregon's Umpqua Valley.   Greg has spent the...

Ryan Panchadsaram is an engineer and investor focused on solving systemic, societal challenges. At Kleiner Perkins, Ryan serves as technical advisor to John Doerr, where he invests in founders and technologies that aim to change the world. Ryan and John coauthored the seminal book on countering climate change, Speed & Scale, and collaborated on the number one bestseller Measure What Matters. Under...

Geoff Beattie knows the importance of financial planning and growth. Starting his career as a successful lawyer in Toronto, Geoff spent many years in the profession before transitioning to a career in wealth management. Currently a well-respected business leader in Canada and abroad, Geoff is the Chairman of Relay Ventures and CEO of Generation Capital.   In this episode, Geoff shares forward his...