The FocusCore Podcast

In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, host David Sweet interviews Cory McGowan, Japan's coach for adventurous leaders, during his second appearance on the show. The conversation covers Cory's expertise in leadership coaching, navigating complex business problems, and the unique integration of outdoor activities in his coaching practice. Cory shares his journey from teaching and recruiting to b...

In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, host David Sweet interviews Menya Hinga, a certified health coach and co-founder of SOGO Fitness. The discussion revolves around the challenges high-performing professionals face in maintaining their health while balancing work and personal life. Menya shares his personal journey from aspiring lawyer to health coach, emphasizing the importance of sleep, nu...

In this episode of the Focus podcast, host David Sweet interviews Loïc Pecondon-Lacroix, an accomplished finance-driven leader with experience in B2B industries across China, Japan, and Germany. Loïc, currently the President and Representative director of a ABB group in Tokyo, Japan, shares his thoughts on leadership, business transformation, and the cultural nuances of working in Japan. The discu...

In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, host David Sweet interviews Carlo La Porta, Managing Director of Mpowered Sales about the challenges of disengagement in large Japanese firms. Carlo discusses his 35-year career in Japan, his book on generational management issues, and the importance of empowering employees. He shares insights on the evolution of Japanese business practices, the difference...

In this episode, an award-winning strategic communications executive and tech leader, host of the Trending Communicator podcast, Dan, is highlighted for his expertise and influence in the field. He has been recognized on PR Week's Dashboard 25 and the Propel 100 list. With over two decades of corporate and agency experience, Dan specializes in corporate and brand communications, integrated marketi...

In this episode of the Focus Core Podcast, host Simon Jelfs interviews Makoto Tosa, a professional rugby player for NEC Green Rockets and Mitsubishi DynaBoars, and an Executive MBA student at the University of Cambridge. They discuss the fast-paced generational cycle in rugby, Tosa's career journey starting from junior high school in Japan to playing for Oxford and Cambridge University. Tosa share...

In this episode of the Focus Core podcast, we dive into the innovative world of Japanese startups and corporate innovation with Tim Romero, partner at JERA Ventures and host of the Disrupting Japan podcast. Tim shares insights from his 30-year journey in Japan's startup scene, discussing the evolving ecosystem, key changes in corporate collaboration, and the challenges and opportunities for foreig...

In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, host David Sweet interviews Roop Kaistha, the head of Asia Pacific at AMS, about the evolving landscape of talent acquisition in Asia, particularly in Japan. With nearly two decades of experience, Roop shares her career journey, insights on the challenges and opportunities in talent acquisition, and the importance of relationship-building in recruitment.&n...

In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, Tokyo-based certified meditation teacher Misha Yurchenko discusses the importance of mindfulness, especially in corporate settings. With over a decade of experience, Misha shares his journey through burnout and how it led him to found Tokyo Mindfulness. The conversation covers how mindfulness can be integrated into daily life and corporate culture, the dis...

The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide Welcome back to the FocusCore podcast with host Dr. David Sweet. This week we are talking about leadership and business mastery with Dr. Greg Story, President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training Japan. Greg is an author of a suite of books focusing specifically on mastering various aspects of doing business in Japan. He also releases multipl...

The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide Welcome to the first episode of 2025 for the FocusCore podcast!  This week we are joined by yet another amazing guest at the forefront of marketing and business leadership in Japan, Ricardo Tasca. Ricardo is currently the General Manager and Representative Director of Hill’s Colgate (Japan). Ricardo has years of experience leading m...

The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide On this episode of the FocusCore podcast we are joined by global leadership expert Paul Dupuis. Paul has over 25 years of professional experience in multiple countries across Asia including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and India. He is also the founder and CEO of Take-5 Global K.K., a consultancy firm focused on coaching, bus...

The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide This week on the FocusCore podcast, host David Sweet is joined by Simon Jelfs, Managing Director of FocusCore Japan. In the episode David and Simon discuss the biggest talent trends that will impact Japan’s recruitment landscape in 2025. These trends include things like new technologies and work structures impacting business in general,...

The latest Focus Core Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide Welcome to the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast. In this episode we are talking about the field of Genomics and how the applied genomics technology company, Illumina is pushing the boundaries of genomic biotechnology for research and in applied medicine. Our guest is General Manager and Representative Director of Illumina KK, Arj...

The latest Focus Core Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide Welcome back to the FocusCore podcast. In this episode we are talking to a titan of the food industry in Japan, Paul Kraft. In his over twenty years experience, Paul has launched and led multiple brands to succeed in the Japanese market. He is now the Founder and President of JapanIQ, a company that specializes in helping companies avoi...

The latest Focus Core Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide On the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast, host David Sweet discusses the current Media and Marketing landscape in Japan with John Flanagan, President and Managing Director of A+E Networks Japan and SE Asia. John has 30 plus years experience in the Media industry in Japan and has seen it evolve, including the rise of streaming serv...

Welcome to the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast. This week we are talking with Sanae Endo, a seasoned HR professional, coach, and engagement consultant with a wealth of experience spanning over two decades. Join Sanae and host David Sweet as we dive into her journey, explore the trends shaping HR in Japan and beyond, and gain valuable insight into creating thriving, inclusive organizational...

In this latest episode of the FocusCore podcast, host David Sweet is joined by Timothy Connor from Synnovate, a company that helps companies launch and succeed in the Japan market through four key practice areas. If you are a business leader in the Japanese market this conversation will provide some invaluable insights. In the episode Timothy explains the concept of strategic leadership and outlin...

Welcome back from the August break. On this episode of the podcast we sit down with the Managing Director and President of DSV Solutions in Japan, Scott Smalley. Scott is a senior management executive with over 35 years of experience, 25 of which have been dedicated to global logistics in Japan. Scott is bilingual, multicultural, well-connected and highly respected within the logistics industry an...

During the month of August we will be enjoying some summer weather and taking a break from recording new episodes. To satiate your thirst we will be re-releasing the hottest episodes of the year, every week, for you to enjoy with a Mai Tai by the pool like David will be. In this episode of the podcast from March this year, we switched things up and had guest host Simon Jelfs, Managing Director of...

During the month of August we will be enjoying some summer weather and taking a break from recording new episodes. To satiate your thirst we will be re-releasing the hottest episodes of the year, every week, for you to enjoy with a Mai Tai by the pool like David will be. In this re-release episode from February, I turn the podcasting tables on my guest Catherine O’Connell, who is host and cohost o...

During the month of August we will be enjoying some summer weather and taking a break from recording new episodes. To satiate your thirst we will be re-releasing the hottest episodes of the year, every week, for you to enjoy with a Mai Tai by the pool like David will be. This week we will revisit our second most popular episode of 2024 thus far, our episode about fearless innovation as a business...

During the month of August we will be enjoying some summer weather and taking a break from recording new episodes. To satiate your thirst we will be re-releasing the hottest episodes of the year, every week, for you to enjoy with a Mai Tai by the pool like David will be. This week’s Summer Re-release was originally released on Thursday February 1st. It was the first guest episode of 2024 and has b...

On this episode of the FocusCore podcast we are joined by Marie Solange-Vottero and Sandrine Monette from Lemon Boost, a boutique consulting firm based in Tokyo that caters to the unique development needs of Japanese teams engaging with Foreign Customers. Listen to the episode to learn more about how Lemon Boost’s specialized Dojo practice enhances communication, reduces conflicts, and promotes in...

This episode of the FocusCore podcast is incredibly relevant for anyone experiencing burnout, overwhelm, or feeling like they are putting in a lot of effort for relatively little results. Our guest this week is Helen Iwata, founder of the #LessEffortMoreImpact Movement for Women in Business. Helen is also a TEDx speaker and coach, Nikkei Style columnist, and author of the Japanese book Eigo no Shi...