A SEAT at THE TABLE: Helping business leaders grow their influence

It seems like no matter how hard we work, no matter how efficient we try to be, there is always more to do than days in the week (and I’m including weekends here … if you know, you know) The technology that was supposed to reduce workloads has simply turned the old 9-to-5 into 24/7.   That’s left many of us wondering if there’s a way out of the overwhelm?  Today we are joined by the fantastic Kath...

One of the biggest challenges in business is being able to turn one-off projects into repeatable, profitable project management systems. It sounds simple.  Lean into process documentation.  Gather deep data.  Use advanced analytics.  But there’s more to it if you want to drive efficiency and scale your services. Today we are joined by Claus Geissendoerfer, owner of Amstadd, an IT staffing and syst...

Winning sales isn’t as easy as it used to be - especially in a challenging economic environment with a never ending stream of new competitors coming onto the scene. It’s no longer enough to have a standout product, a great team or even massive funding (although it doesn’t hurt).    Now, anyone in B2B sales needs a lot more in their toolkit in order to succeed.   Meet Margo White, a dynamic strateg...

Sometimes  the most difficult challenge senior leadership faces is finding purpose in their work.   It’s not that they don’t care about the company or their teams.  It’s a more subtle sense that something is missing.  The job is no longer fulfilling.   That they are stagnating or are meaningless in their roles. This can be particularly perplexing when overall you are successful at what you do – an...

One of the biggest challenges companies face is how to maintain their heritage while adapting to changing consumer preferences. The task can be even more daunting for legacy brands that on the one hand have built their reputations on their brand or company history.  But on the other, need to compete with newer brands that feel more modern. Establishing that critical but delicate balance requires t...

Hiring remote staff is not a new concept.  Companies get access to a wider talent pool. Can oftentimes arbitrage wages and find people who are eager to work with you. The downside is managing those people.  The fact that are often not even in the same country adds complexity.  Especially when it comes to payroll or even basic HR functions. Today we are joined by Richard Hogben, founder of Worldwid...

Sending international payments is no longer something only large companies do.   Increasingly everyone from startups to individuals are sending money to more destinations.   That’s led to a need for a system that offers ease-of-use, is safe and reliable – and ideally provides actual customer service. Not a chatbot, but support by real people who are they to help you. Sound too good to be true?  St...

Everyone wants to build a brand.  Not just a brand, but a power brand.  A viral brand.   The problem is few companies know how.  Most focus on creating of a super cool logo.  A catchy tagline. Developing their vision of the perfect brand colors. Or adding lots of fun features. And they’re disappointed when their brand literally dies on the vine.   How could something that fabulous not be a marketp...

One of the biggest challenges people in leadership roles face is steering the business while also managing their own careers.   It’s a delicate balance to be sure.  Especially in times when the landscape is changing seemingly all the time. Winning in this environment takes a new skills and new tactics.   If you’re looking take your professional and leadership skills to the next level then you’ll w...

Sometimes the key to winning the contract, closing the sale - or even hiring the right team member - comes down to more than what that person says or their credentials.   Small tells like body language can offer big clues that can lead to greater success - or help you to avoid disaster. Lots of people talk about how to ‘read’ another person.  Few are actually able to master this.   One person who...

Looking for a job is never easy - or fun. But if you’re a senior level executive, it can be particularly challenging and oftentimes demoralizing.   You’ve got expertise, experience – and that all important work ethic.  Yet its seems like the supply of leadership jobs has evaporated.   Suddenly it seems that the once-valued ‘maturity’ that kept businesses on track and helped them avoid potential pi...

The tech sector often appears to be a goldmine that anyone with a few coding skills can tap into and reap massive profits - literally overnight. The reality is a bit different.   From developing products that will actually sell to understanding that ‘overnight’ is more like ‘over years’ and that behind the scenes there are endless frustrations and obstacles that you need to overcome before hitting...

Companies dream of building that amazing product that does all kinds of incredible things or has a cool user interface.   It all about the wow factor. However what customers usually want - or what they’ll actually buy - is a simple product that gets the job done.  This disconnect is at the heart of why many businesses get lots of media attention, but not quite so many sales. Today we’re joined by ...

Many people dream of starting a fashion brand.   The combination of a doing something creative with the glamour and energy of catwalk shows and photo shoots can be intoxicating. What isn’t always obvious - at least for new designers or for people outside of the industry - is the challenge of starting from scratch.   It’s not only about growing your brand.  It’s about doing everything yourself - fr...

Today supply chain success is driven by a combination of speed, reliability and innovation.   The concept is easy to understand.  Executing on this is where it gets tricky. Especially in a global landscape that seems to be constantly changing - with no indication of settling down any time soon. Today we’re joined by Sean Coxall, chairman of 707 Limited, a leading provider of worldwide sourcing opt...

In the face of rising competition from new brands, more demanding consumers and ever present cost pressures, it’s not easy to run a successful brand. Thus it’s not surprising that more brands are losing momentum or are stuck in slump that isn’t being solved by changing creative directors, altering their DNA or adding new lines. In many cases, that’s actually made things worse. To get a better unde...

The retail landscape has becoming increasingly challenging with more brands struggling not only with top line growth but also with bottom line performance. The easy excuse is blame the economy.  Tariffs have shaken up the entire supply chain- from sourcing through to retail pricing. And yet some retailers are outperforming the market.    Why? To learn more about what’s standing in the way of retai...

Activewear continues to be a a top performing apparel category with consumers worldwide having a seemingly insatiable appetite for both the look and the comfort aspect that defines sports garments. After such a long successful run, how will activewear maintain its lead position in a highly competitive industry.  And amongst consumers who are constantly presented with ‘the next big thing’? I reache...

In an increasingly competitive retail landscape, more brands are looking for new markets with high growth potential. That’s put the GCC (Gulf Cooperative Council) region on more brands’ radar.   The region includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, nations that have strong spending power and continue to invest in retail development. In this episode of A Seat...

What happens when an apparel guy decides to found a tech company? A game-changing concept that can drive retail sales - and build customer engagement, that’s what can happen. And it is exactly what one smart entrepreneur did. Meet Jeff Gray, Founder and CEO of RoboArt Labs, a pioneering AI-powered platform that is transforming how retailers engage with their customers. He is also a co-owner of Cre...

After being off the sourcing radar for almost a decade, suddenly everyone is starting to talk about Pakistan. The combination of brands looking to diversify sourcing - and the benefits of having a the entire supply chain from fiber to finished garment in country - is putting a shine on Pakistan and boosting it up the sourcing tier list. But Pakistan is more than simply another one of the countries...

Do people still have employment opportunities in a world increasingly focused on AI?   And if so, where? And what competitive advantage do they have? Turns out, there are still big opportunities for people in the workplace.   The key is to understand what value humans can offer that technology can’t.  And how smart companies will see the strategic advantage of balancing people with AI. To find out...

What if you could find a system that maximized luck and generated outsized returns?  A method based on decision science that led you to make better choices - in both your business and personal life. That’s exactly what Daniel Kang did.  He learned how to use asymmetric bets to win scholarships that paid for his education, as well as to raise millions of dollars to fund his startup.   He then used...

2025 has gotten off to what might generously be described as an ‘uncertain start’. The one thing people want right now is clarity.  Or at least some idea of what might be the next impact on supply chains. One of the most consistent issues facing sourcing directors and supply chain managers has been logistics. After years of unprecedented disruptions, logistics could be the one blessing in an incre...

Almost everyone in a senior leadership position these days feels the pressure of a business environment that has become increasingly uncertain.  At the same time, the pressure to drive both growth and profitability has never been more intense. The pain is being felt  by large-scale organizations, as well as start ups as the market becomes much less forgiving that it was even a year or two ago. Tod...