Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy Smedley and Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, cofounders, Forum 3, and authors, AI First, talk about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for businesses, with the advancement of AI (artificial intelligence). Andy says the young people are using AI all day every day and they have a set of skills and intelligence that are broad. Adam says the AI first company starts with the AI first lead...

Peggy talks about work zone and road safety, saying there are far too many crashes. She explores the dangers that exist on the road today, identifying how to keep workers and motorists safe. She also discusses: Research that has been conducted. Efforts being made at the local and federal levels. A case study that is leveraging technology in a unique way to ensure construction workers are safe. peg...

Peggy Smedley and Kat Kraft, director of product, Teren, talk about geospatial analysis, sharing how her organization is using predictive analytics to help her clients shift the paradigm from a reactive response to a more proactive response. She says the company develops and applies machine learning to identify where environmental conditions are changing that may trigger risks to communities or cr...

Peggy Smedley and Ryan McGuire, president, Clayco Compute, talk about data center construction trends. He says this year, which is the same as last year, the company's revenue in the data center business will represent about 50% of the total revenue of the company, which is approaching $8 billion.  They also discuss: Why data center construction is exciting and the promise of artificial intelligen...

Peggy Smedley talks about how manufacturing and sustainability need to come together with normal business activity. She says we need to leverage data, and we need to move to a new way of working. She also discusses: How much of the world's energy usage comes from the manufacturing and production sectors and challenges in manufacturing that require a shift to a more circular approach. New digital i...

Peggy Smedley and Raj Paul, senior director, Americas Mobility Industry, Microsoft and Knud Lasse Lueth, CEO & founder, IoT Analytics, talk about SDVs (software-defined vehicles) and a new report: Microsoft's Software-Defined Vehicles: Adoption and Impact. Raj Paul says the amount of software that is getting into the car, it has been an exponential race. Knud Lasse Lueth says the research shows SD...

Peggy Smedley and Prithwiraj Choudhury, Lumry Family Associate Professor, Harvard Business School and author, The World Is Your Office, talk about work from anywhere trends. He has been studying the geography of work for more than a decade before hybrid work was a trend.  They also discuss: The difference between work from anywhere and work from home. How AI and sensors can enable blue collar work...

Peggy talks about new labor trends, including quiet cracking. She gives a peek behind the curtain into what is happening with our workforce—and how all of these trends will ultimately impact the future of work.  She also discusses: The past five years and movements such as the great resignation, quiet quitting, labor hoarding, and more. The percentage of people quiet cracking—and how it is impacti...

Peggy Smedley talks about how companies can stand out in an oversaturated market when you need to do something different. She says some of the staggering statistics are not going away anytime soon—and she talks about what can be done to stand out and compete. She also discusses: Six factors creating market instability. How to control the conversation in an evolving market. The importance of a prod...

Peggy Smedley and Duygu Alptekin Gürsu, international executive leadership and team coach, and author, Empowering Women on the Way to the Top, talk about why she wrote the book. She explains how she has faced firsthand the systemic barriers women face and that they have not changed much. They also discuss: How organizations can help empower women. Why we need women at the top—and how to help them...

Peggy Smedley talks about Construction Safety Week and National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls Week, sharing the objectives for these initiatives. She explains where this culture of safety must start, highlighting the importance of everyone being involved to ensure greater safety. She also: Shares the startling statistics about how many construction workers die on the job. Gives her own toolbo...

Peggy Smedley and Yung Shin, Donald A. and Nancy G. Roach distinguished professor of advanced manufacturing, Purdue University, talk about additive manufacturing and why it has been getting so much global attention. He describes additive manufacturing, explaining how it works and how it can form 3D parts and 3D objects. They also discuss: Why it is getting so much hype today. The applications that...

Peggy Smedley and Brian Cury, CEO and founder, EarthCam, talk about jobsite innovations, narrowing in on how technology such as AI (artificial intelligence) can help improve construction safety. He says it used to be all about making beautiful photos, but now it is about the information in the photos. They also discuss: The history of construction cameras and the rise of AI in the last decade. How...

Peggy talks about how technology can help with distracted driving, sharing some examples. She talks about the opportunities to improve our behavior in the car, all with the help of new technologies. She also discusses: How many drivers report being distracted by their personal mobile devices. Three technologies that can help. Her thoughts on what needs to happen next to reduce the number of deaths...

Peggy Smedley and Julia Kite-Laidlaw, senior program manager, Road To Zero, National Safety Council, talk about how prevalent distracted driving is today. She says new data out reports that 3,275 people died in distraction-related crashes in 2023, which is 8% of all road deaths in the United States, and if you do the math it comes to about nine people per day.  They also discuss: Who is really res...

Peggy Smedley and Mehri Mohebbi, program director, Transportation Equity Program, University of Florida Transportation Institute, discuss distracted driving risk from an equity perspective, sharing which populations are at the most risk for injuries. She says generally the numbers at the federal level hid the sharp local spike, and in low-income corridors, phone-related crashes cluster 40% above t...

Peggy talks about what the insurance companies and other organizations have to say about the impact of distracted driving on auto insurance. She says it is not very consistent across the board, with different states taking different actions and different insurance companies having different tools and resources available. She also discusses: The total estimated cost of all motor vehicle crashes in...

Peggy Smedley and Paul Atchley, professor, Dept. of Psychology, University of South Florida, talk about some of the latest news on traffic statistics and the role distracted driving is playing in these numbers. He says the statistics change year over year, but the trends have not been positive. They also discuss: Why people continue to engage in these behaviors even though they will tell you these...

Peggy Smedley and Dan McGehee, professor of engineering, medicine, public health and director of the Driving Safety Research Institute, University of Iowa, talk about distracted driving research. He says it is an important thing more than ever. They also discuss: The history of distracted driving in vehicles. The physiological changes that happen with smartphones. The most dangerous type of distra...

The market is changing! Peggy talks about everything we need to know for supply chains. She says we must make, build, and grow together, while also innovating and considering how the next generation will lead the way. She also discusses: A historical perspective. Present-day data. How supply chains can prepare for a stronger tomorrow. peggysmedleyshow.com   (4/15/25 - 916) What You Might Have Miss...

Peggy Smedley and Despina Stavrinos, director, Institute for Social Science Research, chief human factors research and development officer, Alabama Transportation Institute and professor of psychology, The University of Alabama, unpack the science behind distracted driving. She says when we look at the number 1 contributing factor to distracted driving, it is driver behavior. They also discuss: Th...

Peggy Smedley and Elad Inbar, founder and CEO, RobotLAB and author, Our Robotics Future, talk about robotics and a book that can serve as a guide for business owners looking to embed robotics into their business. He says robots are very mission specific. He also shares the reason business owners are automating tasks. They also discuss: The topic of robots potentially replacing humans. The impact o...

Peggy talks about the impact of the IoT (Internet of Things) on the manufacturing industry, sharing the opportunities that exist to transform business. She explains how manufacturers can best prepare for what comes next. She also discusses: What challenges exist in manufacturing today that technology can help solve. How many industrial manufacturers globally are planning to increase their technolo...

Peggy Smedley and Lily Elefteriadou, distinguished professor of civil engineering, University of Florida, talk about the major innovations shaping transportation. She says AI (artificial intelligence) is impacting transportation including the autonomous vehicle and infrastructure—but the creativity will still need to come from humans. They also discuss: How AI and autonomous vehicles will come tog...

Peggy Smedley and Matthew Weinzierl, professor, Harvard Business School, and Brendan Rosseau, strategy manager, Blue Origin, talk about an upcoming NASA space mission and the impact on the space industry. Rosseau says things are moving fast in the space industry and shares about returning to the moon to spark a permanent lunar presence. Weinzierl says going to the moon in the 1960s was inspiration...