The Bizgnus Podcast

•  It boils down to how you learn and communicate •  “We aim to transform the way people communicate” (Total Recorded Time is 15:08) Like most people, you’ve probably been called a lot of things over the years.  But genius?  Probably not. But, according to business leadership researcher Catherine Mattiske you might just be a genius, or, more specifically, you might have an inne...

•  Sales guru puts decades of experience into a new system •  “It’s time for them to stop” (Total Recorded Time is 18:08) Stacey Hall has coached entrepreneurs on how to attract sales, satisfaction, and success and says she has distilled her discoveries into a new form of selling, something she calls “selling from one’s comfort zone.” How does that work?  Stacey Hall is our guest fo...

•  Joanne Intrator needed patience, expertise in psychopaths and a sense of outrage •  “It is a faceless bureaucracy” (TRT 16:55) This is a story about commercial real estate -- and a tenacious descendant. It goes back to the 1930s in Germany when the Nazis forced a Berlin family to give up their business and its textile factory. Fast-forward to the end of the 20th Century and psychiatri...

•  The most serious problems compiled •  “So the average person might read it and understand what we need to deal with” (Total Recorded Time is 15:27) Drought. Global warming. Destruction of the ionosphere. Famine.  Deforestation.  Rising sea levels.  We have all heard the reports, studies and more about how our planet’s very being is threatened. Now a veteran journalist h...

•  Why automated marketing is losing its punch •  “We’re doing things that annoy people” (Total Recorded Time is 24:58 "Knock knock!" "Who's there?" "Interrupting Cow." "Interrupting Cow wh--" "MOOOO!" If you have children or grandchildren, you’ve probably heard the joke, But Mark Schaefer isn’t laughing. When it comes to marketing, few know the ins and outs better than Mr. Schaefer, a k...

•  But beware of metaverse hype •  “As it is, we are isolated enough” (Total Recorded Time is 21:15) The success of your business may depend not so much on your business plan but your IT plan, says entrepreneur John Farhat. A serial entrepreneur, Mr. Farhat owns a number of companies, the most prominent of which is the privately held IT consulting firm Farhat Services Company Inc. of Col...

•  Revealed: Why some relationships grind into failure •  “Work today is a team sport” (Total Recorded Time is 22:27) If you’re an older person, perhaps you’ve said to yourself, the kids these says: what’s wrong with them?  And if you’re in Gen Z or younger, you might well have questioned the wisdom of older people. A study from the University of California, Santa Barbara, finds you...

•  Your brain knows but may not tell you •  “It would be great to say we never fall victim to our brain’s little tricks once we know about them” (Total Recorded Time is 18:30) Watch it! Your brain may be about to fool you, cautions Melina Palmer, founder and CEO of The Brainy Business, which provides behavioral economics consulting to businesses. “It would be great to say we never fall v...

•  From stand-up to outstanding – with a lot of work •  “It is a leadership tool” (Total Recorded Time is 23:44) It takes a lot of practice to do improv, whether on stage as an entertainer or in front of your staff as the organization’s leader, says Peter Margaritis, a CPA who calls himself the “Accidental Accountant” and who has been doing something other than crunching numbers for year...

•  Solving the worker training question •  “The pull for labor will be different going forward” (Total Recorded Time is 22:14) More than half of U.S. adults don't feel they have a stable, well-paying job that lets them have both a comfortable quality of life and presents a career path with opportunities for growth. That’s according to a survey paid for by Goodwill. It’s even worse among...

•  Career with candymaker revealed the teamwork sweet spot •  Individual motivation is the key to collaboration effectiveness he says (Total Recorded Time is 20:58) Carlos Valdes-Dapena says we’re doing teamwork wrong Companies and organizations that think they have great teamwork may be deluding themselves, says Mr. Valdes-Dapena. Traditional team building offers a quick fix, or distrac...

•  It’s one your mother may have taught you •  “Gratitude is really the foundation of business” (Total Recorded Time is 18:54) Gratitude, real gratitude, is more than a vigorous “thank you.”  Followed carefully, gratitude can shape lives – and even help businesses, especially in these days of the so-called “great resignation.”. “Gratitude is really the foundation of business. Gratit...

•  Paul Powers’ company goes beyond searching by words •  “We’re at the precipice of a new era” (Total Recorded Time is 18:39) Be not afraid.  At least of the coming “metaverses” that are being envisioned, says Paul Powers, founder and chief executive officers of the software maker PhysNa of Columbus, Ohio. “We’re at the precipice of a new era,” says Mr. Powers. “People who can fore...

•  We know what’s wrong. Now, here are some solutions •  “There is definitely an increase in intolerance” (Total Recorded Time is 22:33) And it's not just Americans. Everyone seems to be arguing more. Ken Cloke should know. For decades he has been a mediator and arbitrator, helping settle disputes and researching causes and solutions to impasses of all kinds and sizes. “There is definite...

•  Claudette Cain Coulas offers examples from her own life •  “Become the CEO of your own life” (Total Recorded Time is 25:30) Radio, television, newspapering and politics. Claudette Cain Coulas has had multiple careers, including being elected five times as the mayor of Gloucester, Ontario prior to its merger into the city of Ottawa. Now, Ms. Cain Coulas has created what she describes a...

•  Going beyond Dale Carnegie •  “What I talk about is the science of influence” (Total Recorded Time is 20:00) Dale Carnegie called it “human engineering.”  Some call it manipulation. But Brian Ahearn says it’s learning how to ethically influence people. He says the ability to ethically influence people is a skill anyone can learn, practice, and perfect. “We all exert some amount o...

•  Expert says better outcomes happen when workers take control of their careers •  “Intrinsic motivation replaces any external consequences” (Total Recorded Time is 27:17) Keep your hands to yourself!  That might be one of the first commands for “self-management” that a child hears.  But self-management is much more than that, especially when it comes to careers. “Self-managem...

•  Lockdown stifles his business, so this entrepreneur reinvents himself •  “A memorable personal brand can truly amplify your business” (Total Recorded Tie is 15:50) Forced to shut down his events company because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis Schenk knew he needed to pivot and build a business that could future-proof itself. To do that, he says he drew upon many lessons learned from t...

•  Doctor Roo hops to the rescue in unusual book series •  “I’ve had her in my mind for many years” (Total Recorded Time is 25:12) To the ranks of “doctors” like Derek Shepherd and Meredith Gray of “Grey's Anatomy,” Henry Higgins of “My Fair Lady” and Dr. Watson of Sherlock Holmes fame, it may be time to add Doctor Roo. Who? Doctor Roo is perhaps the most unusual of this literary lot, be...

•  Doctor Roo hops to the rescue in unusual book series •  “I’ve had her in my mind for many years” (Total Recorded Time is 25:12) To the ranks of “doctors” like Derek Shepherd and Meredith Gray of “Grey's Anatomy,” Henry Higgins of “My Fair Lady” and Dr. Watson of Sherlock Holmes fame, it may be time to add Doctor Roo. Who? Doctor Roo is perhaps the most unusual of this literary lot, be...

•  Research identifies leadership and culture as catalysts •  “Leadership must take the lead in aligning mindsets, structures, skills, and culture” (Total Recorded Time is 16:51) Organizations aren’t quick to change and most businesses are around for profit. So does the issue of “sustainability” mean anything for the future of business? Yes, says a new study by the Bennett Institute for...

•  Final success should include your ownership strategy •  “Most business owners don't understand the need to have an ownership strategy” (Total Recorded Time is 17:24) Once a new business gets to the point where financial survival is no longer an issue, another issue pops up.  It’s called having an ownership strategy. Bruce Werner learned that as he started and built businesses in...

•  The “age of Horatio Alger” is not yet over •  “Leadership is something you can learn” (Total Recorded Time is 24:52.  Recorded on March 30, 2022) Spoiler alert:  Here is the swoon-inducing ending to Horatio Alger’s most famous story, “Ragged Dick.” "When, in short, you were 'Ragged Dick.' You must drop that name, and think of yourself now as"— "Richard Hunter, Esq.," said ou...

•  Bob Schlegel gives the keys to success •  “The big thing is to never give up” (Total Recorded Time is 17:37) Sometimes success is the ability to see how a humble product popular in one area can fill a need in a totally different area. Entrepreneur Bob Schlegel did that with something you’ll find in more than 2,000 Home Depot stores: paving stones. “Keep working away. Try things. Keep...

•  Veteran entrepreneur says women need to be their true authentic selves •  “When you are living your life inauthentically, you will feel exhausted” (Total Recorded Time is 13:15) Many women entrepreneurs fall into the trap of trying to fill the cups of others — and their business — without filling their own cup first. “There are 12 traps that we get caught up in,” says seasoned entrepr...