A SEAT at THE TABLE: Conversations with Today's Top Industry Leaders

After decades of wanting bigger and more, people have been starting to recognize the benefits of downsizing.

It’s not just about buying less stuff or finally clearing out the closets, garage or basement.  Over the past decade there has been a clear and growing trend towards to choosing smaller houses - much smaller.

The most recent iteration of this development has been the growing popularity of Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs as they are called. 

It’s a new take on a historic way that people created housing for family members who wanted to live together - but not under the same roof.

It’s a perfect solution that lets people tackle a range of issues including the high cost of purchasing a new home and the isolation of living alone.

But what exactly is an ADU, you might ask?  We’re going to be talking about that in today’s podcast.

Today we are joined by Sheri Koones, a leading authority on the smaller home movement and the author of 12 books covering all aspects of this topic.

In her newest book, “ADUs : The Perfect Housing Solution” she provides a comprehensive view of how turn these small dwellings into luxury home environments.

In this podcast Sheri will be discussing:

- Why the rising popularity of ADUs is a sign of bigger trend towards a desire for more community.

-  How people are turning smaller houses into fabulous, luxury homes.

-  How new small homes are being purpose built to support each occupant’s lifestyle.

USEFUL LINKS:

"ADUs: The Perfect Housing Solution":   https://www.amazon.com/ADUs-Perfect-Solution-Sheri-Koones/dp/1423665252

Learn How to Land Guest Spots on Podcasts (course):  seat.fm/podcastcourse

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

I just sat down with Brian Librach to discuss his new book "The Retail Leaders Roadmap" and the conversation was powerful!

A lot to unpack!

Some of the key insights you're going to get from Brian include:

1. The five practices of building character, and their significance in career development.

2. Strategies for career advancement within a retail environment, including the importance of aligning with leadership and seeking feedback from mentors.

3. The crucial role of prioritization in organizational success and how training employees on prioritization can enhance decision quality and profitability.

4. The potential impact of AI on freeing up time from mundane tasks and its implications for career development.

5. Insights into Brian Librach's new book, "The Retail Leaders Roadmap," and his approach to reinvigorating stagnant career paths in the retail industry.

This is definitely a must-listen to episode for anyone who works in retail - and is looking to advance their careers.

USEFUL LINKS:

Connect with Brian Librach

www.linkedin.com/in/brian-librach-the-retailwellwisher

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4OGDx1u7EgisWtiitBuvUw

https://www.facebook.com/brian.librach/

Order "The Retail Leaders Roadmap" book
www.retailleadersroadmap.com

Learn more about Asianet Consultants:

https://asianetconsultants.com

Learn more about How You Can Be a Podcast Guest

https://seat.fm/podcastcourse

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Competition is fierce these days. 

The solution, according to marketing experts, is to create a ‘brand story’ for your company or your product.

Sounds simple.  Until you actually try to do it.

And then, well, suddenly you feel like a stranger in a strange land.

Staring at blank piece of paper or screen  - or brainstorming with colleagues only to come up with something that by anyone’s assessment is pretty generic.  Not exactly what you were hoping for.

Today we’re talking with Deevo Tindall, a holistic branding strategist and founder of Fusion Creative, which he launched after 15 years of working in a corporate career.

In this podcast Deevo will be discussing:

- What is ‘holistic branding’ and how it can help differentiate your business.

- How companies can begin to create their own brand story.

- What companies are getting wrong about content creation.

- How to stand out in a very ‘noisy’ market.

USEFUL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants:  asianetconsultants.com

How to Land Guest Spots on Podcasts:   seat.fm/podcastcourse

Connect with Deevo Tindall:  www.fusioncreativebranding.com

Follow Deevo on Social Media:  @FusionPhotog

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

In this episode of A Seat at The Table, I sit down with Nick Bond, founding partner and head of product at Apex, an AI-driven solution focused on customer research and business strategies.

Nick shares valuable insights on how AI is changing the face of marketing, emphasizing the importance of leveraging customer data to drive innovation and strategy.

From understanding customer expectations to turning them into brand ambassadors, Nick provides practical advice for companies to create strong customer relationships.

Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on how to use AI to enhance customer experiences and navigate the evolving landscape of marketing and customer satisfaction.

USEFUL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Connect with Nick Bond on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bond-9236953/

Apex's website:  https://www.apexscore.ai/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

In a market that gets increasingly competitive, “get more sales” is a directive that’s coming from more than just the sales manager.

The concept is easy.  Achieving it is a bit more challenging.

Everyone is after everyone else’s markets - and customers. 

While persistence is still the foundation of success, to win in today’s market we also need to be a bit more strategic. 

And that leaves the question of “How do we do this?”

Meet Karl Becker, the CEO of Improving Sales Performance and author of “Iceberg Selling”. Karl suggests that one of the keys to successful selling centers around mindset.  In his work he has identified a series of mindsets that can empower sales people to succeed, even in difficult selling situations.

Today he’ll be discussing:

- How the ‘life-time value mindset’ changes the way sales people interact with customers.
- How to use ‘iceberg selling’ to overcome some the challenges salespeople are facing.
- Why it’s important for salespeople to author their own stories.
- Helping salespeople go from good to great.

USEFUL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Connect with Karl Becker:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlbeckeriii/

Karl's book "Set to Win:  https://dl.bookfunnel.com/vuqhd6p1y2

Improving Sales Performance website:  https://www.improvingsalesperformance.com/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

A growing number of companies are looking for new supply chain opportunities.  

In some cases, they are looking for new capabilities.  Others are targeting risk reduction.  And of course, there’s the ongoing demand for better prices.

One of the fastest developing links in the global supply chain is Southeast Asia.  

The region originally was just another source of cheap labor and in some cases raw materials.  

That’s changed as more nations are moving up the value chain.  

Yet often we’re not aware of these changes since typically they happen gradually, over time.

Today we are joined by Yazrin Syakhairi Mahlan, Consulate General of Malaysia in Hong Kong.

At the forefront of the development in Southeast Asia is Malaysia, a nation whose 33 million well educated, highly skilled and innovative people are quietly making big contributions to the global supply chain - particularly in electronics, engineering and finance - as well as other sectors.

The country’s infrastructure investment is playing a vital role in supporting its people and businesses in competing on a the world stage.

Today, Yazrin will be discussing:

- Malaysia’s unique role in the regional and global supply chain.
- Key opportunities for international businesses to collaborate with Malaysian companies.
- How Malaysia is positioning itself for the future.

USEFULL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

MATRADE’s Official Website: www.matrade.gov.my

MATRADE Hong Kong’s Email: hongkong@matrade.gov.my

MATRADE Hong Kong’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matradehk

NIMP 2023: www.nimp2030.gov.my

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Managing an apparel supply chain has never been easy - but in recent years its got far more complicated. 

The combination of greater uncertainty- and increased demands to be faster, better - and more transparent - has made it almost impossible to rely on old models.   

While everyone sees the situation from a different perspective - just about everyone agrees things are not likely to go back to what is wistfully referred to as ‘normal’.

That has left a lot of global sourcing directors and suppliers wondering exactly how to repositions themselves to be the winners in what has clearly become a different ball game.

Today we are joined by Ranju Mahtani,  Executive Chairman of EPIC Group, a world class apparel manufacturer, with facilities in Bangladesh, Jordan, India and other nations.   

Ranju is one of my industry heroes.  He has been a pioneer in bringing automation into his factories - long before others were even talking about it. 

He has also been at the forefront of CSR, finding innovative ways to elevate his workforce and help them achieve more and live better lives.

In this podcast, Ranju discusses:

- Supply chain opportunities for brands - that they might be overlooking.
- What’s going to change in manufacturing (for real) in the next 3-5 years.
- Why India is becoming an apparel sourcing hot spot.
- The growing importance for manufacturers to develop strong middle management leaders.

USEFUL LINKS:

EPIC Group's website: www.epicgroup.global

Connect with Ranju on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranjan-mahtani-347a9211/

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

The Current Situation in Sourcing:  thecurrentsituation.net

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Suddenly everyone is talking about India.  And if you are working in India - or thinking of doing so - then this is episode is for you!

After years of being in the shadows of China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and other key sourcing nations, India is finally taking center stage.

India has always had the right stuff - a huge population, domestic cotton, a strong textile sector for yarns and fabrics and of course a legacy in apparel manufacturing.  However, the nation hasn’t been able to pull all that together at a level that would get not just attention, but commitments from top international brands.

That is, until now.

Today we are joined by Dr. Stephen Patton, South Asia Director for Liverpool Department Store, Mexico’s top department store.

Stephen spent seven and a half years establishing his company’s massively successful China office - and leading that office through the pandemic.  In mid 2022, he moved to India to start building a comprehensive sourcing office for Liverpool there.  

One of Stephen’s zone’s of genius is his ability to see beyond the obvious.  To understand market opportunities that many others overlook.  And to have the strength to patiently pursue goals.  

Even at only a year and half in, Stephen has already achieved impressive growth in setting up an India-based sourcing operation that is developing competitive new products for Liverpool.  

In this episode, Stephen will be discussing:

- What he’s learned about how to effectively work in India.
- The timelines and benchmarks that you need to understand when sourcing in India.
- Sourcing opportunities in India that you won’t find anywhere else.

USEFUL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Connect with Dr. Stephen Patton:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/spatton1/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

One of the most frustrating  things a parent can face is watching their child struggle in school.

Yet many children hit speed bumps during their early school years.  For some children it’s trying to master math. For others it could be tackling spelling and grammar - or reading. 

What seems like something that should be easy to achieve ends up being a source of daily angst for both the students - and their families. 

For most parents and teachers the advice is to push the child to try harder … to spend more time on homework … or to start paying attention in class.

But if there was a different approach?  One that not only was more effective in helping your child to learn - but that they also enjoyed.  Something that made learning fun and helped build a strong bond between parents and their school age children?

Today we are joined by Dawn Strachan, the founder of the massively successful Clara James Tutoring Method and author of ‘Square Pegs, Round Holes’ a book that offers innovative ways to help primary school children master even the most challenging subjects.

This podcast is part of our new author series, where I am bringing you some of the most interesting ideas and insights from leading authors and to make sure you never miss a great book.

In this podcast Dawn will be discussing

- What parents and teachers might be overlooking when they have a child who is struggling in school.

- Easy ways to gamify learning that take your child from ‘I can’t’ to ‘Yes, I can!’

- Why often its not the student its the teaching method that is the problem.

Dawn’s insights could make this your year child’s best school year ever!

USEFUL LINKS:

The Clara James Approach website:  The Clara James Approach

"Square Pegs, Round Holes" book:   Square Pegs & Round Holes: Supporting Every Child's Education : Strachan, Dawn: Amazon.co.uk: Books

"Getting to Grips with Angles" book:  Getting to grips with angles: Amazon.co.uk

The Revision Planner:   https://www.amazon.ca/Your-exams-just-around-corner/dp/B0CQ8CZPMM

Asianet Consultants website:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

For nearly 4 years I’ve had the opportunity to host so many fabulous leaders and innovators on this show. And help share their stories, their wisdom and their expertise with our audience in 133 countries.

But in this episode I’m passing the mic to the phenomenal Kenz Soliman, a legend on Udemy where she has a following of nearly 150,000 students.

She is also the organizer of a game changing co-working program, a visionary entrepreneur and a masterful course creator. Oh, and on top of that, she’s one of the kindest - and most fun loving people you’d hope to meet.

You'll Learn:

• How the team at Inside Fashion turns the chaos of industry news into concise, focused snapshots that can be read in just a matter of minutes.
• The value of having ongoing conversations with a wide range of industry stakeholders in order to get a well rounded view of the market.
• Why trust and transparency are top priorities for winning in today's market.

USEFUL LINKS:

Connect with Kenz Soliman: https://www.facebook.com/kenzsoliman.official

Kenz's website: https://herdigitalbusiness.com

Connect with Jane Singer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-singer/

Inside Fashion's website: https://insidefashionlive.net

Current Situation in Sourcing:  https://insidefashionlive.net/the-current-situation-in-sourcing

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

If you’re like most of us, sooner or later you face times when you’re just burnt out.  You hit a wall.  There’s nothing left in the tank.

Yet we still need to keep going and moving ahead at work and in our personal lives. 

In this podcast we’re going to be talking about practical ways that anyone can help prevent burnout so that they can be more productive and live their best life. 

Today we are joined by Eric Recker, founder of Win The Now.  Eric knows what it’s like to battle burnout and to have to find a pathway back into the game.  After trying almost everything to overcome the stress that comes from feeling that you always need to be just that much better, he found a way to identify his triggers - and to prevent them from crashing his life.

In this episode Eric will be discussing:

- A game changing technique for focusing on the ‘now’.
- How to find a balance between growth and contentment.
- Why taking one small step can create massive momentum.

USEFUL LINKS

Connect with Eric Recker:    https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-recker-583849278/

WinTheNow website: www.ericrecker.com

Eric's  free 5-day burnout challenge.

Asianet Consultants website:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Supply chain management has become both an art and a science, with executives tasked with building more  resiliency, while also increasing flexibility, reducing lead times, and jumping through hoops to comply with increasingly complex regulations - which, adding to the confusion, are different in different markets.

No wonder one most people talk about improving supply chains - but very few actually do.  Realistically, it’s difficult enough to simply manage existing systems, without having to try and introduce new ones.

Today we’re joined by Dean Clegg, a supply chain consultant who previously was the Global Sourcing Director at Sainsbury, where he lead a complex supply chain through both the pandemic and the transition to Brexit.  Prior to that, Dean led the successful integration of Argos stores into Sainsbury’s.

In this episode Dean will be discussing:

- How to become more efficient and reduce lead times
- Determining the right technology to optimize your supply chain
- The game-changing importance of building seamless supplier relationships.
- Rethinking how we reduce waste to achieve greater sustainability

USEFUL LINKS:

Connect with Dean Clegg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-clegg-9508b9169/

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

The Current Situation in Sourcing:  https://insidefashionlive.net/current-situation-in-sourcing/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

The years of companies staffing up as they sprinted towards what they believed was going to be the next unicorn - or at the very least years of strong growth - have suddenly reversed course.

One by one, banks, consulting firms, retailers - even the tech sector - started announcing cutbacks.  With tens of thousands of jobs being axed.

That’s led to massive layoffs during the past two years with a sharp focus on downsizing headquarters and R&D departments - in other words mid career workers in white collar jobs.

So what can you when you find yourself on the ‘other side of the desk’?  Where do you start when you haven’t looked for a job since you left school? And what opportunities are there for older people in an age that seems to be fixated on youth?

In this episode we’re joined by Richard Triggs, CEO of Arete Executive, a recruitment specialist that focuses on senior executive or non-executive board positions.  He also the author of “Uncover The Hidden Job Market: How to Find and Win Your Next Senior Executive Role”.

Richard will be discussing what he refers to as the ‘hidden job market’ and how executives can find their next position.

He believes that even late career executives can find new positions in today’s market - if they understand where and how to look for them.

USEFUL LINKS

Sponsors

Asianet Consultants: https://asianetconsultants.com

The Current Situation in Sourcing:

https://insidefashionlive.net/current-situation-in-sourcing/

Connect with Richard Triggs

www.areteexecutive.com.au

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs/

https://www.areteexecutive.com.au/free-book/

https://open.spotify.com/show/2AGsypgCDg0UYN98Z0v2xW?si=c7c0f3552b9c4e9b

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Sometimes just when everything seems to be stable, we get blindsided.

It happens to everyone sooner or later.

We can’t control some of the challenges that life throws at us, but we can control how we react to them.

That was certainly  the case for many businesses when the pandemic hit. 

Not all were easily parlayed into remote work. 

And one of the hardest hit was the travel industry.

Welcome to Launch to Legendary, where we meet people who have turned the ordinary into the extraordinary. 

Who have taken challenges and turned them into opportunities.

And who’ve created success in their own terms.

Today we are joined by Sharon Hunter, who during the course of her life has faced enormous trials and traumas, but has come back fighting!

The pandemic laid waste to her once thriving travel agency forcing her to take charge of both her business and her mindset.

In this episode, Sharon shares how she turned a crisis into an opportunity to develop a stronger more confident and center mindset, that not only got her through the pandemic years - but has become the foundation on which she’s built a new business platform.

USEFUL LINKS:

Connect with Sharon Hunter:  linkedin.com/in/dreamhuntersharon

Dream Hunter Vacations website:   dreamhuntervacations.ca 

Sharon's website:  http://www.dreamhunter.ca/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Customer service is often talked about but not often delivered.  In fact, it is one of the biggest complaints that both businesses and consumers have.

Most say that the companies they do business with offer poor service - or even no service at all.

Companies are looking to cut costs and customer service is typically the first department to get hit.

Yet customer service might be the key to growing your business - particularly in highly competitive markets.

In this episode we’re joined by Greg Rich, CEO of Vivantio,  a company that uses automation to help companies leverage customer service to scale their business.

In this podcast Greg talks about:

The biggest (and costliest) mistake companies make around customer service.

How to automate customer service without losing the personalization that customers want.

Small modifications companies can make to level up the service they deliver.

Useful Links:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Vivantio:  https://www.vivantio.com

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

For nearly two decades most investors’ attention was focused on the stock market. 

Then suddenly central banks began raising interest rates and investors began to rethink their strategies.

That’s given rise to growing interest in a range of alternative investment vehicles, including CEFs, internal funds, ETFs, UITs, and commodity pools.

However, until now most of these investment vehicles have only been available to institutional investors.   

I’m Jane Singer and welcome back to A Seat at The Table where we sit down with industry leaders and innovators to gain valuable insights that will help us grow our businesses.

Today we’re joined by Kimberly Flynn, managing director and partner at XA Investments.  Having previously served as the Senior Vice President and Head of Product Development for Nuveen Investments' Global Structured Products Group, Kim's leadership and dedication played a pivotal role in developing over 40 closed-end funds and raising approximately $13 billion in capital.

Kim will discussing:

The democratization of alternative investments that is allowing individual investors access to institutional-caliber strategies.

What she sees as the top emerging alternative asset classes.

What investors need to consider in an investment environment where there’s high interest rates and inflation.

How alternative investments can work with an ESG strategy.

Useful Links:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Kimberly Flynn:  kflynn@XAInvestments.com

XA Investments:   www.xainvestments.com

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

In the competitive world of mobile commerce success is now being driven by push notifications powered by new mobile apps.

The idea is to grab consumers’ attention and get them to take immediate action.  That means not only having e-commerce apps on people’s phones, but making them extremely user-friendly.

Today we’re joined by Campbell Paton, Co-Founder and CEO of StoreLab, which helps e-commerce companies maximize mobile commerce.

In this episode Campbell with be sharing:

- Why push notifications are outperforming email - and SMS messages.
-  How mobile commerce is changing the game for e-commerce.
-  Guidelines and best practices for optimizing your mobile commerce apps.

USEFUL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

StoreLabs:  https://www.storelab.app/

Connect with Campbell Paton on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbell-paton/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

One of the biggest marketing tactics these days is to create a brand story.

But how do you do that when you are selling basics, commodities - or something you can’t even touch or feel, like services?

This week I’m joined by Chauncy Zalkin, an expert  in building brand stories for companies ranging from fashion to SaaS software and real estate.

Even when it seems like  there isn’t a story to be found, Chauncy is able ask to the right questions and uncover that perfect brand story you did know existed.

In this episode Chauncy will be discussing

- How to discover the story within your brand.
- Why the way a brand makes people feel is the key to customer retention.
- The importance of focus - especially in a crowded, noisy market.

USEFUL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Chauncy on LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/chaunceyzalkin

Chauncy's Portfolio: http://www.slcontentstudio.com/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

SEO or search engine optimization isn’t getting the amount of attention  it used.

The early days of e-commerce was all about key words and being top ranked in Google searches.   

As dynamic new marketing options were rolled out, SEO found itself out of sight, out of mind.

However online marketing experts are now saying that by overlooking this core part of the digital ecosystem, companies could be leaving money on the table.

In this episode we’re joined by Jules White, founder of Success Hub, which specializes in helping companies and entrepreneurs optimize their websites so that they can connect with customers who are searching for their products and services.

In this podcast Jules will be discussing:

The critical reason why everyone should get the SEO right for their website.

Key areas that sites need to optimize for better search results.

What companies misunderstand about how to optimize their website in a competitive market.


Useful Links

Asianet Consultants website:  https://asianetconsultants.com

Success Hub website: https://thewebsitesuccesshub.com

Jules White on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/juleswhitecreativa 

Jules White on LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jules-white-creativa

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Everyone wants to do things faster - to get results right away - but that race to the finish line can often end in disaster - or at the very least, disappointing outcomes.   

That’s increasingly the case as organizations hurry to introduce new technology, without having explored all the possible impacts it will have on the business - both good and bad.  And without any planning for how to address each potential issue.

In this podcast we are joined by Pia Wendelbo, founder of Scandinavian Change Agents.  Pia led process optimization and organizational change at the leading bank in the Nordics.

Pia  will be discussing:

How companies can avoid making key mistakes when digitizing their operations.

What organizations can do to help team members embrace change.

Why taking a slow approach to digital transformation can lead to faster (and better) results.

USEFUL LINKS:

Asianet Consultants: https://asianetconsultants.com

Pia Wendelbo on LinkedIn:  Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/digital-change-agent

Scandinavian Change Agents website:  https://www.scandinavianchangeagents.com/

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm