If you liked the book, Barbarians at the Gate, then you’ll enjoy The Ceasars Palace Coup. Max Frumes is one of the co-authors of this work of narrative non-fiction. We learn more about what went wrong when the investors levered Harrah’s with nearly $27 billion in debt when they took the gaming business private. Think you have a handle on bankruptcy? You might change your mind after this one as you learn about the winners and losers in the process.
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Dr. Edwin Locke On Goals and Prime Movers
Everything you know or have studied about goals is probably resting on the research conducted by Dr. Edwin Locke and his co-contributor in the late 1960s. Dr. Locke has also written a book similar to Good to Great entitled, The Prime Movers. During this interview, we revisit some of Dr. Locke’s key findings on goal theory, and the characteristics shaping the prime movers in the business environment.
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Ron Baker on the Value of Intellectual Capital
One of Mark’s favorite books in 2021 has been Mind Over Matter by Ron Baker, a best-selling author and the co-host of The Soul of Enterprise weekly radio show. In this show, we discuss why studying intellectual capital is important along with its three primary components – human, structural, and social. As Ron says, there’s nothing more pragmatic than a good theory. Accordingly, our chat is far from conceptual or abstract.
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Gary Harpst on Strategy and Execution
Gary Harpst should need no introduction within the accounting and finance world. Gary is one of three co-founders of Solomon Software which was ultimately acquired by Great Plains (and Microsoft later acquired Great Plains). Gary then did a deep dive into the success traits of small businesses. His research turned into a consulting firm and two books centered around Six Disciplines. During this show, we talk about VFOs, strategy, limited resources, and much more.
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An Inner Journey Through Failure and Renewal
According to Mark Jacobsen, he had been steeped in books about failing fast, failing forward, resilience, grit, and moonshots as a startup founder. But what happens to the founder when that world comes crashing down on the hopes and dreams who started that journey? While there are numerous books about epic business collapses, few exist on dealing with personal failure where Mark shares his inner battles in his book, Eating Glass.
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A Virtual Dinner with Guy Spier
I enjoyed reading about Guy Spier’s lunch with Warren Buffett in his book, The Education of a Value Investor. That gave me an idea. What if I could pull off a virtual dinner with this deep-thinking value investor? With a huge thank you to Adam Mead, author of The Complete History of Berkshire Hathaway, that satisfying conversation became a reality. Grab a sandwich and your favorite beverage, and be prepared to learn from this gifted value investor.
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Data Visualization for Financial and Business Leaders
Steve Wexler is one of my favorite teachers in the data visualization space because he’s easy to understand and doesn’t speak over our heads. He’s the co-author of The Big Book of Dashboards, and his newest book is The Big Picture. Our topics include preattentive attributes, the love affair with stoplight colors, dead-end dashboards, and important tips when building visualizations. We also talk about the so-what of three different chart types.
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3X Revenue in 2 Years with Felix Velarde
Several months ago, a web search brought me to the 2Y3X website. I devoured every single page. I watched the videos on the website. I was so captivated by the content that I wanted to interview the creative genius behind that firm. A follow-up email from a team member revealed Felix Velarde was releasing his book soon. I waited, got the book, and was still hooked. My interview with this engaging business leader and executive coach did not disappoint.
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The Top Financial News Stories in the First Half of 2021
At the end of 2020, I invited Jane Thier to the show to talk about last year’s big stories – most were related to COVID. With the first half of 2021 in our rearview mirror, I wanted to touch base with Jane again to get her perspective on the headlines that mattered the most. I also quizzed her about the stories we’ll be reading about in the near future and beyond. Out of curiosity, we got to hear the names of three CFOs Jane would like to interview.
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Our 5 Favorite Books in the First Half of 2021
During this episode, I was interviewed by football college standout, Shaefer Schuetz. In this show, I list my five favorite books of the 60 that I read or listened to during the first half of 2021. I also mention seven honorable mentions and explain why they make the cut too. We also talk about rereading books, book selections, making time to read, and reading beyond business and management books. If you need some reading ideas, this is the episode to listen to.
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