Podcast

The subscription economy is alive and well for products-based businesses and the software industry. But how about professional services firms? Does the subscription model apply to accountants, lawyers, consultants, marketers, and other professionals? Ron Baker founded VeraSage Institute, the leading think tank dedicated to teaching value pricing to professionals worldwide. He’s the co-host of The Soul of Enterprise podcast, and he’s the author of numerous books, including his newest title, Time’s Up!

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I’ve read close to two thousand books since I started my business career. I’ve been asked, “What book have you gifted the most?” While I’ve given away many books I like, the title I’ve given away the most is Executive Toughness by Dr. Jason Selk, who is also a gifted public speaker. Not only have I applied his principles on executive toughness, but every beneficiary of this book also says the same thing, “I love this book.”

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For the second consecutive year, we’ve dedicated a show to our favorite books we read during the previous year. There’s a Top 10 list, a bucket for fiction, honorable mentions, unexpected surprises, books we reread, and books we did not like. We also make a bold prediction for one of our favorite books for 2023. How many books should you read? What’s behind a great book? Those questions are answered too.

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What can any business or financial leader learn from a twenty-year vet in the fire service? I’m calling John Cuomo the John Maxwell for firefighters and other public safety officials based on his book, Leadership Refined by Fire. John has always been interested in leadership and lifelong learning, and his book is full of stories, inspiration, and big ideas that can be applied to any playing field in the areas of lifelong learning, humility, and much more.

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As a financial expert, could you estimate the cost savings in the U.S. alone through the country’s use of daylight savings time (DST)? Benjamin Franklin’s estimates in 1784 yielded about $200 million in savings in today’s dollars if people lived their days by making the best use of daylight around the year. David Prerau is the leading expert on daylight savings time, and his book, Seize the Daylight, explores the rich history of DST.

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I recently started listening to the podcast Investing by the Books produced by the Nordic investment banker Redeye. The hosts are Eddie Palmgren and Niklas Sävås, and they are great. Both are lifelong learners, and they love books on investing. In this show, we talk about the best investment books that Eddie and Niklas have ever read. We’ll find out their favorite book about Buffett. We’ll also get more insights on Mr. Market, moats, and the Ackman Paradox.

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Gordon Graham accepted an IT position at a public utility district in rural Washington because its core values and guiding principles aligned with his. The PUD’s culture started spiraling downward after a new general manager with narcissistic tendencies pushed an agenda with financially damaging outcomes. These behaviors and other bizarre actions resulted in Gordon’s inexcusable termination, which he tells in his book, The Intrepid Brotherhood: Public Power, Corruption, and Whistleblowing in the Pacific Northwest.

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I stumbled upon John Seddon’s website, The Vanguard Method, a few years ago. At the time, I read every page, post, and short tutorial in one sitting. I followed that binge-reading with his book, Beyond Command and Control, which is the topic for this episode. John teaches us about failure demand, break-fix systems, the destructive nature of arbitrary targets, and budget management. We also gain greater insights into outside-in thinking through a systems mindset.

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If you are looking for the PayPal version of Brad Stone’s, The Everything Store, that book has arrived. Jimmy Soni is the author behind The Founders where he takes us on a deep, yet informative and eye-opening journey from PayPal’s pre-startup days to just after its IPO. The book is rich with insights we’ve never heard before, and the bookends are incredible–the three-hour conversation with Elon Musk and the moving and inspiring epilogue.

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Gaining media attention may not be an ongoing goal for many growing businesses. However, a former TV host and Emmy-award winner in consumer reporting explains that if we can pitch the media effectively, we can sell anything to anyone. Katrina Cravy is the author of On Air: Insider Secrets to Attract the Media and Get Free Publicity. This easy-to-read book also has far-reaching applications for presentations, pitches of any type, and YouTube videos.

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