AI is changing everything, but not in the way most leaders think. In this episode of Leader Generatio from Mod Op, Rishad Tobaccowala breaks down how we got here, from the early days of broadcast marketing to today’s fast-moving, AI-powered world. He explains why the current moment is different, what’s actually changing and what still matters more than ever. If you’ve been hearing about AI strategy and wondering where to start, this conversation will shift your perspective. Rishad makes the case that focusing on AI alone is a trap and instead challenges leaders to rethink their entire organization, their role and how they create value. He also shares a powerful framework for moving from control to inspiration and why imagination is becoming one of the most important leadership skills. You’ll walk away with practical ways to think about talent, structure your team and stay competitive in a world that’s evolving faster than ever. Whether you’re leading a team or just trying to keep up, this episode will give you a clearer way forward.
Ravi Venkatesan took Cantaloupe from nearly $400 million in accumulated losses to profitability in three years, grew the stock from $2.75 to $11.20, and is now completing a take-private exit. Before all of that, he tried to make it as a cruise ship chef and spent four years playing guitar in jazz bands — which, it turns out, says everything about how he thinks. On this episode of Success Beneath the Surface, Ravi and Deborah Fell get into what actually drives that track record: how he thinks about business model disruption before it arrives, why successful companies quietly stop taking the risks that made them successful, and why isolating innovation in a special department almost always backfires. They also don’t avoid the hard conversation. Ravi’s prediction on AI and workforce displacement is not a soft one. Neither is his advice to the CEOs listening about what leading through it actually requires.
You did your homework from Key Man Part 1. You know who your key people are. Now what? Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan are back — still in the same room, still making the most of Lany’s four-hour drive to tackle the part most business owners skip: how to actually approach your team about documentation without triggering a panic spiral. Someone’s going to feel like their job is on the line. Someone’s going to get squirrely. That’s normal. Lany and Susan walk you through how to handle the egos, frame the conversation, and make documentation something your team actually gets behind. Plus: why your money is really in your operations, the authenticator PSA you didn’t know you needed, why you never put employee names in an SOP, and how to make the whole thing a little bit fun. Part 2 of the Key Person series — don’t skip Part 1.
In this episode, Chris Beall poses a provocative question that challenges the very structure of sales departments. What if companies didn’t need traditional in-house sales teams at all? Sounds radical, right? But Chris takes us on a thoughtful journey through the potential of outsourced sales. From list building to discovery calls, he explores how specialist expertise could revolutionize each step of the process. Using his experience at ConnectAndSell and citing innovative approaches from companies like Branch 49, Chris makes a case for keeping only subject matter experts in-house. He backs his ideas with real-world examples and data, showing how modern technology enables this shift. This episode might just transform how you think about sales team structure and efficiency in the modern business landscape. Join us for this episode, “Goodbye, Sales Department? Chris Beall’s Provocative Proposal.”
On this week’s episode of The Granite List. Live, Sally is joined by Anthony Hartley, Co-Founder and CEO of Patient Advisor LLC, as they dive into the hidden driver of pharmacy spend. Patients with autoimmune conditions and other chronic conditions take prescriptions that manage/mask symptoms without leading to remission or reversal of disease. This group of individuals may equal as much as 50% of pharmacy spend for an employer. Anthony details how cell therapies can help patients get better health outcomes at a lower cost to plan sponsors, raising the question of why such innovation has not been widespread yet.
Finally Fr. Dominic reminded us in a very descriptive way that we are all smelly sheep. We are sheep, but Christ is our good shepherd and we can follow Him — and that is all that matters. That is what it means to be a disciple. To follow the Good Shepherd. Nothing else.
We hope you enjoy this playlist of our favorite episodes of the week.
