Kevin Stevick, CEO of RH Shepard joins Deborah Fell and shares hard-won wisdom from 40 years in manufacturing: your people aren’t a cost center—they’re your competitive advantage. Kevin breaks down why the most successful private equity leaders treat workforce investment exactly like capital equipment purchases. Clean up the shop floor. Improve benefits. Increase wages. These aren’t feel-good initiatives—they’re strategic moves that lower turnover, boost productivity, and create a pipeline of candidates eager to work for you. The challenge? Most MBA programs don’t teach this. Most leaders still view people through a purely financial lens. And the skilled labor shortage isn’t going away. Kevin’s approach is refreshingly direct: listen first, provide guardrails not micromanagement, and give people room to succeed and fail. He challenges the myth that younger generations don’t want to get their hands dirty and explains how AI and robotics don’t replace workers—they transform their roles from manual labor to skilled technicians. This episode is essential listening for CEOs wrestling with hiring challenges, retention issues, or leaders who’ve never been taught to view human resources as a strategic imperative. Kevin proves that being the employer of choice isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business.
Susan Finch sits down with Laura Patterson, President and Co-Founder at VisionEdge Marketing. They explore why businesses chase shiny new tools instead of maximizing what already works, the real cost of remote work on mentorship and professional development, and how strategic restraint might be the most powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. Laura brings decades of experience helping companies achieve measurable business outcomes through marketing, while Susan brings her perspective from working with business-focused podcasts and small- to mid-size companies. Together, they challenge the assumption that more tools, more content, and more technology automatically equals better results. The conversation moves from the “random acts of marketing” that plague so many businesses to the critical importance of in-person mentorship for young professionals. Laura shares insights from her 20-year intern program, while both hosts discuss how the shift to remote work has created a mentorship crisis that’s hurting the next generation’s ability to navigate difficult conversations and workplace dynamics. Whether you’re drowning in marketing tools, struggling to find clarity in your strategy, or wondering how to bring up the next generation of professionals, this episode offers a refreshing dose of reality and actionable wisdom.
Tessa Burg sits down with Michael Ditter, Director of Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Emerging Technology at Diageo, to explore the transition from AI experimentation to scalable enterprise integration. With 15 years at the intersection of consumer goods, strategy, and technology, Michael shares how Diageo shifted from small pilots to a capability-led transformation focused on three core pillars: content creation, consumer insights at the speed of culture, and differentiated consumer experiences. The conversation reveals a refreshingly practical approach to AI adoption. Rather than chasing the latest tools, Michael emphasizes building human capability first, meeting people where they are, and starting each engagement by asking what’s the hardest challenge they’re working on right now. From day-long hands-on sessions to one-on-one coaching, his team has created a framework that balances innovation with responsibility, addressing concerns around bias, hallucinations, and data privacy upfront.
Our Chris Beall recently worked with Alex Kutsishin from myfuel.io to create AI-powered training experiences. The result? An AI Chris that sounds remarkably like the real thing – maybe a younger version – and knows everything Chris teaches about cold calling, market dominance, and the psychology of trust. In this experimental episode, the real Chris interviews his AI counterpart, diving into First to Converse principles, list-building strategies, and how to master the emotional journey of cold calling. It’s enlightening, it’s creative, and yes, it’s a little weird hearing Chris talk to himself. But it showcases an efficient new way for sales teams and enterprises to access expert training 24/7. Let’s listen in as human meets algorithm in the pursuit of sales excellence.
When Cheryl Bean’s friend mentioned her mother was moving into a senior community, she saw an opportunity that would change everything. What started as helping one resident who loved to sew has grown into a beautiful movement across Texas retirement communities. In this heartwarming episode, Susan sits down with Cheryl Bean, Area Coordinator for Binky Patrol’s Texas chapter, to talk about something special: bringing the joy of giving to senior communities. It’s not just about making blankets (though that’s wonderful too). It’s about giving residents purpose, community, and the chance to use their talents to help children in crisis. Cheryl shares creative ways seniors are contributing—from traditional crocheting and quilting to coloring fabric squares like they’re kids again, braiding dog toys from fleece scraps, and creating “stripy blankets” when arthritis makes other crafts difficult. These aren’t just activities; they’re lifelines of connection. You’ll hear stories that’ll make you smile: the 94-year-old who lights up when coloring blocks, the lady who came with a hundred baby hats and left learning to make full blankets, and the family who showed up grumpy but now returns every year. This conversation is about more than crafting. It’s about dignity, community, and the truth that we all need to contribute something meaningful—no matter our age. Whether you’re looking to engage seniors in your area or simply want to hear how Binky Patrol is building bridges across generations, this episode will inspire you to think differently about what’s possible.
In this episode of What’s Your Edge?, Laura Patterson is joined by Kuber Jain, Senior Data Scientst for Poduct Analytics at Heaspace. Headspace is a lader in the mental health and wellness space. They discuss how to us analytics to drive engagement and growth, explore practical first steps for any organization and discuss how AI is reshaping the analytics landscape. Most importantly, they focus on how to move from simply having data to making smarter, faster business decisions.
Fr. Bill takes us back to what being salty is in the bible, compared to what it has come to mean – snarky, bitter, resentful. You are a person of substance if you are salty. Just as salt prevents corruption and light dispels darkness, your life – lived in communion with God – is meant to preserve what is good and push back what is false or destructive. If someone acts only for recognition, then that recognition is the whole reward — and it lasts only as long as the spotlight is on them. But when a person uses their gifts with humility, gratitude, and faith – when their excellence becomes an offering – their performance points beyond themselves, becoming a witness to the glory of God.
We hope you enjoy this playlist of our favorite episodes of the week.
