Past Episodes
July 2009
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This week, we explore the marketplace and culture of youth sports. How are adults and our broader national culture of competition impacting childhood development? How can youth sports help kids grow up to be successful? We'll lay out some of the challenges facing youth sports today and then talk to some innovators in the field to find out new ways for parents, coaches and kids to build healthy emotional and physical skills.
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Mark Hyman
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Mark Hyman is a contributing editor at BusinessWeek and the author of the new book Until It Hurts: America's Obsession With Youth Sports. Prior to joining BusinessWeek, he spent nearly 20 years as a reporter for newspapers including the Baltimore Sun where he was an enterprise and investigative reporter in the sports department. During his time at the Sun, earned his law degree from the University of Maryland. He blogs at youthsportsparents.blogspot.com and also contributes to BusinessWeek's Working Parents blog.
Jim Thompson
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Jim Thompson is the founder and director of Positive Coaching Alliance, a national nonprofit organization of parents, coaches and youth sports organizations dedicated to improving youth sports by developing a positive character building approach. Jim has more than 20 years of teaching, coaching and management experience working with a variety of individuals and groups. He was formerly Director of Stanford Business School's Public Management Program and his experiences as a youth coach led him to write two books on the subject: "Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Sports" and "Shooting in the Dark: Tales of Coaching and Leadership".
Frank Fiume
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Frank Fiume is founder and CEO of i9 Sports Corporation. Noticing from his own experience that the amateur sports industry was poorly organized on the local level, Frank applied the marketing and business skills he acquired with medical device companies to create ABA Sports in 1995. Over time, it grew at an astonishing rate, becoming i9 Sports corporation, the nation‘s first complete amateur sports franchise business allowing individuals to organize leagues, tournaments, camps, clinics, train officials, and sell sporting goods and custom uniforms while working with the local amateur organizations and parks and recreation departments.
June 2009
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This week, we bring you the stories of 5 women entrepreneurs and explore how men and women approach business. Find out why women are starting businesses at a higher rate than men and how women stay true to their values as the companies they lead show excellent financial results.
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Jody Weiss
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Jody Weiss is a former sports agent who has decided to dedicate her life to promoting peace in the world. She took some of her righteous anger from a first marriage, a politically divided nation, and a violent world and decided that she wanted to take Madison avenue dollars to teach about real collaborative giving. To raise awareness about real urgent human rights issues affecting women that in all parts of the world, she founded Peacekeepers, a socially conscious cosmetics company.
Melissa Hardy
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Melissa is one of the co-owners of the cooperative, BioFuel Oasis, which pumps and sells high-quality Biodiesel fuel in Berkley California. She's also member of the City of San Francisco's Biodiesel Access Task Force and she's been teaching about Biodiesel and vegetable oil fuels since 2002.
Evelyn Contre
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Evelyn is the Founder and Managing Director of Springleaf Strategies, a marketing consulting firm specializing in the real estate and sustainability industries. With 12 years of diverse professional experience, her work includes strategic marketing activities, project management, and communication planning. Prior to founding Springleaf Strategies, Evelyn served in multiple roles at Greenfire Development and Highwoods Properties.
Karen Bantuveris
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Karen Bantuveris, a management consultant working-mom, was shocked at all the ‘little things’ that made volunteering a hassle. As an active parent in her daughters school community and frustrated by reply-all emails, clipboards, Online! Groups, and late night reminder messages…she decided to do something about it and launched VolunteerSpot with the mission of enabling ANYONE to quickly mobilize and coordinate volunteers in their community, congregation and social network.
Kira Reidel
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Kira Riedel is the founder of CFO Services, an a la carte financial services small business, Kira has been a secretary, fund controller, financial analyst, and CFO. She's a single mom of an 8 and 11 year old boy and girl, multi-pitch rockclimber, outdoor enthusiast, agnostic ex-Jehovah’s Witness, music lover, and occasional dater, she brings fresh perspective, intelligence, pragmatics and a dose of dry wit to a variety of topics. -
This week, we'll talk to agents of change in business. Our guests give companies new ways to think about their value and customer relationships. We'll explore how some businesses thrive while others falter in an increasingly technological and transparent environment.
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Seth Godin
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Seth Godin was called "the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age" by Business Week. He is a popular public speaker, writes the #1 ranked marketing blog, and has authored ten bestselling books. His most recent is Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. Seth founded Yoyodyne, the industry's leading interactive direct marketing company.
David Meerman Scott
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David Meerman Scott is a marketing strategist, keynote speaker, seminar leader, and author of World Wide Rave. His previous book, The New Rules of Marketing & PR is an award-winning BusinessWeek bestseller. He worked as VP of marketing for two publicly traded technology companies and was also Asia marketing director for Knight-Ridder.
May 2009
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This week we explore what happens after spending hundreds of billions of dollars on bailing out financial institutions. Can we expect any improvement in the credit market or unemployment rate? These week we'll get alternative views on the possible side effects of the federal governments policy of running ever-larger deficits in the midst of world economic crisis.
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Paul Craig Roberts
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Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during President Reagan’s first term. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal and he's the author of many books. Most recently, he is the co-author of The Tyranny of Good Intentions : How Prosecutors and Bureaucrats Are Trampling the Constitution in the Name of Justice.
"Ilargi"
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"Ilargi" is the author of the blog, The Automatic Earth, a popular financial blog that puts our economic crisis in historical perspective. It provides an in-depth analysis of the trends behind the numbers of increasing debt and decreasing fossil fuel production. -
Over the past twenty years, the landscape of broadcast and print journalism has changed dramatically. With the consolidation of media ownership, closing of outlets and wholesale firing of reporters, few sources of unbiased journalism remain.
This change preceded the decline of advertising revenue that fueled these media machines and the rise of the dissemination of free content through the Internet. With the proliferation of “citizen journalist” as bloggers and YouTube creators, what is the future of the news and information we need to be an informed public?
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Catharine P. Taylor
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Cathy writes about media, advertising and marketing. Her work has been featured in Advertising Age, Business Week, Newsweek, strategy+business and Wired. Currently, she writes a daily posting for BNET Media and is the Social Media Insider for Mediapost.
Amy Goodman
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Amy is the co-host of Democracy Now, which she helped launch in 1966. She has received many awards as an investigative journalist for works such as Massacre: The Story of East Timor and Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria’s Oil Dictatorship. Amy is the author of three best selling books including her most recent, Standing up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times.
David Weir
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David has been a professional journal for 40 years, writing for Rolling Stone, The Economist, LA Weekly, Mother Jones, The Nation, The New York Times, New York Magazine and Salon.com. In 1977, he was a co-founder of the Center for Investigative Reporting. David has also taught journalism at the University of California Graduate School of Journalism and Stanford University.
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This week on Business Matters, we're exploring how the our capitalist system shapes our human interactions and we're looking for ways for people to create solutions through dialogue. Join us as we find out how our relationships and humanity are shaped by the underlying economic reality.
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Margaret Wheatley
Author, Turning to One Another
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Joe Bageant
Author, Dear Hunting With Jesus
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Six women who had careers in the world of traditional business decided to become entrepreneurs. We learn their stories, find out about their challenges and realize the exceptional qualities of these women.
We also develop an understanding of how men and women approach business and find out that women are starting businesses at a higher rate than men and that women lead companies are showing excellent financial results while they stay true to their values and vision.
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Margaret Heffernan| Download MP3
Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, chief executive and author. She was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University. In 2004, Margaret published "The Naked Truth: A Working Woman's Manifesto about Business and What Really Matters" and in 2007 she brought out "How She Does It: How Female Entrepreneurs are Changing the Rules for Business Success".
Amy Nichols | Download MP3
Tired of her unfulfilling executive position, Amy decided to follow her passion. Amy realized their was opportunity to help alieve the guilt dog owners had when they left their pets confined while they worked. To fill this need, Amy started Dogtopia, a dog day care center. Today Dogtopia is a successful and rapidly growing nation-wide franchise.
Nancy Procunier | Download MP3
Another woman who left a successful career, Nancy realized that busy professionals were lost in how to provide their grandchildren, nieces or nephews with a meaningful thought that conveyed their care. Nancy started SparkSprite that regularly sends small gifts to children that are both fun and full of surprise.
Simone Brummelhuis | Download MP3
Simone Brummelhuis worked as a successful lawyer before becoming an entrepreneur by setting up her own B2B publishing company Brummsbooks. She created TheNextWomen after a series she wrote about Female Internet Heroes at thenextweb.org , proved successful.
Jill Salzman | Download MP3
Jill Salzman is the "Momtreprenuer Maven, "she started Paperwork Media LLC, a music media firm. She went on to co-create The Bumble Brand, LLC, which currently sells Bumble Bells, Jill now consults with momtrepreneurs, writes a column for The Dabbling Mum, and speaks to corporations, universities and other organizations about social media and why everyone should be paying more attention to their mothers.
Susan Wilson Solovic | Download MP3
Susan Wilson Solovic is CEO of SBTV.com – Small Business Television. SBTV.com is the first and only video news and information destination site for America’s small businesses. Solovic began her professional career as a television news anchor and reporter for NBC and CBS affiliates. Subsequently, she joined a Fortune 100 company where she was named vice president, director of corporate marketing, of the firm’s international asset-based lending division.
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April 2009
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There is common agreement among economists and politicians that small business and startups are the driver for economic recovery in the U.S. You would think this would mean that capital would freely available to help startups get off the ground and fund the expansion plans of existing small businesses. The second point is particularly important if many of these small businesses can take advantage of opportunities that come from the stimulus spending recently authorized by congress.
We found that getting money for both small businesses and startup isn't easy. In fact, small business owners who have good track records with their banks and excellent credit scores continue to be out in the cold when it comes to financing. We also looked at the traditional flow of money into technology companies from venture capital to see how the rule of the game have changed.
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Accion | Download MP3
We talk with Jonathan Brereton, CEO of Accion Chicago; Jessica Horn, Senior Lending Officer of Accion Chicago and Sharon Stetzer, Owner of Lady Lighting and Contracting Company of Naperville.
We also add a national perspective by speaking to Laura Kozien, who is the Director of Communications of Accion USA.
David Carlick | Download MP3
Listen to our conversation with David Carlick a co-founder of Doubleclick, former Managing Director of Vantage Point Venture Partners and a leading innovator in on-line media and marketing about the changing landscape for startup financing and the new rules of online marketing.
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This week on Business Matters we explore personal and corporate authenticity. As the world of work evolves, each of us is challenged to think of ourselves as a personal corporation. We are responsible for our personal authenticity and transparency. By dong so, we challenge the organizations we work with to live by those standards as well. We also explore the role that social media is playing to bring greater personal and corporate truthfulness.
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Dan Schawbel | Download MP3
Dan is the author of the recently released book, Me 2.0 Build a Powerful Personal Brand to Achieve Career Success. At the ripe age of 25, Dan shows the power of a clear vision, intense focus and a sense of understanding of himself and the way that his work can impact the lives of many. While this book is targeted to Gen Y, we have found it helpful for anyone in the workplace.
Rohit Bhargava | Download MP3
Rohit is the Senior Vice President of Olgivey 360 Digital Influence and the author of the book, Personality Not Included, Why Companies Loose their Authenticity and How to Get it Back. We explore underlying social and organizational influences that move our organizations away from being honest with themselves and their customers, what the cost has been and what steps organizations can take to bring back authenticity before its too late.
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This week on Business Matters, we bring you two stories of how individuals have fought legal struggles against massive corporate opponents who have been determined to avoid accountability for their business practices. It may seem like common sense that you have some rights when your livelihood or even your life is threatened by the actions of a major company. But for our guests today, getting a corporate Goliath to admit responsibility is a constant struggle.
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Percy Schmeiser vs Monsanto | Download MP3
Percy Schmeiser is a Canadian farmer whose fields were contaminated by Monsanto's genetically modified crops, beginning a decade-long legal struggle that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. His fight for farmer's rights to the crops that they've spent years creating has made him a hero to farmers and opponents of GMOs around the world.
The DeGroh Family vs Medtronic | Download MP3
After three-year old Avery DeGroh was shocked 9 times by her implanted defibrillator, Medtronic refused to compensate her family for their medical bills. We spoke to the Avery's father Alex while the family was visiting Washington DC to lobby members of congress to pass the Medical Device Safety Act to restore their rights. First, we asked Sue Steinman from the American Association for Justice to explain what created a need for the law.
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March 2009
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This week we're looking at business beyond the number. Join us as we explore how an over-reliance on numerical formulas and data analysis has blinded many businesses to the importance of human interaction. We'll look at how empathic connections build successful company cultures and the cost some businesses pay for ignoring the human side of their employees and clients.
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Dev Patnaik, Author, Wired to Care,
Founder & CEO, Jump Associates |
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Shawn Boyer, Founder & CEO, SnagAJob.com
2008 National Small Business Person of the Year |
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On this week's Business Matters, we're examining at ways for business leaders to use the power of language to be a more effective. We'll talk with a poet and a professor of ethics at Harvard, both of whom have explored how language and storytelling can be used in business.
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Joe Badaracco, Author, A Question of Character,
Professor of Business Ethics, Harvard Business School |
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David Whyte, Poet, Lecturer, Author, The Three Marriages;
Founder, Many Rivers Company |
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This week on Business Matters, we're examining entrepreneurship and venture capitalism in the new economic world. Find out how things are changing in the world of start-ups, and why they are so vital to producing the jobs we need in the United States. We'll talk to a regional head of the US Small Business Administration and the director of the entrepreneurship program of one of the country's largest foundations, as we look at ways for entrepreneurs to weather the economic storm and take advantage of emerging opportunities.
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Part 1: Thom Ruhe, Director of Entrepreneurship, Kauffman Foundation| Download MP3
Part 2: Judith Roussel, Acting Regional Director, Small Business Administration | Download MP3
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February 2009
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As increasing health care costs and a growing number of uninsured Americans puts financial pressure on both individuals and businesses, we'll return to our ongoing look at the landscape of health care reform. As the Obama administration prepares to address health care, we'll look for ways that walk-in clinics and primary health care providers can help solve the nation's health care crisis on this week's Business Matters.
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Part 1: Sandy Ryan, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer , Take Care Clinic | Download MP3
Part 2: Kelly Carter, COO, Illinois Primary Health Care Association | Download MP3
Part 3: Jay Parkinson, MD, Doctor, Hello Health | Download MP3
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On this week's Business Matters, we bring you a whole show on ways that we can improve our school lunch programs. We'll find out if it's possible to serve healthy, natural and affordable lunches to children in an institutional setting, and give you tips on how you can get your local school district to adopt more healthy and sustainable practices.
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Part 1: Helene York Director, Bon Appetit Foundation | Download MP3
Part 2: Chef Bobo Executive Chef, Calhoun School | Download MP3
Part 3: Bob Bloomer Regional VP, Chartwells Thompson Hospitality | Download MP3
Part 4: Amy Audiffred Director of Operations, Bon Appetit Management at Wheaton College & Marco Hetterich Executive Chef at Wheaton College | Download MP3
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On this week's Business Matters, we bring you the second of a two-part series on the social and economic costs of our addiction to sweeteners. We'll delve into the economic costs of having so much of our population obese. How much is it costing us in increased health care costs and lost productivity? Is there anything we can do to turn back the trend line?
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Part 1: Kenneth Stanton Economist, Obesity, Business and Public Policy | Download MP3
Part 2: LuAnn Heinen Vice-President, National Business Group on Health | Download MP3
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January 2009
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We'll explore the vast industry that keeps our food sweet and our children obese: Sugar. We'll help you become a food detective and offer some alternatives for your own cooking and shopping on next week's Business Matters.
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Part 1: Anne Louise Gittleman PhD. Diet Expert | Download MP3
Part 2: Nancy Appleton, PhD, Nutritionist| Download MP3
Part 3: Cori Brackett, Producer, Sweet Misery| Download MP3
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With soaring health care costs becoming an increasing drag on the pocketbooks of individuals and businesses alike, we'll explore why medical costs have climbed so far and what can be done about it. With all the talk of a new administration reforming health care, we'll help explain what is in the realm of possibility and what are pipe dreams on this week's Business Matters.
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Part 1: Trudy Lieberman, President, Association of Health Journalists| Download MP3
Part 2: Kevin Scanlan, CEO, Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council| Download MP3
Part 3: David Erickson, Hudson River Health Care | Download MP3
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The $50 million ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff is just the latest financial scam that has cheated those investors who would look for high returns without asking the right questions. This week on Business Matters, we're looking at the Business of Scams: how they're run, why people fall for them, and how to avoid them.
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Part 1: "Jack Smith," Scam-Warner | Download MP3
Part 2: Steve Bernas, President & CEO, Chicago BBB | Download MP3
Part 3: "Bob Roberts," Former Medical Device Salesman | Download MP3
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This week, we're returning to some of our favorite guests from 2008 to examine the year in review and to look forward at what's coming up for the year ahead. We'll explore the 2009 forecast for jobs, energy, food and small businesses and offer practical tips for how you can prepare for what's next.
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Part 1: Ron Hira, Outsourcing Expert | Download MP3
Part 2: Matt Simmons, Energy Expert | Download MP3
Part 3: Sharon Astyk, Author of A Nation of Farmers (And Cooks)| Download MP3
Part 4: Jim Tracy, CEO of America's Best Companies| Download MP3
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December 2008
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In her book, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein delves into the secret history of capitalism, and explains how the "free-market" has expanded by exploiting periods of shock and crisis. She spent years traveling to disaster zones to see how the policies forced through in crisis impact people on the ground, and her insight is particularly valuable in this time of crisis in the US and world economy.
Today, we are in such a time of political upheaval and economic crisis. Just as outlined by Naomi Klein, in this time of shock, large banks and financial interests are trying to push through corporate-friendly policies. Can we somehow break the cycle of shocks with a new administration? This week, Business Matters will explore how the lame-duck Bush Administration and the Federal Reserve are applying a kind shock therapy to the economy, and we'll spend the hour with the best-selling author of The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein.
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Naomi Klein, Author of The Shock Doctrine | Download MP3
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As the Black Friday kicked off the holiday shopping frenzy this year, 3 people died in shopping-related deaths. Even as the credit crisis and waves of layoffs pressure the pocketbooks of millions of Americans, advertisers desperately attempt to find our unfulfilled needs. How does consumerism shape our society? As new generations of parents mold a new generation of consumers, how are businesses working to extend their brand to children?
This week, we're looking at the past and future of consumerism in America. We'll delve into the psychological elements of consumer behavior, and explore how the relationship between parents, businesses and children shapes our consumer culture.
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Part 1: Jackson Lears, Cultural Historian | Download MP3
Part 2: John Cacioppo, Social Neuroscientist | Download MP3
Part 3: Dan Cook, Child Researcher | Download MP3
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Instead of letting big banks do whatever they want with out money , how can we start to harness our own financial power? Our guest today, Catherine Austin Fitts, is committed to bringing people together to resist the economic tyranny of large banks and corrupt government officials. She's been in both the private and public sector, working as Assistant Secretary of Housing in the first Bush Administration, a former investment bank president, and now president of the financial education company Solari, Inc. Catherine's experiences on Wall Street and in Washington D.C. are chronicled in Dillon Read and the Aristocracy of Stock Profits.
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Catherine Austin Fitts, President, Solari; Former Assistant Secretary of Housing | Download MP3
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The next president has been elected on a wave of popular demand for change. How can leaders move from inspiring their business or community to sparking action to enact the change? We'll find out what steps are necessary to enact fundamental change in corporations, non-profits and communities on Business Matters this week.
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Part 1: Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Founder, Strozzi Institute | Download MP3
Part 2: Rob Paterson, Social Media and Network Consultant| Download MP3
Part 3: Peter Luzmore, Founder, Synthesis | Download MP3
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November 2008
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The US military budget is bigger than the rest of the world's military spending combined. That's not even counting the private contractors who rely on war in the Middle East in order to stay in business. As it turns out, politicians and investors rely on these companies to sustain the already troubled economy. This week on Business Matters, as a new administration prepares to take over the Pentagon, we’ll speak with foreign policy analyst Conn Hallinan about the unfortunately healthy business of war as well as Massie Ritsch of the Center for Responsive Politics.
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Part 1: Conn Hallinan, Foreign Policy in Focus | Download MP3
Part 2: Massie Ritsch, Center for Responsive Politics | Download MP3
Part 3: Winslow Wheeler, Center for Defense Information | Download MP3
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Fear can be the most powerful motivating factor in business and politics. This week, Business Matters explores how fear can be manipulated, overcome and understood. We'll meet someone whose been studying the media's use of fear for decades and an entrepreneur who explains how fear can sometimes have positive effects. We'll help you develop the tools to understand how it's used, who uses it, and how to remain unafraid when you are bombarded with fear messaging.
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Part 1: David Altheide, Author of "Terrorism and the Politics of Fear" | Download MP3
Part 2: Paul Borgese, Creator of FEAR Selling | Download MP3
Part 3: Naomi Klein, Author of "The Shock Doctrine" | Download MP3
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October 2008
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Whoever becomes the next president, he'll be facing an economic crisis more threatening than any other since the Great Depression. Plus, he'll inherit two wars, a degrading infrastructure and a declining global image. So this week we'll try to find out what kind of leadership qualities and techniques are needed and what sort of policy challenges the next administration will have to confront. We'll ask experts on public policy and leadership how the 44th President can begin to solve the pressing challenges of our time.
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Part 1: James Galbraith, Economist |Download MP3
Part 2: Peter Block, Leadership Consultant | Download MP3
Part 3: Lewis Pitts, Public Interest Attorney | Download MP3
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After the Treasury Department's proposal for $700 billion to buy up the distressed assets in the financial system was approved by Congress, the markets continued their historic free-fall. Find out why this solution was the only one considered in Washington, as we explore the root causes of the crisis as well as innovative new solutions. First we'll talk with a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury to learn how we got into this national financial donnybrook. Then, hear from an economist who has an alternative solution that offers to cost taxpayers far less and reduce the risk of moral hazard.
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Part 1: Paul Craig Roberts, Father of "Reagenomics"
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Part 2: Luigi Zingales, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
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For the first time in nearly a hundred years, our water resources, both at home and abroad, are up for grabs. Many are suggesting the demand for water resources is becoming the 21st Century's quest for fossil fuels. We'll discuss not only the quality of our drinking water, but who owns it and what they are doing with it. Find out who's trying to control our water, why this is a concern, and what you can do about it.
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Part 1: Interview with Alan Snitow, Co-Producer and Co-Author, Thirst |
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Part 2: Interview with Sam Finkelstein, Great Lakes Organizer, Food & Water Watch |
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Part 3: Interview with Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, Director of Planning, MWRA |
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Small businesses make up over half of the economic output of the United States. Today we'll ask: How do you start them? What makes them successful? What does it take to stay competitive? We’ll start by meeting the winner of an award for being “Best Small Company to Work for in America.” Then, we’ll meet the owner of a neighborhood coffee shop in Kansas City that was challenged by a Starbucks moving in next door. Hear how they managed to keep their small business successful even when a giant chain showed up. Also, host Thomas White explains what he’s learned from his experience starting small businesses himself and helping other businesses succeed.
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Part 1: Interview with Lauren Dixon, CEO Dixon Schwabl | Download MP3
Part 2: Interview with Jon Cates of Broadway Café in Kansas City | Download MP3
Part 3: Interview with Thomas White | Download MP3
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September 2008
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The current rise in food costs in the US and shortage abroad seemed to have happened suddenly. This week we explore the factors that led to this situation and when they actually began. Is this a temporary condition or will it worsen? Find out what you can do to deal with the impact this crisis. With Sharon Astyk of the blog Casaubon's Book and author of "Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front," Bettina Luescher from the U.N.'s World Food Program, and Janet Larsen of the Earth Policy Institute.
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Part 1: Interview with Bettina Leuscher | Download MP3
Part 2: Interview with Janet Larsen | Download MP3
Part 3: Interview with Sharon Astyk | Download MP3
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August 2008
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From climate change to food shortages to high energy costs, globalization is proving itself to have a negative impact on our world. There's a group who believes that thinking locally is not only the best form of protest--but the only sure-fire way to survive. With Post Carbon Institute's Celine Rich, Path to Freedom's Jules Dervaes, and Small-Mart's Michael Shuman, leaders of the Relocalization Movement.
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Celine Rich is the Executive Director of Post Carbon Institute and has been working there since its inception in 2001. She worked for 3 years as a Research Strategist with the University of British Columbia's Development Office. In addition, she created and led community cultural development projects in Vancouver for six years. Celine has a MA in Design for the Environment from the Chelsea College of Art and Design, UK; a BA in Fine Arts from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Canada, and a Certificate of Marketing from Kwantlen College, Canada. Celine currently lives in Sebastopol, California, USA.
Visit PostCarbon.org and Relocalize.net for more details about Celine's work.
Part 1: Interview with Celine Rich | Download MP3
Michael Shuman is vice president for Enterprise Development for Training & Development Corporation (TDC). An economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, Shuman has authored, coauthored, or edited seven books, including The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006) and Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in the Global Age (Free Press, 1998). Shuman is helping to lead development of TDC's Worksphere Program, a national effort to support worker well-being through a variety of programs promoting "sustainable employability" and "global community capitalism." He received an A.B. with distinction in economics and international relations from Stanford University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week for 25 years throughout the United States and the world.
For more information about Michael, his book, and his other writings, visit Small-Mart.org.
Part 2: Interview with Michael Shuman | Download MP3
Jules Dervaes is the founder of Path to Freedom, a family-operated, viable urban homestead project established in 2001 to promote a simpler and more fulfilling lifestyle and to sow a "homegrown revolution(tm)" against the corporate powers that control the food supply. Since the mid-1980s, Mr. Dervaes and his three adult children, Anaïs, Justin, and Jordanne, have steadily worked at transforming their ordinary city lot in Pasadena, CA, into a thriving organic garden that supplies them with food all year round. These eco-pioneers also run a successful business providing fresh produce to local restaurants. This helps them fund their purchases of solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and a biodiesel processor to further decrease their homestead's reliance on the earth's non-renewable resources.
The family has been the subject of numerous articles in newspapers around the world, including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), and was recently featured on ABC's Nightline and CNN.
For more information, please see www.PathtoFreedom.com, the blog Little Homestead in the City, and social networking site for backyard gardeners, Freedom Gardens.
Part 3: Interview with Jules Dervaes | Download MP3
Technorati Tags: climate change, Peak Oil, Self-sufficiency, Relocalization, Security
July 2008
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With big box music stores closing down left and right, the independent music scene has found a way to thrive and succeed in its market. We'll speak with "the suits" at Drag City Records about their experiences as a successful indie label and also hear the artist's perspective with indie rock band, MahJongg.
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June 2008
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With rising fuel costs taking the fun out of the classic summer road trip and stressed airline companies struggling to transport even more stressed passengers, is there any chance for enjoyment while traveling anymore? We'll speak with a spokesperson for Virgin America Airlines, the founder of CouchSurfing.com, and the President and COO of Megabus, three businesses that are putting a positive spin on the way people travel around the country.
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In the second half of our two part series on the oil crisis, we continue our discussion of the impending circumstances of peak oil and the future of energy in the U.S. and beyond. We will speak with some of today's top forward-thinkers, including TheOilDrum.org editor Glenn McAnanama and Catherine Tryzbinski workshop leader teaching more about reducing energy costs along with her 10 simple tricks to reducing energy wastefulness at home and the office.
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Summer is here and with it comes high gas prices. However, when the pumps are already maxing out consumers' pocketbooks, what can anyone do except grin and bare it? We'll speak with Matthew R. Simmons, CEO of one of the largest investment banking firms serving the energy industry and Daniel Lerch, Program Manager for the Post Carbon Institute's Post Carbon Cities program, in search for life after oil, and get the scoop from those inside the industry who have faith that we're still stocked for the future.
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Many of us have believed that we had a basic understanding of how our economic system works. This knowledge helped us make good decisions for our businesses and ourselves. The recent credit crisis was a wake up call that the rules have changed. This week, we will bring you a basic primer on the New Economics with Catherine Austin Fitts and what you need to know to succeed.
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May 2008
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In our May 8th episode, we examined the dramatic change in job market in the U.S. This change will not only continue in the manufacturing sector, it will become pervasive with many service jobs as well. The old adage, “get a college degree” and you can get a good job” is no longer valid. We look at the failing of our schools to prepare our children and adults for the world we will soon encounter.
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The current rise in food costs in the US and shortage abroad seemed to have happened suddenly. This week we explore the factors that led to this situation and when they actually began. Is this a temporary condition or will it worsen? Find out what you can do to deal with the impact this crisis.
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There is a commonly held belief that if you do good things for others as a business, you will have a hard time making money. This week, we talk to some entrepreneurs who are going to blow you socks off. Their companies are helping some of the most needy people on the planet and they are making a reasonable profit at the same time.
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In the current political debate, there is a lot of talk about protecting our jobs and the terrible impact NAFTA is having on the economy. This week, we look at what is the real impetus for job transfer from the U.S. in both the manufacturing and service sector. With a clear perspective on the real causes of these shifts, we will get a picture of the future for jobs in America.
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We explore the changing standards for honesty in business. Are we so different that 30 years ago? What are the factors that are driving dramatically lower levels of trust of corporate leaders? What is the impact of this environment on the personal ethics? What happens to people who have the courage to stand up for honesty in the workplace?
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- Simone Brummelhuis - CEO of TheNextWomen
- Nancy Procunier - Founder of Sparksprite
- Margaret Heffernan - Entrepreneur and Author
- Susan Wilson Solovic - CEO of SBTV
- Amy Nichols - CEO of Dogtopia
Business Matters is a weekly radio program that offers its listeners admission into the inner circle of thought-leaders, entrepreneurs and executives from the worlds of business, government and non-profit. Through unbiased dialogue we explore the decisions and actions of their organizations and the impact they have on the economy, culture, the environment, public policy and international relations.
We bring our listeners a portal into the future. We feature guests who are breaking down old paradigms and creating new models for success through innovations in the areas of science, technology, philosophy and management.