In this episode of the Centric Biz and Tech Talks podcast, we discuss the importance of deep work. Jason Fisher led Centric's long-time technologists Chris Urian and Shawn Wallace in a talk about deep work-- the basics, how to get started, practical tips to stay engaged, the benefits, and how to take advantage of it in business. Studies show that, annually, US companies lose approximately 28 billion hours in productivity each year due to distractions and interruptions. Their discussion goes beyo...
Dec 19, 2019•24 min
This week on Centric's Biz and Tech Talks, we talk to our four founders, the Four Amigos, to reflect on the start of Centric Consulting and our 20 years together. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of Centric Consulting, although that wasn't the name back then. The name's changed, and so have a lot of other things. Or have they? In this episode of Centric's Biz and Tech Talks, we talk with the founders and long-time leaders of Centric, Dave Rosevelt, Eric Van Luven, Larry Engli...
Dec 05, 2019•36 min
This week on Centric's Biz and Tech Talks, we discuss the importance of motivation in a consulting role. How do you find your motivation and use this to perform your best? A while back, we held a Centric Book Club discussion on the book "Drive," by Daniel Pink. The book focuses on motivation, with the thesis stating tangible rewards (like bonuses) motivate people less, and satisfying experiences or how excited they are by the outcome motivate people more — people connected to this theory, as the...
Nov 28, 2019•26 min
This week on Centric's Biz and Tech Talks, we take a look at continued learning in a professional capacity. We share tips and tricks to make furthering education less daunting. The continuing development of skills and knowledge is more critical than ever, even beyond the professional realm. For many of us, though, it leaves us with numerous questions: What can I do to be a lifelong learner? How can I fit that into my already packed schedule? In this episode of Centric's Biz and Tech Talks, we ta...
Nov 14, 2019•17 min
There is more than one type of Cloud Provider. We take a look at two of the more notable options, Containers and Serverless, and determine if one is better than the other. On this episode of the Centric Biz and Tech Talks podcast, Jason Fisher leads a discussion about Containers versus Serverless architectures. Centric technologists Mike Brooks and Matt Miller join Jason Fisher to talk about Containers versus Serverless – the major differences, pros, cons and trends. Containers are a light-weigh...
Oct 24, 2019•15 min
Agile practices are over a decade old. We discuss the progression of Agile development, focusing on how it's changed and where it's going. In this episode of the Centric Biz and Tech Talks podcast, Shawn Wallace leads a discussion about the importance of Agile patterns and practices in business. Centric long-time technologists Matt Miller, Joe Ours and Chris Urian join Shawn to talk about Agile patterns and practices 10 to 15 years after it first took the scene. In this discussion, we talk about...
Oct 10, 2019•32 min
What does trust mean to you? We ask this question along with others related to building trust in a panel discussion on our latest podcast. In this episode of the Centric Biz and Tech Talks podcast, John Kackley talks about the importance of building trust in your personal and professional life. Trust is vital to maintaining stable relationships in our work and personal lives, and consequently, it's crucial to our words and actions. Trust is also very delicate, being difficult to earn and easy to...
Sep 26, 2019•27 min
We went on the road with Centric Biz and Tech Talks at this summer's CampIO to discuss new tech ideas, building community, and fostering enthusiasm for technology. In this episode of the Centric Biz and Tech Talks podcast, John Kackley is a "man on the street," talking to our CampIO presenters and attendees to discover their insights into the world of tech. Suppose you have a diverse business organization, with people all over the country or even the world, all working on different things. And, ...
Sep 12, 2019•15 min
In today's business world, data and analytics drive every decision made. Selecting the right technology tool plays a big part in successful implementation. A company realizes it's way behind the technology curve on data. The world runs on data, and they're moving at a slow walk. We need to do something, but what? In this episode of the Centric Biz and Tech Talks podcast, we continue our talk with Carlos Cruz, Jeremy Gruenwald, Sean Neben, and Ted Perez about how they took a client through the as...
Jun 29, 2019•17 min
In today's business world, data and analytics drive every decision made. Implementation, however, requires intentionality. A company realizes its way behind the technology curve on data. The world runs on data, and they're moving at a slow walk. We need to do something, but what? In this episode of the Centric Biz and Tech Talks podcast, we talk with Carlos Cruz, Jeremy Gruenwald, Sean Neben, and Ted Perez about how they took a client through the assessment of their data and analytics architectu...
Jun 28, 2019•20 min
Determining the best means of implementing organizational change is half the battle in the execution of change. Understanding external resources and processes aids in achieving a smooth transition. The gig economy is the newest of business trends driving towards nontraditional employment models. For years now, companies looked at the tradeoffs involved with people who are not classic full-time employees, with analysis of the costs, risks, and company strategy implications. In this episode of Cen...
Jun 26, 2019•14 min
Developing a step-by-step business transformation plan increases the rate of success for introducing change into your business. We continue to talk about Business Transformation and how the objective is the most important focal point during any pre-planned change. In part two of this two-part episode, John Kackley continues to speak to Carla Cubert about her role in business transformation projects and her life as a trained pastry chef! She brings this additional expertise into the conversation ...
May 29, 2019•12 min
A business transformation plan is an essential part of implementing change in any business space. When is the last time your business went through a significant transformation? How did you handle it? What were some of your most substantial victories and pitfalls? In part one of a two-part episode, John Kackley speaks to Carla Cubert, a Business Management Consultant for Centric’s Chicago team. Carla has been a part of many business transformations over the years and brings her expertise to the c...
May 29, 2019•12 min
Data and Analytics trends are constantly evolving. We talk about the latest and most important updates in the field. Let’s talk about data and analytics! What’s trending in the field? On our first podcast, your host John Kackley explores the broad boundaries of data and analytics with Centric Chicago’s practice lead Carlos Cruz about his experience and knowledge on the latest and greatest about the field. John and Carlos discuss how data ingesting and transformation is making way for businesses ...
May 24, 2019•12 min
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are two different tools working well together to improve your business processes. It’s the rise of the machines! But there’s no need to call John Conner just yet. In this podcast, John Kackley speaks to Carmen Fontana, a guest expert on the cloud, about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. John and Carmen discuss the differences between AI and Machine Learning and how these differences benefit your business. They look at some of the most effe...
May 24, 2019•12 min
