In 1975, John T Molloy wrote “Dress for Success.” A couple of years later, he followed it with “Dress for Success for Women.” As a result, a generation of professionals had guidelines and rules to follow when it came to the business dress code. In 2022 that code is changing like never before. In fact, there is no dress code today. Professionals have the opportunity to define new ways to dress comfortably while projecting an image of professionalism. Lucy Vozza believes clothing and the vibe you ...
Sep 21, 2022•17 min
Last summer, William & Mary Business Professor Ram Ganeshan joined us on the podcast to talk about where supply chains stood in 2021. A year ago we were experiencing lumber shortages, new furniture was challenging to find, and chlorine for the backyard swimming pool was in short supply. Fast-forward one year to today and we’re faced with new supply chain issues. Some we could never have imagined a year ago. For example, the baby formula shortage continues, semiconductors are in short supply,...
Sep 05, 2022•20 min
There’s no doubt change will play a major role in our future. We’ll experience new business landscapes, new paradigms for leadership, and new approaches to work. The next 20 years of business in the world will be vastly different from the past. For many professionals, that constant change leads to uncertainty, which can increase burnout, exhaustion, and low morale. If not handled appropriately, it can adversely affect the bottom line. Our guest today says that does not have to be the case. She s...
Aug 05, 2022•19 min
Retaining high quality employees. A priority today. As professionals change jobs faster than ever, businesses and organizations need to hang on to their best performers. While many employers increase salaries to retain people, our guest today says they’re often overlooking something more important and more effective. Something that will keep top employees engaged and happy at work. David Long is a professor of organizational behavior at William & Mary’s School of Business. In addition to tea...
Jul 21, 2022•17 min
We all know that companies and employees expect businesses to do more than make money. Today, people expect organizations to contribute to society to make a difference. And we’ve seen how those efforts lead to a number of positive outcomes. When looking for role models in the doing good and doing well arena, one company jumps out: DICK’S Sporting Goods. America’s largest sporting goods retailer goes to great lengths to support young athletes. In fact, since 2014, DICK’S and the DICK’S Foundation...
Jul 05, 2022•18 min
Few sectors were hit harder by the pandemic than the hospitality sector. Hotels in particular faced devastating losses as travel came to a halt. For Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel company, that meant closing some hotels and laying off or furloughing many employees. Two years later, Marriott is experiencing a remarkable recovery; employees are back to work, hotels are open, and in many cases they’re full, almost back to record levels. Stephanie Linnartz is President of Marriott...
Jun 21, 2022•19 min
The role of today’s leader is quite different from the role leaders played in the past. Today’s senior leaders are navigating several challenges simultaneously: Inflation, fast-moving technology, work from home - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Andrew White is a Senior Fellow in Management Practice at the University of Oxford’s Said School of Business in England. A leadership coach to top CEOs, he leads the Advanced Management and Leadership Program at Oxford. He says leading in the mode...
Jun 05, 2022•18 min
To say Dan Akerson has had an exciting career is an understatement. He’s held leadership positions such as CEO, Chairman, President, and Managing Director of top organizations - including MCI, General Instrument, Nextel, The Carlisle Group, and General Motors. He’s been successful at each stop. He continues to be active, serving on the boards at American Express and Lockheed Martin, but it’s his four years as CEO of General Motors that people remember best. He led GM from 2010 to 2014 where he o...
May 21, 2022•17 min
As businesses, organizations, and professionals deal with change like we’ve never seen before, it makes sense the way we lead will also change. Our guest today says a new leadership paradigm is urgently needed. Nicholas Janni is a sought-after coach, teacher, speaker and author. He works with the world’s top businesses and business schools transforming the way executives lead. He’s written a new book “Leader as Healer: A New Paradigm for 21st Century Leadership.” He joins us today to discuss his...
May 05, 2022•19 min
How do you invest your money? Chances are, your gender plays a role in where you invest, how you invest, and the results you generate. When it comes to wealth management, there are considerable differences between the approaches men and women take. Molly Nissman is Vice President, Wealth Management and Portfolio Manager at UBS Financial Services in Norfolk, Virginia. She’s spent her career helping people get the most from their money. She was on campus recently for the annual Women’s Stock Pitch...
Apr 21, 2022•19 min
More than ever before, companies and organizations are placing great emphasis on their employees by offering more flexible work schedules, or investing greatly in education and training programs. Some, like Microsoft, are focusing on the general wellbeing of their employees. Microsoft has created and launched its Holistic Wellbeing Program - a series of offerings that support employees in four specific wellbeing areas: Physical, mental, financial, and social. Kristen Roby Dimlow is a graduate of...
Apr 08, 2022•21 min
We’ve all been there: You go to a local business, or visit a hotel, or go online to make a purchase, and the experience is awful. If it’s bad enough, you decide to never go back again. Which means the business - at a minimum - has lost a customer. In today’s competitive market, no business can afford to lose customers. That’s where Chris Caracci steps in. He helps organizations improve their customer experience. He spent years at the Disney Institute working with clients across the world. Today ...
Mar 21, 2022•21 min
in 2017, when William & Mary graduate Michael Medline became CEO of Empire, he knew the organization was in need of major change. he’d been successful at PepsiCo Canada and as CEO of Canadian Tire but turning around Canada’s second largest grocery retailer, would be a significant challenge. Fast forward to 2022. Medline has executed one of the most effective turnarounds in Canadian retail. Empire and its key brands——Sobey’s, Safeway, IGA, and others---is stronger than ever. and people have n...
Mar 08, 2022•19 min
If you’re looking for a new job, now is the time to look. Due to a number of factors, we’re experiencing the hottest job market in decades. Salaries are up, the number of openings across sectors and industries has increased, benefits are improving, and employers are becoming more flexible. The news is great if you’re a job seeker. Patrice Lincoln is a career coach. She’s the Director of Graduate Career Advising and Education at William & Mary’s School of Business. She’s on the front lines in...
Feb 16, 2022•19 min
Every aspect of business deals with continuous change, but one area has constantly evolved from the beginning: Marketing. The audience, tools, and channels change rapidly as marketing continues to grow in terms of complexity. It wasn’t that long ago that reaching your audience was as easy as placing an ad in the newspaper. But now, marketing is more sophisticated, strategic, and segmented than ever. And when done right, it’s tied to the organization’s mission and purpose. And while marketers wor...
Jan 22, 2022•19 min
As we’ve seen, the pandemic has changed just about everything; the way we live, the way we communicate, and no doubt the way we work. Transformational change is taking place at work and it will continue for the foreseeable future. And at the center of the changes: People. How can employers create a new work environment that attracts, retains, and satisfies the best people? One organization has its finger on the pulse of the evolution of work - EY. The global organization recently conducted a stu...
Jan 05, 2022•20 min
For those who’ve spent years in the military, or intelligence community, transitioning to the private sector (or any sector) can be daunting. That’s why William & Mary, and its Center for Military Transition has created a unique two-week on campus program to be held in June called Flourishing Through Life’s Transitions. Designed to be a transformational experience, the program will train veterans and members of the intelligence community to transition to civilian positions while flourishing ...
Dec 21, 2021•21 min
There is no one path to a leadership position; some people are asked to lead, some are assigned. For others, leadership is a goal. At an early age, Brad Martin sought leadership roles. As a 20 year old, with no political experience, he ran for public office and became the youngest person ever elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives where he served for five terms. Later he turned to business where he became the CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue and its predecessor firm for nearly 20 years. Durin...
Dec 05, 2021•23 min
In today’s highly competitive environment, the best businesses, organizations, and professionals create value. How and for whom may differ somewhat, but the outcome’s the same: Creating value helps you succeed. The target may be customers and organizations, stakeholders or others, but the goal is fairly consistent across sectors. Creating value often means delivering an outcome the client seeks. One that leads to a benefit. Quimby Kaizer knows all about creating value, she’s a consultant and pri...
Nov 21, 2021•20 min
Leadership is tough. For that matter, just about every job today is tough; the hours, the effort, the competition, the people, the pandemic. Success today requires a certain level of mental and physical fitness. As a result, exercise is key. And while it’s important, it can be challenging to find the time to work out regularly. If you’re ever in need of some motivation, look to Strauss Zelinick - the Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive Software, and founder of the private equity firm Zelnic...
Nov 05, 2021•19 min
Virtually every leader has been faced with a turnaround situation - bringing a failing organization back to its former successful state. Or finding a high-quality solution to a problem that can no longer continue. A new leader is brought in to direct the turnaround situation in some instances. In other cases, the current leadership team is expected to get things back on track. And most often sooner rather than later. Because turnarounds are challenging, complex, and often situation-dependent, ea...
Oct 20, 2021•20 min
What does your CEO think about marketing? Or if you’re the CEO, what do YOU think about marketing? The way CEOs position marketing and the way they partner with the Chief Marketing Officer has a huge effect on results and the bottom line. Unfortunately, though, for many CEOs, marketing is nothing more than a source of frustration. In some cases, the marketing team has overpromised and under delivered. In other cases, the leader struggles with the investment marketing requires. Whatever the case,...
Oct 06, 2021•19 min
Every year over 200,000 US military personnel separate from active duty. Transitioning servicemen and women cite a number of reasons and motivations for their departures. For example, they may be retirement eligible, others have completed their service agreements, some are seeking a career change. For others, the move is related to family. Whatever the reason, transitioning from the military to the civilian world is challenging. According to militarytransition.org, about half of all veterans say...
Sep 21, 2021•20 min
In the last decade, the interest in Diversity & Inclusion has grown significantly at companies and organizations. For the most part D&I has been accepted: It’s seen as a positive contributor to employee engagement, employee retention, company culture, and a healthy bottom line. While D&I has become mainstream, not every organization has it figured out. For some, Diversity & Inclusion efforts are simply transactional - a series of workshops or lectures delivered by a vendor. Our g...
Sep 07, 2021•20 min
The annual employee review. The performance evaluation. The employee appraisal. Whatever you call it, in many organizations, the process of evaluating employee performance is often ineffective. In many instances, the evaluations do little to help the employee, the supervisor, or the organization. Among other things, employees are rarely satisfied with the score they receive, and they find it challenging to write a self-evaluation when they know it may be tied to their future compensation. And wh...
Aug 18, 2021•23 min
For years, student athletes competing at colleges and universities governed by the NCAA were considered to be “amateur athletes.” That amateur status meant they were prohibited from making money using their name, image, and likeness. Well that changed recently thanks to the NCAA’s Name Image and Likeness policy, known as the NIL Policy. Now, any person, business, or organization can pay a college athlete fair market value to endorse or represent them. For example, athletes can now be paid for pe...
Aug 05, 2021•24 min
If you’ve tried to purchase new furniture recently, or chlorine for a pool, or even certain makes and models of new cars, you may have been told you’ll have to wait several weeks - possibly several months before the product is back in stock. Items from lumber to clothing to electronics have been difficult to find in recent months. The reason is often tied to the supply chain, which has been adversely affected throughout the pandemic, forcing consumers to wait until their new purchases arrive. Ra...
Jul 16, 2021•19 min
Of the many sectors and industries affected by the pandemic, one in particular has caught the attention of consumers, buyers, sellers, and investors: The US housing market. Mortgage rates, prices, labor, supply, demand - they’ve all changed over the past few months, making the housing market one of the most interesting to follow. Saying the market is “hot” in some areas is a major understatement. Houses are selling quickly in many regions, often for well above the listing price. In some cases, b...
Jul 01, 2021•21 min
The masks are coming off, we’re gathering with family and friends, and many people are making plans for a much needed and well-deserved summer vacation. Whether you’re heading to the beach, the mountains, or the in-laws, if you’re looking for the right book to take along we have the right person who has several recommendations in terms of good reads for your summer getaway. Anna Milholland is the business librarian at the McLeod Library at William & Mary School of Business. She oversees the ...
Jun 15, 2021•18 min
It’s graduation season, and if there’s a class that deserves to be celebrated, it’s the class of 2021. This group experienced higher education like no one before them. Most of these new grads began school before the pandemic when college campuses operated mostly in a face-to-face environment. Then the pandemic forced schools to quickly shift to virtual learning, and eventually for some schools a mix of virtual and in-person instruction. Things were different on campuses, and for many students th...
May 17, 2021•18 min
