The Authority Company

There’s that old line, 'Those who can, do; those who can't, teach', but that’s a bit of a fallacy, and Joe's guest this week is proving that. His name is Jim Hunter, and he’s been teaching entrepreneurs for decades at the Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. But over the course of his entrepreneurial career, he’s founded and run multiple companies and held the roles of CFO, vice president, and director, among others. Jim has an interesting idea; he believes that college is the perfect time to start your business, and he’s written Graduate a CEO to explain why.

The influence of art in society has been discussed since the first brush strokes were ever made. But since then, much has been debated like Elvis’ swiveling hips, violence in video games, or sexuality on TV. But the course of time has proven that art does have a positive impact on the world. And Joe's guest this week, Shreya Patel, is proving that by creating content that's educational and entertaining, she can empower underdogs everywhere. Shreya is an actress, filmmaker, and the founder of Window Dreams Productions, the award-winning production house that specializes in impact production.Connect with Shreya on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter.And find out more at www.imshreyapatel.com and www.windowdreams.ca

Back in 2011, Tom Cruise went to the UAE to scale the side of the world’s tallest building for one of his Mission Impossible movies. And in 2015, Joe's guest pulled off an equally daunting feat; Linda Fitz-Alan went to the UAE to launch an English Common Law System in Abu Dhabi. Linda is the Registrar and Registrar and Chief Executive of Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts, where she leads the administration and operations of the Court and delivery of the Court’s comprehensive digital services and unique eCourts Platform. Linda shares her journey from Australia to the UAE and the inspiration for her upcoming book that explores the theme of taking chances by telling her own remarkable story.

New Year, New You, New Job? If your New Year’s resolution is to get in shape, you sign up for the gym. If you want to save money, you might build a budget. But if you’re looking to make a career change, where do you even start? Nowadays, job searchers are getting an assist from executive and business coaches and this week, Joe is joined by two of them: Kara Dennison, the CEO of Optimized Career Solutions, and Jack Dennison, the COO of Optimized Career Solutions. On the pod, Kara and Jack discuss how they're helping high-achieving professionals gain confidence & take control of their career search and find their dream job. The Links: Find out more about Kara and Jack at OptimizedCareerSolutions.com.Connect on LinkedIn, Kara Dennison & Jack Dennison. And follow Kara on TikTok.

George Elliot said, “It's never too late to be what you might have been.” And Joe's guest this week has admittedly reinvented herself more times than she cared or wanted to count. Osnat Benari is a product leader, strategist, and active advisor and coach for startups and young professionals. She’s also the author of the new book, “Starting from Scratch: Managing Change Like Your Career Depends On It.” In it, she provides the step-by-step process of starting from scratch and everything you need to make change work for you.

This week, Joe welcomes Dr. Nika White back to the podcast. For over 20 years, Dr. Nika has helped companies across the globe create more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable cultures. On January 31st, she’s releasing her third book, Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide To Simplify DEI, in it, she provides the tools to help folks become allies, changemakers, and inclusive leaders, no matter where they are on the DEI journey. Connect with Dr. Nika on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. About Dr. Nika White: Dr. Nika is an international authority on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She is an award-winning management and leadership consultant, and executive DEI practitioner helping organizations create cultures of inclusion and belonging. She has worked with hundreds of corporate, educational, government, and nonprofit brands, managing millions of dollars in business assets for her clients. As a sought-after speaker, she delivers keynote addresses on team engagement, organizational leadership, and intentional inclusion. Dr. White brings a vibrant mix of expertise, passion, and vision that leaves audiences inspired and ready to make an impact. Dr. White also trains leaders to collaborate through a lens of compassion, empathy, and understanding. She is the author of two other books: The Intentional Inclusionist® and Next Level Inclusionist: Transforming Your Work and Yourself for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Success.

In 2019, World Logic Day was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCO believes that logic can help solve some of our biggest global challenges, from climate change to poverty. One of the organizations chosen to host this year’s celebration is Austin-based tech startup Logictry, which is on a mission to make logic and knowledge more accessible. On the podcast, Joe learns more about World Logic Day from the co-founders of Logictry, Chelsea Toler and Chris Fronda. Read more about the global problem Logictry is aiming to solve in this article published by Dr. Art Markman, Vice Provost of Academic Affairs at The University of Texas.

Joe talks about America’s housing problem with Ankur Jain, the founder and CEO of Bilt Rewards, a startup that helps renters build credit and earn points on rent payments. Ankur shares how Bilt quadrupled its valuation to $1.5 billion in less than a year and how renters are able to pay their rent with the Bilt Mastercard at any property and start earning points on rent and non-rent transactions.

Many technologies like solar and wind, will play essential roles in helping the world to accomplish the global consensus of “net-zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But many experts believe that hydrogen will play a pivotal role in hitting that target. Joining Joe on the podcast to discuss “the fuel of the future” is Cody Batemen, the founder of GenH2, a company focused on the mass production of infrastructure equipment necessary for the transition to a clean energy economy. Cody is known as a leader in the field of hydrogen infrastructure research and development and is an outspoken advocate for the Hydrogen Economy.

In 2022, live events came back in a big way. The Detroit Auto Show came back after a 3-and-a-half-year hiatus. Coachella was back after a 2-year break, and Live Nation sold more than 100 million tickets through July 2022, compared to 74 million in 2019. Brands large and small are once again embracing live marketing activations and joining Joe this week to talk more about it is Rachel Doyon, the Founder of Collabarét. Rachel and her team produce activations around the globe for private clients and partners through storytelling, strategic campaigns, and experiential events.